Wednesday Telecoms Digest

FIXED:
* WLR: Pipex plans introduction March 2006
* LLU: Pipex plans expansion to 100 Cos in 2007 (was 60); Completel plans 110 Cos by end of 2006; penetration France at 2.23m lines (of which 592k fully unbundled)
* Broadband: penetration Slovenia at 160k (of which 100k DSL, 60k cable)
* FTTN: United Internet and Freenet propose to join Deutsche Telekom in investment plan
* FTTH: FT plans trial summer 2006
* Auctions: Telefonica, CANTV, ETB, EPM interested in Telecom Colombia
* Enitel (= America Movil; Nicaragua) plans expansion using Fitel (USF)
* Telecom Namibia offers cash rewards for reporting copper theft
* BPL: ARRL approves Motorola’s ‘Powerline LV’
* BiG: Nethercomm close to ending a trial

WIRELESS – CELLULAR:
* License: Indonesia plans 3G licenses, auction Jan 16, winner Feb 8; Iraq plans 2-4 new licenses June 2006
* Launches: Azerphone (Siemens) and Catle plan Jan launch in Azerbeidzhan; Sky launches ‘Sky Mobile’ in the UK
* HSDPA: Dell rumoured to be planning a laptop with HSDPA
* MVNO: Spanish regulator CMT wants MVNOs; Cellcom (Israel) plans hosting MVNOs; Apple rumoured to plan MVNO (registers ‘Mobile Me’ trademark)
* TV: British trial (DAB-IP) by BT (wholesale, ‘BT Movio’) and Virgin (service provider) claims success, two-thirds willing to pay max 8 GBP/mo; SKT plans launch March/April 2006 (T-DMB); trial (‘Oxford Mobile TV’, DVB-H) of O2 and Arqiva claims success (83% satisfied); FLO Forum submits standard to TIA Engineering Committee

WIRELESS – SHORT-RANGE BROADBAND:
* ZigBee: STM and Ember cooperate on solutions

WIRELESS – LONG-RANGE BROADBAND:
* Spectrum: FCC plans May 10 for air-to-ground in 800 MHz band for in-flight
* WiMAX: first batch of certified products expected next week; Nzwireless plans launch in New-Zealand this month; 48 apply for French licenses, more info needed, deadline Feb 1; India plans extra spectrum (not only 2.3-2.5 GHz band, but also 2.5-2.7 GHz and 3.3-3.8 GHz); Pipex plans trial; TDS Metrocom launches in Madison with Alvarion; Air Broadband orders Fujitsu’s WiMAX SoC for IP switch-router
* BWA: Mobile Satellite Ventures (Motient 48%, SkyTerra 20%, Bell Canada 20%) plans hybrid network (cellular + satellite) with Boeing; DirecTV plans plan within 2 months

CONVERGENCE:
* F/M: T-Mobile and Magyar Telekom launch F/M offerings; Vodafone and FastWeb rumoured to be talking
* VoIP: S&P cuts Verizon (and possibly AT&T, BellSouth, CenturyTel and Cingular) because of VoIP
* IPTV: Beijing Netcom: issues RfP

MUNIBROADBAND:
* BPL: Princeton (La Salle County) launches; Motorola ‘Powerline LV’ modem approved by Underwriters Labs (UL)
* WiMAX: Motorola completes national network in Macedonia using ‘MotoWi4 Canopy’ pre-WiMAX for ‘Macedonia Connects Project’
* FTTH: Portland (Or): Portland contemplates munifiber
* WiFi: Boston launches pilot (ad supported) ‘Boston Main Streets WiFi’ with Airpath