operator- fixed networks

Telenor is offering flat rates for fixed line telephone calls to counter a consumer switch to mobile phones. China has granted the first VoIP service operation license (for a trial network) while other operators will be able to apply for the license by...

DT will invest $200m in 2006 in its fixed-line network in Germany. Golden Telecom (Russia) plans to build a 5,000 access nodes WiFi network in Moscow.

Cablevision, cable operator in Mexico, owned by Televista, will invest $280m in 2006, mainly in launching telephony services, the digitization of its network. BT plans to introduce higher speed wholesale broadband connections of about 8Mbit/s in the UK....

China Telecom plans to spin off its telecom and engineering division to raise funds in the $200-400m range through an IPO. Chunghwa Telecom (Taiwan) selected Flag Telecom to provide 2 x 10 Gbit/sec wavelengths scientific network (TANET).

Lacom, a JV between Orascom and Egypt Telecom in Algeria, had received an operating license in March 2005, and launches fixed operation in competition with Algerie Telecom. Telekom Austria plans commercial IPTV launch, offering around 40 TV channels and...

Japan' s space agency said it will launch the MTSAT-2R weather and navigation satellite this week. Vietnam is considering launching its own communication satellite in 2008. It also targets making Internet access available to 35% of its population by 2010....

DT' s T-Com (Germany) plans to connect 90% of the households in Berlin to its high-speed fiber network VDSL before the end of this year. Global Voice (Singapore) will lease, then later buy, European 6,800-km intercity fiber networks owned by Viatel. China...

Intelsat has secured a contract to provide video distribution to Qualcomm' s MediaFLO USA mobile television broadcast network. DT' s fixed-line unit T-Com (Germany) is loosing around 100,000 customers a month. Magyar Telekom (Hungary) closed the acquisition...

Telewest (UK) announced that it will deploy Corning' s NexCor single mode fiber in its hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) networks. Sonera (Finland) has filed for a license to build a nationwide mobile TV network. TeliaSonera has acquired Danish Yeslhotspot's...

Swisscom Fixnet will roll out FTTH in Switzerland with Emtelle' s blown fiber solution. The Spanish Government barred Telefonica bidding for broadband operator Iberbanda. Vienna (Austria) plans to provide FTTH connections to 960,000 households.