Mobile operator strategies - 17/05/06

DoCoMo and Microsoft will team up to provide mobile music services.

Telenor has agreed to accept both cash and equity for its 57% stake in Ukraine's Kyivstar from Vimpelcom and Altimo. In another announcement, the Moscow Arbitration Court has rejected Telenor' s attempt to avoid the purchase of Ukrainian RadioSystems (URS or WellCom) by VimpelCom.

Vodafone should be talking with MTS (Russia) to buy a stake in the company.

Starcomms, Multilinks, Intercellular and Prest Cable and Wire (Preste) have been granted unified licenses by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

TeliaSonera is starting talks with other European mobile operators in an attempt to lower international roaming tariffs.

According to O2 during the presentation of the results of their mobile TV trial, the results were encouraging, but they acknowledged that there are technical, spectrum and content rights challenges yet to overcome before launching commercial services. There is a need for "made for mobile" content, affordable prices, VOD, PVR functionality, interactivity and more video channels.

PLDT (Philippines) could invest $280m in 3G roll-out over next 3 years.

Orange announces its future GSM/Wi-Fi handset, and could launch its converged service before the end of the year. The handset could be priced at about €100.

Siemens and Outsmart signed a reseller agreement, allowing Siemens to integrate Outsmart's Mobility Management Application Server solution into its IMS/fixed mobile convergence (FMC) solution.

PCCW announced it has become the world's first mobile provider to broadcast real-time TV over its 3G network, using Cell Multimedia Broadcast technology.