Mobile operator strategies - 07/06/06

Portugal Telecom and Telefonica are both willing to buy Vivo, their 50/50 JV in Brazil. But PT is under an hostile bid from Sonae. Telefonica and PT did not succeed deciding a strategic plan for Vivo, giving each partner good reasons to buy other’ stake in the company. Sonae’ s CEO said that if its bid on PT is successful, it will sell PT’ stake in Vivo.

Orange UK is offering to its loyal high spending mobile phone users (more than $45/per month) free broadband at 8Mbit/s.

Verizon Wireless plans to launch SMS-to-voice services, letting its users sending SMS from the mobile phones to landline phones.

STC (Saudi Arabia) is ready to offer any Egyptian company up to 20% of its shares in Egypt's third mobile operator if it wins the bidding process. The move seems strategic to win support from a local partner for its offer in the bid.

Slovakia is again attempting to offer a 3rd GSM and UMTS license in the country for the third time.

3 Italia launches the first flat rate mobile internet access offer in the country.

TIMEdotcom has launched a 3G HSDPA pilot trial in Malaysia.

MTS (Russia) will bid for Armenia' s Armentel.

Telenor continues fighting against Alfa Group, via Vimpelcom. The latest episode is the fight for the control of Vimpelcom' s board and its strategy in Ukraine. Telenor asks shareholders to vote for two independent directors, Lunder and Zielke. In the same time, Vimpelcom withdraws its offer to buy Ukrainian operator Kyivstar. Decision to be made on June 23.

Primus Telecom (Australia) launches a mobile service (Primus Mobile) as a MVNO on Optus network.

Some UK companies will trial DAB/DMB mobile content broadcasting services with the help of S. Korean companies,