Fixed operator stratgies - 24/07/06

Telmex Peru plans to invest $50m to launch fixed wireless telephony services using WiMax technology.

Seven groups are bidding for Wireless Silicon Valley Plan (plan to unwire the Silicon Valley). They are: the consortium of Azulstar, Cisco, IBM, and Seakay; Blue Horizon Group; Community Wireless; Fire2Wire/Ubiquity Broadband Communities; VeriLan and MetroFi. A short list will be issued and a contract signed by September. The only group with enough experience and funding resources (the project could cost over $ 50m) seems Azulstar, Cisco, IBM, and Seakay.

Telefonica has taken over Spanish broadband operator Iberbanda.

KDDI has signed an gareement with VDC (Vietnam) to jointly establish IP-VPN infrastructure in Hanoi.

In France, WiMAX regional licenses were mainly attributed to Bolloré Telecom (12 licenses), Maxtel (13 licenses) et HDRR (11 licenses).

Bell Canada (Canada) rolls out FTTx service, called Sympatico Optimax.

Verizon has confirmed that it wants to spin off its directories activities.

NTT announced that Paramount Pictures Corp. will join the world's first field test for digital cinema distribution via fiber optics.

Warburg, Cinven swallow Dutch cable player Casema for $2.6bn.