Mobile operator strategies - 16 June 2005

PCCW (HK) will buy mobile telecom firm Sunday Communications (HK) for about $200 m.

Telekom Malaysia continues planning a sole bid (worth $390m) in India 's Idea Cellular (after its association with SingTel Telemedia failed to gain a 47šstake in the company and was not approved by the Indian Foreign Investment Promotion Board). The seller is Cingular (which inherited Idea Cellular stake from ATT Wireless) and continues to evaluate options.

Following a decision of the Swedish telecom regulator (to deploy a cheaper technology), Vodafone and Hutchison 3 could deploy (or use) CDMA 2000 450MHz technology instead of UMTS in Sweden.

SBC plans to deploy 21,000 Panasonic EDGE-enabled laptops to its field technicians. They will use Cingular mobile network.

Sprint is providing on its web site maps of CDMA 1X EV-DO deployment in the USA.

Vodafone will introduce two significant changes in the pricing of mobile data: a new roaming data tariff, based on flat rate and volume up to 100 Mo, and domestic, flat rate data tariffs for unlimited usage.

Hutchison 3 plans to launch Vietnam's first 3G mobile service in 2H05 in association with Hanoi Telecom.

Sonofon (Denmark) is offering free mobile calls from a home zone to fixed line domestic number. Outside the home zone, calls are billed at standard rates.

Unitel (Uzbekistan) will receive $30m loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction (EBRD).