Mobile operator strategies - 01/03/07

BenQ Mobile failed to find a buyer. So, BenQ will be liquidated and sold in pieces.

Vodafone has extended HSDPA services to 6 new cities in Romania.

Anacom, the Portuguese telecom regulator, plans to introduce MVNOs in the country.

China Unicom' strategy seems to increase subscribership. We already knew that Unicom had decided to re-subsdidize CDMA handsets. The results are that ASP was down to less than $129, about 8m CDMA 2000 mobile phones were sold in 2006 and 8.5m are expected to be sold in 2007. In addition this strategy pays back; Unicom reported a profit in 2006.

Eleven companies have filed a bid for the tender of three 3G mobile licenses in Russia.

France Telecom may sell off its Dutch mobile and Broadband unit Orange NL for abour €1-1.5bn.

In Austria, broadcasters ORF and ORS, mobilkom austria and Hutchison 3G Austria, Siemens Austria and the University of Salzburg will test DVB-H mobile digital terrestrial TV technology.

Millicom International plans to invest $500m in Colombia through 2009.