Mobile operator strategies - 20/05/07

Virgin Mobile is planing to launch MVNO services in India, helped by Tata Teleservices.

China' s MII has finally set the technical specifications for WCDMA and CDMA 2000 technologies developed abroad. The move is a step closer to issuing 3G licenses.

China Mobile has bought 100% of Pakistan Paktel for $460m.

Armentel (Armenia) has launched a new GPRS-Packet service for its post-paid users.

Digicel (pan-Latam operator) targets more acquisitions, particularly in Central America.

Vivendi denies it has offered to purchase Vodafone' s 44% stake in SFR (France).

Vodacom (S. Africa) wants majority stake in M-Tel (Nigeria) for $480m.

Telefonica still interested to get 100% ownership in Vivo (Brazil), offering PT $4bn for its Vivo stake.

Mobile-8 Telecom (Indonesia) has received permit for building a fixed-wireless access network.

U:fon, the operating unit of MobilKom, has unveiled commercial CDMA services in the Czech Republic.

Sprint Nextel is teaming with ABC to provide TV content to cell phones. It has also launched a new ow flat-rate plan with unlimited calls, called Boost Unlimited, to target low-income subscriber-base.

Reliance (India) said it will set up over 8,900 base terminal stations, to provide services to about 2.3m villages in the next year.

Telefonica has cut its mobile rates in Spain by 9.5% and it has simplified the number of tariff plans from 10 to 4 to streamline operations.