Germany's Federal Cartel Office has approved the planned mobile TV joint venture of T-Mobile, O2 Germany and Vodafone Germany. The competition authority will investigate antitrust aspects  and issue a decision in September.

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Source: Communications Direct; Global Insight

Apple seeks exclusive distribution deals for its iPhone  in France, Germany and the U.K. Winning  contracts  come at a high price for the telcos in question. The iPhone maker will receive more than 10% of  revenues the mobile operators generate from the handset. 

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Source: Financial Times

Despite a partial setback last month from FCC, CEO Eric Schmidt said Google is leaning toward bidding in upcoming U.S. mobile phone airwave auctions.

See article

Source: Reuters

The government of Senegal is inviting companies to tender for the licence to a third mobile operator. Deadline is set for 31 August. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, Senegal’s mobile market has 3.37 million mobile users (March 2007).

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Source: Telegeography

The ERG has published today the second release of its guidelines on roaming, covering charges, welcome SMS and other provisions.   The guidelines are effective from today, but the ERG invites comments on this second release until 5 September.  Comments can be sent to the ERG Secretariat at erg@ec.europa.eu with the wording "Comments 2nd Roaming Guidelines" in the subject header.

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Source: ERG

Algeria’s Post and Telecommunications Regulation Authority (ARPT) denies that it contributed to financial losses at Lacom, the country’s second national fixed line operator. The ARPT has released a statement responding to Egypt Telecom officials who accused the authority of being responsible for the US$ 45 million losses incurred by Lacom.

See article

Source: WDR/Intelecon Regulatory News.

OTTAWA-GATINEAU —The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today issued a public notice asking for input on the nature, governance, structure and mandate of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS).

In April 2007, the federal government called on the telecommunications industry to establish an independent, industry-funded agency to resolve complaints from consumers and small businesses. This new agency (the CCTS) was set up by industry members on a provisional basis and began operations on July 23, 2007. On that same date, the agency’s founding members filed a proposal with the CRTC describing its organization, which the Commission will consider during a public consultation starting on November 14, 2007, in Gatineau. Full Press release

Source: CRTC, Canada

Some 12 companies have expressed interest in bidding for two mobile concessions licenses in Panama, the country's public services regulator Asep was reported as saying by local press.

The auction process is slated to start October 27 and be awarded in May.

The interested parties are Mexico's América Móvil (NYSE: AMX), France's Orange, Luxembourg's Millicom International Celular (Nasdaq: MICC), Jamaica-based Digicel, and Panama's Vtel, Global Star, Clarocom, Cable Onda, Advanced Communication, Innovation Wireless, Torres Troncales and Pan American Wireless. Full Press release

Source: Business News Americas

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has instigated its first formal investigation under the Do Not Call Register Act 2006, which established the Do Not Call Register for Australian consumers. ACMA will investigate Lifestyle Dynamics following numerous complaints from people listed on the Register about continuing to receive calls from the company.

The Do Not Call Scheme commenced on 31 May 2007 and has since attracted more than 1.6 million registrations. Since that time, ACMA has worked with industry to build compliance with the new scheme. As part of this approach, ACMA initially wrote to 259 businesses that had been the subject of complaints, warning them of their new obligations and advising them of the penalty provisions for non-compliance. Full Press release

Source: ACMA, Australia

Today the Commission proposes a new mechanism for selecting systems providing Europe-wide mobile satellite services. If adopted by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Telecom Ministers, it will give industry the necessary confidence to invest in EU-wide services, and will result in new services for citizens, even in previously uneconomic remote areas.

For the complete press release see:

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/329&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Source : Europa

By means of the Electronic System of Public Procurement (SEAP), available from March 2002 on the website address www.e-licitatie.ro, the registered public institutions organize award procedures of the public procurement contracts by electronic means, in which any economic operator may participate. 

Starting January 1, 2007, according to the Government Emergency Ordinance no.34/2006 regarding the award of the public procurement contracts, public work concession contracts and services concession contracts, all state institutions have the obligation to publish the individual service contract forecast, the service procurement notice and the award notices, as well as the invitations to tender related to the requests for quotation within SEAP. So far, the 8,166 contracting authorities registered within the Electronic System of Public Procurement have published 106,134 notices and invitations to tender related to the public procurement procedures. 6,028 of them were published in the Official Journal of the European Union, thus Romania holds the first position in electronic transmission of notices towards OJEU. Full Press release

 

Source: ANRC, Romania

Ofcom intends to end the National Frequency Assignment Panel (NFAP) frequency coordination and the Working Group on Radio site clearance (WGRSC) processes.

When applying to use radio spectrum in the UK, applicants are currently required to complete NFAP frequency co-ordination and WGRSC site clearance processes, operated by Ofcom on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

These processes were originally designed to ensure effective coordination between different users of the radio spectrum and to protect certain radio services such as government spectrum users. However, following a review of these processes, Ofcom will remove the requirement for applicants to complete them to reduce the regulatory burden on spectrum users. Ofcom will continue to facilitate some clearance processes in order to protect against interference. Full Press release

Source: OFCOM, United Kingdom

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has instituted legal proceedings in the Federal Court, Sydney, against Trading Post Australia Pty Ltd, Google Inc, Google Ireland Limited and Google Australia Pty Ltd alleging misleading and deceptive conduct in relation to sponsored links that appeared on the Google website.

The ACCC is alleging that Trading Post contravened sections 52 and 53(d) of the Trade Practices Act 1974 in 2005 when the business names "Kloster Ford" and "Charlestown Toyota" appeared in the title of Google sponsored links to Trading Post's website. Kloster Ford and Charlestown Toyota are Newcastle car dealerships who compete against Trading Post in automotive sales.

Hearings start August 21st.

For complete press release

Source : ACCC

The European Commission has cleared T-Mobile's takeover of Orange Netherlands, a 1.32-billion-euro (US$1.78-billion) deal. The Commission said it does not expect the merger to threaten competition on the mobile retail market.

Source : Telegeography

Apple has succeeded in committing European mobile phone operators that want exclusively to sell its new iPhone to share parts of their revenues with the technology group.

The contract, which was signed by three European mobile operators in recent days, requires that the operators hand over to Apple 10 per cent of the revenues made from calls and data transfers by customers over iPhones.

For complete article

Source: Financial Times

By means of the Electronic System of Public Procurement (SEAP), available from March 2002 on the website address www.e-licitatie.ro, the registered public institutions organize award procedures of the public procurement contracts by electronic means, in which any economic operator may participate. 

Starting January 1, 2007, according to the Government Emergency Ordinance no.34/2006 regarding the award of the public procurement contracts, public work concession contracts and services concession contracts, all state institutions have the obligation to publish the individual service contract forecast, the service procurement notice and the award notices, as well as the invitations to tender related to the requests for quotation within SEAP. So far, the 8,166 contracting authorities registered within the Electronic System of Public Procurement have published 106,134 notices and invitations to tender related to the public procurement procedures. 6,028 of them were published in the Official Journal of the European Union, thus Romania holds the first position in electronic transmission of notices towards OJEU. Full Press release

Source: ANRC, Romania

RealNetworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNWK), MTV Networks, a division of VIACOM International (NYSE: VIA.A and VIA.B), and Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), and Vodafone (LSE: VOD) today announced they are teaming to create a single, integrated digital music experience that consumers can access via their PC, portable music device or mobile phone. Promising to be ultra-rich in music culture, programming and discovery, Rhapsody will unite the best of RealNetworks' market-leading service and MTV Networks critically acclaimed URGE music service. Verizon Wireless' V CAST Music — the most successful mobile music service in the country — will become the mobile platform for the integrated Rhapsody service.

See full press release

Source: Real Network

Private equity firm is paying $400 million for Telenor's satellite communications business.

Article

Source: Reuters UK

Consumers and emerging technologies will be the focus of discussion at this week’s inaugural Communications Consumer Dialogue, jointly hosted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority and Communications Alliance.

To be held on Wednesday 22 August 2007, the dialogue will focus on new and emerging technologies and how they will benefit consumers.

‘The dialogue is an opportunity for consumer representatives and those with an interest in consumer issues to focus on how Australia will achieve equitable access in the area of emerging technologies,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. Full Press release

Source: ACMA, Ausralia

The Namibian government has announced that it will enter a new round of discussions with Botswana and Angola to secure a landing point for Namibia on the SAT-3 international submarine cable. The three countries have had four rounds of discussions on the issue since July last year. Both Namibia and Botswana both proposed an alternative international broadband connectivity route to SAT-3 to address the high costs of communications in the respective countries. ‘The transit costs to route telecommunication calls through Cape Town to the SAT-3 have become unsustainable,’ Namibia’s acting Permanent Secretary of Information, Wilma Deetlefs, said in a statement yesterday. Full Press release

Source: Telegeography

L’Agence de Régulation des Télécommunications et des Postes ARTP) du Sénégal a lancé le 17 août 2007 une procédure d'appel à la concurrence pour l’attribution de la nouvelle licence globale de télécommunications. Voir le Communiqué
Source: ARTP

Rwanda’s government intends to sell as much as 70% Rwandatel. Three weeks ago, Rwanda’s government bought back Rwandatel for US$ 12 million, having sold it to private firm Terracom for $20 million. Terracom was forced to sell due to poor management and failing to deliver on contractual obligations, including the roll-out of a new mobile network.

"Privatisation Secretariat invites internationally recognised and reputable telecommunications operators or consortia to acquire the bidding documents and submit their bids for the acquisition of a majority stake up to 70 percent in Rwandatel/Terracom SA," the bid document said.

Interested bidders are to submit technical and financial proposals by September 5. Bidders are also required to have the financial resources necessary to implement a plan to boost telecommunications in Rwanda.


Source: Reuters - WDR/Intelecon Regulatory News.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a Report and Order (Order) and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice) adopted today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) clarified the roaming obligations of Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) providers, stating that automatic roaming is a common carrier obligation for CMRS carriers. Automatic roaming allows roaming mobile telephone customers to place calls as they do in their home coverage area, by simply entering a phone number and pressing “send.”

The FCC required CMRS carriers to provide roaming services to other carriers upon reasonable request and on a just, reasonable, and non-discriminatory basis under Sections 201 and 202 of the Communications Act. When a reasonable request is made by a technologically compatible CMRS carrier, a host CMRS carrier must provide automatic roaming to the requesting carrier outside of the requesting carrier’s home market. The FCC also decided to maintain its existing manual roaming requirement, which requires CMRS providers to permit customers of other carriers to roam manually on their networks, for example by supplying a credit card number, provided that the roamers’ handsets are technically capable of accessing the roamed-on network. Full Press release

Source: FCC, United States

Ofcom has today published the Terms of Reference for its Market Impact Assessment (MIA) of the proposed Gaelic Digital Service and is seeking input from stakeholders on the likely impact to any relevant commercial products and services.

The BBC is proposing to launch the channel, broadcasting for up to seven hours per day, seven days a week and including 1.5 hours of original programming. Full Press release

Source: OFCOM, United Kingdom

According to reports from the African Press Agency, from 2008 all Mauritian homes will be able to connect to the internet via a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network being proposed by United Communications Limited (UCL). The company has reportedly presented a USD318 million two-phase project, dubbed Mauritius FiberNet, to the country’s ICT minister, Etienne Sinatambou, which it claims will make Mauritius a ‘pioneer of such infrastructure among island states’.

See article

Source: Telegeography

Bolivian telecoms watchdog Sittel is due to give local mobile telephony operators 10 days starting Wednesday (Aug 15) to decongest the current mobile traffic on their networks or face sanctions, Sittel head Clifford Paravicini told BNamericas.

According to Paravicini, Sittel's technicians determined last weekend that the average mobile congestion on the networks of the three operators was 20% while regulations allow for a maximum of 5%. Full Press release

Source: Business News Americas

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa will be conducting workshops on regulations with regard to a Code on People with Disabilities. The workshops were preceded by the publication of draft regulations in June 2007. The draft regulations prescribe a Code of Good Practice that defines the approach that should be adopted by all licensees, in providing services to people with disabilities in the communications industry as provided for by the section 70 of the Electronic Communications Act no. 36 of 2005. Full Press release

Source: ICASA, South Africa

El presidente de la Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones (COFETEL), Héctor Osuna Jaime, presentó el Informe de Actividades 2006-2007 de la dependencia ante las Comisiones Unidas de Comunicaciones y Radio y Televisión del Senado de la República, documento que refleja el trabajo elaborado para promover el crecimiento del sector y detonar las inversiones que requiere el país.

Acompañado por los comisionados que integran el Pleno de la COFETEL y por los jefes de unidad de la dependencia, Osuna Jaime expuso ante los legisladores las acciones realizadas por el órgano regulador en materia de Prospectiva y Regulación, Servicios a la Industria y Radio y Televisión. Full Press release

Source: COFETEL, Mexico

A Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) recebe esta tarde comitiva norte-americana composta de representantes do Departamento de Estado, do órgão regulador das telecomunicações - a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) e do Departamento de Comércio. Esse será o terceiro encontro bilateral entre autoridades dos dois países. A agenda do encontro, coordenado pelo presidente da Agência, Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg, prevê a discussão dos seguintes temas: panorâmica das telecomunicações, Internet, espectro de radiofreqüências, certificação e acordos de reconhecimento mútuo, TV e rádio digitais, além de competição. Uma outra reunião será realizada  amanhã, no Ministério das Comunicações, sempre com o objetivo de discutir questões de interesse comum no setor das telecomunicações. Full Press release

Source: ANATEL, Brazil

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has imposed additional licence conditions on the community radio broadcasting licence for the New South Wales 2RBR Coraki community radio service.

‘Community broadcasters have a responsibility to meet the needs and interests of the community within the planned licence area,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. ‘They also must comply with the technical specifications of their apparatus licence and, in particular, they must not broadcast outside the licence area except in limited circumstances.’ Full Press release

Source: ACMA, Australia

Mobile coverage in country parks has been further improved with the launch of a new base station at Long Ke today ( 12 August 2007 ), bringing the total number of base stations in country parks to 13. With three more mobile base stations under construction and scheduled to be completed later this year, the mobile coverage in Sai Kung, southern Lantau and Tai Lam Chung will be further enhanced.

"As one of its on-going initiatives, the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) continues to facilitate and coordinate with the mobile network operators to establish new mobile base stations in the country parks. Thanks to the effort of the industry, the mobile coverage in the country parks has been significantly improved in recent years. On this particular occasion we would like to thank China Mobile Peoples Telephone Company Limited for taking a lead in the construction of the new base station at Long Ke as well as Smartone 3G Limited for joining the project. Other operators will also soon join the project," a spokesperson of OFTA said today. Full Press release

Source: OFTA, Hong Kong

Washington, D.C. – In a Second Report & Order (Order) adopted today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revised the 700 MHz band plan and service rules to promote the creation of a nationwide interoperable broadband network for public safety and to facilitate the availability of new and innovative wireless broadband services for consumers.

The 700 MHz Band spectrum, which runs from 698-806 MHz, currently is occupied by television broadcasters and will be made available for other wireless services, including public safety and commercial services, as a result of the digital television (DTV) transition. The Digital Television and Public Safety Act of 2005 (DTV Act) set a firm deadline of February 17, 2009, for the completion of the DTV transition. The DTV Act also requires the FCC to commence an auction of the previously unauctioned commercial spectrum in the 700 MHz Band no later than January 28, 2008. Full Press release

Source: FCC, Unites States

The Office of the Telecommunications Authority ("OFTA") today (10 August 2007) issued the following press statement in response to the publication of a new Unified Interconnection and Local Access Service ("UILAS") tariff by PCCW-HKT Telephone Limited ("PCCW") in the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Gazette No.32 Vol.11:

"In filing the tariff with the Telecommunications Authority ("TA"), PCCW has indicated that the existing Fixed-Mobile Interconnection Charge ("FMIC"), Local Access Charge ("LAC") as well as existing agreements between PCCW and other fixed telecommunications operators in relation to the Fixed-Fixed Interconnection Charge ("FFIC"), will remain in full force and effect without any change whatsoever. Furthermore, PCCW has indicated that Mobile Network Operators, Fixed Network Operators, External Telecommunications Service Operators and other licensees may continue to enjoy the current interconnection services from PCCW pursuant to those tariffs and agreements. Full Press release

Source: OFTA, Hong Kong

On Wednesday, August 8, 2007, ANRCTI communicated the decision on the interconnection with the public telephony network operated by S.C. „RCS & RDS” – S.A. for the purpose of call termination at fixed locations.

See http://www.anrc.ro/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=2645

Source: ANRCTI

Ofcom today announced a change to the law to enable the use of a new technology that wirelessly connects digital devices in the home.

From 13 August 2007 Ofcom will remove the requirement to hold a licence to operate equipment using approved Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology. UWB allows the transfer of large amounts of data (up to 2 Gb/s) over relatively short distances (around 30 metres).

The technology could promote the convergence of communications devices and services by, for example, connecting personal computers, DVD players, portable music players and digital cameras without the need for wires. In addition, research has shown that devices that transfer data using UWB equipment use low power technologies which can enhance battery life compared with other wireless technologies. Full Press release

Source: OFCOM, United Kingdom

ANRCTI has allotted new numbering resources to S.C. COSMOTE ROMANIAN MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS S.A., S.C. DIREKT TELECOM S.R.L., S.C. TELECAV S.R.L and to Mr. Alexandru Mihail Parseghian, an authorised natural person, for the provision of telephone services. In addition to the resources previously allotted, Cosmote requested and was granted the right to use 1,000,000 national non-geographic numbers within the 0Z=07 domain. Direkt Telecom, a first time requester of numbering resources, was granted the right to use 410,000 numbers for the provision of fixed telephone services on national level and 1,000 non-geographic national numbers within the 0Z=08 domain for services provided by means of prepaid cards. As well, the company received the individual indicative 1065 for carrier selection. Full Press release Source: ANRC, Romania