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Highlights from the LTE World Summit 2012

The LTE World Summit 2012 proved to be a great success

The curtain has come down on another successful LTE World Summit event, which took place this week, in Barcelona, Spain. More than 3,000 delegates attended the event, representing more than 130 countries from around the world, indicating LTE’s impact the world over. There were over 70 exhibitors and also a series of masterclasses for the more technically minded to enjoy.

Pakistan’s ­Mobilink has bank accounts frozen by authorities

Pakistan's Mobilink has had its bank accounts frozen by the FBR

­Pakistani operator Mobilink has had all of its bank accounts frozen by the country’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), as the operator allegedly owes Rs8.6bn ($93m) in taxes to the authority.

Bharti acquires 49 per cent share of Qualcomm’s India unit at cut-price

Bharti acquires 49 per cent stake in Qualcomm's India unit for a mere $165m

India’s Bharti Airtel has signed an agreement with chipmaker Qualcomm to acquire 49 per cent of its Indian BWA entities. Qualcomm acquired the wireless broadband service permits in India for four states in the country in 2010 for $1bn. The purchase was made in a deliberate bid to block the progress of WiMAX as an alternative 4G technology in the country, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs said at the time. Now, it has sold the 49 per cent stake to Bharti for a mere $165m.

Filipino operator PLDT passes 3mil broadband subs

The government target of 100 per cent coverage by basic broadband by 2015 is likely to be met

Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) reached the milestone of 3mn broadband subscribers during the first quarter of this year, giving it almost 65 per cent of the country’s broadband market.

Will London 2012 be the first data roaming mega event?

The games are seen as a major driver for mobile roaming

At the recent Roaming World Congress hosted by IIR an animated panel session highlighted a number of challenges and opportunities imminent in the forthcoming London Olympics. These Olympics have been heralded as a major opportunity for medals to be won and sport to be celebrated but there are also a number of reasons to celebrate the games as a major driver for mobile roaming.

Operators and the cars of the future

Connected cars have been getting a lot of attention in 2012 so far

Connected cars are fast becoming the topic that has the telecoms industry’s tongues wagging excitedly. This year, Ford’s chairman gave a keynote presentation at Mobile World Congress, RIM showcased a connected Porsche at its BlackBerry World 2012 event, and Google secured the first ever self-driving car licence in the US. And as the connected car market continues to evolve, mobile operators are finding that they have a key part to play in the ecosystem, and are having to invest time and resources to ensure they are not overlooked as the connected car market matures.

China Telecom launches UK MVNO

CTExcelbiz was launched through the operator’s subsidiary China Telecom Europe, and its MVNA partner, Transatel.

China Telecom has introduced its own MVNO into the UK market, becoming the first Chinese operator to launch a service outside China. CTExcelbiz is running on Everything Everywhere’s network and offer a customised service to the UK’s Chinese population.

China Telecom’s UK MVNO reflects market shifts

Alcatel-Lucent has been given the nod from China Telecom to provide it with a 100Gbps capable network

China Telecom launched its long-awaited UK MVNO this week, under the snappy name of CTExcelbiz. Using Everything Everywhere’s network, it’s aimed at Chinese residents of the UK, as well as students and tourists, and promises to meet the specific communication requirements of the UK’s Chinese population, voicemail services in Chinese, bilingual customer service and free on-network calls. China Telecom is the first Chinese operator to launch an overseas MVNO, and has a potential market of around 500,000 customers of Chinese descent, in addition to the estimated 1 million Chinese tourists who visit each year. The UK is just China Telecom’s first stop in launching MVNO services throughout Western Europe and the rest of the world.

North Africa’s post-revolutionary telecoms market presents opportunities amid the difficulties

What effect has the Arab Spring had on the telecoms sector?

Eighteen months after Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution marked the onset of the Arab Spring, what effect has the upheaval in the region had on the telecoms sector?

Vodafone posts stagnant profit for full-year

Vodafone has reported increased revenues and profits for the six months ending 30 Sep 2011

UK-based carrier Vodafone revealed stability in its operations over the full year to end March 31, but recorded negligible growth.