vodafoneRSS

3UK claims m-commerce joint venture is anti-competitive

3UK claims the joint venture between Everything Everywhere, Vodafone and O2 is anti-competitive

3UK intends to make an initial complaint to antitrust authorities in the UK and Europe regarding the proposed joint venture between O2, Vodafone and Everything Everywhere. Back in June this year, the three operators announced plans to create a standalone m-commerce joint venture in the UK.

Vodafone pitches curated app store offering

Vodafone is tackling the problem of too much choice

UK based carrier Vodafone is addressing the problem of swollen app stores, which it sees as a daunting experience for consumers due to the overwhelming numbers of apps. This week the company followed up on its own portal within the Android Market, with an own branded and curated app store that exists in its own right.

India’s BSNL cuts off operators following dispute

India's state-owned BSNL has cut off three operators over unpaid fees

The stand-off between India’s state-owned telco BSNL and several private operators shows no signs of abating, with even emergency services remaining unavailable to non-BSNL users in parts of the country.

Ofcom claims delay speculation is irrelevant

Ofcom claimed that mobile operators will not be able to roll out LTE until 2013

Mobile network operators will not be able to roll out 4G LTE services until 2013 at the earliest, due to technical issues, according to UK regulatory body Ofcom, rendering speculation about whether the spectrum auction will be delayed as irrelevant.

Vodafone sells 5.5% of Indian operation to healthcare provider

Indian foreign ownership rules limit direct investment at 74 per cent

International carrier Vodafone has sold 5.5 per cent of Indian operation Vodafone Essar to Indian medical services provider Piramal Healthcare for $640m. Vodafone is required to divest the stake to bring it back below the 74 percent ownership threshold, which is the Indian limit for foreign investment within a company. In July Vodafone acquired Essar’s holding in the operation, taking it beyond that threshold.

One third of Dutch mobile subs are MVNO customers

the Dutch MVNO market remains dynamic

Almost one third of mobile subscribers in the Netherlands are customers of virtual operators, according to a report published this week by Dutch analyst house Telecom Paper. The total number of MVNO subs in the market has now hit 6.6 million, or 32.8 per cent of the total subscriber base, the analyst said.

euNetworks announces fibre-optic deal with Vodafone

euNetworks will be providing a fibre-optic backbone infrastucture for Vodafone Germany

euNetworks, a fibre-optic infrastructure provider has announced a network supply deal with Vodafone Germany. As part of the agreement, euNetworks will deliver fibre services to the operator in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin and Munich. The deal will enable Vodafone Germany to enhance its backhaul for its LTE network, which it is continuing to roll-out since in launch in December 2010 and now reaches more than four million homes. euNetworks owns 13 fibre-based metropolitan networks across Europe and according to a statement the deal will, “enable Vodafone to benefit from euNetworks extended footprint”.

Polkomtel plot thickens

Polkomtel's proposed sale looks set to hit troubled waters

The $6bn Polkomtel sale saga looks set to take an interesting turn this week with reports that last-minute squabbling between shareholders could derail the whole process. When news of the impending sale was first announced, many observers pointed to the fragmented nature of the telco’s ownership as a potential roadblock to achieving a smooth sale. On Tuesday, Reuters reported that sources close to the deal are saying the involvement of state-owned shareholderrs with differing views on how the transaction should go ahead are putting the whole venture at risk.

Ford demos car communication via LTE modules

Data for cars on the road could be boosted by more efficient LTE networks

A research project conducted by Ford has demonstrated that LTE is highly suitable for automotive communications applications. The findings of the CoOperative Card Extended (CoCarEX) research project were demonstrated yesterday in Dusseldorf, Germany and proved that LTE latency is low enough for it to provide time-critical driver assistance functions.

Vodafone profits receive smartphone boost

Vodafone has reported increased revenues from its mobile data business

Vodafone’s annual profits received a smartphone boost despite an overall fall in net profits of 7.8 per cent. Despite a £6bn+ impairment charge on operations in its European “PIIGS” markets (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain), a 26.4 per cent boost in mobile data revenue made a significant contribution to its overall profit of £9.5bn for the year.