Paul Rasmussen
Keith MallinsonAnalysys Mason: Truly unlimited mobile data plans are a rarity in Western Europe
According to our research, in 10 major Western European mobile markets just over one in five operators (22 per cent) offer at least one truly unlimited mobile data plan, either for handset data or mobile broadband, to target heavy mobile data users.
EU's Kroes sets timeline for single telecoms market
The European Union's digital agenda commissioner, Neelie Kroes, said the creation of a single market for the European telecoms industry is a major priority for the rest of her mandate, and said she is not retiring until she has achieved her goal.
The timing of the EU's warning to China is a worry for Europe's vendors
The European Commission, intent on punishing what it believes to be anti-competitive activity in the form of illegal state subsidies for and dumping by China's equipment vendors, seems to be ignoring the very real fears held by Europe's own equipment vendors that they could be shut out of the lucrative Chinese market as part of retaliatory moves by China.
Samsung and Telefónica ink global carrier billing deal
Telefónica Digital has announced a deal with Samsung Electronics in a move that many are hailing as the most significant carrier billing agreement to date as it unites one of the world's largest operators with the world's biggest handset maker.
Report: Multi-device shared data plans available to only 5% of global subscribers
Plans provided by operators to allow users to share large data buckets among several mobile devices are seen as an important customer retention and revenue-generating tactic. However, a new report says such plans are still thin on the ground, particularly in Europe.
3 UK mulls pooling 800 MHz spectrum with EE, may speed up LTE launch
UK mobile operator 3 UK has discussed the option of pooling its 800 MHz spectrum with that of rival operator EE, and also suggested it could launch commercial LTE services ahead of schedule this year.
China hits back over EU threat to Huawei, ZTE
China has threatened to retaliate if the European Union opens an investigation into Chinese equipment manufacturers over alleged anti-competitive behaviour.
Vodafone steps up global multi-play strategy with German VDSL deal
Vodafone Germany has signed a deal with Deutsche Telekom to allow the mobile operator to use the German carrier's VDSL network for the launch of new high-speed broadband and IPTV services. The deal with Deutsche Telekom also caused a fall in the share price of Germany's largest cable operator, Kabel Deutschland, because Vodafone Germany will have less need to buy cable assets.
Branson targets Gulf markets with Virgin Mobile brand
Virgin Group owner Richard Branson is planning to extend the Virgin Mobile brand to the Middle East, and has already submitted a bid for an MVNO licence in Saudi Arabia.
VimpelCom puts Wind off limits to Sawaris, as MegaFon gains ground in Russia
VimpelCom-owned units Wind in Italy and Orascom in Egypt have recently been eyed up by well-known billionaire investors, but the Russian operator has now said Wind is not for sale while Orascom has recommended to its shareholders that they reject an offer made in March by a subsidiary of Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman's Altimo.
EU says it's ready to launch trade probe into Chinese vendors
The European Commission said on Wednesday it is ready to launch an investigation over alleged dumping by, and subsidies for, Chinese mobile equipment manufacturers, even though Europe's manufacturers are clearly not in favour of a probe.
BT gears up for mass market mobile services
BT could return to the mobile services market with a vengeance next year, after its CEO dropped the strongest hints yet about the future mobile plans of the former UK monopoly.
Report: Pace of NFV adoption takes industry by surprise
Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) may become a reality in commercial networks sooner than expected, according to reports from this week's Management World conference in Nice, France.
Vivendi's SFR and Bouygues hit by mobile price war as Iliad blossoms
The mobile price war in France continues to have its winners and losers, with both Vivendi and Bouygues Telecom reporting worsening profits in the first quarter as Iliad boasted that its mobile revenue tripled in the same period.
Report: Europe's vendors face delay on major Chinese TD-LTE tender
Europe's mobile network vendors could see a key Chinese tender for TD-LTE equipment delayed until later in the year, as China Mobile executives decide whether to upgrade from 3G or install new network equipment.
Zain reports slump in Q1 profits
Kuwaiti mobile operator Zain said its first-quarter net profits fell by 27 per cent, and blamed a steep devaluation in the Sudanese pound and loss-making unit Zain Saudi for the decline.
T-Mobile Netherlands inks deal with Huawei for LTE gear
T-Mobile Netherlands said it is investing "hundreds of millions of euros" in the further development of its network, and is spending some of the money on a multi-year deal with Chinese equipment vendor Huawei.
Orange looks set to beat Yoigo by days in Spain's LTE race
France Telecom's Orange Spain said it will launch commercial LTE services in six cities on July 8, which means that the operator would just beat rival Yoigo to market after the TeliaSonera subsidiary earlier said it would launch LTE on July 18.
Report: Mobile content revenue to hit $65B in 2016
Annual revenue generated from content delivered to mobile handsets and tablets is expected to increase by nearly $25 billion (€19.3 billion) over the next three years, reaching $65 billion by 2016, according to a new report from Juniper Research.
Nokia's week of hell ends on a positive note, but the future remains hazy
The jury is still out on the future of Nokia. The company still has a lot of support in its home market from domestic investors and that will be crucial in the months ahead, but patience is clearly running out.
