News In Brief: Alcatel-Lucent, O2, WIN, ZTE, TeliaSonera, Metrocom

Alcatel-Lucent and Telefónica claim to have completed the first real-world LTE call in the 700MHz band in Latin America, after a test in Peru. The pilot network achieved data rates 20-times faster than the average on HSPA networks.
 
Network analysis, optimization and upgrades to O2’s base stations completed by Nokia Siemens Networks in London has delivered faster data rates to smartphone users and improved battery life on the devices, the infrastructure firm says.
 
UK-based WIN has launched content services on Hutchison 3G Austria’s portal, as part of an outsourced management deal covering SMS and MMS alerts, content categorization and delivery, sourcing content, and reporting and billing services.
 
ZTE yesterday unveiled its first integrated HD videoconference terminal, the ZXV10 T700, which will offer video over IP for small and medium meetings when it launches in the US in October, priced $3,899 (€3,246).
 
TeliaSonera’s International Carrier division has won a two-year extension on its contract to provide IP transmission services for Blizzard Entertainment, developer of the popular World of Warcraft online game.
 
Russian operator Metrocom is to be sold off at auction by its owners, the government of St Petersburg and a company co-owned by the governor's son. The starting price will be 2 billion rubles (€52.7 million), and the auction will run in steps of 20 million rubles.
 
Alcatel-Lucent yesterday unveiled a 100Gpbs optical networking technology it claims is the first in the market to use only a single carrier. SoftBank Mobile is the first customer for the firm’s Next-Generation Coherent technology, which was developed in conjunction with Bell Labs.