News In Brief: NSN, Berg Insight, NTT DoCoMo, European Parliament, Vodafone

Nokia Siemens promises to deliver a tenfold increase in the original design capacity of subsea cables, after demonstrating what it claims is the longest 100G DWDM transmission result achieved to-date on submarine cable, using a link from the US to Brazil.
 
Global smartphone shipments grew 74% to 295 million units in 2010, while the active user base expanded 38% to 470 million, according to Berg Insight figures. The firm forecasts shipments will hit 1.2 billion, and users 2.8 billion, by 2015.
 
NTT DoCoMo will begin unlocking its handsets from April 1, enabling customers to plug any SIM into their device. Customers must sign a waiver indicating they accept the loss of some network-specific services, and will be charged 3,150 yen (€28).
 
The European Parliament is demanding restoration of independent media controls in Hungary, to address what it regards as state interference in freedom of expression. The Parliament also says the EC should propose directives on media freedom, plurality and independent control by the year-end.
 
Vodafone has defended its security set-up, claiming reports one of its websites was hacked are wrong. Instead, anti-austerity protestors who posted blogs claiming the carrier owes millions in unpaid tax, used login details provided by one user.