NEWS IN BRIEF: Orascom, AT&T/Apple, Yahoo, FCC opposed, LG Telecom

Orascom has confirmed it will launch a mobile network in North Korea this month, and stated the launch will take place on the 15th.

AT&T and Apple have commenced online sales of the iPhone 3G, allowing customers to activate the handset via iTunes.

Yahoo has revised the terms of its severance plan, settling a lawsuit brought by its own shareholders, Reuters reports. Under the new plan, which has been revised to make an acquisition of Yahoo a more attractive prospect, any employee laid off within 12 months of an acquisition of Yahoo will be eligible for severance, compared to the 24 months initially planned.

The US government opposes the FCC proposal to create a free nation-wide broadband network on the AWS-3 spectrum, FierceWireless reports. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez has sent a letter of complaint to the FCC.

LG Telecom expects to launch 4G services in 2013, reports the Maeil Business Newspaper, quoting CEO Jung Il-jae. The operator intends to focus on securing spectrum on the 800-900MHz band next year.

Novatel Wireless has launched a new 3G router, the MiFi, which the company says can create a personal cloud of internet connectivity that can be shared among multiple users and devices.

Cisco will next year launch a new version of its unified communications suite, with this version allowing business-to-business unified communications, according to NetworkWorld.