News In Brief: ZTE, Alcatel-Lucent, Telenor, Kineto Wireless, FCC

ZTE claims to have launched the first commercial TD-LTE base stations. The B8300 is a TD-SCDMA base station that can be upgraded to TD-LTE or TD/TD-LTE dual mode. The R8962 supports two channels with 20W of transmission power each, offers multi-band 2.3/2.6 GHz transmission, and multi-scenario indoor/outdoor applications.
 
Alcatel-Lucent has appointed Robin Dargue, an IT veteran with 20 years experience to the newly-created role of EVP of business and IT transformation.
 
Telenor-backed EDB Business Partner and ErgoGroup have agreed to merge to create one of the largest IT vendors in the Nordic region.
 
Swedish operator Tele2 has appointed Ericsson executive Mats Granyrd as its new president and CEO, effective September 1.
 
Egypt's Etisalat has confirmed its interest in acquiring telecom licenses in Syria and Iraq, if the respective nations follow up with plans to issue a new license.
 
Kineto Wireless and Bravo Tech are demonstrating an end-to-end TD-SCDMA-based femtocell solution in Shanghai, using Kineto’s Multi-Service Access Gateway and Bravo’s luh interface compatible TD-SCDMA femtocell.
 
The FCC has opened a public consultation on expanding wireless broadband frequencies in the US, by re-allocating 35MHz of spectrum currently used by weather satellites and balloons. Comments on the potential of the spectrum to handle mobile broadband or the impact on non-federal weather services, must be submitted by June 28.