Webwire: TOT given 3G deadline; Tata DoCoMo to shutter in J&K

The board of Thai state-owned operator TOT has given the company a 90-day deadline to implement the first commercial phase of its 3G network launch. But the operator is grappling with a shortage of wholly-owned base stations.
 
In a surprise announcement, India's Tata DoCoMo said it will shut down services in the Jammu and Kashmir circle by January 17. The JV blamed the cancellation of its licenses in the circle and two others, plus the prohibitive price it would have needed to pay to win the permits back in an auction.
 
A report from fiber consultancy firm Ventura Team and financial advisory firm Portland Advisers warns that it could take 92 years for the EU to fully migrate to fiber broadband under the current regulatory environment, compared to 25 years if the right regulations are put in place.
 
The UK's BT has launched a proof-of-concept trial of 10-Gbps XGPON technology - developed with ZTE - for electronics manufacturer Arcol UK. The X in XGPON stands for “tens.”
 
Indian GSM operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular have written to the department of telecom calling for part of the 800-MHz band – currently used for CDMA services - to be re-purposed for GSM, in light of the “diminishing interest” in CDMA services among local operators.
 
Apple is seeking to add six more Samsung devices, including the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy SIII, to one of its US patent infringement lawsuits against its South Korean rival.
 
Fitch Ratings has maintained its BBB- credit rating on the Philippines' Globe Telecom, as well as its stable outlook. But the agency expects Globe's operating margin to continue to shrink as a result of the maturing Philippines telecom market.
 
Nokia's long-serving head of imaging Damian Dinning will leave the company at the end of the month. In an online post, Dinning said he did not wish to move to Finland, which he would have to do as part of Nokia's efforts to concentrate its core operations during the restructuring drive