Grameen Foundation recently announced a new online assistance center to help microfinance institutions bring the benefits of telecommunications to poor communities around the world...

The UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean recently published a report pointing out that foreign investment in Latin America and the Caribbean increased in 2006. Whether the increase matches expectations or not is another matter. According to one leading critic it does not and many companies, particualry in the ICT sector appear to be voting with their feet...

Veraz Networks has announced an IMS over WiMAX deployment that is one of the first such commercial installations in the Americas. The company's ControlSwitch has been chosen by Onemax as an IMS core to offer wireless broadband applications...

Following its successful conference this February, the Women of Uganda Network is leading a drive both for greater female involvement in ICT and also for women to set up more businesses. We look at an all-too-rare initiative...

Several recent stories reported by Developing Telecoms have revealed the rise in importance of ICT and telephony to Nigeria. One more example of this trend is UK-based Gateway Communications' purchase of GS Telecom. Gateway gains a foothold in Nigeria, not to mention greater subscriber numbers throughout Africa...

North America and Western Europe's positions as digital leaders are being challenged by the Central European markets according to research carried out by computer giant IBM and the British-based Economist Intelligence Unit. Star performers? Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Slovenia.

Ghana 's Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Papa Owusu Ankomah, has announced that his country's government will introduce universal ICT education into Ghana 's core educational system in September.

Saudi Arabia has just awarded its third mobile licence, in this case to MTC. Here, we discuss the implications for MTC's business portfolio in the Middle East and Africa .

Nokia Siemens Networks has now introduced its new Village Connection, a solution aimed at providing affordable rural connectivity and coverage in new growth markets. Village Connection is based on an easy concept: build rural connectivity village by village, exploiting a franchise-based business model between operator and local village entrepreneur...

Jordan Telecom Group, a subsidiary of France Telecom, has acquired a majority stake in Lightspeed Communications, Bahrain 's first alternative fixed-line telecommunications operator...

The 2007 Guide to Romanian Telecommunications is the most comprehensive survey ever produced of the Romanian telecommunications Industry. It offers a strategic overview of the developments and trends in all areas of the telecommunications market in Romania, following the country’s accession to the European Union...

The Polish telecoms market is highly deregulated. Internet and telephone lines, for example, can now be offered independently. Dialog Telecom is Poland 's first operator to offer independent Internet connection without the need to pay a telephone bill or line rental costs...

Kasenna Portal TV ushers in third generation IPTV Middleware - and gains number 2 spot for VOD server software...

Huawei and TransTeleCom are cooperating to supply a next-generation network to Russia which will reduce transmission costs, provide users with multimedia services and evolve towards an all IP environment for the country.

Telecom equipment made in India and Singapore should have easier entry in each others markets as the two sides agree a deal that will eliminate the need for product testing and certification in both countries...

It may be wishful thinking now but a US$10 cell phone is definitely in the minds of researchers at Berkeley 's Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS).

Developing countries in Asia offer great potential for PC makers, but companies must offer better value for users if they are to be successful in emerging markets...

Set to run from this September, Wind Telecom's new wireless broadband network will offer high-speed broadband services to urban and rural customers across the Dominican Republic .

A group led by Bahrain Telecommunications Co., Hong Kong's PCCW and U.S. Verizon Communications have won initial approval to operate Saudi Arabia's new fixed-line phone network, Saudi regulators have announced...

Chen Haofei, Secretary-General of TD-SCDMA Forum, attended the recent Sixth International Mobile Communication Industry Forum. He was invited to speak during the 3G Venture Capital Investment session of the Forum. His views on the potential influence of TD on Chinese telecoms are summarised here...

Nortel and Microsoft are pooling their expertise to encourage unified communications among the world's businesses. New converged office innovations are set to benefit service providers and businesses alike...

Gaming has followed the recent spurt of economic growth now taking place in Macau . Wireless indoor solutions from RFS have helped make winners of the new casinos...

Asia-Pacific is witnessing major and rapid growth in demand for IT. One consequent question is whether the region is ready for Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA). According to analyst Frost and Sullivan demand for SOA is in its own turn due for no less than 40% growth in the next two years. Developing Telecoms summarises Frost and Sullivan's Asia-Pacific SOA Readiness Survey.

Siemens Networks has been commissioned by the Arabian mobile operator Qatar Telecom (Qtel) to operate its UMTS mobile network in the State of Qatar... 

Pune is the only Indian city currently enjoying IPTV. Calcutta may soon become the second, as BSNL-controlled Calcutta Telephones is now making the arrangements for nearly 1.4 million potential customers to subscribe to 2Mb bandwidth services...

CTIA Wireless 2007 gave Nokia the chance to explain its future convergence strategy. Centred on the four 'Cs' of Connectivity, Cost-savings, Creativity, and Culture, Nokia seeks to explain how its business mobility products, solutions, ecosystem and strategy will benefit millions of mobile professionals at work and in their personal lives.

The GSMA has long lobbied for the removal of taxes which it believes hinders mobile subscriber growth and thereby overall economic growth. The chance to meet Pakistan's President and PM to advocate the removal of the Activation Tax levied on new subscribers was too good a chance to turn down. The GSM was supported by a new report on Pakistan by Deloitte...

Brunei must not fall behind in a globalised and highly competitive world. And ICT is the lever to keep up with the pace. Brunei Communications Mininster Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abu Bakar

took this as his theme when addressing CSPS-UBD Policy Forum 2007...

Alternet Systems will be the new name for the company formed out of the merger between Alternet Systems and TekVoice. The primary brief for the company will be to acquire and develop wireless broadband networks in under-served countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, delivering voice, data and content services to customers in these regions...

 IFC, World Bank's private sector arm, has cast its critical eye over the well-known Grameen Telecom Village phone scheme (you know, the phone ladies in Bangladesh). It has identified what it calculates as a US$5 trillion business plan when translated globally. We explain why...