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...

Converged billing is expected to become greatly simplified for the Antigua Public Utilities Authority now that Redknee has been brought in to streamline APUA's billing system. Based on a turnkey contract APUA can now look forward to offering innovative rates and incentives...

Completing the hat-trick of PLDT / Smart contracts is the selection of Comverse as provider of a billing platform for a highly comprehensive range of fixed, mobile and convergent services...

Qatar's broadband boom is continuing apace. Broadband accounts grew by 90% in 2006 and now make up two thirds of all Qatari accounts. In recent months authorisation has been given for the liberalisation of Qatar's markets. The Arab Advisors Group is weighing up the opportunities...

Developing Telecoms has always been highly impressed by the rise and rise of telecoms in the Philippines. In that sense it came as no surprise to us to receive three recent reports relating to PLDT and demonstrating how advanced communications have become in this country. UTStarcom's winning bid to deploy a next-generation-network leads our coverage...

Our second report this week on the Philippines looks at the problems faced by the huge number of Filipinos based overseas as they try to keep in touch with their friends and families based in their home country. Filipinos based in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait can look forward to low-cost mobile communication resulting from Roamware's new contract with PLDT subsidiary Smart Communications...

TVA, the Brazilian pay TV company, has a business vision of delivering mobile broadband and hyper-connected communications to businesses and consumers alike. For this reason, TVA has commissioned Nortel to work on a WiMAX trial designed to exploit 4G to the maximum...

East Africa and Rwanda came out badly when Deloitte published its report on mobile taxation rates. The GSMA, which commissioned the report, has now released more details of how and why Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania can create low-tax regimes.

Saudi Arabia is on the verge of conducting her third mobile licensing procedure. This represents the last major opportunity for Gulf-oriented operators. Developing Telecoms summarises why analysts have come to this conclusion, and highlights some hotspots for growth.

Idea Cellular is a brand-new company which has been traded for only a few days. Its ambitious aims as India's sixth-largest network are confirmed by its announcement that it will invest US$2 billion to hold out against other newly-arrived competitors such as Vodafone...

Portugal Telecom's African operations are set to expand well beyond her present low-key portfolio of four former colonies and a half-share of a partnership in Morocco. The strategy is based on Africa's currently low tele-density. First step is a mobile virtual operation in Angola.

RCS & RDS, the Romanian fixed and greenfield mobile operator, has selected Nokia as its WCDMA 3G core and radio network supplier. The company looks forward to a quick entry into the Romanian 3G mobile market and, under the brand name Digi.Tel, to offer a wide range of services.

Several of Pakistan's regions, together with capital city Islamabad, are set to experience an expansion of their networks...

China's north-south telecoms divide has become more pronounced with the news that China Netcom and China Telecom will not look for business opportunities in each other's 'territories.'