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---The News--
VOXSON CONTRACTS WITH PANDA GROUP TO SUPPLY GSM PRODUCTS TO CHINA
Voxson Limited and Panda Group have signed an agreement for Voxson to supply 500,000 of its GSM Engines' over a
twelve month period. The Voxson GSM Engine which will be produced in Australia by International Contact
Manufacturers Limited will allow Panda to manufacture and sell Panda/Voxson branded mobile phones in China.
The agreement also allows Voxson to source the supply of a number of its GSM mobile phone components from
established Panda manufacturing facilities in China.
MOTOROLA AIMS TO LEAD WIRELESS INTERNET MARKET
Technology firm Motorola Inc., whose earnings and reputation were hurt when it was slow to switch to digital phones
from analog, said it intends to lead the next telecommunications revolution.
Schaumburg, Ill.-based Motorola's profits tumbled in 1998, in part, because it was late in introducing digital wireless
phones. Motorola, now the world's second kìgest wireless telephone handset maker, had been a leader in analog
technology.
As part of its wireless Internet plan, Motorola partnered 1999 with leading data networking equipment company Cisco
Systems Inc. and computer workstation, server and software maker Sun Microsystems Inc. Those alliances should help
Motorola build dominance.
SPANISH-ITALIAN TELE-COM POOL WORTH $12 BILLION
Telecom Italian confirmed that it was in talks with its Spanish partners Endesa and Union Fenosa, both power utilities, to
pool their resources in that country.
The company released the one-sentence statement following remarks from Endesa officials about the creation of a 2
trillion peseta ($12 billion) holding company.
NOKIA SAYS 2000 IS WAP'S YEAR
The world's biggest mobile phone maker, Nokia , said 2000 would see a breakthroughs for WAP phones * mobile
phones that give access to Internet services with the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).
In 1999, Nokia could not produce enough WAP phones to meet soaring demand, but the technology really takes off in
2000.
EC OKS MARCONI'S BOSCH BUY
The European Commission has approved the acquisition of the public telecom networks division of Stuttgart-based
Robert Bosch by Marconi. The deal would lead to growth in the European telecom market and - given the presence of
such strong rivals as Alcatel, Lucent, Nortel and Siemens would not seriously damage competition in the sector.
Marconi is set to pay around 148 million euros ($150.5 million) in cash for the unit - based on the value of net assets at
the end of 1998 and including a premium of 27 million euros.
Bosch Public Networks had revenues equivalent to 383 million pounds in 1998 but traded at a loss and it is expected
that the acquisition will marginally dilute Marconi's earnings in 2000-2001.
MALAYSIA TELECOMS AUTHORITY SETS COMPETITION RULES
Malaysia has been trying in vain for years to reduce the number of players in Malaysia's overcrowded and fragmented
telecommunications industry. There are currently five main service providers in a country of 22 million population.
The Corporate Debt Restructuring Committee, which has been studying a telecoms industry consolidation said it would
look to alliances rather than an outright reduction in the number of players.
The commission said in the Guideline on Substantial Lessening of Competition that it may authorize such behavior if it is
deemed to be in the national interest.
QUALCOMM CLOSE TO CHINA CDMA DEAL
China Unicom reached an agreement with Qualcomm Inc. for a reduced license fee for using the U.S. company's CDMA
technology.
China Unicom is eager to arrange a discount on the 5%-10% of sales which Qualcomm, which makes the chips used in
CDMA phones, usually claims. The company had originally offered Chinese manufacturers a reduction but went back on
the deal after selling its manufacturing unit to Ericsson AB in March 1999.
China Unicom rolled out the first phase of its nationwide CDMA network, intended to rival the GSM network of
dominant operator, China Telecom Ltd. China Unicom planned to list its shares in Hong Kong and the U.S. in the first
quarter of 2000.
THE THIRD SOUTH AFRICA CELLULAR LICENCE TO GO AHEAD
The process of awarding South Africa's third cellular telephone licence will proceed following a probe by the country's
Auditor General.
Seven bidders are seeking a slice of the local mobile phone market, currently dominated by operators Vodacom and
MTN. MSI, with widespread investments in mobile phone telephony throughout Africa, is part of the Khulumu Cellular
084 consortium. Other bidders are AfricaSpeaks, which is backed by several international groups including Crown
Castle and Nextel, NextCom, Telia/Telenor of Sweden, Five Mobile Networks, Spatial Cellular and Cell C.
NETVIGATOR WINS BEST HONG KONG ISP AWARD
Cable & Wireless HKT announced that its Internet service, NETVIGATOR, has been awarded the Best Hong Kong
ISP by PC World Hong Kong's World Class Awards 1999. NETVIGATOR is winner of the Best Hong Kong ISP
category for the third consecutive year since 1997. In 2000, NETVIGATOR gains near 40 per cent of the total votes by
readers of PC World Hong Kong.
INTERNET LEADERS UNITE TO DEFINE NEXT WAVE IN E-COMMERCE
ARTS formally accepted a proposed XML-based standard for delivering receipts over the Internet. An innovation that
will bring proof of purchase to your PC, the Digital Receipt is the product of the Digital Receipt Alliance, which was
formed and led by NCR Corporation. Other founding members of the Alliance include America Online; Microsoft; Office
Depot; ValiCert, Inc. RCS; and VeriFone a division of Hewlett Packard Company.
PSION & MOTOROLA LAUNCH SYMBIAN PRODUCTS IN 2001
British palm-top computer group Psion Plc signed an agreement with U.S. wireless telephone handset maker and
communications group Motorola Inc to co-develop a range of mobile Internet access devices.
The product, based on Psion's next-generation Symbian technology, will have integrated voice and data capabilities.
Bell Atlantic Deploys Fiber Optics, Bring Additional Advanced Technology, Services to Pittsburgh Area
Bell Atlantic is installing a new fiber-optic cable in Pittsburgh and its eastern neighborhoods as part of an $325,000
project ot modernize the local telephone network and provide additional broadband availability to businesses and
universities.
The fiber-optic cable will be runfrom Bell Atlantic's downtown telephone offices to the Wilkinsburg, Oakland and East
Liberty sections of the city. This project is expected to be completed in May. The new cable also will provide additional
reliability and survivability in the Bell Atlantic network. Fiber-optic systems use hair-thin glass strands and digital
technology to deliver high quality telephone services along with high-capacity/high-speed voice and data services.
Investment in the Pennsylvania network totaled nearly $2 billion in 1998 and 1999. Miles of fiber-optic cable in the
commonwealth increased by 92 percent from 474,450 in 1995 to more than 911,000 in 1999. Percentage of digital
call-routing switches will be 100 percent by the end of the year 2000, having grown from 90.3 percent in 1995 to 98.5
percent in 1999.
FRENCH GOVERNMENT STAYS OUT OF FRANCE TELECOM ADSL ROW
The French government will not interfere in a row between France Telecom against telecoms regulator ART over the
extension of its ADSL network for high speed Internet access.
France Telecom said it expected to spend two billion francs ($316 million) over three years to extend its ADSL network
for high-speed Internet access.
It also said it intended to respect a government deadline at the end of 2000 for opening up its network to competitors by
providing them access to the local loop.
NOKIA BMCC AND SOHU.COM TO OFFER WAP SERVICE
Nokia, telecoms equipment maker, Beijing Mobile Communications (BMCC), comms firm, and SOHU.com,
Chinese-language Internet portal, (both China) have signed a MoU to offer a range of Chinese-language services using
the WAP platform of Nokia.
CEO OF C&W HKT SEES PROFITS IN 2002
CEO of Cable & Wireless HKT Ltd. said that he expected the telecom giant's revenues and profits to turn around and
begin growing in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002. C&W HKT in November 1999 reported a surprise loss of
HK$2.77 billion for the six months to September 30 1999, after taking an exceptional loss of HK$7.1 billion for
equipment write-offs.
ERICSSON WINS GSM EXPANSION CONTRACT IN CHINA
Ericsson has signed a US$68 million contract with Jiangsu Mobile Communications Corporation (JMCC) for GSM
network expansion in the Jiangsu province. This is the fourth GSM expansion project Ericsson has won in this eastern
province of China.
The capacity of JMCC's network in the province will increase to 2.35 million GSM subscribers after the expansion is
completed. Nanjing Ericsson Communications Company LTD., one of Ericsson's joint vntures in China, will provide the
equipment.
BT TALKING TO IRISH ESB OVER ESAT TAKEOVER
British Telecommunications Plc said it was talking with Ireland's Electricity Supply Board (ESB) over its planned $2.5
billion purchase of Ireland's Esat Telecom Group Plc and expected to complete the deal as planned.
The state-owned ESB announced earlier that it had started legal action to try to block BT's purchase, saying the agreed
bid breached the terms of its own fixed line telecoms joint venture with BT in Ireland * Ocean Communications Ltd.
ON24 AUDIO INVESTOR ALERT: DT PLANS $940M WIRELESS EXPANSION
Germany's Deutsche Telekom, Europe's largest phone company plans to spend almost US$1 billion to beef up its
German wireless network in 2000. Deutsche Telekom owns T-Mobil, the No. 2 cellular phone company in Germany.
BT AIMS FOR CONTRO-LLING STAKE IN ESAT DIGIFONE
British Telecom Plc wanted to work with Norway's Telenor in the Irish mobile phone market despite trumping Telenor in
the bidding for Ireland's Esat Telecom Group. Telenor owns a 49.5 percent stake in the Esat Digifone Irish mobile
company with Esat owning a further 49.5 percent.
BT had agreed to acquire the other one percent of Digifone from Irish financier Dermot Desmond for an undisclosed
sum, meaning it will own 50.5 percent of the venture if its $2.46 billion takeover of Esat is approved.
KOREA TELECOM, IBM TEAM UP
Korea Telecom joins forces with IBM to build Asia's largest Internet data centre. South Korea's largest telephone
company said it would invest about 500 billion won (HK$3.41 billion) to equip an 81,000 square feet centre to be
completed by 2003. The world's largest computer manufacturer would provide know-how from its business solutions
division, Korea Telecom said.
U.S. THREATENS JAPAN OVER TELECOM FEES
The U.S. urged Japan to slash the connection fees that companies pay for access to telecommunications networks
controlled by telecoms giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.
The U.S. wants Japan to cut existing interconnection rates by nearly half at the end of 2000.
But Japanese press reports said Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications would propose revising the
fee-calculation system to reduce the rate NTT charges by 16.5 percent over several years. |
