Re: You still chalking 'em up, Jim????
Pat -
Thanks........
Yes, I'm still keeping score! Though my enthusiasm is not what it once was.
Still waiting for Compaq to buy a DSL'er..
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The Hong Kong government has awarded a video-on-demand
(VOD) license to the telecoms operator Hong Kong Telecoms
(HK Telecoms) and approved in principle a similar license
for Star Interactive Television (Star iTV), a unit of the
Internet and paging service provider Star Telecom
International Holding. HK Telecoms would launch its
interactive TV service, HK Telecom VOD, in March 1998 and
provide services such as pay-per-view (PPW), music videos
and home shopping. As for Star iTV, it intends to become
operational by mid-1998. It would offer high-speed Internet
access, home shopping and banking, as well as educational
content.
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The incumbent Spanish telecoms operator Telefonica has
agreed to team up with the US long distance operators MCI
and WorldCom, which are due to complete a full merger by
mid-1998. The three partners have announced the setting up
of strategic business ventures covering the European, Latin
American and Hispanic markets.
The move means the death of the partnership between
Telefonica and the leading UK operator, BT, which had been
put into question by MCI's decision, in November 1997, to
merge with WorldCom instead of BT. The alliance also
questions BT's ties with the Portuguese national operator,
Portugal Telecom, which has agreed to open talks with
Telefonica, MCI and WorldCom to possibly join their
alliance.
In Europe, Telefonica would join as a distributor
WorldCom's corporate service business, which it supplies
over its own network in Belgium, Britain, Germany, France,
Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. It
would also have an option to take a 10% stake in a new
company that would be set up to manage WorldCom's European
operations as well as a 46% stake in a company that would
be set up to manage WorldCom's Italian operations. WorldCom
and Telefonica would also establish a joint venture owned
respectively 51% and 49% to target Eastern and Southern
Europe.
In Latin America, MCI would have an option to take at least
a 10% stake in Telefonica's overseas arm, Tisa. The two
firms already operate a joint venture,
Telefonica-Panamericana MCI (TPAM), owned 51% by Telefonica
and 49% by MCI.
TPAM plans to build a digital network that would
interconnect a dozen major leading business centres by the
year 2001. MCI and Telefonica would also set up a joint
venture owned respectively 70% and 30% and targeted at the
US and global Hispanic markets.
Meanwhile, Telefonica has agreed that Portugal Telecom, in
which it owns a 3.5% stake, could take a 5% stake in Tisa.
The two companies would also set up a joint venture
focusing on non-Spanish and non-Portuguese speaking
countries.
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On a lighter note:
HURTS SO GOOD Chinese researchers claim a new pager-
sized device that fits in a man's underwear and transmits electronic pulses can render men sterile for as long as a month, reports the Reuters news agency. The male contraceptive was developed in Xi'an. Reuters quotes the Xinhua news agency as saying the device will be ready for market soon, and marketers are looking for overseas buyers.
Ouch!
JW@KSC |
