CEO Says T-Mobile Could Shift To Business Users
521922
T-Mobile USA, now the smallest nationwide carriers in the US, could create a new business unit that will focus on attracting business users, the CEO of its German parent company was quoted as saying Tuesday.
517013
(InfoWorld) - The T-Mobile brand could soon be coming to a market near you. As part of a strategy to revive profits, Deutsche TelekomÂ intends to expand its T-Mobile cellular business in markets in which the German telecommunications group is already offering fixed-line services and possibly in entirely new markets, the company said Thursday. T-Mobile is already one of the largest mobile phone operators in western Europe and the U.S. Its T-Mobile USA subsidiary has emerged as the group's main growth engine. Deutsche Telekom "does not rule out acquisitions" as part of its expansion strategy, it said. Acquiring the Dutch mobile phone subsidiary of France's Orange could be part of that strategy. The company is rumored to be among the bidders for the Dutch company, the smallest of four operators in the Netherlands. The new strategy carries the signature of RenÃ© Obermann, newly appointed CEO of Deutsche Telekom and the former head of the group's mobile phone business. Obermann is under pressure to tap new areas of growth to offset falling prices for mobile phone calls in mature markets such as Germany and the U.S. and to counter stiff competition from providers of fixed-line telephone services, particularly new VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) service providers. More than 2.3 fixed-line customers defected to rivals last year. Obermann's new strategy also includes selling several business units, including the French and Spanish ISPs (Internet service providers) Club Internet and Ya.com and the T-Systems Media & Broadcast unit. In addition, the CEO hopes to find an international "strategic partner" for its T-Systems subsidiary. T-Systems provides IT services to about 60 multinationals and 160,000 smaller companies. The Frankfurt-based unit, which also operates and maintains Deutsche Telekom's global telecommunications network, was established a few years ago following the merger of DaimlerChrysler's IT outsourcing unit, Debis Systemhaus, and the systems integration activities of the German network operator. Last year, T-Systems acquired Gedas, the former computer services subsidiary of German car maker Volkswagen. Gedas has 12 subsidiaries around the world, including Brazil, China, Japan, and the U.S. Most of these are located in automobile manufacturing centers. By the end of 2010, Deutsche Telekom hopes to have 1.5 million customers for its new IPTV (Internet Protocol television) service. The operator intends to have 50 cities connected to its new VDSL (Very high bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line) network next year, with an additional 750 towns to linked via ADSL2+ (Asymmetric DSL) technology. Deutsche Telekom's VDSL network has been a contentious issue with regulators in Brussels. On Monday, the European CommissionÂ threatened the German governmentÂ with legal action unless it scraps a new law thatÂ protects Deutsche Telekom from competitionÂ in the broadband Internet access market. The Commission's action focuses on specific amendments in the German law that effectively exempt the German operator VDSL network from competition. The amendment was requested by the company, which is still partly owned by the German state. Â
479533
Germany's T-Mobile is under strong pressure to expand its T-Mobile cell service into new countries and may embark on an acquisition binge to meet its goals.
677645
T-Mobile prepares service allowing callers uninterrupted shifting between cellular network, consumer Wi-Fi network.
465488
Mobile social networks and location-based services could be the next big draw, exec suggests.
686696
T-Mobile USA added nearly a million cell-phone subscribers in the fourth quarter, but full-year results fell short of its parent company's target.
5045
Deutsche Telekom  plans to keep on cutting jobs and may consider small investments in emerging markets, its chief executive said in extracts of a newspaper interview released on Sunday.
435916
Big rewards should come from big investments, said Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon&#39;s CEO, in a keynote speech at TELECOM â04 in Las Vegas.
571663
The wireless service provider seeks growth in emerging markets.
575175
InfoWorld - Don&#39;t expect new mobile phone services based on the Internet Protocol to become nearly as prevalent as those running over PCs. That&#39;s the view of Hamid Akhavan, CEO of T-Mobile International, one of Europe&#39;s largest mobile phone operators.
171601
The wireless-infrastructure leader is connected to a profitable future.
161882
The carrier's chief technical officer, Dick Lynch, talks strategy as the mobile industry enters a new era.
347733
InfoWorld - T-Mobile USA planned to launch its converged Wi-Fi and cellular service nationwide Wednesday, following the&#160;introduction of the service&#160;late last year in Seattle.
721221
Industry executives at the NXTcomm trade show in Chicago roll out ambitious plans for land-based and wireless broadband services.
271646
By DAVID TWIDDY    KANSAS CITY, Mo.  -- Sprint Corp...
464731
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn sees a top phone maker that's lost its edge, and he's ready to act. But what about the CEO's vision?
19304
The wireless phone provider's focus on business spills over into the consumer market.