MCI to overhaul network for international calls
550508
Company plans to use IP-based gear in network upgrade starting mid-2005, as it seeks to revive its prospects.
223930
(InfoWorld) - The U.K. is considering letting mobile phone operators run 3G (third-generation) services on frequencies reserved for 2G services, a change that could mean better 3G coverage and lower costs for the public, the government's telecommunications regulator said Thursday. The move by the Office of Communications (Ofcom) follows the expected relaxation of a longstanding European Union (E.U.) restriction on how certain frequencies could be used. A consultation period started on Thursday and runs through Nov. 29. Other European countries are undertaking similar moves to liberalize their 2G spectrums, according to a spokesman for the GSM Association (GSMA), a trade group for mobile phone operators. A 1987 E.U. directive restricted use of the 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrums second-generation services based on the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standard, which at the time was intended to foster growth of mobile communications across Europe by ensuring a large market for common hardware. The European Commission has proposed allowing 3G in those spectrum ranges: It says the original directive is now stalling growth of 3G services. The proposal should become policy by the end of the year once it is approved by the European Parliament and the E.U. Council of Ministers, according to the Commission. Operators across Europe have been running 3G services in the 2100MHz frequency band for several years. But opening up the 900MHz spectrum is key, as the lower frequencies allow better penetration of buildings, Ofcom said. The signals also carry further, so in rural areas fewer mobile phone masts are necessary: Ofcom estimates that high-quality mobile broadband Internet services could be provided with 10,000 fewer sites per operator. In turn, consumers should see lower costs for 3G services, the Commission has said. Finland and France are already trialing 3G services in the 900MHz band, the GSMA spokesman said. Market analyst Ovum estimates 300 million people will have 3G connections in Western Europe by 2012 if 3G is deployed at 900MHz and 2100MHz. That's compared to only 235 million connections if 3G is restricted to only 2100MHz. About 50 million have access to 3G today. Operators will likely want to continue using the 2100MHz band, as it has a higher traffic capacity than the 900MHz band, and so is better for urban areas where there are more users. In the U.K., Vodafone Group and O2 (UK)Â use the 900 MHz spectrum but only for 2G services. Ofcom is suggesting letting the other operators, Three, run by Hutchison 3G UK; T-Mobile International; and Orange, to have access to that band. The spectrum would be auctioned, with Ofcom awarding licenses as soon as 2009 and services starting by 2010, the regulator said. Ofcom is also looking at removing some technology-specific restrictions from the 1800MHz and 2100MHz bands, which could happen next year.
21206
Motorola and NTT DoCoMo plan to target Japanese business travelers with a new 3G handset next spring that will run on W-CDMA and GSM networks.
137877
A new batch of phone numbers will be assigned in Britain to accommodate the emerging market for cheap phone calls over the Internet, the UK's media and telecoms regulator said on Monday.
198422
Mobile phone companies in Europe must start offering cheaper rates to their customers using phones abroad.
38845
Cingular Wireless, the largest US wireless telephone company, said on Tuesday it would upgrade its network to handle high-speed data transmissions next year.
418134
The first section of one of the world's most advanced telephone networks is complete.
561970
Buying USinternetworking lets the telecom giant reach out and touch managed services.
670958
Cingular Wireless, the largest U.S.  wireless telephone company, said on Tuesday it would upgrade  its network next year to handle high-speed data transmissions.
20505
THE RASH OF VoIP services being peddled in the UK has meant that the country has to release a new batch of phone numbers. Telco watchdog Ofcom has barked that it would establish the prefix &quot;056,&quot; allowing
250154
Pot, dial Kettle eBay's proprietary VoIP service Skype wants the Federal Communications Commission to change its rules on how cellular networks operate.â¦
449418
Company carrying out Â£17bn upgrade of network to hold emergency meeting.
656255
An adapter made by Siemens allows phones to make calls using the Internet or the traditional phone network.
407950
CHEJU, South Korea  - Global mobile operators and   device makers are betting that the next level of transmission   technology will ramp up mobile phone usage in a way that   third-generation technology has so far failed to do.
666938
TOKYO Schaumburg(Illinois)-based Motorola and Japan&#39;s top mobile-phone carrier plan to develop a more sophisticated mobile phone that subscribers in Japan can use while traveling to other parts of Asia and to Europe.
608868
(InfoWorld) - IBM is taking the first step toward a major overhaul of how it packages and sells global services. The vendor is due to begin rolling out the first two of what it terms "service products" worldwide on Tuesday. The standardized offerings are designed to be used by any IBM customer anywhere, a very different approach from the company's previous focus on providing customized, one-off services to individual users. "This will enable us to access the market in a new way," Laurence Guihard-Joly, vice president of IBM's newly formed Integrated Communications Services (ICS) unit, said. "Our strategy is to get to the next level in services, to be brand-driven in the way our systems technology and software already are." The first two services are Network Convergence Services Product and Internet Protocol (IP) Telephony Services Product. The network convergence bundle of services is aimed at customers keen to determine their readiness for adopting communications networks that combine support for data, voice, and video. The IP telephony offering is for users looking to work with IBM and its partners, including Cisco Systems, on designing, deploying, and managing IP telephony infrastructure. As part of the restructuring, IBM has taken what was the networking services piece of IBM Global Services (IGS) and turned it into a new business unit, ICS. Although IBM's services business is a huge operation, its growth rate has appeared somewhat stagnant over recent quarters. In the company's most recent financial results, IBM reported IGS revenue fell 0.9 percent to $11.9 billion compared with the year-ago quarter. IGS competes against Accenture, Capgemini, and Electronic Data SystemsÂ (EDS). "IBM is trying to invigorate its services business and propel it into growth faster than it has been," Bob Djurdjevic, president of Annex Research, said. He expects IBM's rivals will also adopt the service product approach in areas where they have specific expertise to draw upon. IBM begun the work on the new services strategy a year ago engaging in a "deep re-analysis of the market" including talking to its customers at all levels, Guihard-Joly said. By year end, IBM plans to release around 30 service products. They will be a mix of brand-new offerings and existing assets that have been "reassembled, updated, hardened and tested," Guihard-Joly said. The products will include network management services around the Netcool software IBM acquired when it bought Micromuse and radio frequency identification (RFID) services. Even with highly complex projects, Guihard-Joly believes about 80 percent of a customer's services needs could be met by IBM's new building block approach. The new ICS business unit has four main focuses for its services -- converged communications; networking strategy and optimization; mobility, wireless and RFID; and network integration and management services. IBM may create other business units within its evolving services operations. "The key challenge is going to be training their own staff to think in a new way," Djurdjevic said. Having a specific unit focused on a specific market might help employees move more quickly to the different way of doing business.
670010
Users of the four major consumer IM networks will be able to chat with each other?with some restrictions.