1. Articles from Michelle Donegan, European Editor, Light Reading Mobile

    1-11 of 11

    1. What Will Redknee Get From NSN's BSS Biz?

      Explore Light Reading (Dec 9 2012) 4G

      Nokia Siemens Networks has revealed details about which business support system (BSS) products will be divested to Redknee Inc. if the proposed acquisition goes through as planned before July next year.

      Canadian Service Provider Information Technology (SPIT) vendor Redknee has agreed to buy NSN's BSS business unit for up to US$52.5 million, of which $19.7 million in cash is to be paid upon closing and up to $32.8 million more would be paid over 12 to 36 months for performance bonuses.

      (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   NSN

    2. Broadband - Small-Cell, Wi-Fi Groups Aim for Integration - Telecom News Analysis

      Explore Light Reading (Nov 6 2012) Small Cells , Wi-Fi

      The Wireless Broadband Alliance and the Small Cell Forum Ltd. are working together on ways to integrate Wi-Fi and licensed, cellular small cells.

      (Read Full Article)

    3. Light Reading Mobile - 4G/LTE - Softbank to Pay $20B for 70% Sprint Stake - Telecom News Analysis

      Explore Light Reading (Oct 15 2012) 4G , 4G World , LTE

      Japan's Softbank will invest $20.1B for a 70% stake in Sprint Nextel, which says the infusion will help it compete with Verizon and AT&T

      (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   LTE

    4. ZTE's Grand Smartphone Plans

      Explore (Jul 23 2012) 4G Device , Smartphones

      China's ZTE Corp. (Shenzhen: 000063; Hong Kong: 0763) is aiming to capitalize on the current woes of Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) and Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; Toronto: RIM) by grabbing a greater share of the smartphone market and boosting its global brand.

      "Knowing the dynamic in the mobile market, the situation is very fluid, with some going through dramatic decline. This is an opportunity for ZTE to establish its brand," said executive board director and vice president He Shiyou, speaking to Light Reading Mobile at the U.K. launch of its latest Android smartphone, Grand X, in London last week

      (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   London

    5. Spanish Telcos Joyn Forces to Tackle OTT Threat

      Explore (Jun 18 2012) Applications , LTE , Mobile Internet , Smartphones

      Telefónica SA (NYSE: TEF) and Vodafone España S.A. launched on Monday the first Joyn-branded services based on the operator-backed Rich Communication Suite enhanced (RCS-e) initiative in a move to compete with offers from over-the-top (OTT) providers.

      But it wasn't easy.

      [Ed note: Does this mean, if you can't beat them, Joyn them?]

      Joyn is the consumer brand for services based on the RCS-e set of specifications, which is an industry initiative managed by the GSM Association (GSMA) . The RCS-e project aims to define service specifications for mobile operators to deliver instant messaging, chat, file sharing and video calls over any device on any network.

      The underlying technology for RCS services is an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) core network, and the goal is to make these advanced services as universal as voice and SMS are today.

      In Spain, the first services available as of this week are chat (group and one-to-one), file sharing (including photos, music and videos) and a feature that allows videos or photos to be shared in real time during a voice call (thereby making it a so-called "enriched call.")

      (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   LTE

    6. Small Cells Throw Up Big Challenges for Operators

      Explore (May 14 2012) 3G , 4G , LTE , Small Cells

      While wireless equipment suppliers have developed a new generation of small cells designed for public access in mobile data networks, operators have to overcome some deployment challenges that these diminutive base stations create, according to a Heavy Reading analyst.

      As Light Reading Mobile's recent report, there is a diverse range of public access small cell products designed for use in various places, including indoor venues, outdoor urban hot spots, or rural areas.

      But product availability is one thing, deploying it is another matter.

      (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Huawei Technologies Co.   Ericsson AB

    7. Wi-Fi 'Wild West' Challenges Carriers

      Explore (Apr 24 2012) 4G , Wi-Fi

      LONDON -- Strategic Opportunities in Service Provider Wi-Fi -- Mobile operators need to make better use of Wi-Fi, but one of their biggest challenges is identifying where they can add value to the user experience, according to Heavy Reading Senior Analyst Gabriel Brown.

      (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   London

    8. 4G Goes Live in India

      Explore (Apr 10 2012) 4G

      India's largest operator, Bharti Airtel Ltd. (Mumbai: BHARTIARTL), launched the country's first 4G services based on Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex (LTE TDD) in Kolkata (Calcutta) on Tuesday.

      Bharti's 4G network in Kolkata is supplied by ZTE Corp. (Shenzhen: 000063; Hong Kong: 0763), while the operator has selected Nokia Siemens Networks for its coming LTE TDD network in Maharashtra. (See ZTE Wins 4G Deal With Bharti Airtel and NSN Manages for Bharti.)

      (Read Full Article)

    9. Orange Wants Better Wi-Fi Integration

      Explore (Mar 13 2012) Mobile Broadband , Small Cells

      For France Telecom SA (NYSE: FTE)'s Orange, Wi-Fi will be an important part of mobile broadband access networks, but the operator says standards are needed to make it easier for customers to use it.

      In an interview with Light Reading Mobile, Yves Bellego, director of technical network strategy at Orange, explained that while the operator already has deployed more than 30,000 Wi-Fi hotspots, Wi-Fi access needs to be "completely transparent" to the customer, which requires a standardized way to select the wireless access on all devices.

      In addition, that access selection needs to be secure, so that "we know which customer is connected to which access," he added.

      "Once we have that, I expect Wi-Fi access to develop a lot," he said.

      But how soon might Orange get its wish for Wi-Fi standardization and service integration? According to Bellego, it's "not so far" off. He noted that there has been some standardization progress and pointed to the HotSpot 2.0 initiative as an example.

      (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   France Telecom SA

    10. MWC 2012: AlcaLu Turns Co-Creationist

      Explore (Feb 28 2012) 4G , LTE

      — Michelle Donegan, European Editor, Light Reading Mobile

      BARCELONA -- Mobile World Congress 2012 -- Some of the world's largest operators will have a say in the design of Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU)'s lightRadio products as part of a development program the vendor announced here on Tuesday.

      China Mobile Communications Corp. , Telefónica SA (NYSE: TEF), Orange SA and Verizon Wireless are the first operators that are working with AlcaLu on the joint development projects. AlcaLu calls the model "co-creation."

      "We're not going to do co-creation with every customer," said Rajeev Singh-Molares, AlcaLu's president of Asia/Pacific. "That sort of mass customization would be too expensive."

      But the idea behind these projects is that certain customers can influence the design and direction of the new small-cell radio products, thus making sure that the products are on the right track to meet operator needs.

      (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   LTE

    11. Ericsson Adds Wi-Fi With BelAir Buy

      Explore (Feb 21 2012) 4G , LTE , WiMAX

      Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC) announced on Tuesday that it has agreed buy BelAir Networks Inc. for an undisclosed sum in a bid to add Wi-Fi access to its Heterogeneous Network (HetNet) infrastructure offering. Word that such a deal was imminent first surfaced last month. (See Ericsson Sizing Up BelAir Buy for Wi-Fi Push.) BelAir, a privately held Canadian firm established in 2002, provides indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi systems and counts AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) among its customers. (See BelAir Racks Up Cable Wins.) Ericsson said the deal marks a step toward creating a "truly integrated network" and will accelerate the integration of Wi-Fi and cellular technologies. As part of the Swedish vendor's HetNet strategy, the acquisition will also complement Ericsson's work on managing the co-existence of these different technologies in mobile operator networks. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2012, and BelAir's 120 employees are expected to transfer to Ericsson. Why this mattersThe fact that Ericsson, the largest mobile infrastructure vendor, has shelled out to acquire a Wi-Fi access business shows just how important Wi-Fi technology has become to mobile operators. Since Wi-Fi has become a critical way to offload mobile data traffic from congested radio access networks (RAN), operators are now looking at how to integrate that technology more tightly into their networks while also improving the management of those Wi-Fi services. Ericsson launched a Network Integrated Wi-Fi product last September that puts Wi-Fi access control in operator networks, rather than on a smartphone client. Now, with BelAir's portfolio, Ericsson will have a Wi-Fi offering among its radio access products as well. For moreEricsson's BelAir buys adds to the Wi-Fi buzz that will abound in Barcelona next week at Mobile World Congress ...

      (Read Full Article)

      Mentions:   Ericsson AB

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