Global Business, Asia, India: Motorola is establishing India as its headquarters for the High Growth Markets (HGM) as it realigns its strategy to focus on developing, high-growth markets.

R&D, Mobile, Asia, India:  Two Indian mobile operators, Airtel and Idea Cellular, have agreed to use fastmobile Inc fmX software technology to support a series of message service trials. fastmobile designs and supplies integrated messaging and content services for mobile network operators: the fmX platform is to be used in trials exploring the impact of mobile communications in developing countries.

Technology, Global:  CSL and Nokia have demonstrated what is claimed to be the industry's first seamless service continuity between HSDPA and EDGE networks. In practice, this means seamless hand-overs from HSDPA to EDGE and back without service interruptions.

Education, Global:  American Power Conversion (APC), a global provider of end-to-end infrastructure availability solutions, has launched Data Centre University, an online educational institution for IT professionals, engineers and people involved in building or operating server rooms and data centres.

Mobile, MENA, Sudan:  In a deal valued at US$1.332 billion, MTC has acquired from Sudatel 61% of Sudanese mobile operator Mobitel. Mobitel currently has almost 2 million customers, up 70% in the last year. Funding for this new transaction was secured following the capital increase from an equity rights issue of US$2.3 billion.

GSM, MENA, Egypt: Kuwaiti owned Mobile Telecommunications Company Group (MTC), the largest GSM operator in the region, is to bid for the third GSM licence in Egypt. Mohamed Eid, MTC Country Manager Egypt, has stressed the advantage of winning the contract: employment opportunities for many Egyptians based on a high-quality local labour force.

Markets, Churn, Global: Two of the world’s developing telecoms markets, Thailand and Brazil feature in Nokia’s new survey of almost 4,000 customers in five markets (Germany, the UK, and the US are the other three). The research was aimed at one of the biggest problems facing operators worldwide - customer turnover, or churn as it is more commonly known.

Asia, China: Huawei Technologies’ global contract sales for 2005 reached US$8.2 billion, a year-on-year growth rate of 40%. The increase is a result of continued market growth in the product areas of wireless mobile network, next generation network, optical networks, data communications, application and software and terminals.

Broadband, Global: AlanDick Group has announced an agreement with Redline Communications, a provider of standards-based broadband wireless equipment.

Networks VoIP Chile: Chilean internet telephony provider RedVoiss has launched SippyPhone, a free service which it hopes will compete with Skype. The service consists of software installed on a PC; communication is possible by microphone or through a handset.

Research & Development, Networks, India:  After evaluating a number of sites in India, Nokia will locate its new Global Networks Solutions Centre in Chennai.