Almost 30% more people (25 million) in Sub-Saharan Africa would have mobile phones if it was not for the unpredictable and short-term approach to regulation in many countries in the region, according to a PriceWaterhouse Coopers study published by the GSM Association (GSMA).

Alec Barton, Publisher of Developing Telecoms, finds great cause for encouragement from 3GSM Barcelona...  

Andrew Corporation has introduced a compact tower-mounted amplifier designed to provide operators with options for coverage and capacity enhancement for 3G networks...

Nokia has won a new MSC Server System contract with Telefónica Móviles Ecuador , which operates under the movistar brand, to enable more cost efficient voice service. Telefónica's subsidiary in Ecuador marks a new customer for Nokia and strengthens cooperation with Telefónica Móviles.

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.

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.

Nokia and Greek mobile operator Cosmote have signed an agreement for the supply of WCDMA 3G radio network. With this 3G deal, Nokia, a long-term GSM infrastructure supplier to Cosmote, further cements its role in the development of Cosmote's mobile networks in Greece and elsewhere in the Balkans.

Wataniya Telecom today opened the first High Speed Downlink Packet Access network in the Middle East and Africa region, thereby making it the first operator in these two areas to offer mobile services beyond 3G.

Andrew Corporation has introduced what is believed to be the industry's first all-digital remote radio head, a high-power unit that is intended to provide cost savings and coverage flexibility for global 3G networks...

Nokia has reached a five-year managed services agreement to run Hutchison Essar's network operations in nine circles in India . Nokia will assume the operation of Hutchison Essar's networks in Gujarat , Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chennai, Uttar Pradesh (East and West), Rajasthan, Haryana and West Bengal , thus allowing the operator to better focus on its customers and core activities...

BSS/OSS supplier Intec has launched a new mobile charging, customer and revenue management solution particularly applicable to the developing world...

Indonesian mobile operator Natrindo Telepon Selular has awarded Ericsson a contract to build, operate and manage its new 3G / WCDMA network in Jakarta and surrounding areas.

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...

Philippines wireless service provider Smart Communications Inc and Nokia have signed an agreement for the supply of WCDMA 3G network technology. Nokia will deliver a WCDMA 3G radio network, including the Nokia High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) solution, a 3G upgrade to the existing circuit and packet switched networks, and related services.

For the first time ever subscribers in India and China will enjoy direct telecommunication services, including global hubbing, thanks to an agreement signed by Reliance Infocomm and China Telecommunications Corporation...

In response to increasing demand for IP-based solutions with built-in power availability capabilities, American Power Conversion has announced that the Nortel Business Communications Manager 50 now offers an interface to APC’s USB-signalling uninterruptible power supply products...

Just three and a half years after it first arrived in Brazil , GSM is now used by more than 50% of Brazilian mobile phone users. According to the Brazilian regulator Anatel, of the 86 million people with mobile phones in Latin America 's largest country, more than 44 million are connected to GSM networks.

Andrew Corporation has introduced a software system that works with the Teletilt(r) ATC200-1000 local rack-mounted controller and enables real-time adjustments to base station antennas from anywhere an Internet connection is established...

Agilent Technologies Inc is celebrating a US$14.5 million order with India 's primary communications service providers Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd and Tata Teleservices Ltd to provide operator support  services solutions...

Eastern China's Fujian Mobile Communications has chosen Nokia's Push to Talk over Cellular platform for businesses in Fujian province, and plans expand the service to consumers at a later date...

During the first week of January this year, the number of ADSL-based broadband Internet subscribers in the Czech   Republic reached 275,000, that is to say an increase of 175% over January 2005 - almost 3 fold growth.

Mexican communications company IUSAcom and New York-based Vistula Communications Service Inc have signed a deal to provide Voice Over Internet Protocol communications services...

Nokia network reseller CommTel Network Solutions Australia will establish a new market for Nokia, having signed an agreement to supply broadband DSL solutions and related services to Telecom Cook Islands Ltd...

North and South Korea' s first-ever telephone link, connecting the South with the North's Kaesong Industrial Complex, has led to South Korea lobbying for a massive expansion of the service...

Although GSM-based mobile phones have been accepted in North Korea for ten years in the Rajin-Sonbong economic area, North Korea has had a totally hostile attitude towards mobile technology...

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

GlobeTel will be installing wireless networks in 30 Russian cities. The company will complete this provision of high-speed communications by the start of 2009 and will be acting on behalf of LLC Internafta in order to supply broadband, VoIP and several other services...

First the Soviets built a telephone system in Afghanistan. The Chinese did too. The two weren’t compatible.  Afghan Telecom is the company ordered to sort it all out. It is using expertise from Globecomm Systems.  Michael Schwartz learns more...

Siemens has predicted that in four years time global investment in Internet Protocol television (IPTV) could touch US$1 billion. Prime mover will be China which will account for 25% of world spend...