Zon shareholders agree to alter voting rights; is Sonaecom merger back on the table?

Shareholders of Portuguese cableco Zon Multimedia have voted their approval of a plan to lift voting rights beyond the current 10% limit, Bloomberg reports. The outcome paves the way for existing shareholders to raise their stakes in the company, whilst reigniting speculation that it could be set to merge with rival operator Sonaecom. Banks Caixa Geral de Depositos and Banco Espirito Santo, which own 10.93% and 2% of Zon respectively, are reportedly being pressed to sell assets to raise capital ratios under Portugal’s bailout programme.

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OVETEL Zon shareholders agree to alter voting rights; is Sonaecom merger back on the table?

Verizon extends ‘Private IP’ service to Africa, Middle East

US giant Verizon Communications has announced that it has expanded its global enterprise network platform, enabling multinational corporations to take advantage of its ‘Private IP’ service in six additional African countries, as well as Bahrain and Qatar in the Middle East. Through a combination of its own global multiprotocol label switching network (MPLS) network and its infrastructure alliance provider Vodacom Business in Africa, Verizon enterprise customers will now be able to access Private IP services in four key African markets: Gabon; Djibouti and Ethiopia on the Horn of Africa; Malawi and Zimbabwe in Eastern Africa; and Swaziland in the south. The expansion will make it possible for Verizon customers with operations in these emerging markets to more effectively exchange data and global business applications, and employ the company's managed network and security solutions

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OVETEL Verizon extends ‘Private IP’ service to Africa, Middle East

MTN brought into Vodacom discussions; consultant awarded USD21 million by Kinshasa court

South Africa’s MTN Group is reportedly investigating options relating to the future of Vodacom’s Congolese operation, Vodacom Congo. According to local news source IT Web Business, a spokesperson for MTN, Rich Mkhondo, said that MTN, along with other parties with an interest in the cellco, were involved in the process of assessing various options for Vodacom regarding its investments in the Democratic Republic of Congo. *Vodacom is embroiled in a long-standing dispute with its local partner Congolese Wireless Networks (CWN) regarding the funding and structure of the venture.

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OVETEL MTN brought into Vodacom discussions; consultant awarded USD21 million by Kinshasa court

China Telecom to launch CDMA-compatible iPhone

China Telecom, China’s smallest wireless operator by subscribers, will launch a CDMA-compatible version of Apple’s iPhone 4S by the end of February, reports China Daily, citing a press release from China Telecom subsidiary Beijing Telecom.

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OVETEL China Telecom to launch CDMA-compatible iPhone

Qatar makes direct approach for Oger Telecom

The State of Qatar has approached Dubai-based Saudi Oger with a view to acquiring a 55% stake in its UAE-based holding company Oger Telecom, Reuters reports.

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OVETEL Qatar makes direct approach for Oger Telecom

Magyar mobile frequency auction raises USD197m

Dow Jones Newswires reports that the Hungarian government has raised a total of HUF43.9 billion (USD197 million) from the auction of mobile frequencies in the 900MHz band. The regulator, the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH), held the tender to sell a 10.8MHz block of spectrum and today reports that a consortium led by state-owned electricity wholesaler MVM has won the ‘A block’, suitable for both internet and voice services, paying HUF10 billion. Further, the country’s three incumbent mobile carriers – Telenor (formerly Pannon), Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom-backed T-Mobile Hungary – each secured spectrum from parts of the ‘less valuable’ ‘B block’, which is better suited to provide mobile internet access in rural parts of the country.

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OVETEL Magyar mobile frequency auction raises USD197m

VNPT to merge MobiFone with overseas investment unit

State-owned national PTO Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT) will merge its VNPT Global unit and its wholly-owned mobile operator MobiFone to bolster resources for future overseas investment, Viet Nam News cites VNPT’s general director, Vu Tuan Hung, as saying.

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OVETEL VNPT to merge MobiFone with overseas investment unit