News

• SoftBank gets state approval for Sprint acquisition

  SoftBank has received all the necessary state approvals for the Japanese mobile carrier to acquire a majority stake in Sprint Nextel for US$20 billion, the companies announced.

• 1

  Telstra continues with billion dollar 4G plan

  Telstra has reached a milestone in its billion dollar 4G expansion program, switching on its 1500th 4G base station.

• EU investigation could affect business from China's 4G deployment

  The European Union may be trying to protect its telecom equipment industry with its recent threat to investigate China over networking equipment imports. But the move could end up hurting the chances of Western vendors intent on supplying technology to China's upcoming 4G services launch, according to analysts.

• 7

  UPDATED: 4G in Australia: The state of the nation

  The top three Australian carriers are spending billions upgrading their networks to high-speed 4G LTE services. Customers are just starting to see the new plans and rollout is expected to intensify through the year and well into 2013.

• 1

  Optus launches 4G TD-LTE in Canberra

  Optus has launched a faster version of LTE in Canberra, but so far the technology only supports 4G dongles.

• T-Mobile drops challenge to FCC's net neutrality rules

  T-Mobile USA has dropped a pending challenge to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules.

• Cheap iiNet 4G plan for SMBs includes little data

  Another Australian operator has released an inexpensive 4G plan that provides a diminutive data allowance.

• Virgin launches 13GB postpaid 4G broadband offering

  Optus subsidiary Virgin Mobile has launched a 4G postpaid mobile broadband service on a $59, 12-month plan that includes 13GB of data.

• Vodafone taps Cisco for 4G network analytics, traffic management

  Cisco will provide the mobile multimedia core platform for Vodafone Hutchison Australia's 4G LTE network, Cisco has announced.

• Australian government misses $1 billion in Digital Dividend auction

  The government failed to sell one-third of the 700MHz spectrum—worth $1 billion—that was up for sale in the Digital Dividend auction. Total revenue for the auction made from 700MHz and 2.5GHz spectrum was $1.96 billion, below the government's expectations.

• Limiting bidding on spectrum auctions could be costly, study says

  If the U.S. Federal Communications Commission limits the participation of the largest mobile carriers in upcoming spectrum auctions, it could cost the U.S. treasury billions of dollars, according to a study released Tuesday.

• US DOT: Auto makers should disable in-dash electronics when cars are moving

  Automobile makers should prevent drivers from using their in-vehicle electronic devices to browse the Internet and send text messages while their vehicles are moving, the U.S. Department of Transportation has recommended.

• 1

  Australia’s 700MHz auction unlikely to be a sell-out: analysts

  A portion of the waterfront 700MHz spectrum in Tuesday’s Digital Dividend auction could go unsold despite aggressive bidding expected from Telstra, according to mobile industry analysts.

• 1

  Optus partners with Suretek for 4G security

  Optus has inked a $60 million contract with security and surveillance provider Suretek for fixed network and 3G and 4G mobile services.

• Telstra, Optus to trade credit rating points for spectrum: Moody's

  Bidding in next week’s Digital Dividend auction is crucial for Telstra and SingTel Optus to stay competitive even though it is likely to negatively impact their credit ratings, according to a financial analyst at Moody’s.