Daily News as it breaks from telecoms.com
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• Nokia Siemens completes urban trial of LTE
  Finnish - German joint venture, Nokia Siemens Networks, said this week that it has completed the world's first multi-user field trial of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in an urban environment. ~ The beyond 3G wireless tech promises mobile data rates of up to 173Mbps. ~ This latest field trial was conducted in a real urban outdoor environment with multiple users using 2.6 GHz spectrum and NSN said it confirms LTE performance requirements can be met using 3GPP standardised technologies. ~ The trial confirmed data rates of more than 100Mbps over distances of several hundred meters, while maintaining reasonable throughput at the edge of typical urban mobile radio cells. ~ NSN said the trial "proves that LTE makes optimum use of the OFDM (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) and adaptive multi antenna technologies, as well as the intelligent algorithms used to schedule user traffic to the radio resources in multi-user environments." ~ The latest test follows up on a trial conducted by NSN one year ago, testing MIMO (Multiple Input / Multiple Output) antenna technology, which realised peak data rates of 160Mbps. ~ The field trial was assisted by the Heinrich Hertz Institut (HHI), an expert centre in the field of intelligent adaptive MIMO algorithms. ~ During the test, an LTE base station was installed on the top of the Heinrich Hertz Institut building in the center of Berlin. Cars with LTE test terminals were driven up to 1km away from the base station to measure the LTE cell's coverage and throughput. ~ The base station, supporting LTE with a 2 by 2 MIMO antenna system, transmitted with 20MHz bandwidth in the 2.6GHz band. ~ "We can demonstrate that LTE meets the high expectations set for this new technology," adds Matthias Reiss, head of LTE Radio at Nokia Siemens Networks.  "Most importantly, we now have evidence that future LTE networks can run on existing base station sites and mobile operators can build LTE networks without requiring new antenna sites." ~ The vendor said that LTE availability is planned for a 2010 timeframe. ~
• SFR to increase stake in Neuf Cegetel
  French conglomerate Vivendi said Thursday its mobile phone subsidiary, SFR, is in talks to buy up a further stake in fixed line carrier Neuf Cegetel. ~ SFR would buy a further 29 per cent stake in the fixed line operator from trading group Louis Dreyfus for around Eur2.07bn. ~ The French mobile operator already owns 40.5 per cent of Neuf Cegetel and the deal would position the combination of fixed and mobile companies as a stronger competitor to incumbent carrier France Telecom. ~ Parent Vivendi, said the transaction would represent an important step in SFR's strategy by allowing the company to invest in fibre optics capacity; accelerating its fixed-line/mobile convergence strategy for businesses and individuals; and integrating a growing asset. ~ SFR is 56 per cent owned by Vivendi, with Vodafone holding the remaining 44 per cent. ~ Jean-Bernard Levy, chairman of Vivendi's management board, said: "This investment is a very attractive opportunity for Vivendi to strengthen its position and development in one of its main business sectors. The planned agreement would make it possible to merge two companies with increasingly complementary and healthy businesses and would create value for Vivendi shareholders." ~ SFR said it would finance this transaction through debt, notably with Vivendi granting a loan under market terms. To repay this loan, SFR has agreed to considerably reduce dividend payments that it would pay in the three next financial years. ~ Vivendi said it plans to raise funds of Eur1 to Eur2bn from its shareholders at the appropriate time. ~
• US 700MHZ spectrum auction draws 266 bidders
  The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a list of 266 bidders for the forthcoming 700MHz spectrum auction. ~ Among those companies listed as having accepted applications is Google Airwaves. Other interested parties include Alltel, AT&T, MetroPCS, Qualcomm, Verizon and investment company Vulcan Spectrum, which is headed up by Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen.  ~ Google has said that it is prepared to spend up to $4.6bn to secure itself a chunk of the spectrum. The web giant is one of the biggest backers of open access and is calling for more competition in the broadband space. ~ The 700MHz band of radio spectrum is currently occupied by television broadcasters but will be refarmed and auctioned off as part of the switchover to digital broadcasting. ~ Auction 73 will take place on January 24, 2008. The FCC has set a $10.4bn reserve on the auction and has maintained open access rules for the so called 'C block' of spectrum. ~
• O2 UK gearing up for IPTV service
  UK mobile operator O2 is understood to be laying the groundwork for the launch of an IPTV service in the UK next year. ~ The carrier is reportedly forging an agreement, extending its existing content deal with Warner Bros, HBO and Paramount for its IPTV service in the Czech Republic, to the UK. ~ O2 TV launched in the Czech Republic in September 2006 and last week, the company said it had acquired 70,000 subscribers to the service. ~ O2 UK launched its own fixed broadband service in October, targeting the large proportion of UK consumers that are dissatisfied with their existing broadband service. One of the main complaints UK broadband subs have is lower than advertised speeds. ~ The carrier got on the UK broadband bandwagon with the acquisition of ADSL provider Be for £50m, in the summer of 2006. O2 will go up against stiff competition from BSkyB, BT's Vision service and Virgin Media. ~
• Ribbit hops into web phone space
  A Silicon Valley startup launched a platform aimed at bringing the gap between the web and the traditional telephone on Monday, brandishing the words 'open' and 'VoIP'. ~ Ribbit is an open platform, which claims to enable non-telephony developers to quickly build rich voice applications and integrate them into web sites, communities and applications. ~ At the core sits the Ribbit SmartSwitch, which is based on a Lucent-tested Class 5 softswitch and an open Flash/Flex-based API. The company said that it can connect voice from any Flash-enabled browser to the PSTN and VoIP network, as well as providing an assortment of back-office and service delivery infrastructure. ~ "The world doesn't need another phone company," said Ted Griggs, co-founder and CEO of Ribbit. "What it needs is new kind of phone company, one that liberates voice from its current confines - devices, plans and business models - and more readily integrates into the workflow of our professional and personal lives." ~ In the first quarter of 2008, Ribbit said it will open its service to consumers and will sell commercial and enterprise packages to developers selling services on the Ribbit platform. ~ Ribbit believes the small to medium size business market holds special promise and has already announced an integration with salesforce.com. ~ "It's a very innovative idea - not only does Ribbit provide developers with a way to easily integrate voice into almost any kind of Web application, they will also provide a platform for testing and selling new services," said Will Stofega, research manager for VoIP Services at IDC. "Ribbit's arrival comes at a time when telephony and computing are truly converging." ~
• UK gets commercial WiMAX service
  UK wireless broadband provider, Freedom4 has joined forces with Milton Keynes Council to offer what it claims is the first UK commercial wireless broadband service using WiMAX. ~ From Tuesday, ConnectMK - a private company formed by Milton Keynes Council - will be providing residents and businesses in the Milton Keynes area with access to WiMAX services. ~ Over 1000 people in Milton Keynes have pre-registered interest in joining the network, which is operated by Freedom4. ~ The service provider is a joint venture between the Pipex ISP and Intel and is deploying WiMAX in the 3.6GHz spectrum in partnership with kit supplier Airspan Networks. The operator provides WiMAX-based internet services with symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 8Mbps. ~ The company has bee trialling services in Milton Keynes and Warwick and is also gearing up to roll out its commercial o