Rumor Mill: O2 close to deal for iPhone

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 06:59:54 -0400

Telefonica's O2 mobile-phone business is rumored to be close to scoring a deal as Apple's exclusive network operator for the iPhone in the U.K., according to the Financial Times. According to the newspaper, Apple talked to four leading European mobile operators: Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile, France Telecom's Orange, Telefónica's O2 and Vodafone. Apple plans to limit the iPhone's European launch this fall to the U.K., France and Germany. It will follow elsewhere in Europe next year, when it will also launch in Asia. European operators had a dilemma in negotiations because of concerns Apple seeks deals that could weigh in favor of Apple.

O2 said: "We have not signed a deal with Apple." Apple said: "We...do not comment on rumors or speculation."

For more about the potential deal between Apple and Telefonica's 02:
- read this article from the Financial Times

Trend: WiMax making steady progress in Europe

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 20:01:36 -0400

WiMax is making steady progress in Europe. A few recent examples:

French ADSL operator the Iliad Group is acquiring Altitude Telecom. Altitude, which owns the only license granted by ARCEP (the French national telecommunications regulatory authority) to operate in the 3.5GHz band throughout France, has deployed an 802.16d-compliant BreezeMAX platform from Alvarion. The company has also deployed Cirpack's Class-5 switches to launch telephony services over WiMax for businesses. Iliad will acquire Altitude's residential and WiMax activities. Iliad | Altitude
T-Com, the fixed-line subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, has started field trials of a WiMax wireless broadband service in Swisttal and St. Augustin, two towns near Bonn, Germany. The field trial includes customers who are out of range of DSL service. The trial will end in March 2006. Story
The first commercial WiMax network will soon be deployed in Austria by WiMax Telecom using Alcatel gear; and UK telco Telebria said it will be offering WiMax high-speed broadband access to 50,000 homes in the Swale area of Kent. Report | Release

PLUS: Students and faculty at the Argentinian agricultural school of Maria del Carmen Villar use WiMax to video-conference with colleagues in San Francisco. Story

ALSO: Alcatel and the Indian government are joining in WiMax research. Story

FINALLY: Alvarion said it is the first vendor to ship a WiMax CPE which uses the new Intel WiMax chipset. Story

deutsche telekom

Rumor Mill: O2 close to deal for iPhone

Trend: WiMax making steady progress in Europe