VF Portugal has launched a new mobility proposition called NetPC, which consists of a “Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) Connect” Pen, and an Ultra-compact Laptop (is that a UCLP?!). The hardware consists of a EeePC701 Laptop, and USB Modem, allowing surfing up to 7.2Mbps. The version that VF is pushing is the GUI-Linux EeePC that we’ve reported on before, but there’s also a Windows XP version available.

Costs: with an 18-month contract, and GUI-Linux on the EeePC, it’s 199.90 EUR. With XP on the EeePC it is 229.90 EUR.

[Via: Telecom Paper]

Like any good federally-sanctioned frequency spectrum auction should do, the recently-wrapped Canadian AWS (advanced wireless spectrum) spectrum was auctioned off in hopes of sparking competition and driving down wireless prices from Canadian carriers like Rogers (NYSE: RCI), Telus (NYSE: TU), and Bell. Canada saw 105 Mhz of spectrum in the 1710-1755/2110-2155 MHz AWS frequency range auctioned off for a total of almost $4.25 billion, after 331 rounds of bidding. And, to help encourage competition, a 40Mhz swath of Canada’s AWS spectrum was set aside for new entrants, like Globalive Wireless – with the remaining 65Mhz open to all bidders.

Not so unexpectedly, Rogers came away as the biggest spender – coughing up $1 billion for 59 licenses. Telus scored 59 licenses for $880 million, while Bell snatched up 54 licenses for $740 million. And, the 20Mhz B-block dedicated to “new entrants” was awarded to Globalive Wireless for $278.4.

“The auction exceeded our expectations in terms of the level of competitive bidding activity. I hope the industry keeps this competitive spirit alive as it enhances and expands its services with improved access to the spectrum,” said Industry Minister Jim Prentice.

As expected, the spectrum auction netted Canadian coffers approximately $1.41 per megahertz for each potential customer – more than the AWS auction earned for the US.

Let’s hope the auction actually helps spur more competition and drive down wireless costs for the consumer. Because, if things stay true to the status quo, Canadians are going to keep getting the short stick on wireless service.

[Via: RCRNews]

Graphic from MobileSyrup 

Ofcom (the UK communications regulator ) has pushed back plans for an auction of radio spectrum due to legal challenges from O2 (NYSE: TEF) and T-Mobile (NYSE: DT).

As you might remember from past postings I have made, there was due to be an auction this September for 2.6 gigahertz and 2010 megahertz spectrum – which could be used for things such as wireless broadband, and mobile multimedia (read Mobile TV) services.

T-Mobile and O2s’ objections are that they are not clear what they can do with their existing spectrum, and hence cannot calculate how much of the new spectrum allocation they would need (and hence bid for).

Let’s hope this gets sorted out sooner rather than later – with Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) snapping up a chunk of spectrum in the recent auction, further delays mean that newer innovative services will be delayed.

[Via: cellular-news]

There’s nothing like a little government contract-love to fill company coffers with some tasty greenbacks. Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has apparently secured a $678.5 million contract to provide network infrastructure and services to help the US Department of Homeland Security respond more quickly and reliably to emergencies.

As part of the US General Services Administration’s (GSA) $48 billion Networx Universal program, the US DHS has tapped Verizon to integrate the DHS’s 22-agency strong network into a unified IP (Internet protocol) system over the next two years – the contract represents the single largest federal telecommunications contract awarded by the GSA. Verizon will also be providing security services and emergency communications services to the Department of Homeland Security.

“The advanced network that we deploy will serve as the vital springboard for the department’s evolving requirements going forward,” said

[Via: CNNmoney]

Nokia and Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) are locked in multiple court cases that have hundreds of millions of dollars in patent infringement potentially going to either of them. They’ve been fighting for over a year and a half and like all professional boxers who reach the last roung, they’re tired. This doesn’t mean the fighting is over, in July there will be another court case in Delaware and this time the brass knuckles, flame throwers and nerve gas will make their way into this UFC battle to be aired on Pay Per View.

[Via: RCR Wireless News]

Ofcom has given the go-ahead for public bodies to “sell” (share, trade, or release) off parts of the spectrum that are assigned to them, but that they don’t need. The market is potentially worth up to £20bn!

Apparently Public bodies use up around half the spectrum below 15GHz, which is the most sought-after. The Elephant in the room amongst public bodies is the MoD, which owns about 75% of this spectrum, and is in process consulting on how best to release significant amounts of it.

Overall, I can only see this being a good thing – there have been a number of stories in recent months about stalling projects, or potential issues, due to lack of spectrum. A couple that come to mind are the state of DVB-H Mobile Broadcast TV, and also the issues surrounding Terrestrial HDTV. If it’s possible to solve these, at least to some extent, whole ecosystems of value added services can move forward. The question remains as to how exactly the spectrum will be allocated – at the highest level, an auction will be held – but does that then bode well for smaller-sized organisations, with valid services? Interesting times ahead……..!

[Via: The Independent]

After last night’s Super Tuesday projections and primary results, we’re pretty much done with analyst projections. But, we can’t help but give in to our fascination with the FCC 700Mhz auction. The latest polls projections put Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless as the winner of the C-Block, ousting Google (NSDQ: GOOG) as a potential new wireless carrier.

Google is believed to have recently put up a bid to meet the reserve price of the 700Mhz C-Block auction – to the tune of $4.7 billion. The bid was a show of good faith on Google’s part – who previously pledged to bid the reserve price if open-access rules were adopted for the C-Block – in order to trigger the open-access rules. However, it was widely believed that Google would simply put up the bid to ensure that the winner of the C-Block would be held to open-access standards, and then sit back and watch the other big dog steamroll the competition.

That other big dog seems to be Verizon Wireless. Analysts believe that the No. 2 national carrier will win the C-Block by bidding up regional licenses. According to auction rules, if the total bids on the smaller regional licenses surpasses the bid-price on the national C-Block license, the FCC will divvy up the C-Block and award those licenses to the highest bidder or bidders. In other words, Verizon may just win the C-Block by successfully bidding smaller regional licenses. And, they’ll need it, considering AT&T (NYSE: T) just got the FCC go-ahead to gobble up Aloha Wireless’ 12Mhz slice of 700Mhz spectrum.

The total of regional license-bids has hit $4.74 billion, which tops Google’s rumored $4.7 billion bid for the C-Block.

If Google (one of the only other auction participants with the cash to compete on a serious level) decides to sit back and let the likes of Verizon Wireless snatch the spectrum, we’re going to be in for much of the same wireless shenanigans in the US. At least we’ll be able to use Android handset on Verizon’s 700Mhz network.

[Via: Forbes]

With Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s China-bound iPhone aspirations reportedly on the ropes (or not, depending on who you talk to), it makes sense for Apple to look to other Asian markets that might do well to launch an iPhone.

Well, Apple could very well be looking to the Thailand as the next mobile market to get blessed with the iPhone’s graces. Thai telecom Advanced Info Service (AIS) is reportedly in talks with Apple. Assistant marketing VP, Prattana Leelapanang, confirmed yesterday that his company is negotiating the revenue-sharing model that has been rumored to be a point of contention in China.

Now, Thailand isn’t the biggest of mobile markets, especially compared to China. But, it doesn’t hurt to spread the iPhone-seed around the globe. We just hope Asia gets the iPhone before the 3G iPhone launches.

[Via: Apple Insider]

The EU has just started enjoying the fruits of the European Commission’s (the EU’s wireless regulatory body) labor to put caps on EU roaming rates, and the European Telecommunications Commissioner Viviane Reding is turning her attention to carrier’s wireless billing practices.

It’s well-known that operators like to bill customers on a per-minute basis – which means that all those 20 or 30 second phone calls are getting charged as 60 second phone calls. The European Commission said that they are “concerned that customers are being charged on a per-minute basis instead of for the actual time of the call…At the retail level, the difference between billed and actual minutes appears to be typically around 20 percent.”

So, chances are that you’re getting docked for 20% more minutes than you are actually using every month. And, if Reding gets her way, carriers will be required to bill customers on their actual wireless-minute usage, rather than rounding up to the nearest whole minute.

Reding also mentioned that caps on SMS text message and data services could be levied if carriers fail to cut costs to Reding’s satisfaction. Damn, she’s got some serious sway (read: balls).

We’d love to see per-second billing become an official regulation! We’re always making 20-second phone calls that get billed for a bull 60 seconds – that means we’re getting billed for 200% more wireless-time than we are using. It’d be nice to see this sort of consideration in The States. Go Reding!

[Via: AFP]

The upcoming 700Mhz frequency spectrum auction has attracted the biggest fish in the wireless-pond, and the FCC has confirmed 214 qualified bidders that are ready and rearin’ to get their auction-on.

Come Jan. 24, we’ll be seeing the hard-hitters like Google (NSDQ: GOOG), AT&T (NYSE: T), Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless, MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS), Alltel, as well as cable-operators like DISH Network parent company EchoStar Communications. All qualified bidders were required to put up a $128 payment in order to participate in the auction.

Unfortunately, Frontline Wireless’s national-emergency-response-wireless-broadband-network dreams have been dashed, as they failed to qualify for the auction.  The company’s withdrawl from the auction has cast some doubt on Frontline Wireless’s future.

The auction will take about a month to complete, and all bids will be confidential and anonymous, so we have a bit of a wait before we find out exactly which companies will be walking away with a piece of the coveted 700Mhz spectrum.

[Via: CellularNews]