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Telefnica and Vodafone reach pan-European deal to share network infrastructure
Good news, Europe. Telefónica and Vodafone have just made public a milestone pan-European agreement that will enable the two to share network infrastructure in Germany, Spain, Ireland and the UK, with detailed discussions ongoing in the Czech Republic. The collaboration will supposedly deliver efficiencies of hundreds of millions of pounds for each company over ten years, and for customers of each, they can look forward to better coverage across each of those nations. Oh, and subscribers should also expect rates to remain lower compared to what would happen if each operator were forced to build out individually, but it's not like either of these guys are coming out and saying that. At any rate, we figure there's some serious celebration in order for those in the region, no?
All Telefonica markets to be rebranded as Movistar
Movistar is already Telefonica's mobile brand around the world, but the Telefonica name lives on for some of the company's other services like wireline -- for now, anyhow. At a recent directors' meeting in Madrid, Telefonica announced that all of its services around the world would be rebranded as Movistar, both mobile and otherwise; only O2 will survive the consolidation in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia along with the Vivo brand in Brazil. If you're getting all teary-eyed about the change, take solace in the knowledge that Telefonica will live on as the corporate parent of the whole mess -- just don't expect to be picking up a Telefonica payphone in Spain anymore.
Telefonica scores global Pre coup?
Carriers and Palm have been absolutely silent on the matter, but let's be honest: there's very likely been one of the most heated, no-holds-barred wars over the past few months to score European exclusivity on the Pre since the Storm and the iPhone -- and with launches broadly expected by mid-year, time is running out to secure a deal. Spanish media is reporting that Telefonica has now locked up that deal, not just for Spain and the UK (where it operates as O2) but for Latin America as well under the Movistar brand. If true, that'd be a nice, big "screw you" to archrival Vodafone, which has the mighty Storm / Magic two-pack under its belt. Even more interesting, though, is the fact that most of Latin America operates 3G on the 850 and 1900MHz bands -- the very same used in the US and Canada -- which means that our assumptions that the Pre would be 2100-only may have been wrong all along. Awesomely wrong. We wouldn't get our hopes up that the Pre will be a walk in the park to unlock and use on AT&T or Rogers just yet, but it's a glimmer of hope that we'll gladly take.[Via Palm Infocenter]
Novatel Wireless' GSM MiFi 2352 premieres with Telefonica Espana
While lacking the decidedly stylin' brushed metal housing seen in its CDMA sibling, we're alright with the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2352, as it brings the GSM. Running a Linux-based OS, the MiFi can support up to five users connected within a 10 meter (roughly 30 feet) range using a SIM card from your provider (in this case, Telefonica Espana) to grab a data connection and share that over WiFi. Plans are afoot to add apps to the device adding functionality like email sync, VPN connectivity all stored on internal memory or through the up to 16GB of expanded microSD memory. While the PR we've seen doesn't give the nitty-gritty specs involved here, we'd go out on a limb and suggest that 3G has to be in there, and at a price point that'll make it attractive enough to pick up as a data only device. Oh, an hopefully some sort of access control can be arranged, as having the entire world near you stealing your internets would hurt.%Gallery-44790%
HTC Dream coming to Spain via Telefonica, gets a facelift
This appears to have roughly the same guts as the G1 we already know and love, but Telefonica's version of the first Android handset -- like Optus' -- will get a name change to Dream. This one will also look just a little bit different, getting a more sculpted chin, but we don't believe this to be a totally unique device -- you can see the original model's design DNA shining through above the beltline. It'll be available for between €0 and €199 depending on your current subscriber status and the plan you choose, though we don't have a release date just yet.[Via Engadget Spanish]%Gallery-44593%
O2 Germany to launch up to eight Android phones this year?
Look, this quote is one that could easily be blown way, way out of proportion, but here's the story for you to interpret in any way you see fit. Over in Munich at Innovation Days 2009, an O2 product manager was quoted as saying that "by the end of 2009," it wanted to have "six to eight" Android-powered mobiles out. 'Course, we've already heard that Google-based phones would be trekking to Nordic regions in the not too distant future, so we wouldn't be shocked to see a few filter down to Germany as well. But seriously -- six to eight? Most likely, this fellow was speaking in terms of what he would love to see happen and less about what he knew was coming down the pike. But hey, we'd absolutely love to be wrong about that.[Via TalkAndroid]
Mobile payments coming to Mexico
Like Canada, Mexico's getting mobile payments, too, but these are just a bit different in two very important respects. One, this is a full-fledged service being underwritten by Telefonica, Iusacell, Citibank, and BBVA -- not just a trial. Two, unlike the NFC-based Canadian system, this one will rely on text messages to get the cash flowing. The service is expected to launch in the next few months and get backing from restaurants, stores, and taxis, all places where we can recall specific times when we would've rather kept our wallets in our pockets when the time came to pony up. Of course, considering how miserably unsuccessful mobile payments have been across North America so far (we've still got our fingers crossed that NFC is going to take off one of these days), this one could die off as quickly as it started unless it catches a break and goes big.
Telefnica and Philips testing no-glasses-necessary 3D IPTV, got ???18,000 we can borrow?
São Paulo, Brazil stand up, you're first in line for auto-stereoscopic (read: no glasses) 3D IPTV broadcasts courtesy of Telefónica/TVA and, we assume, that swank WOWvx-powered 1080p 52-inch Philips 3D HDTV promised to hit shelves by year end. Fortunately it now has a price, unfortunately, that price is €18,000 and requires you live in the Jardins neighborhood, hooked up to its fiber network in order to have the capacity to suck down all that 3D. Consumer accessibility is pegged at "inside three or four years", so you start saving, the SMPTE will figure out how to make it all work, and we'll sit back and remember how awesome Captain EO was that one time at Epcot Center. Everyone has to do their part.
Pre-WWDC iPhone rumor roundup: AT&T out of stock, subsidized pricing, last minute size changes
As we inch towards the towering precipice of WWDC 2008, rumors swirling around Apple's next iteration of the iPhone are being deposited onto the interblogs at an alarming rate. The latest set comes in three distinct flavors, the first of which recalls an earlier story that telcos would be offering subsidies for long-term contract signers. According to separate sources, Spain's Telefonica and the UK's O2 would offer the 3G iPhone at discounted rates (as low as €100) for those willing to put pen to paper, while some are claiming that O2 might also offer a "free" upgrade to the new phone for existing users. In other pot-stirring news, iDealsChina is reporting that the phone will suddenly be 2.0mm shorter and 0.5mm thinner than previously spec'd by Griffin in its new casing molds, thus causing all kinds of trouble for the accessory-maker... and people with big hands. Finally, we can safely report that AT&T has run out of stock of the device online (finally joining Apple). The site claims it's a "temporary" situation -- one which we suspect will be rectified by the appearance of a new model. Time to get in that line?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read - Telefonica to be sole distributor of 3G iPhone in Spain for 100 euroRead - Rumour: O2 plans free iPhone 3G upgrade and pay-as-you-goRead - iPhone 3G last minute size change!Read - AT&T iPhone page
Qualcomm plans multiple HSPA+ trials this year
Why can't we just have and enjoy the latest, greatest pre-4G technology for a few frickin' minutes without having our collective attentions immediately redirected to the next latest, greatest thing? Qualcomm has gone and spoiled all the fun by announcing that it'll be setting up HSPA+ trials with Australia's Telstra, Italy's Telecom Italia, Hutchison 3 in the UK, and Telefonica this year to deliver downlink speeds up to 28Mbps as an evolutionary upgrade to the networks' already-deployed HSPA systems. If all goes well, Qualcomm expects that the technology could be commercialized as early as 2009, potentially putting it head-to-head with the very first volleys in the race to true 4G via LTE. 28Mbps, 173Mbps... we think we know which one we'd rather have in our backyard.[Via MobileBurn]
Telefonica announcing 3G iPhone, or 2G iPhone for Latin America, or nothing at MWC
We're all but certain that Apple wouldn't let a carrier run the show when the time comes to introduce the 3G iPhone to the world, but hey, we guess it could happen. After all, next month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is pretty much the 800-pound gorilla of mobile trade shows, and we can't imagine Apple waiting until next Macworld to get it out the door. Two standing rumors tell slightly different stories about what exactly Telefonica plans on announcing at MWC: the first has Telefonica showing off the 3G iPhone and announcing that it'll exclusively carry it in Spain starting in July. The second, moderately more believable rumor says that Telefonica's Movistar unit will offer the plain ol' 2G iPhone in Spain almost immediately following a MWC announcement, with Latin American availability starting in May and phasing in over several months. Then again, Telefonica could announce that we're all idiots for believing any of this drivel, or they could just sit silently to themselves and announce absolutely nothing at all. We'll find out in a couple weeks.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read - 3G iPhone?Read - 2G iPhone?
Ecuador pushes carriers toward socialization
Stung with apparently widespread, systematic technical problems on its cell networks, Ecuador's taking measures to clamp down on a pair of foreign firms that together control some 96 percent of the nation's market. Porta -- a unit of Mexico's America Movil -- and Telefonica's Movistar have been told that they've got a couple choices: either allow the government to snap up more control over the airwaves, improve reliability, and lower costs to consumers, or scram. Both carriers are due for renegotiation on their contracts, giving the government gobs of leverage. What's more, Porta's under official investigation for its service failures (for which it's facing sanctions) and has to have its network in tip-top shape by next month, so it's all just a little hairy at the moment. Officials are pressing the carriers to contribute one percent of their revenue to a fund set up to provide service to Ecuador's poor; we're certainly not professional negotiators here, but if we were Porta or Movistar right now, we might go ahead and agree to make that happen if we wanted to stick around.
RIM, Telefonica announce "Unite!" collaboration suite
Wouldn't it be cool if there was a little, teeny, tiny BlackBerry Enterprise Server tailored to families? After all, RIM's targeting the consumer market more aggressively than ever before with devices like the Pearl and Curve, so it makes sense to offer up a full menu of software to those same folks. Enter BlackBerry Unite!, a collaboration suite that sits on a PC and lets up to five peeps interchange calendars, access Internet and PC content, share media, and even manage and lock down phones connected to the service. Look for it to launch as a free download for Telefónica in Spain next month; no word yet on when we may see it elsewhere.[Thanks, Harjot]
DSM to kick copper speeds up to 100 Mbps
While everyone's getting all excited by that FiOS, fiber-to-the-home, fiber-in-the-home or even Google's alleged DWDM -- there's another futuristic bandwidth project currently afoot, the Dynamic Spectrum Management. The advantage of DSM -- which aims to replace DSL if its creators have their way -- is to use current copper wiring to create 100Mbps service in the home by futzing with the way that signals and packets are processed and transferred. Naturally, if DSM turns out to work, it would likely be a much cheaper alternative to digging trenches for fiber in the ground. In any case, this requires a fair amount of cooperation between those telecom firms who control the pipes, and so today, a group of tech and telecom companies (including the Israeli firm ECI Telecom and the Spanish giant Telefonica), have joined forces to try to work out all of DSM's kinks. The consortium announced that it will receive €8 million ($10 million) in grant money over the next three years from the Chief Scientist Office of Israel. [Via Reuters]
Virgin Mobile poised to launch MVNO in China
Interfax China is reporting that Virgin Mobile is close to signing a partnership with wireless carrier China Unicom that would make the UK-based company the first foreign MVNO in post-WTO China. Although Virgin would still require approval from the Chinese government, which carefully scrutinizes all proposed foreign business presences, the company will benefit from past deals in which Spain's Telefonica and Germany's Vodafone have made invesments in domestic telecom firms. Virgin already has offices in Shanghai, and CEO Richard Branson recently told reporters to expect a Chinese launch this fall, so it would seem pretty likely that this venture, which is well over a year in the making, has the necessary government support to proceed.
