Softbank Sees Continued Rise in Optical Access, DSL Declines

Softbank Corp.'s quarterly revenue fell to 647.3 billion yen ($6 billion), down 2.4% compared to last year, while reported net quarterly fell to 19.4 billion yen ($180 million) from 25.1 billion yen ($233 million) a year ago. The company recently began offering the 3G iPhone with several data plans. Meanwhile, the number of DSL users continued to decline while fiber-based customers continue to increase.http://www.softbank.co...

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CBS News Deploys FUJITSU'S IP-9500e MPEG-4 ENCODER

CBS News is using Fujitsu's IP-9500e MPEG-4 AVC encoder to help broadcast the Evening News with Katie Couric in high definition (HD). Specifically, CBS News is using the IP-9500e at its Washington, D.C. bureau to deliver multiple HD satellite news gathering (SNG) feeds to its new HD Control Room 47 at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. Fujitsu said the combination of its IP-9500e and Sencore's MRD3187A Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD)--used...

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CWA and Verizon Reach Contract Settlement

The Communications Workers of America, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Verizon reached a tentative three-year contract settlement affecting 65,000 workers from Virginia to Maine.Verizon agreed to extend union recognition to 600 former MCI technicians at Verizon Business who have been seeking representation for nearly two years. These workers, who perform the same jobs as the union workforce, have received strong support from CWA and IBEW members in a campaign to "tear down the wall" between union and non-union sectors at...

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India to Auction 2.3, 2.5 GHz Frequency Bands for Broadband Data Services

India's Department of Telecommunications is planning to auction the 2.3 and 2.5 GHz frequency band for broadband data services. The WiMAX Forum said the availability of these key bands for WiMAX technology in India will provide its consumers with much needed broadband connectivity across the diverse economic and social needs of the entire population.The auction will enable two 20 MHz blocks in both the 2.3 and 2.5 GHz bands. The government also announced that blocks in the 700 MHz and 3.3-3.6 GHz bands will be auctioned as they become available...

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Bell Canada Launches New Look

Coinciding with the opening day of the Olympics, Bell Canada launched its new corporate brand. The launch includes an advertising campaign and a new company logo. "The new Bell brand underlines that we are moving forward as a company and as a service provider, with new services, a new strategy and a new goal," said George Cope, President and Chief Executive Officer of BCE and Bell Canada. "It's a straightforward and customer-focused brand that...

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Broadcom Prevails in GPS Patent Case Against SiRF

A U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) judge ruled that products of SiRF Technology infringe six patents related to improving global positioning system (GPS) processing and sensitivity. The patents are held by Global Locate, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Broadcom. The infringement findings cover a range of SiRF products, including those incorporating the SiRFstarIII and SiRFInstant GPS architectures. Broadcom said the Initial Determination containing the infringement ruling followed a trial earlier this year. A Final Determination by...

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NTT DOCOMO to Discontinue 2G mova Service

NTT DOCOMO will stop accepting new enrollments for its 2G mova mobile phone service nationwide on November 30. The company also announced that it will waive the normal charge of 2,100 yen (including tax) for any mova user who transfers to a 3G FOMA subscription beginning August 8.NTT DOCOMO said that given that mova subscribers have been steadily migrating to its popular 3G service, FOMA, the company has decided to eventually discontinue mova and...

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NTT Com Launches Japanese-Chinese SNS with Translator

NTT Communications has launched a public social networking service (SNS) with a mutual Japanese-Chinese translating function The service launch coincides the opening of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.Free of charge, apart from user packet charges (if any), the "talk feel" website is accessible from Japanese mobile phones as well as from PCs. In the future, NTT Com intends to make talk feel accessible from Chinese mobile phones, and from instant...

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Canada's TELUS Sees Growth in Wireless Data

Canada's TELUS reported Q2 revenue of C$2.4 billion, an eight per cent increase from a year ago. The performance was driven by nine per cent growth in wireless revenue and 20 per cent growth in wireline data revenue. Wireless net additions were a second quarter record at 175,600. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) as adjusted increased by 3.5 per cent when compared to the same period a year ago. Net income in the quarter was C$267 million and earnings per share (EPS) were C$0.83, up 5.5 per cent and nine percent,...

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Joikusoft and FON Offer Wi-Fi HotSpot Software for Mobile Phones

Joikusoft, a developer of mobile Wi-Fi HotSpot software, announces a collaboration with FON, the world's largest WiFi community. FON and Joikusoft are releasing an exclusive version of Joikusoft's mobile hotspot solution, named FonSpot. FonSpot turns a mobile phone into a Wi-Fi HotSpot, enabling any laptop, iPod Touch, internet tablet or other Wi-Fi device to connect to the Internet using any compatible mobile phone as a secure high speed Internet gateway.FonSpot with Wi-Fi will effectively replace Bluetooth, cable and USB dongles to access the...

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CWA Sets Bargaining Deadline in Verizon Negotiations

The CWA/IBEW Unified Bargaining Committees announced a bargaining deadline for completing contract negotiations with Verizon. That deadline is Monday, Aug. 11, 12:01 am. At that time, the existing contract that was extended last weekend will expire. The union said strike action then becomes possible if a fair settlement is not reached. Among the critical issues: permanent, quality jobs at Verizon and other job issues, health care and retirement security, a fair wage settlement and others. The union said a strike date will be set by the two union...

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