MobilenniuM Express
3G Industry news from the UMTS Forum
17 April 2009

Telenor and Tele2 to Build Joint LTE Network in Sweden
Sweden’s Tele2 and Norway’s Telenor are to jointly build a nationwide LTE network in Sweden and share spectrum in the 900MHz and 2600MHz frequency bands through a new joint venture, called Net4 Mobility.  Deployment will start during 2009 in an effort to launch commercial LTE-based services at the end of 2010, or when mobile devices become available. The operators will be equal partners in the joint venture. The move is expected to create superior conditions for a nationwide LTE network in Sweden and bring costs savings to the operators.

Telus to Invest More Than $700 Million in Alberta
Canadian telecoms group Telus plans to invest CAD700 million (US$577 million) in advanced mobile and fixed broadband infrastructure in Alberta, the province in the western part of the country. The CDMA-based operator expects that the investment in the mobile broadband network will enable the company to switch to the HSPA technology in Alberta and nationally by early 2010, in time for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. It will also ensure an optimal future transition to LTE.

StarHub to Launch New BlackBerry Premium Data Plan for Consumers and Business Customers who Demand Mobile Email, Internet Services and ‘Live’ Business News
Singapore operator StarHub has unveiled a new application for its HSPA-enabled BlackBerry users, enabling one-click access to StarHub's ‘live’ business news and soccer matches as part of its StarHub TV mobile TV offering. The operator has also announced a new mobile broadband data plan, called BlackBerry Premium, with 1GB of free bundled data at $19.90 per month.

Vodafone UK Achieves BS 25999 Business Continuity Certification of its 3G Voice and Mobile Broadband Networks
Vodafone UK has received the BS 25999 certification from BSI Management Systems for its 3G voice and mobile broadband service. The BS 25999 is an auditable standard awarded after stringent network assessment, ensuring a high quality and reliable business continuity management (BCM) system. Vodafone UK is the first mobile network operator to achieve BS 25999 and the only operator globally to have 2G and 3G networks certified.

Orange and Nokia Extend Strategic Partnership with Mobile Email
Orange and Nokia have extended their international agreement with a new, user-friendly email service for consumers. The move will lead to a creation of a co-branded email solution, Nokia Messaging by Orange, which will be available on a range of Orange Signature devices. The original three-year collaboration plan announced in February 2008 already covers co-developed music, games and maps applications across a range of Nokia devices. The partners intend to expand the portfolio to eight countries, with the inclusion of up to 30 Nokia devices in the Orange Signature range in 2009.