China
China Telecom granted U.S.-based Cwill Telecommunications’ smart antenna technology a digital Network Access License to connect its wireless PCS-band technology for WLL to China Telecom’s phone system anywhere in China, said Cwill.
Hong Kong
British Telecom is continuing its buying spree in Asia. In its latest acquisition, the company bought a 20-percent stake in SmarTone, Hong Kong’s third largest mobile operator, for US$385 million.
A week later, SmarTone signed an agreement with Yahoo!, the U.S.-based Internet portal company, to help expand its Internet services. SmarTone is launching an Internet services business, which would allow the company to bundle Internet access with sales of mobile wireless service.
Malaysia
Malaysia’s cellular operators formed an alliance in March to set up a database that would track customers who try to switch cellular networks when they already have large bills with one or more other carriers, said a Reuters report. A similar initiative to stop non-paying customers has been launched in Japan.
Mongolia
SK Telecom said it expects to invest US$1.25 million for a 25-percent stake in Skytel, Mongolia’s second mobile carrier, according to a report in the Korea Herald. Skytel is scheduled to launch an analog service in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar in July.
The other shareholders are Korea’s Taihan Electric Wire Co. (owning 35 percent) and Mongolian telecom firm UnivCom (owning 40 percent).
Philippines
Philippine Long Distance Telephone and Japan’s NTT announced they will increase their stakes in Smart Communications. NTT will increase its stake from 15 percent to 37 percent by buying shares from Hong Kong’s First Pacific, and PLDT will increase its ownership from 18 percent to 56 percent by buying MPC’s stake.
In other news, Smart announced that it launched dual-band GSM service at 900 MHz and 1800 MHz in March.
