Asia Pacific Network Tech October 19, 2009 NEC, Renesas get US2.2B injection for chip deal Wall Street Journal reports that chipmakers NEC and Renesas yesterday said they will receive a total of JPY200 billion (US$2.2 billion) from their respective parent companies as they move toward a planned merger. By Mobile World Live
Big Tech Meta October 19, 2009 Facebook makes money, tops 300M users Reuters reports that Facebook is making enough money to cover its costs and now has 300 million users, proving the Internet's newest star industry can be a viable business. By Mobile World Live
Asia Pacific RAN Vendors ZTE October 19, 2009 ZTE wins Vietnamese 3G contract TeleGeography reports that ZTE has partnered with Vietnamese mobile operator Vinaphone to roll out the operator's 3G network in the country's central provinces. By Mobile World Live
Operators Orange October 19, 2009 Orange UK reveals Moto Android details Orange UK will offer Motorola's first Android-powered smartphone - Dext (pictured, above) - for free to customers on a £34.26 per month, 24-month contract. By Mobile World Live
Middle East and North Africa MTN Operators October 19, 2009 MTN/Bharti merger stalls on ownership dispute Financial Times reports that the planned merger between India's Bharti and South Africa's MTN could be scuppered by the South African government, which is worried about the business falling under control of a foreign entity. By Mobile World Live
North America Operators Verizon October 19, 2009 Nortel closes in on Avaya, Ericsson deals Nortel Networks' plans to sell-off major parts of its businesses appear to be on the home straight. The Canadian vendor announced yesterday that US and Canadian courts have approved its US$915 million deal to sell its enterprise business to Avaya. By Mobile World Live
Asia Pacific Devices Huawei Network Tech RAN Vendors Samsung ZTE October 19, 2009 Forum finishes specs tackling voice over LTE issues Industry group the VoLGA (Voice over LTE via Generic Access) Forum today published its first complete set of approved specifications aimed at delivering mobile voice and SMS services over future LTE networks. The move is important as there is currently no single agreed way of providing voice and SMS capability on next-generation LTE networks. By Mobile World Live