T-Mobile and 3 sign BT backhaul deal

T-Mobile and 3 have signed a deal with BT Wholesale to link their base stations to the UK telecommunications networks, freeing them from managing the connections themselves. The deal - technically with the joint-venture partnership between T-Mobile and 3's network operations -lasts for 5 years and echoes similar deals with Vodafone and O2 earlier this year. [Source: FT.com]

Mobile data is driving network development

Informa Telecoms & Media says the success of mobile data services is driving sales in the base station market. With more than 100 million mobile broadband subscribers worldwide, mobile data traffic is expected to increase 1088% from 162 petabytes (PB) in 2007 to 1,925PB in 2012. They say base station sales should pick up in 2011. [Source: Telecoms.com]

Networks see lack of profitability for mobile data

Mobile network operators expect to lose profitability on mobile data before long, according to a report on ZDNet from a Next Generation Mobile Networks meeting. Senior executives are quoted as saying the popularity of flat-rate mobile data tariffs means usage is set to increase at a greater rate than revenue. Networks also want to reduce the number of new base stations they need.

Ofcom updates Sitefinder cell site database

Ofcom has reached an agreement with 3, O2, Orange, Vodafone, Airwave and Network Rail (but not T-Mobile) to publish the location of GSM, TETRA and UMTS mobile phone base stations on its Sitefinder web site. The regulator says it anticipates a High Court hearing about its legal obligation to reveal full details of the database, which led to the networks withdrawing their support last year.

Data charges cut in Europe

Three European mobile operators - 3, KPN and Play - have said they'll cut their roaming charge for data usage to 25 Euro cents per MB from 1 March 2008. They're responsible for five brands in a total of 10 countries (KPN in the Netherlands, BASE in Belgium, E-Plus in Germany, Play in Poland and 3 in Britain, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Sweden and Denmark), which covers over 295 million customers (around 60% of the EU). Meanwhile, Vodafone said it's preparing to cut its costs later this year. The cuts follow comments by EU telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding, who'd said she wanted to see text and data charges reduced this year. [Sources: TheRegister.co.uk, Guardian.co.uk, Reuters.co.uk]