China Mobile is world's most valuable mobile operator brand

China Mobile is the world's most valuable mobile network brand, according to a report in Mobile Communications International magazine. It's estimated to be worth $30.79 billion, based on a number of factors including customer numbers and its predicted growth rate. Vodafone was second ($22.13 billion) and Verizon was third ($20.38 billion). [Source: Telecoms.com]

Vodafone keeping Verizon stake

­Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao has said the company will hang on to its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless for now, although it's open-minded about the future. He's also confirmed that the company is interested in the Nigerian market. [Source: Cellular-News.com]

US senator asks for explanation of rising text costs

Senator Herb Kohl, who chairs the Antitrust Subcommittee in the US Senate Judiciary Committee, has written to AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile asking why the cost of sending a text has doubled in the last three years from 10 to 20 cents. He's particularly concerned because these networks - responsible for 90% of mobile customers in the USA - all appear to have increased their charges at roughly the same rate - whilst consolidation has reduced competition. [Sources: Press release; The Register.co.uk; eWeek.com; InformationWeek.com]

Verizon wants to own 100% of mobile company

The CEO of Verizon Communications has said he'd like to own all of US network operator Verizon Wireless, which is currently 45% owned by Vodafone. In an interview with the Financial Times, Ivan Seidenberg said that Vodafone had been a "great partner" but that he'd like to have 100% of the earnings given we're doing 100% of the work". [Source: FT.com]

Takeover talks

Vodafone has announced that Verizon Wireless, its partner in the USA, has agreed to buy Alltel for $28.1 billion. Alltel is the 5th largest mobile operator in the USA, with over 13 million customers. This will make Verizon, of which Vodafone owns 45%, the country's largest mobile network with around 80 million customers. Meanwhile France Telecom, which owns the Orange brand, has been rejected after offering to buy Scandinavian telecoms giant TeliaSonera. [Vodafone press release; TeliaSonera press release]

Vodafone welcomes China Mobile to LTE trials - but there's no rush to implement it

China Mobile has joined Vodafone and Verizon's trial of LTE (Long Term Evolution), the "4G" technology that offers faster mobile data services. However, Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin has said his company will wait for LTE to mature before it commits to the technology. He also called for research and development in the competing WiMAX system to be merged with work on LTE. [Sources: CNNMoney.com, Forbes.com]