TELECOM IN TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS

摘要

Top StorynnN.Y. Times -- AOL is preparing to offer its 41 million instant messaging users a phone number that will allow people to call them for free (USA Today). nnAmong OthersnnWall St. Journal* -- Federal prosecutors began a criminal investigation of stock-option-granting practices at Comverse Technology. nn -- ATI announced a strategic relationship with Nokia, following news earlier this week that ATI was buying a Finnish mobile-graphics concern.nn -- SingTel's net rose 61%, helped by a gain and its Asian wireless units, and it unveiled a $1.5 billion return of capital.nn -- Tough new regulatory steps prompted investors to dump shares in Telecom Corp. of New Zealand, wiping more than $640 million of market capitalization.nnFinancial Times* -- Microsoft signed a deal with Qualcomm that will make it easier and quicker to build advanced smartphones running Microsoft Mobile Windows operating system. nn -- Shares in Embarq, the soon-to-be-spun-off Sprint Nextel local phone operations, began trading on a “when-issued” basis on the New York Stock Exchange on Thurs. nn -- Mobile phone operators spoke out against European Union plans to scrap lucrative “roaming” fees, arguing that surcharges for international handset use already were falling.nn -- Mobile provider Orange announced plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs in the U.K. following the integration of Internet service provider Wanadoo.nnCommunications Daily -- The FCC has put on a fast-track for approval testing criteria for unlicensed devices in the 5 GHz band (p2).nn -- The satellite industry lauded Sen. Ted Stevens' telecom bill provisions that would boost satellite phone use in disasters and satellite broadband in rural U.S. (p5). nnChicago Tribune -- In a regulatory filing this week, Motorola reiterated plans to cut 2,400 jobs globally. n nn_____________________nn*The Wall St. Journal and the Financial Times can be accessed online via paid subscription only.