
| ALL TODAY'S PRESS RELEASES SEE BELOW | ||
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MobilCom
3G UMTS Rescue Plan in Germany |
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25th November 2002 |
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| In the framework of the MobilCom rescue plan organised by the German Federal government since September 15, 2002, France Telecom has signed a conditional transaction with MobilCom for an amicable termination of their agreements regarding the development of UMTS in Germany. This MobilCom rescue plan includes two separate parts: * a rescue plan for MobilCom's traditional businesses (GSM service provider, fixed-line telephony and internet) financed by a credit facility of 162 million euros granted by four German financial institutions and backed by an 80% warranty from the German Federal state and the Land of Schleswig-Holstein; * a freeze-down plan for the UMTS business with France Telecom's participation. A number of conditions need to be fulfilled to finalise this agreement, including: * an agreement between France Telecom and the banking syndicate, as well as Nokia and Ericsson, on the purchase of their loans (approximately 6 billion euros) in exchange for perpetual securities redeemable into shares at a price of 47 euros per share, and would be accounted for in France Telecom's balance sheet as quasi-equity. This agreement is to be finalised on November 30, 2002 at the latest; * approval by the MobilCom Shareholders Meeting of the rescue plan for MobilCom's traditional businesses, the freeze-down plan for the UMTS business and waiver of all recourse against the France Telecom Group. The MobilCom shares held by G. Schmid and Millenium have been placed in a Trust. The Trustee has undertaken to approve the entire rescue plan at the Shareholders Meeting. This Shareholders Meeting is to take place on January 30, 2003 at the latest; * approval by the France Telecom Shareholders Meeting on the perpetual securities to be issued in exchange for the loans re-purchased from the banks and vendors. This Shareholders Meeting is to take place on February 28, 2003 at the latest. If all the conditions of the agreement were fulfilled, France Telecom would: * purchase the loans from the banks and vendors (for approximately 6 billion euros) in exchange for the perpetual securities; * waive the loans purchased from the banks and vendors (6 billion euros quoted above), as well as the shareholder loans granted to MobilCom over the last two years (1 billion euros), amounting to a total of approximately 7 billion euros; * contribute to expenses for MobilCom's UMTS freeze-down plan, up to a maximum of 580 million euros, including compensation for the termination of the National Roaming contract between E-Plus and MobilCom. This amount will be paid progressively to reflect the actual costs incurred by MobilCom. Approximately one quarter of this amount will be paid before the end of this year to allow MobilCom to meet initial expenses related to the UMTS freeze-down plan. These charges are already fully provisioned in France Telecom's accounts. In exchange, France Telecom benefits from : * waiver by MobilCom of all recourse against the France Telecom Group (including Orange) and vice versa; * waiver by Gerhard Schmid of all recourse against the France Telecom Group (including Orange) and vice versa; * recovery provision to the value of MobilCom's UMTS assets (including the license) allowing France Telecom to receive 90% of the proceeds on any UMTS asset possibly sold by MobilCom. This agreement is consistent with the decisions of France Telecom's Board of Directors on September 12, 2002 and allows the Group to limit its exposure to risks linked to its withdrawal from the UMTS business in Germany. France Telecom expresses its gratitude to the German Federal government for its decisive contribution to the implementation of MobilCom's rescue plan. France Telecom also thanks Dr Dieter Vogel, the negotiator appointed by the government.
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TODAY'S
PRESS RELEASES |
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It
is a positive sign for the industry to see vendors remaining profitable
in challenging market conditions. Motorola even managed to turn its highest
operating margin since 1997 |
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Hutchison
3G, the new mobile operator aiming to launch a 3G service in the UK and
Italy next month, is closer to deciding on what tariff plans it will offer
consumers in the UK. |
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3,
the Italian video mobile company of the Hutchison Whampoa Group, marks
the beginning of the era of the mobile communications of third generation
in Italy, opening its website to the reservations of the first UMTS offer
of the Italian market. |
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France
Telecom has signed a conditional transaction with MobilCom for an amicable
termination of their agreements regarding the development of UMTS in Germany.
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Dilithium
Networks today announced the introduction of QuickReach DNA (Dilithium
Network Analyzer) a protocol analysis platform for the mobile market.
QuickReach DNA is a H324M/3GPP-324M protocol analysis tool |
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Wavecom
SA announced the launch of the first WISMO-powered mobile phones with
a colour LCD. After the success of its existing range of mobile phones,
TCL Mobile Communication now responds to a strong demand in the Chinese
market with its first models featuring colour LCDs |
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Samsung
Electronics said on it will debut with a third generation mobile phone
on the European market in the third quarter of 2003, using a Qualcomm
chip that was announced last week. |
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Samsung
Electronics, Vodafone and Nortel Networks has agreed to carry out a program
to realize the first 3G UMTS trial test in Spain. |
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The
Nordic IT and management consultant HiQ signs an agreement with the operator
3, former Hi3G. The agreement, which gives HiQ preferred supplier status,
covers services like radio network and transmission design, telecoms strategy
and specialist technical competence. |
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This
will provide 2.5G and 3G module and terminal manufacturers with application-specific
solutions. The partnership will speed up time-to-market for mobile multimedia
devices and will allow reduced R&D investment |
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Fourth
generation wireless will be rolled out by this time next year by forward-thinking
wireless operators who are now working with 4G technology providers in
an effort to leapfrog expensive and ineffective third generation wireless
strategies. |
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South
Korea's top mobile carrier SK Telecom said on Thursday it would launch
a third-generation service based on W-CDMA technology |
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J-PHONE
announced that as of December 1, 2002, customers using J-PHONE’s
“Super Mail” (Movie Sha-mail-enabled) packet data service
will be able to receive initial message notifications for free. |
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apan's
mobile phone operators, NTT DoCoMo, Inc., KDDI Corporation, J-PHONE Co.,
Ltd. and TU-KA Cellular Tokyo, Inc., have agreed to conduct a joint study
on the possible biological effects of exposure to radio waves from mobile
phone systems. |
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InterDigital
Communications has selected Effnet's IPHC (IP Header Compression) product
for integration with InterDigital's FDD protocol stack product in order
to improve efficiency |
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-PHONE
announced that the number of subscribers to its video messaging service
known as “Movie Sha-mail*” passed the 1 million mark. J-PHONE
reached the milestone approximately 9 months after first introducing the
service in March 2002. |
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Hutchison
3G's plan to install a mast, just yards from Thorpe Hamlet First School,
was blocked by Norwich City Council's planning applications committee
last August. |
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Operators
that paid too much for 3G licenses, technology that won't be ready for
at least three years, and skeptical investors add up to a losing proposition.
But winning solutions are available. |
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To
spur development for mobile devices and services, the company that birthed
the multi-media mobile experience known as “i-mode” believes
that anything moving -- planes, trains, automobiles, people or pets --
is fair game for expanding the communications market. |
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UK-based
antenna manufacturer, Sarantel, has won an $14 million contract for its
PowerHelix(TM) GPS (Global Positioning System) antennas for use in cellular
handsets. |
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PacketVideo
Corporation will be demonstrating PacketVideo's new mobilemedia software
on Nokia Series 60 phones |
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Integrating
an infrared communications port, the new i-shot™ compatible N504iS
is the first DoCoMo phone that can be used as a remote control for TV,
video and other appliances. |
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