NSN has developed a Facebook app that enables service provider customers to manage their own accounts and even order new fixed and mobile services via the popular social networking platform. The move marks a shift in the customer experience management (CEM) sector towards real-time, mass market engagement through a third-party platform that could herald a new wave of Service Provider Information Technology (SPIT) developments -- but will service providers embrace such apps? (See NSN Gives Facebook a New Status and NSN Unveils Customer Care Facebook App.)

Egyptian operator Orascom has its eye on France Telecom's units in Switzerland and Austria, according to a report on Telecompaper, citing Swiss weekly SonntagsZeitung. France Telecom has been looking to dispose of some of its Euro assets to fund acquisitions in the Middle East and Africa. (See Euronews: France Telecom Preps Swiss Sale and Euronews: France Telecom to Sell Euro Assets.)

Also looking to buy, according to Bloomberg, is South African giant Mobile Telephone Networks (MTN) , which has expressed an interest in Vodacom Pty. Ltd. 's Congo unit. Vodacom is owned by Vodafone Group plc (NYSE: VOD), the global mobile operator.

Vdio, a new Web video content service developed by Skype Ltd. founder Janus Friis, is to launch initially in the U.K., reports GigaOm, though the timing of the launch has not been revealed. Friis has already had one attempt at online video, with Joost, and is also involved (with Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström) in online music venture rdio. (See Rdio Dze.)

Falling domestic revenues hit the third-quarter results of Etisalat , the UAE-based operator, reports Reuters Africa. Profits for the third quarter stood at 1.72 billion dirhams (US$46.8 million), as against 1.74 billion dirham ($47.3 million) for the same period a year ago. (See Euronews: Etisalat Tunes to AlcaLu's lightRadio and Etisalat Posts Q2, Preps LTE Launch.)

The Bangladeshi subsidiary of Nordic operator Telenor Group (Nasdaq: TELN) is refusing to hand over $400 million in "unpaid revenue" (taxes) to the government there, reports 9 News.The chairman of the unit in question, Grameenphone , said the regulator's claims were "incaccurate."

The government of Kosovo has decided to halt the sale of incumbent Post and Telecommunications of Kosovo JSC (PTK) , reports Reuters, following the withdrawal of Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT)-owned Croatian operator T-Hrvatski Telekom from the bidding war. (See Euronews: Telefonica Goes After Skype.)— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading