Executives at Nordic group Telenor Group (Nasdaq: TELN) might be feeling a little shame-faced following the criticism of Norwegian business practices by Transparency International, a body that seeks to expose corruption, reports the Financial Times. Last month, Telenor CEO Jon Fredrik Baksaas resigned from the board of Russia's VimpelCom Ltd. (NYSE: VIP) following allegations that Telenor turned a blind eye to bribes paid by VimpelCom in Uzbekistan.

Iraqi mobile operator Asiacell Telecommunications Co. Ltd. is launching what it calls "3.9G" services -- in other words, 3G services that, it claims, have the potential to reach 4G-like speeds. The operator says it has spent more than $1 billion on system modernization and 3G licenses for additional spectrum. Asiacell has more than 12 million subscribers across Iraq. (See Asiacell Enhances 3G in Iraq.)

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading