Polish operator Aero 2 has launched what it claims is the world's first commercial dual-mode Long Term Evolution (LTE) network that supports both the TDD and FDD versions of the next-generation mobile network technology. It has deployed Huawei's SingleRAN radio access network (RAN) equipment and plans to cover 200 urban and rural communities (or 25 percent of Poland's population) by the end of 2012. But Aero isn't the only European operator with dual-mode LTE plans. (See LTE's Kissin' Cousins .)

French regulator Arcep says it received four applications for 2.6 GHz spectrum licenses by the closing date of Sept. 15, with Bouygues Telecom , Free (also known as Iliad), Orange France and SFR getting their paperwork in on time. The regulator says it will now "examine these applications, and particularly their eligibility. ... The results of the procedure are expected to be announced by mid-October 2011." The deadline for applications for 800MHz licenses is Dec. 15. Both spectrum bands are suitable for LTE services.

NSN says it helped to build Saudi Telecom Co. (STC) 's Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex (LTE TDD) network in Western Saudi Arabia, which went live earlier this week. NSN says it supplied STC with its Flexi Multiradio Base Stations and end-user devices (USB dongles), which were used for pre-launch testing of services such as video streaming, file downloads and gaming. STC is also deploying network equipment from Huawei for its LTE TDD rollout in Eastern Saudi Arabia. (See Huawei Wins Saudi LTE Deal.)

AlcaLu has helped P&T Luxembourg build a 100Gbit/s link between Luxembourg and Frankfurt using its Converged Backbone Transformation (CBT) solution, which comprises its 1830 Photonic Service Switch (WDM optical platform) and its 7750 Service Router. (See AlcaLu Looks Beyond 100GigE.)

In other 100Gbit/s news, pan-European operator Interoute Communications Ltd. is putting Infinera Corp. (Nasdaq: INFN)'s new DTN-X platform through its paces. (See Interoute Checks Out Infinera's DTN-X.)

— Ray Le Maistre, International Managing Editor, Light Reading