Euronews: Swisscom Upgrades to 100G

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Swisscom AG, Tele2 AB and Liberty Global Inc. are the movers and shakers in today's trot through the EMEA headlines.

Huawei has completed the upgrade of Swisscom's WDM-based SONATE network, bringing it up to 100Gbit/s. SONATE, which stands for "Swisscom's Optical Network for all IP-Transport Services," was first deployed by Huawei in 2009 as Swisscom's response to the anticipated (and now very much happening) data deluge. (See Huawei & Swisscom Complete 100G Upgrade.)

The decision by Nordic operator Tele2 to sell off its Russian business seems to have sparked off a bidding war, reports Reuters. Yesterday (Wednesday) Tele2 said it would be selling the unit to VTB Group bank for US$3.5 billion, but today Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman has piped up to say that he intends to trump that offer with an all-cash bid of $3.6-$4 billion.

Liberty Global is furthering its European ambitions by splashing out around €632.5 million ($809.4 million) on a 12.65 percent stake in Dutch cable operator Ziggo B.V. Liberty already has a presence in the Netherlands through its UPC subsidiary. (See Liberty Global Buys 12.65% Stake in Ziggo and More M&A for Liberty Global?)

The Indian tax authorities have gone ahead and slapped a fine on Nokia Corp. for allegedly dodging around $552 million in taxes, reports Reuters. Nokia did not reveal the amount of the fine, but says it will "defend itself vigorously" against the charge.

U.K. mobile joint venture Everything Everywhere Ltd. (EE) has expanded its 4G coverage, bringing 12 more towns and cities into the fold. It now claims that its 4G services cover the "homes and businesses" of 50 percent of the U.K. population. (See EE Expands Its 4G Coverage and EE Shares 4G Lessons Learned.)

A trio of divers have been arrested for trying to cut through a subsea Internet cable just off the coast of Alexandria, in Egypt, reports the BBC, citing Egyptian news agency Mena. At this stage, nobody seems to know why they were doing it.

Metaswitch Networks, the San Francisco-based IP systems and software vendor, is opening a new product development facility within the hallowed confines of the U.K.'s Cambridge University. Metaswitch has a history of offering jobs to Cambridge graduates, according to CEO John Lazar.

Euronews takes its Easter break now, as it's Easter an' all, and will be back, several choccy eggs to the good, on Tuesday April 2. — Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading