Euronews: Telefónica Pushes On With M2M

Telefónica SA (NYSE: TEF), Orange (NYSE: FTE) and Telia Company are all in the mix for today's EMEA headline roundup.

Telefónica is continuing its push into the potential growth area of M2M (machine-to-machine) technology with the signing of an agreement with Avea, a mobile subsidiary of Türk Telekomunikasyon A.S. Under the terms of the deal, the pair will look to develop opportunities in the M2M sector in Turkey and beyond, embracing application areas such as smart cities, home automation and transportation. (See Telefónica Does M2M Deal in Turkey, Telefonica, Unicom Team on M2M SIMs, Telefonica Wins M2M Deal With GM, M2M Applications Gain Traction and Telefonica Restructures, Creates New Units.)

France Telecom is to take greater control of Egyptian operator Mobinil , buying out most of its partner Orascom Telecom 's stake in the joint venture for €1.5 billion (US$1.97 billion), reports Reuters. Once the deal goes through, France Telecom will own 95 percent of Mobinil. (See FT, Orascom Agree on Mobinil and Euronews: France Telecom Outlines Masterplan.)

Nordic operator TeliaSonera is cutting up to 110 jobs at its mobile and broadband technology units in Finland, Finnish website YLE reports. (See Euronews: Nokia Bigwig Jumps to Sonera and TeliaSonera in MegaFon Talks.)

BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA) has notched up another services win, this time with the keyboard-exhausting French National Telecommunications Network for Technology, Education and Research (RENATER). BT will supervise, manage and operate the organization's fiber-based IP network. The value of the deal was undisclosed. (See Win for BT at French Science Network.)

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading