7:30 AM Today's news snippets from Euroland, featuring Telefónica, AT&T, and BT

Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe

July 14, 2010

2 Min Read
Euronews: July 14

7:30 AM -- Telefónica SA (NYSE: TEF), Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK), AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), and BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA) are the big names in today's European telecom news roundup.

  • Spanish giant Telefónica is preparing a femtocell fiesta, according to local reports and industry sources. (See Telefónica Preps Femto Launch .)

  • Nokia's stock price edged down Wednesday morning following the rumor that Nokia Networks is in talks to buy part of Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT), reports Reuters. (See Rumor: NSN Wants a Piece of Motorola.)

  • AT&T has landed a five-year, global managed services deal with German retail goods conglomerate Henkel. Wunderbar! (See Henkel Turns to AT&T For Global IP.)

  • BT, meanwhile, has managed to extend its managed IT and communications services deal with Unilever. Hurrah! (See Unilever Extends BT Deal.)

  • On a less positive note for the UK incumbent, the trustees of BT's employee pension plan have been in court to figure out how much of the fund and its US$13.6 billion deficit would be assumed by the British government if the carrier went bankrupt, reports Bloomberg. Cripes!

  • UK startup Clear Mobitel is to begin LTE trials in Cornwall in September, using spectrum freed up by the switch-off of analog TV. (See Startup Preps UK LTE Trial.)

  • The UK’s Consumer Communications Panel (CCP) has concluded that British buyers of mobile phones are being given little or no information on how to cancel their contracts if, for whatever reason, they are unhappy with their shiny new purchase, according to a BBC report. Orange UK came in for particular criticism, as it doesn't allow users to cancel because of poor coverage.

  • The chief medical officer for Wales has recommended children send texts rather than chat on their mobile phones, even though there's no hard and fast evidence that mobile phones will scramble the little ones’ brains, reports WalesOnline.

    — Paul Rainford, freelance editor, special to Light Reading

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About the Author(s)

Paul Rainford

Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading

Paul is based on the Isle of Wight, a rocky outcrop off the English coast that is home only to a colony of technology journalists and several thousand puffins.

He has worked as a writer and copy editor since the age of William Caxton, covering the design industry, D-list celebs, tourism and much, much more.

During the noughties Paul took time out from his page proofs and marker pens to run a small hotel with his other half in the wilds of Exmoor. There he developed a range of skills including carrying cooked breakfasts, lying to unwanted guests and stopping leaks with old towels.

Now back, slightly befuddled, in the world of online journalism, Paul is thoroughly engaged with the modern world, regularly firing up his VHS video recorder and accidentally sending text messages to strangers using a chipped Nokia feature phone.

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