Hungarian Telephone and Cable Corp. (Amex: HTC), a subsidiary of Danish incumbent TDC A/S (Copenhagen: TDC), is buying Invitel Zrt. , Hungary's second largest fixed-line operator, for €470 million (US$610.6 million) in cash and stock.

The deal will give HTCC a 20 percent share of the Hungarian fixed-line market. For the full details see TDC Subsidiary Buys Invitel.

This is another example of the growing importance of the Eastern European market. (See Russian Vendor Plans $500M IPO.)

TDC is already active in other Central and Eastern European markets -- Austria, Poland, and Lithuania. Click here for more details about TDC's international holdings.

According to a new study commissioned by billing systems vendor and integrator MDS Global , the majority of British businesses are up to speed with fixed/mobile convergence (FMC), and about 10 percent have even deployed FMC systems. "Cor blimey!" as we Brits would say. (See UK Tackles FMC.)

FTTx is going to be a big deal in Europe in 2007, so the FTTH Council Europe conference –- Barcelona, February 7 and 8 -– should be as hot as some extra spicey patatas bravas. Light Reading will be there. (See FTTH Council Goes to Barcelona.)

U.K. incumbent BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA) is boasting about how it has reached its target of 1 million VOIP users months ahead of schedule. The carrier also recently congratulated itself about how it has smashed its broadband uptake target. (See BT Claims 1M VOIP Users and BT Boasts DSL Milestone.)

So, is BT genuinely doing really well, or is it setting itself pathetically easy targets? Answers on an electronic postcard, please.

For the handset freaks among you, the new Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone is due to hit European shores in the final three months of 2007. (See Apple Makes iPhone Call.)

— Ray Le Maistre, International News Editor, Light Reading