While the fun and games continue at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, an announcement from Alcatel-Lucent reminds us that there is still money to be made from things that are tethered to the wall: The vendor has agreed a five-year managed services deal with Dutch incumbent KPN Telecom NV relating specifically to the operator's fixed network. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

Neelie Kroes, the European Commission's vice president for the Digital Agenda, has been taking the opportunity of the blabfest in Barcelona to underline her desire for a truly single market for European telcos. In a video interview with EurActiv.com, she says: "The single market is our crown jewel and isn't it a waste when we don't implement it in the telecom sector?"

Still in Barcelona, the head of South Korean operator KT Corp. has been warning European operators to be careful what they wish for, 4G-wise, reports the BBC, citing Reuters. "LTE is very beneficial to the people but still the big question remains: can we go on?" asks Suk-Chae Lee, adding: "It [LTE] is a blessing to customers but it is a curse on the operators."

Try telling that to Orange SA in Switzerland, which has just signed up Nokia Siemens Networks to supply and build its network to deliver 4G in a five-year deal. Under the terms of the contract, NSN will provide its Liquid Radio built on the Single Radio Access Network (RAN) platform with its Flexi Multiradio Base Station.

In Poland, meanwhile, Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa Sp. z.o.o. (PTC), which operates the T-Mobile brand there, has chosen Ericsson AB to deliver mobile backhaul. The project will see T-Mobile migrating from TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) to MPLS-TP (Multiprotocol Label Switching Transport Profile).

And finally, an excuse to link readers to some Lionel Messi wondergoals… Arabian Business reports that Etisalat, the UAE's largest operator, has extended its sponsorship deal with Spanish soccer giants FC Barcelona, for whom the less-than-giant-sized Messi performs regular mini-miracles. Goooaaalll!— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading