IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 28 August
28-08-2007
by Sylvia Leatham
eBay MD slams Irish 'fraudband' | EU may call for telcos to be broken up
The Irish Times reports that Liberty Global is to pay about EUR2 million for a 35 percent stake in City Channel, as noted by ENN on Monday.
The paper also says that Vodafone has teamed up with a number of major internet companies, including eBay, to launch a new mobile internet service. Read the full story on ENN.
Separately, the paper quotes eBay Ireland MD John McElligott as saying that slow connection speeds and lagging availability of broadband mean that the Government will have difficulty in achieving stated goals such as supporting small businesses, encouraging the use of communications technologies and promoting regional development. "We've had developing world levels of connectivity in Ireland and businesses like us are very unhappy about that," he said. "Japan has 20 megabit [per second] connections to the home while we have operators boasting about one or two megabit broadband. That's 'fraudband' as far as we're concerned."
The paper also says that Acer has agreed to buy Gateway for USD710 million, as reported by ENN on Monday.
The same paper says ComReg is asking the public and industry for their views on the use of mobile phones on aircraft, as noted by ENN.
According to the Irish Independent, competition is to heat up for Denis O'Brien's Digicel in the Caribbean mobile market with the entry of the richest man in the world into the Jamaican mobile phone scene. Carlos Slim has reached an agreement to buy Oceanic Digital Jamaica, operating as MiPhone. His company, America Movil, which is the biggest mobile phone operator in Latin America, is acquiring Oceanic for over USD70 million. The deal is expected to be finalised in the fourth quarter.
The Financial Times reports that leading telecoms companies in the European Union could be broken up under plans to spur more competition in the EU's electronic communications sector. Viviane Reding, the EU's media commissioner, is also calling for a new, pan-European regulator to ensure market rules are applied consistently across national borders. The proposals are part of the biggest overhaul to date of the EU's telecoms rulebook, as the European Commission seeks to bolster the use of ultra-fast broadband and other services, as well as increase cross-border competition.
The paper also says that LogicaCMG faces becoming a bid target if it does not find a strong new chief executive, technology industry analysts have warned. All eyes will be on the UK-based IT services group on Wednesday as the company reports interim results and updates the market on the search for a successor to Martin Read. Read stood down in response to investor criticism after a string of profits warnings. Jim McKenna, chief operating officer, has been appointed as interim chief executive, reporting to chairman Cor Stutterheim, until a permanent replacement is found.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Hewlett-Packard is launching a slew of new printers and web-based printing services, in a move to keep sales of the company's printing division growing as its customers increasingly gravitate to the web. Along with a USD300 million ad campaign, HP is introducing products such as a device with a liquid crystal display (LCD) that allows users to insert a memory card and print pictures without a PC, as well as new printers for small and midsize businesses, and large-format all-in-one printers that can also scan. The firm is also teaming up with Yahoo to create a printing toolbar that gives tips on printing and creating projects.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 