Nokia denies plans to move to Android

Nokia has denied reports it is developing a smartphone that runs on Google's Android operating system, a move that would mark a major change in strategy for the Symbian-supporting vendor.
Nokia is currently not a member of the Open Handset Alliance - a consortium of companies committed to commercially deploying handsets and services using the Android platform - at least according to the alliance's website. The majority of Nokia's rivals (including LG, Samsung, HTC, Huawei, Sony Ericsson and Motorola) are members.

In separate Android news, apparent details of Sony Ericsson's first Android-based smartphone have been posted online, under the codename of 'Rachael.' Reports suggest the phone will be marketed under the Xperia range and will be based on Qualcomm's QSD8250 Snapdragon platform. The HSPA-enabled phone is also reported to sport an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and a large screen reaching 4 inches across the diagonal. Launch is expected later this year. To date, only Samsung and HTC have commercially launched Android-based handsets.
Source: GMBB

TIM and 3 sign site-sharing deal in Italy

Italian mobile operators TIM and 3 have become the latest European firms to enter into a mobile site-sharing agreement. The three-year deal will cover the sharing of radio mobile equipment at both existing and future sites, and will cover a minimum of 2,000 sites. The operators are targeting cost savings of 30 percent.

Network-sharing is becoming widespread across Europe as operators look to cut costs. In France, for example, the sharing of passive facilities such as sites, buildings, towers and masts accounts for 20 percent to 40 percent of current sites, and the regulator (Arcep) has recently called for passive sharing to be actively pursued for further 3G rollout.
Source: GMBB

Website for China Mobile's app store 'appears'

A website that appears to represent China Mobile's high-profile upcoming application store - Mobile Market - became accessible today, reported IDG News Service , giving a potential preview of the type of free and paid-for downloads the world's largest operator could offer its 490 million customers. Although the site appears to be in a testing phase (the store is not due to open until around September), it splits categories into games, software, music, reading, video and theme download sections. The authenticity of the site has not been confirmed, but it is interesting to note that it appears to also support Nokia's rival application store, Ovi.

The launch of Mobile Market may see it become one of the world's first carrier-operated application stores. Vodafone has announced plans to open its own store, though it has not specified the share of revenue that it will pass on to developers.

source: GSMA Mobile Business Briefing

Study: AWS to accelerate 3G growth in Americas

The spectrum - 90MHz in the 1.7-2.1GHz range - has already been auctioned-off to operators in the US (in 2006) and Canada (in 2008), and the study notes that the prices paid for AWS spectrum in these countries "revealed high market demand," as well as adding significant mobile broadband capacity and coverage.

According to the study, additional licensing of the AWS spectrum across the region should bring total subscribers with AWS-enabled devices from an estimated 12.4 million at the end of 2009 to an estimated 177.8 million at the end of 2013, a growth rate of 94 percent each year. As the subscriber base increases, the research suggests that device sales will also grow from an estimated 10.9 million in 2009 to an estimated 114.5 million in 2013, representing a growth rate of 80 percent each year. The research also highlighted operator plans. For example, T-Mobile USA plans to continue to drive AWS device and subscriber penetration over the next several years.
source: GSMA

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NSN Backs Away From WiMax

The Finnish-German vendor has decided to divert R&D resources away from WiMax to Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) and Long Term Evolution (LTE), and will no longer make its own standalone WiMax base station, but will rely more on partners instead, Marc Rouanne, head of radio access at NSN, tells Unstrung. "We're not stopping, cancelling, or getting out of the market," he says. "We still have a strong offering in WiMax."

NSN isn't the only major wireless vendor to divert resources away from WiMax in favor of next-generation cellular technology developments: Alcatel-Lucent announced in late 2008 it was ceasing investments in mobile WiMax but continuing to develop fixed WiMax as a "wireless DSL" technology; and Ericsson AB ceased its WiMax development efforts as long ago as late 2006.

So what impact will NSN's decision have on the overall WiMax market?

Alvarion appears to be a likely option: It doesn't have any conflicting relationships, is well established as a proven WiMax vendor, and has experience (albeit short-term) of a major vendor relationship, having teamed up with Nortel before the Canadian giant imploded.

Source: Unstrung

DoCoMo to launch mobile money transfer service

Japan's DoCoMo has announced a service that will enable an individual subscriber to use their mobile phone to easily and quickly remit money to another DoCoMo user, reports Cellular News. Customers of DoCoMo's i-mode mobile Internet service on its 3G network will be able to remit up to JPY20,000 (about US$208) per transfer, just by inputting the payee's mobile number.
source: GSMA Mobile Business Briefing