This week the Australian government cut a deal to get the NBN passed, while Apple called off its embedded SIM plan.
The Australian NBN looks certain to go ahead after the legislation passed the Senate. Key independents forced the government to reveal that the project would cost A$35.7 billion ($35.1b), with A$27 billion to be paid by public funds.
Under the plan, Telstra would be paid A$14 billion, which CEO David Thodey says might be used to fund acquisitions.
Apple gave up on its embedded SIM scheme – at least for now - after European cellcos threatened to pull iPhone subsidies.
CSL launched Asia’s first commercial LTE network but without any devices.
Chinese messaging provider Tencent and anti-virus firm Qihoo apologized over their recent dispute, which caused millions of users to be cut off.
A Japanese trading firm bought $300 million in rare earth minerals from an Australian mining house after a deal between the two governments.
Yet another Malaysian Wimax network debuted, with YTL promising to spend $850 million on buildout.
China began a six-month mobile number portability trial in Hainan and Tianjin. India introduced it in Haryana state.
Samsung sold 600,000 Galaxy Tabs in the first month.
Asian smartphone purchases soared threefold in Q3.
Acer unveiled five new devices and an app store.
Huawei has won more than a third of all LTE contracts, but Ericsson remains the market leader, according to TeleGeography.
Axiata increased Q3 earnings by 27%, buoyed by sales growth at XL and Robi. Thai telcos signed MoUs to join the government’s NBN plan.
Nokia appointed Jerri DeVard, a US consumer marketing specialist, to the new post of chief marketing officer.
Startup Kik complained it had been excluded from RIM’s app store because its popular messaging app was a rival to BlackBerry’s. Facebook applied to trademark the word “face.”
The rise of the mobile phone in favor of the landline is now skewing US telephone opinion polls.
Rupert Murdoch plotted a daily newspaper for the iPad.
Richard Branson will debut a digital magazine on November 30.
Christie’s sold an Apple-1 computer, built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, for $214,000.
And an Indian village banned unmarried women from using cell phones for fear they will arrange forbidden marriages.