Webwire: Vivendi in talks for SFR, First Cuban sub cable

Vivendi in talks for Vodafone's stake in SFR

Vivendi has revealed it is in discussions over buying out Vodafone's 44% stake in SFR, after raising the funds through the sale of its NBCU stake. A deal would give Vivendi 100% of France's number two mobile operator.

Reuters

Cuba to get first subsea cable

A new cable linking Cuba with Venezuela, the first subsea cable into Cuba, has been deployed and should be operational in July. It was financed by a group founded by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

BBC News

IBM, Samsung sign cross-licensing deal

Samsung and IBM have signed a cross-licensing deal allowing the companies to use patents from each others' portfolios. The companies agreed to collaborate on semiconductor research earlier this year.

The Inquirer

Thai telcos set to weather storm in 2011

Credit rating agency Fitch Ratings expects the Thai telecom market to remain robust in 2011 despite the legal and regulatory risks, as well as the increased competition, that operators are likely to face.

The Nation

Indosat may spin off CDMA division

Indonesia's Indosat may spin off its CDMA unit, StarOne. President Harry Sasongko said the split is one of several options being considered to help the company become more competitive in mobile.

The Jakarta Post

AT&T offers unlimited free calls

AT&T has revealed it will offer free mobile-to-mobile calls on its postpaid plans to stave off customer defection to Verizon and its new iPhone, in a further sign of the declining value of voice traffic.

GigaOM

IBM, HP and eight others join WAC

Ten major tech companies, includingIBM, Adobe, Amdocs, HP, Panasonic and SAP, have joined the Wholesale Applications Community. The group, which aims to build an open apps platform, now has 68 members.

PR Newswire