Mar 23, 2009 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) -- An executive briefing on the telecommunications industry for March 23, 2009, prepared by Asia Pulse (http:/ www.asiapulse.com), the real-time, asia-based wire with exclusive news, commercial intelligence and business opportunities.

KT CORP. TO SELL 'GOOGLE PHONE' IN S. KOREA SEOUL - KT Corp. (KSE:030200), South Korea's leading telecom company, said today it has been in talks with local electronics makers to create a mobile phone powered by Internet search giant Google Inc.

The move by KT, which recently received final regulatory approval to absorb its mobile-phone unit KTF Co., is expected to spark competition with Apple Inc.'s iconic iPhone and Canadian firm Research in Motion's Blackberry, analysts say.

INDIA TELCO REG. SUGGESTS NEW RULES TO IMPROVE SERVICE QUALITY NEW DELHI - India telecom regulator Trai has prescribed new parameters to improve the quality of services offered by the mobile and landline service providers in the country.

If the prescribed parameters come into force the pre-paid customers' segment will come under the quality of service regulation. At present only post-paid customers' billing credibility is assessed through the QoS Regulation.

INDIAN GOVT HOLDS BACK CUT IN TELECOM LICENCE FEE NEW DELHI - The Indian government is understood to have held back its decision to lower the licence fee by about 33 per cent with effect from April 1, for those telecom operators who have 95 per cent or more coverage in a circle, a move that would affect state-run BSNL as it has maximum penetration in rural and other cities.

In October last year, the Department of Telecom (DoT) had announced a cut in the fee contributed towards Universal Service Obligation Fund, a subsidy given to telcos to offer services in rural areas, to three per cent from five per cent now and had been kept in abeyance till further order.

MALAYSIA'S SKALI IN JV TO ENTER SAUDI MARKET DUBAI - Malaysia's e-business specialist Skali Group is making its entry into the Middle East market through a newly-formed joint venture company called Skali Saudia, which is expected to undertake the implementation of e-government and e-business solutions in Saudi Arabia.

Skali Group's chief executive officer Tengku Farith Rithauddeen said Skali Saudia was a 50/50 joint venture company between Skali and Saudi-based Tuwaiq Commercial Trading Company, whose business revolves around telecommunications and trading.

CHINA MOBILE SEEKS OVERSEAS EXPANSION, DOMESTIC RURAL GROWTH BEIJING - China Mobile Communications Corporation (China Mobile) is seeking opportunities for overseas expansion, Wang Jianzhou, president of the country's largest mobile network operator, said Saturday attending the 10th China Development Forum.

China Mobile has two advantages in international competition, according to Wang. "One is the large company scale, which could help lower costs in purchase and management.

The other is its experiences in the emerging market." BANGLADESH SIGNS DEAL WITH KOREAN FIRM TO EXPAND INTERNET NETWORK DHAKA - Bangladesh's Telecommunications Minister Razi Uddin Ahmed Razu said the implementation of the Prime Minister's election pledge to build Digital Bangladesh began Thursday with the signing of a deal with a South Korean firm to expand internet to all divisional cities and important district towns.

"It'll be an epoch-making history in the country when the internet information network expansion project will be implemented within a year. Students will have a great opportunity to enhance their knowledge using the internet," he said.

BANGLADESH HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR MASSIVE CHINESE INVESTMENT DHAKA - President Zillur Rahman Sunday underscored the need for massive Chinese investment in Bangladesh, especially in textile, agro-processing, energy and power, pharmaceutical, communications and infrastructure development, to reduce the existing huge trade imbalance between the two countries.

He made the suggestion when newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Zhang Xianyi presented his credentials to the President at Bangabhaban.

INDIA'S RELIANCE COMMUNICATIONS LAUNCHES MOBILE SHOPS IN LUCKNOW LUCKNOW - Reliance Communications (BSE:532712), an Indian integrated telecom service provider, Sunday launched Reliance Mobile Stores (RMS) in Lucknow, in a bid to reach customers' doorsteps.

These stores were inaugurated at Indira Nagar, Rae Bareli Road and Sitapur Road.

INTERNET PHONE SUBSCRIBERS TOP THREE MLN IN S. KOREA SEOUL - South Korea's Internet-based phone service has garnered over three million subscribers as of February, Internet telephony operators said Monday.

The number of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscribers now represents about 12 per cent of the total number of fixed-line phone users, according to data gathered by 11 VoIP providers.

NEW NEC TEAM WILL STRIVE TO MARRY PCS, MOBILE PHONES TOKYO - NEC Corp. (TSE:6701) will launch April 1 an in-house team charged with designing hardware that combines functions of personal computers and mobile phones as well as exploring the market for such products.

This group, to be created in its Personal Solutions Business unit, will also be responsible for coming up with new business models that combine new devices and the Internet.

TELENOR MAKES FIRST INVESTMENT OF US$247 MLN IN INDIA'S UNITECH NEW DELHI - The Norway-based Telenor Group said Friday it has completed a transaction with Unitech Wireless and made the first investment of Rs 1,250 crore (US$247.5 million) to mark its formal entry into the lucrative Indian telecom sector.

After this investment, Telenor's ownership stake in Unitech Wireless is 33.5 per cent. Earlier this week, Telenor had said it would take 67.25 per cent of the company instead of the earlier planned 60 per cent because of certain economic developments in India, the Fornebu-based company said in a statement.

S KOREA'S KT WINS US$20 MLN NETWORK DEAL FROM BANGLADESH SEOUL - KT Corp. (KSE:030200), South Korea's top fixed-line operator, said Sunday that it has clinched a 28-billion won (US$19.9 million) deal with a Bangladeshi company to provide network infrastructure there.

The deal with Bangladesh Telecommunications Co. calls for KT to establish a comprehensive, nationwide communications network for Internet access by 2010, the South Korean company said.

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