Sprint Inks WiMAX Roaming Agreements with Digicel, Global Mobile
FierceBroadbandWireless
WCAI member Sprint announced international WiMAX roaming deals with Digicel in Jamaica and Global Mobile in Taiwan. Sprint, which offers WiMAX service via a wholesale agreement with WCAI member Clearwire, said certain devices that operate with the Sprint SmartView Connection Manager will be able to automatically detect the Digicel and Global Mobile networks, giving subscribers the option to connect and roam on these networks with a 24-hour day pass. Pricing and launch details of the agreements have yet to be determined. Clearwire introduced WiMAX roaming services with UQ Communications in Japan in September. More

Arqiva and Alca-Lu Partner for UK LTE Trial
TeleGeography
UK-based communications infrastructure and media services company Arqiva has announced that it is undertaking a trial of LTE technology with French-US vendor Alcatel Lucent in the Preseli Mountains in West Wales. The tests will utilize spectrum in the 800MHz band freed up following the switch off of analogue TV signals.More

Leap Mulls Clearwire, LightSquared for 4G in U.S.
Wireless Week
U.S. operator Leap Wireless is considering using wholesale agreements to get into the 4G space, company President and CEO Doug Hutcheson said. When asked whether Leap would consider deals with WCAI members Clearwire or LightSquared for WiMAX or LTE service, Hutcheson said, "Among others, yes. Those would be examples."  More

TRAI Releases National Broadband Plan in India
TeleGeography
The Telecoms Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has unveiled proposals for the construction of a national broadband network costing around INR600 billion (US$13 billion), The Hindu reports. In the regulator's 'National Broadband Plan' it advocates the construction of an open access fibre-optic network to connect all cities, towns and villages with a population of more than 500, with funding to come via the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and a loan from the government.More

Mobile Industry Considers New Way to Sell Data Service
The Wall Street Journal/Digits blog
As the mobile industry weighs the pros and cons of usage-based pricing, a new way for consumers to buy data service may be on the cusp of making an appearance. Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse said that the "big development" in the mobile industry could come from carriers offering one data plan that could cover a number of devices. "Everybody in the industry is looking at it right now," he said. More

Study: Microwave the Favored Backhaul Solution for Western Europe and Much of Asia-Pac
ABI Research
Capital expenditure on mobile backhaul varies greatly by region and by technology. While most countries face similar current or future struggles to reduce network congestion, the solutions being adopted differ according to existing infrastructure, network generations, and government mandates and incentives. One major division is whether to use optic fiber or microwave for mobile backhaul. CAPEX for microwave backhaul will peak in Western Europe this year at almost $4.4 billion, more than triple the figure for the next-highest region, Asia-Pacific. The European spending surge is due to the expansion of 3G networks to new areas, as well as a few initial 4G network deployments. More

Telecom Italia Still Reviewing Options For TV Asset
Wall Street Journal
Telecom Italia is still reviewing its options for its television channel La7, the chief executive of the Italian telecommunications operator said. "The review is still going on just as it is for all the other assets," Franco Bernabe said, on the margins of a news conference about a deal with a second Italian publisher -- RCS Mediagroup -- to sell content on the operator's online store.More