If, and it’s a big if, AT&T’s proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile USA goes ahead, it will not only leapfrog Verizon to become the country’s leading mobile network operator but also hold by far the largest balanced portfolio of spectrum of any operator. Read more...

Qualcomm and Nokia have suggested a “third way” for freeing up spectrum for commercial mobile broadband. Authorised Shared Access (ASA) allows sharing via cognitive technologies while ensuring predictable quality of service through individual authorisations, the companies say. But while it offers a major change from the traditional reliance on licensed… Read more...

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Qatar does not need to grant a third mobile licence just yet, according to a consultation paper published by the regulator ictQatar. Read more...

While the proposals in Ofcom’s consultation on the combined auction of 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum may yet be subject to some changes, the initial reaction from mobile operators is generally positive, thanks to the proposed introduction of spectrum floors for the auction and overall spectrum caps. Read more...

Draft Bangladeshi guidelines for renewing 2G mobile licences fail to look beyond revenue generation to economic efficiency, mobile operators say. A similar point was made in recent research carried out for Australia's regulator, which argues that governments should resist the temptation to set mobile spectrum licence fee renewals too high. Read more...

Kevin Russell, chief executive of Three UK, says the regulator “fundamentally ducked” the tough issues facing the UK's mobile market when it recommended that Three UK's rivals be allowed to refarm all their 2G spectrum for 3G services. Read more...

Iraq’s mobile sector is about to go through a new phase of development this year with a fourth national licence being auctioned, and foreign loans and investments being allocated to existing operators to increase network quality and subscriber penetration rates to levels seen in neighbouring countries. Read more...

The European Commission has told Hungary and Spain to accelerate their implementation of the amended GSM Directive, which enables the 900 MHz band to be used for services other than 2G. Read more...

The Spanish government has published its plans for releasing 310 MHz of spectrum in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands. Read more...