Friday Network News: April 5

Advanced Info Service (AIS) has selected Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to roll-out its 3G network in Thailand. NSN will deploy and manage the 3G network for AIS, Thailand’s third largest mobile operator, as it looks to meet growing traffic demand in the Thai market. [read more]

France Telecom-Orange has launched its 4G LTE network in a further ten locations, with the service now reaching 15 French towns and cities. The operator is extending its 4G coverage and intends to have one million subscribers on the platform by December, after initially launching its 4G service in Marseille, followed by Lyon, Lille and Nantes in November 2012. [read more]

TIM Brasil has selected Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to build its 4G LTE network on top of the operator’s existing 2G and 3G networks. TIM Brasil, the Brazilian arm of Telecom Italia Mobile, is looking to build the network and increase its operations ahead of the upcoming Confederations Cup, in 2013, and the FIFA World Cup, which is staged throughout Brazil, in the summer of 2014. [read more]

SK Telecom has selected Globe Telecom as its partner to deploy LTE roaming services in the Philippines. The Korean operator expects the addition of the service to respond to the growing demand for next-generation roaming services, and allow for more strategic partnerships across the globe. [read more]

Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has claimed to be the first operator in Russia to launch a mobile payment system on public transport throughout the country and neighbouring states. In partnership with payments system service Golden Crown, MTS launched the ‘Mobile Ticket’ scheme this week in Russian city Novosibirsk. [read more]

OTEGLOBE has completed the upgrade of its TransBalkan Network (TBN) in collaboration with Infinera. Infinera has deployed 500Gbps channels on OTEGLOBE’s TBN through its DTN-X platform, and the network will stretch 8,000km from Greece to Germany. [read more]

Verizon Communications is to deploy and test fibre optic cables under sidewalks in New York with the aim of offering faster connections in certain parts of the city. The trial will initially be implemented in 12 sites across five boroughs, and it allows Verizon to use “micro-trenching”, which opens space for cables on the ground, the city said yesterday in a statement. [read more]

US operator Sprint and Japanese provider Softbank will not use equipment made by Chinese vendor Huawei. As the US China security row rages on, the US chairman of house intelligence committee said last week that the two companies have agreed not to use Huawei equipment for Sprint’s cellphone network. [read more]

Vodafone has signed a strategic agreement with China Mobile in a bid to secure a licence in Myanmar. The two companies, among the largest operators in the world, have formed the consortium to win a licence and build, own and operate a national mobile network in the state for 15 years. [read more]