Qualcomm announced that the European Commission and the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) have authorized the acquisition of NXP Semiconductors. The acquisition has now received 8 of the 9 approvals around the world, with China remaining.
Chinese electronics and software company Xiaomi has reportedly signed on bankers to support an expected initial public offering (IPO) which could value the company at $100 billion, Bloomberg said. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanely have been selected by Xiaomi, with Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank playing a role, the report speculates.
Ericsson has further extended its partnership with U Mobile Sdn Bhd to transform the Malaysian telecommunications service provider’s Business Support System (BSS) into an industrialized, real-time converged environment.
Philippine telecom and digital services provider PLDT and its mobile unit Smart Communications announced a US$28.5 million partnership with global information and communications technology leader Huawei to transform the group's wireless service delivery platforms.
In a letter to stockholders ahead of its 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on March 6, Qualcomm highlighted details of a $1 billion strategy which aims to generate “significant value” for investors in the near term, in the wake of Broadcom making moves to acquire Qualcomm, which the company has labeled “opportunistic” and “aggressive”.
Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group has moved swiftly to cool down speculation over reports claiming it is preparing to list its mobile unit on the stock exchange in Tokyo. Speculation has become so rife the company was forced to issue a statement concerning the potential IPO listing. In the statement released to the press, it reiterated that no decision has been formally made to officially proceed with the IPO listing of its mobile unit.
Four telecom operators in Bangladesh have applied to partake in a 4G auction in February, the Daily Star reported. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) was given the green light to proceed with the auction, after the Bangladesh Supreme Court halted it.
Chinese smartphone brands continue to grow in Bangladesh and now capture 29 percent of the market, up from 13 percent a year ago, according to Counterpoint Research. In Q3 2017, Chinese smartphone brands grew 125 percent year-on-year in the South Asian nation.
Ericsson released a statement on January 16 noting that it will book SEK 14.2 billion (US$ 1.77 billion) in write-downs in its Q4 2017 financial results. The write-downs, Ericsson said, are related to the company’s Digital Services and Other divisions, in addition to an SEK 1 billion charge related to tax changes in the United States.
Vodafone Australia will have to significantly improve its processes for verifying the identity of prepaid mobile customers under an enforceable undertaking accepted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
