Roundup: BlackBerry, TSTT, Tigo – Regional
IN BRIEF: Honduras broadband bidding to start at US$31.5mn – Honduras
Ericsson acquires majority stake in PaaS provider Apcera – Regional
Costa Rica’s analog blackout pressuring small TV channels – Costa Rica
Telefónica launches global video division – Regional

 

Roundup: BlackBerry, TSTT, Tigo – Regional

Struggling mobile device maker BlackBerry has launched its latest device, the BlackBerry Passport.
The device features a large square touch screen and new touch-enabled keyboard, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and forged stainless steel.
Inspired by actual passports, the BlackBerry Passport is portable enough to tuck into pockets
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Trinidad and Tobago state-controlled telecoms provider TSTT has appointed Ronald Walcott as its new chief executive officer, the Trinidad Express reported.
Walcott replaces former acting CEO George Hill. TSTT has had three CEOs since 2012, following the resignation of Roberto Peon in March of that year.
The company posted a US$505mn loss for the year ended March 2014 as it started a separation process offered to staff members.
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Paraguayan mobile telco Tigo has requested a DTH license.
Tigo, which is controlled by Millicom, sold part of its rights to broadcast the local football league, allowing state telco Copaco and the cable operators association to access these rights.
IN BRIEF: Honduras broadband bidding to start at US$31.5mn – Honduras

Honduras telecom regulator Conatel has fixed the base price for a 4G broadband concession in the 700MHz band at US$31.5mn.
The winner will also have to provide 60% of the country with 3G within three years and build 150 terminals to be used by Conatel and rescue services, with 200 free call minutes and 5GB of data a month.
The operator will also provide Conatel with 100,000 tablets. The bidding process was opened Monday.
Ericsson acquires majority stake in PaaS provider Apcera – Regional

Ericsson announced it will acquire a majority stake in Apcera, a US-based enterprise services company and creator of the next-generation platform as-a-service (PaaS) called Continuum, which works across cloud, on premise and in hybrid environments.
The purchase price was not disclosed.
In a statement, Ericsson said that service providers must use cloud technology to provide more value to their customers and cloud is one of the company’s strategic growth areas.
This year Ericsson split its networks division into two units, radio and cloud & IP, in order to grow each business and to boost the evolution of 5G and the internet of things.
The acquisition of Apcera’s PaaS technology will help Ericsson extend policy-based automation from telecom networks to the cloud, according to the statement. Ericsson will target both operator and enterprise clouds with the solution.
PaaS enables businesses to outsource operating systems, applications, hardware and storage.
Apcera’s PaaS solution will complement Ericsson’s existing cloud service offerings such as cloud services manager which distributes cloud resources throughout the network and orchestrates physical and virtual infrastructure.
The acquisition will also complement Ericsson’s partnership with security specialist Guardtime, announced earlier this month, which integrates the keyless signature infrastructure (KSI) solution into Ericsson’s cloud portfolio.
KSI improves the safety and transparency of the data transmitted over telecoms networks. The technology enables real-time governance of networks with the ability to know who is doing what with data, something that is a big help for heavily regulated industries like finance that have to meet stringent compliance rules.
Costa Rica’s analog blackout pressuring small TV channels – Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s analog blackout is hurting small and low-budget TV stations, local daily El Financiero reported.
According to the TV stations’ estimates, making the switch will cost between US$100,000 and US$300,000 in new equipment and hiring professionals and technicians.
The analog blackout is three years away, but companies are preparing for it at different paces.
Of the 72 channels, only Repretel, Teletica, Enlace, Sinart and Canal UCR are ready to turn on the digital frequency. Smaller stations like Anexión TV and Telefides are still struggling to prepare for it.
Regional channels that do not have the same resources as nationwide stations are planning to turn to the ministry of science, technology and telecommunications to stay up to date in the process.
Saray Amador, president of the national radio and TV chamber Canara, said that several stations are planning to join forces and look for international investment.
Telefónica launches global video division – Regional

Spain’s Telefónica unveiled a global video division known as UGV that will handle the buying and selling of audiovisual content, Telefónica news outlet Hispanidad reported.
TV is said to be a key area for Telefónica’s growth plans, as the Spanish telco giant aims to commercialize retransmission rights following the acquisition of a majority stake in pay-TV firm Distribuidora de Televisión (DTS), known as Canal+ in Spain, Hispanidad said.
UGV will be led by Michael Duncan, formerly CEO of Telefónica’s now dismantled Digital in Europe.

 

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