Sprint Plans One Platform for Many Networks

Sprint Nextel plans to use a single core infrastructure for all its networks, including the WiMax wireless broadband system coming later this year, and to capture information that will help third parties customize services.


A common optical backbone, IP (Internet Protocol) network, cell-site infrastructure and IMS (Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem) will serve all of the carrier's networks, said Ben Vos, vice president of core technologies at Sprint, in a speech at the VON.x conference Tuesday in San Jose, California. The carrier will also give third-party software developers and content owners access to that infrastructure through common APIs (application programming interfaces).

All this is necessary to deliver a consistent experience to subscribers using multiple devices, Vos said.

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Pakistan's at it again: Jihad vs YouTube?....

Pakistan's attempts to block access to YouTube have been blamed for a near global blackout of the site on Sunday.

Google, the owner of YouTube, blamed the outage on "erroneous internet protocols", sourced in Pakistan

BBC News has learned that the nearly two-hour long blackout was almost certainly connected to Pakistan Telecom and internet service provider PCCW.

The country ordered ISPs to block the video-sharing website because of content deemed offensive to Islam.

The BBC News website's technology editor, Darren Waters, says that to block Pakistan's citizens from accessing YouTube it is believed Pakistan Telecom "hijacked" the web server address of the popular video site.

what with pakistan and its need to "hijack" things. Google/youtube better pak proof itself.... haha

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Verizon Wireless gets smart and opens its network to other phones

Verizon Wireless plans to open its network to devices other than the ones hand-picked by the company, a move that could expand the features available on mobile phones and give the second-largest U.S. wireless carrier a response to a phone software project led by Google Inc.

The decision, announced Tuesday, means that customers would be able to buy devices of their own choosing and run them on Verizon's network. Traditionally, wireless providers like Verizon let customers pick only carrier-approved devices, with carrier-approved software features
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Google and Sprint are in talks on mobile phone applications.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp, the No. 3 U.S. mobile service, is in talks to put applications from Web search leader Google Inc on its cell phones, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
Google is in talks with some of the largest U.S. wireless carriers to make a deeper move into the mobile industry, an area it views as key to future growth.
While the company has not commented on its plans or potential partners, industry experts believe it will soon launch new software and services for mobile phones.
On Tuesday, sources told Reuters that No. 2 U.S. mobile service Verizon Wireless, a Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc venture, is also in talks with Google about putting applications on its mobile phones.

for more on sprint and google talks look in the tech section at

Asia, Africa demand lifts cell phone market

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Robust demand from emerging markets in Asia and Africa lifted third-quarter sales of all major handset vendors from the previous quarter, with companies expecting another sales boost from holiday shopping ahead.


All handset vendors combined shipped 285 million mobile phones in the July-September quarter, with strong demand in Asia and Africa lifting sales 12 percent from a year ago, research firm Strategy Analytics said on Thursday.

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Corrupt Country Index 2007 - Map

The survey ranked 180 countries on a scale of 1 to 10 based on the perceptions of business people and analysts.

Scores below 5 indicate "serious" perceived levels of corruption, the agency said, while scores below 3 reflect "rampant" corruption.