Nokia and Swiss-based STMicroelectronics have closed a deal to deepen their collaboration on the licensing and supply of integrated circuit designs and modem technologies for 3G and its evolution. The multifaceted agreement transfers a core part of Nokia’s Integrated Circuit (IC) operations to STMicroelectronics and positions ST to design and manufacture 3G chipsets based on

Ericsson has been selected by Uruguay‘s leading telecom operator, Administración Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (ANTEL), to be the supplier for its dual 2G/3G core network modernization program. Under the contract Ericsson will be the integrator and take full turnkey responsibility for the supply of equipment, deployment, integration, and live migration. Rollout has started while the complete

Moody’s Investors Service has changed to ‘positive’ from ‘stable’ the outlook on the D bank financial strength rating (BFSR) of First Investment Bank (FIB) of Bulgaria. The change in rating outlook reflects the strengthening of FIB’s standing within the D BFSR range as a result of its growing market share and franchise, recent capital injection

ProtoStar Ltd., a Bermuda corporation, and PlanetSky Ltd. of Limassol have announced a strategically important anchor customer lease agreement for PlanetSky to secure C band capacity on ProtoStar’s first satellite to be launched in May 2008. The agreement provides PlanetSky with five 36MHz equivalent transponders for its rapidly-expanding global satellite systems that support GPRS and

Standard & Poor’s Rating Services said it revised its outlook on the Republic of Romania to negative from stable. At the same time, the ‘BBB-/A-3’ foreign currency, the ‘BBB/A-3’ local currency sovereign credit ratings and the ‘A-‘ transfer and convertibility assessment on the Republic of Romania were affirmed. The outlook revision reflects the government’s limited

Food prices fall   The harmonised consumer price inflation rate (HICP) was 2.7% in October, up from 2.3% in September and 1.7% in October 2006. The consumer price inflation rate, measured on a slightly different basis, was 3% in October. Compared with the previous month, the biggest jump in the HICP was clothing and footwear,

The industrial output Prices index for September 2007 reached 129.2 (Base 2000=100), recording an increase of 0.8% compared to August 2007 and 4.4% compared with September 2006. For the period January–September 2007, the index increased year on year by 3.1%. The manufacturing index rose in September by 0.9% compared to August 2007 and by 4.7%

The index of industrial production for August 2007 reached 95.4 (base 2000=100), recording an increase of 3.1% compared with August 2006, according to the Statistical Service CYSTAT. For the period January – August 2007 the index recorded an increase of 3.4% compared with the same period of the previous year. For manufacturing, the index for

The Statistical Service CYSTAT has reported that on the basis of the results of the Passengers’ Survey, 105,173 residents of Cyprus returned from a trip abroad in September 2007, compared with 84,429 in the corresponding month last year, recording an increase of 24.6%. In September 2007 there was an increase of 24.0% on the trips

Figures on consumer prices by economic origin show that the increase in prices is coming from local producers and service-providers, not from abroad. In the first ten months of 2007, prices of imports of goods excluding petroleum actually fell by 2.4% compared with the same period of 2006. But prices of petroleum products did not