Belgacom has launched commercial LTE services in eight Belgian cities. The services are available in Hasselt, Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven, Liege, Namur, Mons, Wavre and the Haasrode research park, as part of existing data plans or as an add-on option. Plans offering LTE access include: Smart 75 (unlimited calls and SMS and 5GB data for EUR 75), the online prepaid offer Generation Connect (2GB mobile internet, 2,000 SMS and up to 80 minutes with a top-up of EUR 20), the Internet On GSM option for smartphone users (from EUR 19.99 for 2GB) and Bizz Mobile+ All-in for business customers (unlimited calls and SMS and 5GB data for EUR 70, excluding VAT). To use 4G with a laptop or tablet, the Mobile Internet options start at 1GB. Belgacom is offering 4G devices including the Samsung Galaxy SIII 4G (available later this month) for EUR 699, the 4G USB modem for EUR 149 and the Mobile WiFi 4G, a mobile hotspot for EUR 199. These are available online and in its shops.

The European Commission has issued a decision requiring EU states to open up the UMTS band to LTE services by mid-2014. The paired terrestrial 2 GHz band (1920-1980 MHz paired with 2110-2170 MHz) has been reserved for 3G services since 1999. The latest decision by the EC makes it mandatory for member states to open the relevant spectrum by 30 June 2014 and lays down harmonised technical conditions to allow coexistence of different technologies in the band. The EC said this will give the EU twice the amount of spectrum for wireless broadband as in the US, namely around 1,000 MHz. The decision forms part of the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme, which targets at least 1,200 MHz available for wireless broadband services across the EU. This is expected to contribute to the EU's Digital Agenda goal for universal access to at least 30Mbps broadband by 2020. The Commission said it is also considering a follow-up measure to encourage use of the unpaired terrestrial 2 GHz spectrum (1900-1920 MHz and 2010-2025 MHz), which is currently allocated to UMTS but remains unused throughout the EU. It is currently studying alternative uses for the band to terrestrial mobile broadband.

Samsung Electronics announced that it has sold over 30 million units of its flagship Galaxy S III smartphone worldwide, five months since its debut in May. The series continues to break records, with the predecessor Galaxy S II selling just 10 million units in the same period. Samsung has been adding new colours for the S III and said it's also starting the upgrade of the device to Android 4.1.

South African operator Telkom announced that CEO Nombulelo Moholi has notified the company of her intention to step down before the end of her contract period. She has given the board the requisite six months notice and will step down in April next year. Moholi took up the position in March 2011 and has overseen a number of divestment by the operators as it tries to refocus on its domestic operations. She has also led the talks to find a new strategic investor in the group. Telkom also said Neo Phakama Dongwana resigned as director effective 2 November. Once it has filled the current vacancies on the board, and there are at least eight directors as required by the memorandum of Incorporation, the company will embark on the process of finding a replacement CEO. The process of filling the vacancies on the board has commenced and announcements will be made in due course. The firm emphasized that Moholi's intended departure does not impact on its operational capabilities, and on its ability to provide customers with the best possible service.

Cable operator Liberty Global added 320,000 revenue-generating units in the third quarter, to finish September with a total 34.1 million. The company lost 90,000 basic video customers in the quarter, mainly in Germany, Poland and Chile, but added 180,000 digital TV users, 198,000 new broadband customers, and 211,000 telephony subscribers. The launch of its new Horizon set-top box in the Netherlands attracted over 50,000 subscriptions, and the company plans to launch the device in Switzerland this quarter. Revenues in the third quarter increased 4 percent from a year earlier to USD 2.5 billion, led by the West Europe and Chile operations. Operating cash flow rose 5 percent to USD 1.2 billion, and operating profit was also up 5 percent, to USD 509 million. The net loss narrowed to USD 22 million or 8 cents a share from USD 333 million or USD 1.18 per share a year ago. Liberty recorded capital expenditure of USD 457 million in the quarter, up slightly from a year ago, while free cash flow was a negative USD 22 million, due to wireless investments in Chile and forex effects, the company said. With USD 3.3 billion in cash remaining, Liberty said it will continue with its share buyback in Q4 and shortly launch its buy-out bid for Belgian operator Telenet. The company said it's on track to meet all its full-year targets.

Smartphone penetration surged past the 50 percent threshold in the US in September, with 119.3 million Americans owning the devices, according to ComScore. Google Android lead that segment of the market with 52.5 percent of smartphone subscribers, while Apple accounted for 34.3 percent, an increase of 1.9 percent. RIM ranked third with 8.4 percent share, followed by Microsoft (3.6%) and Symbian (0.6%). For the three-month average period ending in September, 234 million Americans age 13 and older used mobile devices. Samsung ranked as the top OEM with its market penetration up 0.4 percent to 26.0 percent, followed by LG with 17.7 percent share, Apple with 17.5 percent ( up 2.1%), Motorola with 10.0 percent and HTC with 6.2 percent.

Patents management company, Sisvel has launched a new patent pool offering licenses under a portfolio of patents essential to LTE.

RF Micro Devices has announced an agreement to acquire Amalfi Semiconductor (Amalfi), a fabless semiconductor company specializing in RF and mixed-signal ICs for the entry-level smartphone market.

The iPhone's share of quarterly global smartphone app downloads stood at 29% in the second quarter of 2012, significantly below the 47% attributed to Android smartphones,

Kazakhstan based mobile network, Kcell is moving ahead with long-standing plans to list its shares on both the local and UK stock exchanges.

The European Commission has decided to open up the 2Ghz band which is currently reserved for UMTS based 3G networks to be reused for LTE based 4G services.

Following a ramp up from earlier this year, where txtNation had predicated more growth in Direct Billing, txtNation had seen one in five service providers requesting Direct Billing.

IT spending in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) will reach $1.154 trillion in 2013, a 1.4 percent increase from 2012 projected spending of $1.138 trillion, according to Gartner.

Apple today announced it has sold three million iPads in just three days since the launch of its new iPad mini and fourth generation iPad,

The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) and the Small Cell Forum have announced that they will work together to integrate Wi-Fi hotspots and licensed small cells.