Oslo - Norwegian telecommunications group Telenor Wednesday posted an increase in pre-tax profit and sales for the second quarter of 2008.

Pre-tax profit was 5.2 billion kroner (1 billion dollars), compared to 3.8 billion kroner for the corresponding business period of
2007.

Second-quarter sales were 23.8 billion kroner, up from 23.1

billion kroner from a year ago, the group said.

The sums included earnings from its company Kyivstar in Ukraine, where Telenor has been engaged in protracted measures to get audited financial information about the operator.

BSNL is poised to launch a telecom expansion overdrive in rural India. The government owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has unveiled a majestic plan to expand in rural India, a big emerging market after the saturation in urban telecom market in the country.

India has seen the fastest growth in telephone density in recent time. This has propelled BSNL, the largest telecom service provider in the country, to take some actions in order to preserve its top position.

State-owned PSU, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is strengthening its share in rural India.

This time, BSNL has come up with a new scheme for rustic regions of Uttar Pradesh.

Under this novel plan a landline connection will be available at monthly installments of just Rs 20. This scheme is exclusively for those living in rustic areas of Uttar Pradesh.
 
Mr. Rajech Kumar, BSNL general manager for marketing in the state, said, “The upcoming scheme will be exclusively launched in the villages in August.”

London, July 18: Reliance Communications proposed tie-up with South Africa’s telecom giant MTN could be derailed after corporate war between Ambani brothers intensified and arbitration proceedings

Bangalore-based Kavveri Telecom Products plans to raise US$10 million to fund its inorganic growth plans for fiscal 2009 as well as to meet the capex needs of Rs. 8 crore.

Hanoi - Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security has teamed up with a Russian mobile phone operator to set up the communist country's seventh mobile phone network, an official said Wednesday.

Russia's second largest mobile phone operator, Vimpelcom, signed an agreement to set up the network with the Global Telecommunications Corporation under the public security ministry on Tuesday in Hanoi, said the official.

The joint venture jumps into the market alongside the Ministry of National Defence, which currently owns the largest mobile network, Viettel, with more than 40 per cent market share.