Vodafone eyes bid for India's Hutchison Essar
Vodafone Group confirmed its interest Friday in bidding for India's No. 4 wireless carrier, Hutchison Essar, and is expected to set aside nearly $14 billion, The Times reports. India's No. 2 wireless operator, Reliance Communications, already has lined up financing for its offer, and the potential high-stakes bidding war indicates how valuable the world's fastest-growing wireless market is, analysts say. The Times (London) (subscription required) (12/22), NYTimes.com (12/22), The Wall Street Journal (12/23)  
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BT awards $1 billion outsourcing contract to Indian firm
BT Group plc has awarded a five-year, $1 billion offshore services contract to Tech Mahindra. Under the terms of the agreement, which is the largest of its kind to date, Tech will provide BT with internal IT support and act as a third-party contractor on some managed services. TechWeb Network (12/21)
Top telecom, cable firms add 2.5 million broadband subs
The top 20 telecom and cable operators added more than 2.5 million net additional broadband customers during the third quarter, the Leichtman Research Group reports. Telecoms have added nearly 1.5 million more subscribers than cable over the past two years, the report found. The Hollywood Reporter/Mediaweek (12/22)
AT&T brings U-verse to Bay Area
AT&T now offers its U-verse IPTV and broadband service to parts of San Ramon, Danville, Cupertino and Saratoga, Calif. The service includes up to 300 channels, including 25 in HD, and offers Internet speeds of up to 6 mbps. The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) (12/21)
Motorola enhances ability to deliver video with Tut buy
Motorola is buying Tut Systems in an effort to deliver advanced video services to clients, including those focused on IPTV. The deal is valued at $39 million. CNET (12/21)
RIM's third-quarter profit rises 47%
Research In Motion reported a third-quarter profit of $176 million, up from a year-earlier profit of $120.1 million, helped by strong sales of its consumer-focused Pearl. The lucrative smartphone market is becoming more competitive as Motorola and Nokia offer their own devices and make acquisitions. The Wall Street Journal (12/22), NYTimes.com/Reuters (12/21), Bloomberg Businessweek (12/22)
EarthLink launches Wi-Fi in two more cities
EarthLink now offers citywide Wi-Fi service in New Orleans and Milpitas, Calif. The ISP also plans to build Wi-Fi networks in Philadelphia and San Francisco. CNET (12/21)
Growth surge seen for mobile social networks
Membership in mobile social networks is expected to triple from 50 million this year to 174 million by 2011, ABI Research predicts. "There's a direct revenue benefit to the carriers," said Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin. "As people use these sites, they sign up for richer data plans. And they're using their phones for more things, so they're more likely to use other services." E-Commerce Times (12/21)
What was big for mobile in 2006
This CNET feature packages the big stories that affected mobile communications in 2006. Topics include mobile search, pretexting, WiMAX and tracking services. CNET (12/22)
Google teams with VoIP for click-to-talk
Google is calling on VoIP to provide click-to-talk technology to support its Google Maps service, and on a more limited basis, Google's AdWords in India. VoIP also signed on to help create a marketing campaign for NBC's "30 Rock" TV show. Telephony Online (12/20)
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The dailyLead will not be published Monday
In observance of Christmas in the U.S., the dailyLead will not be published Monday, Dec. 25. Publication will resume on Tuesday.
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