Asia Pacific

Vodafone chief executive Vittorio Colao has hinted at closer ties between his company, China Mobile and Verizon Wireless, two operators in which the UK-based group has minority stakes.

Cellular News reports that China Unicom has launched a mobile phone-based payment service - 'Cqpass' -  in the city of Chongqing which enables users to use their phone to pay for transport tickets and at various retailers.

Pakistani mobile operator Warid Telecom has been given a cash injection of some US$250 million by its two main shareholders Abu Dhabi Group and Singapore's SingTel.

Nokia - the world's largest handset vendor - today unveiled its first phone based on TD-SCDMA, China's domestic 3G standard, at an event in Beijing.

China Mobile - the world's largest operator by subscribers - remains upbeat on its growth potential and is searching for acquisition opportunities, reports Reuters.

Japanese electronics giant NEC is to cut 20,000 workers worldwide as it tries to curb widening losses from semiconductors and other businesses, which have been hard hit by competition and the global economic slump, reports Associated Press.

Reuters reports that China Mobile, the world's largest mobile operator, agreed to pay CNY1,000 (US$146) to a subscriber to settle a lawsuit over its mandatory fees, potentially opening the door to a flood of similar complaints.