Cellular South brings Android handset

Cellular South says it will offer an Android handset later this year - a significant milestone for the Android mobile operating system, as it marks the first time a regional carrier has revealed Android plans, writes CNET News.

Kevin Hankins, COO of Mississippi-based Cellular South, said in a statement that his company is excited to offer customers the diversity of new and exciting applications from the open source Android platform.

"Our customers will be able to easily access thousands of meaningful applications that will add tremendous value to their mobile experience and lifestyle," he said.

With the proliferation of ever more capable smartphones, many security experts are predicting the cellular world will be the new malware frontier, states Ars Technica.

Always-on Internet connections and direct SMS messages do provide a lot of opportunities for external parties to inject malware into a user's phone.

But in what may be developing into the most disturbing instance in the relatively short history of cellular malware, BlackBerry users in the United Arab Emirates have had a spyware package placed on their devices through the actions of their carrier, which claimed it was necessary for a service upgrade.

The Indian department of telecom (DOT) may stop issuing any more cellular licences given the scarcity in spectrum, reports The Hindu Business Line.

As a first step towards imposing a cap on licences, DOT has sought the telecom regulator's view on whether more operators should be allowed to enter the market.

“In view of the fact that sufficient competition seems to be already in place and spectrum is a scarce resource and to ensure that adequate quantity of spectrum is available to licensees, to enable their services and maintain the quality of service, the government is to take a view on the policy of no capping on the number of access service providers in each service area,” said a DOT letter to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.