China steps up network convergence

Chinese premier Wen Jiabao has urged government to step up the convergence of telecommunications, broadcasting and networking, states People's Daily Online.

China will be speeding up network convergence from 2010 to 2012 in a trial project that will be rolled out in some cities, before being unveiled nationally from 2013 to 2015.

Michael Meng, an analyst at Citigroup Global Markets, says: “The new convergence policy will introduce competition into the broadband Internet access market; the only growth engine for fixed-line operators, which have also enjoyed a near monopoly in their own territory."

Global securities and investment banking group, Jefferies and Company, claims Microsoft will roll out the Zune phone or the Pink phone at the Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona next month, says IT Pro Portal.

A Zune-like smartphone by the software giant has long been rumoured as Microsoft's Windows Mobile smartphone operating system has been struggling against Apple and RIM.

Katherine Egbert, an analyst with Jefferies and Company, says: “Our recent industry checks indicate Microsoft will be debuting its own phone sometime in the next two months.”

Kenya has expressed concerns that convergence will threaten traditional broadcasting, following the country's migration to digital broadcasting within the next three years, reports Business Daily Africa.

Kenyan companies are already eyeing the Internet as a new channel through which local productions can be aired online.

Kenya Data Networks, Safaricom, Symbiotic and KenTV are some of the companies who hope to ride on the growth of Internet services in the country to boost their revenue streams in coming months.