This week Vodafone gave up on China and faced tax trouble in India, while the probes against Google mounted.

 

Vodafone sold out of China Mobile for $6.6 billion (€5.1 billion), roughly double the value of the stakes it bought in 2000 and 2002.

It promised an appeal after losing a $2.6 billion tax case in India over its acquisition of Hutchison’s Essar stake in 2007.

 

Google, already under scrutiny for the collection of private data on Street View, faced an antitrust probe from the US Department of Justice over its acquisition of travel software firm ITA, and another by the Texas Attorney General over page rankings.

 

Ericsson beefed up its US consultancy capabilities, and unveiled a LTE alliance with Motorola focused on public safety.

 

HP sued former CEO Mark Hurd to prevent him becoming president of rival Oracle.

 

Orange and T-Mobile enabled cross-network roaming on their merged UK networks.

 

The Australian NBN will begin its rollout in the countryside after the Labor government was returned to power with the support of rural MPs.

 

IDC lifted its smartphone forecast after new Android and iPhone launches sparked heavier than expected demand.

 

For the first time, Apple published guidelines for approval of app store apps.

 

Samsung and LG prepped dual-core smartphones with Samsung about to showcase its new Orion processor.

 

Deutsch Telekom wants to take full control of Greek incumbent OTE by 2012, chairman Panagis Vourloumis revealed.