Ebay’s stocks suffered a 5 percent beating after reports surfaced of the internet auction company being in exclusive talks with the internet telephone company Skype seeking to buy it out for as much as $5 billion. It is also understood that the period of exclusivity is shortly due to lapse and that no agreement has yet been announced.

Bell Canada is rolling out two versions of its digital telephone service for consumers, a strategic response to cable firms attacks on its home territory.

VoIP growth is driven by the emergence -- generally -- of digital subscriber lines. Latin America is now emerging as a major digital subscriber line (DSL) market, adding 1.2 million subscribers from January to September 2004, a growth in subscribers of more than 72 percent, according to the DSL Forum.

VOICE-OVER Internet Protocol (VoIP) product maker Mobif Bhd expects to sell 50,000 units of its VTalkVoIP throughout Asia by December this year.

China Telecom, the nations largest fixed-line operator, is looking at ways to block phone calls made over the Internet such as the popular service offered by Skype, according to media reports.

Signing up with Germanys third biggest mobile network E-Plus, Skype has embarked on a global mobile strategy branching out from just providing PC-based VOIP solutions. Come October, Skype Technologies will launch its bundled with E-Plus subscription, allowing users the privilege of free Skype calls on the E-Plus’ global network that currently has 10 million users.

While some mobile operators plan to restrict users from making VoIP calls over their wireless data networks, Germanys E-Plus is encouraging VoIP through a deal it announced last week with Skype. Starting in October, subscribers to E-Plus flat rate data plan will receive Skype software as part of the service bundle.

Lucent Technologies ( NYSE: LU ) announced today that Hanaro Telecom, Koreas second largest wireline and broadband service provider, will deploy Lucents Voice over the Internet Protocol ( VoIP ) solution to offer advanced services to enterprise customers. Hanaro Telecom will be the first Korean carrier to offer carrier-based VoIP Services to businesses.

Following the completion of a six-month pilot, Kent will now have its own permanent WiMax network.Telabria, which set up a WiMax network in the Swale area of Kent earlier this year, has announced the pilot has become a permanent offering, potentially bringing high-speed broadband to 50,000 homes.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has named a task force to oversee the agencys Voice over IP (define) E911 mandate. Scheduled to begin meeting this month, the 10-member panel of FCC staff and National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) members are charged with developing educational materials, ensuring compliance, data collection and best practices.