Morning Edition: Telco deals and Wembley is going, going... gone

First up, the Financial Times believes Japan's largest mobile phone operator, NTT DoCoMo, is about to secure a stake in AT&T Wireless. The deal has been made possible by AT&T's commitment to break the company into four separate units. According to the paper, NTT is looking at a 10 to 20 per cent stake at a cost of up to $10bn.

The news, while seemingly a major coup for the Japanese operator, sent stock tumbling 4 per cent on early trading on the Nikkei...

Money moving the other way comes in the form of Cable & Wireless' decision to invest £900m in the development of a Japanese fibre optic network. The money will be ploughed in over the next five years and will lead to the creation of 1,000 jobs.

The Daily Telegraph describes the move as the latest stage in the transformation of C&W into "a major artery for high-speed internet traffic"...

Away from telecoms the Financial Times suggests the BBC is considering putting ads on its website. The commercial arm of the state-owned broadcaster's internet interests, beeb.com, already carries advertisements but director general, Greg Dyke said he was looking at how much revenue could be generated on bbc.co.uk.

The move is bound to cause outcry among owners of commercial news sites (did someone say silicon.com?) as the BBC would inevitably be a major draw to potential advertisers. It might also upset consumers who already pay a £104 licence fee for a commercial-free service...

Speaking of British institutions, Wembley Stadium went under the hammer last night courtesy of QXL.com. The Guardian reports how the online auction-house conducted the sale of everything from flags to the 39 steps past FA Cup winners ascended to collect their medals.

As Wembley faces the bulldozers, QXL will be hoping the sale boosts its own prospect of survival. Started by a journalist of all people, QXL has seen its share price fall 96 per cent over the last 12 months...