Vivendi revenues up 24%, driven by 31.5% rise in sales at SFR (France)
French communications and entertainment group Vivendi reported a 23.7% year-on-year rise in consolidated revenues (22.1% at constant currency) to EUR6.5 billion (USD8.83 billion), as a result of strong performance from the likes of telecoms arm SFR and expected synergies delivered following recent acquisitions. Group EBITDA reached EUR1.4 billion, an increase of 15.8% (13.8% at constant currency) compared to the first quarter of 2008. Vivendi said adjusted net income was EUR649 million, down EUR48 million compared to the first quarter of 2008, mainly due to the increasing interest and share of earnings attributable to minority interests. Nonetheless, the company confirmed its 2009 outlook for strong growth of EBITA.
SFR’s revenues increased to EUR3.028 billion in the three months ended 31 March 2009, up by 31.5% compared to the same period in 2008, due to the consolidation of neuf Cegetel since 15 April 2008. On a comparable basis, SFR’s revenues decreased by 0.8% y-o-y, although excluding the impact of the decrease in switched voice revenues and equipment sales, SFR revenues increased by 1.4%, it said. Mobile turnover generated EUR2.181 billion in sales which Vivendi said was ‘stable’ due to a EUR22 million decrease in equipment sales to EUR77 million. Mobile service revenues, however, rose 1.2% year-on-year to EUR2.104 billion, driven by growth of the customer base and a sharp (36%) rise in data revenues following the launch of unlimited SMS and MMS offers, and strong development of mobile internet services in the mass market and enterprise segments. SFR added 118,000 net new mobile customers in January-March, equivalent to 51% of net additions in the period. Furthermore, SFR reported an improvement in its customer mix (+3.5 percentage points year-on-year to 69.6%), adding 178,000 new post-paid customers in the period to achieve 13.76 million contract customers at the end of March 2009. SFR launched the iPhone on 8 April, and says it has already sold 120,000 handsets.
SFR (including neuf Cegetel) reported broadband internet and fixed revenues of EUR934 million in 1Q09, down 2.7% compared to the same period in 2008 on a comparable basis. Broadband internet and fixed revenues increased by 2.3%, excluding the impact of the decrease in switched voice revenues. Aided by the launch of the ‘neufbox by SFR’, SFR added 163,000 net new broadband internet active customers in the period (or >30% of all quarterly net additions). At the end of March 2009 SFR’s broadband subscriber base totalled 4.042 million, up 9.3% compared to the same period in 2008. In addition, SFR had 164,000 Enterprise data links connected to the SFR network, 10.1% higher than a year earlier. SFR’s broadband internet and fixed EBITDA, including neuf Cegetel’s operations since 15 April 2008, decreased by EUR19 million on a comparable basis to EUR133 million.
Add comment May 15, 2009
life:) announces Q1 results (Ukraine)
Ukrainian wireless network operator life:) has published its results for the three months ended 31 March 2009, showing an annual 22.3% increase in subscribers to 11.5 million. Of the total, 8 million were deemed by the operator to be ‘active’, having made or received a call/SMS in the last three months. Revenues in the first quarter of 2009 were USD79.1 million, a 12.3% decrease compared to the same period of 2008. EBITDA was USD3.6 million, compared to USD2.1 million in the same period of 2008, while net losses were USD24.4 million, down from a loss of USD32.4 million in Q1 2008. General director of life:) Tansu Yegen said: ‘The first quarter of 2009 has been very challenging for the economy of Ukraine with the worsening macroeconomic situation seriously effecting the business. The national currency depreciated by around 52% against the US dollar as of 31 March 2009 compared to a year ago, although remained stable compared to the previous quarter.’
Add comment May 15, 2009
MTNL launches Mumbai 3G network, reveals network deal with Alcatel-Lucent (India)
State-owned Indian telco Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) has announced a deal with French-US hardware vendor Alcatel-Lucent that will see that latter provide its mobile next generation (NGN) solution. The deployment is a part of a multi-year agreement under which Alcatel-Lucent is providing an end-to-end GSM/EDGE solution to MTNL. Alcatel claims that its NGN product, which is based on a secure, distributed architecture, will allow MTNL to optimize and simplify its mobile network, flexibly address traffic growth, reduce operation costs and simplify network maintenance.
As part of the announcement MTNL announced that its 3G network had been launched in Mumbai, and said it was ready to offer service to both residential and enterprise customers. MTNL was the first operator to launch commercial 3G services in India in February 2009; the telco offers the service under the ‘Jadoo’ brand and it was initially available only in central areas of Delhi.
Add comment May 15, 2009
Ancel subscribers top 1.5 million (Uruguay)
Uruguayan state-owned telecoms operator Antel has announced its mobile unit Ancel has reached 1.5 million subscribers. Ancel is closing the gap between itself and rival cellco America Movil-owned Claro Uruguay, which had 1.459 million wireless subscribers at 31 March 2009. Ancel launched a GSM-1800 network including GPRS in Montevideo April 2004, with an EDGE upgrade initiated in the following October. Ancel first trialled 3G services in September 2005, in partnership with Chinese vendor Huawei. 3.5G services were launched in July 2007 in Montevideo and a year later its 3G network was available nationwide. Ancel plans to invest USD81 million in 2009, mainly to expand its GSM and 3G coverage.
Add comment May 15, 2009
SSTL and ZTE sign seven-year infrastructure deal (India)
Indian cellco Sistema Shyam TeleServices (SSTL) has announced that it has inked a seven-year deal with China’s ZTE for the provision of network equipment and infrastructure. Under the agreement ZTE will provide wireless and core network equipment for SSTL as the cellco looks to complete its pan-India rollout by 3Q 2010. Additionally, the two companies will ‘explore other collaborative possibilities going forward’. No financial details of the deal have been disclosed. SSTL has launched commercial CDMA-based services in the Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Kerala circles.
1 comment May 15, 2009
VIP doubles revenues; subs down after base ‘clean out’ (Macedonia)
Mobilkom Macedonia (VIP Mobile) doubled its revenues in the first quarter of this year, according to the financial report published by its parent Telekom Austria. In the three months under review VIP Mobile reported revenues of EUR3.9 million (USD5.3 million), compared with EUR1.8 million in the same time period last year. The strong rise was attributed to ‘high subscription fees’ as well as a significant increase in the number of customers on its books. Nevertheless, the company posted a net pre-tax loss of EUR4.3 million in the first three months of 2009, down from a loss of EUR6 million in the same time period last year. VIP Mobile, the third largest mobile operator in the Republic of Macedonia by subscribers, had 213,000 customers by 31 March 2009, compared to 163,300 customers a year earlier. The number of subscribers has declined from 242,000 at the end of December 2008 however, as a result of the firm removing inactive customers from its base.
Add comment May 15, 2009
Bharti Airtel reaches 100 mln mobile customers mark (India)
Add comment May 15, 2009
MasterCard to launch Mobile MoneySend platform
MasterCard is going to launch its P2P mobile remittance platform for issuers in the US later this month. MasterCard has partnered with The Bancorp Bank for this launch and worked with US mobile payments services provider Obopay to add a mobile channel to its money transfer platform MoneySend. In a first phase, consumers will be able to use MoneySend with a MasterCard prepaid card issued by The Bancorp Bank and link it to their mobile phone number to send or receive money. Banks who will use the platform will enable customers who register for MoneySend to use it with their everyday accounts, including MasterCard debit, credit, prepaid or checking, as determined by their issuer. The platform enables users to send and receive funds via SMS message, mobile web browser or a downloadable MoneySend application. Upon the initiation of the transfer, the sender approves the request by entering the MoneySend mobile PIN which is only known by the accountholder. Subsequently, the recipient receives a text message confirmation of the transfer (for pre-registered users) or that the transfer is pending (for yet to be registered users). The funds can then be accessed by the recipient through an account designated during the registration process. Initially, this will be a prepaid account with The Bancorp Bank. These funds are then available for access through the mobile phone. If the consumer has a MasterCard card associated with the account the funds can also be accessed at traditional points of interaction, including ATMs, over-the-counter at a bank branch, or at the point-of-sale.
Add comment May 15, 2009
Turkcell revenues down 18.5% (Turkey)
Turkey’s leading mobile operator by subscribers, Turkcell, has reported revenues of USD1.28 billion for the first quarter of 2009, an 18.5% year-on-year decline attributed by the cellco to depreciation of the Turkish lira against the US dollar. EBITDA for the three months ended 31 March fell by 18.2% to USD472 million, compared to USD577 million in the same period a year earlier. Net income was down 29.3% to USD344.2 million from USD486.8 million in 1Q 2008. ‘I am very pleased that Turkcell’s technology leadership, improved efficiency and customer focus resulted in solid financial results in the first quarter of 2009 despite the global economic downturn,’ Turkcell CEO Sureyya Ciliv said, ‘We plan to build on our strengths in technology, efficiency, and customer service. We are particularly excited about launching 3G services in Turkey within three months.’ The company added 1.3 million net new customers in the quarter, with 36.4 million users at the end of March.
Add comment May 15, 2009
Bouygues Q1 revenues climb 6% (France)
French mobile operator Bouygues Telecom posted a 6% increase in sales for the three months to 31 March 2009 on the back of solid subscriber growth. Sales from network services grew 5% year-on-year to EUR1.175 billion (USD1.603 billion), including a EUR9 million contribution from its fixed line business, it said. Bouygues added a net 144,000 new mobile customers in the first quarter of 2009, compared with 51,000 in the first quarter of 2008. As at 31 March 2009, Bouygues Telecom’s cellular user base totalled 9.739 million, of which 7.348 million were on post-paid contracts — 75.5% of the total customer base — a year-on-year increase of 1.7 percentage points.
Add comment May 14, 2009
3G licence auction put back five days (Chile)
Chilean telecoms regulator Subtel has extended the date for receiving and opening bids for 3G licences by five days, to 20 July writes BNamericas citing Subtel. The long-anticipated auction of UMTS concessions was launched in April, with bidding rules on sale until 30 June. In accordance with a Supreme Court ruling on 27 January, existing wireless players can participate in the spectrum auction, but if any company surpasses the 60MHz limit it is obliged to return some of its spectrum in other bands to the state. The three existing operators in the country are at or close to the limit: Entel PCS already has 60MHz, while Movistar and Claro have 55MHz each. Subtel has expressed that the intention of this measure is to allow a fourth operator to enter the market and focus expressly on offering 3G services.
1 comment May 14, 2009
Motorola signs frame agreement with China Mobile
Motorola has announced that it has signed a one-year frame agreement with China Mobile Communications Corporation (CMCC) to provide wireless equipment and services. The frame agreement’s projected shipment and services value is estimated to be USD310 million. Under the deal Motorola will supply GSM/GPRS/EDGE infrastructure and related services in various markets already served by its radio infrastructure equipment. The kit will be used by China Mobile to provide voice and data capacity and will ensure interoperability between the cellco’s GSM and TD-SCDMA networks. ‘Motorola has worked with China Mobile for more than 20 years,’ said Dr. Mohammad Akhtar, vice president and general manager of Home and Networks Mobility, Motorola China. ‘As a long-term strategic partner of China Mobile, Motorola is proud to continue being a part of its growth. Motorola has always been an innovator and pioneer in the mobile telecoms industry. With the comprehensive end-to-end portfolio that covers 2G, 3G and LTE, Motorola stands ready to support China Mobile in building a state-of-the-art network that maximises investments and delivers the most appealing communications experiences to its end users at home and on-the-go.’
Add comment May 14, 2009
Blyk denies reports it plans to discontinue retail services (UK)
British ad-funded mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Blyk has refuted claims that it is planning to discontinue its commercial retail services, Mobile Marketing Magazine reports. Blyk was responding to reports by another UK-based media outlet that said the operator was preparing the closure of its direct-to-consumer business in order to focus on operator partnerships. It is understood, however, that rather than exiting the consumer space, the MVNO plans to add a partnership model. A Blyk spokesperson, Ann Sarimo, was quoted as saying: ‘We are not closing shop. We are actively expanding, and we are in negotiations with partners right now. Our members are our core asset. Our total proposition is partly based on the advertising side of things, but it’s also about the whole user experience and audience management. We are not just a technology solution, we are a total mobile marketing solution, based in part on the advertising and messaging component, but it’s very much about a total experience and an audience of happy, engaged users.’
While Blyk originally offered 16-24 year olds 217 free texts and 43 minutes of free talk time each month in return for accepting targeted advertising on their phone each day, the company did change its model in January 2009. It now offers its customers GBP15 (USD22.8) free credit per month which can be used for either text messaging or voice calls.
Add comment May 14, 2009
Clearwire narrows losses, reports user growth, signs up Cisco (USA)
Clearwire, the US wireless broadband operator 51% owned by Sprint Nextel, has reported a narrowing of first-quarter losses to USD71.06 million, compared to a pro forma loss of USD76.44 million a year earlier (before Sprint and Clearwire unveiled their USD12 billion partnership to combine their planned nationwide mobile WiMAX networks). Revenue in the three months to the end of March 2009 rose 21% year-on-year to USD62.1 million. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, Clearwire provides broadband internet services in at least 50 markets nationwide via fixed wireless networks which utilise a combination of pre-WiMAX and true 802.16e mobile WiMAX technologies. Clearwire, which has so far launched commercial WiMAX in Baltimore and Portland, Oregon, reported that it added 25,000 subscribers in the first quarter, bringing its total base to 500,000 (up 57,000 year-on-year). The firm expects to add 802.16e networks in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Honolulu, Philadelphia and Seattle during 2009. The company said yesterday that it still plans to expand its ‘Clear 4G’ WiMAX service to 80 markets covering a potential 120 million customers by the end of 2010 but the plan could be altered depending on the availability of capital.
Also announced yesterday, Clearwire has selected Cisco as its national core infrastructure provider as it expands mobile WiMAX network coverage across the US. Clearwire’s all-IP network will be upgraded and extended under the deal, whilst separately, Cisco is also planning to move into the mobile WiMAX terminal device manufacturing market this year.
Add comment May 14, 2009
Vodafone, T-Mobile plan mobile VoIP tariffs (Germany)
Financial Times Deutschland reports that mobile operators Vodafone Germany and T-Mobile Deutschland may back down from their position that they would not sell Nokia handsets with the Voice-over-IP (VoIP) programme Skype included. The service currently allows users to make telephone calls for free, or more cheaply than traditional telephone providers. Both operators have said that they are looking into offering special tariffs for mobile VoIP use instead of blocking the services, which have been available for their mobile internet customers for six weeks.
T-Mobile announced in early April 2009 it would not allow its customers to use the new Skype application designed specifically for Apple’s iPhone. T-Mobile spokesperson, Alexander von Schmettow, said: ‘It is clearly stated in our customer contracts that such services may not be used. There are two reasons for this – because the high level of traffic would hinder our network performance, and because if the Skype programme didn’t work properly, customers would make us responsible for it.’
1 comment May 13, 2009
SingTel’s mobile customer base reaches 249m (Singapore)
Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) says it added 64 million net new customers (+35%) in the year to 31 March 2009, to take its combined regional mobile customer base to 249 million. The group’s aggregate mobile customer base in all eight markets – Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – grew 7.3%, or 17 million on a sequential quarterly basis despite the intense competition in the markets and the slowdown in the economies. Meanwhile, the proportionate mobile customer base rose 33% from a year ago or 7% from a quarter ago, it said.
SingTel’s regional associates continued to post double-digit customer growth of between 10% and 52% compared to a year ago. Bharti, India’s number one mobile phone operator by subscribers, posted the biggest jump in customers: its mobile base reached 93.9 million customers as at 31 March 2009, an increase of 52% from a year ago or 9.7% on a quarterly basis. Indonesian cellco Telkomsel increased its base by 41% or 20.8 million from a year ago, and added 6.8 million new customers in 1Q09 alone, and grew its market share by three percentage points to 49% by end-March. Thailand and the Philippines, classed as ‘more mature markets’ by SingTel, also posted strong mobile customer additions. AIS in Thailand added 2.5 million mobile subscribers, up 10%, while Globe added 4.5 million mobile customers or 21% more than a year ago. In Pakistan, Warid grew its total customer base by three million to 17.4 million, an increase of 21% from a year ago. PBTL’s total mobile customer base in Bangladesh was 1.9 million, an increase of 315,000, or 20% on 1Q08. Elsewhere, Australian subsidiary Optus’ mobile customer base expanded 9.1% from a year ago to 7.79 million as at 31 March 2009.
In its home market, SingTel extended its market share and leadership position in the mobile segment it said, adding 405,000 new customers, or 16% more from a year ago, bringing its total mobile customer base to 2.98 million and extending its market share to 46.4% as at 31 March 2009, an increase of three percentage points from a year ago. A total of 34,000 new mobile customers were added during the quarter, of which 22,000 were post-paid net additions. Demand for 3G services continued to remain strong, with 72,000 subscribers added. As at 31 March 2009, SingTel’s total 3G mobile subscriber base reached 1.21 million, it said.
Add comment May 13, 2009
Softbank tops mobile additions table for 24th month running (Japan)
Softbank Mobile added more new users than its rivals for the 24th month running in April, aided in part from a price reduction on the Apple iPhone 3G. Data published by the Telecommunications Carriers Association (TCA) of Japan showed that Softbank added a net 105,400 contracts last month, keeping its nose just ahead of fourth-placed eMobile with a net gain of 102,800. The TCA said eMobile’s performance was buoyed by the bundling of a low-priced mobile personal computer and a datacard, which attracted both business and residential customers. Market leader DoCoMo took third spot with a net gain of 89,300 and au-branded KDDI Corp gained 57,500. PHS operator Willcom meanwhile, reported a net decrease of 10,600.
Add comment May 13, 2009
UK mobile advertising expenditure doubles in 2008
Expenditure on mobile advertising in the UK exceeded market expectation in 2008 and grew 99.2 percent year-on-year to reach a total of GBP 28.6 million, according to a study by the Internet Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Investment in mobile advertising grew at a faster rate than predicted as more UK brands invested in the medium due to its exceptional targeting, immediacy and return on investment. Mobile display advertising, which includes banners, text links, tenancies pre/post roll and in-game, accounted for GBP 14.2 million in 2008, 49.8 percent of all mobile advertising spend. Paid-for search advertising on mobile internet was estimated to account for GBP 14.4 million, 50.2 percent of all mobile advertising spend. In 2008, online advertising rose to GBP 3.35 billion, accounting for 19.2 percent of all advertising spend. A bigger audience is a key driver for the growth, where mobile internet usage increased in 2008 from 8.6 million in December 2007 to over 11 million in December 2008, and people on unlimited data plans has grown by a massive 109 percent in 2008. Other key drivers include advertising on mobile phones, social networking driving growth of mobile internet usage, better and smarter handsets, growth in mobile departments and mobile advertising knowledge in the market. This survey represents solely mobile media spend, and therefore do not include mobile marketing expenditure such as SMS or MMS production and delivery costs.
Source- www.telecompaper.com
Add comment May 13, 2009
Cosmote to pay EUR 200 mln for Zapp Romania
Greek telecommunica group Cosmote has reportedly reached an agreement with Saudi Oger over the takeover of Romanian mobile operator Zapp, Business Standard Romania reports. Cosmote will pay a “little over” EUR 200 million for 100 percent of Telemobil shares, the company that owns Zapp Romania, and is expected to sign the deal next month. With this acquisition, Cosmote aims to obtain Zapp’s 3G licence for its Romanian subsidiary Cosmote Romania, which is the only Romanian mobile operator without a UMTS concession.
Source- www.telecompaper.com
Add comment May 13, 2009
AT&T Offering Phones, BlackBerrys On Rural Spectrum (USA)
AT&T announced that the 1.5 million subscribers it will acquire from Verizon Wireless will be shifted from Verizon’s CDMA network to AT&T’s GSM network within 12 months of the deal’s completion. The assets were previously owned and managed by Alltel, which was acquired by Verizon Wireless earlier this year for $28.1 billion. AT&T, which will pay $2.35 billion for the assets, said it will spend another $400 million on the switchover. The AT&T-Verizon deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2009, AT&T said. Subscribers in the mostly rural regions will be able to receive mobile broadband on AT&T smartphones, including iPhones and BlackBerry Bolds, after the transition is completed, the company indicated in an announcement late Friday. In a smaller deal in the wireless-infrastructure musical chairs exercises between the two largest U.S. wireless carriers, AT&T said it will sell some wireless assets of Centennial Communications to Verizon Wireless.
1 comment May 13, 2009
Al Jazeera Mobile launches in South Africa
Al Jazeera Mobile delivers global news headlines and updates to South African subscribers via SMS messages. As an alternative to conventional international news channels, with a news focus on key stories from the Southern hemisphere, Al Jazeera Mobile is well positioned to enter the dynamic South African market. Al Jazeera’s English-language television news channel is already broadcast to over 140 million homes globally, which includes 25 million households in Africa. The total number of mobile subscribers in South Africa is set to increase from 49 million in 2008 to 55.3 million in 2010, making the country a priority market for Al Jazeera Mobile. Mobile users are now able to choose from Al Jazeera Mobile’s Politics, Sports, Economics and Breaking News services for key updates straight to their mobile phones or PDA’s.
Add comment May 11, 2009
AT&T to acquire mobile assets from Verizon Wireless (USA)
AT&T has agreed to acquire mobile assets from Verizon Wireless for USD 2.35 billion in cash. AT&T will acquire mobile properties, including licences, network assets and 1.5 million current subscribers in 79 service areas, primarily in rural areas across eighteen states. Verizon Wireless is required to divest these properties as part of the regulatory approvals granted for its purchase of Alltel earlier this year. The states represented are Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. While the transaction primarily represents former Alltel assets, but it also includes assets from Verizon Wireless and the former Rural Cellular. AT&T expects integration costs for network conversion, amortisation of intangible assets and subscriber migration to result in dilution to EPS of approximately USD 0.06 per share in the first year after closing and to improve thereafter. Network conversion from Verizon’s CDMA network to GSM technology and transition of the operations to AT&T is expected to take no longer than 12 months from the date the transaction closes and to result in an additional planned capital investment of approximately USD 400 million over 2009 and 2010. The transaction is contingent upon regulatory approval and is expected to close in the fourth quarter. AT&T has also agreed to sell certain mobile assets of Centennial Communications to Verizon Wireless for USD 240 million.
Add comment May 11, 2009
Android Smartphone Shipments to Grow Faster Than Apple’s iPhone
According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global Android smartphone shipments will grow 900 percent in 2009. Healthy support from operators, vendors and developers is driving adoption. Apple iPhone OS will be the next fastest-growing smartphone operating system in 2009, with a 79 percent growth rate. Tom Kang, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “We forecast global Android smartphone shipments to grow an impressive 900 percent annually during 2009. The Android mobile operating system from Google gained early traction in the United States in the second half of 2008 and it is gradually spreading its presence into Europe and Asia during 2009. Android is expanding from a low base and it is consequently outgrowing the iPhone OS from Apple, which we estimate will grow at a relatively lower 79 percent annually in 2009.”Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Android has fast been winning healthy support among operators, vendors and developers. A relatively low-cost licensing model, its semi-open-source structure and Google’s support for cloud services have encouraged companies such as HTC, Motorola, Samsung, T Mobile, Vodafone and others to support the Android operating system. Android is now in a good position to become a top-tier player in smartphones over the next two to three years.”
Add comment May 11, 2009
NZ Communications rebrands as 2degrees Mobile
NZ Communications has rebranded as 2degrees Mobile ahead of its launch as New Zealand’s third mobile network operator in August. 2degrees CEO Mike Reynolds said that the mobile network will provide 97 percent population coverage in New Zealand with its Huawei-built 3G network. The new brand “pays homage to the closeness of Kiwi connections”, the company said. Building on the notion of six degrees of separation between each person in the world, the company claims New Zealanders have a much shorter connection of just two degrees with each person in the country. 2degrees is inviting customers to pre-register for its service at the company’s website.
Add comment May 11, 2009
Telenor acquires Danish mobile service provider Bibob
Telenor Denmark acquired mobile service provider BiBoB for DKK 93 million. The acquisition strengthens Telenor’s position via its subsdiary Sonofon on the Danish mobile market, adding 69,000 customers. The acquisition will not affect BiBoBs customers or employees, and BiBoB will remain a separate brand focussing on low-cost mobile services. The acqusition does not need approval from the Danish competition authority and has been completed. Sonofon had 1.833 million mobile customers on 31 March of this year.
Add comment May 11, 2009
Leap Wireless adds 493,000 new subscribers (USA)
Leap Wireless reported a hefty increase in its net new subscribers for the first quarter.However, it still came in behind competing wireless operator MetroPCS. Both companies have benefited from the current economic slowdown as mobile customers defect to their flat-rate, no-contract wireless services instead of sticking with landlines or high-end plans. MetroPCS appears to be doing a bit better than Leap after posting a net profit and higher customer additions in its latest quarter, although its churn rate and ARPU (average revenue per user) come in behind Leap’s. Leap added 493,000 new subscribers while MetroPCS plowed its way ahead with an additional 684,000 customers in the same period, and it expanded into highly-populated markets in New York and Boston and covered an additional 15 million people.Leap launched service in Chicago and Philadelphia toward the end of the first quarter, covering an additional 17 million people and adding 193,300 customers in those new markets.
Add comment May 11, 2009
Six operators to launch LiMo handsets this year
Six operators will launch mobile phones based on the LiMo operating system this year, announced the LiMo Foundation, an industry group promoting Linux software for mobile services. The operators planning LiMo devices include NTT Docomo, Orange, SK Telecom, Telefonica, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone. Further active operator participants in the LiMo Foundation include KTF, SFR, Softbank Mobile, Swisscom and Telecom Italia. To date 33 commercial handset models have been certified as LiMo Compliant, of which 10 will be on display at the Mobile World Congress by NEC and Panasonic. LG and Samsung will also show new prototype models at MWC in Barcelona.
The LiMo Foundation also announced that all technologies specified for the R2 release of the LiMo Platform have been contributed on time, and LiMo members are currently introducing reference implementations for devices. The LiMo Reference Implementations will include code specified within both LiMo Platform R1 and LiMo Platform R2. This code includes source code contributions from members as well as components originating from open source communities. LiMo Reference Implementation contributors include Access, Azingo, LG Electronics, Purple Labs and Samsung Electronics. The latest technologies in the LiMo Platform include support for features such as advanced multimedia, location-based services, device management and enhanced security. The LiMo Foundation also announced its endorsement of the OMTP Bondi specification, which future LiMo handsets using a web runtime will support for widgets.
Add comment February 11, 2009
One in three iPhone users use LBS in Q4
Users of Apple’s iPhone are more than twice as likely as non-iPhone users to browse the mobile web and more than three times as likely to use LBS or a location-based social network, according to a mobile advertising report by Limbo. The report suggests that advertisers can reach iPhone users with mobile campaigns more easily than with other platforms, with more than 80 percent of iPhone users taking advantage of non-voice mobile data services, compared to just over 60 percent of non-iPhone users. One in ten mobile phone users in the US used a location-based service such as a map, friend or restaurant finder in the fourth quarter. The 25-34 age group saw the highest levels of interest in this type of offering, with 22 percent penetration. In contrast, iPhone users are four times as likely to recall LBS ads as non-iPhone users. While 33 percent of mobile consumers recall seeing mobile advertisements, 41 percent of iPhone users recall seeing mobile ads, according to the survey. The vast majority of these ads were seen in SMS text messages, twice as much as mobile web ads, which are the second most common mobile ad viewed. Significantly fewer consumers see other forms of mobile advertising unless they have an iPhone.
Add comment February 11, 2009
Alltel continues with services until buyer found
US cellular operator Alltel has confirmed that it is continuing to provide services to the 2.2 million customers in 22 states which Verizon Wireless has agreed to divest under the terms of its USD28.1 billion acquisition of Alltel. Alltel says these subscribers will have no change to their services while a buyer for the networks is sought. Verizon leapfrogged AT&T to take the number one spot in the US wireless market when it bought out Alltel; AT&T is hoping to close the gap by acquiring the operations in the markets now being divested. These have been valued at around USD3 billion.
Add comment February 11, 2009
Ghana to push on with MNP; GT to install SIM phones in 250 communities
Ghana’s Minister-Nominee for Communications Haruna Iddrisu said yesterday he would forge ahead quickly with plans to usher in mobile number portability (MNP) to improve consumer choice and drive down prices. Iddrisu reportedly made the promise when he was being vetted by the Parliamentary Appointments Committee for the position of Minister of Communications. ‘It is time for the regulation regime to make it possible for mobile phone users to be able to migrate from one network to the other with the whole of the phone numbers, including the network code and I think that it is about time the National Communications Authority (NCA) brought MNP on,’ he said.
In a separate story, Ghana Telecom (GT) says its mobile arm GT-OneTouch will install SIM phones in 250 rural communities across the country by July 2009. GT says its new majority shareholder Vodafone has spent the last six months investing heavily in its networks, services and staff to improve telecoms services in the country.
Add comment February 11, 2009
Pre-paid users required to register from April (Mexico)
A requirement for pre-paid mobile phone users in Mexico to register their details with network operators has become law this week, coming into effect from April. Last September the Senate passed a bill saying that service providers have one year to register their existing customer base and collect proof of identity for all new sales. The move, largely an anti-crime measure, has been implemented in many other countries, often resulting in as much as a 10% fall in the overall subscriber base.
Add comment February 11, 2009
MagtiCom launches mobile WiMAX service (Georgia)
Georgian cellco MagtiCom has launched a mobile WiMAX service for residential and business customers, according to a press release by Cisco. MagtiCom, which is 50.1% owned by US-based Metromedia International Group, is deploying an internet protocol next-generation network (IP NGN) supplied by Cisco, that integrates mobile voice and WiMAX services into a single network. MagtiCom currently offers broadband internet via WiMAX in ten cities across the country including the capital, Tbilisi. By the end of 2009 it plans to cover all major cities and regional areas of Georgia with WiMAX broadband services. Kaan Terzioglu, vice president of Cisco for Eastern Europe, said: ‘WiMAX is an ideal technology for providing vast territories with mobile internet access. Citizens and companies across Georgia can now enjoy the benefits of connectivity, be it for business, education, health care or new online services.’
Add comment February 10, 2009
AsiaBell launches Kazakh WiMAX
The Kazakh ISP AsiaBell has launched its mobile WiMAX network in the Karaganda region of central Kazakhstan using equipment supplied by Cisco. The service, which is branded AERO, is being targeted at business and residential users in a region which is home to approximately one million people. AsiaBell chose Cisco’s end-to-end Broadband Wireless Solution, including an Internet Protocol IP Multiprotocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) network core, which was integrated with the public switched telephone network (PSTN). AsiaBell also offers subscribers Cisco modems for use with desktop and portable computers. Stepan Vadyunin, CEO of AsiaBell, commented: ‘In 2009, we plan to expand AERO further across several regions of Kazakhstan and add video to our offering.’
Add comment February 10, 2009
MVNOs to enter Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s assistant minister for communication, Zeljko Knezevic, has announced that mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) will ‘soon’ be allowed to enter the country’s telecoms market, according to local news source Nezavisne Novine. A new telecoms policy (‘2008–2012’), which comes into force today, stipulates that the regulator must define licence conditions for MVNOs by the end of 2010.
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NSN completes 3G project for Telefonica
Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has announced in a press release that it has completed the implementation of a 3G network expansion for Telefonica that increases coverage, improves service quality, and reduces costs of the operator’s Spanish network. Via the project, coverage has been improved by ‘more than 25%’ in dense urban areas, whilst other improvements have been made to energy efficiency and environmental impact. With the implementation of NSN’s 3G Flexi Base Station, Telefonica expects to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 9,500 tonnes per year. NSN also provided network and services managing, monitoring and analysing.
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Econet Wireless pushes ahead
Zimbabwean GSM operator Econet Wireless is aiming to increase its network capacity beyond its previously announced target of 1.2 million subscriber lines by the end of this year, reports IT News Africa. Econet’s corporate communications manager, Rangarirai Mberi, said that the company is working closely with its technical partners including Ericsson and ZTE to complete the current phase of expansion, whilst ‘work is already under way for further expansion to drive capacity beyond this level.’
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ETECSA records 60% increase in wireless subscribers (Cuba)
Cuba’s state-owned telecoms monopoly, Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA), announced its wireless subscriber base has increased by 60% to 480,000, up from 300,000 since the government opened up the service to the public in April 2008. Until President Raul Castro lifted a ban, mobile phones were only available to tourists and government officials. Nearly 8,000 subscribers were registered in the first ten days after the restrictions were relaxed. The government recently lowered the activation charge from USD120 to USD64, though this remains higher than most Cubans can afford, representing three months wages for the average worker.
In a separate story, government officials have stated that Cuba will continue to limit internet access after the completion of a 1,550km fibre-optic cable linking the island to Venezuela. The country currently connects to the internet via satellite as a result of the US trade embargo. Boris Moreno, deputy minister of computer science and communication, said that Cuba, with a population of around 11.4 million, has 1.4 million internet users, and that by the end of 2008 there were 630,000 computers, a 23% increase compared to end-2007.
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Mobile Handset sales in Turkey hit by economic crisis
Mobile phone sales in Turkey are being hit by the global economic downturn, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reports. Recep Uzelli, chairman of the executive board of Teleses, a solution partner of GSM operator Turkcell, is quoted as saying: ‘In 2007, 11,488,000 mobile phones were sold in Turkey. An average of 957,000 mobile phones were sold every month. But in January this year, only 700,000 mobile phones were sold.’ He added: ‘In the past two months, imports of mobile phones dropped by 40% in Turkey.’
Add comment February 10, 2009
Romania- WiMAX sale fails
Romania’s telecoms regulator ANC has revealed that it received no final bids for the two 3.6GHz licences that are on offer, despite receiving preliminary applications from six firms. ‘Signals from the market indicate that the main problem with these frequencies is their price, which the operators find too high. We will propose the Government a lower licence fee and then re-launch the granting process, as soon as possible’, ANC President Liviu Nistoran said in a statement. The licences will be used to provide WiMAX wireless broadband services; a third concession has already been handed to SNR in return for it agreeing to hand back the spectrum it already held in the 3.6GHz-3.8GHz band. The six companies that bought Terms of Reference for the tender were: Asesoft International, Comcore Management, Cosmote Romanian Mobile Telecommunications, Media Sat, RCS&RDS and Vodafone Romania.
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Time Warner WiMAX (USA)
Time Warner Cable says it hopes to launch WiMAX wireless broadband services to customers in at least one US city later this year. The firm is one of three US cablecos to be partnering WiMAX operator Clearwire, which is aiming to deploy high speed wireless networks in cities across the US. Time Warner plans to offer its customers packages of cable broadband, TV and phone services coupled with WiMAX-based wireless internet access.
Add comment February 10, 2009
