Posts Tagged 3G
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Add comment February 10, 2009
Vodafone, Hutchison Whampoa to Merge Australian Networks
Vodafone and Hutchison Whampoa have announced plans to merge their Australian networks to form a single mobile operator. Both companies will own 50% of the joint venture – which will retain the Vodafone brand name, although they retain the rights to the “three” brand as well. To equalise the value difference between the respective businesses, Vodafone will receive a deferred payment of A$500 million (US$337 million) from the joint venture company, VHA (Vodafone Hutchison Australia).
Utilising existing network arrangements and planned network build, VHA will operate a mobile network with at least 95% population coverage, of which 63% will have access to 3G services. Upon completion of additional network roll outs, VHA’s 3G population coverage is planned to increase to 95%.Based on figures from the Mobile World subscriber tracker, the merged firm would ended last September with a shade over 6 million customers – representing 26.3% of the market. It will still be the smallest of (now) three operators in the country – close behind Optus’ 7.4 million and Telstra’s 9.5 million customers.
Add comment February 10, 2009
Vodafone prepares USUSD2B loan in India
Vodafone Essar, the UK-based group’s Indian subsidiary, is in the process of a raising a INR100 billion (USD2 billion) bridge loan to finance its participation in India’s forthcoming 3G spectrum auctions. According to banking sources, Vodafone has appointed SBI Capital Markets to arrange the loan from a range of banks. “Canara Bank has approved INR7.5 billion for Vodafone, and the rest of the money will come from other banks,” a source said. An unnamed Vodafone source added that the financing would also be used for network expansion. However, Vodafone Essar declined to offcially comment on the story.
According to the report, there is still no official date for the start of India’s long-awaited 3G auctions, which are now thought unlikely to happen prior to India’s general elections, which need to take place before May. A Mumbai-based telecom analyst added that Vodafone would have little trouble raising the INR100 billion, suggesting that the operator should be able to secure an interest rate of around 8.5 percent. India is a key market for Vodafone, accounting for around 65 percent of the 9.7 million net new customers it added in its most recent.
Add comment February 10, 2009
TDC and NEC ink femtocell agreement (Denmark)
TDC Mobil, Denmark’s largest wireless network operator by subscribers, has announced plans to roll out a femtocell platform supplied by NEC before end-2009. Chief technical officer of TDC Mobile, Flemming Hynkemejer, said: ‘We look forward to evaluating the results of the femtocell trial. Femtocell technology promises to provide our customers with a number of advantages, primarily improved 3G coverage and capacity indoors. This will give them an even better experience and access to more services.’ He explained that the company will soon be able to offer customers femtocell access points; small plug-and-play consumer devices, to enable localised 3G coverage in their home while using their broadband connection as a backhaul. TDC Mobil had a subscriber base of over 3 million at end-September 2008, including half a million 3G subscribers.
Add comment February 9, 2009
Armed forces 3G spectrum release faces delay (India)
In another blow to the much-delayed 3G auction process in India, the Economic Times is reporting that the Indian army is now claiming that it cannot release spectrum needed for commercial 3G services in a phased manner as had previously been agreed. The armed forces are in possession of spectrum which is expected to be vacated and then reallocated to successful 3G licencees. However, the defence forces now say that they will only release the frequencies after Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) completes the rollout of all three alternative networks for them. BSNL is due to complete new infrastructure for the Army, Air Force and Navy in 2011. The original agreement between the communications and defence ministries called for a phased vacation of the spectrum by the armed forces; with BSNL expecting to complete the Air Force Network (AFNET) by June this year the communications ministry called for the Air Force spectrum to be vacated by that date. It is understood that a group of ministers (GoM) will now consider the fate of the spectrum, ruling on whether the original phased release will be enforced. Additionally, the GoM will examine the case for funding the INR146 billion (USD3.02 billion) alternative networks, with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) expected to clear the project’s funding only after it is endorsed by the ministers.
Add comment February 9, 2009
Official: 3G auction will go ahead (Thailand)
The board of Thailand’s National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has decided that it will award 3G mobile licences via an auction, scheduled for the third quarter of this year, reports The Nation. NTC secretary-general Suranan Wongvithayakamjorn said that a public auction is the most transparent method of frequency allocation, and one that has been adopted by many countries. The regulator must now conclude the auction terms and conditions, including minimum bid price, number of concessions, fee payment method and licence validity period, within the next two or three weeks, he said. Licensing terms of reference must be put to a public hearing. A pre-bidding conference will also be held to allow telecoms operators to learn more about the process. Suranan said the duration of the 3G permits should be at least ten years, and applicants should be Thai nationals. An NTC source recently said that four 2100MHz UMTS licences will be awarded, three with 10MHz of bandwidth and one 15MHz block. Some telecom operators have opposed using the auction method, because of the possibility of being outbid by cash-rich international firms. State-owned Thai Mobile is the only holder of 2100MHz spectrum in the country, but has failed to roll out services. Cellular market leader Advanced Info Service (AIS) launched a small scale commercial UMTS network in the 900MHz band in May 2008 and expanded the service to Bangkok in December. Second placed operator DTAC has proposed a limited launch of UMTS services using 850MHz frequencies, whilst third-ranked True Move plans to launch its first commercial 3G services in Bangkok this April, using 800MHz spectrum.
Add comment February 6, 2009
China Unicom turns to Spanish partner for 3G advice
China Unicom and Telefonica have signed a framework cooperation agreement on the development of 3G in the People’s Republic. The agreement aims at enhancing cooperation in the mobile communications, W-CDMA, broadband application, international business, marketing and corporate services arenas.
Telefonica’s interest in Unicom is by virtue of the Chinese company’s recent merger with China Netcom, in which the Spaniards had a 7.22% stake. In September 2008 Telefonica announced that it would boost its stake in China Netcom by 2.7% for EUR368 million, prior to Netcom merging with China Unicom. The Spanish firm subsequently purchased an additional 3.03% stake of the unified company for between EUR392 million and EUR434 million from AllianceBernstein. Telefonica now owns more than 5.5% of the combined China Unicom-China Netcom, and is the company’s single largest private investor.
Add comment February 6, 2009
Wana awarded third 2G licence (Morocco)
The prime minister of Morocco has approved the award of the country’s third 2G mobile licence to Wana, a subsidiary of domestic conglomerate Omnium Nord Afrique (ONA), after studying a recommendation by the National Agency of Telecommunications Regulation (ANRT). The award follows the launch of a tender by the ANRT on 30 October 2008, in accordance with its plan for the development of the telecoms sector and a decision by the regulator’s board in May 2008. After Wana submitted a bid by a deadline of 6 January 2009, an evaluation of its offer was made on technical and economic aspects, including commitments on infrastructure, coverage, quality of service, the diversity of product offerings and coherency of its business plan.
The 15-year nationwide licence includes frequencies in the 1800MHz band suitable for GSM-based services, but is technology-neutral. Wana (formerly Maroc Connect) won a 3G licence in July 2006, which it added to an existing concession to offer CDMA-based services, and will join rivals Maroc Telecom and Meditel in the 2G GSM-based market. According to the ANRT, the concession winner must undertake to make a significant investment and provide innovative services to meet market expectations and contribute to the improvement of telecoms facilities in Morocco. In addition to direct financial investment, Wana must help finance the redevelopment of the frequency spectrum under a budget of MAD36 million (USD4.6 million), the regulator said in its report.
Add comment February 5, 2009
3 Sweden to get 2G frequencies under new PTS proposals
Swedish regulator the PTS is launching a public consultation on a draft decision for the allocation of GSM 900MHz frequencies. The proposal states that all existing GSM-900 licences will be renewed, but that in addition, all of the available spectrum space in the 900MHz band will be allocated, to allow 3G-only cellco Hi3G Access Sweden (3) to gain access to 2G spectrum for the first time. 3, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, currently uses third-party roaming to provide its users with full nationwide 2G/3G services. Current GSM-900 licences of TeliaSonera, Tele2, Telenor and Swefour expire at the end of 2010. The draft decision will be published on the PTS’s website next week.
Add comment February 5, 2009
MTNL set for India’s first commercial 3G launch
Despite ongoing delays in the auction process for 3G spectrum in India, Mahanagar Nigam Telecom Ltd (MTNL) looks set to become the first operator to launch UMTS services commercially, the Economic Times reports. The state-owned telco has announced that it will launch its next generation services, offered under the Jadoo brand, on 5 February in central Delhi, including the Connaught Place, India Gate, Pragati Madan, Delhi Gate and Minto Road areas. US-based Motorola has been contracted to roll out the new core network. The launch comes after MTNL was allocated 3G spectrum at the end of 2008, giving it a head start over other operators, which are still waiting for the government to finalise 3G policy. Fellow state-run operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd is the only other company that has been given frequencies for 3G services, and is expected to launch commercially in the near future.
Add comment February 5, 2009
Koryolink attracts 6,000 3G applications in first fortnight (North Korea)
North Korea’s first 3G network operator, Koryolink, has attracted 6,000 applications within its first two weeks of operation, according to The Industry Standard. The cellco, which began accepting applications in January 2009, is owned by Orascom Telecom Holding of Egypt (75%) and state-owned Korea Post and Telecoms Corporation (25%). Naguib Sawiris, chairman of Orascom Telecom, said ‘So far we have about 6,000 applications. The important point is that they are normal citizens, not the privileged or military generals or party higher-ups. For the first time they have been able to go to a shop and get a mobile phone.’ However, the government has placed a large tax on handsets, bringing the cost up to USD600, making it difficult for most of the population to afford. Orascom is apparently in talks with the government to reduce this tax.
North Korea has had a rather checkered history with mobile phones. In 2003 a GSM network was established in Pyongyang and other major cities and was generally available to elite members of society. However, access was restricted heavily in 2004 shortly after a bomb thought to be triggered by a mobile phone exploded in a train depot within hours of the passage of a train carrying leader Kim Jong II. When questioned about Orascom’s operations in the notoriously secretive country, Sawiris said, ‘We are always examining the countries that do not have service and always pushing to get in. This was one that did not have coverage and we met the embassy here, got in touch with authorities, and here we are.’
Add comment February 5, 2009
MTN Rwanda launches BlackBerry service
MTN Rwanda, the country’s largest cellco by subscribers, has launched BlackBerry services on the wireless market, targeting 1,000 customers by the end of the year. It has introduced two devices; the 3G-enabled BlackBerry Bold for RWF430,000 (USD773) and the BlackBerry Curve 8320 on sale at RWF300,000. The cellco’s sales and marketing manager, Yvonne Manzi Makolo, said the device is ‘not for everybody, it is not a mass market product, it is more of a corporate product,’ indicating that MTN Rwanda will target corporate, government and medium-high value customers.
Add comment February 3, 2009
Express Telecom looking to kick-start cellular business (Philippines)
Filipino operator Express Telecommunication Company is reportedly planning to resurrect its cellular business by asking the telecoms regulator the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for additional frequencies to service its proposed re-launch. The debt-laden operator has approached the NTC notifying it of its intention to pursue 10MHz of frequency spectrum in the 1900MHz band. Local newspaper BusinessMirror reports that while Express Telecom’s request had not yet been acted upon, the head of the NTC’s frequency management division Priscila Demition said the petition is pending. ‘I think they will use the frequencies to help them in their planned comeback. Their request is for cellular use,’ she told the paper.
Meanwhile, NTC director Edgardo Cabarios has confirmed that Express Telecom can apply for additional frequencies even though it has not been fully active in the domestic cellular market for ‘some years’ now due to its financial problems. ‘Anyone can apply but acting on an application is another issue. Even if they are under rehab, they can file with the commission for an application of their choice,’ Cabarios is quoted as saying. Express Telecom still owns and operates an analogue AMPS network using 10MHz of spectrum in the 800MHz band. It was awarded an additional 5MHz in the 1800MHz band in September 2001 but is largely inactive with just several thousand subscribers registered. Express Telecom’s existing frequencies are thought to be very much sought after because these can be used for 3G services. A number of other Filipino 3G players, including Globe Telecom, Smart Communications and its subsidiary Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise (CURE), have already expressed interest in taking Express Telecom’s unused frequencies.
Express Telecom’s spectrum holdings have meant that it is an attractive prospect for buyers; the firm is currently in the process of being acquired by San Miguel Corp, even though it is currently buried under PHP9 billion (USD189.5 million) worth of debt.
Add comment February 3, 2009
Telecel outlines ambitions for Cell One (Namibia)
Telecel Globe, a subsidiary of Egypt’s Orascom Telecom, has announced its objectives to develop the mobile network of its newly acquired Namibian subsidiary Cell One by ‘investing hundreds of millions of Namibian dollars, expanding network coverage to reach 90% to 95% of the population in one and a half years, and doubling retail presence over the next year.’ Telecel bought 2G/3G cellco Powercom (trading as Cell One) for around USD59 million earlier this month, from a consortium including Norway’s Telenor.
Add comment February 2, 2009
More details of new 3G tender (Macedonia)
Macedonia’s (FYROM) Agency for Electronic Communications has relaunched the tender of two 3G mobile licences that were left unsold in an auction last November. On offer are two 2100MHz band UMTS concessions, both including 2×15MHz FDD and 1×5MHz TDD frequency blocks. The licences are valid for ten years, and carry obligations to roll out a third-generation network covering 50% of the Republic’s population within a year, rising to 80% in three years. Commercial services must be launched within six months of receiving a concession. Services covered by the licences include mobile, fixed-wireless and internet provision. A minimum one-off licence fee is set at EUR5 million (USD6.5 million). The deadline for submission of bids is 40 days from the date of publishing the public tender in the government’s official gazette. Cosmofon launched FYROM’s first 3G service last year, and T-Mobile became the country’s second UMTS licensee when it was the sole bidder in November’s auction.
Add comment January 30, 2009
ETC details expansion and upgrade projects (Ethiopia)
State-owned incumbent Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC) has announced expansion and integration plans for its next generation mobile network, fixed line infrastructure and broadband services, African News reports. The operator has revealed it will carry out eleven separate projects, costing an estimated total of USD1.8 billion. Approximately USD1.5 billion of the funds for the expansion will come from a loan from Chinese hardware vendor ZTE; the remainder will come from the operator itself. ETC’s recently launched 3G services are expected to benefit from the investment. Currently the service is only available in ten districts of the capital Addis Ababa, and this will increase as part of the network development. It also plans to increase its capacity for mobile lines on its GSM-based infrastructure to 15 million, whilst expanding mobile coverage to reach 64% of the population by the end of 2009, and 85% by end-2010.
Broadband service, which is currently limited to just 16 areas of the country, is expected to be expanded to 500 areas, with almost 14,000 metres of fibre-optic cable set to be installed across the country. Public phones will also be increased, with the operator revealing the total in operation would reach 50,000 by the end of the project. ETC claims that once the projects are complete all kebeles (local administrative regions with populations between 5,000 and 10,000) will have access to telephone and internet services.
Add comment January 30, 2009
DoCoMo’s nine-month profits up 16%, announces 2G shutdown March 2012
Japan’s mobile market leader by subscribers NTT DoCoMo recorded net profit for the nine months to the end of December 2008 of JPY437.7 billion (USD4.86 billion), up 16% from a year earlier, whilst operating income rose 19% year-on-year to JPY746.8 billion, despite revenues falling 4% to JPY3.38 trillion. The bottom-line improvement was partly attributed to handset sales and reduced churn. As of 31 December, the company had 54.16 million subscribers, up 220,000 from three months earlier. DoCoMo maintained its forecast for its fiscal year ending March, with a predicted net income of JPY495 billion, operating profit of JPY830 billion and JPY4.6 trillion in total sales.
DoCoMo also announced that it will terminate its 2G ‘Mova’ mobile service on 31 March 2012. At the end of 2008, around 88% of its total subscribers were on its 3G network. The remaining 6.7 million will be offered incentives to transfer from the legacy PDC (Personal Digital Communications) platform to W-CDMA/HSPA technology.
Add comment January 30, 2009
Deutsche Telekom Substantially Increased its Customer Numbers in 2008
Deutsche Telekom has issued a trading statement and says that it saw encouraging developments in its mobile communications markets during last year. The number of customers with the companies in Europe and the United States totaled 128.3 million. This means that the number of customers increased organically by 7.6 million. The contract customer segment accounts for 5 million of this growth with a current customer base of 65.9 million.
T-Mobile Deutschland also defended its leading position in Germany. With over 950,000 new contract customers, the high level of the previous year was reached once again. The successful introduction of the Apple iPhone 3G and the attractive range of calling plans were the main reasons for this development.
Add comment January 30, 2009
More 3G licences on offer (Macedonia)
The Agency for Electronic Communication (AEC) has relaunched a tender for two unallocated 3G mobile licences in Macedonia (FYROM), according to IntelliNews. In November 2008 Macedonian mobile operator T-Mobile won the country’s second UMTS licence, when it was the sole bidder in an auction for up to three concessions. The following month the cellco paid EUR10 million (USD12.7 million) for the licence, which obliges it to launch 3G services within six months and expand coverage to 80% of households within three years. T-Mobile will join the country’s other dominant mobile operator Cosmofon, which was awarded a UMTS licence in January last year following a tender in November 2007. The cellco claims to have met the terms of its licence concerning minimum coverage targets ahead of the February 2009 deadline and, as such, launched commercial services in September 2008. Cosmofon’s 3G services are initially available to 50% of the population, mainly in large cities such as Skopje, Bitola, Ohrid, Gostivar, Tetovo and Kavadarci.
Add comment January 29, 2009
GoM next to tackle 3G auction proposals (India)
In news that will surprise nobody the auction process for 3G spectrum in India looks set to meet with further delays. The delays are likely following the revelation that the Cabinet Committee tasked with making a decision on policies formulated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has referred the proposals to the Group of Ministers (GoM). India’s Economic Times reports that the latest move in the policy merry-go-round could see the auction process delayed indefinitely. It has been argued that one of the additional benefits for passing the matter to the GoM, which is headed by AK Antony, is that they can open discussions with the defence forces regarding the vacating of 3G frequencies. The auctions had originally been due to take place on 16 January, but were subsequently pushed back to 30 January.
Add comment January 29, 2009
MagtiCom launches HSDPA service (Georgia)
MagtiCom, Georgia’s second largest cellco by subscribers, has launched an HSDPA network in the country, according to Reuters. MagtiCom, which is 50.1% owned by US-based Metromedia International Group, said the 3.5G technology will provide its customers with faster internet browsing and video and music downloads. It hopes the launch will make it more competitive in the wireless market and help to close the gap in market share between itself and nearest rival Geocell, a subsidiary of TeliaSonera, which launched its HSDPA platform in July 2008. At the end of September 2008 MagtiCom had a market share of 41.87%, compared to Geocell’s 46.89%.
Add comment January 29, 2009
Vodacom, RIM introduce Blackberry Storm in South Africa
Vodacom South Africa and Research In Motion (RIM) today announced the availability of the BlackBerry Storm smartphone in the South African market. The BlackBerry Storm will be available from Vodacom on January 29th.
Delivering the renowned functionality of the BlackBerry solution, the BlackBerry Storm brings entertainment, information and communications to the tips of your fingers.
The stylish smartphone boasts exceptional performance, a stunning display and rich features including 3G (HSDPA) network support, integrated GPS, desktop-style web pages, advanced multimedia, a first class phone, camera and the industry’s most robust messaging capabilities – designed to give users an incredibly fast and powerful mobile experience.
“The BlackBerry Storm is a next-generation smartphone designed to meet the communication and multimedia needs of the most demanding customers. With its renowned communications capabilities, rich multimedia features and stylish design, the BlackBerry Storm allows customers to make the most of their time on the go with a fashionable and lifestyle-friendly smartphone,” says Shameel Joosub, Managing Director, Vodacom South Africa.
The BlackBerry Storm smartphone features the unique and innovative SurePress touch-screen, which depresses ever so slightly to aid in typing and navigation and to give users an experience they can actually feel. Through the revolutionary SurePress touch-screen, the virtual keyboard on the BlackBerry Storm responds like a physical keyboard and supports single-touch, multi-touch and gestures for intuitive and efficient navigation as well as easy and precise typing.
“The ‘clickable’ SurePress touch-screen is a remarkable innovation that dramatically enhances the touch interface and user experience. We are very pleased to introduce the first touch-screen BlackBerry smartphone together with Vodacom in South Africa,” said Mark Guibert, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, RIM.
The BlackBerry Storm also features a built-in accelerometer, which automatically switches the display as the user rotates the handset for use in landscape or portrait. When in portrait mode, users can type out a quick instant message or dial a number using either RIM’s SureType keyboard layout or a 12-key multi-tap keyboard. When the handset is rotated to landscape, the user is presented with a full QWERTY keyboard.
The BlackBerry Storm smartphone brings images to life with stunning clarity through its gorgeous 3.25-inch, high resolution (480×360-pixels at 184 ppi), colour display. A multimedia powerhouse, the BlackBerry Storm smartphone has rich media player that handles a number of music formats. It can even be synchronised with iTunes so customers can enjoy their music on the move*, or synced wirelessly via Bluetooth to the BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway to enjoy songs through a home stereo. It also comes standard with a premium stereo headset. The built-in speaker and stereo headset both deliver music with excellent sound quality. The BlackBerry Storm also has 1GB of onboard memory storage, comes standard with an 8GB microSD/SDHD memory card and supports up to 16 GB of storage per memory card.
BlackBerry Storm users can also find their way in unfamiliar surroundings thanks to built-in GPS and Vodafone SatNav which comes preloaded. Vodafone SatNave enables users to find an address and track their location simply and easily. It can also display the route on a 3D map, together with audible step-by-step directions. The 3.2 MP digital camera with autofocus, a powerful flash and video recording rounds out the smartphone’s rich multimedia capabilities.
Preloaded with an incredible selection of applications that were custom-built for use on BlackBerry smartphones, the BlackBerry Storm enables users to simply and easily keep web community pages current, continue instant message chats or even add pictures directly to Facebook.
Preloaded applications include:
Facebook for BlackBerry Smartphones
Windows Live Messenger for BlackBerry Smartphones
Yahoo Messenger for BlackBerry Smartphones
Flickr Photo Uploader for BlackBerry Smartphones
Vodafone SatNav, powered by Telmap SatNav technology
The BlackBerry Storm smartphone will be available to both Vodacom’s Prepaid and Contract customers from participating Vodacom outlets, across South Africa.
Starting as low as R59.00 per month for the BlackBerry Internet Service (Prepaid and Contract) and R98.00 for BlackBerry Enterprise Service (excluding device), customers get unlimited email, unlimited Internet browsing, as well as unlimited use of pre-loaded data applications (for accessing sites and services such as Vodafone SatNav, Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Flickr and Facebook from the handset) without incurring any additional data charges. These pre-loaded data applications are available in conjunction with all personal and corporate BlackBerry service options for the BlackBerry Storm.
Add comment January 29, 2009
Nokia adds 3 phones to classic range
Nokia has unveiled three new phones for its classic range. The Nokia 6700 classic is the successor to the 6300, one of the company’s top sellers in the mid-range market. The slim bar phone with metal keymat shares the same ‘DNA’ as its predecessor, according to the company, and Nokia expects it will be one of its best selling devices in 2009. The 6700 comes with a 5 megapixel camera, assisted GPS and Nokia Maps and 3G access. The phone will sell for EUR 235 before taxes and subsidies. Next up is the 6305 classic, priced at EUR 135. The handset has a 2.2-inch screen, 3.2 megapixel camera, 3.5 mm headset, music player, pre-loaded Nokia Maps and long battery life. Finally at the low end is the Nokia 2700 classic for EUR 65. The phone comes with a 2 megapixel camera, music player and up to 2 GB storage via a memory card slot. All three devices are expected to ship in the second quarter of 2009.
Add comment January 29, 2009
TRAI proposes more players in CDMA 3G (India)
TRAI want DoT to bring in atleast two operators for 3G services in the CDMA space in opposition to the current situation which has only one 3G operator being offered a 3G spectrum. The DoT present policy guidelines which only offers a single 3G block for CDMA operators.
“The authority understands that it is perhaps possible to identify more than one carrier in the 800-MHz band. It is all the more imperative as there are more than two access service providers in this category of technology for competition. Therefore, the authority recommends DoT may explore more than one block in the 800-MHz band for CDMA 3G services,” said Trai in a communication to DoT.
Trai also proposed that the base price for CDMA operators should be 25% of that of the GSM players.
Add comment January 29, 2009
Decision on 3G auction to be taken on 5 February
Thailand’s telecoms regulator told reporters this morning that it expects to stick to its rough timetable of issuing private companies with 3G UMTS mobile licences in the 2100MHz frequency band by the third quarter of this year, according to Reuters. Settaporn Kusripitak, one of the seven members of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), indicated that an auction of four licences remained the most probable method of awarding the concessions, but the decision on whether this will go ahead will be made on 5 February. The NTC has also scheduled issuing WiMAX wireless broadband licences by mid-year.
Add comment January 28, 2009
60MHz spectrum limit for 3G auction set by court (Chile)
Chile’s Supreme Court has ruled in favour of establishing spectrum limits for existing operators that want to participate in upcoming auctions for 3G licences, writes BNamericas citing telecoms regulator Subtel. In July antitrust commission FNE, cable TV operator VTR and Subtel appealed a decision by antitrust tribunal TDLC that would not allow for the reservation of spectrum for a new, fourth mobile operator to enter the market. Of the 90MHz available (45MHz for uplink and 45MHz for downlink), Subtel had hoped to reserve some 60MHz for a new operator that would focus mainly on providing value added services, while allowing the three existing wireless operators Entel PCS, Movistar and Claro to compete for 10MHz each. FNE took it a step further, arguing that the existing operators should not be allowed to participate, on the basis that they have sufficient spectrum already.
The latest ruling from the Santiago court says that no operator should hold more than 60MHz. Entel PCS already has this amount of spectrum, while Movistar and Claro have 55MHz each. The court ruled that existing players could participate in the upcoming spectrum auctions but that if they surpass the permitted limit they would be obliged to return some spectrum to the state. Some of the operators have spectrum in other frequencies such as 800MHz and 1900MHz. As regards spectrum, the court also said that Subtel ought to subdivide the spectrum in the 1710MHz-1755MHz and 2110MHz-2155MHz frequency bands into blocks that enable the efficient use of the spectrum at reasonable costs to provide 3G on a national scale.
Add comment January 28, 2009
Nokia Hits 1 Million 5800 XpressMusic 3G Mobile Phones Sales
Nokia has shipped the millionth Nokia 5800 XpressMusic device, a milestone that coincides with the successful sales start of the device in the UK. The latest in Nokia’s XpressMusic range, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is the company’s first mass market touch screen device.
Following its introduction in October 2008, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic has seen successful sales starts in a number of markets, including Hong Kong and Moscow where the device sold out within hours of the sales start. Earlier today at the official sales start of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic in the UK, more than 150 customers queued outside the Nokia Flagship Store on London’s Regent Street to be among the first to own the device.
“The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic has been received very positively and this milestone is just further proof that people all over the world want a device that is not only a great music experience, but also makes the most of touch screen technology,” said Jo Harlow, Vice President, Nokia.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic offers a complete music experience and features a number of music and entertainment essentials, including a graphic equalizer, 8GB memory for up to 6000 tracks, support for all main digital music formats, and a 3.5mm jack. Built-in surround sound stereo speakers offer the industry’s most powerful sound.
For the best screen resolution available on a mobile phone, the 3.2″ widescreen display brings photos, video clips and web content to life in vibrant color and true clarity. With a 16 by 9 aspect ratio and 30 frames-per-second playback and recording, the device is ideal for VGA quality video recording and playback. The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic also features a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and, with a single touch, images or videos can be shared via a favorite online community, such as Share on Ovi, Flickr, or Facebook.
Add comment January 28, 2009
Piltel considers 3G launch (Philippines)
Pilipino Telephone Corp (Piltel), a unit of mobile operator Smart Communications which is itself owned by Filipino powerhouse Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), is mulling plans to enter the highly competitive domestic 3G market. Piltel has reportedly sent a letter to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), stating its interest in securing the fifth and final 3G frequency bandwidth. The NTC has reserved bands 1965MHz-1975MHz, 2155MHz-2165MHz and 1890MHz-1900MHz/1970MHz-1980MHz and Piltel is keen to use this spectrum to roll out Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology in the medium term. ‘Piltel will adapt the LTE technology to upgrade its existing network capacity and capabilities to enable the delivery of richer and more compelling services,’ said Piltel regulatory and telecom industry relations head Roy Ibay. LTE Release 1 operates in the 1920MHz-1980MHz/2110MHz-2170MHz, which coincides with the remaining 3G frequency band available, he added.
Add comment January 27, 2009
MVNO collective Libre Choix warns government to choose wisely on fourth 3G licence (France)
The French MVNO collective Libre Choix, which brings together a number of companies including Poweo, Altergaz, ipnotica Telecom, Gaz de Paris, Adrexo and Tele2 Mobile, has suggested the government should consult with MVNOs before it considers awarding the country’s fourth and final 3G licence. The group is keen to see the licence go to a new market entrant, saying such a move ‘would be the opportunity of a real market opening today locked by the oligopoly of the three incumbents’. Libre Choix believes that if a fourth operator is given free reign to enter the sector, ‘real competition’ will follow in the short term via MVNOs. Although Libre Choix welcomes the government’s willingness to accelerate the implementation of measures [i.e. awarding the fourth licence] to help revive the French economy, it stresses that splitting the frequency blocks on offer among the existing incumbents would not materially help achieve this goal.
Add comment January 27, 2009
3G deal offered to mobile operators (UK)
British broadsheet The Times is reporting that mobile operators including Vodafone and Orange may be allowed to retain their 3G licences indefinitely if they commit to follow spending plans put forward by the communications minister Lord Carter. It is believed that the offer has been made in a bid to quell concerns over the cost of introducing a universal obligation to provide every home in the UK with a 2Mbps broadband connection. The obligation is one of the key elements of Lord Carter’s Digital Britain report. Industry estimates have suggested that in order to provide such a service to 99.5% of the population it would cost up to GBP2 billion (USD2.75 billion), a cost that would have to be met by operators.
With the government also trying to encourage a further GBP5 billion investment from operators in new fibre-optic networks, the licence deal is seen as a means of offsetting costs. The five UK-based 3G operators – Orange, Vodafone, O2, T-Mobile and 3 – spent a collective GBP22.5billion on their 20-year 3G licences.
Add comment January 27, 2009
BSNL planning Kerala WiMAX launch for April 2009 (India)
Sstate-owned telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is planning to launch WiMAX-based services in the Kerala circle in April this year. Citing comments by Amit Mishra, general manager of marketing for BSNL-Kerala, the report says that the operator will install 450 WiMAX base stations in the first phase of deployment, as it aims to cover all major cities and highways in the region.
BSNL has also reportedly placed orders for 3G equipment in preparation for launching 3G services in the circle. It currently has 2,400 active cellular towers, and will add a further 200 in March 2009 and 1,800 more by December.
2 comments January 23, 2009
HTIL hints at Indonesian exit, report says (Indonesia)
Hutchison Telecom International Limited (HTIL), which operates cellular services in Indonesia through Hutchison CP Telecommunications (Hutchison Telecom Indonesia, or HCPT), its joint venture with CP Group of Indonesia, may exit the market due to what it claims are the ‘complicated regulatory risks’ there, and other negative factors. According to OSK Research which is conducting a review of the country’s wireless market, Hutch believes there ‘is no certainty for foreign players’ and as such, ‘does not want to be part of a possible industry consolidation.’ HTIL operates 2G and 3G services in the country under the brand name 3; it had more than 3.6 million subscribers at the end of September 2008, a market share of 2.8%.
Add comment January 23, 2009
Hutchison 3G Expands its Mobile TV Services (UK)
3 UK has announced the launch of a new mobile TV section of the portal called 3 on Demand. The new area, which is managed by Mobix Interactive, brings a host of new content together with all of 3’s streaming TV channels (3 Live) and the existing Sky mobile TV offering.Subscribers will pay between £1.29 and £1.99 for a week’s access to an episode. Delivered by Mobix’s Adrenalin platform, users will enjoy functionality allowing them to pause and resume without the need for a new client application.
Alex Woodhams, Product Manager at 3 UK, said, “We feel the range of content that we are offering coupled with the strength of our 3G network creates an unrivalled mobile TV proposition. 3 on Demand can deliver a wide range of high quality full length TV shows in a flexible manner that allows users to pause and later resume shows where they left off.
Add comment January 23, 2009
