Posts Tagged Mobile Industry News
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
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
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
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
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
T-Mobile G1 launches in Germany
The T-Mobile G1 is now in Germany. It is the first mobile phone in the world with the Android operating system. Top features include the intuitive user interface and direct access to services such as Google search, Google Maps, Google Mail and numerous applications from independent providers via Android Market.
Other features include HSDPA for mobile bandwidths of up to 7.2 Mbit/s, WLAN, a built-in compass, a five-row QWERTY keyboard, the trackball, the built-in GPS receiver and the large, slide-out touch screen display with three user-friendly starting views. T-Mobile is now offering the device to consumers as part of a 24-month contract with the new Combi Flat XS, S, M and L rates. T-Mobile G1 costs just EUR 1 in conjunction with the Combi Flat S, M and L voice and data flat rates.
The T-Mobile G1 is already enjoying tremendous success in the US and the UK, and it impresses the experts: The jury of the renowned Global Mobile Awards nominated T-Mobile G1 as a finalist in the “Best Mobile Handset or Device” category. The unique Android open source software and the extremely user-friendly design were key factors in the decision. The international association of network operators (GSMA) will award the prize at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the largest event of its kind in the worldwide mobile industry, on February 17, 2009.
The T-Mobile G1 represents an exceptional mobile Internet experience: Users can access the functions or surf the Internet with a simple finger tap on the display. Google services, familiar to millions of people from their desktop PC, can now be used efficiently and conveniently on the move with the T-Mobile G1. One example is the Google search engine, where the suggest feature’s automatic term recognition allows users to find the information or entertainment content they are looking for by entering a minimum of information.
The T-Mobile G1’s browser loads Internet pages very quickly as it is constantly connected to the Internet. The navigation service on Google Maps makes it no problem for customers to find their current location and, if they wish, call up detailed directions. Google Maps also makes it possible to find individual addresses, such as restaurants or cinemas.
The T-Mobile G1 is the first cell phone in the world to enable access to Android Market with more than 700 applications from international developers already available. As a result, users can personalize their phone with just a few clicks. New services and applications constantly expand the range of programs available. The smart shopping assistant, ShopSavvy, and the Wikitude application, conveniently displaying information on numerous attractions, are two examples of the exciting and successful Android Market programs. A software update will soon allow users to access chargeable programs as well.
Add comment February 5, 2009
Nokia threat to quit Finland ‘unless law changed’
Mobile phone giant Nokia threatened to leave its native Finland if a change to laws blocking companies from monitoring employee emails was not introduced, a respected Finnish newspaper said Sunday.Nokia spokeswoman Arja Suominen subsequently rejected the accusation, telling the STT news agency that Nokia has in no way threatened to move, claiming the Helsingin Sanomat article is quite polemic. It contains many mistakes and misunderstandings. Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen also denied that politicians had been pressured by the company to change the law.
I have not heard about such an ultimatum. I have discussed (the law) with many companies including Nokia, and I have never heard that they have made such a threat, he told national broadcaster Yle.The daily quoted an unnamed civil servant as telling the paper that “Nokia lobbied very hard for the proposed law to be unanimously approved… (The message) was very clear: if the law was not approved, Nokia would leave Finland.
Add comment February 4, 2009
Motorola Reports Quarterly Loss of $3.6 Billion – Seeks Replacement CFO
Motorola has reported that it generated sales of US$7.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008 – and a net loss of US$3.6 billion, driven mainly by write-downs of goodwill and an increase in deferred tax asset valuation reserves. During the quarter, the Company generated positive operating cash flow of $201 million.For the full year 2008, sales were $30.1 billion, and the net loss was US$2.4 billion.The Company’s outlook for the first quarter is a loss of around US$250-$300 million. This outlook excludes charges associated with the Company’s operating expense reduction initiatives, as well as any other items of the variety typically highlighted by the Company in its quarterly earnings releases.
The Company also announced today that its Board of Directors voted to suspend the declaration of quarterly cash dividends on the Company’s common stock, effective immediately. The Board believes suspending the dividend will further strengthen the Company’s balance sheet and enhance its financial flexibility.
Add comment February 4, 2009
Eritrea- Wireless telephone service to be expanded
According to allAfrica, the Eritrean Telecommunication Corporation Service (Eritel) is planning to expand the country’s wireless infrastructure throughout all of its regions. Manager of Eritel, Tesfaslasie Berhane, said that over 120,000 customers will benefit from the new service, adding that its installation will be more cost effective than improving the country’s fixed line network. The plan involves the installation of a 21km fibre-optic underground cable and the replacement of existing lines in numerous towns and rural areas. Berhane indicated that new infrastructure has already been introduced in eight regions, and the number of public phones has increased to over 600.
Add comment February 3, 2009
Vodafone Italy announces plans for HSDPA expansion
Vodafone Italy has launched a project under which it plans to expand the availability of mobile broadband services in underserved areas. The firm says it has deployed 7.2Mbps HSDPA technology around Olevano in the province of Salerno in southern Italy and it intends to add a new regional network each month this year. Vodafone Italy CEO Paolo Bertoluzzo says that it would be possible to reduce the percentage of the population without broadband internet access from 8% to 1% with an investment of EUR500 million (USD640 million) over three years, Telecompaper reports.
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
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
Vodafone Qatar chooses 1,000 users for launch
Mobile start-up Vodafone Qatar has confirmed that it will choose 1,000 people to trial its new GSM network when it is switched on at the beginning of March, reports The Peninsula. The company will conduct a two-month ‘beta trial’, to garner feedback from volunteers ahead of a full commercial launch later in the year. ‘We want a wide sample as possible, reflective of the rich diverse society in Qatar, different ages, men and women,’ a company spokeswoman said.
Add comment January 29, 2009
Antel invited to partner Telecsa (Ecuador)
Uruguayan telco Antel has been invited by the Solidarity Fund of Ecuador to invest in Ecuadorian state-run cellco Telecsa (Alegro). Antel said in a statement that it wants to operate in Ecuador, where it already provides consultancy services. The company said that it would not take a majority equity stake in Telecsa, but its investment would be ‘significant’. Antel is also working as a consultancy in other Latin American countries including Venezuela, Cuba and Paraguay.
Add comment January 29, 2009
Nar Mobile reaches the mark of 1Mn subscribers (Azerbaijan)
The Nar Mobile, Azerbaijan based GSM operator, has reportedly achieved a subscriber base of 1,000,000 at the end of January’09. Nar Mobile occupies nearly 20% of Azerbaijan’s GSM market.
“The main aim of Nar Mobile is to constantly develop and become the customers’ number one choice. We proudly announce that our customer base has exceeded over one million as a result of successful operating for less than 2 years,” Mr. Guido Helbich, General Director of Azerfon LLC said.
Add comment January 29, 2009
China Unicom selects W-CDMA vendors
According to The South China Post, five firms have won significant contracts from China Unicom in the tender for the deployment of W-CDMA infrastructure. The winners have been announced as Huawei, Ericsson, ZTE, Nokia Siemens Networks and Alcatel-Lucent all winning a share of the spoils. The results were released in the form of percentages awarded to various equipment suppliers: Huawei, which has a partnership with Motorola, was the largest winner with a 30.6% share of the 70,000 base station deployment; Ericsson which partners Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies and Guangzhou New Postcom Equipment won a 26.5% share; ZTE won 21.5%; Nokia Siemens Networks 11.1%; and Alcatel-Shanghai Bell 10.2%.
China Unicom plans to deploy 3G networks in 55 cities in the first half of this year, spending RMB30 billion (USD4.39 billion), and 280 cities by the end of 2009, at a cost of RMB60 billion. The firm is targeting the completion of the first flagship city networks by 17 April and the first commercial network launches on 17 May 2009, the paper says.
1 comment January 28, 2009
BRIC Economies to Experience Strong Mobile User Growth, Reaching 1.64bn by 2013
The increasing availability of broadband-enabled mobile networks, aided by falling prices of sophisticated handsets and data charges, will underpin continued strong growth in mobile phone usage in Brazil, Russia, India and China (collectively referred to as the BRIC markets), from 1.21 billion in 2008 to 1.64 billion by 2013, according to a report published by Juniper Research.
Aided by the existing strong mutual interdependence and trading partnerships between these four countries – which are tapped to become the largest economies in the world by 2050 – this growth in mobile services uptake will be able to defy the general economic slowdown and recession that is already affecting other markets and regions arguably more exposed to fluctuating capital market conditions.
Add comment January 28, 2009
KTF Q4 Net Nearly Doubles on Reduced Costs
KTF, Korea’s second-biggest mobile carrier, said Wednesday its fourth-quarter earnings almost doubled from a year earlier thanks largely to reduced marketing costs.
Net income stood at 101.9 billion won (US$73.7 million) in the October-December period, compared with 53.1 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing. The bottom line was also up 38.5 percent from three months earlier. Sales rose 0.4 percent on-year to 1.95 trillion won and operating profit soared 60.9 percent to 207.7 billion won, it said.
For all of 2008, however, net profit tumbled 32.6 percent on-year to 164.6 billion won due to increased marketing expenses and investment. Sales climbed 14.4 percent to 8.35 trillion won with operating income rising 3.1 percent to 454.4 billion won. Shares of KTF rose 0.6 percent to 30,150 won as of 2:13 p.m. on the Seoul bourse.
KTF attributed the improved fourth-quarter net to lower marketing costs. The company said its marketing costs fell 8 percent on-year to 394.7 billion won last quarter.
As of end-December, KTF had 14.4 million customers, up 4.7 percent from a year earlier. The company painted a gloomy outlook for this year, saying sales will remain sluggish due to weak demand and severe competition.
As the nation’s telecom market becomes increasingly saturated, companies are trying to promote combined fixed and mobile services to cut costs and woo customers from rivals.
Last week, KTF announced a plan to merge with its parent company KT, which is South Korea’s top fixed-line and Internet service provider. The plan is subject to approval by the telecom regulator and shareholders. South Korea boasts of a high mobile phone penetration rate with more than nine out of 10 people owning a cellular phone.
Add comment January 28, 2009
New Porsche Mobile Phone Coming Soon
Porsche Design Group is introducing its new mobile phone P’9522, blending a linear shape with innovative communications technology.
The Porsche Design P’9522 is milled from a single solid aluminum block and a single sheet of scratchproof glass, its finish is pure and sleek. The rough, raw materials used to build the P’9522 have been crafted to underscore the refined design. In combination with its quintessential black and brushed aluminum finish, the P’9522 represents the timeless and authentic design philosophy of the brand. The P’9522 has the very latest communications technology together with excellent sound and picture reproduction:
Display. The touchscreen display makes navigating through the menus smooth, easy and intuitive. The AM OLED display ensures top quality color reproduction and brightness.
Mobile navigation. The phone has a built-in GPS receiver for mobile navi-gation purposes. The 2.8 inch widescreen display makes it easy to read the information on the screen.
Finger print sensor. Access to personal data is secured by means of a sensor which identifies the user’s finger print.
Pictures and video. The P’9522 is equipped with a stills and video camera with auto focus. The camera has a resolution of five megapixels, integrated flash and digital zoom.
Music. The P’9522 is equipped with an MP3 player for music, ring tones and voice reproduction in stereo quality.
Internet. Speedy internet access is assured, thanks to the P’9522’s WiFi technology.
Quad band. This is a quad band cell phone, compatible with most global networks (with the exception of Japan and Korea).
The P’9522 thus reflects the brand’s clear design language and lives up to its promise of blending together high quality materials, top of the range workmanship and innovative technology. On sale in November 2008 the premium mobile phone will be available worldwide in Porsche Design Stores and in specialist shops.
Porsche Design is a luxury brand with particular focus on technically inspired products. The brand was founded in 1972 by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, and since then its products have stood for functional, timeless and purist design. The product portfolio includes classic men’s accessories, a sport and fashion collection as well as electronic products and a men’s fragrance range. The products are designed in the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See, Austria, and sold worldwide in own stores, shop-in-shops, high quality department stores and exclusive retail outlets.
Technical Data-
Cellular standard: GSM-GPRS / EDGE Class 10: Quadband 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
Fingerprint sensor: Secured Documents / PIN code replacement / Shortcuts
Display: AM-OLED 262k color, 2.8″ widescreen touch display, 400 x 240 [WQVGA] pixels
GPS
Size: 112 [4.4] x 49 [1.9] x 12 [0.5] (Height x Width x Depth/ mm [inches])
Weight: 115 [4.1] (gram [ounce])
Camera: 5 Megapixels, Auto-focus, LED-Flash
Images formats: BMP, GIF, PNG, JPEG
Video formats: MPEG-4 (record & play), H263, H264, 3GP (play)
Video application: Video Streaming, Progressive Download, Pack Video
Zoom: Digital on photo and video
Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, Midi, WAV, AMR NB and WB, 3D sound, FM Radio, iMelody 1.2, XMF
Battery: Lithium-ion battery [880mAh]
Power: Talk Time: up to 4h; Standby Time: up to 300h
Memory: Up to 8 GB with microSD and up to 5 MB embedded
Data transfer: Bluetooth, USB 2.0, Mass Storage, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), Porsche Design Mobile Phone Manager Suite (PC), Plugin iSync (MAC)
Bluetooth: Version 2.0; Supported profiles: AADP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP, OPP, SPP/DUNP, FTP, PBAP and SAP
Messaging: SMS with T9 / EMS / MMS
Internal phone book: Up to 5,000 (positions)
Messaging memory: Up to 700 (SMS/EMS/MMS)
Call history (positions): Up to 80 (for missed / made / received calls)
Applications & features: Organizer, To dos, Voice recorder, Currency converter, Alarm clock, Stop watch, Calculator, Modem, Web browser
In the box: Charger, MicroSD 2 GB with SD Adaptor, Multimedia Remote Control, Stereo Ear Kit, USB Data Cable, User Guide, Software Suite
Accessories: Bluetooth Headset, Leather Pouch, Charger (AU, CN, EU, GB, US), Car Charger, USB Data Cable, Stereo Ear Kit, Battery
1 comment January 28, 2009
Sprint looks for USD1.2bn savings from job cuts
The loss-making US cellular operator Sprint Nextel has announced that it will cut its workforce by 13% as it streamlines its operations in an attempt to make annual cost savings of USD1.2 billion. The job cuts will be across all levels of the workforce and are expected to be carried out by end-March. The latest redundancies come on the back of 4,000 job cuts made last year. ‘Labour reductions are always the most difficult action to take, but many companies are finding it necessary in this environment,’ said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. Last month rival operator AT&T announced that it was axing 12,000 jobs – 4% of its workforce – in an effort to cut costs.
Add comment January 27, 2009
Vodafone eyes closer ties with China Mobile, Verizon
Vodafone, China Mobile and Verizon Wireless are capable of creating an “unbeatable” alliance through better collaboration, according to Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao. In an interview with the Financial Times, Colao said greater co-operation could provide customers with a better user experience and provide the companies with savings when buying mobile phones and other telecoms equipment. Vodafone owns a 3.2 percent stake in China Mobile, and Colao said he was seeking “stronger and tighter co-operation” between the two companies. Last year, Vodafone, China Mobile and Verizon Wireless, said they would work together on LTE. “If these three companies could work more closely… in the management of customers, procurement and service creation, we could be unbeatable, quite frankly,” Colao said.
Add comment January 27, 2009
Chunghwa profit slips 6% (Taiwan)
Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom has reported net income of TWD45.33 billion (USD1.37 billion) for 2008, down 6% from TWD48.25 billion the year before. Revenues for the year rose just 0.3% to TWD186.8 billion. The results have still to be audited.
Add comment January 27, 2009
MTN to invest USD1.6 billion in network (Nigeria)
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest cellco by subscribers, has announced plans to invest up to USD1.6 billion during 2009, according to Punch Nigeria. The planned investment will help improve the quality of service on its network, which currently covers 90% of the population. Wale Goodluck, corporate service advisor of MTN Nigeria, said the company has invested in building up transmission networks over the past four years in order to make up for the country’s lack of telecoms infrastructure. MTN Nigeria’s wireless subscriber base has grown rapidly over the past three years. The cellco had 20.17 million customers in September 2008, up from 14.95 million a year earlier.
Add comment January 27, 2009
SK Telecom’s net profit surges while KT reports net loss for 4Q (South Korea)
South Korean operators SK Telecom (SKT) and KT Corp (KT) have both reported financial results for the three months ended 31 December 2008, with SK Telecom coming out on top as it revealed a massive jump in net profit of almost 398% to KRW263.1 billion (USD191.5 million), up from KRW66 billion a year earlier. The impressive result was widely attributed to a fall in marketing costs. Operating profit for SKT also rose, up 50.9% to KRW468.8 billion, while revenues for the period increased 3.1% year-on-year to KRW3 trillion. Despite the strong quarter SKT’s full year figures showed a fall in net profit over the twelve month period to KRW1.6 trillion, a fall of 22.2%. High marketing expenses earlier in 2008, coupled with high levels of investment, which totalled KRW5 trillion, were cited as the reason for the fall over the year. For the twelve month period revenues increased 3.4% to KRW11.6 trillion. SKT reported that at the end of December 2008 it had 23.03 million subscribers, up 5% from same date in 2007.
Citing heavy currency related losses due to a weak won, results for KT for the fourth quarter were less impressive, as it registered a net loss for the period of KRW26.6 billion, the first quarterly loss for the operator in five years. The operator has also blamed the migration of fixed line customers to alternative VoIP-based services as another contributory factor to the loss. Revenues for the three-month period were also down year-on-year, falling 4% to KRW2.88 trillion, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell 7% y-o-y to KRW750.4 billion. KT’s fixed line subscriber base fell to 19.9 million, a drop of approximately 750,000 over three months.
Add comment January 23, 2009
Idea Cellular revenue up 13.9 pct (India)
Idea Cellular Limited (Idea) announced its unaudited results (limited review) for the 3rd quarter (Q3) and nine months ended December 31, 2008.
Revenues for Idea’s 13 operating service areas for Q3 at Rs. 26,209 mn, grew by 13.9% on a QoQ basis and by 53.2% on a YoY basis.
The EBITDA for the 11 Idea service areas in Q3 enhanced to Rs 7,570 mn compared to Rs 6,446 mn in Q2, representing a margin improvement from 28.1% to 29.4%. However, Q3 captures the impact of Mumbai and Bihar launches for the entire quarter, whereas Q2 had the impact only of Mumbai for 5 weeks. Consequently, Total EBITDA margin declined marginally from 26.4% to 26.0%, even though Total EBITDA increased by 11.9% from Rs 6081 mn in Q2 to Rs 6,805 mn in Q3.
On a consolidated basis, Revenues for Q3 at Rs. 27,311 mn, grew by 18.5% on a QoQ basis. The EBITDA at Rs 6,974 mn showed a growth of 14.9% on a QoQ basis. Consolidated PAT for Q3 was Rs 2,195 mn as against Rs 2,562 mn on a standalone basis. The consolidated PAT is depressed by Rs 367 mn on account of the consolidation of Idea’s 41.09% shareholding in Spice Communications from 16th Oct 08 and on account of Idea group’s 16% shareholding in Indus Towers.
On 5th Dec 08, an affiliate of Providence Equity Partners has invested Rs. 21 bn in Aditya Birla Telecom Limited (ABTL) by way of subscription to 1.925 mn Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares to be converted into 16.14% of equity share capital of ABTL post conversion.
Idea, including service areas of Punjab, Karnataka and Bihar, added 4.03 mn subscribers during Q3 taking its subscriber tally to 38.01 mn, reflecting a national market share of 11.0%.
Idea, along with Spice and ABTL, now holds GSM spectrum for every service area in India.
Add comment January 23, 2009
LTT plans WiMAX launch in Libya
Libyan internet service provider (ISP) Libya Telecom and Technology (LTT) plans to launch its first commercial WiMAX wireless network, and says it hopes to start with WiMAX coverage, including mobile WiMAX, in 18 cities. LTT hopes the deployment will provide internet access via a USB dongle plugged into a laptop to anyone within 50km of one of its towers. The operator’s new system, which has initial capacity for 300,000 subscribers, will begin signing up business users from next week and residential customers the week after.
Libya is home to around 51,000 broadband subscribers, while a further 170,000 of the population rely on slower dial-up internet access. The slow pace of broadband development in the country is hampered by poor PSTN provisioning, and the infrastructure that does exist is by and large outdated and limited in terms of coverage. LTT’s WiMAX network, which does not reply on the PSTN, will sidestep this problem and allow the operator to help bridge the so-called ‘digital divide’ in Libya when it launches the service priced at USD30 per month and a one-off payment of USD400 to include the USB device.
Libya Telecom and Technology is a pioneer in the internet and ICT field and has been in operation since 1997. It has signed equipment contracts with Huawei and ZTE of China for the new WiMAX network which will offer maximum connections speeds of 70Mbps. The new network is expected to go live in the first half of next year.
Add comment January 23, 2009
STC wins Bahrain’s third mobile licence
Saudi Telecom company (STC) has won Bahrain’s third mobile network operating licence with a bid of BHD86.7 million (USD231 million), the country’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) announced yesterday, breaking the duopoly of state-run Batelco and Kuwaiti-owned Zain. According to Reuters, STC plans to launch its Bahraini operations in the second half of this year and aims to acquire a 20% market share in ten years. The Saudi telco has also committed itself to establishing a USD300 million venture capital fund in Bahrain that will nurture communications and IT companies in the region. Three other firms had registered interest in the auction, but did not bid. Mohammed al-Amer, chairman of the TRA, confirmed that these were Bahraini operators 2Connect and Mena Telecom alongside a consortium including France Telecom subsidiary Jordan Telecom. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have strong links, as several million people cross a causeway linking the two kingdoms every year.
Add comment January 23, 2009
LG sees handset shipments rise 8 percent in 2008
LG Electronics saw handset shipments in the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2008 go up 8 percent from the year earlier quarter. Shipments reached 25.7 million, which resulted in a record 100.7 million units being sold in 2008 versus 80.5 million units in 2007. LG’s mobile communications division, which also includes network equipment, saw sales go up 34.6 percent year-on-year to KRW 4.49 trillion, versus KRW 3.33 trillion. Operating profit for the unit was KRW 176 billion, down from KRW 270 in Q4 2007. Handset sales accounted for KRW 4.09 trillion, up 40.3 percent. The operating profit margin of the unit declined 8.8 percent to 5.2 percent due to increased marketing to minimize year-end inventory. While the global economic downturn is expected to continue into 2009, LG’s business target is to grow continuously and expand market share, capturing more of the market for feature-packed premium models, smartphones and mid-to-low end mass volume units.
Add comment January 23, 2009
Nokia Q4 Profit Slumps 69% – Warns of Difficult 2009
Nokia has reported that its fourth-quarter sales dropped by 19% to €12.7 billion (US$16.4 billion) and profits slumped by a huge 69% to €576 million (US$744 million), compared to a profit of €1.84 billion (US$2.4 billion) a year ago. Analysts polled by Bloomberg News had estimated profit of €975 million on sales of €13.1 billion.Nokia’ mobile phone sales were down 15% year on year at 113.1 million units – and down 4% sequentially.
Nokia CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said “In recent weeks, the macroeconomic environment has deteriorated rapidly, with even weaker consumer confidence, unprecedented currency volatility and credit tightness continuing to impact the mobile communications industry. We are taking action to reduce overall costs and to preserve our strong capital structure. This is clearly our top priority in the current economic environment. However, it is important for Nokia to continue investing at the proper pace in future growth. We believe Nokia has a tremendous opportunity to capture value as the Internet services market evolves and grows,”The company warned that more limited availability of credit also reduced the purchasing ability of some its trade customers.
Add comment January 23, 2009
Government announces three-year 3G investment plan (China)
China’s three 3G mobile licensees will invest a total of RMB400 billion (USD58.5 billion) over the next three years in building out their networks, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced today in a statement quoted by Reuters. According to a previous government statement issued in December, the three cellcos – China Mobile (licensed for the homegrown TD-SCDMA technology standard), China Unicom (W-CDMA licence) and China Telecom (CDMA2000-based concession) – are expected to invest USD41 billion in third-generation networks in the next two years, including up to USD29 billion in 2009. China Mobile earlier this month announced a 3G CAPEX of USD8.6 billion in 2009, whilst according to the Ministry’s latest statement, China Unicom and China Telecom will each spend around half the larger cellco’s total, USD4.4 billion, on 3G development this year. This amounts to an annual total CAPEX of USD17.4 billion, significantly less than the previous reported estimate of USD29 billion.
Add comment January 22, 2009
UCell Uzbekistan Deploys Comverse Billing, Ringback Tone, and Call Completion Services
Comverse announced today that UCell Uzbekistan will begin offering new products and services to derive more revenues from voice calls and also improve the experience of mobile phone users with expanded prepaid billing features and ringback tones.
“Comverse’s solutions provide us with the features we need to handle new growth and enrich the user experience with choice, convenience, control and fun,” says Helge Raitanen, Chief Technical Officer at UCell, which is owned by TeliaSonera and managed by the Fintur Holdings B.V. (a joint venture of TeliaSonera and Turkcell).
UCell subscribers now can find out who tried to call them when they were unreachable, even though a message was not left. In a similar fashion, another Comverse service can notify the calling subscriber as soon as the unreachable party becomes available in the network, eliminating the need for repeat dialing. In both cases, free text messages notify subscribers.
Comverse, the world’s leading supplier of software and systems enabling network-based billing and value-added messaging and content services, developed the two services, aptly known as “Who Called” and “Notify Me,” to address the fact that roughly 30 percent of calls go unanswered. These services comprise a part of the Comverse Total Call Completion Solution, whose goal is to bring each call to a satisfactory and billable conclusion.
The new prepaid billing features offer more account management capabilities to UCell subscribers, such as providing balance notifications at the end of calls and the ability to replenish their balances via various services. Comverse Fun Dial™ Ringback Tone service lets users select music and other content for their callers to hear while waiting for calls to be answered.
Comverse’s real-time billing capabilities support UCell’s expanding portfolio of value-added services. “UCell is a forward-thinking operator that realizes just as value-added services can increase user satisfaction and generate growth, the correct billing approach helps turn billing and customer care into new opportunities for revenue and growth,” said Dror Bin, President of Comverse Products Group. “We look forward to broadening our longstanding relationship with UCell.”
Add comment January 22, 2009
T-Mobile Austria Drops 8GB iPhone 3G Price Down To €1 With Contract
T-Mobile Austria has dropped the price of the 8GB iPhone 3G from €99 to a surprising €1 when paired with a €45/month service contract, with no service payment for the first month, and offering a €45 discount for online orders. This is the lowest we’ve ever seen a new iPhone 3G going for anywhere in the world to date.
Add comment January 20, 2009
