Posts Tagged T-Mobile
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
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
Google brings e-books to mobiles
Google is making its vast online library of books available for mobile phones. We are excited to announce the launch of a mobile version of Google Book Search, opening up over 1.5 million mobile public domain books in the US (and over half a million outside the US) for you to browse, the company said.The Internet search giant, in a post on Thursday on the Google Book Search blog, said mobile versions of the books could be read on devices such as the Apple iPhone or T-Mobile G1, which is powered by Google’s Android software.
These new mobile editions are optimized to be read on a small screen, Google said. With this launch, we believe that we’ve taken an important step toward more universal access to books.
Add comment February 10, 2009
Hungarian mobile base reaches 12.24m by end-December
Hungary’s three mobile operators Pannon, Vodafone and T-Mobile collectively added a net 284,000 new subscribers in the last month of 2008, to close out December with a total of 12.24 million users, according to the national regulator the NHH. As at 31 December Pannon had a 35.09% market share, down from 35.18% in November, while T-Mobile’s market share also fell from 43.94% to 43.86%. The country’s third largest operator Vodafone was the beneficiary, increasing its share of the pie from 20.89% to 21.04% in the same period. The NHH also reported that ‘active’ mobile subscriptions reached 10.97 million by end-December, up 227,000 on the previous month, whilst cellular penetration reached 121.8%, compared with 119.1% in November.
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
T-Mobile USA subscriber growth dwindles
T-Mobile USA has reported fourth quarter 2008 net subscriber additions of 621,000, down from 670,000 in the third quarter of 2008 and 951,000 in the fourth quarter of 2007. The slowdown in additions was compounded by an increase in churn to 3.3% in the three months to 31 December 2008, compared to 2.8% in the same period twelve months previously. Post-paid churn was 2.4% in the quarter, up from 1.8% in the final quarter of 2007. For the full year 2008 T-Mobile added over 4.07 million net new customers, including 1.13 million from its February 2008 acquisition of SunCom Wireless, to end the year with 32.8 million subscribers. Contract customers comprised 82% of T-Mobile’s customer base at the end of 2008, compared to 83% in the third quarter of 2008 and fourth quarter of 2007.
Add comment January 30, 2009
Germany- Cellcos propose increase in MTA fees
According to German press agency DPA, three of the country’s main cellcos have put forward a suggestion to increase mobile termination (MTA) fees from 1 April 2009. O2 Germany proposed the highest fee increase from the current EUR0.088 per minute to EUR0.1643, while rival T-Mobile Germany has suggested an increase from EUR0.0792 to EUR0.0839 per minute. Vodafone Germany wants to raise its fee to EUR0.0792 from the current EUR0.0823 per minute. E-Plus is the only operator to propose a decrease in MTA fees from EUR0.088 to EUR0.084. The German telecoms regulator BNA will publish its decision on 12 February 2009.
Add comment January 30, 2009
New T-Mobile MDA Vario IV
The latest MDA device from T-Mobile has now been released on pay monthly contract deals in the UK, joining the recently launched MDA Compact IV this new handset provides a fantastic slide out Qwerty keyboard for easier text input.
The T-Mobile MDA Vario 4 is a rebranded version of the HTC Touch Pro which is not currently available on any network operator in the UK, this makes for a very attractive proposition as consumers can finally connect the new Vario to a range of T-Mobile tariffs with inclusive minutes and text and not have to shell out the SIM Free price for this useful little device.
Powerful communication device for professionals. The MDA Vario 4 combines business with pleasure, offering one-handed operation of simple tasks and full keyboard input for serious work.
The T-Mobile MDA Vario IV brings together elegant touch screen response with the direct precision of keyboard entry, leaving out nothing to deliver a powerhouse communication tool in a beautiful, compact design.
HTC’s rich, touch-responsive interface, TouchFLO™ 3D, provides a stunningly intuitive way to zip through common tasks like messaging, calendar checks or making calls.
Built-in Wi-Fi and high speed connectivity will keep you in touch with colleagues and contacts wherever you are. Integrated GPS can be used with maps software for a full turn-by-turn satellite navigation experience.
A beautiful angle on business, the TMobile MDA Vario 4 introduces effortless presence to enterprise-standard communications. The T-Mobile MDA Vario IV is a powerful, good-looking smartphone with a qwerty keyboard for quick and easy texting & emailing. It offers super-fast internet access and you can connect the Vario to your laptop and be online with mobile broadband.
You’ll always know where you are thanks to the built-in GPS (and we’re the first network to offer a monthly billing plan to CoPilot’s Sat Nav). You can snap away with the Vario 4’s 3.2 megapixel camera, download and edit your Word and Excel documents, view your PowerPoint presentations and with Bluetooth you can go hands-free or share files with other Bluetooth devices in an instant.
The T-Mobile MDA Vario 4 is a sophisticated and stylish device Qwerty keyboard for quick and easy texting & emailingSuper-fast internet access. Plus connect the Vario to your laptop and be online with mobile broadband. Always know where you are with built-in GPS (with CoPilot Sat Nav plan available, too) Snap away with the 3.2 megapixel camera. Get unlimited access to your email and the internet with a web’n’walk Booster.
1 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
T-Mobile Launches the Shadow Phone
T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced its T-Mobile Shadow, a Windows Mobile-based phone with great connectivity options and a pretty low price. The Shadow is made by none other than High Tech Computer Corp. of Taoyuan, Taiwan (HTC) which recently started branding their own phones.
“We’re calling the new line of devices ‘Shadow’ because they’re designed to help people stay effortlessly connected with those who are closest to them – the people you would choose to have with you all the time if possible – the people you love checking in with during a hectic day or to share special news,” said Robert Dotson, president and CEO, T-Mobile USA.”
The pocket-sized phone slides open to reveal a keyboard for typing e-mails (similar to the BlackBerry Pearl’s)and features connectivity for Wi-Fi wireless Internet networks, as well as EDGE and Bluetooth. The T-Mobile Shadow will go on sale Oct. 31 for $149.99 with a two-year contract and a subscription for voice and data service. The data service costs $19.99 a month and also includes access through T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi locations.
“We partnered exclusively with T-Mobile to help them deliver a deep communications experience that is built around the customer,” said Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC. “In both form and function, the T-Mobile Shadow delivers an unmistakable commitment to enhancing personal relationships.”
The shadow features a high-quality, 2.0-megapixel digital camera with video capture as well as a multimedia player that provides a convenient way to listen to and share favorite music and video. Its custom T-Mobile Address Book lets customers easily import contact information from Yahoo!, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook and other e-mail services onto their phone using my.t-mobile.com.
The sliding Shadow’s keypad is hybrid-type, five keys wide, with two letters on each key, and it uses the predictive software Tegic XT9 to predict the next word in a sentence. The device features a 210 Mhz processor and a roomy 72MB of program memory.
1 comment January 28, 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
BT mulling mobile telephony return
British broadsheet The Guardian is reporting that fixed line and broadband incumbent BT is considering plans to launch mobile telephony services under a joint venture with T-Mobile and Hutchison Whampoa-owned 3. The three companies have reportedly held informal talks which, although still at early stage, have included discussions on branding, costs and revenue. It is believed that BT is mulling the move in a bid to increase profits as customers increasingly migrate to mobile broadband services offered by other operators. BT exited the mobile sector in 2001, when it demerged its mobile subsidiary Cellnet.
Add comment January 27, 2009
Operators may have to cut termination charges (UK)
British mobile operators including Vodafone UK, T-Mobile and O2 may have to cut mobile termination rates (MTR) following a ruling by the Competition Commission, Reuters reports. In a submission to the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT) the Competition Commission has upheld an appeal by BT Group against regulator Ofcom. The submission calls for a reduction of termination rates; it recommends that the charges for connections to the networks of O2, Orange, Vodafone and T-Mobile be reduced to GBP0.04 (USD0.06) by 2010/11. Ofcom’s original recommendation was for a charge of GBP0.051. The Competition Commission has also recommended charges for connecting to the network of Hutchison Whampoa-owned 3 UK be lowered to GBP0.44 by the same date, against Ofcom’s GBP0.059 suggestion. The CAT will now consider the proposals, and the next case-management conference in the appeals process is expected on 2 February 2009.
Add comment January 23, 2009
HTC Sapphire next Android smartphone?
The next HTC phone to be powered by the Google Android is called the HTC Sapphire. The pictures here indicated it will have a similar trackball design as T-Mobile G1 but without a hardware keyboard.The details of this supposed T-Mobile G2 is unknown yet, from the images however it’s probably a 3.2 megapixel camera module without a flash LED at the back. According to the source it will be available in mid-May.
Add comment January 23, 2009
HTC projects double digit growth
HTC made a name for itself in 2008, culminating with the T-Mobile G1 launch in October. HTC’s president Peter Chou predicts that while things will be a tough in the short term, HTC is confident of double-digit growth this year. The handset maker reported that its yearly revenues for the year ending December 31, 2008 had grown 28.65 percent. The company enjoyed a sales boost in November, just after the October 22 release of the G1 on T-Mobile USA, when sales were boosted 10.76 percent. In December, it reported that G1 sales had been better than its one million unit prediction, though it did not give a specific figure.
Add comment January 21, 2009
T-Mobile’s Ray elected 3G Americas chairperson
Neville Ray, senior vice president of Engineering and Operations for T-Mobile USA, has been elected chairperson of the 3G Americas’ board of governors. Ray succeeds Kristin Rinne, senior vice president of Architecture and Planning for AT&T, who will continue representing AT&T on the board of governors. Elected as treasurer of 3G Americas is Jean-Louis Carrara of Gemalto, who has served on the 3G Americas Board of Governors for five years.
Add comment January 21, 2009
T-Mobile to launch G1 Android Mobile in Germany from 2 February
T-Mobile will launch the G1 Android mobile phone in Germany from 2 February. Already available in the US and UK, T-Mobile is also introducing the phone from the same date in Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and the Netherlands. The touch-screen phone with slide-out qwerty keyboard features HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS, direct access to a range of Google services and push e-mail. The phone was developed by HTC and is supported by the Android Market for applications. In Germany, the phone will sell from EUR 1 with 24-month service contracts for the Combi Flat M and L plans. Customers can also pick from the Combi XS, S, M and L plans with the G1, and business users can buy the G1 with Combi Flat Business service plans. In the Netherlands, the phone is available free with a two-year Relax 300 plan at EUR 29.95 per month. Customers can also choose other Relax, Flex and MyFaves plans. Czech customers can get the phone for CZK 1 with a two-year contract and minimum monthly payment of CZK 2,300.
Add comment January 21, 2009
Ofcom confident of 2.6GHz auction starting in March (UK)
Internet news portal ZDNet is reporting that UK telecoms regulator Ofcom is aiming to begin the auction process for spectrum in the 2.6GHz band by the end of March 2009. The report, citing comments by a spokesman for Ofcom, suggest that applications for the spectrum will be opened around the end of March. The announcement comes despite ongoing legal action; T-Mobile UK and O2 UK launched litigation against the regulator in May 2008, claiming that the sale should not take place until the future of 900MHz spectrum was decided. In the UK spectrum in the 900MHz band is currently limited by licence to GSM 2G technologies.
Add comment January 21, 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
Palm unveils new smart phone, operating system
Palm Inc. unveiled a new touch-screen smart phone and operating system Thursday, marking its latest attempt to catch up with competition from Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry and Apple Inc.’s iPhone. At the International Consumer Electronics Show, Palm executives touted their Pre, which looks similar to the iPhone, with a face dominated mostly by a 3.1-inch touch screen and single button. The body of the Pre is black and slightly curved, with a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the bottom.In an effort to capture both business and consumer users, the Pre will come loaded with features, including Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth and GPS, as well as 8 gigabytes of storage space, a 3-megapixel camera and music and video playback. The Pre also has a variety of sensors, such as an accelerometer so images on the screen will rotate when a user turns the device on its side.
Many of these features are already available on rival phones, including the iPhone, the latest BlackBerry models and HTC Corp.’s G1 that was released in the fall by T-Mobile and Google Inc. Palm has been overshadowed in the last several years by the success of these products — especially by the growth of BlackBerry smart phones among business customers and, since its June 2007 release, of iPhones among consumer users.
Add comment January 12, 2009
T-Mobile brings BlackBerry Curve 8900 to USA in February
Research In Motion’s new and improved BlackBerry Curve will reportedly be available in the United States via T-Mobile USA. It is already available in Germany, the UK, and Canada, with the U.S. release is anticipated to take place on 18th February’09. No financial details are yet disclosed for the new device.
Add comment December 30, 2008
T-Mobile Netherlands sells 100,000 iPhones
T-Mobile Netherlands has sold its 100,000st iPhone 3G. The device is available in the Netherlands since July. Both, T-Mobile and Apple are pleased with the popularity. T-Mobile says that the device has caused an uptake in mobile internet. In December, the average data usage grew to 2 TeraByte per day. The iPhone 3G was awarded as the ‘product of the year’ in the television programme Kassa.
Add comment December 26, 2008
