Wireless Federation

Cingular, the largest mobile operator in U.S., recently filed for a trademark for “Cingular Cellular Videoâ€? with USPTO…sounds very generic for an actual video service. Also, the description is very generic as well: “Telecommunications services, namely wireless transmission, uploading and downloading of voice, data, images, audio, video, signals, software, information, games, ring tones and messages; wireless telephone communications services; television and video broadcasting and narrowcasting services available via wireless telephone or deviceâ€?
But you never know.

Wireless Mobile Telecom

Mobile phones market in Brazil may reach over 100 million users in 2006

The Brazilian cellular telephony market must pass the 100 million consumers mark in 2006, according to a study carried out by local operator, Vivo. The company’s study comprises Anatel’s market data and IBGE’s statistics with analysis carried on by the company’s research area. According to the data found in the research, the market has grown from 7 million devices in 1998 to an estimated 101 million by the end of 2006.

This figure will represent a penetration position of 54% by the end of this year. Eight years ago, this index was just 4%.

The Brazilian market, however, still shows a growth potential in revenue and penetration, especially in the lower income classes. The worldwide average revenue in mobile telephony is 7.9% of the NNP, against 5.4% registered in Brazil.

The penetration in the lower income classes C, D and E has reached 45% compared to the 80% registered in classes A and B together. On average, the Brazilian penetration in October 2006 was 51.6%, an index much lower than the 89% occurred in developed countries.

Profile

A study has traced the profile of the Brazilian people who own mobile phones according to the income, education level and age. The consumers with a monthly income of up to R$480 are the largest part, with 65%, followed by the ones with an income between R$481 and R$1,199 (26%) and the ones with income over R$1,200 (10%).

In relation to the education level, 14% have college graduation, 49% have finished high school and 37% have just finished fundamental school. The study performed by Vivo shows a great concentration of users in the age between 14 and 30 years old (50%); 38% between 31 and 50 years old and 12% over 51 years old.

Even with a lower participation, the age over 51 years old is the one that has grown the most. From July 2005 to June 2006 this segment showed an increase of 53% in the market participation, ahead of the 46% registered between 41 and 50 years old; 20% between 33 and 40; 35% between 25 and 32; 34% between 19 and 24; 17% between 14 and 18 and 33% between 7 and 13 years old.

Regional Distribution

Vivo’s study compares the regional distribution of the users of cellular phones with the growth accumulated this year in each one of the markets. In absolute figures, the biggest markets are concentrated in the South and Southeast regions. S?Paulo is the largest, with 23,5 million lines, followed by Minas Gerais, with 10,6 million; Rio de Janeiro with 10,2 million,; Rio Grande do Sul with 7,4 million and Paran?ith 5,5 million.

In terms of accumulated growth this year, however, the states of the Northeast region show the largest progress: Piau?28%), Bahia (27,3%), Cear?26,2%), Para? (25,2%) and Sergipe (24,3%).

Prepaid and Postpaid Profile

81% of the cellular phone lines in the Brazilian market are prepaid. According to Vivo’s study, nearly 67% of those users come from C, D and E social classes. The Brazilians who use the postpaid system (19%) are mostly from A and B social classes (76%). In spite of the lower participation of the postpaid consumers, the amount spent by this audience is meaningful: it reaches 42% of the total whereas the prepaid represents 58%.

Wireless Mobile Telecom

STMicroelectronics says that it has signed an agreement with Ericsson Mobile Platforms to supply 3G digital baseband processors to OEMs that are licensees of Ericsson Mobile Platforms’ 3G mobile-phone technology. Because it handles the communication between the phone and the cell within the 3G mobile phone network, the digital baseband processor is a key component in a mobile phone. New 3G handsets operating on the W-CDMA network, which contain these new digital baseband processor chips have already been delivered to selected customers.

In addition to manufacturing the processors in its leading-edge process technology, ST is also contributing to the development of these digital baseband ASICs by combining its expertise in System-on-Chip (SoC) design with the mobile platform knowledge of Ericsson Mobile Platforms.

“This agreement to produce the digital baseband is testament to ST’s world renowned ability to develop and produce cutting-edge semiconductor products for current and future generations of 3G mobile communications technology,” said Eric Aussedat, Group Vice-President and General Manager of ST’s Cellular Communication Division. “Ericsson Mobile Platforms is the leading independent platform supplier in the world, and this agreement further strengthens ST’s position as a leading chip supplier in the mobile handset market.”

Wireless Mobile Telecom

The Chinese market for cellular handsets has grown significantly in the last few years and is forecast to increase to around 199 million units in 2011 says IMS Research. At the same time, the penetration rate of music enabled handset is forecast to grow to 68% by 2011. Cellular handset manufacturers have seen the success of camera enabled cellular handsets in China and they believe that they can duplicate that success with music enabled cellular handsets.

In 2004, less than 5% of the cellular handsets shipped in China were music enabled. This percentage is forecast to grow to about 24% in 2006. More and more users operate cellular handsets as portable players; and they are able to transfer their music files between PCs and handsets. The launch of 3G in China will also encourage subscribers to use handsets to download audio and video programmes.

IMS Research Market Research Analyst, Jackey Wang commented: “The success of the ringtone market has proven that consumers are willing to pay for music on their handsets. Huge storage capacity, abundant audio and video content, decreasing cost and high data transmission rates are the main drivers that will lead to fast market growth.”

In addition, the projected increasing penetration rate of wireless technology, such as Bluetooth, Ultra-Wideband and Wireless LAN, on cellular handsets will also allow users to share, synchronize or download music files more easily. This phenomenon will further help the growth of the Chinese music enabled cellular handset market.

Wireless Mobile Telecom

Russia’s second largest cellular operator says it expects to be granted wireless spectrum in the Far East Federal District next year, following a lengthy legal battle with the State Radio Frequency Commission. Vimpelcom chairman Alexander Izosimov has been holding talks with the Commission, Prime Tass reports, in an effort to break the deadlock which has seen the cellco file more than 30 unsuccessful applications to gain frequencies in the region. Its two main rivals, MTS and MegaFon, both have concessions covering the whole of the Far East, which is home to around six million people.

Wireless Mobile Telecom

Wataniya International has signed a shareholders’ agreement with the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) to form a new mobile operator in Palestine. Under the agreement, Wataniya will manage the start-up company and hold 40% of its equity, whilst the PIF will own 30% with the remaining 30% to be offered to the Palestinian public through a public IPO. Wataniya and PIF will announce the name of the new company and the composition of its board ‘in the near future’.

According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, the market for wireless services in the Palestinian Territory is amongst the most competitive in the Middle East — a surprising situation given the unstable living conditions of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the relative poverty of its citizens and — most of all — because on paper the market is a monopoly of Palestine Cellular Telecommunications Company (Palcel). In reality there are five mobile operators offering services to Palestinian customers, with a sixth and seventh licensed and preparing for launch. In April 2005 the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) asked Israel’s Ministry of Communications for additional wireless frequencies, but it was not until early 2006 that the request was granted and tenders for cellular mobile and digital trunking licences were launched. In September 2006 Wataniya was declared the highest bidder for a combined 2G and 3G cellular concession, with a reported bid of JOD251 million (USD354 million). The following month XPress Telecommunications of Jordan was the winning bidder in the digital trunking licence tender.

Wireless Mobile Telecom

Pakistan cellular operator Mobilink has extended an existing contract with US vendor Motorola for its home location server (HLS) to increase its capacity to 30 million subscribers. The existing HLS order, announced in February 2006, supported Mobilink in meeting its growth plans and reaching its goal of 20 million subscribers, achieved last month. According to Motorola: ‘the HLS solution consolidates silos of subscriber data into a single subscriber-centric database, providing Mobilink with the ability to roll out new services and provision subscribers in a faster and more cost effective manner. Reliability, high performance, high capacity and smooth scalability are inherent features of the platform, which can be smoothly upgraded to support 3G/UMTS as well as the emerging IMS HSS functionality.’

Wireless Mobile Telecom

AT&T is expanding the reach of its AT&T U-verse brand, with a service launch in Houston. The U-verse brand bundles next-generation television with high-speed Internet access, which supports wireless in-home networking.

TV packages are offered with a selection of high-speed Internet options, all of which include wireless home networking at no additional charge. The wireless home networking component, according to AT&T, gives users the ability to access online photos, streaming video, games and other information using a wireless-enabled laptop or other device.

The Houston launch represents the second market in which the U-verse service is available. The service was first launched in San Antonio in June.

SBC Communications (now AT&T) originally introduced the U-verse brand in January 2005.

In other AT&T news, the company signed on as the primary network provider for Cellular City, a cellular phone and accessory retail supplier. As part of the agreement, AT&T will implement AT&T Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Private Network Transport (PNT) to the company’s multiple locations for increased bandwidth across a converged, IP-based network.

Source-   wirelessweek  Wireless Mobile Telecom

Alvarion is selling its Cellular Mobile unit to LG Wireless for $15 million in notes and the assumption of certain liabilities. Alvarion is unloading the unit to focus more of its efforts on WiMAX.

Alvarion believes the Cellular Mobile business is a good fit for LG Wireless and views the deal as in the best interest of shareholders. “We believe that this transaction represents a good outcome for the customers and employees of the Cellular Mobile Unit, as well as for the shareholders of Alvarion,” according to Alvarion President and CEO Tzvika Friedman. “The transaction will enable us to focus all of our resources and attention on WiMAX.”

Earlier this month, Alvarion reported revenue for the third quarter of $54 million, up 7 percent when compared to the prior quarter and up 20 percent from a year ago. WiMAX accounted for one-third of the company’s revenue.

Going forward, all of Alvarion’s revenues will be attributed to its broadband wireless access (BWA) business. The company is sticking with its previously announced revenue guidance for BWA to come in between $47 million and $51 million for the fourth quarter of 2006.

Alvarion reports that it has more than 100 commercial deployments and 120 active WiMAX trials up and running.

Source-  wirelessweek  Wireless Mobile Telecom 

US cellular operator MetroPCS has selected Amdocs to supply its Qpass digital commerce platform for the delivery of premium content. Amdocs will also provide integration and content management services. Roger Linquist, president and CEO of MetroPCS, commented: ‘By integrating our platform with Amdocs’ Qpass digital commerce solution, we’re able to dramatically enhance the customer experience, further simplifying the merchandizing, delivery, billing, and management of rich content and services.’

Source-  telegeography  Wireless Mobile Telecom