Wireless Federation

US-giant AT&T is exploring the possibility of re-entering India’s lucrative mobile telephone service market.

Within less than two months of being at the helm, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson is coming to India on a three-day visit this month, and will also be exploring the possibility of outsourcing some of its activities related to software development to India.

During his three-day visit, Stephenson will meet secretary of the Department of Telecommunications and the chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) among other government officials.

AT&T can enter into the Indian market either through acquisition of an existing mobile service provider or by acquiring a new license for mobile services.

At present, Idea and Spice can be two acquisition targets in the GSM mobile space. Spice, with its operations in only two circles, Punjab and Karntaka, may not be attractive for a giant like AT&T.

There is no spectrum available for 2G mobile services, the existing standard for GSM.

However, a new entrant has a chance in 3G services. The government is finalizing policy for 3G spectrum.

AT&T exited Indian mobile service market in July 2005, when it sold its equity in Idea to Tata and Aditya Birla groups.

It had entered into Indian mobile market through a JV with Aditya Birla group by acquiring cellular mobile licenses for Maharashtra and Gujarat in 1995.

 

 

 

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

 

 

Indian operator Bharti Airtel has awarded a network expansion contract worth USD 900 million to Nokia Siemens Networks. Nokia Siemens Networks will expand Airtel’s GSM network in eight circles, its national and international long-distance network with 1.8 million next-generation network (NGN) ports, and its international calling card prepaid service capacity by 4.5 million new users. The GSM and NGN expansions are planned over two years and the international calling cards expansion over three years. The two-year GSM expansion will cover the eight existing circles of Mumbai, Maharashtra & Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh, Bihar & Jharkhand, Orissa, Kolkata and West Bengal.

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Be it public displays of affection or the phenomenon of social drinking, it’s all foreign for Indian students going abroad for the first time. Now, a 30-year-old academic from Gujarat, Nipan Maniar, is all set to ease the big culture shock by developing a mobile-phone game that will make the transition easier for newcomers.

Called C-Shock, the game was the result of Maniar’s own experiences in an alien land. “I moved to the UK from Ahmedabad 2005. It was the first time I was away from home and everything was different. I remember seeing a couple kissing in public and I didn’t know whether to look away or just stand and stare,� says Maniar, a University of Portsmouth academic and games technology expert.

The game, which Maniar hopes will act as an e-mother, follows an international student arriving in the UK for the first time. The aim is to reduce the character’s ‘culture shock’ rating from 100 to zero by performing tasks that introduce culture shock inducing incidents and images such as going to the pub and watching people being affectionate with each other in public.

The game opens on a student’s first day at university. The student is shown a map of the campus and is given tasks to find specific locations. Clicking on images along the way warns the student about what to expect in terms of culture.

It’s a learning tool that Maniar confesses would have come in handy before his first flight to UK. “Even drinking was alien to me as there is prohibition in Gujarat. So I could never figure out whether I should buy a round of drinks at a pub or not,� says Maniar, who moved to Britain after completing his BSc from Gujarat University.

Besides softening the culture blow, the game also includes important information such as campus layout and police and emergency telephone numbers. “C-Shock can guide students through the registration process as well as help them with basic information like opening a bank account or finding a part-time job,� he says.

Maniar developed the prototype of the mobile phone game along with his research assistant Emily Bennet after consulting with the University’s International Office and the British Council. It is expected to be available at the University of Portsmouth website for download later this year.

And provided investment flows in from game companies, Maniar is looking at another game that will help foreign tourists navigate a complex culture like India. Too late for Richard Gere who probably didn’t have a clue what furore a kiss could spark off, but it may give others who have any plans of public pecking second thoughts.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News