Wireless Federation

The Brazilian mobile operator submit a request to the government asking it to defer certain tax payments and fees for recently acquired 3G licences due to the reduced availability of credit and the adverse impact on their investment programmes as the reason.
Vivo Participacoes CEO Roberto Oliveira de Lima says that all sectors of the domestic economy will feel the impact of tighter credit markets in 2009, which may lead to unemployment rates and lower consumer income.
Lima is looking to the Federal government to help the telecoms market saying: ‘The same way the government is helping other sectors in Brazil, it should also give our sector some stability to plan ahead.’ He went on to add: ‘That decision has to be made now so our investment can actually happen six months ahead. We cannot allow a circumstantial situation to force us to take a bad decision, which would be halting investments.’

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Mobile service operators in Paraguay have billed $455mn in first nine months of 2008, a rise of 15% since last year. The rising sales were driven by heavy investment for network expansion and upgradation by the operators.
With the end of June’08, the number of mobile phone lines reached 5.45mn mobile lines, up by 16% since last year, with nearly 757,486 new new mobile lines activated in the country in H1′08.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

The Bangladeshi regulator, BRTC, finalises the guidelines in which the network operators will have to share the infrastructure with it’s competitors on a non-discriminatory basis.
Under the guidelines, the operators must post information regarding available infrastructure for sharing on their websites.
The regulator will intervene in disputes over sharing of resources, including base transceiver stations (BTSs), spectrum, antenna, feeder cable, radio access network, microwave radio equipment, billing platform, switching centres, routers, base station controllers, optical fibre, sites, buildings, shelters, towers, power supply and battery backup, grounding, air conditioning, security arrangement, poles, ducts and trenches.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

Pakistan has transformed from a regulated state-owned monopoly telecom market to a deregulated competitive structure very challenging. Penetration of fixed-line and Internet services remain low. The mobile market has taken off, with high annual growth and it’s looking like a sustained development phase. The Internet market certainly has huge potential, but there is a long way to go. Operators covered for Pakistan include: Mobilink, Ufone, Paktel, Instaphone, Telenor, and Warid Telecom.

Notable highlights of Pakistan Mobile Forecast include:

• Pakistan will continue to see reductions in ARPUs over the forecast period of 2008 - 2010. In 2010, Pakistan will have the average ARPU level of US$ 2.84, which is the lowest ARPU in our coverage list of countries.

• Pakistan will see its wireless penetration level increase from a projected 58.7% in 2008 to a forecasted 71.6% in 2010. This would make Pakistan the most highly penetrated market in South Asia.

• The largest operators in Pakistan are Mobilink, Ufone, Telenor and Warid Telecom; they will have market shares (by subscribers) of 36.1%, 19.3%, 21.2% and 17.3% respectively in 2010.

• In addition, a smaller operator, Paktel, is growing rapidly. Its market share will increase from our projected 3.7% in 2008 to a forecasted 6.4% in 2010.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

TMN, Telecel Vodafone and Optimus is serving Portugal’s mobile market. Mobile penetration is above the EU average. Growth is driven by the popularity of using multiple SIMs. MVNO market is undeveloped, partly though network operators having their own low-cost schemes. However, further competition in this sector is expected. TMN continues to enjoy higher profitability than Vodafone.

Notable highlights of  Portugal Mobile Forecast include:

• The wireless market in Portugal will be growing somewhat slowly compared to many other European countries.  Number of total subscribers will increase from our projected 14.7 million in 2008 to a forecasted 15.1 million in 2010. In 2010, the wireless penetration level in the country will reach 139.8%.

• Market shares (by subscribers) of the two largest operators will remain roughly the same over the next few years in Portugal. TMN, Telecel Vodafone and Optimus will continue to have approximately 44%, 35% and 20% of total subscribers respectively over the next three years.

• TMN will continue to be more profitable than Telecel Vodafone, and we forecast that its EBITDA margin will be 43.2% in 2010. On the other hand, the EBITDA margin of Telecel Vodafone will continue to remain low at 35%.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

As per the direction given by TRAI to provide interconnectivity to RCom GSM network, five mobile operators, including Idea Cellular, MTNL and Tata Communication have agreed to provide link of their network to RCOM group. Idea Cellular has agreed to provide interconnection to RCom thereby not becoming a part of COAI’s likely petition against TRAI’s directive on the same sources revealed. Aircel and Spice Communication are the other operators to give interconnection to RCom GSM network.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

Outdoor advertising is one of the biggest marketing media in Kenya where mobile operators are spending excessively. “It’s the kind of spending that in the past has been associated only with cigarette brands or Coca-Cola,” said Michael Foley, who runs the East African operations of Essar Group of India, a company that is backing a new wireless network scheduled to begin operating in Kenya. Safaricom dominates the mobile business in Kenya for years, a local company whose biggest shareholder is Vodafone, with 85 percent and the rest hold by an operator in Kuwait, Zain. Two newcomers will soon join the chain. As Essar, France Télécom have recently acquires a controling stake in Telkom Kenya. They are planning to build a new mobile network that may market under the Orange Brand. According to a local media report, Telecommunications companies are expected to spend about 4.7 billion Kenyan shillings (or about $72 million) on advertising this year. Safaricom alone accounts for 2 billion shillings in spending. Given its dominant position, Safaricom plans no new directions in its advertising, Mr. Joseph, the chief executive, said.

According to local media report, Administracion Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Antel), Uruguay’s state-owned telecommunications company, is interested in taking part in an alliance of regional communication companies. The aim is to have better way to compete against foreign multinationals such as Movistar and Claro. According to Antel’s president Edgardo Carvalho, the company has held meetings with executives of Brazilian group Oi, which is currently undergoing a merger process, after acquiring its competitor Brasil Telecom. The new company is seeking strategic South American allies to form an important conglomerate, able to compete against Claro and Movistar, Carvalho revealed.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

Italy has one of Europe’s most lively mobile markets, supported by a large population keen to try new services. Italy has the third highest penetration rate in the world with a 100% penetration rate in the 15 to 54 age range. With little room for growth in terms of subscriber numbers, competition between operators turns to pricing strategies which will cause ARPU to fall by 3.4% year on year from $34.7pcm in 2005 to $32.4pcm in 2007. Rising ARPU from data services and the ability of operators to distinguish themselves via data services remains the best opportunity for operators to stem falling ARPU.The market is dominated by three operators, while a fourth, 3 Italia, has struggled to make a profit or significantly expand its customer base. All four providers operate 3G networks, while investments in network upgrades have provided rich opportunities for mobile data use among consumers.

Notable highlights of Italy Mobile Forecast include:

• Wireless penetration levels in Italy will increase from our projected 156.4% in 2008 to our forecasted 163.4% (previously 165.3%) in 2010.

• Total subscribers in Italy to increase from 92.5 million in 2008 to 96.8 million in 2010.

• In 2010, market shares (by subscribers) of the four major operators in Italy will be 40.1%, 32.7%, 16.7% and 9.8% for TIM, OPI Vodafone, Wind, and 3 (Hutchison) respectively.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

One of the Asia’s fastest-growing cellular market, Bangladesh, adds up a total of 1.1 million new subscribers in July, lifting the user base to 44.8 million. According to a telecom regulatar data, top operator Grameenphone, controlled by Norway’s Telenor which is gearing up for a $300 million public offer, raised its subscriber base to 20.84 million in July from 20.31 million in June. Aktel (begs third position), majority owned by Telekom Malaysia International has added 130,000 users, taking its user base to 7.98 million at end-July. Warid Telecom International of the United Arab Emirates, which launched its Bangladesh operations in May 2007 has closed july with 3.48 million users from 3.31 million. City Cell (Only CDMA carrier) a joint venture between Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Ltd and Singapore Telecommunication shows a dip in users numbers which is 1.67 million in July from 1.70 million in June.

Even the number of mobile phone users grows nearly 58 percent in 2007 to 34.4 million. This increase in number of mobile phone users is basically helped by competitive tariffs and cheap handsets said Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission. Mobile phone services are one of an important contributor to the cash-strapped nation’s economy. Several market surveys have forecasted that the number of mobile phone users will be around 70 million at the end of 2011.

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