Wireless Federation

Softbank Corp., has announced that it would cut it’s monthly fees for Apple iPhone. Softbank Corp., Japan’s third-biggest mobile phone operator, the cuts will mean that the iPhone customers will pay 2,990 yen a month for the device, down from 7,280 yen earlier.

Grameenphone, Bangladesh’s biggest mobile operator, has approved plans for the country’s largest initial public offering. Grameenphone,62 percent owned by Telenor and 38 percent owned by local Grameen Telecom, is expected to apply to list on the country’s two main stock exchanges by the end of the month.

It plans to raise 300 million dollars through the IPO, half by floating shares on the Dhaka and Chittagong bourses and the other half by selling pre-IPO shares.

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Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), country’s largest cellular operator by subscribers, is hit by a tax claim of USD49 million (RUB1.13 billion) made by Russia’s Federal Tax Service. The claim relates to 2005-06, with MTS said to have made incorrect calculations relating to certain taxes. The RTax Service claim includes around USD6 million of fines and penalties, according to a report from Ros Business Consulting. MTS says it intends to challenge the regulator’s ruling.

Opposition lawmakers in Ghana’s parliament have blocked approval of the sale of a majority stake in state - owned Ghana Telecom to Britain’s Vodafone.

Vodafone and Ghanian government will have to wait till October, when the chamber deputies return after a summer recess. For leaders, this break gives them time to rethink and revaluate the deal.

The government’s announcement that a 70-percent stake in Ghana Telecom was to be sold to the British firm has provoked stern opposition from some politicians who think that the proposed deal, which values Ghana Telecom at 1.3 billion dollars (over 800 million euros), is not in the national interest.

Vodafone has agreed to pay 900 million dollars for the 70-percent stake, but the opposition party says the shares are worth more than that.

The government’s announcement that a 70-percent stake in Ghana Telecom was to be sold to the British firm has provoked stern opposition from some politicians who think that the proposed deal, which values Ghana Telecom at 1.3 billion dollars (over 800 million euros), is not in the national interest.

Vodafone has agreed to pay 900 million dollars for the 70-percent stake, but the opposition party says the shares are worth more than that.

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TeliaSonera AB said it has signed an agreement to acquire up to 100 pct of the outstanding shares in MCT Corp, a US-based company with majority, controlling shareholdings in three Eurasian GSM operators in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and a minority interest in the leading GSM operator in Afghanistan.

The acquisition price was not disclosed.

The four GSM operators are: The Uzbek-American Joint Venture Coscom LLC, the third-largest mobile operator in Uzbekistan, where MCT has a 99.97 pct interest; CJSC Indigo Tajikistan and CJSC Joint Venture Somoncom, which combined is the second-largest mobile operation in Tajikistan and in which MCT has 60.0 pct and 59.4 pct respectively; and Telecom Development Co Afghanistan Ltd (Roshan), the largest mobile operator in Afghanistan, in which MCT has a 12.25 pct interest.

TeliaSonera said it expected the deal to close during the third quarter.

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The number of digital TV connections in the Netherlands grew 5.9 percent to pass the 2 million mark during the first quarter, ending the period with 2.12 million subscribers. The number of total Dutch TV connections grew by 0.3 percent during the quarter to 7.026 million, despite a 1.9 percent drop in analogue TV connections to 4.91 million. Digital’s share of the total TV market passed the 30 percent mark.

The cable network operators continue to dominate the Dutch TV landscape, with a share of 87.7 percent of the entire TV market and a growing share of the digital TV market. Year-on-year, cable saw its digital TV market share grow by more than 20 points, to 69 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2007. UPC saw its share of the total TV market and digital TV market fall to 24.1 percent and 31.1 percent respectively, but it is still the largest TV provider with 2.198 million customers on 31 March 2007. The penetration of digital TV on the Dutch cable networks passed the 20 percent mark during the first quarter of 2007, ending the period with 20.3 percent.

The quarterly growth for the second quarter is expected to be around 10 percent, driven by cable network operators Delta and Casema, because they lag behind in digital penetration. Furthermore, the growth of IPTV customers will accelerate, driven by stronger marketing for KPN’s Mine service from the autumn of 2007, leading to an estimated 2.6 million digital TV customers at the end of 2007.

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WirelessWeek writes…In-Stat is reporting that mobile networks will take the lead in establishing IP multimedia subsystem (IMS)-based next-generation networks (NGNs) and introducing next-generation applications.

Since all network equipment is becoming IMS-compliant, carriers will deploy IMS regardless of their intentions. Mobile networks are evolving to IMS to reduce operational expenditures (opex).

“Fixed-line operators, motivated by revenue retention, are deploying IMS-based point solutions on a very pragmatic basis; designed to meet each carrier’s unique business goals. Whether service providers can adapt to meet the challenges of next-generation markets is a question still up for debate,” said report author Keith Nissen.

The two main drivers for IMS deployment are opex cost reduction and revenue generation. With a focus on revenue-generating independent point-solutions, the high-tech market research firm says wireline operators will continue to operate NGN overlays over the next five years

Subscribers to IMS-based services are expected to grow from 10 million in 2007 to more than 500 million by 2011, and spending on IMS control layer equipment will total $12 billion by 2011.

Wireless Mobile Telecom

Turkey’s top mobile phone operator Turkcell has decided to bid in a mobile phone operation tender in Saudi Arabia, the company said on Friday in a statement to the Istanbul Stock Exchange.
Turkcell said its executive board took the decision on Thursday but gave no other details.    

Source-  asia.news      Wireless Mobile Telecom
 
  
 
 
 
 

Israeli international telephony services provider Xfone Communications is seeking to expand into the wireless arena and has applied to the Ministry of Communications for a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) licence.
The licence will enable XFone to offer cellular services without building. XFone president Rafi Dick said ‘MVNO services are in use worldwide and their introduction in Israel will bring call rates down and increase competition. I am convinced that this move will revolutionise cellular call tariffs, as it has done in other progressive countries’. Other companies to have expressed an interest in acquiring MVNO licences include iDEN operator MIRS and cableco HOT.

Source-  telegeography  Wireless Mobile Telecom

Vodafone has sold its 25% stake in Swisscom Mobile back to Swisscom for 4.25bn Swiss francs (£1.78bn).
The deal had been widely expected but the price is above analysts’ expectations and is roughly the same as Vodafone paid when it bought the stake five years ago.

Swisscom, which is majority-owned by the Swiss government, already owns the remaining 75% of Swisscom Mobile, Switzerland’s largest mobile phone operator.

Vodafone chief executive Arun Sarin said: “Vodafone and Swisscom have enjoyed an excellent relationship since we acquired our 25% stake in Swisscom Mobile in January 2001.

“We do not, however, see ourselves as the most appropriate holder of this minority stake in the longer-term and Swisscom is keen to increase its holding in Swisscom Mobile to drive through synergies in its fixed and mobile businesses.
“It therefore makes sense to sell our stake now for an attractive price.”

The UK mobile phone giant said it will make a gain of £100m on the sale. It intends to use the Vodafone will use the proceeds to reduce debt.

Source-  business.guardian Wireless Mobile Telecom