RCom intends to invest $1 billion for 3G rollout (India)
Reliance Communication, the Indian incumbent, has kept aside an investment of $1 billion for the roll out of it 3G services in India. Nearly $0.96 billion of investment will come from RCom’s internal cash treasury. It is seen that 3G rollout will operate on the GSM network, which is scheduled for a formal launch shortly.
RCom also seeks for a strategic partner who will help in 3G rollout. Korean Telecom company SKCC is supposedly said to be in discussions with Reliance Communications for providing VAS for 3G, as well as IPTV. Whereas, SK C&C has said it is interested in leveraging its experience on the CDMA platform, and is looking for acquisitions in India, as well as partnerships and joint ventures.
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Glo Mobile offers 95% reduction in call tariffs made to Glo network (Nigeria)
Glo Mobile has enabled its subscribers to enjoy up to 95% reduction in call charges made to the Glo network. The new promotional package “Glo Time Band Savings” subscribers will enjoy discounts of between 10% and 95% for calls made on the Glo network, depending on the time of day the call is made. Discount is from the peak rate of the tariff plan. The promotional plan will end on 31 January 2009 and will be open to all existing and new subscribers on prepaid platforms except the Commercial Telephone Operators (CTO) packages.
Calls made between 12 midnight and 5 a.m. will attract 95% discount, between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. will have 40% discount, while calls between 8 a.m. and 12 noon will be at a 10% discount. Between 12 noon and 2 p.m., Glo is offering callers 20% discount, while 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. will attract 10% discount. Subscribers who call between 10 p.m. and 12 midnight will enjoy a 30% discount.
Glo’s Marketing Director, Jagatjit Singh says thar the discounts are applicable across Nigeria and do not, like similar products in the market, limit subscribers to specific zones.
“Glo Time Band Savings is the first such offer in the market. Our subscribers will benefit from it irrespective of wherever they are in Nigeria . You do not have to enjoy the benefit only when you are at a particular place or zone,” Singh explained.
Glo, in the festive season, offers another unique promotion in which N2009 worth of benefits will be given to every new prepaid subscriber. Every new prepaid Classic Plus subscriber who buys a sim for N200 and activates his line before January 31, 2009, will have free airtime worth N39 and twenty two free Glo to Glo SMS worth N110.
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Etisalat grabs Iran’s third mobile phone licence
Etisalat, one of the well known mobile operators across the globe, has won the third mobile phone licence in Iran. Etisalat will be in competition with the two Iranian incumbents ITC and MTN. Etisalat aims to tap a market with a mobile market penetration of less than 60, where more than half of the population of some 70 million people are under 25 years of age.
The licence will be legally applicable only once it recieves an approval from Iran’s minister of telecommunications.
3G entrant to India to be eligible for 2G spectrum
The forieng telcos who win the 3G spectrum in an auction to be held of 16 January’09 will also be eligible for 2G spectrum, a government official disclosed. “For a new entrant in 3G who has obtained a licence, it will be in the queue for 2G spectrum,” said R Ashok, member (finance) in India’s telecom commission.
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Telefonica expects to invest $846Mn in Brazil in 2009
The Spanish telco Telefonica intends to invest $6.26 billion in Brazil during the period of 2007-2010, out of which it is likely to invest $846 million in 2009. In 2009, the company aims on its high speed broadband service and is studying to offer bundled packages in association with mobile operator Vivo. According to reports, the company expects next month to launch triple play packages in 20 neighborhoods in S£o Paulo city and in nine other cities throughout S£o Paulo state.
Kuwait’s MoC plans lowered tariffs for calls made to European and Arab nations
Kuwaiti Ministry of Communication unviels its plans for the introduction of lowered call rates for its subscribers calling in Europe and Arab countries. The MoC says that the price slash will be ‘the greatest and most comprehensive package ever introduced by the ministry’. The Miistry official reportedly said that the MoC also intends to increase its surveillance capabilities, particularly in monitoring and prosecuting anyone making illegal international calls. The ministry intends to work closely with the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to stamp out a practise that costs the country in excess of $357 million per annum.
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ITC rejects TRAI’s proposal of 2% admin tax for 3G (India)
The Indian Telecom Commission says no to the proposals from TRAI to successful bidders in the upcoming 3G auctions 2% of the highest bid amount annually as an administrative charge for using the spectrum. The commission, however, agrees to the higher spectrum fees proposed by DoT. he DoT had criticised the TRAI’s recommendations for an administrative charge, claiming if implemented it could reduce revenues from the auction process by as much as $1 billion. The annual spectrum fee for operators which only offer 3G services will rise from 1% of revenue to 3% of revenues following the commission’s decision. Existing operators with 2G services will be charged between 3% and 8% of revenues, dependent on the spectrum each company holds.
Multi-Links targets a subscriber base of 10Mn by Dec’09 (Nigeria)
Multi-Links, the Nigerian incumbent offering GSM services in the country unviels its targets to reach a subscriber base of 10 Mn by December’09. According to GM Corporate Affairs and Regional Manager, Mr. Tayo Ekundayo, the telco currently has a subscriber base of 2.4 million, the telco expects to reach its target s by next year.
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TDC completes sale of its 19.6% stake in Polkomtel (Poland)
Denmark based TDC completes the sale of its 19.6% stake in the Polish incumbent Polkomtel, generating $1.01 billion. The British operator, Vodafone, will purchase a quarter of TDC’s stake in the operator, bringing Vodafone’s stake in the operator to 24.4%. Four other Polish shareholders, KGHM, PGE, PKN Orlen and Weglokoks, will purchase the remaining 75% of TDC’s stake in the operator.
An Post and Vodafone Ireland plan an MVNO launch in 2009 (Ireland)
The Republic of Ireland’s postal service An Post is keen to launch a branded mobile phone service of its own in 2009 as a part of the MVNO deal with the Irish incumbent Vodafone. An Post will purchase the capacity and services on Vodafone’s network in order to provide an An Post-branded product through its own retail network.
Initially An Post will cater to the pre-paid mobile market. Accrding to Donal Connell, chief executive of An Post, the MVNO partnership with Vodafone marked another chapter in the evolution of the company and its new generation of products and services currently in development.
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