Banglalink ends H1’09 with ARPU of BDT182 (Bangladesh)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Banglalink, the Bangladeshi mobile operator, owned by Orascom Telecom, has posted a rise in revenues of 29% year-on-year in H1’09 to DT11.83 billion (USD175 million), as its subscriber base grew by 17% to 11.04 million at the end of June, up from 9.45 million at mid-2008. The operator’s market share also increased to 23.7% at mid-2009. The Bangladeshi operator’s ARPU also hiked by 18% to BDT182 by the end of June, compared to BDT154 a year earlier.
Virgin Mobile launches Zoompass (Canada)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Today, Virgin Mobile Canada and EnStream LP announced that Virgin Mobile customers can now Zoom each other cash with Zoompass(TM), a groundbreaking new mobile money transfer and payment service.
Zoompass is a fast and easy way to send and receive money securely with a mobile phone. “We’re always on the lookout for breakthroughs that will help our customers get more from their phone,” said Nathan Rosenberg, Chief Marketing Officer, Virgin Mobile Canada. “Zoompass is a perfect example of innovation that works for people, making it easy and fast to turn their mobile phones into a virtual wallet. In fact, I have some friends that owe me cash. I’m going to get them to Zoom me immediately!”
Zoompass makes it easy to split a lunch bill, ask for money from parents, collect sports team fees or chip in for a co-worker’s gift right from a mobile phone. More and more Canadians nationwide are using Zoompass as a way to send money. Virgin Mobile Canada customers can send money to anyone belonging to a participating Canadian wireless carrier, even if the recipient doesn’t have their own Zoompass account yet. People are instantly notified on their phone when they receive money and are asked to register at www.zoompass.com. (more…)
BSNL offers $500-m GSM deal to Ericsson (India)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: BSNL, the state-run telco, has reportedly offered Ericsson, the technology vendor, a contract to supply 5.25 million GSM lines. The deal is reportedly worth US$500 million.
The deal has been announced in the backdrop of the controversy pertaining to BSNL’s ‘mega-tender’ for 93 million GSM lines.
Nokia Siemens Networks, another bidder for the mega deal, had challenged BSNL’s decision to disqualify it saying the bid did not meet the technical criteria.
Whereas, BSNL said that an ‘integrity panel’ has upheld its decision to disqualify Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) from its more than $6 billion tender to supply equipment.
“The integrity panel stand is that the decision on the NSN tender was right. The panel said the rejection was done correctly,” BSNL chairman, Kuldeep Goyal reportedly said.
China Telecom posts 28% drop in H1’09 profits
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: China Telecom, China’s third largest mobile operator, posted a drop of 28% in its H1’09 profits. Operating revenues stood at CNY 103.15 billion, and excluding the amortisation of upfront connection fees, the operating revenues were CY 102.55 billion, up 14.8% from CNY 89.35 billion in the H1’08.
H1 EBITDA dipped by 2.1% to CNY 43.34 billion from CNY 44.27 billion. Profit fell 27.5 percent to CNY 8.41 billion, versus a profit of CNY 11.61 billion in the year-ago period. The operator’s mobile subscriber base grew by 40.7% to 39.28 million.
In 2011, China Telecom targets 100 million mobile subscribers and 65 million broadband subscribers.
Bougyues Telecom considers filling complaint on 4th 3G licence (France)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Bougyues Telecom, the French telco, is reportedly mulling to file a complaint to the European Commission about the way the French government plans to sell a fourth 3G mobile phone license, Chief Executive Martin Bouygues said.
Bougyues Telecom has paid EUR619 million for its license in 2002 while the government at present has set the fee at EUR240 million for the fourth third-generation, or 3G, license, which is anticipated to be awarded to Iliad SA’s free mobile phone division.
“We would consider it normal that we should receive a repayment,” if the sale goes through on this basis, Bouygues told a press conference.
Alfa organises public auction for 25 new platinum mobile numbers (Lebanon)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Alfa, the mobile operator managed by Orascom Telecom, will be organizing its second public auction on 25 new platinum mobile numbers on Thursday 3rd of September, 2009. The auction will be held under the high patronage of Telecommunications’ Minister, Engineer Gebran Bassil, and upon his request, and will take place in “Dubai Hall” at the Metropolitan Hotel, at 9 pm.
To participate in the auction, one has to visit Alfa’s headquarters at Furn El Chebbak, Beirut in order to submit the 100 USD registration fees (VAT included) starting the 27th of August 2009, up until the 3rd of September 2009, from 8 am until 2 pm and on the 3rd of September at Metropolitan Hotel from 8 am until 9 pm just right before the bidding operation starts. (more…)
China Unicom announces H1’09 results
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited announced its 2009 interim results today. In the first half of 2009, the Chinese macroeconomy continued to encounter various challenges brought by the international financial crisis. With the restructuring of telecommunications industry and the issuance of the 3G license, industry competition environment has become increasingly complicated. In the first half of the year, the Company actively pushed forward its internal integration, leveraged on the advantage of full-service resources and stepped up efforts in business expansion. The Company has achieved new progress in various aspects.
In the first half of the year, the Company recorded operating revenue of RMB76.32 billion. Service revenue amounted to RMB74.51 billion, representing a decline of 4.3% over the same period of last year and a decline of 3.3% over the same period of last year when compared on the same basis (Note 1). Service revenue of the GSM business reached RMB34.19 billion, representing an increase of 5.7% over the same period of last year. Service revenue of the fixed-line business reached RMB40.19 billion, representing a decline of 11.3% over the same period of last year and a decline of 9.7% over the same period of last year when compared on the same basis (Note 1). Of the revenue from the fixed-line business, revenue from the fixed-line broadband service was RMB11.73 billion, representing an increase of 10.3% over the same period of last year.
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Polish regulator analyses nation’s mobile internet market
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The Polish regulator, UKE, has reportedly announced an analysis of Polish mobile internet market, after it reported a two-fold increase in subscribers over the year to June. The service has a market penetration of 5%. The watchdog considers that the quality of service is low and requires continuous monitoring.
Play, according to the regulator is the cheapest operator in the most popular transfer rate of 1 to 5 GB monthly, according to the research. Play is followed by Plus, Era and Orange. Era offers the lowest prices in the prepaid segment, followed by Play, Orange and Plus.
PT Telekom to vend its 40% stake in Patrakom (Indonesia)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia intends to vend its 40% stake in the network provider PT Patra Telekomunikasi Indonesia to shift its focus more on its core business, an executive reportedly said.
“We have already made an offer (to sell Patrakom) to interested parties,” Telkom Director for Information and Technology Indra Utoyo said.
S Tel & Reliance Infratel ink infrastructure agreement (India)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: S Tel and Reliance Infratel have reportedly inked an infrastructure agreement for sharing telecom towers, transmission for BTS sites and fibre backbone for intercity connectivity.
The pact covers six circles – Orissa, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Northeast, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir where the telecom operator plans to roll out its GSM services soon.
