Starcomms expand its network reach
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Satarcomms, Nigerian CDMA operator is said to have widened its mobile and fixed services to cities of Jos and Bauchi. The subscribers of both the cities and their adjoining areas will now be able to enjoy data and value added services apart from fixed and mobile telephony.
According to the CEO of Starcomms, Maher Qubain, the company is looking forward to bring innovative and affordable telecommunication solutions to all the cities under their network. With this step the company promises its customers value for money with quality signals and good customer services.
Qubain feels that the network expansion will work as an additional step towards the overall economic growth for all Nigerians in all the areas it covers.
Network up gradation planned by AT&T
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: According to a top AT&T Inc executive, the company is required to improve the quality of its wireless services in areas such as New York City and San Francisco if it wants to throw competition to other operators.
Some improvements have been made by the telco in the year 2009 but more upgrades has to be planned this year to accommodate faster mobile data services. However, the deployment of 3.5 G HSPA 7.2 standards has been planned by the telco in 25 of the country’s 30 largest markets this year.
The company expects that upgrade will be in place across 90% of its 3G footprint by the end of 2011. Long Term Evolution (LTE) trials have also been planned by AT&T before commercially launching the 4G standard in 2011.
BSNL asked to expedite alternative network rollout for defence forces by DOT
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has been called by India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to speed up the construction of the alternative network for the country’s armed forces.
The delay in the deployment of the new infrastructure has raised alarm and the department has requested that the telco set up a monitoring mechanism with immediate effect.
A team comprising representatives from the DoT and the Defence Ministry with BSNL’s chairman and managing director as the head was due to be formed, under the terms of the approved proposal. The proposal was for the alternative network, which is being constructed to allow the armed forces to vacate spectrum that is needed for the impending 3G auctions.
Concerns are also raised by BSNL over the rising costs of the project as more states ask for right of way compensation.
3 Billion apps downloaded from Apple store
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: More than 3 billion apps have been downloaded within 18 months since Apple opened the App Store by iPhone and iPod touch users worldwide.
The App Store is available in 77 countries worldwide for the iPhone and iPod touch customers. Choices are available in 20 categories like games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.
A total of over 100,000 apps, both paid and free are offered for downloading by the store.
MTS to expand into cable TV market
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: MTS, a Russian mobile operator has shown interest in expanding into the cable TV market. According to the CEO of the company, Mikhail Shamolin the company may use the networks for the expansion of broadband services.
The areas of interest of the operator are the regional operators who cover cities with over 100,000 to 200,000 residents. It would also prove beneficial for expanding their fixed-line coverage at the recently acquired operator Comstar which now covers only major population centres.
Idea has enough funds to bid for 3G bandwidth
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: According to the managing director of Idea Cellular Ltd, the company has enough funds to be eligible to bid for the upcoming bandwidth auction for third generation, or 3G, mobile phone services.
India has now planned to hold the auction in February after delaying the bidding for the 3G bandwidth a number of times.
As per the government’s plan, the slots of 3G radio bandwidth will be sold at a base price of INR35 billion for one such slot.
3G network launched by MTS in Moscow
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: January 2010 saw the launch of the commercial operation of the 3G network of Russian mobile operator MTS in Moscow. Besides, the company is planning to set up 300 base stations for 3G before the end of January 2010.
With 197 base stations, MTS got the permission to commission the first fragment of the street 3G networks, initially covering the central part of the city within the boundaries of the Third Ring Road, the main business districts of the capital, key highways and transportation hubs within the Moscow Ring Road.
At present, 40 trade and business centers of Moscow, including the area of Moscow City, Expo Centre, Crocus City, World Trade Centre, BC Novinsky, Alfa-Arbat-Centre, Lotte Plaza, shopping centres CUS, Atrium, European, Moscow, Gorbushkin yard and Ikea has 3G network.
Third quarter recorded an increase of 40%in the volume of traffic transmitted on the MTS 3G network in Russia as compared to first two quarters of the year.
Creditors acquire Tele Columbus (Germany)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: An agreement was reached between the creditors and owners of German cable network operator Tele Columbus about a reorganization of the company. As per the agreement, Tele Columbus will be acquired by an independent Luxembourg-based holding company set up by more than 100 international creditors from its current owner Escaline subsidiary Orion Cable.
Financial restructuring specialist Boutique Nikolaus & Co will control the holding. Restructuring of Tele Columbus’s debt is the main goal of Nikolaus & Co. Tele Columbus will now be lead by COO Dieter Schickel and Andrew MacCallum of Alvarez and Marsal as chief financial advisor.
The agreement also makes it clear that the planned auction of the Tele Columbus shares on 30 December 2009 did not take place.
300,000 new customers added by Mobilkom Austria in 2009
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: By adding 300,000 new customers and reaching more than 4.8 million totals, Mobilkom Austria claimed it saw the largest customer growth in the Austrian mobile market during 2009.
Mobile broadband customers of the operator increased year-on-year by more than one third to 540,000. HSPA+ network was launched by Mobilkom Austria in March 2009 enabling users to reach download speeds of up to 21 Mbps.
LTE deployment by Movistar to be launched in 2011
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Second half of 2011 could encounter the deployment of LTE infrastructure in large cities across the country by the Venezuelan mobile operator, Movistar. However, the necessary wireless spectrum to launch LTE is still not allocated to the company.
According to company’s networks and infrastructure VP, Juan Comerma, low frequencies are required to achieve LTE deployment. Price and availability of LTE devices are the other factors affecting the commercial launch date.
