Airtel brings the 4G revolution to Bengaluru (India)
Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecom services provider with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, today launched its 4G services in India’s IT hub – Bengaluru. Following the recent inaugural launch of Airtel 4G services in Kolkata, customers in Bengaluru have now become the second in India to have access to cutting-edge 4G LTE technology that delivers the most advanced wireless broadband experience available across the globe. As a first for the telecom industry worldwide, Airtel has also introduced ‘Smartbytes’ for 4G – thus allowing customers to buy these add on packs and continue enjoying the 4G experience even after exhausting their monthly data limits.
At the launch, Sanjay Kapoor, CEO – India & South Asia, Bharti Airtel said that as seen the world over, the total data usage is exploding and is doubling each year to grow to nearly 3.6 hexabytes by 2014. With the launch of 4G, India will move from being a follower in technology to matching the world in this domain. Leading from the front, Airtel is now the only operator that gives citizens of the Information Technology capital of Bengaluru, access to entire spectrum of broadband services including 2G, 3G and now 4G – thereby giving the customers never seen before data experience. Besides offering rich content, Airtel 4G will allow superfast access to High Definition (HD) video streaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and much more.
As part of an exciting introductory offer by Airtel, customers subscribing to 4G services will now be given a cashback for the CPE / dongle – thus bringing device cost to customers zero and paving way for mass adoption of 4G services. Airtel 4G is now also available in an all new 30GB pack priced at $57.
Customers on Airtel 4G can already choose from a catalogue of over 35 high quality Bollywood movie titles and leverage the power of 4G to enjoy an unmatched video streaming experience. While 10 movie titles will be available free of cost for customers during the first month, movie buffs can pay a monthly subscription of INR 149 and watch unlimited movies. Airtel will be further adding to this list of movies in the catalogue in weeks to come.
In 2010, Airtel had successfully bid for BWA license spectrum in Kolkata, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai) circles. The company has launched its 4G LTE services in Kolkata and Bengaluru and is currently working towards rolling out state-of-the-art networks in remaining licence circles.
Alcatel-Lucent to offer innovative measures for mobile operators to overcome data storm (USA)
Tony Wood, Country Senior Officer of Alcatel-Lucent in East Africa, explains how innovation can help operators rise above the data storm to overcome network, business-model and competitive challenges.
The globalisation of the economy and the growth of the Internet have enhanced worldwide communications. End-users wherever based in a remote village or in a big city should rely on stable telecommunications connections to enquire about the wider world and make their contribution to it. The convergence of services (broadband Internet + video on-demand + voice) has become a significant reality. Telecom operators, service providers, enterprises rely on their networks to run their voice, data and Internet communication.
Africa is a growing market and a focus market for Alcatel-Lucent; it remains among the company’s most promising markets. Indeed, broadband is one of the top priorities in Africa, good progress has been made to connect cities to national backbones, but connectivity of small towns still poor.
It is a vast continent with various needs for connectivity and is mainly characterised by basic infrastructure needs in some areas, and more developed areas where existing infrastructures must now deliver high-quality broadband connectivity to support services like high-speed Internet access.
Alcatel-Lucent is strongly involved in the telecom infrastructure development in Africa to support telecommunications actors to rise above the data storm to overcome network, business-model and competitive challenges. Meeting the need for mobile telecommunications and the adoption of next-generation technologies, including lightRadio – the revolutionary innovation of Alcatel-Lucent (a miniature device that offers a solution to network gridlock and universal broadband coverage) and 4G LTE networks, to foster digital inclusion and the development of applications to enhance education, youth employment, social engagement, health and transportation among local communities and across large geographies.
Wood said that breakthrough innovation and technologies, proven execution and experience – that is what mobile broadband operators count on from them, from their market leadership in wireless and IP, their research advances from Bell Labs, their company’s innovation engine, responsible for breakthroughs that have shaped the networking and communications industry and their global service experience in transforming networks to rise above the mobile data storm, to deliver cost-effective and high quality mobile broadband services to consumers and business users. He added that realising the potential of a connected world is an integral part of their vision and strategy.
He also said that Alcatel-Lucent unveiled lightRadio last year – the outcome of research by Bell Labs, the group’s world-leading R&D arm. It is a completely revolutionary approach for mobile networking. This brand new range will free the mobile sector around the world from its dependence on antenna masts and mobile base stations (cell towers), which are generally the most energy-consuming components of the network, and also the most expensive and difficult to maintain.
At a time of rapid traffic growth, the lightRadio system will radically simplify mobile networks, expand network capacity, lower operating costs, reduce energy consumption and bring connectivity to everyone around the world. With its flexible architecture, lightRadio is typically located at the base of each cell tower, is broken into its component elements and distributed through the network or ‘carrier cloud’.
Additionally the various cell tower antennas are combined and shrunk into a single, powerful, Bell Labs-pioneered multi-frequency, multi-standard (2G, 3G, LTE) device that can be mounted on poles, sides of buildings, WiFi networks or anywhere else there is power and a broadband connection.
In only a year, Alcatel-Lucent has not only moved from prototype to product, but has built an entire next-generation mobile platform, and it has a rich ecosystem of partners and co-creation customers it has been working with around the world: Telefónica, France Telecom/Orange, China Mobile, and Etisalat in the UAE.
The lightRadio architecture is fundamentally changing the structure of wireless networks to handle the video and Web surfing demands of consumers, increasing daily with the number of smartphones and tablets. Connecting becomes easy with lightRadio.
Bharti Airtel launches mobile services in Rwanda (Africa)
India’s leading telecom operator, Bharti Airtel, has launched mobile services in Rwanda, taking its presence in Africa to 17 countries. According to reports, Airtel has said that it plans to invest over $100 million in its operations over the next three years
Manoj Kohli, CEO (International) & Joint MD, Bharti Airtel said during the launch that they are delighted to launch their operations and bring Airtel to the people of Rwanda. They believe that Rwanda is an extremely promising market and this launch further strengthens their footprint in eastern Africa. It will be their endeavour to bring world-class and affordable services to their customers in Rwanda and add value to the economy. Further, they would like to thank the Rwandan government for giving them this opportunity, and they are committed to contributing to their aim of bridging the digital divide in the country.
Right Hon. Dr. Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, Prime Minister, Rwanda, said that the government welcomes Airtel into the country. They are looking to partner with the private sector to provide good quality, accessible and affordable telecommunications services. He added that they are especially excited about the prospect of connecting Rwanda with the rest of the East African region and, indeed, with the rest of Africa. As Rwandans begin engaging in business ventures and looking for regional partners, telecommunications companies – like Airtel – that are able to provide access to a pan-African wireless network, become a crucial part of expansion.
Airtel received the license to operate 2G and 3G GSM mobile services last year. Currently, the Airtel provides services across Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Orange Jordan partners with Ericsson for network upgrade (Jordan)
Telecom operator Orange Jordan has signed an agreement with Ericsson to expand and modernise the operator’s 2G and 3G networks across the kingdom. According to reports, the new agreement will enable modernization of the 2G network while expanding the operator’s 3G presence.
As per a company statement, the upgrades will allow Orange Jordan to meet the demands of its growing subscriber base and continue to provide customers with high quality connectivity throughout the kingdom.
Further, under the terms of the agreement, Ericsson will also be supplying Orange with its latest RBS 6000 technology, an energy-efficient compact site solution that prepares the network for LTE/4G technology.
Tarek Saadi, president and head of Ericsson North Middle East, said that they are delighted to be continuing their successful relationship with Orange Jordan, and to have been awarded the modernization and expansion contract of their 3G and 2G networks. He added that they are committed to working with Orange to provide them with tailored and adaptable solutions that can help them meet the demands of their increasing subscriber base, and we look forward to further cooperation with Orange in the future.
Nayla Khawam, CEO, Orange Jordan, has said that the operator and its predecessor, Jordan Telecom Group, have played a key role creating the kingdom’s telecommunications backbone. Also, they have made significant contributions to Jordan Telecom’s integration with regional and global markets, something they are very proud of. Now, with their increasing subscriber base and the resulting demands on the networks, it is essential that they work with the right partner to provide the most reliable and up-to-date services for their subscribers.
Orange hopeful of launching 4G services in the next 3 years (Jordan)
Mobile operator Orange Jordan has said that it will begin work on its network in order to provide 4G services to users.
According to reports, Nayla Khawam, CEO, Orange Jordan, said that the company will invest about US$ 70.4 million in 2012 to upgrade its 2G and 3G networks and start preparing for the provision of 4G service in no less than three years.
She added that the future is 4G services and they have already started their plans to introduce the technology, which will enable providing high-speed data services and other new services in the market. Khawam also said that the demand for 4G services will see a substantial increase in the next three years.
She also said that mobile operators need to focus more on data as compared with voice services. The 4G technology offers high speed internet access that enables users to browse the internet and use mobile apps in a more seamless manner.
Orange responds to impact of Free Mobile’s launch (Europe)
Mobile operator Orange has reacted to the impact of Free Mobile’s launch stating that in the first 48 hours following 10 January 2012, Orange recorded a substantial increase in RIO requests, (the identity codes required to request mobile number). These peaked at over 150,000 requests in a single day during this initial period but have now decreased tenfold.
As at 15 February 2012, the Orange mobile subscriber base had declined by 201,000 subscribers, representing around 0.7 per cent of its total mobile customer base in France, which, at 31 December 2011, had reached just over 27 million subscribers.
Orange’s early commercial counter-attack enabled it to respond rapidly by adapting tariffs for its low-cost brand Sosh, launched in September for this purpose, and by adjusting the Orange Open quadruple play offer. The new tariffs for Sosh respond to the new market environment, with three commitment-free SIM only offers from US$ 1.2 (2 hours voice, unlimited SMS / MMS / WiFi) to US$ 33 (100 per cent unlimited).
As per the company statement, they helped accelerate the acquisition of new customers and had attracted a total of 90,000 Sosh subscribers as at 15 February 2012. In parallel, the Orange Open range was enriched and reached a total of 1.4 million subscribers as at 15 February 2012. Finally, the Origami range also contributed a significant share of new additions over the period.
Lastly, ever pragmatic, Orange signed a 2G and 3G roaming contract with Free mobile last March. This contract will generate additional revenue for the Group linked to the volume of traffic that, at the time of signing, was estimated to represent US$ 1.3 billion over a six-year period. The traffic generated by Free mobile subscribers could be substantially higher than expected without this having a negative impact on the quality of service for Orange customers.
T-Mobile and Hutchison 3G enter network sharing agreement (Austria)
Mobile operators Hutchison 3G Austria and T-Mobile Austria have entered into a network sharing partnership enabling both operators to roam on each other’s network. According to company reports, the pact, starting in mid 2012, will enable T-Mobile to offer its customers in rural areas 3G services on 3′s network while at the same time providing 3 with access to T-Mobile’s 2G network.
Jan Trionow, CEO, 3, said that for their customers, nothing will change and they continue to enjoy all the benefits of super fast 3MegaNetzes, the best mobile network in Austria, and will in future benefit also from the already well-developed 2G network of their partner T-Mobile. Jan added that they will also parallel the expansion of their LTE network continued with determination.
Robert Chv¡tal, CEO, T-Mobile Austria, said that the mutual use of existing mobile networks for both partners is a win-win situation. He added that winners are ultimately all Austrian mobile customers, who benefit from quality improvements and synergies immediately.
Everything Everywhere plans US$ 2.35 billion network upgrade (UK)
Mobile network operator Everything Everywhere has reportedly revealed its plans to upgrade its network over the next three years for which it will be spend approximately US$ 2.35 billion. According to reports, Olaf Swantee, CEO, Everything Everywhere has said that with mobile data increasing 250 percent over the past two years, they are making these investments in an attempt to deliver on their ambition to provide the U.K.’s most reliable, biggest and best mobile data network.
Further, as per sources, the company has also said that said it is in the final stages of enabling Orange and T-Mobile customers to use 2G and 3G signals from either of the two networks, which should improve speeds in more locations. The operator added that the customers are already benefiting from a 20 percent reduction in dropped calls in localized areas.
Mobistar to upgrade its network with LTE equipment from Huawei (Belgium)
Mobistar, Belgium’s second largest mobile network provider has reportedly said that it plans to replace its entire 2G Nortel equipment with the new Long Term Evolution ready (LTE ready) equipment from Huawei.
The company plans to upgrade its entire network by 2013 citing that the new Huawei base stations would cut the company’s carbon-dioxide by around 50 per cent. As per the contract, nearly 500 cellular antennas will be replaced this year, with the remaining network upgrade spread across the next year, following project completion by 2013.
The new 3G equipment obtained through the $49 million project is expected to increase the firm’s transmission capacity and in-building penetration capabilities.
Asiacell to provide mobile solutions in Northern Iraq using the Altobridge lite-site solution
Asiacell, the first telecom company to provide coverage for all 18 provinces in Iraq, is reportedly planning to roll out mobile voice, broadband and SMS services in remote areas across Iraq, with the help of the Altobridge lite-site solution. Initially, the solution will be deployed in communities in Sulaimaniya in Northern Iraq.
As per reports, Dr. Diar Ahmed Asiacell CEO, claims that the Altobridge lite-site is a cost-effective and energy-efficient solution that helps optimize capital budgets while minimizing backhaul. Further, Mike Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer at Altobridge, says that their solution is optimized for solar power, thereby removing the high cost barriers of diesel generators.
If sources are to be believed, the Altobridge lite-site, which combines the 2G/3G and VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) technologies, uses 50% less backhaul than competing optimized solutions and offers quick and easy deployment with the compact, all-in-one design of the altoPod.
