Aircel rolls out 3G service in Kerala (India)
Aircel has launched its 3G service in the Kerala today with a hope that 10% of its customer base in the state will switch over to the new system.
According to Aircel National Head-Operations and Customer Support, Vipul Saurabh, they are targeting 10% of customer base all-India and Kerala to shift to 3G. The 3G service will be available in 10 towns in the state from today. The aim was to convert existing customers to 3G, besides bringing in new subscribers, including students and youth. Aircel has over 5.5 crore customers across India, including 20 lakh subscribers in Kerala.
The company aims to be a leading player in the next phase of India’s telecom, Internet and broadband growth.
Aircel has presence in 23 circles. It will complete the launch of 3G in 13 circles by mid March.
RCOM launches 3G service in Punjab (India)
Indian mobile network operator Reliance Communications (RCOM) has inaugurated commercial 3G services in the Punjab circle.
According to the company, it will initially offer 3G services in the cities of Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Bhatinda cities. According to Sabyasachi Chakraborty, who heads up the company’s wireless operations in the region, the launch of Reliance 3G is an integral part of their vision 2015 of creating a wire-free Punjab built upon the affordable 3G for all platform … Personalisation of services, simplification of tariffs and a content rich portfolio will enable Reliance customers to get better 3G experience in Punjab. They will offer the widest bouquet of cutting edge services including video calling, mobile TV and video streaming.
Zain plans to launch 3G service in February (Jordan)
Zain Jordan is preparing to launch its 3G network in the country as soon as the exclusive license held by Telecom Jordan (Orange) expires at the end of next month.
The company still needs a formal license from the regulator, but is evidently confident that will be rubber-stamped on the 23rd February – the first day another license can be issued.
The company is currently deploying its 3G network – despite protests from Telecom Jordan – and expects to have full national coverage by the end of April.
According to Dr. Abdul Malek Al-Jaber, CEO, Zain Jordan, they are not claiming that they are launching the service now. They are preparing to launch the service. The service will be formally launched on February 23rd Orange’s reaction to Zain’s network deployment was to be expected. The argument from Orange is that government can’t even breathe until exclusivity is over – this is the first time he has heard of such exclusivity worldwide.
Telecos free to offer all 3G services : Ministery (India)
The Telecoms Ministry has announced that mobile phone companies can now offer all third-generation (3G) services, including video calls and chats, provided they install interception capabilities by July 31.
Last month, the government had asked mobile phone companies not to offer non-voice third generation mobile services unless they demonstrated these facilities could be tapped live.
This temporary ban on 3G services had threatened Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices, and State-owned MTNL and BSNL, in addition to delaying the plans of Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular and Aircel.
The ministry has asked companies to ensure that they prove their technical capabilities much before the deadline.
According to Reliance Communications spokesperson, it would provide monitoring capabilities for video calls with the support of global vendors by the July 31 deadline.
Bharti Airtel’s Chief Executive Sanjay Kapoor has stated that his company, which was earlier slated to offer 3G services by December end, would launch these facilities soon.
In December, the Intelligence Bureau had objected to 3G data services on handsets because it was unable to tap these facilities in real time.
DoT sends notice to RCom, Tata Tele on 3G service (India)
The department of telecom (DoT) has sent notices to Reliance Communications (RCOM) and Tata Teleservices to pull out some 3G services as they violate security norms.
Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices are the first private companies to launch 3G services. According to sources, similar communication has been sent to Bharti Airtel that plans to launch 3G services before this month-end.
Companies have paid a high price for airwaves to offer 3G services, with which they hope to catch premium customers, at a time an intensely competitive environment has more than halved call tariffs in India, putting pressure on profitability.
The notices, sent on the advice of the home ministry, asked companies to stop all services that are difficult to monitor in real time.
According to Tata Teleservices spokesman, a meeting had been convened to resolve the problem. The operators have since individually discussed these requirements with DoT senior officials and it has been agreed to call a joint meeting of security agencies, security system vendors, 3G operators and DoT officials to discuss these observations.
An RCOM executive has confirmed that the company had received a communication from the ministry on Tuesday asking it to stop all 3G-related services that could not be intercepted on a real-time basis. The company had received all security clearances for its 3G services on October 22, about 35 days prior to launching services. Monitoring of all 3G services were demonstrated to India’s security & intelligence agencies.
Tata Teleservices launched 3G services in November while RCOM announced its launch in four service areas on Monday.
Reliance Mobile plans to launch 3G Service by the end of this year (India)
Reliance Communications (RCOM) has announced that it will launch 3G Mobile and Data services by the end of this year.
According to Mr. Syed Safawi, Head of Wireless Business, Reliance Communications, the company expects to be in the 3G market by end of the year.
RCOM has 13 circles including the metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata and is the only operator without capacity constraints on 2G in these circles.
Reliance Mobile is one of the leading CDMA & GSM Service providers in India. The group has business interests that range from telecommunications (Reliance Communications Limited) to financial services (Reliance Capital Ltd) and the generation and distribution of power (Reliance Infrastructure Limited).
Bharti, Ericsson sign network expansion contract (India)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: USD1.3 billion network expansion contract has been signed between Indian telecom operator Bharti Airtel and Swedish vendor Ericsson. As per the contract, the latter will expand and upgrade the company’s Indian mobile network in 15 circles.
Ericsson’s portfolio of energy efficient 2G/2.5G radio base stations, circuit and packet core, microwave transmission and Intelligent Network will be supplied by the company as a part of the contract.
Besides, Ericsson will also ensure that the core and transport network of Bharti is 3G-ready which will help to reduce time to market and enable the fast rollout of 3G services at a later date.
Azerfon plans to launch its 3G services in Azerbaijan by year- end
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Azeri mobile operator Azerfon will launch its 3G services by the end of 2009.
According to the general director of the company, Guido Helbich, the tests of the W-CDMA/HSPA network will be completed within 2 weeks after which the service will be made commercially available in the autonomous republic of Nakhchivan, Baku and Absheron. There are plans to extend the service in other regions too.
USD20 million has been invested so far by the telco in its 3 G network. Azerfon was awarded a 3 G license by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies, for AZN11, 000 (USD13,600), early this month.
Loxley partners MPG for wireless broadband service on TOT (Thailand)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: In order to enhance the operation of its mobile virtual network, Loxley announced its partnership with UK-based Mobile Partners Group (MPG). MPG will provide 3G-2.1GHz wireless broadband service on TOT’s network in greater Bangkok.
Established in 2006, MPG’s purpose was to simplify mobile-service set-ups with selected partners. At present, it also enables brand names or companies that want to enter the mobile business as either an SP (service provider) or MVNO (mobile virtual network operator).
Loxley, 365 Communication, Samart I-Mobile (SIM), IEC and M Consultant were selected by TOT to provide 3G-service on an MVNO basis for its Bangkok network.
Loxley is investing Bt40 million on related systems and will run the service under i-KooL 3G brand. The company aims to lure about 30,000 customers as well as break even within 18 months.
According to executive vice president of Loxley, Suroj Lamsam, Loxley’s 3G services would enhance its close-circuit TV system management, existing IT solutions on fleet management, as well as electricity including water-meter management. All these services are offered to state and private enterprises.
Dialog Telecom launches 3g service in Colombo
Telekom Malaysia-owned Sri Lankan operator Dialog Telekom has launched 3G services in
Colombo, following the assignment of spectrum from the regulator on 16 August. Three other mobile operators were assigned with 3G spectrum from the TRC. Dialog paid USD 5 million for the 10MHz of FDD Duplex spectrum and 5 MHz of TDD spectrum in the UMTS band. Dialog already operated a trial network consisting of 12 base stations in the city of
Colombo, with equipment being supplied by Alcatel, Ericsson and Huawei.
Source- TP
Technorati : Alcatel, Dialog Telecom, Ericsson, Huawei, Sri Lanka
Ice Rocket : Alcatel, Dialog Telecom, Ericsson, Huawei, Sri Lanka
