VivaCell introduces BlackBerry solutions
Armenian mobile operator VivaCell-MTS has launched BlackBerry solutions with Emitac Mobile Solutions Research In Motion (RIM) in Armenia. VivaCell-MTS will launch the BlackBerry Bold 9700, BlackBerry Bold 9000 and BlackBerry Storm2 9520 in Armenian market.
The solution will allow easy access to email, messaging, social networking, phone, calendar, web, multimedia and other business and lifestyle applications on smartphones.
According to VivaCell-MTS, launching BlackBerry smartphones in Armenia for both personal and professional use will allow VivaCell-MTS subscribers to stay ahead of technology. Offering high-speed quality mobile Internet experience is a main objective for VivaCell-MTS. With the growing popularity of data-intensive services, the company will enable its customers to use VivaCell-MTS’ 3G network with the latest smartphone launch. Whereas, According to EMS, the launch of BlackBerry smartphones in Armenia is an important step for EMS adding to their commitment of establishing and expanding the BlackBerry services to unreachable markets.
ArmenTel launches new off for fixed line customers (Armenia)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A new offer has been launched by Armenian PTO ArmenTel (trading as Beeline) in an attempt to entice people to sign up for its fixed line services. As per the new offer, business or residential users wanting a new fixed line will be able to pay for the connection until December 31, 2010 twelve monthly installments.
According to ArmenTel chief executive Igor Klimko, the move was designed to encourage ‘all strata of the population’ to sign up for its services, and forms part of its Russian parent Vimpelcom strategy to shore up the fixed line business in the liberalized market.
Armenia’s ArmenTel plans to triple 3G capacity
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Tripling of 3G communications capacity has been planned by national fixed line and mobile operator ArmenTel by the end of 2010. Working under the Beeline trademark of its parent Vimpelcom, more than 100,000 subscribers currently use the cellco’s mobile internet services, including 3G.
The Russian parent of the telco after the successful trials of a test LTE network in Kazakhstan has planned to roll out Long Term Evolution (LTE) in Armenia.
According to Armentel CEO Igor Klimko, it is very important to note that the decision on frequency harmonisation, in which the LTE network construction will be permitted in Armenia, will also have an impact on its plans and it is felt that frequencies within 700MHz-800MHz harmonisation will be optimal. Mixed views have been generated by the rivals of the telco. 4G service based on LTE technology is intended to be generated by VivaCell-MTS during 2010. Orange Armenia has made it clear that it does not plan to replace 3G+ (HSPA) technology with 4G.
Telekom Austria eyed by Sistema
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Sistema, Russian telecommunications holding company, is seeking to bid to acquire Telekom Austria. Vladimir Yevtushenkov, who is the main owner of Sistema would be prepared to pay much more than the current share price, which values Telekom Austria at EUR 4.5 billion.
27 percent of Telekom Austria is currently held by Austrian state holding company Oeiag. However, any legal permission to sell its share is denied by Oeiag as a result of which it is unable to be in talks to sell Telekom Austria shares.
Telekom Austria has mobile operations in Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Serbia and Belarus. Sistema which has operations in Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Belarus is among others owner of Russia-based mobile operator MTS.
Armenian cellco K-Telecom reaches 2.1m subscribers mark
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The subscribers’ base of Armenian cellco K-Telecom (trading as VivaCell-MTS) reached 2.1 million on February 28, 2010.
75% of the domestic mobile market had been controlled by VivaCell-MTS at December 31, 2009. With 19% market share, the mobile arm of national PTO ArmenTel (Beeline) was close to MTS and it was followed by market newcomer Orange Armenia with the remaining market share. Orange signed its 200,000th subscriber just last month having launched services on November 5, 2009.
Given the threat posed by its rivals, VivaCell-MTS is now looking to new, advanced technologies to maintain its competitive edge. Plan to deploy 4G mobile broadband services based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in 2010 has been recently revealed by the company.
Out of 2.045 million-strong customer base of the cellco, around 600,000 subscribe to some form of data product (i.e. GPRS, EDGE or UMTS technology), including around 400,000 3G subscribers.
VivaCell is a subsidiary of Russian powerhouse Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (MTS), a leading telecoms operator in Russia and CIS countries.
Russia’s MTS customer base rises 7.1% in 2009
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: With an increase of 7.1% year-on-year, the consolidated customer base of Russia’s Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) group reached 97.81 million, up from 91.33 million. Even the flagship domestic operation of the company had 69.3 million customers at year-end, up nearly five million from a year earlier.
However, a decline in the customer base has been faced by MTS in its Moscow market from 14.9 million at end-2008, to 13.6 million a year later. While growth was recorded in all MTS markets, only one international market, MTS Ukraine saw its customer base falling from 18.12 million to 17.56 million year-on-year.
The cellco’s operations in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Belarus ended 2009 with 7.07 million, 1.76 million, 2.07 million and 4.56 million customers respectively.
Orange Armenia receives more frequencies from regulator
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: In order to improve the quality of communications between the base stations, additional radio frequencies have been provided to start-up mobile operator Orange Armenia by the country’s regulator, the Public Services Regulation Commission (PSRC).
PSRC has also announced to have established tariffs for interconnection between fixed line telecoms operators in the country. A business model concerning interconnection between former monopoly ArmenTel (Beeline) and alternative operators has been approved by the committee.
PSRC has set rates independently for the capital at AMD2.5 and AMD10f or other region.
Armenia telecoms industry blooms even in economic crisis
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Even after severely hit by recession in a year of global financial and economic crisis, the telecommunications companies in Armenia generated revenues of AMD164.42 billion (USD434.69 million) last year.
The turnover generated by mobile operators reached AMD105.77 billion and fixed line service revenues totaled AMD40.34 billion while the revenues generated from internet services more than tripled last year, reaching AMD10.404 billion.
Orange Armenia reaches 200K subscribers in three months
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 200,000 subscriber marks has been crossed by Orange Armenia in less than three months after launching commercial services on 5 November 2009.The Company is owned by France telecom and hit the 100,000 subscriber mark in early December itself.
EUR100 million (USD148.5 million) has already been invested by Orange and is going forward to provide necessary expertise and investment to ensure the development of a high-quality 2G and 3G+ network offering nationwide coverage.
Before Orange’s entry in Armenia, the market was previously a duopoly of VivaCell-MTS and ArmenTel (Beeline).
However, a population of around 3.2 million people, including 1.1 million in the capital Yerevan, Armenia offered the FT group significant growth potential.
iBasis’s Premium Voice service to be used by MTS Russia
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Russia’s largest mobile operator will use iBasis, a KPN affiliate Premium Voice service to complete international calls for its customers. Through this interconnection, MTS joins
more than 1,000 carrier customers from all segments of telecom that use iBasis for all or part of their international voice service.
The premium voice will provide MTS with very high quality worldwide voice termination through a single connection to the iBasis global network. The transfer of Caller Line Identifier (CLI) to mobile and fixed destinations is also guaranteed along with international roaming support worldwide.
Currently, Eastern Europe and Central Asia are rapidly growing region for mobile telecommunications services and with mobile service penetration exceeding 125% and annual growth rate of 14.5 percent, Russia is the fourth largest mobile telecommunications market in the world. The interconnection with iBasis will strengthen Russia’s position in the year to come.
At present, MTS is a leading provider of mobile communications in Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Belarus and has 96 million mobile customers and annual revenue of $10 billion.
