Lycamobile Australian sign up 130,000 subscribers
Lycamobile, an International mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) has revealed that it has signed up more than 130,000 subscribers in Australia since inaugurating services in the country last year.
As previously reports, Lycamobile announced in November 2010 that Australia had become its tenth market, with the virtual operator partnering with Telstra Wholesale to launch services in the country.
Following its traditional focus on low-cost international calling, Lycamobile offers a pre-paid SIM card in Australia with call rates of as little as US$0.05 per minute to destinations including India, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Africa, New Zealand and Europe.
With the company aiming to reach a worldwide subscriber base of 20 million by 2012, Milind Kangle, Lycamobile’s CEO stated that of the milestone in Australia it is fantastic to see that the Australian consumer and channel is embracing the Lycamobile brand in record numbers, a testimony to the quality of their product and the unbeatable value proposition that wthey offer.
Vodafone fined for spamming in Australia
VODAFONE Hutchison Australia and Coke have become been caught by an anti-spam law, prompting the Australian government to re-iterate that it will strongly impose the six-year-old law.
Vodafone agreed to pay $110,000 after it sent 100,000 text messages to Vodafone customers last October as part of a marketing campaign for Coca-Cola. Where the law is breached, the regulator has several options, including a formal warning, an enforceable undertaking, fines of up to $110,000 a day, and Federal Court action in the most extreme cases.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority investigated whether the messages breached the 2003 Spam Act because they did not give recipients a means to unsubscribe or contact the sender.
The messages was: ”Take a hint from your PC and reboot. You’ll work faster. Reclaim your lunch hour with a friend. Escape with a Coca-Cola lunch break.”
The payment was part of an enforceable undertaking by Vodafone Hutchison, which owns Vodafone, and the marketing companies New Dialogue and Big Mobile.
Vodafone Hutchison agreed to pay but it stated that it would continue marketing campaigns via mobile phones.
Interestingly, last month the Federal Court fined companies and individuals $15.75 million for spam text messages targeted at users of a dating website.
New players enter the mobile market in New Zealand
The mobile phone market is in for a shake up with three new players on the scene.
Orcon Internet, Compass Communications, and the Australian-based M2 Telecommunications have signed wholesale agreements to use the Vodafone network.
M2 currently has a fixed-line agreement with Telecom and is using Vodafone wholesale for its mobile offerings.
Vodafone’s Commercial Development Manager, Tom Chignall, says the company is not scared of the new competition to which it has opened itself up. He says Vodafone has also had inquiries from Internet Service Providers.
One of the mobile phone newcomers, Orcon Internet, hopes to be running by Christmas or early next year.
Its General Manager, Scott Bartlett, says he has no idea how big a market share it might be able to corner. The news deals double the number of mobile operators – joining established players Telecom, Vodafone and TelstraClear. Ernie Newman of the Telecommunication Users Association says consumers can reasonably hope for price cuts closing the gap with costs in
Australia.
Source- http://tvnz.co.nz
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