Wireless carriers begin trials for RIM’s PlayBook (Canada)
Wireless carriers in US and around the world have begun testing the PlayBook 3G and 4G with OS 2.0.1 according to a report by Berry Review. The report reveals that the launch has been scheduled for May around the same time that RIM (Research In Motion) would be hosting BlackBerry world 2012.
As per the report carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless have begun testing the PlayBook in the Unites States; while Rogers, Bell Mobility and Telus have begun trials in Canada. Further, Orange UK and StarHub Singapore are also rumoured to be involved in the trials.
Bell Mobility deploys NETGEAR MBR1210 HSPA+ Mobile Broadband Routers
NETGEAR Inc. has announced that Bell Mobility, a Canadian wireless provider has selected its MBR1210 HSPA+ Mobile Broadband Router for deployment to customers on its HSPA+ network.
The MBR1210 offers broadband internet access at speeds up to 21 Mbps downstream by 5.7 Mbps upstream, which rivals wired broadband access performance. It delivers network diversity with an Ethernet WAN port, and on the LAN side delivers 4 Ethernet ports and 801.11n Wi-Fi up to 300 Mbps.
According to Mike Martins, Vice President of Core Networks & Services at Bell Mobility, they selected the MBR1210 for its ability to meet their performance requirements, led by the extended mobile reach of its internal mobile broadband modem and network integration capabilities. NETGEAR’s broad mobile product portfolio, its North American based technical and logistics support as well as its creative bilingual documentation have proven valuable to Bell and its clients.
Canada to have 28 million subscribers by 2012
A new research report has revealed that Canada will have 28 million mobile subscribers in 2012 with Bell Mobility’s market share decreasing over the next two years. Given the latest quarter numbers, their model forecasts that Telus Mobility will be replacing Bell Mobility (excluding Virgin Mobile) as the second largest mobile operator in Canada after Rogers Wireless in 2012.
Researchers also forecast that market shares of Telus Mobility and Bell Mobility will be 27.3% and 27% respectively by the end of 2012. They expect the entry of new mobile operators such as Videotron and Wind Mobile to take greater market share away from Bell relative to Telus, given Bell’s stronger presence in Central Canada and the new entrants’ focus in that part of the country.
As per the researchers, the wireless penetration rate in Canada is still relatively low compared to other developed countrie and they expect that the Canadian wireless market will continue to grow. According to the forecasting model, the number of mobile subscriber connections in Canada will increase from 25.3 million in 2010 to approximately 28 million by the end of 2012. The competitive dynamics in the Canadian mobile operator space are changing rapidly as new entrants increase their market shares. They forecast that the subscriber market share of the largest operator, Rogers Wireless, will be about 35.6% in the end of 2012.
Finally, the report predicts that Rogers Wireless will be enjoying the highest level of profitability in the Canadian wireless market during the forecast period. Their model is predicting that Rogers Wireless’s EBITDA margins will remain above 50% over the next eight quarters.
Samsung Launches Rugby II in Canada
Samsung Mobile has announced new handset, the Samsung Rugby II in Canada.
Designed for industrial use in sectors such as construction, field-service, transportation, and oil and gas, the Samsung Rugby II delivers features for industrial users including noise cancellation technology for clear conversation even in loud work environments, a large and easy to use key pad, and a rugged design that meets strict military specifications (U.S. Military Spec 810G) for resistance to blowing rain, high humidity, dust, and submersion in water.
Besides these, the phone supports global roaming and GPS, and has a 2MP camera and user expandable memory (up to 32GB via MicroSD card).
According to Paul Brannen -Vice President (Samsung Mobile Canada), Since a rough work environment can ruin many average phones, Samsung has created the Rugby II to withstand the extreme weather and tough treatment encountered on the job-site. At Samsung, they understand the ability to communicate in the field is paramount to a successful business, and the Rugby II helps ensure that when the job needs to get done, customers will have the right phone to make it happen.
The Samsung Rugby II also features a dual speaker design that offers an internal speaker for regular wireless calls and a large exterior speaker for handsfree conversations, Bluetooth and Multiple Messaging Options (MMS, SMS, and EMS).
The Samsung Rugby II is available from Bell Mobility, Rogers Communications and Telus.
Bell Canada possibly outsource jobs to India: Report
As per new reports, Canadian telecom giant Bell Canada, a subsidiary of Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE), is looking for suitable vendors as part of outsourcing key voice-based projects for its internet, Solo Mobility , Bell Mobility and satellite TV divisions to India.
According to reports, Bell Canada plans to outsource these projects via fixed payouts as part of a deal worth approximately $25 million to $30 million a year. The projects being sent to India will be largely inbound and Bell Canada is looking at outsourcing the work to an outsourcing partner with strong competencies in carrying out front-end work for international clients.
Bell Canada is a leading player in the Canadian wireless telecommunication industry, controlling about 30% of total wireless subscribers in that country. Wireless, the key revenue driver, makes up roughly 50% of Bell Canada’s revenues. Bell Canada’s holding company Bell Canada Enterprises has branched out into complementary business segments such as cable TV, VoIP, IPTV, broadband internet, and wire line phones.
With this, key divisions under Bell Canada include internet services provider Bell Internet, cellular wireless services provider Bell Mobility and direct-to-home satellite division Bell TV.
Bell doubling data speeds on world-leading HSPA+ wireless network (Canada)
Bell today announced it has begun to double HSPA+ network speeds to a maximum of 42 Megabits per second (42 Mbps), and will introduce initial commercial service in Toronto with the launch of the Novatel Wireless U547 Turbo Stick – the first 42 Mbps product available in North America – on November 23.
“Canada’s Best Network just got better. By implementing HSPA+ Dual Cell technology, Bell Mobility offers clients the ability to access the Internet and other data services at what we believe are the fastest mobile data speeds commercially available from any wireless carrier in North America,” said Wade Oosterman, President of Bell Mobility & Residential Services, and Bell’s Chief Brand Officer. “Bell is leading the way in Canadian wireless investment and innovation, enabling the mobile ecosystem that supports the development of new apps and data services by Canadian developers for mobile users here and abroad.”
HSPA+ Dual Cell technology combines two wireless 21 Mbps data carriers through multiplexing techniques at individual HSPA+ cell sites, increasing top-end data speeds from 21 Mbps to 42 Mbps for compatible products. Bell will continue enhancing HSPA+ network with Dual Cell technology to serve more Canadian cities and towns through 2011.
Coordinated through Bell Development Labs, this HSPA+ Dual Cell network enhancement leveraged the technical expertise of chipset, radio and core network infrastructure manufacturers and suppliers, including Huawei, Novatel and Qualcomm. Already providing speeds up to 21 Mbps to consumer and business clients, Bell Mobility’s HSPA+ network provides a robust platform on which developers continue to deliver a wide range of innovative business, entertainment and productivity applications.
Bell introduced broadband HSPA+ service in November 2009, bringing high-speed wireless service to 93% of the Canadian population in rural and remote locations, small towns and major urban centres across the country. The new network has supported the development of industry-leading data services such as Bell Mobile TV and rapid wireless growth at Bell, including a 39% increase in mobile data revenue and a 74% increase in the company’s base of smartphone users year over year.
Novatel U547 Turbo Stick
The first product able to take advantage of 42 Mbps Dual Cell technology is the U547 Turbo Stick from Novatel Wireless, available at Bell retail locations, including The Source, in Toronto next Tuesday November 23. When paired with a laptop or netbook. Novatel’s latest Turbo Stick will allow Bell Mobility clients to experience mobile access speeds never before available for the fastest mobile Internet access, business applications, video streaming, gaming and much more.
Bell will also introduce new speed-based pricing with the launch of these Dual Cell compatible devices. A $10 add-on feature will be available on all Mobile Internet pricing plans to allow Bell clients to take advantage of speeds up to 42 Mbps. The pricing model aligns with the approach for fixed broadband services, which ensures clients benefit from the value associated with the highest access speeds available.
About Bell
Bell is Canada’s largest communications company, providing consumers and business with solutions to all their communications needs, including Bell Mobility wireless, high-speed Bell Internet, Bell Satellite TV and Bell Fibe TV, Bell Home Phone local and long distance, and Bell Business Markets IP-broadband and information and communications technology (ICT) services.
The Bell Mental Health Initiative is a multi-year charitable program that promotes mental health across Canada via the Bell Let’s Talk anti-stigma campaign and support for community care, research and workplace best practices. To learn more, please visit bce.ca/mentalhealth. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For information on Bell products and services, please visit www.bell.ca. For BCE corporate information, please visit www.bce.ca.
Video calling interoperability completed by Canadian telcos
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Two-way mobile video calling trials has been successfully completed by Canada’s big-three mobile networks – Bell, Rogers and TELUS. With the launch of inter-carrier mobile video calling, video calling will be possible across multiple carrier networks and will create North America’s largest two-way mobile video calling community.
According to Stephen Howe, chief technology officer for Bell Mobility, by breaking down the barriers between video calling clients in Canada, the company anticipates strong demand for the service as it saw with past inter-carrier initiatives such as text and picture messaging.
Video calling handsets that support the internationally accepted open 3G-324M Video Telephony standard are offered by Bell, Rogers and TELUS, ensuring compatibility with other systems and carriers supporting the standard.
Bell Canada reports 2006 results; ‘growth services’ exceed 50% of revenues
Telegeography writes…Canada’s largest telco Bell Canada has reported steady revenue increases in its wireless, high speed internet and video operations in 2006, driving revenues from ‘growth’ services to reach 51% of total turnover, up from 40% two years ago. Total revenues were CAD17.348 billion (USD14.668 billion) in 2006, an increase of 0.7% compared to the previous year. Q4 revenues of CAD4.451 billion were unchanged compared to last year, attributed in part to a shift towards recurring revenue products and services. Bell’s EBITDA grew 2.7% year-on-year in the fourth quarter to CAD1.779 billion, driven by ‘solid’ operating performance, a focus on profitable growth, continued cost reduction and lower acquisition costs. EBITDA for the year was CAD7.289 million, an increase of 1.4% on 2005. Bell Canada’ guidance for 2007 includes revenue growth of between 3% and 5% and EBITDA growth of 4%-6%.
Local telephony losses in Q4 2006 were in line with company expectations, reflecting increased momentum in customer win-back campaigns. Local subscriber losses in Q4 amounted to 181,000 lines, compared to 122,000 losses in Q4 2005. At end-2006 Bell’s number of fixed lines in service stood at 12.056 million, down from 12.581 million at end-2005. Overall long-distance revenues declined 12.3% in the quarter, an improvement from a decline of 14.1% the year before, due to improving performance in the residential sector.
Total residential revenues for the year increased by 1.2% to CAD7.099 billion, whilst residential turnover in Q4 was CAD1.811 billion, a 1.3% increase over the year-ago period. Business segment revenues were CAD1.591 billion in the quarter, unchanged from the previous year, as higher revenues from the small-to-medium business and Bell West divisions were offset by the results in Enterprise, the corporate client unit. Total business user revenues for the year were CAD6.057 million, up 1.5%.
Mobile revenues increased 14.5% to CAD925 million in Q4, and 13.2% to CAD3.491 billion for the year. Bell Mobility’s blended ARPU increased by CAD2 to CAD53 in Q4, whilst post-paid ARPU rose CAD2 to CAD66, its highest fourth quarter level ever, and pre-paid ARPU was up CAD1 at CAD15. Post-paid churn decreased to 1.1% from 1.3% in Q4 2005, while pre-paid churn was down 0.5 percentage points to 1.7%. The total wireless subscriber base grew to 5.873 million, up 7.9% from a year ago. Post-paid net additions for the year increased by 5.5% from 289,000 in 2005 to 305,000 in 2006. Q4 post-paid net adds were down by 47.2% quarter-on-quarter to 67,000, largely due to decreased sales during the holiday period and a lack of promotional offers. Pre-paid net additions were 102,000 in the fourth quarter, up from 83,000 in Q4 2005. Wireless EBITDA reached CAD402 million in Q4, an increase of 29.3% over the same period in 2005, and CAD1.535 billion for full-year 2006, a 17.4% year-on-year rise.
At Bell’s broadband division, annual ISP revenues grew 15.5% year-on-year, due to an effective regional pricing strategy. Total wholesale and retail broadband internet subscribers grew to 2.462 million, an annual increase of 12.2%; Q4 net additions were 59,000, as compared to 61,000 net adds in Q4 2005. Bell’s video customer base saw a gain of 32,000 subscribers in Q4 to reach an end-year total of 1.82 million.
Bell’s parent company BCE Inc reported fourth-quarter net income of CAD699 million, up from a year-earlier figure of CAD413 million. Full-year net income was CAD1.94 billion, up from CAD1.89 billion in 2005. During 2006 BCE completed the disposition of its interest in CGI Group Inc and reduced its investment in CTV Globemedia Inc (formerly Bell Globemedia Inc.) to 15%, created the Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund and announced the sale of its satellite services subsidiary Telesat Canada, a transaction that is expected to close in mid-2007, subject to regulatory approval both in Canada and the US. On 6 June 2007 BCE shareholders will vote on the planned name change of BCE Inc to Bell Canada Inc.
