MTS offers ½ Paisa per second for ‘Lifetime’ (India)
By Editor on March 24, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) that provides telecommunication services under the brand MTS, today announced an exciting Value Maximizer offer. For the first time in India, customers across Maharashtra & Goa can now avail ½ paisa/second tariff plan for “LIFETIME’ on all local calls without any condition. Additionally, a customer will also get a talk time worth Rs. 200 and an MTS Handset all for Rs. 799/- Only.
According to Ashoo Sethi, Chief Operating Officer, Mumbai, Maharashtra & Goa Circle, Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) “MTS having launched its new global brand identity is committed to be ‘A Step Ahead’. In sync with this brand philosophy we are excited to bring special offer for the customers of Maharashtra & Goa circle. The offer includes providing unconditional ½ paisa/second tariff plan for lifetime on all local calls along with Rs. 200 Talk Time and an MTS Handset for just Rs 799.”
This offer is valid on all local calls across Mumbai, Maharashtra & Goa telecom circles. The Handset bundle offer where in the customers would get a Rs. 200 as talk time, ½ paisa for lifetime along with a handset, is available across Maharashtra and Goa except Mumbai Telecom Circle.
Besides Voice, MTS has been really strong in terms of Data Business. MTS has more than 50,000 data customers in Maharashtra & Goa enjoying high speed network. The company has drawn plans to have a total of 150 Company Flagship stores across the circle, in the next 3 months.
MTS – A Step Ahead; More about the new global brand identity.
When you refuse to step back, you step ahead. This thought runs embedded in the new MTS brand identity. It propels the passion for discoveries, an inspiration to stay ahead in terms of innovation, a promise to offer the best to the consumer. The new MTS identity relates to a new belief in India – that your present does not determine your Future. With a range of technologies and services, the brand enables you to bet on yourself, to never say no, to challenge existing beliefs, to “do what you can’t”.
Filed under Mobile · Tagged with Ashoo Sethi, Chief Operating Officer, Goa, India, Lifetime, Maharashtra, MTS, Mumbai, Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited, SSTL, Value Maximizer offer
Lowell McAdam, Verizon President and COO, joins Verizon Board of Directors
By Editor on March 7, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Verizon Communications Inc. today announced the election of Lowell C. McAdam, Verizon president and chief operating officer, to the Verizon Board of Directors, effective immediately.
This is another important step in the succession process at Verizon,†said Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon chairman and CEO, who has previously announced that he will retire later this year. Following the board’s appointment of Lowell as president and COO last fall, we have been working to prepare Verizon’s leadership transition, and Lowell has provided outstanding leadership in running the day-to-day operations of the business.â€
The addition of McAdam brings Verizon’s total board membership to 14.
As president and COO since Oct. 1, 2010, McAdam, 56, has been responsible for the operations of the company’s network-based businesses — Verizon Wireless and Verizon Telecom and Business — as well as Verizon Services Operations. He is also responsible for the technology management and CIO functions.
In addition, McAdam is chairman of the Verizon Wireless Board of Representatives.
McAdam held key executive positions at Verizon Wireless since its inception in 2000 and helped build the company into the industry’s leading wireless provider, with the nation’s largest, most reliable wireless voice and 3G broadband data network. He became president and CEO of Verizon Wireless in 2007, and before that served as the company’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Earlier, McAdam was president and CEO of PrimeCo Personal Communications, a joint venture owned by Bell Atlantic and Vodafone AirTouch. He also served as PrimeCo’s chief operating officer, responsible for overseeing the build, deployment and successful launch of the new company’s customer service operations and all-digital network.
McAdam has also served as vice president-international operations for AirTouch Communications and was lead technical partner for cellular ventures in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Korea and Japan.
McAdam is a director of the National Academy Foundation, a partnership between business leaders and educators that assists high schools across the country.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Cornell University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of San Diego. He also spent six years in the U.S. Navy’s Engineer Corps and is a licensed professional engineer.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, serving 94.1 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 194,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.
Filed under Mobile · Tagged with 3G, Bell Atlantic, Chief Operating Officer, CIO, COO, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lowell C. McAdam, Mobile, National Academy Foundation, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, technology management, Verizon Board of Directors, Verizon Communications Inc, Verizon president, Vodafone AirTouch
Etisalat plans to invest $1.9bn on fiber optic links (UAE)
By Editor on March 4, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Etisalat, the Gulf’s largest telecoms firm, plans to invest US$1.91 billion on expanding its fiber optic network over the next three years. The company is bidding to make the UAE capital Abu Dhabi fully connected through fiber optic cable this year.
According to Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, Etisalat’s Chief Operating Officer, Etisalat has invested US$1.91 billion so far. They will invest a similar amount in the next three years.
Etisalat, whose $12bn bid for a controlling stake in Zain stalled this week after it missed a due diligence deadline, stated on Wednesday that it was still interested in the Kuwaiti firm.
Filed under Mobile · Tagged with abu dhabi, Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, Chief Operating Officer, COO, Etisalat, fiber-optic network, Gulf, Kuwait, Kuwaiti firm, UAE, Zain
MTS launches MBlaze in Gujarat
By Editor on March 4, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL), operating its telecom services under the brand “MTS”, today announced the launch of its high-speed mobile broadband service, MBlaze in Gujarat. The Company has rolled out its high speed mobile internet services in Ahmedabad, Baroda, Rajkot, Surat, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Kodinar and Verawal. With this launch, SSTL has brought in a rich portfolio of world-class voice and data services for its customers in Gujarat.
According to Cheenu Seshadri, Chief Strategy Officer, Sistema Shyam TeleServices Ltd, “MTS is committed to building a business model based on its unique and differentiated ‘Data centric, Voice enabled’ strategy. As part of this commitment, the company is rapidly expanding its data footprint in the country and currently offers High Speed Mobile broadband services under the MBlaze brand in over 130 towns across India including 75 of top-100 cities across the country. Specifically, looking at Gujarat, it is a key market for us and we have earmarked Rs. 100 Crore to roll out our voice and high-speed data services across the state.”
Given the scale and speed of rollout of MBlaze service across the country, MTS now addresses over 92% of the data potential across India.
According to Navid Rashid, Chief Operating Officer, Gujarat circle, Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd, “We are excited to launch our High Speed Mobile Broadband service in nine towns across Gujarat. The launch of MBlaze services is supported by a robust network of 8500 retail outlets and 15 company flagship stores, backed by a world class customer care set up. Customers in Gujarat will now be able to enjoy the unmatched MBlaze experience coupled with attractive tariffs and innovative offerings.”
Data Opportunity In India
As per Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) December 2010 report, the broadband penetration in India stands at just 0.8% as against the Teledensity of 60.99% as of September 2010. This in-turn translates to a mere 10.3 million broadband connections by the end of 2010. The National Broadband Plan envisages provision of 160 million broadband connections including 60 million wireless broadband connections by the year 2014. Hence, there is a huge opportunity for the growth and proliferation of High Speed Mobile Broadband services in the country.
Special Attractions
MBlaze World Cup Pack
• MBlaze World Cup Pack On recharging with Rs. 496, MBlaze customers to get 5 GB data usage free. Additionally, for every Indian victory in the world cup, MBlaze customers will get 250MB data usage free. If India wins all its matches including the world cup final, the customers will get over 2 GB data usage absolutely free.
MBlaze Tariff Advantage
• To suit everyone’s pocket, MTS has introduced attractive data usage plans starting from Rs.198.
• Customers also have the option to enjoy unlimited data usage with Unlimited MBlazer priced at just Rs. 999 with a 30 day validity.
MTS TV Access to Live TV and Video on Demand
• Using MBlaze dongles and HSD (High Speed Data) compatible handsets, MTS customers can enjoy video streaming, High quality audio/video download and live play back.
• With MTS TV, customers can watch over 60 LIVE TV and on demand Video Channels. The customers will get access to a range of News, Entertainment, Sports and Regional channels.
Exciting Offers for MBlaze Customers
• MTS has tied up with Hewlett Packard (HP) On purchase of an HP laptop, customers can get MBlaze for just Rs. 999; made available through prepaid plans
Filed under Mobile · Tagged with Ahmedabad, Baroda, Bhavnagar, Cheenu Seshadri, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, high-speed mobile broadband, India, Jamnagar, Kodinar, MBlaze, Mobile, MTS, National Broadband Plan, Navid Rashid, Rajkot, Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited, SSTL, Surat, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Trai, USA, Verawal
Aircel to launch 3G services in all 13 circles (India)
By Editor on February 9, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Aircel will launch 3G services before the start of World cup cricket in all 13 telecom circles where the company has won spectrum for its services.
Mr. Gurdeep Singh, Chief Operating officer, Aircel, stated that they expected 3G presence in all circles where they have bagged spectrum before this World cup begins (19th February).
Talking about broadband wireless access (BWA) services, Mr. Singh stated that the high speed internet services will be launched by the end of this year.
He added that they wished to launch 3G services first and see the response before launching BWA services which will be available by end of this year. By March, they would be able to decide whether they would go for LTE or WiMax for BWA.
Filed under Mobile · Tagged with 3G, Aircel, broadband wireless access (BWA), Chief Operating Officer, Gurdeep Singh, LTE, Mobile, WiMAX, world cup cricket
LightSquared begins spectrum-clearing payments to Inmarsat (USA)
By Editor on January 29, 2011 · Leave a Comment
USA based LTE start-up, LightSquared has reported the global satellite operator, Inmarsat that it is triggering “phase 2″ of a radio spectrum agreement between the two companies.
As per Phase 2 of the agreement Inmarsat will support a spectrum plan that increases the total capacity available through the LightSquared network.
In return Inmarsat will immediately begin to receive payments of US$115 million per annum, payable quarterly in advance – for a minimum of five years. In connection with the notice announced, Inmarsat has received a first partial quarterly payment of US$20.1 million.
According to Perry Melton, Inmarsat’s Chief Operating Officer, in preparation for the notice received today, Inmarsat has already initiated programs to ensure their customers are protected from interference risks and has conducted analysis of the issues over an extended period. Inmarsat is confident that the effects on customers will be minimal and, where needed, will be dealt with responsibly.
The notice for Phase 2 follows the notice given in August 2010 for Phase 1. Under Phase 1 Inmarsat and LightSquared agreed to a plan to enable the re-banding and efficient reuse of L-band radio spectrum covering North America. Phase 1, which is currently being implemented, is designed to increase the contiguous spectrum available to support the deployment of 4G ancillary terrestrial component (“ATC”) services and to protect the continued deployment and growth of MSS activities in North America.
Filed under Mobile · Tagged with 4G, ancillary terrestrial component (ATC), Chief Operating Officer, Inmarsat, LightSquared, Mobile, MSS, North America, Perry Melton, spectrum-clearing payments, USA
Steve Jobs to take Medical Leave from Apple
By Editor on January 18, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs has announced in an email to his staff that he is to take medical leave from the company for an unspecified period of time.
In late 2008-2009 he took about six months away from the company for a liver transplant, which sparked a flurry of speculation about how the company would handle a CEO transition.
In an e-mail to employees he stated that he was taking the break to focus on his health. He would continue as Chief Executive of Apple and be involved in any major decisions, while the day-to-day running of the company will be passed to Apple’s chief operating officer, Tim Cook.
It is notable that the announcement was made today, which is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the USA, and the stock markets are closed for the day. The market to the news will have had time to digest the news before trading resumes tomorrow morning.
Filed under Mobile · Tagged with Apple, CEO Steve Jobs, Chief Operating Officer, Jr. Day, Martin Luther King, Mobile, Tim Cook, USA
Jorgen Nilsson joins Acision as Chief Operating Officer
By Editor on January 12, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Acision has announced that it has appointed the former Ericsson executive, Jorgen Nilsson as its Chief Operating Officer.
Jorgen Nilsson has spent more than 10 years at Ericsson in executive and VP roles; most recent he was positioned as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Vodafone’s Global Customer Unit. Nilsson previously spent over 10 years at Compaq, where he held various executive sales, marketing and operational roles. Nilsson also held several managerial roles at Telia, part of the TeliaSonera Group and a leading telecommunications provider in Sweden.
According to Rory Buckley, Chief Executive at Acision, with an impressive history and esteemed reputation in driving operational excellence and building powerful sales and customer relationship strategies, Jorgen will be a central part of the Acision executive team and an invaluable asset to the company. Jorgen’s innovative approach, high profile and level of expertise in the communications industry will help them grow the company and is a significant hire as they build on their position as a world leader in mobile data.
According to Jorgen Nilsson, COO, he is delighted to join Acision’s management team at this very exciting time and be an instrumental part of driving the company’s strategic initiatives forward. As mobile data traffic increases globally, they have a huge opportunity and he looks forward to working with the team to aggressively and systematically develop and exploit the mobile data market to help their customers be successful. Together they will expand their global reach by building partnerships, developing customer relationships and driving up future revenues through operational excellence.
Filed under Mobile · Tagged with Acision, Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Compaq, Ericsson, Executive Vice President, General Manager of Vodafone's Global Customer Unit, Jorgen Nilsson, Mobile, Rory Buckley, Sweden, TeliaSonera Group
Twitter spreads out in Afghanistan with SMS Messaging
By Editor on January 7, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Afghan mobile network, Roshan has announced that it is the first Afghan mobile operator to provide customers with direct access to Twitter through SMS through their mobile phones.
The introduction of Twitter service to Roshan’s customers is primarily targeted at the youth market, a demographic worldwide that is most heavily engaged with social networking and composes 60% of Afghanistan’s population.
According to Altaf Ladak, Chief Operating Officer, with the recent addition of Twitter service, Roshan continues not only as a leader in connecting Afghans with friends and loved ones, but also in expanding Afghanistan’s voice in the global social networking community. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has found that half of Afghan Internet users utilize social networking sites. Now, they can do the same from the convenience of their mobile phone wherever they are.
Filed under Mobile · Tagged with Afghan mobile network, Afghanistan, Altaf Ladak, Chief Operating Officer, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Mobile, Roshan, SMS, twitter
MTN appoints Sifiso Dabengwa as CEO (Africa)
By Editor on December 20, 2010 · Leave a Comment
MTN, Africa’s largest mobile operator has appointed Sifiso Dabengwa as the new Chief Executive Officer and President of the company.
According to the company, Dabengwa, who will take over when Nhleko steps down on March 31, has been with MTN for 11 years and Chief Operating Officer since 2004.
Prior to joining MTN, Dabengwa was an Executive Director at state power utility Eskom. He has held senior management positions at MTN and managed the company’s two biggest units, Nigeria and South Africa.
MTN also stated that the position of Chief Operating Officer has been abolished and instead it will appoint a new chief executive of its international operations. Nhleko has accepted the board’s invitation to become a non-executive vice chairman and non-executive chairman of yet-to-be established MTN international operations board.
Filed under Mobile · Tagged with Africa, CEO, Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director, Mobile, MTN, Nhleko, Niger, Nigeria, President, Sifiso Dabengwa, South Africa
