Spain Telefonica to invest $1.5 bln in Chile through 2009
Spanish telecommunications giant Telefonica SA (TEF) plans to invest $1.5 billion in its Chilean operations through 2009, Chief Executive Cesar Alierta said Monday.
He said the company considers the local investment climate positive and plans to grow in all of its market segments.
Alierta spoke to reporters after meeting Chilean President Michelle Bachelet at La Moneda, Santiago’s presidential palace.
Telefonica’s Chilean holdings include the largest mobile operator in the market and fixed-line operator Telefonica de Chile SA (CTC), also the biggest player in its market.
Telfonica de Chile’s annual investment budget is running at $200 million, a spokeswoman for the company said separately.
The center-left government recently said it will ease operating conditions for telecommunications in Chile.
As a tightly regulated company that still awaits a final ruling on a suit against regulated tariffs years ago, Telefonica stands to be the top beneficiary from pared-down red tape.
The government, through its industry regulator, plays a key role in setting tariffs, particularly for Telefonica de Chile. Hints that the regulator would ease pricing rules in the longer run were enough to send the company’s shares sharply last week.
Source- http://www.marketwatch.com
Private Media Group Signs Wireless Distribution Agreement With Mobile Streams Plc for Latin America, North America and Asia
BARCELONA, Spain, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Private Media Group Inc. Private Media Group Inc. (Nasdaq: PRVT — News), a worldwide leader in premium-quality adult entertainment products, services and new media content, has signed an agreement with Mobile Streams Plc (LSE: MOS – News) for the development and distribution of Private’s adult entertainment content throughout Latin America, North America and Asia, adding a potential 220 million customers to the existing 450 million customers currently able to access Private’s content via their operator portals.
Under the terms of the agreement, Mobile Streams will be responsible for the development and distribution of Private’s comprehensive portfolio of multimedia-rich products including streaming mobile TV channels, video clips, games, wallpapers and MMS content. Mobile Streams will utilize the full functionality of Vuesia, its highly acclaimed mobile content delivery platform to mobilize Private’s content.
Tim Clausen, Director of Wireless at Private Media Group said: “We are extremely happy to expand our footprint in these markets and believe this agreement further demonstrates Private’s ability to attract mainstream content distributors in the wireless arena. It is estimated that the global mobile adult content market will grow to $3.3 billion by 2011 (Juniper Research, Mobile to Adult — Personal Services, white paper, September 2006 (1)) and we believe that our ability to attract partners such as Mobile Streams places us in a unique position to benefit from this growth.”
“We are delighted to be representing Private, a highly reputable tier one adult brand and to be distributing their content via our carrier partners,” said Simon Buckingham, Chief Executive Officer of Mobile Streams.
Private’s content is currently available to mobile consumers via 59 operators in 28 countries, of which 33 operators went live since September 2005. The Company is expecting to go live with 13 additional operators before the end of 2006.
Mobile Streams is a leading provider of music, comedy, sport and entertainment content to handsets and other wireless devices, whose mobile expertise and distribution platform, “Vuesia,” is used globally by some of the world’s largest media groups and mobile phone networks including Vodafone, and 3 in the UK, America Movil, Movistar & TIM in Latin America, Fido & Rogers in Canada and Dobson in the US. “Vuesia” is Mobile Streams’ full service enterprise mobile media management solution. “Vuesia” facilitates content ingestion, management, delivery, billing and reporting. The Company creates, licenses and delivers quality content to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and consumers in the form of ringtones, graphics, video clips and other products. It has developed relationships with both content owners and MNOs which enable it to act as an intermediary, providing an end-to-end service encompassing a broad range of elements from content licensing to content production, account management and channel management. Mobile Streams has subsidiaries in Germany, USA, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Australia and Hong Kong.
About Private Media Group
With its 40 year track record, NASDAQ listed Private Media Group is a world leading adult lifestyle company which distributes a wide range of erotic and semi-erotic multimedia content over several platforms, including wireless and broadcasting technologies, narrow and broadband Internet, DVD and Magazines. Private Media Group also licenses its Private and silver girls trademarks internationally for a range of luxury consumer products and owns the worldwide rights to the largest archive of high quality adult content in the world, which it distributes all over Europe, North America, Latin America, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Asia.
Source- http://biz.yahoo.com
Ericsson supplies Claro’s new GSM network in Chile
Claro Chile, a subsidiary of Am©rica M³vil, has selected Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) as the sole supplier of its new GSM/GPRS core network.With Ericsson’s mobile softswitch and packet core solutions, Claro has taken an important step towards an all-IP network. It also gains a wide range of new attractive services, cost effectively, and the capacity it needs to meet the growing demand of its customers.
In the turnkey project, Ericsson also delivered a series of services that facilitated the August launch of the new network, including business consultancy, design and initial installation of the network, and core optimization.
Salvador Salazar, CEO of Claro Chile, says: “Ericsson’s global experience, in combination with local expertise and market-leading technology, will benefit us when delivering new and attractive services, specially designed for the Chilean market.”
Gino Montalto, country manager, Ericsson Chile, says: “We are proud to continue being Claro’s supplier and we are ready to support it on this new GSM technology path. Our solutions will allow Claro to bring new services to its customers in a cost-efficient way.”
Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.
Source- http://www5.sys-con.com
Chilean govt to invest CLP 20 bln in telecoms sector
The Chilean government aims to invest a minimum of CLP 20 billion in the telecommunications market in 2007 and 2008, with the public sector accounting for at least one-half the amount, according to Pablo Bello, head of Chilean telecommunications regulator Subtel, reports Business News Americas. The government has asked that CLP 5 billion for the 2007 budget be invested in developing digital infrastructure to boost competitiveness, especially in rural areas, according to Bello. One project considered on the agenda is the expansion of the national fibre optic network to Coyhaique, Chile. Subtel forecasts that the network will start up during 2007 linking the island of Chiloe and continental Chile with fibre optics.
Source- http://www.telecompaper.com
Mexico’s America Movil registers in Chile for debt
SANTIAGO, Chile, Sept 26 (Reuters) – Mexican cellular phone giant America Movil officially registered for a $1 billion shelf to issue debt on the Chilean market, although there were no immediate plans to issue the bonds.
The company announced its plan to issue debt on the Chilean market in June.
“This is an official registration of the program…,” a spokesman said in Mexico City. “But let it be clear that we are not issuing debt (now). We don’t see the conditions (for that) yet.”
America Movil (AMXL.MX: Quote, Profile, Research) (AMX.N: Quote, Profile, Research), controlled by Carlos Slim, the world’s third-richest man, ended the first half of the year with almost 108 million wireless subscribers from the United States to Argentina.
It plans to add between 13 and 14 million more customers through December, with a fourth of them stemming from its anchor Mexican operation.
Over the past 10 months, America Movil has been issuing debt in South America as it cuts exposure to dollar swings.
Source- http://today.reuters.com
Technorati : America Movil, Chile, Mexico, Mobile
Ice Rocket : America Movil, Chile, Mexico, Mobile
Pantech unveils phones for Argentina market
SEOUL, South Korea-Aiming to carve out a 10 percent share of the Latin American mobile phone market, South Korean handset maker Pantech Group has begun selling three mobile phones for carrier CTI Movil in Argentina.
CTI Movil is the Argentine affiliate of America Movil, the largest mobile communications service carrier in Latin America.
Pantech has became one of top selling brands in Argentina during the first half of this year, less than six months after its initial market launch.
The telecom carrier started its Latin American expansion in 2004 in Mexico. Besides Mexico and Argentina, Pantech also expanded into Chile in August, inking a deal with Claro, the nation’s third largest mobile communications service provider, to supply several cell phone models. –>
Source- http://www.eetimes.com
Technorati : Mobile, Pantech, South Korea
Ice Rocket : Mobile, Pantech, South Korea
