Entel PCS & Ericsson complete LTE trial in Chile
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Trial of the first LTE has been successfully completed by Mobile operator Entel PCS in Chile. This is also the first LTE field trial rolled out in Latin America.
The field tests were developed in partnership with Ericsson. Entel PCS and Ericsson have demonstrated the first internet connection through LTE technology, launched on December 29, 2009.
Demonstration of first internet connection through LTE technology in a field trial has also been made by the two companies using a network configuration similar to that of a usual site.
2% rise recorded in Entels’ net profit
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 2% rise in the profits from CLP139 billion a year earlier to CLP142.26 billion in 2009 has been recorded by Chilean mobile operator Entel. The profit came even after an extended economic crisis and a 45% drop in mobile interconnection charges which came into being at the beginning of 2009.
According to Entel’s CFO Felipe Ureta, the importance in growth in mobile broadband subscribers and value added services, bundled services of fixed line voice, data and internet. The VAS boosted the EBITDA to CLP401 billion from CLP399 billion in 2008 and the EBITDA for fixed line services rose 33% during the year.
However, a loss of 1% was recorded in the revenues for the twelve months ended December 31, 2009 with 9% decline in the annual revenue of local and long-distance telephony arms.
Amobee Media Systems helps Telefónica to roll out its Mobile Advertising Globally
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Amobee Media Systems announced that it has successfully delivered campaign management platform and global mobile ad serving for Telef³nica in its 18 markets worldwide with its O2 businesses actively serving brand campaigns in UK, Ireland, Germany, Czech Republic, Spain, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.
Telef³nica with the help of Amobee can dynamically ad-serve all mobile communication channels including mobile internet, applications, games, video, and messaging through one uniform advertising solution.
Besides, Telef³nica can also serve as a single point for agencies and advertisers who wish to buy ad-enabled inventory to deploy and monitor campaigns across multiple channels and markets simultaneously.
Amobee Media Systems, the world leader in advertising solutions for mobile operators, through its operator-centric approach and unique composition of exclusive partnerships in key geographies has served mobile advertising campaigns for many of the world’s top agencies and brands enabling them to achieve as much as 80% audience share in several markets.
Telsur bought by GTD for USD115 million
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: In a USD115 million deals, Quinenco agreed to sell telecom firm Telefonica del Sur (Telsur) to rival telco GTD. Chilean financial and industrial conglomerate Quinenco has 74.43% stake in Telsur.
While highlighting the magnetism of Telsur, GTD said that the company has transformed itself from line operator into a multi service provider and now offers a range of broadband and broadcast services. GTD also felt that by the end of 2009, GTD and Telsur together will have a customer base of 480,000 subscribers in fixed and wireless telephony, internet, and digital TV.
Telsur has predicted an annual revenue of USD133 million while GTD expects USD175 million for 2009.
Nextel Chile and VTR win 3G spectrum
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: After winning 60MHz of the 3G spectrum in a closed tender, Nextel Chile has announced that it will invest USD300 million in the mobile network. VTR, a local cableco, an arm of Liberty Global and Nextel both submitted bids for three bands of 30MHz of 3G wireless spectrum. Nextel, offering USD14.6 million for the two bands was the highest bidder, while VTR will pay USD3 million for a single 30MHz band. The contracts are yet to be signed. Both the companies have twelve months to build their 3G networks and start offering services nationally.
Nextel and VTR will compete with Chile’s three main mobile telephone companies Entel PCS, Telefonica (Movistar) and America Movil (Claro), that already have the 3G spectrum.
Telefonica & MoreMagic Solutions offer international recharge for Movistar mobile phones in Latin America
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Telefonica, one of theworld’s leaders in the telecommunications sector, and MoreMagic Solutions, a leading mobile transactions provider, announced today that U.S. friends and family of Telefonica customers are now able to recharge Telefonica mobile phones throughout Latin America, using MoreMagic Solutions International Roaming Recharge Global Hub. Telefonica operates in twelve Latin American countries under the Movistar brand. From hundreds of thousands of retail locations, or the web – www.etopuponline.com, a customer can send a gift of prepaid airtime to a Movistar mobile phone.
MoreMagic Solutions International Roaming Recharge Global Hub leverages an extensive network of hundreds of thousands of retail locations in the United States, where the service is available for customers who have connections with Movistar customers in Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.
“Movistar customers are asking friends and family throughout the world to help them stay connected in a cost-effective and convenient way, and we are pleased to work with MoreMagic Solutions to meet their needs,” said Jaime Grau, Transactional Services Director at Telefonica Latinoamerica. “In communities throughout the United States, customers can purchase a gift of airtime at their neighborhood convenience store, and the Movistar mobile phone back home is immediately credited.”
Govt.to form committee for number portability (Chile)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Chilean government has reportedly published the rules for the formation of a technical committee to oversee the introduction of fixed and mobile number portability (NP). The committee will comprise representatives from telecoms regulator Subtel, mobile, local and long-distance operators. The final date for the implementation of NP has not been finalised yet.
RIM launches BlackBerry Curve 8520 in Latin America and the Caribbean
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Research In Motion (RIM) today announced plans to launch the new BlackBerry® Curveâ„¢ 8520 smartphone in various countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 a new addition to the BlackBerry Curve series – is an incredibly approachable smartphone with plenty of easy-to-use communications and multimedia features to keep you connected and entertained on the go. It is expected to be available starting in early September, with specific dates varying from country to country.
For people who like to be connected, the slim new BlackBerry Curve 8520 provides easy mobile access to email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites (including Facebook® and MySpace) and features a highly tactile full-QWERTY keyboard for comfortable, accurate typing. It also features rich multimedia capabilities and easy access to music, games and other mobile entertainment apps.
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Entel reports net profit of $61.7Mn in Q2’09 (Chile)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Entel has reported net profit of CLP33.3 billion (USD61.7 million) in Q2’09, down 6% from CLP35.4 billion in the same quarter a year earlier. For the first six months of the year earnings were CLP64.5billion, also down 6% from CLP68.4 billion a year ago. Total revenues for the quarter were CLP239 billion, up only 1% in comparison to CLP236 billion in 2Q08. Sales were affected by a 45% drop in mobile interconnection rates that came into effect earlier this year.
Entel’s CFO Felipe Ureta said the global economic crisis was responsible for a weaker economic environment, which in turn had impacted results. Nonetheless, he said he expects demand to pick up in the third quarter of the year. ‘Despite the 45% decline in mobile interconnection rates and a weaker domestic economic environment, consolidated revenues for the quarter increased 1%. This result was principally driven by higher revenues in the Chile wireline business, fueled by data and IT services,’ Ureta said. The telco is home to 5.95 million subscribers, up 2%, holds a market share of 39%. In the post-paid arena, total subscriber base reaches to 31% corresponding to 28% a year ago.
Mobile phones in Chile increase to 16Mn-report
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: According to a report, mobile phones in Chile have increased to nearly 16 million, almost one phone per inhabitant. The report said, in May mobile phones increased by 6% corresponding to the same month, a year ago. Chileans used a total of 2 billion air minutes in May, with international calls down and domestic calls up year-on-year, report unveils. The country holds three main mobile operators namely Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones SA; Movistar, a unit of Spanish firm Telefonica SA; and Claro, a subsidiary of Mexican firm America Movil SAB.
