www.WirelessFederation.com/news: KT Corp has reported tripled net profit for the Q2′09 to KRW456.1 billion (USD372 million), up 184% from KRW160.5 billion in Q2′08. The growth is driven by large increase to narrower foreign-exchange related losses and reduced marketing costs. Operating profit for Q2 dipped by 1.1% year-on-year to KRW363.5 billion from KRW367.6 billion, due to a drop in revenue from fixed line operations and broadband internet services.
KT reported that with the contribution of its mobile unit in the second quarter of 2008, and the full quarter this year, its combined net profit would have been KRW504.2 billion, up from KRW146.3 billion in 2008, while operating profit would have risen 50% to KRW483.4 billion from KRW322.4 billion.
Its reported sales rose 17.7% to KRW3.564 trillion from KRW3.029 trillion in the same period of 2008. With the mobile unit included sales would have fallen 2.7% to KRW4.87 trillion from KRW5.01 trillion.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: MTS, the Russian mobile operator, has reportedly announced its interest in 51% stake in Kazakhtelecom, the state owned fixed line operator and has submitted application for tender documents.
The Kazakhastani operator will be accepting the applications from potential buyers until 17 July, and August 31 would be the deadline for “binding offers”.
“We have submitted an application but will make the final decision after we carry out an audit in the company,” MTS spokeswoman Yelena Kokhanovskaya said.
“We will take into account high mobile phone penetration in Kazakshtan and the fact that this operator has a number three position on this market, when taking a decision about the price we may offer. We are definitely not going to overpay,” she said.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Copaco, fixed line incumbent of Paraguay, has reportedly unveiled plans to launch mobile services in the last quarter of 2009.
President of Copaco, Jose Astigarraga said that the operator is in the process of acquiring 200 base stations for the network rollout. The incumbent anticipates to roll-out a bidding process for the equipment contract in July.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Vodafone Germany has introduced a a single, new branding strategy as it completes the integration of its Arcor fixed-line unit. The operator plans to present a single and common brand for customers and partners, with the individual needs of customers put at the centre of this strategy. The new single brand will be supported by a campaign targeting ‘Generation Upload’ customers. The campaign portrays customers as heroes of the day and uses the slogan ‘Now is Your Time’. The integrated company will offer mobile, fixed-line, data and broadband internet services under a single brand. Vodafone will also promote the new brand across social media channels such as Facebook, MySpace and Youtube.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: According to the Indian Government, at the pace with which the Indian telecoms market is growing, the target of 500 million fixed and mobile phone connections by 2010 seems to be taking shape.
India’s Economic Survey for the year 2008-09, released ahead of the budget, unveiled strong growth in the telecom sector with the country counting a total of 414 million fixed and mobile connections as of February 2009.
Teledensity rose from 12.7% in March 2006 to 35.65% in February 2009, after government reduced the barriers to entry and created a level playing field between new entrants and incumbents. The country’s rural regions are also experiencing strong growth, with the number of rural lines increasing from 12.3 million in March 2004 to 112.71 million in January 2009. Rural teledensity reached 13.81 per cent over the same period.
The survey has further suggested that the 2G and 3G spectrum should be freely tradeable rather than following current legislation which prevents the purchase and sale of spectrum.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Eircom, Irish former fixed line monopoly, is intending to enter the foray of Republic’s 3G mobile broadband next week using its mobile arm Meteor’s network to launch an own-brand commercial service initially in Dublin and Cork, but with services to follow in Galway, Limerick, Waterford and other cities during the course of the year. Ericom official reportedly said, ‘We expect to cover half the country’s population by the end of the year … This is a very fast growing market, and our customers want a combination of fixed and mobile services.’ he conceded it was the first time the telco had operated a ‘two-brand’ strategy for a single product. The new service will be offering a download speed of up to 7.2Mbps, with expected average speeds of between 2.5Mbps and 3Mbps.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: BT Group, the UK telco, has made a strong move in the small and medium sized business mobiel market in UK, as it wins the exclusivity on the Windows Mobile-powered Samsung C6625 under a partnership with the cell phone maker and Microsoft. BT is all set to branch out from its fixed-line and broadband businesses, where it has a combined 80% share of the market.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Vodafone Spain has introduced a new services lifetime offer for its new subscribers who register for the mobile voice flat-rate tariff for EUR 29.90 per month. Under the promotion, Vodafone offers mobile flat-rate subscribers with up to 1,000 free minutes per month for voice calls to fixed-line numbers. In addition, subscribers who also opt for a residential internet line will receive a 40 percent discount on Vodafone’s 6 Mbps ADSL service, to EUR 19.90/month.
The promotion is valid until 31 July, but the operator plans to make the offer definitive, says Antonio Garcia-Urgeles, director of Vodafone Spain’s residential business unit.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Vodafone Spain has launched new flat-rate tariffs, targeting unemployed customers, reports El Mundo, citing Carlos Vecino, marketing director of Vodafone Spain’s residential customers business. The operator will offer free mobile, fixed telephony and internet services for six months to its subscribers who lose their jobs or temporarily cease their activity. The operator plans to offer these benefits to up to 275,000 subscribers. Vodafone has also launched two new voice plans for residential users. The offer includes 350 minutes for voice calls for EUR 19.9 (VAT not included) per month and 1,000 free minutes for voice calls for a monthly fee of EUR 29.9. Users can choose between all-day calls to Vodafone numbers or national calls between 18:00 hours and 8:00 hours. Vodafone will also offer an additional free bonus of 1,000 on-net SMS, free national calls at weekends or free calls to fixed numbers 24/7. Starting 4 May, the operator will cut prices for its mobile internet and music flat-rate tariff plan by 25 percent, from EUR 12 to EUR 9 per month. Prices for the Vodafone En Tu Casa (‘Vodafone at Home’) will also drop by 40 percent to EUR 9 per month, and the price of the 12 Mbps ADSL package which also includes free calls to national fixed numbers will go down 15 percent to EUR 33.9 per month. Vodafone has also revamped its offering for corporate customers, to meet the changes in the customers’ consumption habits, in line with the current economic slowdown. The operator has added two plans, available for a single monthly fee of EUR 29. Users can make free unlimited calls to fixed national numbers or choose a five-hour time slot for free mobile calls. The second option enables business customers to make calls to fixed and mobile numbers for five hours a day, at night and weekends.
For more information, please visit www.vodafone.es/
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Sierratel, fixed line operator of Sierra Leone has rolled-out its 3G CDMA network in the country with help from Chinese equipment vendor Huawei. The project was financed through a loan from the China Import-Export Bank and complements the operator’s existing infrastructure with an extra 100,000 lines in Freetown and 14 other cities. According to the President Ernest Bai Koroma, describe the launch of Sierratel CDMA Services as a milestone of development and revitalization of the country’s own mobile company.