3UK launches Disney on Demand

On Demand Group and The Walt Disney Company UK have agreed a deal to provide subscribers with on-demand access to entire episodes of hit television shows via 3 UK’s first ever mobile TV subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service.

Under the terms of this deal, Disney will offer hundreds of episodes to subscribers on the 3 network in the UK, including ABC Studios award winning live action series ‘Lost’, ‘Desperate Housewives’, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and more.

According to the CEO of On Demand Group, Tony Kelly, the company is pleased to help one of the world’s premier media companies to create its presence in a new medium. He is of the opinion that  the Walt Disney Company UK’s arrival on 3 mobile demonstrates the tremendous potential for fully managed on-demand services that offer full control to subscribers however they chose to watch.

Tagged with:
 

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: According to Telefonica’s COO, the tariff cut by European Union regulators will reportedly burn a multi-billion-euro hole in the telecoms sector’s investment budget. It was on 1 July, that EU implemented new series of mobile roaming tariffs.
“Those two measures alone will cut investments by 6 billion euros ($8.57 billion),” COO Julio Linares.
As far as revenues are concerned, the cuts to roaming tariffs will have a impact of 6 billion euros and European operators will lose a further 34 billion from the decrease in call termination rates, Linares said.

Tagged with:
 

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Qtel, the Qatari mobile operator, reportedly said that it has interest in Portugal Telecom’s stake in Moroccan mobile operator, Mobitel. Bankers are working on financing to back bids for a potential 64.4% stake in Meditel.
Portugal Telecom owns 32.2% stake in Meditel is up for sale along with Spain’s Telefonica’s 32.2%. ‘Qatar Telecom confirms its interest in the process initiated by Portugal Telecom SGPS SA regarding the sale of their stake in Medi Telcom, Meditel,’ the firm said in a statement.
‘The intentions of the remaining shareholders in Meditel are still unclear, and, as such, Qtel will continue to monitor the situation until the facts becomes clearer,’ the statement said.

Tagged with:
 

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Telefonica, Spain’s leading mobile operator, has selected Olista’s mobile user-experience platform to improve its customers’ experience when using Telefonica’s data services.

With social media content and value-added services as key strategic tools for driving revenue and reducing churn, Telefonica chose Olista’s technology to promote increased subscriber usage of its mobile internet premium services, both encouraging customers to successfully use the services and ensuring that the services work every time on any device. (more…)

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The Spanish telecoms regulator CMT has given approval to a cut in mobile termination rates by 40-50% which will be implemented gradually over two and a half years from October.
The regulator reportedly said that in the case of dominant operator Telefonica, Vodafone and Orange the cut will be 40%, while the reduction will be 50% for Yoigo.

Tagged with:
 

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Telefónica Europe delivers strong performance on back of propositions which have led to more customers choosing and staying with O2
  • Powerful cash generation in the first half of 2009 – up 16.8% year-on-year to €1.130 billion
  • First half revenues increased to €6.571 billion (2.2% growth in constant currency), with OIBDA up to €1.879 billion (6.2% organic growth)
  • Total customer base grew 8.3% year-on-year to 47.6 million
  • Mobile customers increased to 42.6 million, with 85% of net additions in the contract segment
  • Rebalancing of European portfolio bears fruit as Telefónica O2 Germany maintains growth trend

Telefónica O2 UK clearly outperforms market with lowest-ever churn and leading customer satisfaction scores

Matthew Key, Chairman & Chief Executive of Telefónica Europe, commented:
“Telefónica Europe has maintained its market momentum and delivered a strong financial performance in the first six months of the year against a challenging economic backdrop.

“There is clear evidence that the rebalancing of our European business portfolio is continuing to bear fruit, especially with the performance of Telefónica O2 Germany, which has been the main contributor to our OIBDA growth in the year to date.  Group revenues continued to grow in the last quarter, with a 1.8 per cent increase, excluding the effect of mobile termination rate cuts. Furthermore, we have continued to invest in the business and, at the same time, delivered a significant increase in operating cashflow. (more…)

Tagged with:
 

O2 CR drops full year revenue guidance

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: O2 Czech Republic, the subsidiary of Telefonica, has reportedly dropped its full year revenue guidance, the operator’s Chief Investor Relations Officer unveiled. The firm had predicted revenue to move between 0 and -3% in the full 2009.
“Regarding revenue, we do not have enough information and we do not know what the second half will bring,” IR chief Jakub Hampl told Reuters.
The company also confirmed guidance of -4 to 0 percent for operating profit before depreciation and amortisation (OIBDA).

Tagged with:
 

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: O2 Germany has expanded its mobile advertising business with new O2 Advertising Services. These will allow companies to place targeted ad messages and generate a higher response rate. The services will enable advertising partners to benefit from a strong brand with a positive image and high awareness. They will also conduct international campaigns across the Telefonica network. O2 Advertising Services include mobile ad formats such as display ads in mobile portals, SMS and MMS campaigns.

Tagged with:
 

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Vodafone has reportedly announced that no sales process is taking place for the rival mobile operator, T-Mobile. The announcement was made amid rumours doing rounds that Deutsche Telecom is planning to sell T-Mobile UK.
The chief executive of Telefonica’s British arm O2 also said this month there was no formal process going on to his knowledge, although he told Reuters that Telefonica was watching developments at T-Mobile with interest.

Tagged with:
 

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.

Tagged with: