www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 3G services has already become a huge hit in the Asia-Pacific region and its penetration rate will reach to nearly 40% in the Asia-Pacific region by 2014. The factors behind the shifting of 3G subscribers to emerging markets are government initiatives, opex benefits and steadily declining device ASPs.

Issuing 3G licenses provides the governments and regulators an opportunity to increase competition.

Low fixed-line broadband penetration and inefficient mobile market competition- the two issues prevalent in most emerging markets, if dealt properly can provide a greater broadband coverage along with standard voice and messaging services enticing.

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Nokia Money due to launch soon

Nokia is attempting to create a multi-bank, multi-operator and multi-device collaboration on mobile banking.
Nokia’s mobile banking and payment service is expected to be commercially available in its first market in Q1 2010, though no location details have been revealed yet.
According to Teppo Paavola, vice president, GM mobile financial services, Nokia cannot reveal any details until a banking partner is confirmed. It is learnt that the service requires a banking license before it can be launched.
Nokia said its target is to have 300 million active users of its services by the end of 2011; the number is expected to be 80 million by the end of 2009.
Paavola said the service will enable un-banked people in emerging markets to transfer money, top up prepaid mobile services, pay bills, carry out online transactions, and pay merchants.
Global mobile payments market is expected to be worth €18 billion by 2014 – €12 billion from emerging markets and €6 billion from developed markets.
Approaches to mobile banking so far have lacked scale and have not worked across operators and across banks.
Nokia therefore plans to drive the collaboration on an open financial ecosystem, with Nokia Money at its core. Paavola added that it has taken a long time to get all the players together, from banks through to mobile operators.
The Nokia Money application will not only be pre-loaded but could be sideloaded, or downloaded later.
Nokia will also be able to provide the physical distribution channel that is critical for the service to work. For example, Nokia handset sellers can be turned into Nokia Money agents, providing the devices, the application, and the ability to handle cash.

Nokia is attempting to create a multi-bank, multi-operator and multi-device collaboration on mobile banking, a service dubbed Nokia Money.

Nokia’s mobile banking and payment service is expected to be commercially available in its first market in Q1 2010, though no location details have been revealed yet.

According to Teppo Paavola, vice president, GM mobile financial services, Nokia cannot reveal any details until a banking partner is confirmed. It is learnt that the service requires a banking license before it can be launched.

Nokia said its target is to have 300 million active users of its services by the end of 2011.

Paavola said the service will enable un-banked people in emerging markets to transfer money, top up prepaid mobile services, pay bills, carry out online transactions, and pay merchants.

Global mobile payments market is expected to be worth €18 billion by 2014 – €12 billion from emerging markets and €6 billion from developed markets.

Approaches to mobile banking so far have lacked scale and have not worked across operators and across banks.  Nokia therefore plans to drive the collaboration on an open financial ecosystem, with Nokia Money at its core.

The Nokia Money application will not only be pre-loaded but could be sideloaded, or downloaded later.

Nokia will also be able to provide the physical distribution channel that is critical for the service to work. For example, Nokia handset sellers can be turned into Nokia Money agents, providing the devices, the application, and the ability to handle cash.

Bharti Airtel CEO, Manoj Kohli told reporters in India that Airtel may bid for Millicom’s Sri Lankan operation. Bharti already operates in SL.

Wireless Federation had earlier reported that Millicom/Tigo Laos has been sold to Russia’s Vimpelcom.

Bharti is actively considering acquisitions in Africa and the world over after the talks with MTN collapsed.

Bharti group CEO Sunil Mittal has said that the company won’t engage in dialogue with MTN for a third time, after inconclusive talks twice.

Nasdaq-listed Millicom provides prepaid cellular telephony services to over 30 million customers in 16 emerging markets in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Asked if Bharti Airtel was also interested in Kuwait’s Zain Telecom,  Kohli said they will continue to explore international acquisitions. (Airtel-Zain, See Here)

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Zain Saudi Arabia, the new entrant in the country, is about to close a deal for $2.5 billion loan, a spokesman for its parent company Zain reportedly unveiled. “This is a two-year murabaha (Islamic financing),” the spokesman said. Al-Rajhi Bank 1120.SE and Banque Saudi Fransi are leading the refinancing facility, Zain said.
The facility has been oversubscribed since its launch in April and priced at 425 basis points over LIBOR, Zain said. This will receive a 6 months of extension at the behest of the borrower and will be used to fund the expansion of Zain Saudi Arabia’s network.
The murabaha will replace a previous one worth 9.4 billion riyals ($2.51 billion) which is to mature on Aug. 12, he said.
Zain SA has stated that it has agreed with the banks to postpone from July 27 to Aug. 12 the maturity of the previous murabaha.