MTN, Glo, Etisalat and Airtel fined $10.8 million for poor network services (Nigeria)
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has fined telecom operators MTN, Etisalat, Airtel and Globacom, a total amount of $10.8 million, over poor quality of telecom services, according to a report by This Day.
As per the report, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had informed the Chief Executive Officers of the telecom operators via letters. The penalties imposed on the operators’ amount to $2.29 million for MTN and Etisalat, $1.71 million for Airtel and $1.14 million for Globacom.
The letter sent by the Commission said that all the operators are to pay the penalties on or before May 21, 2012 or be liable to payment of additional $15,900 per day for as long as the contravention persists. The penalties were imposed as the operators failed to meet with the minimum standard of quality of service including the key performance indicators (KPIs).
According to NCC, it monitored the performance of the operators on the different parameters, in line with the provisions of the regulation, and discovered that operators were in contravention of the provisions.
The report reveals that monitoring of the quality of service from the different operators in the month of March 2012, NCC statistics in some crucial parameters showed that Call Set-up Success Rate (CSSR) for all operators was 97.07 percent and the Commission’s target was greater than or equal to 98 percent.
Also during the period, Call Completion Rate (CCR) for all operators was 95.78 percent and the commission’s target was greater than or equal 96 percent. Drop Call Rate (DCR) for all operators was 1.33 percent and the commission’s target was less than or equal to 2 percent. The statistics showed that the four operators did not measure up to NCC’s target in certain parameters.
Etisalat offers new LTE plans for users (UAE)
UAE’s leading telecom operator Etisalat has launched new LTE service packages on LTE-compatible USB modems titled My DataPlan ‘Plus’, ‘Extra’ and ‘Ultra’ pack bundles.
According to reports, the operator said in a statement that customers can choose and enjoy the LTE super-speed of up to 100Mbps for free or for competitive monthly rentals on any My DataPlan pack, subscribed on a six or 12 months contract. Further, for a limited time, customers can also buy the standalone LTE USB modem at 25 percent discount of $163.
The company added that based on customer’s data requirements, My DataPlans offer the most competitive data bundles, including the ‘Ultra’ pack which provides the UAE’s largest data allowance of 20GB. In addition, customers get free hours of unlimited Internet usage and downloading from midnight to 3 am every day on every pack.
Etisalat’s LTE network is capable of providing customers with a transformational mobile broadband experience. Starting with value-packed offerings on the LTE USB modems, Etisalat is working its way up to provide customers with more LTE devices, such as tablets and voice enabled smartphones, by the third or fourth quarter of this year. Customers will soon be able to enjoy more devices and services options on their network.
Etisalat launches new UniTalk promotion for the youth segment (UAE)
UAE’s leading mobile operator Etisalat has launched a new UniTalk promotion plan aimed at students in universities and the overall youth segment. According to the company, on subscribing to UniTalk, the consumers are automatically entered into the UniTalk mega draw where they can win some really cool prizes.
Further, users can enhance their chances of winning by referring friends to UniTalk; the higher the conversion rate, the higher the chances of winning. Under the promotion, Etisalat offers a car, vacation or a cash prize worth $35,400 as the first prize, an Apple set consisting of MacBook, iPad and iPhone worth $4,084 as the second prize, and a valuable shopping voucher worth $1,362 as the third prize.
Etisalat to offer internet-based phone calls in Q2 2012 (UAE)
Leading telecom operator in UAE, Etisalat, has said that it will offer internet-based phone calls by the end of the second quarter, as told to Reuters. As per the report, the move comes in an attempt to fight off competition from Skype and other international providers.
The report reveals that in UAE, only Etisalat and rival du are licenced for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services – free Internet-to-Internet calls and cheap Internet-to-phone calls – and both have yet to do so as they try to maximise earnings from conventional calls.
Even though Skype has been officially banned in the region, the larger population still continues to access it thereby cutting into the margins of the mobile operators. Essa Haddad, Etisalat’s chief commercial officer, told Reuters that they are talking about quarter two, 2012. Haddad declined to indicate how much cheaper Etisalat’s VoIP calls would be compared with its usual international tariffs.
He added that any price change has to be (approved) by the regulator and that’s why it’s taking time because they need to get this finalised. Previously, the telecoms regulator has indicated it would not allow significantly cheaper VoIP tariffs, but analysts warn that will do little to persuade UAE residents to switch from the likes of Skype, which can still often be accessed locally despite the ban.
Faced with this challenge, Etisalat has bet its ePlus platform will improve customer loyalty and stem the flow of subscribers to du, which has built up an estimated 46 per cent share of mobile subscribers since launching services in 2007. Etisalat, which operates in 17 markets, has reported declining earnings in seven of the past eight quarters, with the rise of du and VoIP key factors in this slump.
Alcatel-Lucent to offer innovative measures for mobile operators to overcome data storm (USA)
Tony Wood, Country Senior Officer of Alcatel-Lucent in East Africa, explains how innovation can help operators rise above the data storm to overcome network, business-model and competitive challenges.
The globalisation of the economy and the growth of the Internet have enhanced worldwide communications. End-users wherever based in a remote village or in a big city should rely on stable telecommunications connections to enquire about the wider world and make their contribution to it. The convergence of services (broadband Internet + video on-demand + voice) has become a significant reality. Telecom operators, service providers, enterprises rely on their networks to run their voice, data and Internet communication.
Africa is a growing market and a focus market for Alcatel-Lucent; it remains among the company’s most promising markets. Indeed, broadband is one of the top priorities in Africa, good progress has been made to connect cities to national backbones, but connectivity of small towns still poor.
It is a vast continent with various needs for connectivity and is mainly characterised by basic infrastructure needs in some areas, and more developed areas where existing infrastructures must now deliver high-quality broadband connectivity to support services like high-speed Internet access.
Alcatel-Lucent is strongly involved in the telecom infrastructure development in Africa to support telecommunications actors to rise above the data storm to overcome network, business-model and competitive challenges. Meeting the need for mobile telecommunications and the adoption of next-generation technologies, including lightRadio – the revolutionary innovation of Alcatel-Lucent (a miniature device that offers a solution to network gridlock and universal broadband coverage) and 4G LTE networks, to foster digital inclusion and the development of applications to enhance education, youth employment, social engagement, health and transportation among local communities and across large geographies.
Wood said that breakthrough innovation and technologies, proven execution and experience – that is what mobile broadband operators count on from them, from their market leadership in wireless and IP, their research advances from Bell Labs, their company’s innovation engine, responsible for breakthroughs that have shaped the networking and communications industry and their global service experience in transforming networks to rise above the mobile data storm, to deliver cost-effective and high quality mobile broadband services to consumers and business users. He added that realising the potential of a connected world is an integral part of their vision and strategy.
He also said that Alcatel-Lucent unveiled lightRadio last year – the outcome of research by Bell Labs, the group’s world-leading R&D arm. It is a completely revolutionary approach for mobile networking. This brand new range will free the mobile sector around the world from its dependence on antenna masts and mobile base stations (cell towers), which are generally the most energy-consuming components of the network, and also the most expensive and difficult to maintain.
At a time of rapid traffic growth, the lightRadio system will radically simplify mobile networks, expand network capacity, lower operating costs, reduce energy consumption and bring connectivity to everyone around the world. With its flexible architecture, lightRadio is typically located at the base of each cell tower, is broken into its component elements and distributed through the network or ‘carrier cloud’.
Additionally the various cell tower antennas are combined and shrunk into a single, powerful, Bell Labs-pioneered multi-frequency, multi-standard (2G, 3G, LTE) device that can be mounted on poles, sides of buildings, WiFi networks or anywhere else there is power and a broadband connection.
In only a year, Alcatel-Lucent has not only moved from prototype to product, but has built an entire next-generation mobile platform, and it has a rich ecosystem of partners and co-creation customers it has been working with around the world: Telefónica, France Telecom/Orange, China Mobile, and Etisalat in the UAE.
The lightRadio architecture is fundamentally changing the structure of wireless networks to handle the video and Web surfing demands of consumers, increasing daily with the number of smartphones and tablets. Connecting becomes easy with lightRadio.
Etisalat looks to expand in Nigeria (UAE, Africa)
Etisalat Nigeria plans to invest $194 million in network expansion, according to a report by GTB. The operator aims to deploy 1,000 additional base transceiver stations by December to boost network coverage in Nigeria and enhance the quality of services offered, as highlighted by the report, according to Steve Evans, CEO of Etisalat Nigeria. This target will increase the total number of Etisalat base stations in Nigeria to 4,000.
Evans said that the cell site project is a big civil engineering machine that they have put in place and they have also partnered with companies helping them to put the concrete on the site, helping them to build the towers, putting the telecommunications equipment on those towers, connecting the towers, testing them and optimising them.
As per the report, UAE-based operator Etisalat launched operations in Nigeria with the acquisition of 40 percent stake in Nigerian operator EMTS, Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services.
Loop to end operations in India (India)
Following the Indian Supreme Court’s decision to cancel 122 2G licences awarded in 2008, Loop telecom is planning to shut down its operations in the country. Loop is the third telecom to take this decision after Etisalat and STel. According to reports, the operator has said that they will close their operations by June 1. This is what they have conveyed to their subscribers.
Further, reports reveal that the operator has sought refund of around $292 million as damages from the government. They have not replied to the letter yet in this regard. The operator has requested its customers to switch services by April 30 as it plans to completely stop operations by May 15.
Android gets Mashreq’s mobile banking app (USA, Middle East)
Leading financial institution Mashreq has announced the launch of its Mobile Banking for Google Android devices. Mashreq’s mobile app is also accessible through smartphones and devices such as iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Java OS Mobile phones.
The mobile banking application is a fully integrated transactional service offering customers to check their accounts’, make payments to Mashreq Credit Cards and transfer funds anywhere in the world through their mobile phones at anytime, from anywhere.
Furthermore, recharge Etisalat, du, Salik and make other bill payments such as DEWA, SEWA, ADDC through its safe, secure and customer friendly interface. Customers using this service enjoy easy access to their bank accounts through their mobile phones 24/7, from any GPRS / 3G / wireless (Wi-Fi) network, anywhere in the world, as per a press release.
Aref Al Ramli, Head of Alternate Channels at Mashreq commented that they are continuously working towards offering various distinctive platforms for customers to carry out their banking transactions. As technology evolves, so does their online banking services. They are proud of their multi-faced Mobile banking system, which is now available across all systems to reach out to further customers extending a hassle free banking service and help them save time.
For iPhone and Android, the app is to be downloaded from AppStore and Google Play (Android Market). Once installed, Mobile Banking app is ready for use completely free of charges from the bank.
