Motorola signs mobile network contract with MagtiCom
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Motorola and Georgian mobile operator MagtiCom signed a contract to deliver network optimization services for the enhancement its entire 2G network performance. Intelligent optimization service will be deployed by the US vendor which in turn will help MagtiCom to deliver a high quality and cost effective service to its mobile customer base.
Less subscriber churn, easier introduction of new data services and additional voice capacity are some of the other benefits of the solution apart from improving network performance stability and reducing levels of interference and dropped calls.
A commercial GSM service was launched by MagtiCom in September 1997, over a Motorola supplied network which successfully delivered 3G optimization service to the cellco.
Google acquires Admob for USD 750 Million.
Google has just announced that it has acquired AdMob, the mobile advertising company, for $750 million.
Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners, DFJ and Northgate Capital will see a huge upside from this investment.
AdMob founder Omar Hamoui sent the following letter to customers:
Today we announced that AdMob has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Google for $750 million. We are extremely excited about this new partnership and what it means for our advertiser, developer and publisher partners.
AdMob’s people, products and tools will continue to work to deliver successful campaigns for you and to effectively monetize your mobile traffic no interruptions. Our product and engineering teams will keep building great products for our customers. Our sales team will keep working with our thousands of advertisers to deliver successful campaigns. Our business development team will keep working to maximize ad revenue for the more than 15,000 mobile Web sites and applications that make up AdMob’s publisher network.
After our deal closes, AdMob will work with Google to accelerate the pace of innovation in mobile and do an even better job for you. We believe this deal will benefit our advertisers, developers and publishers by:
- Increasing our investment in building innovative and engaging ad units across platforms and to further improve targeting and tracking.
- Building even more powerful relevance and optimization capabilities, and more powerful technology and tools to monetize mobile traffic.
- Increasing the effectiveness of display advertising on mobile devices by leveraging Google sales team, infrastructure and relationships.
- Improving the already high level of service and support we deliver to our advertisers, developers and publishers.
Google has written its own blog post announcing the Admob deal:
iPhone and Android users browse the Internet more often than anyone else [Morgan Stanley], contributing to Google’s 5x mobile search growth over the past two years..
And a quarter of these same iPhone and Android users spend nearly 90 minutes per day using applications on their devices [AdMob]
Google has also shown in its press section, what it has currently vis-a-vis where admob is popular today:
Google -Admob
As Google points out, the deal follows similar acquisitions by traditional online companies looking to move into mobile: AOL bought Third Screen Media more than two years ago, Yahoo picked up Actionality and Microsoft bought ScreenTonic.
VimpelCom launches BlackBerry Internet Service in Russia
The VimpelCom Group (NYSE: VIP) and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the launch of BlackBerry® Internet Service and the BlackBerry® Curveâ„¢ 8900 smartphone for Beeline customers in Russia.
BlackBerry Internet Service is a powerful and easy to use service designed for smaller businesses and individuals. It allows customers to access up to 10 supported corporate and personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts, such as Yahoo! Mail and Google Mail) from a BlackBerry smartphone. Set up is easy and does not require IT support, making it an excellent option for business users, professionals and individuals who don’t have the resources to manage a corporate email server. It enables automatic synchronization of messages between the subscriber’s BlackBerry® smartphone and email accounts.
Kent McNeley, Vice President, Marketing and Sales, VimpelCom said, We are glad that following the success of the BlackBerry solution in the corporate market in Russia, we are now able to offer a service for the wider consumer market. A key feature of the BlackBerry solution is the ability to stay connected practically wherever you are in the world and receive your emails automatically. Today, we are offering our Beeline subscribers the opportunity to connect on BlackBerry Internet Service with unlimited data for just 300 rubles per month.†(more…)
GNCC says mobile operators generated 63.3% of the revenues (Georgia)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: According to a report from Georgian National Communications Commission, the turnover in the country’s telecoms market amounted to GEL1.312 billion (USD781 million) in 2008, up from GEL1.114 billion a year ago. The country’s mobile operators have generated revenues of GEL830.8 million or 63.3%, while fixed line operators contributed GEL381 million, or 29% of the total, and TV and radio broadcasters 7.7%.
3 UK announces market leading package on-sale
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 3 UKcompletes the picture of its Mobile Wi-Fi offer, announcing both pricing and availability.
Mobile Wi-Fi, the service that allows you to create your own mobile Wi-Fi connection, will be available via telesales and online at www.three.co.uk from Thursday 17th September, and in 3 Stores across the country from Friday 18th September.
AT&T strengthens 3G wireless broadband coverage in and around Atlanta (USA)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: AT&T* today announced a substantial enhancement to its local 3G wireless broadband network with the launch of additional wireless spectrum in the 850 MHz band. This new spectrum adds significant capacity to the network to support ever-growing demand for 3G mobile broadband service, and provides improved in-building 3G wireless coverage for customers across the metropolitan Atlanta and surrounding areas including parts of Fulton, DeKalb, North Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, and Fayette Counties.
The network enhancement is part of AT&T’s continual efforts to enhance and expand the scope, capacity and speed of its 3G wireless network – the fastest 3G network in Atlanta, according to recent data compiled by leading independent wireless research firms. It is also part of AT&T’s ongoing investment to build the broadband networks that will create jobs and fuel economic growth, and enable its customers to quickly access the content, applications and services that matter most to them.
“Our mission is to connect people with their world, everywhere they live and work, and to do it better than anyone else,” said Sylvia Russell, president-AT&T Georgia. “This substantial network upgrade is part of our commitment to deliver the nation’s fastest 3G connectivity along with the highest possible levels of service quality and reliability.”
“A thriving economy is driven by the ability of businesses to connect, and the investments AT&T continues to make in Georgia help us attract and retain jobs and build strong communities,” said Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. “By enhancing existing networks and bringing innovative communications technologies to Georgia, AT&T is helping position our state to be a leader as the economy recovers.”
BeST selects ZTE to build UMTS network in Belarus
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: ZTE Corp. has signed a contract to build a commercial UMTS network in Belarus for the Byelorussian Telecommunication Network (BeST) subsidiary of Turkcell, the third largest European mobile operator. The UMTS network will serve mobile service operator life:), the trading name for BeST.
The UMTS network will provide fast network access to life:) subscribers and enhance user 3G services experience. In addition to voice communication, life:) provides its subscribers with SMS and MMS services, GPRS and EDGE data transfer services. The life:) network will use ZTE’s industry-leading SDR solution to deliver high speed HSPA data services and enable an easy evolution to LTE. (more…)
Geocell extends mobile licence by 10 yrs-report (Georgia)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) has reportedly extended the licence of the country’s second largest telco in terms of subscribers, Geocell, by ten years. The licence was due to expire on 3rd August, but is now valid until 2019. The GNCC has also extended Geocell’s ten-year term licence for the use of numbering resources 8-93. Geocell ended March with a subscriber base of 1.6 million and a market share of 41.2%.
VimpelCom launches operations in Vietnam under Beeline brand
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Open Joint Stock Company Vimpel-Communications, a leading international provider of telecommunications services, officially announced the commercial launch of its mobile operations in Vietnam under the Beeline brand via GTEL-Mobile Joint Stock Company, mobile telecommunications joint venture in Vietnam.
“With the start of our operations in Vietnam we are strengthening our positions in South-East Asia. The Vietnamese telecom market has a great potential with a young and dynamic population of more than 86 million people and a fast growing economy. Our partnership with such a reliable and professional local partner as GTEL Corp helped us achieve the result we had planned,” said Boris Nemsic, Chief Executive Officer, VimpelCom. “The launch in Vietnam follows our successful start in Cambodia where we have already commenced operations earlier this year,” noticed Vladimir Riabokon, Executive Vice President, International Business Development, VimpelCom.
(more…)
Boost Mobile slashes price of ‘UNLTD By Boost’ offering to $50p/m (USA)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Boost Mobile announced that effective today, all existing and new ‘UNLTD By Boost’ customers of the regionally available wireless service operating on Sprint’s CDMA network who are paying more than $50 per month will be rewarded with a price drop of up to $20 per month or see greater value added to their plan with a bundled combination of nationwide talk, text and Web for $50 per month plus applicable taxes and fees. What’s more, home calling areas have been eliminated and customers may now make and receive calls anywhere on the Sprint nationwide CDMA network without incurring a roaming charge of 15 cents per minute.
Our primary focus is to grow Boost Mobile on the Nextel National Network,†said Matt Carter, President of Boost Mobile. However, we haven’t forgotten about our valued UNLTD By Boost customers on the CDMA network. We’ve simplified our portfolio, which allows us to continually serve each and every one of our customers with one of the best values in the industry.â€
Existing customers on the UNLTD $50 Unlimited Talk, $60 Unlimited Talk & Text or $70 Unlimited Talk, Text & Web plans will be automatically switched to the new $50 per month rate while receiving all the benefits of unlimited nationwide talk, text and Web. In addition, long-time customers on our original UNLTD $35 Unlimited Talk, $40 Unlimited Talk & Text or $45 Unlimited Talk, Text & Web plans will remain at their current price point.
