Sutel searching ICE Cellular Service Problems (Costa Rica)
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) is under the scrutiny of the telecom regulator, the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (Sutel), who is looking closely at complaints for poor cellular service in the past months.
According to the Sutel, it is looking into finding the source of the problem of dropped calls and poor quality of reception among many of the problems being complained about.
The telecom regulator has ordered a probe of the TDMA, GSM and 3G networks used by ICE in Costa Rica. The inspection will focus on the provincial capitals and districts with high population, as well as the major highways around the country.
Though the problems have been ongoing since last year, this past week more and more people have filed complaints. The complaints also include problems with internet service provided by ICE.
The Ley de Telecomunicaciones (Telecommunications Act) allows a user to report a problem with service and can demand to compensate.
Consumers must complain directly with the operator, but if the situation is not resolved within 10 days, can then file a complaint with the Sutel.
In the case of ICE, complaints can be filed with the 1115 (fixed line phones) and 1193 (cellular phones) service.
Mobile subscribers top 4.9 million: MoTC (Kyrgyzstan)
The Ministry of Transport and Communication’s (MoTC) figures suggest that the number of mobile subscribers in Kyrgyzstan increased by around 500,000 in 2010 to reach a total of 4.9 million at the end of the year.
At that date, wireless coverage stood at over 85% of the territory of Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, the ministry stated that investment in the country’s telecommunications sector totaled US$69.5 million in 2010, up 54.6% year-on-year.
According to reports, the Kyrgyz mobile market is home to six operators: GSM firms Sky Mobile (Beeline), BiMoCom (Megacom) and Nur Telecom (O!); CDMA-based companies Aktel (Fonex) and SoTel (Nexi); and TDMA network operator Katel.
No financial bail-out for Nigerian CDMA Networks
Nigeria’s telecoms regulator, the Communications Commission (NCC) has ruled out possibility of a financial bailout for the country’s struggling CDMA network operators.
According to the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Eugene Juwah, the regulator was technology agnostic, and would not step in to support on technology over another.
The Nigerian CDMA networks have struggled to secure market share against the surging GSM operators in the country, who came from nowhere to a dominant position in just a few years.
The CDMA operators were however hit by a regulatory change that mandated the use of SIM based CDMA handsets, forcing them to clear out old stocks of handsets at a discount. The SIM mandate came in as part of the country’s drive to register all its PrePay subscribers.
According to official figures from NCC, at the end of November last year, the total number of active subscriber lines for the GSM sector reached 78.9 million representing a market share of 91.4% while the mobile CDMA sector accounted for 6.2 million representing 7.2%.
FPT to acquire 49% of EVN Telecom (Vietnam)
The Vietnamese government has approved the sale of a 49% stake in state-owned EVN Telecom to technology group FPT, by way of a partial privatization of the operator.
According t the government, the state will retain a slim 50.6% majority in the operator, while 0.4% of the company will be sold to its employees.
According to reports, EVN Telecom will directly negotiate the sale price with FPT and its telecom wing. The acquisition target has a registered capital of around US$186 million.
EVN Telecom, which offers both fixed and mobile services, has struggled to make a splash in Vietnam’s saturated telecom market. It is the smallest of Vietnam’s seven major operators, according to the telecom ministry, and made just 60% of its earnings target for 2010.
According to reports, the CDMA-based operator blames a lack of access to GSM technology for its lack of progress, and the sale to GPT is a form of strategic partnership.
O2 iPhone 4 and Dongle Customers Moving to 900MHz (UK)
O2 UK has doubled its planned network investment to US$3.2 million per day following approval from the telecoms regulator to start re-farming some of its GSM900 spectrum for 3G services.
According to the company, the investment would boost network capacity for 3G users, especially as it can migrate its iPhone 4 users over to the 900 MHz spectrum. Some Nokia handsets sold by the operator also support 3G at 900 MHz.
The company added that as a part of their financial results they announced that they will be increasing investment in their national mobile network by up to 25% this year. Part of this investment will be realized through the migration to 900MHz spectrum, which was formally agreed by Ofcom last week. Their deployment is focused on increasing the capacity of their 3G network where they have capacity hotspots. When 900MHz is activated on a site, customers with compatible handsets should experience less congestion and a faster service.
T-Mobile Czech now operates 6,711 BTS
T-Mobile Czech Republic has reportedly revealed its networks now comprise 6,711 base transceiver stations (BTS), thanks to the deployment of a BTS in its 5,000th location.
According to reports, T-Mobile’s base stations include a range of network technologies including GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS TDD and UMTS FDD.
As per the company’s director of technology, Frank Meywerk, a significant number of BTS on its network are UMTS FDD-enabled with support for HSPA+, and in future will allow an easy implementation of LTE.
Huawei sues Motorola over unit sale
Huawei Technologies Co. has sued Motorola claiming that it would improperly transfer the Chinese company’s intellectual property.
Motorola has since split into two companies, agreed in July to sell the bulk of its network-equipment business to Nokia Siemens Networks for $1.2 billion.
In a suit filed Monday in federal court in Chicago, Huawei has asked a judge to hold up the sale until its intellectual property claim can go through arbitration.
According to Nokia Siemens previous statements, Motorola’s deal with Nokia Siemens, originally expected to close last year, has been delayed into the current quarter, as the antitrust arm of China’s Ministry of Commerce reviews the transaction. Huawei was among the companies that explored buying the business.
According to the Chinese company, Motorola has sold rebranded Huawei equipment since 2000; and Huawei argues the Nokia Siemen’s deal would turn its technology over to one of its biggest competitors.
According to Bill Plummer, Vice President of External Affairs for Huawei, the company has had a 10 year agreement with Motorola but they have no agreement that allows them to deliver their intellectual property to any third party.
As per Huawei, it signed deals under which Motorola rebranded and sold $878 million worth of Huawei technology over roughly the past decade. The technology involves equipment for GSM network technology, as well as for advanced UMTS networks, that Motorola sold in markets including China, Russia and Ukraine. The agreements require that disputes be settled through arbitration at a tribunal of the International Chamber of Commerce in Geneva.
Anatel adds 29m new connections in 2010 (Brazil)
Brazil has recorded 202.9 million total number of registered SIMs at the end of last year. It recorded a net addition of 29 million phones over the twelve-month period.
The net gain was the second largest annual increase ever reported by National Regulator Anatel; a record 29.7 million new mobile phones were added in 2008. By 31 December 2010 cellular penetration in the country reached 104.7%, with pre-paid services accounting for the overwhelming majority of lines (167.1 million, or 82.3%) and contract customers the remainder (35.8 million, 17.7%).
In addition, GSM continues to be the most popular technology, used by some 87.8% of mobile phones, although Anatel reported 20.6 million 3G connections by the year-end, an increase of 138.1% year-on-year.
Azerbaijan inks radio spectrum management deal with Turkey
Azerbaijan has signed a radio spectrum management deal with Turkey in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, which is an isolated enclave sitting between Iran and Armenia, but controlled by Azerbaijan. It has a small section that sits next to Turkey, where radio spectrum interference occurs.
According to Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies, Gulam Abdullayev, the parties signed a protocol on the equitable use of channels of the frequency spectrum 900 and 1800 MHz for GSM-communication. It will eliminate the crossing of the frequency and ensure the normal functioning of mobile communications in the border area.
Presently, the Azerbaijani and Turkish networks often interfere with each other along the border as the two countries do not coordinate spectrum usage. Abdullayev stated that the agreement will regulate the use of radio spectrum and significantly reduce interference with radio electronic facilities in border areas.
AKAI boasts Triple-SIM GSM Phone in Indian market
Japan based AKAI Mobiles has announced the launch of their first triple SIM phone ‘Trio’. After the launch of range of dual SIM phones, the mobile phone manufacturer has launched India’s first triple SIM, triple standby GSM phone with multimedia features for a price range of US$71.40.
Trio comes with 2-inch TFT screen, 1.3 megapixel camera with digital zoom, dual language support and audio player. The handset hosts an inbuilt sound recorder and video player with video recording capability. Other basic features available in the phone include FM Radio, Bluetooth (A2DP), USB, E-book, and gaming.
The phone will be available across 15000 retail outlets around India.
According to Mr. Pranay Dhabhai, Managing Director, AKAI India, AKAI is the first multi-national brand to be introducing a complete GSM mobile phone based on triple SIM platform. This concept has been ideated keeping in mind the conventional user who wants the utility of multiple connections without getting burdened with multiple handsets. They always strive to give their customers value for money products and they hope that this launch will hold the purpose. ‘Trio’ will cater to the requirements of all the segments of consumers across categories.
