www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Elisa, the Finnish mobile operator, has posted higher Q2 earnings in line with the anticipations, driven by tighter cost controls, and repeated its outlook for 2009.
EBITDA rose by 7% on a yearly basis to 116 million euros ($163.5 million). Net sales dipped by 5% to 355 million euros.
“Elisa will determinedly continue to stimulate demand for its services and continue to drive productivity improvements of its operations,” the operator said.
“Likewise, capital expenditure will be actively controlled to a maximum 12 percent of revenue, and it may be reduced clearly if the general economy deteriorates further.”
On 07.17.09, In Mobile, By Editor
On 07.01.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Alcatel-Lucent Managed Solutions India (ALMSI), a JV between French telecom solution provider and Reliance Communication, the Indian mobile operator are close to inking 2-3 deals in as many months.
“The JV was formed initially to cater to the network operations need of Reliance Communications (RCom) alone. Now, we also plan to focus on business development opportunities in India and abroad,” Alcatel-Lucent India Head Vivek Mohan said.
Mohan added that the company was close to strike two-three deals in the network operation space, which might be announced in the next two-three months.
Though the details of the deal remain undisclosed, the source close to the development revealed that an agreement with Telecom New Zealand is round the corner.
Alcatel holds a 67% share in the JV whereas RCom holds the rest of 33%.
Sandip Biswas, Head of Managed Services, RCom said that the joint venture, at the time of its inception exactly one-year ago, had targeted to clock $500 million revenue over a period of five years.
“Now, we have increased it to $750 million and hope to even go past that target during the remaining period of five years,” Biswas added.
In its first year of operation, Biswas revealed that the JV has registered just over $100 million revenue which is likely to rise in the current year given that Reliance Communication was expanding its operations. Revenue from other prospective clients were also expected.
“The JV had started with CDMA and GSM operations and maintenance of five circles. Subsequently, we expanded the base to all 23 circles where RCom has operations,” he said.
On 06.30.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Azercell Telecom LLC has begun the operation of GPRS/MMS roaming service with UK’s Orange operator, the company said. This is the gfourth agreement with UK. The subscribers of Azercell Telecom working in the “Orange” by means of a mobile phone can access the Internet and share files. It does not require any additional settings, as well as GPRS / MMS-roaming is automatically enabled. The procedure for GPRS / MMS-roaming is similar to GSM-roaming, ie, GPRS-query is processed in the “home” network, through which a user gains access to the Internet.
On 06.03.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Zain, the leading mobile operator in Middle East and Africa, is all set to face tougher competition as the two newly licensed mobile operators launch operations. The company’s CEO Fayaz King reportedly said that the mobile operator will continue investments in its network to boost the quality of services.
In 2008, the operator made an investment of USD 100 million, and in 2009 another USD 40 million will be invested in new products and upgrades. He said the current operators on the market were experiencing difficulties accessing foreign currency for new investments and wondered how the new players would find the hard currency for their establishment.
He also added that the Malawian mobile market is limited with Zain having a capacity of 5 million subscribers, the company at present only holds 1.5 million subscribers despite Malawi boasting some of the cheapest phone handsets in Africa.
The CEO also disclosed that the company is finalising discussions with the Malawi Communications Authority on plans to introduce 3G technology in the country.
On 05.25.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Tune Talk, the Malaysian MVNO, intends to launch its commercial operations in H2′09, said its Chief Executive Officer, Jason Lo. Lo reportedly said the service, operating on Celcom’s network, was aimed at the underserved youth market segment and would offer maximum nationwide coverage from the day of launch.
“With a low-cost business model, we are optimistic of Tune Talk’s potential and that our service will be well-received by the market. We also plan to expand to countries in Association of South-East Asian Nations by employing the same operating model,” he said.
The company’s main focus is on super low calling rates with exciting incentives.
On 04.16.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: US-based communications company, AT&T has launched its operations in UAE and will offer the full spectrum of its business services. Ronald Spears, President and Chief Executive of AT&T Business Solutions, said the company will target large multinational companies, and will provide services to its clients from the US, as well as the others companies entering the market.
“Most of the multinationals in the world intend to come into the Middle East over time and their number one concern, probably, is having a telecommunications infrastructure that is resilient and redundant,” Spears said.
He further said that the region will continue to grow, backed by the multinationals coming to the region, and “if the region is going to continue to grow, we want to be in these emerging markets.”
Despite the economic downturn, the Middle East continues to be strong, added Spears.