Wireless Federation

SK Telecom bids for stake in Hynix Semiconductor Inc (South Korea)

On 11.11.11, In Mobile, By Editor

SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest mobile carrier by market share, is the only bidder for a stake worth $2.8 billion in Hynix Semiconductor Inc., a leading computer-chip maker. According to reports, Korea Exchange Bank said that no other bidders came forward for the 20 percent stake (146.1 million shares) in the computer-chip company.

As per sources, the South Korean telecom operator is looking to diversify its businesses to secure new growth drivers beyond the almost saturated domestic telecom market. However, industry analysts have raised certain uncertainties regarding the completion of the deal as the parent company’s chairman is still under investigation for allegations of embezzlement.

Further, as per industry reports, analysts have also raised concerns regarding the financial strain on the company as a result of the increased investment in the advanced network technology as well as the substantial capital expenditures required to keep up with the technological upgradation in the chip production lines.

Solomon Telekom expands mobile network (Solomon Islands)

On 03.25.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Solomon Telekom (Our Telekom) has expanded its mobile network. The company brought services to 32 new rural communities over the past year, bringing the total to 63 mobile sites across the country.

The companys’ sales teams are travelling to the communities in the coming months to officially launch the services.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Mobile Network • operator • Our Telekom • Solomon Islands • Solomon Telekom

Telekom upgrades network in Geisenhausen (Germany)

On 03.08.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Telekom Deutschland has upgraded its UMTS network with HSPA+ technology in Geisenhausen (Bavaria).

Following the upgrade, all households in the municipality will now be able to access internet with maximum download speed of 21.6 Mbps.

The upgrade is a part of Telekom’s strategy to upgrade/expand its DSL and mobile network to offer broadband in rural areas, where currently no broadband services are available.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Deutschland • DSL • Germany • HSPA • Mobile • Mobile Network • Telekom • Telekom Deutschland • UMTS

Huawei to offer free mobile network to London underground system

On 02.21.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Huawei Technologies is bidding to provide a mobile network for the London underground system in time for the 2012 Olympics.

According to sources, this offer, worth around US$80 million is being made from the former Olympic nation to the new one. There have been attempts to deploy a network for mobile phones in the Underground for almost a decade but no one has apparently been able to come up with a commercially viable model.

There have been heightened reports recently that Transport for London was close to signing a contract with the UK’s mobile networks with the intention to deploy the network in places for the London Olympics.

A spokesperson confirmed that transport for London and the Mayor are currently in discussion with mobile phone operators and other suppliers about the potential provision of mobile phone services on the deep Tube network. Given the financial pressures on TfL’s budgets, any solution would need to be funded through mobile operators with no cost to the fare or taxpayers.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 2012 Olympics • China • Huawei Technologies • London • London Olympics • London underground system • Mobile • Mobile Network • Transport for London • UK

Uninor offers â€˜Cricket Unlimited’ service (India)

On 02.21.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Uninor has launched ‘Cricket Unlimited’ service for cricket enthusiasts this season.

Cricket Unlimited is a voice based application which will allow subscribers to listen to and browse cricket content via the mobile network.

The service is available across all handsets. To subscribe to the ‘Cricket Unlimited’ service, a Uninor customer needs to dial the toll free number and request for this service.

This service will be available for US$0.06 per day per match-day or US$0.66 for monthly pack on a toll free number. Once subscribed to the service, customers can browse through ‘Live Match Coverage’, participate in ‘Cricket Opinion Poll’, and download ‘Cricket Tunes’ including ring tones and caller tunes as part of this offer. Furthermore, subscribers can also access cricket rankings, match schedules and all cricket trivia.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Cricket • cricket content • Cricket Opinion Poll • Cricket Rankings • cricket trivia • Cricket Unlimited • Live Match Coverage • Match Schedules • Mobile • Mobile Network • toll free number • Uninor • voice based application

Natcom mobile network completes first international voice call (Haiti)

On 01.05.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Vietnamese telco Viettel has revealed that its subsidiary in Haiti, National Telecom (Natcom) successfully completed its first international voice calls over its new Haitian mobile network so far with five active base stations with â€˜international standard quality’ connectivity demonstrated in a link-up with Vietnam in late December 2010.

The news came less than four months after work began on launching a GSM/3G cellular network from scratch, whilst Natcom is also replacing and expanding the ruined fixed line network of the former Teleco to provide national services including DSL broadband access.

In its announcement the company added that Natcom had also made successful domestic test calls over both its new fixed fibre-optic and mobile networks. Natcom, which has yet to interconnect its new networks with Haiti’s other telecoms operators, expects to launch commercial mobile services over a network of 1,000 base stations later in 2011.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 3G • DSL broadband access • First international voice call • fixed fibre-optic • GSM • Haiti • Mobile • Mobile Network • NATCOM • Vietnam • Vietnamese telco • Viettel

Asiacell to extend mobile network in 2011 (Iraq)

On 12.24.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Iraqi mobile operator Asiacell Communications, a group including Asiacell Iraq (30%), Qatar Telecom (Qtel, 30%) and investment group Merchant Bridge (40%), has signed a network expansion agreements with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) and Ericsson, as it is planning to expand its service footprint in the country.

According to the cellco’s Chief Technical and IT officer, Patson Anius, the supply contracts will allow the operator to introduce advanced services tailored to the domestic market. Next year, they will be further expanding their network coverage to include small villages and residential communities in remote areas. They look forward to breaking their own GSM deployment record in Iraq next year.

Asiacell is one of the three cellcos licensed to provide national mobile services, having been awarded its concession in August 2007 at a cost of US$1.25 billion.

In 2009 it deployed 1,490 base transceiver stations (BTSs) on its network, thanks to the build-out of 950 new communication towers, and improved the service capabilities of 450 other cell sites. At the end of September 2010 Asiacell had 7.917 million mobile subscribers, placing it second in the market with a share of 34.8%. It competes with Zain Iraq, Korek Telecom and SanaTel.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Asiacell • BTS • Chief Technical and IT officer • Ericsson • GSM • Iraq • Korek Telecom • Merchant Bridge • Mobile • Mobile Network • Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) • Patson Anius • Qatar • Qatar Telecom • SanaTel • Zain Iraq

PTA suspends Braintel license over VoIP platform (Pakistan)

On 12.03.10, In Mobile, By Editor

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has announced the postponement of Braintel’s license with immediate effect. This move is taken as the regulator was claiming that the telco had been developing a VoIP platform, providing network access and switching services to customers beyond Lahore.

According to reports, the PTA has directed long-distance, WiLL and mobile network operators to suspend all telecoms facilities with Braintel until it issues further directions. The operator’s license allows only for the provision of telecoms services in the Lahore region, and the PTA has claimed that through a Session Initiation Protocol-based (SIP-based) location in the UK Braintel was allowing termination and origination of calls to its customers beyond Lahore via internet access.

Before the suspension of the licence, PTA has given out Braintel a show cause notice in May 2010, which the operator responded to, claiming that it had done no wrong. The telco subsequently lodged a writ petition with the Lahore High Court against the show cause notice, but this was rejected.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Braintel • Lahore • Lahore High Court • Mobile • Mobile Network • Pakistan • PTA • SIP-based • UK • VoIP platform • WiLL

Thai Operators to Launch MNP in December

On 11.25.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Thailand’s mobile network operators have confirmed that they will launch the delayed mobile number portability (MNP) service before the end of the year, but only in the capital city, Bangkok.

According to Suranan Wongvithayakamjorn, a commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the service will be available only in some service centres of the telecom operators. Therefore, during the initial phase, those in the provinces who want to keep their mobile-phone numbers when they switch networks will have to travel to Bangkok to ask for the service.

He added that the telecom operators would gradually expand the MNP service nationwide soon. They will announce the full details of the service next week.

The country’s five operators are currently appealing against fines of US$5,500 per day for missing the already delayed August deadline.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Bangkok • MNP • Mobile • Mobile Network • NTC • Suranan Wongvithayakamjorn • Thailand

Zain Malawi gets 3G Licence.

On 11.13.09, In Mobile, By Editor

MACRA has awarded a 3G licence to Zain Malawi, which is expected to enhance high-speed wireless internet access.

Zain marketing director, Enwell Kadango confirmed that discussions that started between the company and MACRA since 2006 has finally borne fruit as its licence conditions have now been changed.

3G is the telecommunication hardware standard and general technology for the mobile networking superseding 2.5G system which will now allow speed in data processing,â€ said Kadango who added that Malawi is taking after most developing countries that are using this technology.

Currently Zain Malawi is about to finish its equipment installation across the country which will be compatible with the new system which offers fast downloading speeds of between 2-8mbps.

Malawi’s Zain CEO Fayaz King said 3G would also allow users to watch television besides connecting to the internet and make video calls.

TNM Limited Zain’s competitor in the market got the licence sometime back but it is only now that the company has been testing it.