AT&T to open R&D centers with Alca-Lu and Ericsson

On 02.22.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: AT&T Innovation Centers has been planned to be launched by the mobile operator for the development of next-generation devices, applications and equipment with an aim to expand the capabilities of mobile and wired broadband. Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson has also announced to participate in the AT&T Innovation Centers.

The R&D facilities is planned to be opened in at least three locations later this year, namely two locations in the US and one international facility, enabling AT&T scientists and engineers to work directly with device makers, application developers and network equipment providers.

This will accelerate development of an ecosystem of mobile and wired broadband services and capabilities for consumers and business users. Each of the AT&T Innovation Centers will include dedicated facilities and staff focused on application and service development, prototyping, equipment testing and demonstration of emerging capabilities.

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Vinaphone to start 3G roaming service by 2010

On 12.16.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Vietnam leading mobile operator, Vinaphone will start international roaming service by 2010. The decision came after the company joined Conexus, an alliance of international mobile phone providers. Through
this agreement, subscribers to one of the alliance’s members and VinaPhone’s users will be permitted to use the services provided by all the other members of the alliance.

A flat rate of 0.2 USD per SMS on roaming will be charged from the customers of Conexus’ 11 members. Other support services such as handset lending, SIM card replacements overseas, making free calls to 18001091 when in Vietnam will also be provided to the subscribers.

11 members of the Conexus Mobile Alliance networks is there in growing economies such as the Republic of Korea , Japan , Hong Kong , Taiwan , Macau , India , the Philippines , Indonesia , Singapore and Thailand and boasts a combined customer base of more than 240 million mobile subscribers across the region.

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BSNL awards USD11.7 million contract to Sterlite (India)

On 12.07.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: India’s state owned mobile operator, BSNL awarded an USD11.7 million contract for networking, with Indian vendor Sterlite Technologies.

As per the agreement, 17,000km of fibre-optic cable across India will be laid by Sterlite, besides replacing existing copper cables as part of BSNL’s network expansion plans.

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Price rise for Telmex’s fixed line only customers(Mexico)

On 12.05.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Mobile operator Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex) announced that only the fixed line only subscribers in Mexico will have to face price rise, while there will be no rise on the packages including a broadband service. For the packages that have monthly fee, local and long distance calls, digital services, and high speed internet, the prices will remain the same.

Lower house of the Congress of the Union, Mexico’s Chamber of Representatives, passed a legislation levying 3% excise on telecommunication services in October 2009. Telmex took the decision in order to avoid the offset of the increase in taxes on telecom firms, by increasing the cost of the services to its customers.

Earlier, 4% tax was proposed but it was reduced by one percent by the lawmakers.

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Taiwan launches 3G network using Chinese technology

On 12.03.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: China lauded the successful launch of 3G mobile network using Chinese TD-SCDMA technology in Taiwan. It considered it as a successful display of the technological partnership of the two countries.

After several trips made by officials from China to Taiwan, the launch of the network was possible.  Chairman of the world’s largest mobile network operator, China Mobile, spent several days in Taipei to promote TD-SCDMA.

Vibo Telecom, a 3G mobile operator in Taiwan launched the TD-SCDMA trial network on Tuesday in Taipei and became one of the few companies running a TD-SCDMA trial outside of China.

According to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, by the trial of TD-SCDMA network in Taiwan, local handset makers and network equipment developers will get a good place to test TD-SCDMA devices. The ministry also said that Taiwanese and Chinese companies can research ways to install WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) technology alongside TD-SCDMA technology thus gaining experience in dual-network compatibility.

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Nokia Money due to launch soon

On 11.12.09, In Mobile, By Editor
Nokia is attempting to create a multi-bank, multi-operator and multi-device collaboration on mobile banking.
Nokia’s mobile banking and payment service is expected to be commercially available in its first market in Q1 2010, though no location details have been revealed yet.
According to Teppo Paavola, vice president, GM mobile financial services, Nokia cannot reveal any details until a banking partner is confirmed. It is learnt that the service requires a banking license before it can be launched.
Nokia said its target is to have 300 million active users of its services by the end of 2011; the number is expected to be 80 million by the end of 2009.
Paavola said the service will enable un-banked people in emerging markets to transfer money, top up prepaid mobile services, pay bills, carry out online transactions, and pay merchants.
Global mobile payments market is expected to be worth €18 billion by 2014 – €12 billion from emerging markets and €6 billion from developed markets.
Approaches to mobile banking so far have lacked scale and have not worked across operators and across banks.
Nokia therefore plans to drive the collaboration on an open financial ecosystem, with Nokia Money at its core. Paavola added that it has taken a long time to get all the players together, from banks through to mobile operators.
The Nokia Money application will not only be pre-loaded but could be sideloaded, or downloaded later.
Nokia will also be able to provide the physical distribution channel that is critical for the service to work. For example, Nokia handset sellers can be turned into Nokia Money agents, providing the devices, the application, and the ability to handle cash.

Nokia is attempting to create a multi-bank, multi-operator and multi-device collaboration on mobile banking, a service dubbed Nokia Money.

Nokia’s mobile banking and payment service is expected to be commercially available in its first market in Q1 2010, though no location details have been revealed yet.

According to Teppo Paavola, vice president, GM mobile financial services, Nokia cannot reveal any details until a banking partner is confirmed. It is learnt that the service requires a banking license before it can be launched.

Nokia said its target is to have 300 million active users of its services by the end of 2011.

Paavola said the service will enable un-banked people in emerging markets to transfer money, top up prepaid mobile services, pay bills, carry out online transactions, and pay merchants.

Global mobile payments market is expected to be worth €18 billion by 2014 – €12 billion from emerging markets and €6 billion from developed markets.

Approaches to mobile banking so far have lacked scale and have not worked across operators and across banks.  Nokia therefore plans to drive the collaboration on an open financial ecosystem, with Nokia Money at its core.

The Nokia Money application will not only be pre-loaded but could be sideloaded, or downloaded later.

Nokia will also be able to provide the physical distribution channel that is critical for the service to work. For example, Nokia handset sellers can be turned into Nokia Money agents, providing the devices, the application, and the ability to handle cash.

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Orange & T-mobile get approvals to merge. UK’s largest Mobile Operator is now in the making.

On 11.12.09, In Mobile, By Editor

The proposed merger between Orange and T-Mobile gets all the nods from competition authorities and government bodies in UK and Europe. This signals the creation of UKs largest mobile operator with 30 million users and a market share of around 37 percent.

Timotheus Höttges, the CFO of Deutsche Telekom said- “The negotiations were conducted in a fair way and I am certain that this spirit of professionalism and partnership will shape the future of our joint venture. It will set new standards as number one in UK mobile market.”

Of late, T-mobile has faired well but Orange has been fairing below expectations with its fixed broadband customer base dwindling to below the 1 million mark.

Most analysts believe that the merger will allow the companies to better leverage their synergies and develop competitive synergies in high growth sectors such as mobile broadband and roll out innovative services.

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Samsung launches Bada mobile platform

On 11.12.09, In Mobile, By Editor
Samsung hopes to extend its app store offering to a wider range of handsets, including less sophisticated feature phones and entry level smartphones.
The Korean technology giant said Bada — which means “ocean” — was a new addition to the company’s mobile ecosystem and would give users a “fun and diverse mobile experience”.
Samsung said it chose the name to “convey the limitless variety of potential applications” that can be created using the new platform, and to demonstrate the company’s commitment to “a variety of open platforms in the mobile industry”.
It also offers mobile operators an easy-to-integrate platform that can be used to provide “unique and differentiated services to their customers”, said Samsung.
“By opening Samsung’s mobile platforms we will be able to provide rich mobile experiences on an increasing number of accessible smartphones,” said Dr Hosoo Lee, an executive vice president at Samsung. “Bada will be Samsung’s landmark, iconic new platform that brings an unprecedented opportunity for operators, developers and Samsung mobile phone users around the world.”
Samsung’s current smartphone range runs the open-source Symbian operating system and the Google-backed Android platform. Carolina Milanesi, a research director at Gartner, said Samsung’s decision to develop and use its own platform for entry-level smartphones was its attempt to “differentiate its products from the competition.”
But Geoff Blaber, an analyst with CCS Insight, questioned Samsung’s thinking: “The big question is, does the mobile phone world need yet another operating system?,” he said.

Samsung hopes to give users a ”fun and diverse mobile experience” on a wider range of handsets, including less sophisticated feature phones and entry level smartphones via its newly created mobile platform dubbed “Bada”. Bada means Ocean in Korean.

Samsung said it chose the name to “convey the limitless variety of potential applications” that can be created using the new platform, and to demonstrate the company’s commitment to “a variety of open platforms in the mobile industry”.

It also offers mobile operators an easy-to-integrate platform that can be used to provide “unique and differentiated services to their customers”, said Samsung.

“By opening Samsung’s mobile platforms we will be able to provide rich mobile experiences on an increasing number of accessible smartphones,” said Dr Hosoo Lee,  executive vice president at Samsung. ”Bada will be Samsung’s landmark, iconic new platform that brings an unprecedented opportunity for operators, developers and Samsung mobile phone users around the world.”

One can’t help but ask – Does the world need another mobile operating system?

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MTN and Bharti now rivals in a bid for Zain.

On 10.07.09, In Mobile, By Editor

What was to be a merger is now likely to turn into a battle to acquire Zain.  Reliable sources have revealed that a dialogue between Airtel and Zain has now been initiated via intermediaries. With this Bharti will now take on MTN in a bid to acquire Zain.

Last month, MTN CEO Phutuma Nhleko had stated that it would consider buying the African assets of Zain Telecom if the deal with Bharti did not go through.

Bharti Airtel is trying its hardest best to get a foothold in Africa, which is where the growth story is playing out as well.

Zain is considered a valuable asset because it has over 69 million customers and operations in 24 countries across West Asia and Africa, and a market capitalisation in excess of $19 billion. In Africa alone, it has 41 million customers and is the number one mobile operator in 12 of the 16 countries it operates in. As a comparison, MTN has over 103 million customers and operates in 21 countries.

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Price war & the Indian regulator cause mobile stocks to tumble

On 10.07.09, In Mobile, By Editor

The Indian mobile sector, a darling of the Indian stock markets has just fallen from grace. Fears that a renewed tariff war may bring its dream run of profit growth to an end and could force smaller players to sell out or shut shop has caused the leader, Bharti Airtel to lose 17% in two trading sessions. Reliance Communications has fallen 11% and Idea Cellular fell 8%.

Mobile tariffs in India are already the lowest in the world. On Monday, Reliance (RCOM) announced the slashing of tariffs across the board for local, roaming and long-distance calls to 50 paise, i.e under a cent per minute.

In addition to this, the Indian Telecom regulator suggested on Monday that telecom operators shift to per-second pricing as opposed to per-minute. After the Indian stock market got jittery with this announcement and telecom stocks started tumbling, the regulator (TRAI) was seen as diluting their position on this statement, stating that proposal on per-second billing was at an initial stage and too much was being read into the issue.

TRAI chairman J.S. Sarma also said that mobile operators were free to oppose the scheme and the regulator would consider their opinion during the consultation process.

Sunil Mittal, the chief of Bharti Airtel said tariffs were best left to market forces.

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