MTS

Four ZTE Android smartphones to be launched

On 03.08.10, In Mobile Phones, By Editor

ZTE is all set to change its low-cost handset maker image and enter into the business of higher smartphone market. Android-powered smartphones will supposedly be the next big target of this Chinese company. However, the latest venture to find its way to the market is 4ZTE phones. These phones are expected to circulate even outside China.

ZTE Smooth, the Palm Pre like device has features like Android 1.6, 2.8-inch QVGA display, QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, FM radio, and 3g (UMTS) connectivity. ZTE Blade is another high-end device and has features like Bluetooth, Android 1.6, WiFi, FM radio, GSM/UMTS connectivity and 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen.

ZTE Racer another Android 1.6 phone will have 3G, WiFi, GPS, and 2.-inch QVGA while ZTE Mercury, which is a look-alike of HTC Hero comes with 3.2-inch HVGA display, GPS and EDGE data.

The only problem these Android phones are expected to come across is the distribution otherwise ZTE is super committed to Android. The ZTE Smartphones will soon be popping on every comer of Europe and US.

Tagged with: 3G • Android Phone • Android Smartphones • Bluetooth • China • Chinese • EDGE • Europe • FM Radio • GSM • GSM/UMTS • HTC • HTC Hero • HVGA Display • MTS • Palm • Palm Pre • QVGA display • QWERTY • QWERTY keyboard • smartphone • Smartphone Market • smartphones • Touchscreen • WiFi

Belgium to hold auction for 4th 3G license in Sep

On 03.08.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The auction for the fourth 3G license will be conducted by the Belgian government along with the auction of five spectrum blocks for LTE, in the month of September. The first auction will be for the UMTS license in which, 15 MHz block has to yield at least EUR 80 million, or EUR 40 million for 5 MHz blocks. The license had no buyers in the auction which took place in 2001.

Telenet and Voo, the two cable operators in the country have expressed their interest in the auctions. EUR 150 million has already been paid by the Belgacom, Mobistar and KPN Belgian in 2001 for the blocks.

The licenses for five 2.6 GHz spectrum have been divided into four blocks of 15 MHz for LTE, expected to be sold for at least. 50 MHz Wimax license will also be auctioned for at least EUR 25 million.

Tagged with: 3G • Auction • Belgium • Europe • KPN • LG • Mobistar • MTS • operator • spectrum • Telenet • UMTS • WiMAX

Russia’s MTS customer base rises 7.1% in 2009

On 03.03.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: With an increase of 7.1% year-on-year, the consolidated customer base of Russia’s Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) group reached 97.81 million, up from 91.33 million. Even the flagship domestic operation of the company had 69.3 million customers at year-end, up nearly five million from a year earlier.

However, a decline in the customer base has been faced by MTS in its Moscow market from 14.9 million at end-2008, to 13.6 million a year later. While growth was recorded in all MTS markets, only one international market, MTS Ukraine saw its customer base falling from 18.12 million to 17.56 million year-on-year.

The cellco’s operations in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Belarus ended 2009 with 7.07 million, 1.76 million, 2.07 million and 4.56 million customers respectively.

Tagged with: Armenia • ASIA • Belarus • Mobile TeleSystems • Moscow • MTS • MTS Ukraine • Russia • Turkmenistan • UK • Ukrain • Ukraine • Uzbekistan

Russian mobile operators face investigation on roaming charges

On 02.22.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: MTS, Vimpelcom and Megafon have been suspected of inflating tariffs by Russian antimonopoly watchdog FAS. An investigation has been launched by FAS into the high mobile roaming prices charged by the operators.

The roaming tariffs of the big three exceeded the level set by the European Commission by three to six times while the international calls tariffs applied by the operator is more than double.

The competition regulator has also found that the prices are well above those charged by smaller operators such as Tele2

Tagged with: ASIA • Europe • European Commission • FAS • MegaFon • MTS • operator • Russia • Tele2 • VimpelCom

MTS Ukraine to contract Alca-Lu for IP/MPLS backhaul solution

On 02.17.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Russian-owned cellco MTS Ukraine is planning to contract Alcatel-Lucent for the provision of an IP/MPLS-based mobile backhaul solution in order to pave the way for next-generation mobile broadband services.

In order to simplify operations and reduce operating expenditure whilst offering its end-users advanced IP-based services, the mobile operator is also planning to integrate end-to-end management across multiple technology domains, thereby

According to Jeff Howley, CTO of MTS Ukraine, moving toward IP will provide the company with huge capacity reserve which enables it not only cope for several years with ever-increasing core traffic and support high quality of service provisioning, but to further introduce new services.

Tagged with: Alcatel-Lucent • ASIA • Mobile Backhaul • Mobile Broadband Service • MTS • Next-Gen • operator • Russia • UK • Ukraine

Russian telco MTS eyes Indian telecom market

On 02.16.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: India’s hunger for real-time information and infotainment has attracted the attention of Russian telco MTS which is shifting from mobile voice to mobile data services. It has been expected by the company that the markets will expand beyond just corporate users for data to include small to medium enterprises (SMEs), students and small households.

MTS biggest rivals in India are the companies like Reliance, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Tata Docomo providing postpaid services to its customers. According to Vsevolod Rozanov, president and CEO of Sistema Shyam Teleservices, it difficult to win existing customers of other operators but the company would fight the battle for new customers.

Tagged with: Airtel • ASIA • India • infotainment • Mobile Data Service • MTS • operator • Reliance • Russia • Sistema Shyam Teleservices • Tata DoCoMo • Vodafone

Belarus 3G license granted to Telekom Austria

On 02.03.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The Belarusian subsidiary of Telekom Austria has been awarded a countrywide 3G licence, at a price of €9.5 million and it will run until August 24, 2017. In order to support the 3G network, Velcom’s mobile network is already undergoing up gradation at a rate of 10 base stations per day.

After striking a reseller deal with CDMA operator Belcel in May 2009, Velcom has been selling mobile broadband services to its customers in Belarus. As per the 50-50 revenue sharing agreement, Velcom offered Internet services running on Belcel’s EV-DO network, which at the time was capable of supporting connection speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps.

Velcom has the second largest share of the market with 4 million customers; following MTS which currently has the largest share of the market with 4.52 million subscribers.

Tagged with: 3G • Austria • Belarus • Belcel • CDMA • Europe • MTS • operator • Telekom Austria • Velcom

IPO proposals approved by SSTL

On 01.20.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Sistema Shyam TeleServices (SSTL), an Indian mobile network operator under MTS India banner, has been given an in-principle approval to launch an initial public offering (IPO) by its board.

According to Vsevolod Rozanov, president and CEO of SSTL, the proceedings to list the company on the local bourses have been initiated and the company will now have to work out the details of the IPO such as the amount of stake to be divested amongst other issues. Even after getting the permission of the board, the listing will happen depending on the market conditions and the market does not look right for an IPO.

74% of the telco is owned by Russian services conglomerate Sistema and it was revealed in September 2009 that the Russian government was preparing to acquire a 20% stake in the cellco from Sistema for approximately USD680 million.

Tagged with: ASIA • India • initial public offering • MTS • operator • Russia • Sistema Shyam Teleservices

MTS Turkmenistan upgrades achievements in 2009

On 01.19.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The network coverage of MTS Turkmenistan had been expanded to 139 settlements across the country in 2009. A combination of newly installed base stations and upgrade to existing cell sites expanded the coverage area by some 30%.

375 new base stations have been inaugurated by MTS across the country, boosting the total number in operation by approximately 60%. Tahtabazar, Etrek, Bekdash, Kerkichi, Hodjambaz, Repetek, Erbent and Bakhardok are some of the newly covered settlements.

Besides, improved and expanded network allowed the company to overlay its entire GSM network with EDGE technology, increasing the download speeds available to its subscribers, while also boosting the reliability of internet connectivity.

Tagged with: GSM • Middle East • MTS • Turkmenistan

Foreign operators barred from bidding in CDMA 3G spectrum auction (India)

On 01.18.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The upcoming auction of 3G spectrum will be limited to UMTS spectrum only as per Ministry of Communications and Information Technology decision. The move is aimed at keeping the international companies away from the bidding auction. The decision can also block new foreign players from launching both 2G and 3G CDMA-based services.

However, scarcity of airwaves for that technological platform has been cited as one of the reason by the ministry for not allowing foreign operators to bid for 3G CDMA spectrum.

According to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), only existing licensees offering CDMA services will be eligible to bid this spectrum is being provided as 3G growth path for CDMA operators.

Tagged with: 2G • 3G • ASIA • Department of Telecommunication • India • Ministry of Communications and Information Technology • MTS • operator • Spectrum Auction