Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks Prepare for Growth of Telecommunications in Africa at CTO Roundtable
Telecommunications Technology will in the Coming Years Have a
Profound Impact on Many Societies in Africa, Contributing Largely to the
Economic Growth and Wealth of Millions of People on the Continent.
This Development, and Issues Related to the Regulatory Environment
Supporting the Foreseen Growth, will be the Major Themes of the
Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation’s (CTO) European-African
Telecommunications Roundtable in Helsinki and Bonn, a Meeting That Will
Bring Together Leading Decision Makers From Africa, Europe and the Telecoms
Industry
The CTO meeting will assemble high-level telecommunications officials
from the organisation’s African member countries, with participants
representing communications ministries and regulators from Ghana, Kenya,
Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. Officials
from Finnish and German government and industry will also take part.
The roundtable is built around themes including the telecommunications
ecosystem: the socio-economic impact of information and communication
technology (ICT) and telecommunications, case studies from countries
including Finland, and how similar development can be encouraged in New
Growth Markets; and Europe-Africa cooperation, including European ICT
initiatives in Africa and project financing.
Nokia Siemens Networks and Nokia are playing a key role in the meeting,
contributing speakers and engaging in the dialogue that aims to increase
understanding between the two continents, initiate concrete projects and
lay the foundation for future discussions.
“While people around the world share the universal desire to connect
with others, Nokia has dedicated itself to develop an unparalleled insight
into the specific needs and aspirations of individuals in emerging markets.
Less than a month ago, Nokia launched seven new phones based on this
in-depth understanding, which are not only designed to be accessible to
these consumers, but to also help spark development within the communities
that they live and work,” said Veli Sundback, executive vice president of
corporate relations and responsibility for Nokia.
“By 2015 we expect five billion people will be connected by wire and
wirelessly from one end of the planet to the other, and the clear majority
of these people will come from new growth markets in Asia and Africa. We
are committed to connecting the world, and this event is an excellent
opportunity to engage key stakeholders to help make this vision a reality,”
said Lauri Kivinen, head of corporate affairs, Nokia Siemens Networks.
The CTO European/African Telecommunications Roundtable will run from
May 28-31 in Helsinki, and then continues until June 1 in Bonn.
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and
growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. Nokia
makes a wide range of mobile devices and provides people with experiences
in music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games and business
mobility through these devices. Nokia also provides equipment, solutions
and services for communications networks.
About Nokia Siemens Networks
Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of communications
services. The company provides a complete, well-balanced product portfolio
of mobile and fixed network infrastructure solutions and addresses the
growing demand for services with 20,000 service professionals worldwide.
The combined pro-forma net sales of EUR17.1 billion in fiscal year 2006
make Nokia Siemens Networks one of the largest telecommunications
infrastructure companies. Nokia Siemens Networks has operations in some 150
countries and is headquartered in Espoo, Finland. It combines Nokia’s
Networks Business Group and the carrier related businesses of Siemens
Communications.
Motorola deploys wind, solar powered cell site in Namibia
Motorola has deployed a wind and solar power system to operate MTC Namibia’s GSM cell site at Dordabis village in the Khomas region of Namibia. The trial with MTC Namibia supports the African operator’s strategy for increased voice and data service coverage in rural areas of Namibia. The Dordabis cell site will remain a part of MTC Namibia’s live GSM network throughout the trial.
MWeb tests WiMAX
South African internet service provider (ISP) MWeb is to trial WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) mobile broadband in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The trial will involve around a thousand home and business users. MWeb has recently been allocated a WiMAX test licence by regulator Icasa, and is hoping to secure a commercial WiMAX licence when the remaining spectrum is allocated later in the year. MWeb successfully deployed a WiMAX network in neighbouring Namibia in February 2007. Eight base stations will be installed for the trial using equipment from Israeli vendor Alvarion — five in Johannesburg and three in Cape Town.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
MWeb tests WiMAX services with Alvarion equipment
South African ISP MWeb has announced the launch of a broadband internet WiMAX trial in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The trial will involve around 1,000 home and business users testing its mobile WiMAX services. MWeb has recently been allocated a WiMAX test licence by regulator Icasa, with MWeb hoping to secure a commercial WiMAX licence when the remaining spectrum is allocated later in 2007. The trial is a continuation of the successful fixed WiMAX network deployed by MWeb in Namibia in February 2007. It will deploy eight base stations for trial – five in Johannesburg and three in Cape Town. It will test a number of uncapped connectivity options aimed at the consumer, small business and corporate markets, along with voice and video services. It will be testing the 802.16e Mobile WiMAX standard with equipment from Alvarion Technologies.
Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News
Takeover battle underway for Portugal Telecom
Namibian writes…One of Europe’s biggest takeover battles kicks off today in Portugal when Sonaecom’s 10,7-billion-euro hostile bid for its larger rival Portugal Telecom gets underway.
Sonaecom unveiled its offer of 9,50 euros per share for what is the nation’s biggest listed company in a surprise move last February but Portugal’s stock market regulator only gave the bid its approval on Friday.
The bid, Portugal’s largest-ever hostile takeover, will run until March 9, the regulator said in a statement after the market had closed.
The offer is contingent on Sonaecom, the listed subsidiary of Portuguese conglomerate Sonae which is controlled by Portugal’s richest man, Belmiro de Azevedo, obtaining at least 50,01 per cent of Portugal Telecom.
Sonaecom also needs to convince a majority of Portugal Telecom shareholders to change a company statute that forbids a single shareholder from holding more than 10 per cent of the firm’s voting rights.
Portugal Telecom, a former state monopoly that was fully privatised in 2000, has urged its shareholders to reject the offer, which it argues undervalues the company and would hurt consumers by creating a high level of concentration.
The firm’s chief executive Henrique Granadeiro called Sonaecom’s offer “unacceptable” and “unquestionably low”.
Shares in PT closed at 10,20 euros on Friday, a gain of 0,69 per cent.
“The premium offered by Sonaecom to gain control of the biggest and most prestigious Portuguese firm, Portugal Telecom, is zero.
The offer does not reflect the fair price of the company,” he told a news conference.
Portugal Telecom has promised to pay shareholders more than 3,5 billion euros in dividends by the end of 2008 and sell its listed cable television unit PT Multimedia if the bid is rejected.
The firm’s biggest shareholders include Spain’s Telefonica with 9,96 per cent, Portuguese bank Banco Espirito Santo with 8,08 per cent and US Fund Brandes Investments Partners with 7,67 per cent.
Most analysts believe Sonaecom, in which France Telecom has a 20 per cent stake, will have to raise its offer for it to succeed.
“Sonaecom has room to improve the price offered for Portugal Telecom if you take into account the synergies that would result from the merger of (their two mobile units) TMN and Optimus and the possibility of gains from asset sales,” said telecoms analyst Teresa Marinho of Portuguese bank Banif.
Sonaecom could raise its offer to up to 10,80 euros per share, she said.
Investment bank Credit Suisse meanwhile said on Thursday that Sonaecom would have to raise its offer to 11 euros per share.
Sonaecom has repeatedly said it will not raise it offer for Portugal Telecom, which it argues has lost value over the past year due to its falling market share at home and in Brazil where it is active in the mobile market.
The company is also offering 9,03 euros per share of PT Multimedia, in which Portugal Telecom controls a 58 per cent stake.
Portugal Telecom and its cable unit has about 75 per cent of the nation’s fixed-line telephone market, 80 per cent of the broadband cable market and, through TMN, about half of the mobile phone market, according to company figures.
It also runs Brazilian mobile services operator Vivo in a joint venture with Telefonica.
Sonaecom controls Optimus, Portugal’s third-biggest mobile phone provider and has set up its own fixed-line network, mainly to provide Internet services.
Last month Portugal’s competition authority cleared Sonaecom’s takeover bid but said if it is successful the firm would have to sell either the fixed-line telephone network or cable network belonging to Portugal Telecom.
Sonaecom would also have to give up one of the two mobile licences it would own if the bid succeeds, the authority said.
Namibia’s MTC expands mobile network via satellite
Telegeography writes…Namibian GSM operator Mobile Telecommunications (MTC) has invested NAD17 million (USD2.4 million) in satellite technology to expand the reach of its GSM network to remote regions. The country’s only cellco has awarded a contract to Advanced Telecoms for the implementation of a satellite backhaul system, with implementation and support being provided by domestic satellite firm SatCom. The rollout will see terminals deployed countrywide and will enable MTC to expand its coverage into previously unserved rural areas, including desert zones. The first phase of the project was completed in November last year to cater for some 15 new base stations while a number of others should be deployed by end-February.
GSA Says HSDPA Launched in 50 Countries
GSA – the Global mobile Suppliers Association, says that 138 mobile network operators have committed to HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) deployments in 63 countries, and commercial HSDPA mobile broadband services are now available in 50 countries. Recent launches by Entel PCS, Chile (the first in Latin America) and MTC, Namibia raised the number of commercial HSDPA networks to 91. HSDPA commercial services are now available in the following countries:
Americas: Canada, Chile and USA
APAC: Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan
Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Madeira, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and UK
(HSDPA is commercially available in 22 of the 25 EU countries)
Middle East/Africa: Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Namibia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and UAE
Most HSDPA networks are delivering typical data throughputs to customers of 0.8 – 1.5 Mbps. The GSA survey confirms that 25 operators are supporting 3.6 Mbps peak data throughput in all or part of their networks. Many networks will boost peak data speeds next year to 14.4 Mbps, and the first HSUPA deployments from 1H 2007 will significantly boost uplink speeds.
GSA also confirms from its related “HSDPA Devices” survey that there are now 120 HSDPA-enabled devices launched in the market, comprising:
45 phones
31 PC cards/modules
30 HSDPA-equipped notebooks
9 wireless routers/gateway products
4 USB modems
1 Personal Media Player
40 of the 91 commercial HSDPA networks have also launched EDGE for service continuity. Most HSDPA devices also support GSM/EDGE. The number of WCDMA subscribers (including HSDPA) is rapidly approaching 100 million, confirming WCDMA-HSDPA as the leading 3G standard globally. According to further research by GSA, over 500 models of WCDMA user devices have been announced, with over 230 products launched in 2006.
MTC Namibia launches USD5.8 million 3.5G network
Namibian cellco Mobile Telecommunications (MTC) officially inaugurated its new W-CDMA/HSDPA mobile network last week at a function in Windhoek. The 3G network, estimated to cost NAD40 million (USD5.8 million), initially offers data transfer speeds of up to 900kbps. During phase one, the network will be deployed in Windhoek and the coastal towns of Walvisbay and Swakopmund. In phase two, commencing in April 2007, the cellco aims to cover the majority of the country’s commercial centres.
3G Arrives in Namibia
MTC Namibia says that it has launched a robust 3G network making it only the third operator on the African continent to have done so. During Phase 1 the network will be deployed in Windhoek, the capital and the coastal settlements of Walvisbay and Swakopmund. Phase 2, commencing in April 2007, will eventually cover majority of the country’s commercial settlements.
The Managing Director of MTC, Mr Jos?erreira, said at the launch event that “It is true that firms and countries that use ICT solutions widely, grow faster, invest more and are more productive and profitable than those that don’t.” We want Namibia to feature prominently amongst such nations of the world. He further added that “With 3G, we are raising the bar even higher again for Namibia and its people.”
The country’s Prime Minister Nahas Angula, who officiated at the launch, further underscored those sentiment by saying that “The launch of MTC’s 3G network, the government believes, is a critical milestone towards achieving our stated objectives for 2030 for the ICT sector. We must continue to invest in ICT rollouts such as the ones being announced this morning so that Namibia maintains its favourable rankings on the continent and in the world.”
MTC (Mobile Telecommunications Limited) was established in 1995 as a joint venture between Namibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings (NPTH), Telia and Swedfund. During May 2004, NPTH concluded a deal that saw it hold 100 per cent of the shares in MTC by acquiring the 49 per cent held by Telia Overseas AB and Swedfund International AB. NPTH is 100 per cent owned by the Government of the Republic of Namibia. During 2006 the sale of 34% of MTC shares to a strategic/technical partner were concluded with Portugal Telecom which also holds the management contract.
