Batelco announces network upgrade to improve customer experience (Bahrain)
Batelco, Bahrain’s leading telecommunications provider, will be carrying out modernisation work starting from May 7, as part of the Company’s ongoing strategy to enhance its networks and keep them on par with the highest international standards.
This upgrade work, which will deliver major enhancements to Batelco’s Voice and ISDN services, may cause some brief disruption to services including Voice, ISDN Primary and Basic service. However, measures have been taken to ensure minimal degradation to services while the upgrades take place. The upgrade work will take place in the early hours of the morning between 12am and 6am and is expected to affect each area for less than 10 minutes.
The modernization work is scheduled for the following dates and locations: -
On May 7th and 13th the areas which may be affected are:- Hawar, Jaw, Sakhir, Mahooz, Hamala, Umm Nasan, Borders of Island, Budaiya, Khamees, Saar, Sitra, Waddi, Isa Town, Ma’ameer, Ras Abu Jarjoor, A’Ali, North Isa Town, Awali, West Riffa, Dumistan, Jazaer, Nuzha, Rowdha, Sadad, Riffa, Maqsha, Lawzi, Sanad and BIC.
On May 19th and 23rd work will be carried out in:- Central Manama, Abu Mahir, Bahrain Financial Harbour, City Centre, Diplomatic Area, Hidd, Hoora, Juffair, Manama, Muharraq, Qudabiya, Ras Rumman, Seef, World Trade Centre, Hidd Industrial Area, Sh. Salman Port, Sanabis and Samaheej.
Batelco Group General Manager Media Relations Ahmed Al Janahi, said that they apologise for any inconvenience the upgrade work may cause and appreciate the understanding and cooperation of their customers.
Tele2 partners with Nokia Siemens for 4G network (Sweden)
Tele2 customers in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will soon enjoy superior mobile broadband with faster data speeds and improved coverage. Nokia Siemens Networks has been selected as the sole supplier of the operator’s 4G, LTE (long term evolution) radio and core network. In addition, the company will modernize and expand Tele2’s GSM and 3G networks. The 4G deployment and network modernization will be enabled using Nokia Siemens Networks’ Single RAN (radio access network) and Liquid Core technology.
Niklas Sonkin, Central Europe and Eurasia market area director, Tele2, said that they wanted to further improve the coverage and quality of mobile services for their customers by expanding and upgrading their existing networks to the latest technology. In addition, with increased adoption of smart devices and demand for high speed data services, they want to build LTE networks in the Baltics. Nokia Siemens Networks’ advanced radio and core platforms will ensure reliable network connections and high speed mobile broadband services for customers. With the company’s Single RAN, they will soon be able to launch LTE services, efficiently utilizing different frequency bands.
Armando Almeida, head of Europe and Africa customers at Nokia Siemens Networks, said that it is critical for operators such as Tele2 to upgrade their existing networks with future proof technologies to save equipment and operational costs today and tomorrow. Further, their flexible, scalable, energy-efficient radio access network is capable of supporting the current and future network capacity needs of Tele2. Their Liquid Core platform will help Tele2 intelligently manage its network traffic in real time and provide the best user experience across the three countries.
Under the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks is providing Tele2 with its advanced radio and core network elements to modernize and expand its networks, and build high speed LTE network in the Baltics. As part of its radio network, the company is providing its compact, award-winning Flexi Multiradio Base Stations, multi controller radio network controllers (mcRNC) and multi controller base station controllers (mc BSC).
As part of its core network, the company is providing its voice core network elements including its Liquid Core based open Mobile Switching Centre Server (MSS) and open Media Gateway (MGW). In addition, the company is providing its Evolved Packet Core (EPC) platform, including Flexi NS (network server), Flexi NG (network gateway) and Liquid Core based SGSN (serving GPRS support node.
Nokia Siemens Networks is also providing its network management system, NetAct to efficiently monitor, optimize and configure the operator’s network. The company is also supplying its subscriber data management (SDM) solution, including One-NDS real-time subscriber data repository and data-less Home Location Register, to consolidate the operators’ subscriber data from across their networks. In addition, the company is providing its planning, optimization, implementation and care services for a smooth upgrade and expansion of Tele2’s networks.
3 announces network upgrade before 4G auction (UK)
Mobile operator 3 has said that it may be planning to upgrade its network which could lead to a further delay of the 4G spectrum auction. As per a report by the guardian, 3 took this decision over fears of being left out of the 800MHz bandwidth auction.
A complication against the regulator could have negative consequences for the 4G auction which has already been delayed long enough. The report reveals that UK will be the last major European economy to auction the airspace needed for 4G superfast mobile broadband.
The 4G spectrum auction is expected to raise US$ 6.4 billion with the final rules being decided in July.
Orange Jordan partners with Ericsson for network upgrade (Jordan)
Telecom operator Orange Jordan has signed an agreement with Ericsson to expand and modernise the operator’s 2G and 3G networks across the kingdom. According to reports, the new agreement will enable modernization of the 2G network while expanding the operator’s 3G presence.
As per a company statement, the upgrades will allow Orange Jordan to meet the demands of its growing subscriber base and continue to provide customers with high quality connectivity throughout the kingdom.
Further, under the terms of the agreement, Ericsson will also be supplying Orange with its latest RBS 6000 technology, an energy-efficient compact site solution that prepares the network for LTE/4G technology.
Tarek Saadi, president and head of Ericsson North Middle East, said that they are delighted to be continuing their successful relationship with Orange Jordan, and to have been awarded the modernization and expansion contract of their 3G and 2G networks. He added that they are committed to working with Orange to provide them with tailored and adaptable solutions that can help them meet the demands of their increasing subscriber base, and we look forward to further cooperation with Orange in the future.
Nayla Khawam, CEO, Orange Jordan, has said that the operator and its predecessor, Jordan Telecom Group, have played a key role creating the kingdom’s telecommunications backbone. Also, they have made significant contributions to Jordan Telecom’s integration with regional and global markets, something they are very proud of. Now, with their increasing subscriber base and the resulting demands on the networks, it is essential that they work with the right partner to provide the most reliable and up-to-date services for their subscribers.
3 Italy selects Ericsson to upgrade its network with LTE and HSPA (Italy)
Ericsson is strengthening its partnership with 3 in Italy and managed services network infrastructure. To cope with the boom in mobile data traffic, 3 Italy has renewed its agreement with Ericsson with the objective to enhance its broadband network mobile in terms of coverage, capacity and performance.
After the end of March 2012, three Italy is the only operator in the country to offer network-wide access to mobile broadband internet with speeds up to 42Mbps in the downlink and up to 5.76 Mbps on the uplink. The agreement will also enable 3 Italy to have a network already LTE prepared at 100 Mbps for commercial launch in 2012. With this contract Ericsson strengthens its position as a leading provider of 3 for Italy network infrastructure.
Once the upgrade is complete, customers will have access to a 3 Italy network Mobile Broadband technology. The extension of the partnership, which already included an agreement for managed services, will enable 3 Italy to pursue a constant improvement of processes, a reduction in costs and a greater operational efficiency. Furthermore, the introduction of advanced plant operations at Package EPC (Evolved Packet Core), will enable the early stages of launch LTE services, connection speed to 100Mbps.
Vincenzo Novari, CEO, 3 Italy, said that thanks to the success and effectiveness of cooperation with Ericsson, they continue to be a reference in Italy for innovation and development of mobile broadband network. They are doing a step further to meet the growing demand for connectivity and services mobile broadband by businesses and consumers Italians, extending the end of March HSPA + coverage to the whole Italian territory and launch services LTE already this year. Their network will become even more efficient in managing data traffic, thus ensuring the customer a better experience.
Blueberry Nuncio, President of Ericsson Mediterranean Region, said that the trust 3 Italy has placed in making them the partner of choice for infrastructure network is an additional incentive to support operators that want to be competitive market and are investing in updating networks offer better performance, capacity and a more extensive coverage in the area.
Further, they are excited to continue to support 3 Italy, former long-time partner, evolution of its infrastructure to a fourth-generation mobile network, at a time when innovation and dynamism are crucial for their Country.
Orange hopeful of launching 4G services in the next 3 years (Jordan)
Mobile operator Orange Jordan has said that it will begin work on its network in order to provide 4G services to users.
According to reports, Nayla Khawam, CEO, Orange Jordan, said that the company will invest about US$ 70.4 million in 2012 to upgrade its 2G and 3G networks and start preparing for the provision of 4G service in no less than three years.
She added that the future is 4G services and they have already started their plans to introduce the technology, which will enable providing high-speed data services and other new services in the market. Khawam also said that the demand for 4G services will see a substantial increase in the next three years.
She also said that mobile operators need to focus more on data as compared with voice services. The 4G technology offers high speed internet access that enables users to browse the internet and use mobile apps in a more seamless manner.
Mobily partners with Huawei for network upgrade (Middle East, China)
Mobile operator Mobily, has partnered with Huawei for the implementation of the next generation Service Delivery Platform (SDP) in an attempt to upgrade mobile network. According to reports, the upgrade is expected to be the first of its kind in the Middle East.
As per reports, the next generation SDP, will enable Mobily to offer better multimedia services, cloud based services as well as set up its app store.
Khalid Al Kaf, CEO, Mobily said that they are very proud of this cooperation between Mobily and Huawei. The Middle East’s first commercial next generation Service Delivery Platform (SDP) is part of Mobily’s initiative to enrich the telecom sector and customers’ experience.
Yi Xiang, President of Middle East, Huawei, claims that this project was a fantastic opportunity to work with Mobily to build a strong operation, assurance, and optimization system that could be integrated into the pre-existing network. Xiang added that as legacy services, operations and networks are replaced with these software-driven frameworks, the traditionally separate IT and telecom worlds are now converging. This particular Huawei SDP solution will enable Mobily to tap into new revenue streams across the telecom, media, and Internet industries by extracting value from mobile broadband and cross-industries business.
AIS plans $ 261 million network upgrade (Thailand)
Telecom operator AIS is reportedly planning to upgrade its network to enable better services for its subscribers, a project estimated to be worth $ 261 million.
According to reports, Vichien Mektrakarn, CEO, AIS said that the company ended 2011 with 33.5 million subscribers (up from 32 million in 2010), with voice revenue still growing by 8 per cent. Current mobile penetration is around 110 per cent in a country of 69 million. Further, for data, the network has 9 million users (up from 7.5 million) of which 1.2 million are on AIS’ 900-MHz 3G network.
The operator expects a 5 per cent service revenue growth and over 10 per cent device sales growth in this year. Mark Chong Chin Kok , Chief Operating Officer, AIS has said that 2012 will see $ 261 million capex put into the network. The number of 900-MHz 3G base stations will be doubled to 3,500, and coverage will be concentrated in major cities among 17 out of Thailand’s 76 provinces. Capacity will be uplifted to 5 million from the current 2 million.
Globe Telecom reports 7 percent rise in subscriber additions (Philippines)
Philippines telecommunications company Globe Telecom has reported an increase in its subscriber base for the past year. According to company reports, Ernest Cu, President, Globe Telecom has said that the firm had a total of 30 million subscribers by the end of 2011, representing a 13 per cent increase over its client base of 26.47 million at the end of the previous year.
The telecom operator has been working towards increasing its market share and increasing its subscriber base across segments, in comparison with rival Smart Communications. Cu added that they have actually been converting more and more users from rival operators to Globe, in addition to converting more of their own prepaid users to postpaid users.
As per the company, gross subscriber acquisitions increased to 6.1 million in the fourth quarter. Further, the total additions for the year stood at 23.2 million, representing a 7 per cent rise from 21.8 million subscribers in 2010.
Looking towards the finances for this year, the operator claims that it has sufficient funds to carry out the required capital expenditures for 2012. As per sources, Albert Larrazabal, CFO, Globe, has said that the company would require raising US$ 585 million this year to carry out the planned network upgrade. He added that the company also plans to undertake US$ 234 million in retail bonds by June or July this year, while the remaining US$ 117 million will be raised in 2013. Larrazabal also said that the company will prepay its debt amounting to US$ 70 million this month.
Larrazabal states that the benefits of the transformation will be felt towards the second half of the year, actually what will happen as they roll out in different areas. Sources claim that the network upgrade is expected to improve quality in voice, text and data services.
