MTS India joins CDMA Development Group
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: MTS, the mobile telephony services brand of Sistema Shyam TeleServices Ltd (SSTL), announced that it has joined the CDMA Development Group (CDG), an international consortium of CDMA service providers and manufacturers, application developers and content providers. Founded in December 1993, the CDG has more than 140 members worldwide, including operators, equipment vendors, application developers, content providers and other telecommunications companies that work together to ensure interoperability among systems while expediting the adoption of CDMA2000 wireless systems across the globe.
The association with CDG will help MTS to interact with industry decision makers and innovators from CDMA service providers and manufacturers worldwide, and will give critical insights into the CDMA technology, industry patterns, customer buying patterns and customer needs. MTS will be able to network with the pioneers of CDMA technology in this space and discuss industry trends, roadblocks and future technologies on the CDMA platform.
Making the announcement, Vsevolod Rozanov, President and CEO of Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited, said, MTS India is currently launching CDMA2000 services very aggressively across different telecom circles of the country.‚ As a consortium of international CDMA service providers and manufacturers, CDG provides the right platform for MTS India to connect with the global CDMA community. We can share our experiences and also learn about new emerging technologies. Our participation in CDG also reinstates our long-term commitment to CDMA in India and ensures that the benefits of latest breakthroughs in CDMA technology can percolate through the diaspora of both the urban as well as the vastly untapped rural population of the nation.
Successful CDMA Open Market Handsets trials in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Thailand
The CDMA Development Group (CDG) announced the successful conclusion of its third set of Open Market Handsets (OMH) trials in cooperation with CityCell in Bangladesh, PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Tbk and PT. Indosat, Tbk in Indonesia, and HutchCAT in Thailand. The OMH program is part of the CDG’s Global Handset Requirements for CDMA (GHRC) initiative and specifies a common set of requirements based on standards to procure CDMA2000(r) devices in an open-network and open-device environment. The completed trials in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Thailand now complement previously-announced trials with Reliance Communications and TATA Indicom in India as well as with Bakrie Telecom and Mobile-8 Telecom in Indonesia.
Open Market Handsets enable operator-specific network configuration and service provisioning information, as well as subscriber-specific device provisioning information to be moved from the CDMA handset’s onboard memory into a next-generation Removable User Identity Module (R-UIM) card. By doing so, the handset becomes a generic device that can be sold on the “open market” and used in multiple operator networks.
“In rapidly growing markets such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Thailand, 3G will thrive in large part because of the availability of extremely affordable CDMA2000 handsets,” said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. “The OMH initiative provides device procurement and distribution flexibility in a network-independent, open-market environment. OMH will serve as a model for CDMA markets with rapidly-growing subscriber growth.”
The trials in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Thailand included OMH-enabled R-UIM cards provided by Eastcompeace, Gemalto, KSI, Oberthur or Watchdata and prototype devices developed by Huawei or ZTE. During the trials, Open Market Handsets were provisioned for full-fledged 3G data capabilities across the participating operators. Tested, proven features included backward compatibility, CDMA2000 1X packet data (SIP with CHAP and PAP), BREW, SMS, voice (with authentication), WAP/browser capabilities and R-UIM-based carrier customization.
Rather than storing all network, service and subscriber provisioning data on both the R-UIM cards and the devices, OMH trials have proven that data can be stored on OMH-capable R-UIM cards. The successfully-tested solution allows OMH-capable CDMA handsets to serve as open devices for any packet data application provisioned on the R-UIM card and on any CDMA2000 network, since user, network and service configuration data is stored on the R-UIM card.
Multiple operators benefit by offering the same “generic device” and differentiating themselves by selling and provisioning all of their data services on OMH-capable R-UIMs. Device OEMs benefit from larger distribution channels, enriched brand development and the ability to sell devices across many markets and regions. Consumers benefit by being able to transfer their identity and service configuration data to a new phone on the same network by simply moving the OMH-capable R-UIM card from the old phone to the new phone.
“Indonesia is a highly-competitive market with many operators, therefore the market must support a large selection of feature-rich, affordably-priced devices,” said Mr. Guntur S. Siboro, Marketing Director of PT. Indosat, Tbk. “The Open Market Handsets initiative is a mutually-beneficial scenario that allows Indonesian operators to reduce inventory and empowers consumers to choose from a wider variety of handset models and features.”
“These successful trials in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and now Thailand mark another milestone for CDMA operators in emerging markets. The Open Market Handsets initiative brings excitement to the mobile phone market in Thailand as it will allow Hutch customers the choice of additional devices from independent sources, thus encouraging greater CDMA market expansion in the country,” said Mr. Panop Kasemsarn, Vice President Commercial Planning and Terminal Management, Hutchison CAT Wireless MultiMedia Ltd. (Hutch).
“The OMH initiative offers a flexible experience that exceeds that of today’s RUIM cards due to the advanced capabilities of 3G CDMA,” said Dr. Anand Rajasingham at CityCell. “Additionally, on one hand we reduce our inventory and testing costs while on the other hand CityCell seamlessly introduces new, lower-cost handsets to consumers.”
About CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA2000 technologies. The more than 140 member companies of the CDG include many of the world’s largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA2000 features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA2000-related matters.
For more information please visit www.cdg.org
About Wireless Federation
Wireless Federation is an industry research conglomerate headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The mandate of the Wireless Federation is to provide its members and customers industry knowledge that can further enhance their understanding of the wireless industry. Wireless Federation conducts bespoke research and produces boxed reports in collabaration with Industry Bodies, Telecom Operators for Issues that revolve around ARPU, CHURN and Loyalty.
They have been associated with more than 225 mobile operators globally to set their Pricing/ Tariff Strategies, Go-To-Market Strategies for Mobile Advertising, Mobile Payments, Cutting VAS among others amongst 59 countries globally.
For more information please visit www.wirelessfederation.com
