Orange to launch TV Check app in iPhone in UK (UK)
Telecom operator Orange is planning to launch its TV Check iPhone application in the UK this month, and will launch the app on the Android platform in both France and the UK at the same time, according to a report by DTVE. The app offers additional content and games such as quizzes around TV shows, and the ability to chat and comment on shows via Twitter and Facebook.
Patrice Slupowski, vice-presdent, digital innovation and communities at Orange, said that they are happy to open a second country. They will see how the UK audience does with it.
Slupowski told DTVE that Orange would add social recommendation features to the app and said that Orange would discuss with channels in the UK about building partnerships with them. He said the Android version of the app would launch both in France and the UK at the end of May. Slupowski said that the app had been downloaded about 100,000 times in France.
Samsung Galaxy SIII pricing revealed in the UK (UK)
Following the launch of the Samsung SIII in London, mobile operators in the UK have announced their plans to sell the handset along with the pricing details. According to a report by the Inquirer, mobile networks O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Three and Vodafone have all announced that they will be selling the handset, leaving Virgin Media as the only mobile operator yet to jump on the Galaxy S III bandwagon.
Mobile users can also purchase the Galaxy S III from Phones 4u and Carphone Warehouse. As per the report, the operators have also revealed the pricing for the Galaxy SIII. Mobile operator Three will be selling the handset on a 24 month $55 contract with no upfront cost, it announced, which will come with 2,000 minutes, 5,000 Three-to-Three minutes, 5,000 texts and all-you-can-eat data.
For those users who are not interested in purchasing a year contract, they can avail the handset via Phones 4u and Carphone Warehouse for $808.
Everything Everywhere launches first live 4G customer trial (UK)
Everything Everywhere, the UK’s biggest communications company that runs the Orange and T-Mobile brands, launched the UK’s first live 4G trial in the North of England on airwaves that, subject to licensing changes, could be used to bring 4G mobile services to the UK later this year.
The trial was switched on by the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, and local MP, Rory Stewart, who said that 4G has the potential to provide an important stimulus for the UK. It centres on the area of Threlkeld in Cumbria, home to Blencathra, one of the Lake District’s most visited peaks.
Rolling out over the next few weeks, the trial for up to 50 local residents will run until the end of July and is being conducted to test the network performance ahead of potential further roll out by the end of the year, subject to regulatory approval.
The trial service will run over existing 1800 MHz spectrum used by the Orange and T-Mobile mobile networks and will provide learnings on the performance of 4G LTE in rural areas.
Commenting on the trial, the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove said that he is really delighted to be switching on the first ever deployment of this cutting-edge technology in the North of England. Cumbria has – thanks to the work of local MP Rory Stewart – been at the vanguard of this work. Cumbria has unique needs due to its sparse population and long distances, which 4G LTE will help overcome. Cumbria’s schools and educational opportunities will be revolutionised by this technology. Cumbria’s record number of small businesses will be transformed by this next generation technology. 4G will bring jobs to rural areas and all the benefits of superfast broadband in education and health to its remote communities.
Olaf Swantee, CEO of Everything Everywhere, said that new independent research shows that one in five households in Britain could depend on 4G for superfast broadband in the coming years. Britain deserves a 21st century digital infrastructure, and they are committed to making that a reality for the nation as soon as possible.
Orange partners with CANAL+ AFRIQUE for mobile payment services (France, Africa)
CANAL+ AFRIQUE and Orange have signed a partnership offering CANAL+/CANALSAT subscribers in Africa a convenient way to pay their subscription fees with their mobiles, using Orange’s mobile payment service.
CANAL+/CANALSAT subscription fee payment using Orange Money will be launched in Madagascar in June 2012, so all Malagasy subscribers who are both CANAL+/CANALSAT and Orange customers with an Orange Money account will be able to pay their subscription fees easily and directly from their mobiles, and enjoy great flexibility and instant delivery of their favourite TV programmes.
Orange Money is the mobile phone payment service designed by Orange to meet the needs of its customers in Africa and the Middle East. It provides Orange subscribers with functions such as money transfers from mobile to mobile, bills payment, withdrawal services and cash deposits with networks of registered agents, as well as paying for goods and services with certain businesses.
Orange Money is making life easier for a large number of people in Africa where 60 percent of the population has a mobile phone but less than 10% has a bank account. It has been launched in nine countries so far: Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger and Senegal, and has already reached over 3.5 million customers.
CANAL+ AFRIQUE, present in more than 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, provides its subscribers with a variety of TV channels packages, which can either be prepaid or paid through direct debit. The majority of users opt for the prepaid formula which helps them control their spending, but which means they have to go to a retailer to renew their subscription. Orange Money will provide added comfort and flexibility for these customers by providing a way for them to pay their bills anytime, anywhere, with almost instantaneous service activation.
In addition to Madagascar, by the end of 2012, this mobile payment service will be offered to CANAL+/CANALSAT subscribers in various African countries where the Orange money service is already available.
Guy Lafarge, President of CANAL+ OVERSEAS, said that they are very pleased with this partnership with Orange on mobile payment. With Orange Money, they will provide their subscribers with an innovative and simple means of payment which is both quick and secure.
Marc Rennard, Executive Director responsible for Africa, Middle East and Asia, said that this agreement with CANAL+ AFRIQUE, a major player in the world of digital content, is another example of their resolve to continually broaden the range of Orange Money services to make life easier for customers. Further, thanks to the different partnerships based around Orange Money, they wish to improve the lives of their customers by providing them with a quick and simple means of accessing all services, on a day to day basis.
Orange to launch new roaming app next month (France)
Mobile operator Orange France is looking to launch the Orange Travel App that will allow owners of Android, iOS and BlackBerry devices to track their data usage and SMS details in real-time, as per a report by Mobile Magazine. They can then compare this within the app to their local tariff plans to ensure they have not exceeded their allowances. The app was launched in France last year and has already attracted more than 15,000 downloads.
The report reveals that the app was initially looking at a summer launch but with might be released as early as next month. The roaming bundle will offer daily, weekly or monthly tariffs incorporating voice, SMS and data. For example, customers travelling in France will be able to buy a bundle that includes 10 minutes of voice, 10 SMSes and 10MB of data for around $6.5 per day from June onwards
When the services were first launched outside of the UK, Orange said it was to counteract the risks of high roaming charges. Orange executive VP for consumer mobile services Vincent Brunet said that by putting in further safety nets, they are helping customers to manage their consumption while they continue to introduce competitive offers that respond to their customers growing needs.
As per the report, Orange also plans to roll out a ‘rest of world’ alert and cap for customers travelling outside of the European Union. As customers approach their data limit, they will receive an SMS alert and can then choose to purchase more data or be cut off when the limit is reached.
Samsung launches Android 4.0 ICS update for Vodafone’s Galaxy SII users (UK)
South Korean manufacturer Samsung has finally released the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) update for Samsung Galaxy S II Vodafone customers in UK. As per reports, the update was available for download via Samsung Kies whereas those waiting for an upgrade over the air will be able to do the same from tomorrow.
Mobile operators Three and O2 had already begun offering the update earlier this month, while, T-Mobile and Orange users are still to receive the same. Mobile operator Vodafone claimed that the delay occurred as Samsung was testing the software to ensure that it released the final version.
Everything Everywhere appoints Morgan Stanley to sell spectrum (UK)
Mobile operator Everything Everywhere, which operates the T-Mobile and Orange brands in the U.K, has appointed Morgan Stanley to sell spectrum that could be used to roll out 4G mobile broadband services in the U.K. ahead of other operators, as reported by FT.
As per the report, Olaf Swantee, chief executive of Everything Everywhere, said that whoever they sell to has to be approved by the competition authorities. The test is someone who can provide genuine competition.
The spectrum could be priced at around US$634.7 million, and are likely to be of most interest to leading operators, although other large technology groups could also be interested.
Tunisiana wins tender for 3G licence (Tunisia)
Telecom operator Tunisiana has won a for a new telecommunications license enabling it to offer fixed telecommunications (landlines) as well as high-speed 3rd-generation wireless network, as reported by Tunisialive. Previously, only Tunisie Telecom and Orange had licenses for 3G.
Mongi Marzoug, Minister of Communication Technologies, said it is important to boost competition in the telecommunications sector in Tunisia. He recalled the results of a study by the National Institute of Telecommunications, which highlighted the opportunities and positive outcomes related to the licensing of fixed telecommunications and 3G mobile telecommunications services.
He said that the granting of this license will reduce the digital divide, by improving coverage of telecommunication services and access to these services.
Orange announces the launch of Ultra-broadband for Mobile (France)
Orange has obtained a combination of 4G frequencies (at 2.6 GHz and 800 MHz) for Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology that will enable it to meet the increased demand for data mobile on mobile networks. Ultra-broadband technologies allow Orange to offer its customers speeds of up to 150 megabits/s on compatible mobile terminals.
Stéphane Richard, CEO of Orange, has said that Orange mobile ultra-broadband is obviously 4G, but it’s also currently the very latest evolution of 3G, H+, which delivers speeds of up to 42 megabits/s, meaning 3 times quicker than what they were able to offer until now and a real springboard to 4G.
More than 50 per cent of the population has been covered by this new technology since 24 November 2011, including 40 major urban centres such as Paris, Chambéry, Clermont Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Nantes, Nice, Saint-Etienne, Toulon, Marseille, Montpellier and Perpignan. By end 2012, this coverage will gradually be enlarged to reach 60 % of the population with the addition of cities such as Bordeaux, Nancy, Metz, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Angoulême . The technology, until now available only to business companies, is now accessible to the public.
Marseille will be the first Orange 4G pilot city. After the experimental deployment of 4G in a number of areas of the city, other cities will follow. Orange will be deploying its H+ technology and testing its 4G network in Marseille and the surrounding region with Alcatel-Lucent, a benchmark partner, which has already successfully deployed 4G in the USA.
Orange proposes new H+ offers designed to make the most of ultra-broadband for mobile in Mainland France
A new Let’s go 5Gb H+ package will allow, within areas with H+ coverage and using a compatible terminal, access to the best of the Orange network with speeds of up to 42 megabits/s. This package also includes up to 70 live TV channels and 5 Gb of data (speed speeds over that figure), or up to 300 hours per month of browsing or 65 hours per month of video streaming. The package is available from US$ 78 per month with a 24 month contract for Orange mobile subscribers.
