Globe introduces app development contest (Philippines)
Globe Telecom has introduced a MobApp Hunt 2011, a program specially organized for Filipino developers to showcase their mobile applications for Android, BlackBerry, and iPhone devices.
Anyone can participate in MobApp Hunt 2011 and the registrations is open until 23 May.
Developers whose proposal is accepted will get six months to create their applications.
Participants will also get the chance to attend various trainings and workshops. Successful developers will get the chance to have their apps published on myGlobe Free Apps or iTunes and will be awarded with US$1159 as reward for each app published.
Sun Cellular inaugurates store at Robinsons Galleria (Philippines)
Sun Cellular has opened a new flagship store at Robinsons Galleria.
It is designed by Dubai-based Zebra Projects FZE, the new Sun Shop, located at EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City, incorporates a contemporary store design with a customer-friendly layout. The products and services in the new outlet have been arranged in zones and sub-zones to facilitate customer movement and transaction flows.
The store is divided into four zones. The Postpaid zone showcases different subscription plans and packages, mobile handsets including basic models, Blackberry models, and other postpaid deals. Sun’s best value deals in international call, international SMS, and international roaming are displayed in the International zone. The Broadband zone exhibits the latest broadband wireless devices, data plans as well as product bundles whereas the Prepaid zone presents various Sun prepaid SIMs.
The store incorporates various interactive facilities including a 40 inch touch screen display with a sound dome enabling customers to sample advanced value-added services like games, music and videos. There is also the gadget spot zone displaying the latest technologies in mobile phones through a large screen to acquaint customers with the product functions.
The shop dons bright colours with cozy customer service sections. It comprises a lounge exclusively for customers who want business class service. There is also a larger payment area for people preferring “to go” type of transactions like single transaction bills payment and prepaid reload.
To celebrate the opening of the store, the operator is holding a four-day sale with discounts, special bundle offers, and giveaways.
DoCoMo acquires additional stake in Philippines based telco (Japan)
NTT DoCoMo has raised its holding in Philippines based telco, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) by 2 percent at a cost of US$263 million.
The move is aimed at maintaining the NTT Group’s cumulative stake at about 20% following PLDT’s planned acquisition of a majority stake in Digital Telecommunications Philippines via a share swap announced at the end of March.
DoCoMo added that it will also strengthen its operational ties with PLDT and its wholly owned mobile communications subsidiary Smart Communications, aiming to increase the corporate value of both entities through the efforts of a joint business cooperation committee involving the three companies.
DoCoMo, since acquiring about 7% of PLDT in March 2006, has been steadily raising its share as part of building a comprehensive partnership with PLDT. The NTT Group’s combined shareholding rose to over 20% in February 2008.
208 operators in 80 countries currently investing in LTE- Report
A recent report by Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) has revealed that around 208 operators are now investing in LTE, which is 98 operators more than in June 2010.
According to the report, the number of countries and territories where LTE systems are deployed or planned has increased by 32 in the same period.
The report confirms 154 firm LTE network deployments are in progress or planned in 60 countries, including 20 networks which have commercially launched. A further 54 operators in 20 more countries are engaged in LTE technology pilot trials or tests.
Taken together, it means that 208 operators in 80 countries are now investing in LTE. The report covers both LTE FDD and LTE TDD systems. The 60 countries and territories having firm LTE network commitments are Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong S.A.R., Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore , South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, UAE, UK, Uruguay, USA, and Uzbekistan.
LTE networks are launched in 14 countries, namely Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Sweden, USA, and Uzbekistan. GSA forecasts that at least 81 LTE networks will be in commercial service by end-2012.
PLDT to offer smartphones, tablets in Q3 (Philippines)
PLDT is planning to launch smartphones in June this year and tablets in the third quarter.
According to PLDT chief executive Napoleon Nazareno, the company has ordered 200,000 smartphones from Chinese manufacturers, including ZTE, to cover projected demand until the first half of 2012.
The company ordered a smaller number of tablets, which will be priced between USD 200 and 250. The smartphones will run on Android and are expected to be priced around US$163 for touchscreen models.
Demand for mobile internet services in increasing, with daily internet surfing volume around 40 percent in the first quarter, Nazareno added.
SingTel ended Q1 with 403 mn mobile subs (Singapore)
SingTel group has ended its first quarter with 403 million mobile customers in 25 countries which rose by 37% year-on-year.
Bharti’s total mobile customer base reached 212 million from its operations across Asia and Africa with an increase of 66 percent, while its India mobile customer base expanded 27 percent to 162 million.
Telkomsel in Indonesia added 5.4 million mobile customers in the quarter bringing the total to 99.4 million and AIS in Thailand ended the quarter with 32 million mobile customers, increased by 8 percent year-on-year.
Philippines’ Globe had 27.3 million mobile customers, an increase of 14 percent and Warid in Pakistan had a mobile customer base of 17.8 million, up 9 percent from from a year ago.
In Bangladesh, Citycell’s (PBTL) total mobile customer base declined by 6 percent to 1.8 million due to a change in the regulatory definition of active customer base.
Optus in Australia saw its customer base exceed 9 million as the operator added 103,000 new customers in the quarter. The number of 3G customers increased to 5.09 million, a 41 percent increase from a year ago.
SingTel’s operation in Singapore achieved its highest quarterly postpaid net addition in ten years as the company gained 51,000 new postpaid customers. Total net adds for the quarter stood at 78,000 bringing SingTel’s total customer base to 3.31 million.
Sun Cellular offers Message Cast to Claret School (Philippines)
Sun Cellular is offering its ‘Message Cast’ service to Claret School in Quezon City.
The service automatically informs parents about their children and also allows the school to announce activities or class suspensions to parents instantly.
Message Cast is a web-based messaging service that allows subscribers to send and broadcast SMS to one or multiple recipients across all networks.
EasyCall Q1 profit rises on ePerformax stake (Philippines)
EasyCall Communications has reported an increase of 65 percent in net profit in the first quarter.
Profit totaled US$12325.58 compared with US$7448.64 in the year-ago quarter with the growth mainly due to the increase of equity in the net earnings of ePerformax International.
Revenues totaled US$103, 349.88, an increase of 1 percent from US$102,418 in Q1 2010.
Subsidiary EasyCall E-Services generated service revenues of US$772,79.64, rise 4 percent . As expenses fell, net income at the subsidiary rose 64 percent .
Vodafone introduces promotion on Calling Card 25 (Qatar)
Vodafone Qatar has introduced a new promotion on its International Calling Card 25 that will offer calls to 15 popular international destinations at US$0.13 a minute.
The promotion will run until 31 May, and customers will get 51 minutes of international calling when they buy the card to call India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Thailand, Syria, Sudan, Turkey, Bahrain, UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The International Calling Card 25 can be used by all Vodafone customers on their mobile phones.
Unlike other calling cards, consumers do not need to dial special numbers and enter PIN codes to use the card; with Vodafone’s International Card 25 all they need to do is load the card as they would any other scratch card.
Etisalat introduces BlackBerry Homeland promotion (UAE)
Etisalat has introduced its new ‘BlackBerry Homeland’ promotion, exclusive to Wasel and postpaid BlackBerry customers who subscribe to the Unlimited Domestic Social Package.
The offer provides 15 free international minutes every month for a period of six months from the date of subscription. These free minutes can be used to call India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Philippines. The promotion is valid until 31 July
. To avail of the BlackBerry Homeland promotion, customers can subscribe to the Unlimited Domestic Social Package by sending a SMS with the text HL49 to 1010. Customers can also visit the Etisalat business center or Etisalat outlets and subscribe to the service.
The Unlimited Domestic Social Package is designed to give customers a more personalized offer based on specific user needs and is priced at US$13.34 per month. The Unlimited Social Package allows customers to access specific social networking and messaging applications without having to worry about data usage limits. Email access and internet browsing are however excluded from the package.
