PT’s 4G network coverage extends to 80% population (Portugal)
Portugal Telecom has strengthened the coverage of its 4G network, which allows about 80 percent of the Portuguese benefit from a new mobile Internet experience.
This became possible following the termination of television analogue terrestrial system, which took place on April 26, freeing the frequency band of 800 MHz, in which PT acquired rights to use frequencies in the following the auction multitrack. The increased coverage will be significant (up to now stood at 20%) highlighting the quality of buildings and places in PT among the first operators at European level to provide 4G services in the frequency of 800MHz.
With the extension of coverage of the 4G network, the TMN and Meo 4G. 4G will benefit from greater speed, lower latency and better quality of experience. Together with the fiber optic network of PT, which reaches 1.6 million homes, these features enhance the supply of new multimedia services, mobility, until now only possible through fiber optics, especially television, gaming services online and mobile broadband access with speeds up to 100 Mbps.
PT offers two offers – TMN 4G and 4G MEO – diverse aspects that favor the use of the Mobile Broadband service, leveraging the potential of other existing offerings, such as the Meo and Musicbox This Go way, customers can access TMN and Meo transversely to an offer converged voice, video and Internet on multiple devices, with a quality experience and superior service and the most advanced in the world.
The 4G network in PT was recently recognized by manufacturers as a reference for operators in Europe to present the first European network qualified by the GCF (Global Certification Forum), the mechanism CSFB (Circuit Switch Back Fall), which allows voice communication 4G networks. This support, required to provide voice service for 4G smartphones, reinforces the status of the operator in terms of quality, reliability and robustness of its network of cutting edge technology.
MTN launches 3G services in Ivory Coast (Africa)
MTN plans to offer its customers 3G services as soon as possible following the receipt of 3G licences in Benin and Ivory Coast. According to reports, Christian de Faria, MTN Group Chief Commercial Officer, said that this is exciting news for their customers, as they will now enjoy the benefits of world-class connectivity. They are grateful to the governments of Cote d’Ivoire and Benin for enabling MTN to further enhance the experience of mobile telephony for their customers.
Wim Vanhelleputte, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), announced that West African Cable System (WACS), a submarine cable stretching 14,000 kilometers between Portugal and South Africa, will upgrade connectivity for Ivoirians to international standards.
Vanhelleputte said that this is a dream come true for many Ivoirians whose internet access has been held back for a very long time. The cable will allow more Ivoirians to enjoy fast access to the internet. They have already identified about 30 per cent of subscribers who will be the first to experience and enjoy the 3G service.
Regarding the licence offered in Benin, Eric Tronel, Chief Executive Officer for MTN Benin, said that MTN is the first and only operator in Benin with a license which allows the use of new generation technologies, such as 3G, 4G, LTE and Wimax. This presents a great opportunity to improve business communication solutions and other services to customers, both in the consumer and corporate sectors. Customers are already eagerly waiting for the launch of new services using the new technology, and MTN Benin is working hard to ensure that customers are not disappointed.
Telefonica signs network sharing agreement with China Unicom (Spain, China)
Spanish telecom operator Telefonica has reportedly entered into a strategic partnership with China Unicom, wherein both operators will use each other’s networks to expand their coverage. According to reports, the deal will provide Telefonica access to China Unicom’s network in the regions of Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Australia, France and Sweden.
In return, China Unicom can reportedly increase its presence through Telefonica’s network in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, USA, Puerto Rico, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.
Reports suggest that Telefonica believes this agreement will help both operators expand their capabilities to provide telecom services to various customers in different geographic areas.
Orascom Telecom seeks partners for Orange Switzerland bid (Europe, Egypt)
According to reports, Naguib Sawiris, founder of Orascom Telecom is looking for partners in order to bid for Orange Switzerland valued at around $2.8 billion. Other people who have shown their interest in acquiring the France Telecom SA mobile-phone unit, include Xavier Niel, founder of Iliad, and private equity firms Apax Partners LLP and EQT Partners. As per sources, when questioned about Mobinil, Sawiris said that he has no plans to sell his stake in Mobinil which belongs to Orascom and other shareholders.
As reported by Wireless Federation earlier, France Telecom is hopeful of finalizing a deal for its Switzerland unit by the end of this year and plans to target the emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa. Further, the group may also be looking to sell its units in Austria and Portugal.
BBC unveils iPad app in Europe for its TV shows
BBC, the UK based broadcaster has announced the unveiling of an app for Apple’s iPad. The app makes it possible for reviewing the BBC television shows by way of the iPad’s inbuilt iPlayer app.
It is going to be an on-demand subscription service. Western Europe will witness the app’s launch in 11 markets, ahead of subsequent launches elsewhere. Services will be offered at $10.04 per month or $71.86 annually in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, in the app’s initial launch.
Subscribers will be able to both stream and download shows for offline viewing – the major highlight of the BBC app.
EU member states served notice to expedite implementation of new telecom regulations
25th May 2011 was the deadline set by the European Parliament and the EU’s Council of Ministers for the member states of the European Commission for full implementation of the new EU telecoms rules as part of their national law. Twenty of the EU member states have been sent information requests as to why they have not yet reverted with regard to the stipulated implementation of the telecoms rules.
Under the EU infringement procedures, the information requests are equivalent to letters of formal notice.
Under the ambit of the new EU telecoms rules, phones, mobile services and internet are taken into account with regard to rights of the consumers and businesses. The highlights of these rights comprise of customers being empowered to switch telecoms operators in just one day without changing their phone number, more transparency regarding the services customers are offered, in addition to securing their personal data online.
So far only seven Member States namely Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Malta, Sweden and the UK have confirmed the Commission of full implementation of the rules; a majority of the EU member states having notified the Commission of implementation to certain extents while the legislative processes are continuing.
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain constitute the twenty other Member States that are yet to respond to the letters of formal notice within two months, failing which or even not being convincing, the Commission stands to issue the concerned Member States, a formal request to implement the legislation. The second request will be the form of a ‘reasoned opinion’ under EU infringement procedures. Eventually, the matter will be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Vodafone looks to improve customer experience while roaming with latest roaming offers (Malta)
Vodafone announces new call and internet usage rates while roaming. The new offerings lets consumers pay at local rates outside of the local zone.
At the cost of $1.39, customers will now be able to take advantage of a 10 minute call while roaming as well as use 30 MB of data per day for $4.17. Vodafone is looking to bring to customers an enhanced experience at competitive rates.
Vodafone’s latest offerings are applicable in Vodafone networks across Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and United Kingdom, in addition to roaming in Austria on Mobilkom, Belgium on Belgacom, France on SFR and Switzerland on Swisscom.
According to Daniel Grech, Business Marketing Manager at Vodafone Malta, Vodafone’s initiatives with regard to roaming are part of the bigger effort to provide customers the most competitive roaming rates as well as roaming service.
Vodafone Portugal launches new mobile broadband plans
Vodafone Portugal has introduced two new mobile broadband tariffs, which the operator said represent a 19% reduction on the lowest monthly fee for mobile broadband in Portugal.
The Best Net Light offers lets customers browse at 1 Mbps for US$15 per month (instead of US$18), while Best Net Base provides a speed of 2 Mbps for a monthly fee of US$20.
Vodafone Portugal is also offering a 50% discount on the monthly fee during the first three months for all customers who subscribe before 30 June.
MMA partners with ACEPI to launch MMA Portugal
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and the Portuguese Electronic Commerce and Interactive Advertising Association (ACEPI) today announced an official partnership to launch MMA Portugal. MMA Portugal has been established to provide the industry support and guidance needed to create a successful mobile marketing ecosystem, leveraging local relevance, as well as regional actions and a global perspective. The partnership with ACEPI offers members of both organisations a greater set of benefits from the increased range and depth of resources and market experience, as well as greater scope for future projects and events.
ACEPI is an independent, non-profit organisation that works to ensure that education, legislation and technologies are in place to help Portuguese businesses to profit from the digital economy. ACEPI members include some of the best known and most influential organisations dedicated to e-business, e-commerce, e-banking, e-learning, e-government and internet advertising in Portugal.
“Portugal is an expanding mobile market and as a result, it is an important area of focus for the MMA,” said Paul Berney, CMO& Managing Director, EMEA, MMA “We are looking forward to working more closely with brands and agencies in Portugal to make the path to mobile campaign implementation as easy and straightforward as possible.”
“In line with the MMA’s building blocks of promotion, education, measurement, guidance and protection, we will work to make the mobile marketing landscape in Portugal a lot more visible and easy to navigate,” said Alexandre Fonseca, MMA Portugal and ACEPI President. “The industry collaboration and innovation that the MMA’s work in Portugal engenders will help to move the market on, building its size and potential to benefit the entire ecosystem.”
For information on how to participate in MMA Portugal please contact the MMA membership team at membership@mmaglobal.com.
About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global non-profit trade association representing all players in the mobile marketing value chain. With more than 700 member companies, the MMA is an action-oriented organization with global focus, regional actions and local relevance. The MMA’s primary focus is to establish mobile as an indispensable part of the marketing mix. The MMA works to promote, educate, measure, guide and protect the mobile marketing industry worldwide. The MMA’s global headquarters are located in the United States and it has regional chapters including North America (NA), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America (LATAM) and Asia Pacific (APAC) branches. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com.
About the Portuguese Electronic Commerce and Interactive Advertising Association (ACEPI)
ACEPI is a non-profit organization with more than 170 members and 900 registered companies in its public online directory. ACEPI members are some of the most relevant Portuguese entities linked to electronic commerce and interactive advertising. ACEPI works to promote debate, develop and dignify the digital economy in Portugal through its five executive committees: eCommerce, eBusiness, eFinance, eAdvertising and eMobile. ACEPI also manages an online certification program “Online Trust”. The ACEPI’s headquartered are located in Lisbon and it has a branch in Oporto. For more information, please visit www.acepi.pt.
Vodafone Portugal introduces Vodafone 858
Vodafone Portugal has introduced Vodafone 858, which is its third own-branded smartphone running on Android OS.
The handset comes packed with the Froyo 2.2 Android platform, and offers easy access to social networks and e-mail via a 3G/HSDPA link or Wi-Fi.
It is equipped with a 2.8 inch QVGA touchscreen, A-GPS, proximity sensor, 2-megapixel camera and FM radio. The smartphone also comes with a set of Google applications, including Gmail, Google Maps, Google Navigation and Google Talk. The Vodafone 858 handset is available in Portugal for US$143.58.
