Vivo to shut CDMA network in September (Brazil)
Vivo has announced that it will shut its CDMA network in September.
The company did not reveal how many customers are still using this technology, but noted that they are being warned in advance about the need to purchase a GSM handset.
Vivo’s CDMA coverage in the South, the interior of Sao Paulo and a part of the Midwest was provided by Motorola. The rest of Brazil was divided between Nortel and Alcatel-Lucent.
Anatel releases new prefix for mobile telephony in Sao Paulo (Brazil)
Anatel, Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency, has released a new prefix i.e. 5 for mobile phones in the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo. This would be available from April 4.The prefix was previously used for fixed telephony services.
According to the regulator, the measure raises the numbering capacity for mobile telephony to 6.9 million combinations. Thus, the total number of mobile phones possible in area 11 will rise from 37 million to 43.9 million mobile lines. In January this year, the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo had more than 28 million mobile subscribers. The prefix 5 will continue to be used on landlines as well.
Nextel Brazil gives $714 million for nationwide 3G license
NII Holdings has announced that its subsidiary, Nextel Brazil was the winning bidder for 20 MHz licenses in the 1.9-2.1GHz frequency band (H band) auctioned by Brazil’s telecoms regulator, Anatel.
Nextel Brazil was the successful bidder for 11 of the 13 lots included in the H Band auction. The regional licenses won by Nextel Brazil cover approximately 182.4 million people in the country, or 97% of the Brazilian population, and 97% of the areas that generate the GDP in Brazil. These licenses cover all major metropolitan areas in Brazil including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia.
According to Nextel Brazil, it plans to utilize this spectrum to invest, build and deploy a 3G network across Brazil.
This 3G network will complement the company’s existing iDEN network, and it expects to launch commercial services on this network in certain markets in the next 12 to 18 months.
Nextel Brazil’s winning bids for the spectrum totaled US$714.4 million for the 20MHz in eleven of the thirteen lots included in the H band auction.
According to Steven Dussek, Chief Executive Officer of NII Holdings, this is an exciting time for NII and Nextel Brazil. Winning 3G spectrum in Brazil is an important milestone for the company, and it will allow them to invest, build and deploy a 3G network across the country, expanding their coverage and enabling them to provide a wider range of high-value wireless services to their current and future customers in the country.
Telesp targets MVNO market via Vivo’s network (Brazil)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Backed by Spain’s Telefonica, Brazilian fixed line operator Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo (Telesp) has expressed its desire to enter the domestic MVNO market using Vivo’s network which also needs the necessary regulatory approval.
According to Telesp president Antonio Carlos Valente, the company has planned to operate the new MVNO venture over Vivo’s mobile network.
Telefonica also has control over 50% stakes in Vivo along with equal partner, Portugal Telecom.
Brazilian telco Telesp Q4 net profits down 24.7%
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Due to the fall in the service revenues, the fourth quarter net profits of Brazilian telecoms operator Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo (Telesp) went down 24.7% and totaled BRL544.8 million (USD294 million).
Fourth quarter losses reached BRL51.2 million, compared with a loss of BRL43.5 million in the year-ago period. Net revenues went down from BRL4.1 billion in 4Q08 to BRL3.9 billion in 4Q09 and EBITDA dipped 6.4% year-on-year to BRL1.39 billion.
The full-year net profits of the company stood at BRL2.17 billion last year, down 10.2% y-o-y and EBITDA reached BRL5.87 billion (down 10.4%).
BT to launch fixed telephony in Brazil
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Launch of commercial fixed telephony service in Brazil has been planned by UK-based telecoms operator BT Group by next month. The new service is said to be set and complete and ready for the launch.
The initial focus will be on the corporate group although any comment on any goals for 2010 in terms of subscriber numbers is declined by the company. NGN infrastructure provided by domestic equipment manufacturer Tropico will be utilized by BT Brazil to provide the new service. Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba will receive the service initially.
According to BT Brasil general director Sergio Paulo Gallindo, with this launch the firm will complete its portfolio in Brazil, offering a unified communications solutions for the enterprise segment.
$1.14 billion to be invested by Telefonica S.A in Brazil
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: An investment of 2 billion Brazilian reals, or $1.14 billion will be made by Spain’s Telefonica S.A in its Brazilian unit Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo, or Telesp, in 2010. The focus of the investment will be broadband Internet, and more specifically on expanding the network.
According to the economist’s forecast, Brazilian economy will grow by at least 4% next year and this will surely raise the demand for Telefonica’s service. A sharp increase in Telesp’s investments in its Speedy broadband service was noticed after telecom watchdog Anatel suspended sales between June and August after the customer complained about quality.
According to Telesp CEO Antonio Carlos Valente, the investment budget will be about the same level as in 2009, when a capital expenditure target of BRL2.4 billion was set.
Nortel wins Embratel deal for fixed wireless infrastructure
Embratel, Brazil-based long-distance service provider and subsidiary of the Telmex group, has chosen Nortel to upgrade its fixed wireless network to deliver high-quality voice service to around 1 million subscribers. The CDMA2000 1X network expansion will help increase network capacity and coverage to accommodate more voice subscribers and enable voice quality for Embratel’s wireless local loop service known as Livre. As part of the deployment, Nortel will replace Embratel’s existing Livre network in Sao Paulo, and once deployment is complete, Nortel will be Embratel’s principal wireless infrastructure provider in Brazil for Livre. Nortel’s wireless infrastructure being deployed for Embratel includes CDMA2000 1X radio base stations, base station controllers, CDMA Packet MSC and other related equipment.
Source- http://www.telecompaper.com
