Bahrain’s Unregistered SIM Cards to be blocked soon
Bahrain telecommunication regulation authority has declared that all the services to unregistered SIM cards will be shut from the end of the next month. The TRA initially instructed the operators to start registering the prepaid user base in July 2008.
Mobile operators were instructed to inform the improper registered prepaid mobile subscribers to provide the required details and get registered to the operators. The final date to register is 26 September 2010 after which the unregistered mobile numbers will be blocked.
According t the chairman, TRA, they have taken this step to support the public safety and discourage unlawful use of the mobile telecommunications networks. TRA has been involved in creating awareness amongst the user base to get registered as it is important for a user to know and understand the objectives of the registration and to take necessary actions to register their details, if they wish to use their phone numbers.
TRAI to make new guidelines for ‘Do not call’
Telecom regulatory authority of India (TRAI) is planning to make new guidelines for National do not call services. TRAI in recent discussion with the operators talked over a matter on whether to continue with ‘do not call’ or to change it to ‘Do call’. If the Do call service takes place, it will be restricted to only those customers who chose to accept promotional calls.
According to Chairman, TRAI, tele marketing companies, as well as companies that hire them should also be held responsible for unsolicited calls. Some very important suggestions have come up and they hope to come out with their recommendations within a month.
Some operators recommended that the complete responsibility should not be on them as it is very difficult for them to monitor calls. There were also proposals to increase the charges for bulk SMS and calls or to limit the total number of SMSs that can be sent from a particular SIM in a day to check unregistered tele marketing companies.
Gap launches iPad app to make shopping more social
Now customers will have a unique social shopping experience with Gap Inc.’s newly launched commerce-enabled iPad app. The aim of the app is to entertain and inspire consumers while it also lets them shop Gap products anytime and anywhere.
According to Daniel Rubin, spokesman at Gap, social media is important to Gap they want to be where their customers are.
All the content on the app is tagged in order to simplify its use by the consumers. it will make it easier for a customer to buy the specific Gap item featured or to share it with friends.
Gap is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco. It was founded in 1969 by Donald and Doris Fisher.
Vodafone Opens its 360 Shop to Mobile app developers
Vodafone has announced that it will enable developers to publish applications to the Vodafone 360 Shop through the JIL.org website. By this way developers can monetize their creations on JIL-enabled handsets.
Developers can choose to select from one, some or all of the selected markets for each app they publish. they can also select from 20 price points ranging from €0.49 to €9.99 (£0.49 to £9.99 in the UK) and set separate prices for each Vodafone market.
A standard 70/30 revenue share is offered, with developers paid monthly, approximately 60 days after the end of the month in which revenue was earned.
According to Lee Epting, Director of Content Services at Vodafone Group, through the JIL.org site, they are providing developers with simple upload methods, a transparent review process and greater insight, thanks to enabled country-specific market and pricing information.
SIMagine Contestants enter into finals
SIMagine, the worldwide developers contest for SIM-based mobile applications has entered into its final phase. The winners of the contest will be announced by organizers including SIMalliance, partners Team Cote d Azur, Samsung and Oracle/Sun and the sponsors including Orange, Telefonica and Telecom Italia on April 20 in Rome.
At present the show has ten nominees out of which six teams will be given prize money of €150,000 each. The money will be given on the basis of two categories including ‘Mobile Telecom Applications’, for applications developed to run on the (U) SIM card and ‘Start-up Projects’ for a business project or established start-up company leveraging the potential of the SIM cad.
Verizon expects 2010 CAPEX of $16.8bn-$17.2bn (USA)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Verizon Communication, the telecommunications giant has announced that its capital investment this year will be very similar to last year. A full-year CAPEX of $16.8 billion to $17.2 billion is also expected by the company which is roughly flat from 2009, besides expecting continued strong free cash flow this year.
Company’s strong wireless business will provide it with much of its cash flow while the joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone Group Plc, Verizon Wireless is also expected to contribute much of the cash flow growth.
Customer growth is also expected by Verizon in the fiscal first quarter. Verizon Wireless still has the opportunity to grow its more lucrative contract customers which is very much unlike other carriers focusing their attention on the prepaid business.
The price of the unlimited calling plans was reduced by Verizon Wireless by $30 to $70, earlier this year. According to Chief Financial Officer John Killian, the company will have a strong first quarter for wireless subscriber growth in the first quarter, and that prepaid wireless service will start to pick up.
Sasatel first to launch half a shilling tariff (Tanzania)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: SASATEL became the first telecommunication company in Tanzania to offer new voice tariff of half a shilling per second 24 hours a day. Through this tariff, Sasatel customers can communicate at the rate of
only half a shilling at anytime of the day.
According to Sasatel’s Managing Director, Mr Christian Haeger, not only mobile customers but also those customers who purchase internet and fixed wireless phone can also enjoy Sasatel’s new tariff rate of half a shilling per second 24 hours a day.
The voice tariff can be bought from their shops located in Libya, Jamhuri, Msimbazi, Kariakoo, Msasani streets and Toure drive.
TATA india to offer SIM cards on its CDMA network
Oberthur Technologies the world’s second largest provider of Smart Card based solutions today announced the commercialization of its OMHTM (Open Market Handsets) SIM cards for CDMA (Code Development Multiple Access) networks. OMH SIM cards contain subscriber, network and service configuration data that allow subscribers the freedom to easily change and upgrade their handset, but maintain their network configuration.
Oberthur Technologies collaborated with Tata Teleservices Limited, one of India’s fastest growing private telecom service providers, and Qualcomm Incorporated, a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies, to introduce OMHTM SIM cards into the India market.
Olivier Leroux, Head of the Mobile Product Line for the Card Systems Division at Oberthur Technologies said, “Oberthur Technologies is the first to commercially launch OMHTM SIM cards. We are pleased to partner with industry leaders such as Tata Teleservices and Qualcomm who are enhancing the subscriber experience for Indian consumers.”
The OMHTM SIM card, referred to as a removable user identity module (R-UIM), is a state of the art smartcard that stores operator and subscriber specific configuration parameters, separate from the handset memory. By having this configuration parameters located on the OMHTM SIM card rather than the device, subscribers can more easily switch or upgrade their handsets. These cards allow CDMA network operators to increase the selection of devices and services while lowering distribution and inventory costs.
“These are exciting times in the Indian telecom space where innovation, research and development are the key to success and remain competitive in the business. In our constant effort to redefine the telecom space keeping customers at the central point, Tata Teleservices decided to partner with Qualcomm and Oberthur Technologies to further develop the Open Market Handset initiative and offer more choice to customers”, said Lloyd Mathias, Chief Marketing Officer, Tata Teleservices Limited.
“Qualcomm is pleased to work with Oberthur Technologies for its leadership as one of the first companies to develop OMH SIM cards,” said Nakul Duggal, Senior Director and OMH Project Lead, Qualcomm Corporate Engineering Services. “The OMH initiative is focused on increasing device variety by offering new channels and distribution options within the CDMA ecosystem to provide greater subscriber flexibility.”
About Oberthur Technologies
With sales of 882 million Euros in 2008, Oberthur Technologies is a world leader in the field of secure technologies. Innovation and high quality services ensure Oberthur Technologies’ strong positioning in its main target markets:
– Card Systems: The world’s second largest provider of security and identification based on smart card technology and associated services for mobile, payment, transport, digital TV and convergence markets. – Identity: Leading international supplier for the manufacture and personalization of secure identity documents such as passport, identity card, driving license or health care card – traditional and electronic – and associated services for both governmental and corporate markets. – Security printing: World’s third largest private security printer specialized in high security for the production of banknotes, checks and other fiduciary documents in more than fifty countries. – Cash protection: World leader in the emerging market of intelligent systems to secure cash-in-transit and ATM.
Close to its customers, Oberthur Technologies benefits from an industrial and commercial presence across all five continents.
Oberthur Technologies S.A. is a limited liability company (societe anonyme) registered in France with its registered office at 50 quai Michelet 92 532 Levallois Perret, France. Oberthur Technologies S.A.’s corporate registration number is 340 709 534 R.C.S. Paris.
Website: http://www.oberthur.com
About Tata Teleservices Limited
Tata Teleservices Limited is one of India’s leading private telecom service providers, having a pan-India presence across all of India’s 22 telecom Circles. The company offers integrated telecom solutions to its customers under the Tata Indicom, Tata DOCOMO, Photon and Walky brands, and uses both the CDMA and GSM technology platform(s) for its wireless networks. Tata Teleservices Limited, along with Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited, operates in more than 325,000 towns and villages across the country. In November 2008, Tata Teleservices entered into an agreement with Japanese telecom major NTT DOCOMO, and this transaction marks a key step in the strategic evolution of Tata Teleservices Limited. Tata DOCOMO has so far launched GSM services in eight telecom Circles, and the remaining part of the country is also expected to be covered shortly. In December 2008, Tata Teleservices announced a unique reverse equity swap strategic agreement between its fully-owned telecom tower subsidiary-Wireless TT Info-Services Limited-and Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited, thereby becoming the largest independent entity in this space. Tata Teleservices’ bouquet of telephony services includes mobile services, wireless desktop phones, public booth telephony and Wireline services.
For details, visit http://www.tatateleservices.com, http://www.tatadocomo.com or http://www.tataindicom.com.
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
MTel offers a post-paid package with per-second billing (Montenegro)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: MTel has introduced a post-paid package with billing by the second in Montenegro.The move follows the tariff policy guidelines from the Agency for Telecommunications.The package is available at a monthly subscription of EUR5 (USD7.28) for 50 minutes of conversation. The inclusive minutes cover calls to both mobile and fixed networks in Montenegro. Each call is subject to a connection fee of EUR0.03.For the new subscribers, the SIM card pack costs EUR6. The subscribers can also purchase the Samsung E1110i phone for EUR8.99 when taking out a 24-month subscription.
