www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Vodafone is slashing the charges of mobile internet browsing this Friday, 28 August, so the subscribers will be able to snaffle all the web pages, inane tweets and YouTube videos. After midnight, Vodafone subscribers will be able to look up the mobile browser of choice and start surfing for free, as Vodafone is waiving its daily 50p flat fee for 24 hours.
3G subscribers without a data plan take note – the cap is up to 25MB fair usage. While you’d have to have more time than is healthy to reach that on a 2G connection, a bit of video streaming over Vodafone’s 3G network could soon see you having your phone bill slapped with a ruler.
On 08.28.09, In Mobile, By Editor
On 08.28.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Motorola, Inc. today announced that Vinaphone, a subsidiary of Viet Nam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT) Group, has signed a contract with Motorola’s Home & Networks Mobility business to deploy a 3G network to provide advanced high speed mobile data services in northern Viet Nam including key areas of the capital city, Hanoi. The new project builds on the success of Motorola’s 2G network deployment for Vinaphone, and will bring new media mobility experiences to Vinaphone’s customers.
Over the next twelve months, Motorola will upgrade Vinaphone’s GSM network with 3G radio access network equipment in northern Viet Nam, including densely populated Hanoi. The project reinforces Vinaphone’s confidence in Motorola’s mobile data solutions and ability to deliver cost effective network solutions. (more…)
On 08.24.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Orascom Telecom has reportedly rebranded its Namibian subisidiary Cell One as ‘Leo’ in a process to begin next month. Egypt-based parent Orascom Telecom, which took over the reins of 2G/3G operator Powercom (trading as Cell One) at the start of this year, explained that the name (pronounced ‘lay-o’) was taken from the Swahili word meaning ‘today’, while also representing the Spanish ‘lion’, and would replace a branding that had become too ‘old school’ and did not resonate well with the public.
Orascom further added that the new brand will be soon be adopted by its other subsidiaries like Telecel Globe division in Zimbabwe (Telecel Zimbabwe), Burundi (U-Com Burundi) and the Central African Republic (Telecel Centrafrique). The cost of the rebranding is being shared between the international group and at local level, according to CEO Soban Pasha.
On 08.12.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Huawei Technologies has been selected as the sole supplier of Moroccan operator Wana’s new GSM/UMTS mobile network. The financial details have not been disclosed yet. The vendor is exclusively contracted to provide a 2G/3G wireless access network, core network and value added services (VAS) network, and phase one of the project will involve deployment of 1,500 base transceiver stations (BTS) by December 2009.
On 07.24.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd’s (BSNL’s) ‘mega-tender’ for 93 million GSM lines has hit another blockade, after internal vigilance officials at the operator raised concerns over the prices quoted by Ericsson and Huawei.
According to a report, both the Swedish and Chinese vendors have quoted more than INR7,000 (USD144.6) per 3G line and INR3,000 per 2G line, with the latter price not including IT, software, billing solution or passive infrastructure; by comparison BSNL’s previous contract for the rollout of new lines was awarded at a cost less than INR4,000 per line including all cellular infrastructure components.
Although, industry figures have said it is unfair to compare previous tenders with BSNL’s latest, noting that in this current phase of expansion vendors will be required to provide seven years of network maintenance compared to three for previous tenders. It is understood that vigilance officers have been told that negotiations are continuing with Ericsson in a bid to reduce the price.
On 07.24.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: RIM, the BlackBerry smartphone maker, has reportedly said that the BlackBerry patch issued by Etisalat to its subscribers has turned out to be a spyware. Etisalat reportedly sent out a patch last week that turned out to be surveillance software designed to copy received e-mails. The carrier, however, said the software was a patch designed to ease 2G to 3G handoffs.
“RIM confirms that this software is not a patch and it is not a RIM authorized upgrade,” RIM said in a statement.
Acording to media reports, the spyware attack hit roughly 145,000 BlackBerry users in the UAE last week when those users were prompted to update their smartphones.
“Etisalat appears to have distributed a telecommunications surveillance application … Independent sources have concluded that it is possible that the installed software could then enable unauthorized access to private or confidential information stored on the user’s smartphone. Independent sources have concluded that the Etisalat update is not designed to improve performance of your BlackBerry handheld, but rather to send received messages back to a central server.”
Whereas, contrary to RIM’s statement, Etisalat maintains that the update was “required for service enhancements”.
On 07.23.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Hello launches the BlackBerry Bold handset in the Combodian mobile market, a follow up of its April release of 2nd-gen BlackBerries. The 3G handset would go on sale very soon after the launch.
Hello became the first mobile provider in Cambodia to offer the Blackberry when it launched RIM’s 2G handsets Pearl 8120 and Curve 8320 at the end of April.
The 2G BlackBerries “have been a surprising success for us – we didn’t know the corporate market was that big”, Perkins said. “We’ve created a niche.”
On 07.16.09, In Mobile, By Editor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Ericsson has inked a multi-year deal with British mobile operator O2 UK to offer the cellco with a range of services for both its 2G and 3G networks. As per the agreement, Ericsson will offer O2 field maintenance services for radio and switch sites, spare parts management, optimisation and drive services, logistics support and facilities engineering services.
Mats Granyrd, Managing Director of Ericsson UK, said, ‘We view this as an excellent step in the development of a long-term strategic partnership with O2.