Verizon Wireless launches new global data plan (USA)
American mobile operator Verizon Wireless is launching a new, easy-to-understand Global Data Plan. Starting April 23, the new Verizon Wireless Global Data Plan offers U.S.-based customers 100 MB of data for $25 a month. For one low cost, customers can access email, browse the Web and update social networks while traveling outside the United States in 120 countries and destinations, including all of Europe, South America, the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada.
With the new Verizon Wireless Global Data Plan, customers can purchase 100 MB of data for $25 a month. Prior to traveling outside the United States, customers should visit the website to determine their coverage needs. To purchase a Global Data plan, customers are required to have a domestic data package and international eligibility, which requires minimum payment history.
Customers who require more than 100 MB of data while traveling will receive a notification via text message when an additional 100 MB of data for $25 has been automatically made available to them once they exceed their initial allotment. Customers traveling to countries not covered under the Global Data Plan, but within Verizon Wireless global coverage areas, will be charged at Pay Per Use rates of $0.02 per KB.
Whether traveling to London for the big games this summer or Oktoberfest in Munich this fall, Verizon Wireless customers with global calling and data services can make and change hotel reservations on the fly, call for and download directions to local attractions and restaurants, and stay in touch with family and friends back home by sharing pictures via email and social networks.
Verizon Wireless customers planning international getaways can take advantage of first-class tools and resources to help manage their wireless travel needs, putting their minds and budgets at ease before they go and once they arrive, such as, Verizon Wireless Trip Planner provides customers information they can use to plan their travels before they leave home, including details about global calling, country-specific coverage and device functionality.
To help travelers get their wireless bearings, Verizon Wireless greets travelers to most overseas destinations with a free welcome text message featuring helpful information for the country they are visiting, including dialing instructions for calling within and to phones outside the country; voice, text and data rates; as well as the ability to reach Verizon Wireless Global Technical Support.
Free Global Data Roaming Usage Alerts help travelers keep an eye on their wireless usage. Verizon Wireless customers automatically receive free alerts via text message or email when Global Data Roaming charges exceed certain thresholds.
Verizon Wireless operates a dedicated, toll-free global support number that will put customers in touch with one of the company’s U.S.-based support centers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Customers outside the United States can reach the Global Technical Support Team by dialing the appropriate exit code for the country they are in and then 908-559-4899 – a free call from their device. Customers may also reach Global Technical Support free of charge by using the Verizon Wireless Global Calling Card, provided with their global-ready device, if their device is not usable.
Mobile number portability to be offered in Argentina this month (Latin America)
The Mobile Number Portability (MNP) service is expected to be offered in Argentina this month, enabling users to switch operators while retaining their mobile number, as reported by DJN.
The new service makes it tougher for operators to retain customers as the prime reason for a user to stick with an operator is to keep their mobile number. However, MNP offers users the freedom to change their operator while retaining their number.
Franco Bertone, chief executive of Telecom Argentina said that people have started thinking of their phone number as something that they own and the industry has to adapt to that.
Communications industry analyst Enrique Carrier said that this always leads to the elimination of an important competition barrier. Further, the most visible change will be that users will see companies doing more to capture customers from other companies.
Jimdo Announces 4 Million Websites Now Mobile (Europe, Asia, South America)
Jimdo.com, the global free website creation tool, has announced it has optimized all its sites for mobile.
“We think it is important to be out in front of the mobile revolution,” says Christian Springub, co-founder of Jimdo. “Starting today, all JimdoPages have a mobile-friendly view for optimal display on iPhones, Androids, and other smartphones.”
All 4 million Jimdo websites now include a mobile friendly view for iPhones and Android phones – generated automatically. Additionally, all 40,000 online stores offer a mobile store with mobile checkout. To see an example, visit http://www.suigenerisclothing.net/2011-shop/gypsopila from a mobile device.
The native applications of the phones have been integrated wherever it makes sense: when a visitor clicks on a Google Map in a mobile JimdoPage, the native phone’s Google Maps app opens.
Springub says Jimdo created the mobile- and mobile commerce-friendly feature because many users in Asia and the US already have smartphones, and he expects mobile commerce to grow quickly as a key differentiator.
Jimdo has 4 million users in Europe, Asia, and South America, ranks #774 overall on Alexa worldwide, and is in the top 500 sites in fifteen countries. Quantcast measures that Jimdo’s site reached about 10 million people monthly worldwide with over 100 million impressions.
About Jimdo
Jimdo — Pages to the People (www.jimdo.com) was founded in February 2007 by three young entrepreneurs Christian Springub, Fridtjof Detzner, and Matthias Henze. In an old farmhouse in 2004, the three started a web agency for small businesses. The technology powering Jimdo was first developed so business clients could easily edit and update their sites, but frequent requests from friends gave the founders the idea to offer free JimdoPages. In just a few minutes, anyone – no technical knowledge required – can get a website online, complete with blog, photo galleries, video, online store, and more. Industry leaders like the Samwer brothers (CityDeal/Groupon, Facebook, LinkedIn) have invested in the innovative company. Jimdo is now available in 11 languages, and in May 2011, the 4,000,000th Jimdo site went online.
Skype launches Wi-Fi hotspot operator partnership programme
Skype has announced that it has signed a pact with a series of Wi-Fi networks to offer roaming for its pay-as-you-go Internet customers.
Skype users can now connect to the Internet through a Wi-Fi operator partner in over 500,000 hotspots around the globe.
Rather than paying per day or per hour Internet access fees, Skype access allows users to pay per minute using Skype Credit, with rates starting at $.06 per minute.
At the launch of the service, Skype Access partners include:
- BT Openzone – The UK’s largest Wi-Fi hotspot provider with a network of two million hotspots
- Fon – The world’s largest Wi-Fi network with over 3.35 million Fon Spots across the globe
- M3 Connect – Wi-Fi provider in Germany with hotspots in many hotels, fairgrounds, airports and places like the German Stock Exchange
- Row 44 – Provides the world’s leading in-flight broadband platform to commercial airlines around the world
- Skyrove – WiFi hotspot solutions for guesthouses, hotels and coffee shops throughout South Africa
- Spectrum Interactive – Specializes in offering WiFi for the travel and media sector including airports and hotels across the UK
- Tomizone – WiFi provider in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific
- Vex – Offers WiFi services in thousands of locations around the world including South America
Prepaid Customers Getting 68% of All Mobile Network Promotions
A recent survey revealed that the Pre-Paid customer segment accounts for 68% of all mobile network promotion, with the most common type being a Top-Up bonus.
A recharge bonus can vary fr-m 10% to 100% in addition to the customer value of the top followed by discounted calls. A wide range of promotional call discounts are available including free calls for an hour after a 2 or 3 minutes charged at the standard rate as well as discounts to selected international destinations.
For the Pay Monthly customer segment mobile promotions are often being tied into an existing loyalty programme, with both smartphone and USB modem devices being offered at a discounted or free price for a promotional period in return for the customer committing to a long term contract. The most common promotion for Pay Monthly services is a discount in monthly rental with operators experimenting with free rental periods – from 1 to 3 months – and discounts at up to 50% – for up to a 12-month period.
Mobile promotions are a critical tool in the operators’ armoury to attract new customers and also to bring dormant SIM cards back into use. The average duration of the mobile promotion is also being extended, with research showing an average of 35 days – with promotions running for as little as one day or as long as 90 days – or even for an indefinite period depending on demand.
For many countries, mobile promotions have now become a permanent feature of the telecoms landscape. In the developing markets of India and Pakistan a wide range of mobile promotion call discounts are available with the focus on stimulating off-peak usage and on-net calling within friends and family to favourite on-net numbers at very low rates.
In Africa and South America operators are developing SMS-based lottery promotions to encourage users to Top Up their accounts more frequently with the incentive being to win large prizes – such as cash, a car or simply more airtime.
One new development is the use of mobile promotions to stimulate the take up of smartphones for the mobile internet and USB modems for Mobile Broadband. Across the world operators are seeking to raise their ARPU by encouraging the use of data services. Pre Pay data services are also being introduced into the market with one operator in the report offering preloaded data – of 2.5GB – on a USB modem (the modem is free if the user takes the initial 2.5GB allowance).
Mobile Broadband price promotions are mainly associated with Pay Monthly services with the most common promotion being either a discount in the monthly fee (of up to 50 per cent) or a free rental period (which ranges from a 1-month period to a 6-month period).
Additionally with the deployment of new 3G networks in Turkey and South America operators are offering promotions for new Pre Pay Mobile Broadband customers, with reduced purchase costs or bonus recharge amounts.
Although European operators do focus on Pay Monthly price reductions as their main promotional activity, Pre Pay mobile promotions are being used in Europe and other developed markets as incumbent mobile operators use short term campaigns to build network traffic and avoid the high cost of handset subsidy.
Mobile promotions are a useful way of stimulating short term new network traffic and Pre Pay users onto a network without the operator incurring a high cost of price reductions for existing users or for handset subsidy.
Telefonica proposes to pay extra dividend to Portugal Telecom
www.WirelessFederation.com/news:? An additional item is requested to be included by Telefonica on the agenda of Portugal Telecom’s shareholders meeting scheduled for June 30. 8.51 percent of PT’s share capital is owned by the telco. PT shareholders are expected to discuss and vote on Telefonica’s revised offer of EUR 6.5 billion for Brazilian joint venture Vivo at the shareholders meeting on June 30.
It has been proposed by Telefonica that PT pay a special dividend if the Portuguese operator’s shareholders accept Telefonica’s bid for full control of the Brazilian mobile operator Vivo. The aim of the operator is now to reinforce PT’s current shareholder remuneration policy through the distribution of a supplemental and extraordinary dividend in the amount of EUR 1 per share, or superior for the financial year 2010.
The dividend will be added to an annual payout of 57.5 eurocents per share that Portugal Telecom has committed to give to investors through 2011.
Vivo to increase mobile broadband coverage by 85% (Brazil)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Vivo Participacoes which is Brazil’s largest mobile operator by subscribers has announced its ambitious plans to extend its broadband coverage to 85% of the population by the end of 2011.
2,832 municipalities by that date is the target set by the operator which will be up from the current 600, by using the money which has set aside in this year’s BRL2.49 billion (USD1.37 billion) CAPEX fund.
According to Vivo CEO Roberto Lima, the plan is ambitious but will be completed as the company’s objective is to rapidly expand its third-generation coverage.
Telefonica raises bid for Portugal Telecom stake in Vivo
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Bid has been increased by Telefonica Spain for Portugal Telecom’s indirect stake in their 50:50 Brazilian mobile joint venture Vivo Participacoes to EUR6.5 billion, while earlier the telco has offered EUR5.7 billion (USD8.1 billion) to Portugal Telecom.
The offer of improved bid has also been confirmed by PT. According to Portugal telecom, Telefonica’s revised offer comes in the shape of two alternative plans: the first would see the immediate sale of PT’s entire 50% holding, while the second option would see the sale triggered at PT’s discretion at some point during an agreed three-year period
A meeting was conducted by the board of PT to discuss the improved offer and that while they consider it does not reflect the strategic value of the Brazilian asset, have decided to call a shareholders’ meeting to discuss the offer in full.
Portugal Telecom might accept Telefonica offer if bid rises by $7b
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Portugal telecom has signaled that it might accept more than the 5.7 billion euros ($6.9 billion) on offer, thus bringing Telefonica SA an inch closer to clinching the purchase of the Portuguese company’s stake in their Brazilian joint venture. Earlier the company had described the bid as low and opportunistic and before that it called its stake in Vivo Participacoes SA, Brazil’s largest wireless operator, strategic, suggesting a sale wouldn’t be considered.
Telefonica Chairman Cesar Alierta has been trying to merge Vivo with Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo SA, or Telesp, the Spanish company’s fixed-line unit in Brazil and for this purpose; it has been trying to gain control of it since at least 2006. Telefonica even threatened to curb Portugal Telecom’s ability to pay dividends, seeking to force it to the negotiating table.
According to Chief Executive Officer Zeinal Bava yesterday, the current valuation Telefonica is putting on the Vivo asset is low, and it think it’s opportunistic, clearly taking advantage of the fact that southern Europe is having one of its worst crisis for the last three decades. However, even if Telefonica raise the price, taking over Vivo will be an uphill task. Telefonica is facing rivals in the form of Vivendi SA and America Movil, controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, in Brazil, where it is seeking growth as demand at home cools.
Depending upon the performance by Vivo in 2009, Brasilcel is due to pay a dividend of €111m each to Telefonica and Portugal Telecom this year. Vivo had 30 percent of Brazil’s 179 million wireless subscriptions at the end of March and Vivo has driven revenue growth for Portugal Telecom as growth in Europe slows and competition increases at home.
In case the offer fails Portugal Telecom’s ability to secure Vivo dividend payments via Brasilcel might be blocked by Telefonica and this move has been called attempted blackmail by Portugal telecom.
