South East Asia

Vimpelcom building a solid South East Asian Cluster – Boris Nemsic, CEO Vimpelcom.

On 09.23.09, In Mobile, By Editor

VimpelCom will pay about $66 million for Millicom’s 78 percent stake in Millicom Lao Co. Ltd. The remaining 22% of Millicom Lao Co., Ltd. is owned by the Government of the Lao PDR.

VimpelCom’s CEO Boris Nemsic describes the deal as, “the next logical step in our international expansion strategy” and one that “fits perfectly into our strategy of building a solid Southeast Asian cluster.”

VimpelCom already has mobile operations in Vietnam and Cambodia, having launched services in both markets in July 2008. It holds a 40 percent stake in a JV established with state-owned GTEL in Vietnam. In Cambodia, it owns 90 percent of Sotelco.

Laos has a population of 6.5 million people and low mobile penetration estimated at around 23%, thus making it attractive for Vimpelcom and an obvious choice for acquisition.

Softbank posts USD288 million net income (Japan)

On 08.02.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Softbank Corp has reported net income of JPY27.4 billion (USD288 million), up 41.4% year-on-year after the company cut costs and achieved a slight increase in revenue of 2.9% to JPY666.3 billion. The company said the soaring profit in April-June was boosted by lower procurement costs for its e-commerce business and by holding fewer handsets in storage compared with the amount sold. The telco is an exclusive seller of the Apple iPhone in Japan, which proved to be a contributing factor to the cellco’s increased revenue from wireless internet and data-based applications.

Tagged with: Cables • Charges • CMU • Express Card • Japan • Safaricom • South East Asia • Zimbra

Softbank gains 112,900 new subscribers in June (Japan)

On 07.10.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: NTT DoCoMo, Japan leading mobile operator in terms of subscribers, has closed the gap on third-placed Softbank Mobile in terms of the number of net subscribers signed up in June, as fewer customers switched away from the larger firm. Softbank Corp’s mobile arm gained 112,900 new subscribers last month; attributed to the launch the Apple iPhone 3GS on 26 June, the 26th month running it has bested its rivals. However, DoCoMo, which has a roughly 50% market share, reported net additions of 112,400 as it secured users with long-term contracts and low-cost plans for unlimited data download contracts. KDDI, trading under the au banner, reported net additions of 43,800, but was defeated by eMobile which attracted a net 91,600 new subscribers in June.

Tagged with: Charges • Gmail • Japan • Safaricom • South East Asia • Tanla mobile • Zimbra

NTT DoCoMo says in talks with Asian operators for capital investment(Japan)

On 07.09.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s leading mobile operator, has reportedly unveiled that it is in talks with some Asian mobile operator for a potential capital investment as it targets to seek growth overseas to counter the maturing mobile phone market in Japan.

“Our main target is Asia, and there are some other (promising) countries there. We are in contact (with carriers in those countries),” NTT DoCoMo Chief Executive Ryuji Yamada reportedly said.
DoCoMo is also looking forward for technological cooperation, rather than capital ties, with Chinese mobile operators such as China Mobile and China Unicom, Yamada said.
“Those are real giants and buying a stake of only a few percent could cost us several hundred billion yen (several billion dollars), and acquiring such stakes would not make much business sense for us,” Yamada said.

NTT DoCoMo on the other hand also wants to have a appealing mobile phone line up in order to compete with the rivals, Softbank and KDDI. DoCoMo plans to launch the first handset in Japan using Google Inc’s Android operating system.
Yamada added that he has also not given up on the possibility of offering Apple Inc’s iPhone to its subscribers.

Tagged with: 3GSM 2007 • Charges • Free Airtime • Free Calls • Japan • JCB • Jiangxi MCC • Postpaid Susbcribers • Safaricom • Sawa • South East Asia • T-Mobile • Telefonica • telemedicine • Wireless network

GSMA advances Embedded Mobile Initiative with launch of competition (UK)

On 07.01.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The GSMA today announced new developments in its Embedded Mobile Initiative, including work to establish standard design guidelines for embedded mobile applications and the kick-off of a competition to drive development in the embedded mobile market. The goal of the Embedded Mobile programme, which was launched in November 2008, is to foster new business opportunities by bringing the benefits of continuous mobile connectivity to embedded devices in the clean energy, education, healthcare, transport, consumer electronics and smart utilities sectors.

“The benefits of embedded mobile to businesses and consumers are nearly endless, from enabling a travelling family to easily transmit holiday photos to relatives at home, to helping a vending company automatically track stocking levels and operating status of its machines, to allowing power companies to remotely collect data from across meter and power grids,” commented Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer for the GSMA. “As the programmes announced today demonstrate, we are keenly focused on reducing industry fragmentation in the delivery of embedded mobile solutions, facilitating economies of scale in design and production and driving cross-industry awareness of module designs.”

To further promote the development of the embedded mobile market, the GSMA has kicked off a competition whose goal is to identify best-in-class embedded modules across a number of categories, as well as mobile service applications and solutions. The first stage of the competition, which will focus on leading embedded modules, will be held at the Mobile Asia Congress in November 2009. The second stage of the competition will showcase innovative service applications and solutions at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February 2010.

(more…)

Tagged with: Palm Inc • Pay Cut • South East Asia • Verizon Wireless • West Asia

Softbank unveils plans to offer iPhone 3G S from 26 June (Japan)

On 06.10.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Softbank, mobile carrier of Japan, has reportedly unveiled the plans to offer the Apple iPhone 3G S from 26 June. The operator started a promotional campaign in February under which it plans to reduce the cost of the 16 GB version and 32 GB version to JPY 11,520 and JPY 23,040 respectively. The subscribers can also buy the in 24 installment payments of JPY 480 per month for the 16 GB version and JPY 960 per month for the 32 GB version. To qualify for the reduced prices, subscribers are needed to sign up for a two-year contract. Moreover, the campaign that lowers the monthly fee for the carrier’s flat-rate unlimited data communications service to JPY 4,410 from the usual JPY 5,985 will also be offered.

Tagged with: credit cards • Fixed line licence • Information Communication Association of Malawi • Japan • South East Asia • TeleManagement World • Zimbra

iPhone helps Softbank to add 105,000 new subscribers in May (Japan)

On 06.09.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: According to a media report, it is seen that the iPhone has been a great help to the Japanese mobile operator Softbank to have the largest number of net additions to its subscriber base in the month of May. According to a data released by Japanese industry group Telecommunications Carriers Association (TCA), Softbank added 105,000 new subscribers in May. The operator reportedly said that the popularity of the iPhone 3G helped increase sales, though it was also boosted by the network’s three-month long iPhone sales campaign that began in February.
During “iPhone for Everybody” campaign, Softbank had given away 8GB iPhone for free to new subscribers signing up to a two-year contract, while the 16 GB model was priced at $118. The iPhone’s maximum data plan also dropped in price, from $62 a month to $46.50 a month.
On the other hand, Japanese mobile operators, eMobile, NTT DoCoMo and KDDI added 67,700, 61,700 & 51,900 new subscribers respectively.

Tagged with: Base Tariff • Charges • GSM • Jiangxi MCC • mobizens • Safaricom • South East Asia • Tanla mobile • Telenet • Zimbra

DoCoMo signs up 278,200, regains first position (Japan)

On 04.17.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: NTT DoCoMo has regained its first position in terms of new subscribers. The operator has signed up 60% more new subscribers in March, attributed to the low phone cost won back subscribers in a key sales month ahead of the new academic year. DoCoMo refurbished its brand in 2008 with bigger discounts for long-time subscribers and cheaper mobile handsets, gained 278,200 new subscribers on a net basis compared with the same month a year ago.

KDDI made an addition of 223,100 new subscribers, but continued to trail third-ranked Softbank, which gained 381,700 net sign-ups. Subscriber gain at Softbank was down 30%, but it beat its rivals for the 22nd straight month helped by low-cost fee plans and aggressive advertising.

eAccess is placed at 4th osition, signed up 121,900 net new subscribers, driven by strong sales of wireless data cards sold with smaller and cheaper laptops such as Asusek Computer’s Eee PC. PHS provider Willcom made added 6,100 subscribers taking its total subscriber base to 4.56 million in March.

Tagged with: Charges • Express Card • Jiangxi MCC • KPN • M:Metrics • Niqatak Programme • South East Asia • Tanla mobile

Japan subscriber base totals 107.49Mn, Softbank leads again

On 04.07.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Japanese mobile operators reported a subscriber base of 107.49 million, added 1 million new subscribers. Softbank is leading the market with a net addition of 381,700 subscribers, ended the month with 20.63 million subscribers. Followed to this is NTT DoCoMo with a net addition of 278,200, taking its total subscriber base to 54.6 million. The incumbent added 1,100 2in1 plan customers to reach 459,300 subscribers. Emobile signed up 121,900 new subscribers bringing its total to 1.41 million. KDDI has gained 223,100 and ended March with 30.84 million subscribers in total. PHS provider Willcom added 6,100 subscribers in March to reach a total of 4.56 million subscribers.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News

Tagged with: Bonus Airtime credit • Geo Solutions • Japan • Jiangxi MCC • South East Asia • Tanla mobile • Telenet • US ITC

Japan home to 106.48 million subscribers

On 03.09.09, In Mobile, By Editor

Japan’s mobile subscriber base totalled to 106.48 million, with the net addition of 387,500 new subscribers in Feb, according to the figures from Telecommunications Carrier Association (TCA). Softbank Mobile signed up 131,000 new subscribers and ended the month with 20.25 million subscribers.

Subsequent to Softbank, NTT subscriber base reached 54.32 million, adding 103,100 new subscribers. The operator lost 5000 2in1 plan customers to reach 458,200 subscribers. Emobile added 96,500 new subscribers, total reached 1.28 million subscribers. KDDI gained 56,900 new customers and ended February with 30.62 million customers in total. PHS provider Willcom signed up 8300 new subscribers, base totalled to 4.56 million at the end-February.