China Unicom launches joint handset venture
CHINA Unicom Ltd, in which SK Telecom Co invested in July, has agreed to jointly buy handsets with the South Korean mobile operator, betting the two companies’ increased purchasing power will reduce costs.
The two cell operators are negotiating to buy mobile phones from Motorola Inc, Samsung Electronics Co and LG Electronics Inc, Seoul-based SK Telecom said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. The handsets will be offered to both companies’ customers during the first half of next year, the statement said.
SK Telecom, the world’s first provider of third-generation mobile services, joins Spain’s Telefonica SA and the UK’s Vodafone Group Plc in trying to access a market with more cell-phone users than the combined populations of the US and Japan, Bloomberg News reported.
Beijing-based China Unicom will use the partnership to boost buying power and tap SK Telecom’s experience providing 3G service.
“This is pretty positive for China Unicom in the long-term; it means more purchasing power,” said Judy Zhang, an analyst at Sun Hung Kai Research in Hong Kong. SK Telecom “has a lot of experience with the 3G business.”
China Unicom and SK Telecom plan to initially buy six types of mobile phones, with orders for each model ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 handsets, according to the statement.
In July, SK Telecom, Korea’s largest cell phone operator, bought US$1 billion of bonds convertible into a 6.7 percent stake of the Chinese company. China’s number of mobile users is expected to rise to 568.1 million in 2010, according to US researcher IDC.
China had 437.5 million cell phone subscribers at the end of August, according to government data, compared with South Korea’s 38 million. About 30 percent of China’s 1.3 billion people own mobile phones, compared with South Korea’s 80 percent.
SK Telecom said last month it would help China develop its own standard for 3G wireless networks, the first alliance China’s government has signed with an overseas operator for the high-speed mobile technology.
Source- http://www.shanghaidaily.com
Technorati : China Unicom, Handset, SK Telecom
Ice Rocket : China Unicom, Handset, SK Telecom
Amena joins FreeMove alliance
The Spanish mobile operator Amena, part of the France Telecom group, has joined the FreeMove alliance. Sister company Orange as well as TeliaSonera, TIM and T-Mobile are already part of the alliance, which works together on purchasing, roaming and multinational customer service. The FreeMove alliance now covers 295 million customers in 26 countries across Europe, as well as the US and Brazil. The alliance lost its Spanish partner earlier this year when Telefonica was forced to withdraw as part of the conditions for completing its takeover of O2.
Source- http://www.telecompaper.com
Technorati : Amena, Mobile, Spain
Ice Rocket : Amena, Mobile, Spain
Huawei signs contract with Saudi Arabia’s Mobily
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei), a leader in providing next generation telecommunications network solutions for operators around the world, has signed a contract with Saudi Arabia’s Mobily for the construction of an UMTS network.
A statement issued by Huawei, and made available to Khaleej Times here, explained that according to the contract, Huawei will supply its New Generation Node B solution as part of Mobily’s (Etihad Etisalat, the second mobile operator in Saudi Arabia) plans to deploy a UMTS terrestrial radio access network (Utran) based on High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA).
The statement added that Huawei strategically collaborates with Mobily, owned by UAE’s Etisalat, not only in the field of 3-G but also in deploying GSM networks.
“Huawei is pleased to be the major supplier for Mobily’s 3-G Network and deploy a high quality network with strong performance,” said Wang Jiading, vice-president, Huawei Technologies, Middle East and North Africa Operations. “We are confident in our ability to continuously add value to our customers with innovative 3-G solutions,” he added.
He said that Huawei’s UMTS New Generation Node B incorporates new and innovative features, such as an efficient digital power amplifier to support the multi-carrier technology and support for full performance HSDPA. The new generation UMTS Node B effectively improves network performance for operators.
“Huawei’s UMTS New Generation Node B has been widely deployed in many countries including Spain, Portugal, Poland, Malaysia, and Hong Kong,” he said, and added, “As a leading New Generation Node B supplier, Huawei will consistently focus on customers’ needs, and enrich lives through communication by providing innovative products, excellent services and network solutions.”
Meanwhile, Siemens recently upgraded the mobile network of Saudi Telecom with W-CDMA technology in the northern part of Saudi Arabia. In the near future, other parts of the country will also be given W-CDMA coverage. Saudi Telecom was the first commercial GSM mobile operator in the Kingdom. Following successful W-CDMA tests with Siemens technology, the company commissioned the Siemens Communications Group with the nationwide installation of 3-G technology.
Source- http://www.khaleejtimes.com
Technorati : Huawei Technologies, Mobile, Mobily, Saudi Arabia
Ice Rocket : Huawei Technologies, Mobile, Mobily, Saudi Arabia
Orange France unveils Unik hybrid WLAN/GSM service
France Telecom has unveiled its Unik fixed/mobile service, launching on 6 October in France, then to be extended to other European markets, including the Netherlands, UK, Spain and Poland. The hybrid phone will support VoIP calls when in Wi-Fi coverage and GSM calls when not. Orange France customers will use their regular mobile number for the service. The operator estimates that around 40 percent of mobile calls are made from home and 30 percent from the office, so if customers set up a WLAN at either site, they are bound to save money on their phone bills. Up to three unik handsets will be able to use a single Orange ADSL LiveBox. Two models will be available at launch, the Nokia 6136 and Samsung P200, followed by the Motorola A910 in November, selling from EUR 100 after operator rebate. More phones will be added soon. Orange has set a target of 15 percent of its mobile customers choosing unik by 2008. In France, unik will initially be a limited edition, reserved for the first 100,000 customers and available with two mobile plans: unlimited calls 24/7 from the mobile connected to the Livebox to fixed lines in France for EUR 10 per month, and unlimited calls 24/7 from the mobile connected to the Livebox to Orange mobiles and fixed lines in France for EUR 22 per month.
Source- http://www.telecompaper.com
Technorati : France, GSM, Mobile, Orange
Ice Rocket : France, GSM, Mobile, Orange
Alcatel wins Frost & Sullivan 2006 Market Leadership of the Year Award for triple play architecture vision
Paris, September 21, 2006 - Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced it has won the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Market Leadership of the Year Award in the European fixed telecoms market category. The award recognizes the company’s achievement in defining the network architecture for triple play deployments. Alcatel’s successful triple play service delivery architecture has been widely adopted in Europe and the company’s activities across the globe have substantially helped to put triple play at the forefront of the telecommunications market today. Frost & Sullivan’s award will be given to Alcatel at the “Excellence in Information and Communications Technologies” event to be held in London on October 24, 2006.
“Alcatel, with a clear vision of the direction being taken by the marketplace, developed a product portfolio and defined a network blueprint that has been widely accepted in the European marketplace and beyond,” said Frost & Sullivan Analyst, Fernando Elizalde. “By combining a high-quality solution, excellent attention to customer requirements and superb marketing, the company has become the leader in the telecommunications market for triple play architecture. Thus, these cumulative factors make Alcatel the deserving recipient of the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Award for Market Leadership of the Year.”
“Alcatel has developed an end-to-end, reference triple play architecture and we are very pleased that Frost & Sullivan has recognized our efforts in this high-growth market,” said Michel Rahier, president of Alcatel’s fixed communications activities. “We see triple play as a driving force in the IP transformation of our customers’ networks. In such strategic network transformation process, they can leverage Alcatel’s leadership positions in products, solutions and integration capabilities.”
With a comprehensive end-to-end portfolio Alcatel was able to grow not only its customer base, but also its product share within the existing customer base. Alcatel is involved in the majority of triple play programs in Europe. Incumbent telecom operators as well as alternative service providers have engaged Alcatel to help them build triple play network architectures as well as IP transformation projects.
Alcatel’s triple play footprint includes European incumbent operators such as Belgacom, France Telecom, KPN, Swisscom, TDC, Deutsche Telekom, T-Online Hungary, Telef³nica of Spain, Iceland Telecom, Elion Enterprises and Telekom Austria. Alternative and cable operators where Alcatel has deployed its triple play solutions include Be Unlimited, Ya.com, Auna, Com Hem, NTL, and Sistema JSFC, among others. Alcatel is involved in more than 40 major triple play deployments worldwide including AT&T who selected the portfolio as part of its project Lightspeed which will provide IPTV, video on demand, and high-speed Internet for up to 18 million households in the U.S.
About Alcatel
Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 13.1 billion and 58,000 employees in 2005, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: http://www.alcatel.com
About Alcatel’s IP Network Transformation
As operators increasingly move to an all-IP world, they turn to Alcatel to partner on such strategic network transformation process. Leveraging its unmatched portfolio of IP systems and applications, as well as its intimate knowledge of network complexity and business issues, Alcatel helps operators offer next generation enhanced services while optimizing operational costs. Alcatel’s end-to-end integration expertise also allows them to respect their timeframes, control the migration paths and manage the associated risks. Alcatel is currently involved in more than 40 network transformation projects worldwide including AT&T (project Lightspeed), BT (Fusion and Enterprise Fixed-Mobile Convergence) and Telstra.
Source- http://www.euronext.com
Roaming row intensifies
As summer approaches, the row between the European Commission and Europe’s major mobile operators is heating up nicely. The EC has been infuriated by the level of intra-European roaming charges for mobile users and has threatened to take action, in the form of a new law, unless these charges are reduced to levels near those levied when users roam across networks in their own country.
Europe’s leading cellular operators, led by Telef?ica and Vodafone, have continued to argue that the market is the best mechanism for determining these charges. Yet, while warning against any regulatory interference on the issue, they have also announced plans to reduce rates quite drastically.
Spain’s Telef?ica, which is now also the owner of O2, is offering to abolish roaming charges for high-volume users, primarily business customers, while offering discounts to general users. Vodafone has announced cuts averaging 40% at the wholesale and retail levels, to be phased in between this autumn and April 2007.
All the indications emanating from Brussels are that these gestures do not go far enough or fast enough. One concern is that the new European rates may be close to the “nominal” rates for national roaming, but that few users actually pay these prices at home due to bundled minutes and so on.
If the EC decides to press ahead with legislation, its proposal could be published as early as this month, with a view to the new rules being in place by the middle of 2007. This will prey on the minds of mobile operators even as they prepare to enjoy the most profitable part of the year for roaming revenues as millions head off on their holidays. This time around, however, it won’t only be their customers who are sweating. TE
Source- http://www.telecomseurope.net
Technorati : Cellular, Mobile, Telefonica, Vodafone
Ice Rocket : Cellular, Mobile, Telefonica, Vodafone
Strike over Telecom Italia plans
Unions at Telecom Italia have called a strike over proposals to split the firm’s fixed line and mobile businesses into two new companies.
The planned 3 October walkout and street protest comes amid fears the company’s new focus on broadband and media will result in job losses.
There are also reports that the strategy change will signal the sale of its mobile business, TIM.
About half of the 85,000-strong workforce are represented by unions.
Turnaround
Telecom Italia’s change in strategy has caused a political row, forcing an adviser to Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi to resign.
Mr Prodi, who opposes the move, said last week that he had no prior knowledge of the firm’s decision.
Yet a leaked note by his aide, Angelo Rovati, appeared to show Mr Prodi did know of the plan.
Telecom Italia’s net profits fell 15.7% to 1.5bn euros ($1.78bn; £953m) in the first half of 2006.
The company bought its TIM mobile business in 2005 after previously selling it off in the 1990s. Experts suggest it could be worth up to 35bn euros (£23.7bn).
Selling TIM, the last Italian-owned mobile network, would mark a major turnaround for Telecom Italia, which has recently been integrating its mobile and fixed-line phone operations.
Separate reports have suggested that rival European telecoms firms including France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, and Spain’s Telefonica – as well as US private equity firm The Carlyle Group – could be interested in buying TIM.
Telecom Italia is Italy’s largest phone company, holding almost 70% of the market, and is the leading mobile operator in Brazil as well as Italy.
It also has broadband interests in Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands and owns a number of media interests including Telecom Italia Media – which owns MTV Italia, a news agency and TV channel La7.
Source- http://news.bbc.co.uk
Technorati : Mobile, Telecom Italia
Ice Rocket : Mobile, Telecom Italia
No CeBIT for BenQ and BenQ Mobile in 2007
BenQ, along with its handset unit BenQ Mobile, have decided not to participate in next year’s CeBIT technology trade show, but will continue to exhibit and promote handsets at the 3GSM World Congress 2007, according to sources at BenQ. The 3GSM World Congress 2007 is scheduled to take place in Barcelona, Spain from February 12-15 while CeBIT will be held in Hannover, Germany from March 15-21.
BenQ’s decision came after the world’s largest handset vendor, Nokia, earlier announced that it won’t attend CeBIT 2007. It remains to be seen if other leading handset vendors will not show at the event, according to market sources.
BenQ and BenQ Mobile would likely take part in IFA (International Funkausstellung) 2007, a consumer electronic products show to be held in Berlin, Germany in September, the sources noted.
Source- http://www.digitimes.com
Technorati : BenQ, Germany, Mobile
Ice Rocket : BenQ, Germany, Mobile
Integrian Launches New Mega-Pixel IP Camera at Innotrans in Berlin
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 18, 2006–Integrian, Inc. a leading global provider of mobile digital video solutions for the transit industry, announces the impending launch of its new high definition IP Camera. The announcement marks a significant step forward in the mobile video surveillance industry, allowing the best in high resolution image capture to become ultra-ruggedized for performance in extreme mobile environments.
Integrian’s IP Camera is optimized for use with the company’s TransitCam TC-50 and TC-100 video recorders and offers an amazing 1,280 by 1,024 pixel maximum resolution. Along with superior image quality and an impressive field of view, the new camera reduces processor load on the DVR by integrating efficient MJPEG compression with the camera unit. “IP camera technology enables a greater camera deployment per system as you are no longer limited by the 8 or 16 analog video input ports,” explained Integrian CTO Brad Silvernail. “Now you can cover more train cars or LRV interior area with your existing TransitCam DVR configuration, making your whole system far more efficient.”
Also noteworthy is the product’s versatility. Analog and digital IP cameras can be combined on the same system. Simplified signal wiring and power is achieved by leveraging Power-Over-Ethernet technology for easy installation, and the flexibility to reconfigure as needed.
The new camera uses an IP camera engine provided by partner IQinVision, the leader in mega-pixel IP network video cameras. “This is the first time our technology has been deployed as part of a turnkey mobile system. The Integrian team has developed a best-of-breed solution and we are pleased to partner with them on this project,” said Paul Bodell, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at IQinVision.
Integrian will be demonstrating the new high definition IP Camera at Innotrans in Berlin September 19-22.
About Integrian
Integrian develops and manufactures mobile digital video solutions for the public safety and transportation markets. The company has a broad customer base, having delivered over 2,000 transit and fleet computer systems over the past 10 years to transit authorities and corporations around the world. Integrian is currently supplying CCTV systems to large mainline fleets in the UK and has won additional major contracts for on-train CCTV systems in Ireland, Spain and Australia. Projects are currently underway at two of North America’s largest transit authorities, the New Jersey Transit system and MTA NYC Transit.
In addition to TransitCam for bus and rail systems, Integrian offers DigitalPatroller® surveillance product for public safety agencies. Integrian is headquartered in North Carolina, with international offices in Melbourne and London. For more information, visit www.integrian.com.
Source- http://biz.yahoo.com
Technorati : Germany, Integrian, Mobile
Ice Rocket : Germany, Integrian, Mobile
TeliaSonera: Xfera Renews Its National 2G-Roaming Agreement with Vodafone
STOCKHOLM, Sweden–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 19, 2006–TeliaSonera’s newly established mobile operator in Spain, Xfera, has today reached an agreement with Vodafone, renewing the terms and conditions of the previous roaming agreement signed by Xfera and Vodafone in 2001. The agreed conditions provide for full national roaming in Vodafone’s Spanish 2G-network.
“We are satisfied with the conditions offered by Vodafone which are in accordance with our expectations. By combining the excellent quality and nationwide coverage of Vodafone’s network and the high capacity of Xfera’s network, we will be able to offer the customers in Spain seamless services across networks,” says Kenneth Karlberg, President of TeliaSonera Norway, Denmark, the Baltic countries and Spain.
The agreement is a key element to Xfera’s launch of its commercial offerings before the end of the year. Xfera will offer nationwide coverage based on the combination of Xfera’s own 3G-network, currently being rolled-out according to license requirements, and the roaming agreement concluded with Vodafone.
About Xfera
Xfera is the mobile telecommunications company that was awarded the fourth 3G-licence in Spain. TeliaSonera, the leading telecoms operator in the Nordic and Baltic region has a 76.6% stakeholding in the company; ACS, the construction and services group, has a 17% stake, FCC, a 3.4% stake and Telvent, a 3% stake.
TeliaSonera is the leading telecommunications company in the Nordic and Baltic regions. At the end of December 2005 TeliaSonera had 19,146,000 mobile customers (69,887,000 incl associated companies) and 7,064,000 fixed telephony customers (7,688,000 incl associated companies) and 2,263,000 internet customers (2,331,000 incl associated companies). Outside the home markets TeliaSonera has extensive interests in the growth markets in Russia, Turkey and Eurasia. TeliaSonera is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange and the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Net sales January-December 2005 amounted to SEK 87.7 billion. The number of employees was 28,175.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in the press release relating to future status or circumstances, including future performance and other trend projections are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to many factors, many of which are outside the control of TeliaSonera.
Source- http://biz.yahoo.com
Technorati : Mobile, TeliaSonera, Vodafone
Ice Rocket : Mobile, TeliaSonera, Vodafone
