www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Vodafone’s 3G network goes live in hundreds of regional areas today (Monday 31 August), increasing competition and offering choice and value to customers.
Vodafone customers in upgraded areas can now access 3G services on-the-move, such as internet and email on their mobile phone, or laptop via Vodafone Mobile Broadband*.
To celebrate the 3G upgrade, Vodafone is offering all new and existing customers (on prepaid and contract) unlimited, free access to Facebook on their mobile phone, until 31 October 2009^.
Nigel Dews, CEO at Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA), says regional customers can now enjoy 3G services at Vodafone’s great value prices.
“Vodafone is committed to investing in its network to make state-of-the-art 3G services more accessible and affordable.
“Vodafone’s great value 3G services are now available to Australians living and working in regional cities and towns, as well as business travellers and holiday-makers who need to stay connected.
“More Vodafone customers, in more places, can now get online on their mobile phone or laptop while they’re out and about, to keep up-to-date on emails, stay in-touch with friends and family via Facebook, MySpace or Twitter and blog, game or Google,” he said. Vodafone’s 3G network coverage now extends out to Kununurra in WA, Port Douglas in Queensland and Devonport in Tasmania, reaching 94 per cent of the Australian population. Vodafone’s 3G coverage previously reached 80 per cent of the Australian population.
To access Vodafone’s 3G services in both regional and metropolitan areas, customers can purchase one of 18 3G 900Mhz mobile phones available on Vodafone prepaid or contract, such as the prepaid Nokia 6220 for $229. Vodafone Prepaid Flexi Caps start at $29 (includes $300 total value)~ and give customers the freedom to spend their included Flexible Credit any way they like – on calls, txt, internet browsing, instant messaging and downloading games or music. As part of the upgrade, Vodafone’s regional 2G network will now support EDGE technology. Existing Vodafone customers with a 2G mobile phone will continue to access voice and txt services as normal and can experience an increase in data speeds. Coverage maps, information on compatible mobile phones and pricing details are available in Vodafone stores and online at www.vodafone.com.au.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Mobily’s 3.75G High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) coverage now always more and more people in the Western region to connect to the Internet, make video calls, or benefit from the world of iphone content, according to a statement issued by the company Sunday.
Close to the coast, expansion of 3.75G coverage included Rabegh, Turban, Al Khormah, Al Muwaih, Haddad Bani Malek, Al Sudairah, Asfan, Thahban, Thuwal, Bahra, more towards the hills, customers in Al Hada, Bani Saeed, AL Kamel, Al Sail Al Kabeer now have speeds that rival those of customers in major cities. All in all, 3.75G HSPA service reaches 326 cities, regions and areas in the Kingdom, covering 75% of the population. (more…)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: China Telecom, the Chinese telco, has reportedly completed the first phase of its 3G network construction across the nation, nearly six months ahead of the original schedule.
China Telecom’s 3G network will cover all county-level or above cities. The Shanghai branch of the operator aims to attract 5.5million subscribers, more than double the current number of 2.13 million, said Shanghai Telecom’s General Manager Zhang Weihua.
Wang Yongzhen, the telco’s marketing director, said that the firm’s 3G network currently covers 2,055 counties or county-level cities over the country, as well as more than 6,000 villages in the eastern coastal region.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Verizon Wireless, the wireless company with the highest customer loyalty, has activated three new cell sites in Erie, which will enable more customers to use their wireless phones concurrently to make calls; send and receive email and text, picture and video messages; view high quality videos; access the Internet; and download music, games and ringtones, while enjoying clearer reception and fewer dropped calls.
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www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Mobily, announced that it has added a number of Northern province’s cities and villages to its advanced 3G network (3.5G and 3.75G) coverage.
The new covered cities are villages included Ja’la, Al Ha’t, Al Khraisha, Al Khota, Al Rawdha, Al Nakheel, Al Ola, Al Faqaly, Amlaj, Beer bin Hermas, Baqa, and Taima. Also Halat Ammar, Dahma, Shari, Wadi Al Fara, and Khasibeh were added to the network coverage, raising the number of cities and villages enjoying 3.5G and 3.75G coverage to 326 locations in the Kingdom.
Mobily has announced lately that its advanced 3G network coverage has also covered many areas or tourism activity, locations of large businesses, and roads with high traffic rate.
Mobily is currently completing the coverage in the rest of towns and villages in the Kingdom so that all Mobily customers connect the world from anywhere in the Kingdom through high speed wireless internet, provided either the enhanced CONNECT, or through mobile handsets, or iphone devices.
Customers can also enjoy watching TV channels, and communicate through voice and video (video calling) while roaming as well.
Mobily operates the largest 3G network in the Middle East and its network is considered as one of the busiest networks in terms of data transfer which sometimes hit 40 Terabyte daily which made the company enhance its network to meet the increased demand on 3G services.
Mobily has completed coverage of over 80 percent of the inhabited areas in the Kingdom despite the short period since it was launched for the first time in 2005.
For more information, please visit www.mobily.com.sa/
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Cricket Communications, Inc., a leading provider of unlimited wireless services and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leap Wireless International, Inc., today announced enhanced service plans, new features and additional coverage that increase the value Cricket brings to customers. The new plans take effect tomorrow, August 4, 2009, in select Cricket markets that cover approximately 72.3 million potential customers.
Cricket’s popular $40 monthly plan, which already includes unlimited voice, long distance, domestic and international text and picture messaging, and nationwide coverage, will expand in these markets to include unlimited Web, unlimited 411 and unlimited service to more than 4,600 cities and towns across the US. In addition, Cricket’s $45 monthly plan in these markets will now include the additional features of unlimited email, unlimited data backup and 30 roaming minutes per month. The $55 plan mirrors the $45 plan but also contains 200 roaming minutes per month. (more…)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Azerfon LLC has announced on installation of more 20 base stations in different regions of the country.
New stations were installed in Absheron region (2), Baku (16), Sheki (1) and Gabala (1) cities. At present Azerfon LLC provides 1.3 million of subscribers with high-quality communication covering area with 90 % population of the country.
For convenient inter-connection of subscribes Azerfon LLC will continue installation of new transmitting stations throughout the whole country.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL), a joint venture between Sistema (LSE: SSA) of Russia and Shyam Group of India, today launched a ground breaking special tariff voucher (STV), “One MTS, One India”, for MTS subscribers in India. Priced at an incredibly low and unmatched price of Rs 11, subscribers can make local and STD call within their network at a uniform price of 35 paise per minute.
Speaking about the new tariff plan, Mr. Leonid Musatov, Chief Marketing Officer of Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited said, “Our brand is build on the value, that consumers need quality product with a simple and honest price. The “One MTS, One India” is a simplified tariff and billing plan, and offers our customers the flexibility of talking at one price point across India. What you see is what you will get there are no hidden costs. We are already getting queries for providing on-net call discounts between our markets and are responding to this demand now rather than waiting until we have full national coverage.“ (more…)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: MTS, the CDMA based mobile telephony brand of Sistema Shyam Teleservices, is intending to become a pan-India mobile operator by expanding coverage by 2010.
The operator at present operators in six telecom circles across nation and now it anticipates to enter more circles over the next few months, Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd Chief Operating Officer (TN and Kerala) Srinivasa Rao Saripalli, reportedly unveiled. With the expansion, the company hopes to achieve a ’significant’ subscriber base. “After the pan-India operation, our subscriber base should be significant,” he said.
Saripalli further said the company had aggressive growth plans and would soon launch it’s wireless internet services, mobile cards and various value-added services.
On GSM mobile technology, he said people prefer GSM because of it’s ‘legacy’. CDMA is the latest technology and mobile connections’ growth is dependent on it, he claimed.
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) now covers 326 cities with its 3.75G network, towns and areas, according to a statement issued by the company Friday. In the statement, Nasser Al Nasser, Mobily CTO said the company had expanded coverage in areas already covered and added 118 additional sites over the past three months. Most of the new areas covered will serve large corporations and tourists, among them, the King Abdullah Economic City, the towns of Dherma, Jo, Aletteyan, Alquaweh, Aba Alwarood, Albatra, Aljafara. Other areas include Al Shathou, Qebeyan, Balqarn, Altwal, Alhanakiah, Alkhshaibi, Alhaditha residential area on the border, the public residential area in Alahsaa. (more…)