T-Mobile and Orange in U.K merger to be reviewed by European Commission
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A proposal has been filed by Deutsche Telekom AG and France Telecom to the European commission for a joint venture in the U.K. The step is taken four months after the announcement of the deal.
The deal for 50- 50 partnership between France Telecom’s Orange UK and Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile was announced on September 8. With 37% market share, the joint venture will create the U.K.’s largest mobile operator ahead of current leaders Telefonica SA’s O2 with its 27% share and Vodafone PLC’s 25%.
The European Commission has time until February 15 to complete the investigation of the adverse effect of the deal on the market. The joint venture may start working by the middle of 2010.
Nexus users complain of connectivity problems
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: After a grand launch of its Nexus Phone a week back, it’s time for Google to get prepared for some backlash as the users of this trendy handset are having a tough time to connect to T-Mobile USA’s 3G networks.
In addition, users are required to file their complaint via email even as it warns that a personal response isn’t likely.
More than 500 comments have been attracted by the spotty 3G reception on Google’s support forum. Google along with its partner HTC has got a major issue in the form of connectivity problems. Many bloggers have questioned whether Google can continue to sell phones without providing the kind of personalized customer support they are used to.
2.5% drop recorded in German mobile revenue
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 2.5% drop has been recorded in the German mobile telecommunications services market in the third quarter of 2009. With EUR 5.0 billion revenues, the loss is 2.8 percent from the previous quarter and 2.5 percent compared to the same period last year.
Although the in non-voice (messaging and data) revenues increased to reach EUR 142 million in the last 12 months, it was unable to compensate for the continued pressure on voice service revenues from cuts to mobile termination fees and fierce competition.
1.4 percent loss points was contributed by Vodafone Germany’s weak performance but T-Mobile Germany was able to increase its leadership position with 0.8 percent to over 36 percent market share.
E-Plus and O2 Germany’s prepaid growth helped them to compensate for their drop in postpaid and slightly increase their share of total service revenues by 0.4 and 0.3 percent points respectively.
1.0 million or 1.0 percent more customers were added to the German market in the three months to September 2009. More than 2.2 million new subscribers to a total 108 million, mainly due to postpaid growth have been added to the mobile industry during the last 12 months.
NexusOne parts cost $174.15
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The new Google-designed Android handset, Nexus, is made of components worth $174.15. HTC’s phone is available in USA for $179 with a two-year contract from T-Mobile or at unsubsidized price of $529 for an unlocked phone. The cost is only of hardware and components and does not include other costs such as manufacturing, software, accessories and royalties.
Though the features like unibody construction and the blazingly fast†Snapdragon processor was already available in other smartphones made by the Taiwan based company, this was the first they had been combined into a single design.
T-Mobile UK, 3UK in discussion to sell Google’s Nexus One
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Confirming the discussion over the sale of Google’s first own-branded Android smartfone, Nexus One, in the UK, the spokesmen of T-Mobile and 3 UK informed that the companies will be making a formal announcement soon.
According to the Head of Internet services at 3UK, David Kerrigan, T-mobile is a great internet phone and the company expects plenty of people to import it to UK.
On Tuesday Google launched Nexus One, its new Android powered and HTC made handset. Nexus one will be available to consumers directly from Google unlike other Smartphone’s running the Internet giant’s mobile OS.
In US, SIM- free Nexus One is available for $529 and for $179 on T- Mobile USA. A CDMA version of the phone is also heading to Verizon Wireless, while Vodafone will offer the device in Europe from spring 2010. Vodafone is yet to announce the launch date however a spokesman of the company informed that it will offer the Nexus One to UK consumer first.
Meanwhile O2 UK stated that it had no plans to sell Nexus One. Despite Google was offering to ship Nexus One SIM-free internationally, O2 did not sound keen on the idea.
T-Mobile complete HSPA 7.2 rollout
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: HSPA 7.2 technology rollout has been completed by T-Mobile USA across its entire network footprint. The technology will provide peak downlink speeds of 7.2Mbps and will cover around 200 million people. Currently, the trial is conducted in Philadelphia.
According to company’s CTO Cole Brodman, T-Mobile would follow the deployment of HSPA 7.2 with an immediate rollout of the HSPA+ standard. This could further boost downlink speeds to up to 21Mbps.
Nexus One smartphone unveiled by Google
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Nexus One, Google’s first mobile phone has been launched by the company along with its own web store to market the device. The online cost of the device will be USD 529 while a subsidized version for USD 179 will be offered by T-Mobile USA with a two-year service plan.
The CDMA version of the phone developed by Google will be soon offered by Verizon Wireless in the US. Besides, the handset will also be launched shortly in the UK and other European markets in 2010.
Qualcomm 1 GHz Snapdragon processor and a 3.7-inch Amoled touch screen are some of the exclusive features of HTC made Nexus One. Besides, this 130g, 11.5mm phone also features a 5 megapixel camera with auto zoom, GPS, accelerometer, light and proximity sensors, a 4GB memory card expandable to 32 GB, trackball navigation, HSPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Android 2.1 operating system runs the phone along with the full range of Google services installed, access to the Google Market, speech recognition for voice commands and integrated messaging and contacts list.
Online orders will be taken from the US, UK, Hong Kong and Singapore initially and the company plans expand its web store to more countries in future.
Android taking over smartphone market in the USA
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Google’s Android’s popularity is taking over the market of smartphones with 17 percent of the users in the USA considering the purchase of an android-supported device in next three months. iPhone
continues to set the bar with its App Store and passionate user base with 20 percent of the users indicating their plans to purchase an iPhone.
While Android is gaining momentum among developers and consumers, RIM remains the leader among the business set. Android’s share of the smartphone market has doubled by 3.5 percent.
Apple and Android-supported devices were more likely to engage with mobile media than an average smartphone user. 94 percent of Apple iPhone users, 92 percent of Android device users, predominantly T-Mobile G1 users engaged in mobile media activities in September 2009, which is 12 percent more than smartphones users.
87 percent of the iPhone users engage in e-mail as compared to 63 percent of the Android users. Otherwise, Apple and Android users are likely to engage with news via their browser and nearly identical in their mobile application engagement.
