Tata

Qatar Telecom & Tata partnership confirmed

On 03.09.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The partnership between India’s Tata Communications and Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has been confirmed by both the companies. The deal for the construction of the Tata Global Network (TGN) Gulf Project will see Qtel establish a landing station for the regional undersea network.

The main aim of the project is the connection of the world’s major business hubs and city centers with the Gulf region.
Besides providing the foundations for next generation communications technology, the new network will also improve connectivity. Bahrain Internet Exchange consortium, Nawras of Oman, Mobily of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Etisalat of the United Arab Emirates are the other regional partners in the project.

Deployment of an extended portfolio of advanced telecommunications services will also be supported by the development of the cable project, scheduled to be completed by 2011. The services will include- Global Ethernet, MPLS-based VPN and Global Telepresence.

War triggers between GSM and CDMA operators in India over 11-digit No.

On 12.10.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: DOT’s decision to implement 11-digit numbers by January next year has triggered a war between the GSM and CDMA mobile operators putting consumer interests at stake. As per the plan, all the mobile operators will add extra 9 to all mobile numbers in the country by January 1, 2010.

AUSPI representing the interests of CDMA operators like Tatas, Reliance and Sistema, is in favour of moving to an 11-digit numbering plan while GSM operators are vehemently opposing the move. COAI which is representing GSM operators made a detailed presentation to the government claiming this move to be harmful for the industry and consumers.

According to COAI, there is hardly any growth in the number of fixed line subscribers which currently rest at 40 million. Hence, there is no need to reserve levels 2, 3, 4,5,6,7, and 8 for fixed line. It is estimated that with the three series, 7, 8 and 9, a billion plus subscribers can be served without any need for fresh allocation of levels.

On the other hand, AUSPI feels that new opportunities can come up with the implementation of an 11-digit numbering plan and will help the subscribers to migrate from the incumbent operators networks. Besides, it has also claimed that 11-digit numbers are mobile number portability compatible.

With so many contradictory views, uncertainty has been raised on the implementation of the plan by Department of Telecommunication.

Tagged with: Allocation • ASIA • AUSPI • CDMA • COAI • Department of Telecommunication • GSM • India • operator • Reliance • Sistema • Tata

GSM service soon to be launched in India by Virgin Mobile

On 12.10.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: With the goal of expanding its reach among the people and especially youths, Tata Teleservices youth brand, Virgin Mobile is planning to launch its GSM services.

Virgin Mobile GSM may use TATA DOCOMO’s network and will be first introduced in Chennai and Tamil Nadu Circle and Mumbai & Maharashtra circle.

TATA DOCOMO’s service is yet to roll out all over India while Virgin Mobile will also take time to establish its mark among the masses. Currently, Virgin Mobile is using TATA Indicom’s network to operate.

Highest no. of subscriber during the past 3 months has been recorded by TTSL and TATA DOCOMO is considered to be the major factor behind this growth.

Tagged with: ASIA • Chennai • DoCoMo • GSM • India • Maharashtra • Mumbai • Tamil Nadu • Tata • Tata Indicom • Tata Teleservices • Virgin Mobile

IndiaMobile 2009: India’s largest Mobile Usage study results to be announced shortly.

On 10.14.09, In Mobile, By Editor

Wireless Federation will shortly be announcing the availability of the results of India’s largest primary research project undertaken to study Mobile usage in India. The project is titled IndiaMobile 2009.

The survey is one of the most representative, independent enumeration of mobile phone usage in India. Close to 285,000 urban and rural Indians, covering all states and union territories–574 districts, 3,175 towns and over 2,800 villages were interviewed. With at least 30 plus sample each from 323 districts and 419 towns, and 100 plus sample each from 184 districts and 155 towns, the study could actually be the World’s largest mobile (telecom) usage study carried out in a single country. The survey was carried out by a reputed local research agency under the guidance of Wireless Federation.

With the Mobile sector in India seeing close to 20% of its market capitalisation knocked off in the last few days and increased momentum in the price war in India, the results from this survey will help the sector understand its customers better in order to re-gain some of its strength back.

Airtel, Aircel, Tata Indicom, Tata DoCoMo, Etisalat, MTS India, Loop Mobile, Reliance Mobile, Idea Cellular, Vodafone, BSNL, MTNL, Telenor, Virgin can all now compare data from each and every circle and each live operator to understand demographic spread, handset usage and analysis as well as detailed psychographic analysis of the Indian mobile consumer.

The Indian mobile industry will be able to plan better based on the results from this study, which is now planned to occur each year. A large majority of mobile operators have expressed keen interest in the results of the study.

By using the IndiaMobile 2009 results, Mobile Operators will be able to further mould the study to better suit their needs from 2010 onwards.

This study will be the de-facto benchmark for Mobile Usage in India, given the thorough nature of the research, the sheer size of the sample and the level of interest from the Mobile Eco-System in utilising the results from this study.

For More information, please write to Audrey [at] WirelessFederation.com for your free copy of the headline results.

Tagged with: Aircel • Airtel • Audrey • BSNL • consumer • DoCoMo • Etisalat • Idea • India • IndiaMobile • Indicom • Loop • MTNL • MTS • operators • Reliance • Survey • Tata • Telenor • Virgin • Vodafone • Wireless • WirelessFederation

TATA india to offer SIM cards on its CDMA network

On 10.07.09, In Mobile, By Editor

Oberthur Technologies the world’s second largest provider of Smart Card based solutions today announced the commercialization of its OMHTM (Open Market Handsets) SIM cards for CDMA (Code Development Multiple Access) networks. OMH SIM cards contain subscriber, network and service configuration data that allow subscribers the freedom to easily change and upgrade their handset, but maintain their network configuration.

Oberthur Technologies collaborated with Tata Teleservices Limited, one of India’s fastest growing private telecom service providers, and Qualcomm Incorporated, a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies, to introduce OMHTM SIM cards into the India market.

Olivier Leroux, Head of the Mobile Product Line for the Card Systems Division at Oberthur Technologies said, “Oberthur Technologies is the first to commercially launch OMHTM SIM cards. We are pleased to partner with industry leaders such as Tata Teleservices and Qualcomm who are enhancing the subscriber experience for Indian consumers.”

The OMHTM SIM card, referred to as a removable user identity module (R-UIM), is a state of the art smartcard that stores operator and subscriber specific configuration parameters, separate from the handset memory. By having this configuration parameters located on the OMHTM SIM card rather than the device, subscribers can more easily switch or upgrade their handsets. These cards allow CDMA network operators to increase the selection of devices and services while lowering distribution and inventory costs.

“These are exciting times in the Indian telecom space where innovation, research and development are the key to success and remain competitive in the business. In our constant effort to redefine the telecom space keeping customers at the central point, Tata Teleservices decided to partner with Qualcomm and Oberthur Technologies to further develop the Open Market Handset initiative and offer more choice to customers”, said Lloyd Mathias, Chief Marketing Officer, Tata Teleservices Limited.

“Qualcomm is pleased to work with Oberthur Technologies for its leadership as one of the first companies to develop OMH SIM cards,” said Nakul Duggal, Senior Director and OMH Project Lead, Qualcomm Corporate Engineering Services. “The OMH initiative is focused on increasing device variety by offering new channels and distribution options within the CDMA ecosystem to provide greater subscriber flexibility.”

About Oberthur Technologies

With sales of 882 million Euros in 2008, Oberthur Technologies is a world leader in the field of secure technologies. Innovation and high quality services ensure Oberthur Technologies’ strong positioning in its main target markets:

– Card Systems: The world’s second largest provider of security and identification based on smart card technology and associated services for mobile, payment, transport, digital TV and convergence markets. – Identity: Leading international supplier for the manufacture and personalization of secure identity documents such as passport, identity card, driving license or health care card – traditional and electronic – and associated services for both governmental and corporate markets. – Security printing: World’s third largest private security printer specialized in high security for the production of banknotes, checks and other fiduciary documents in more than fifty countries. – Cash protection: World leader in the emerging market of intelligent systems to secure cash-in-transit and ATM.

Close to its customers, Oberthur Technologies benefits from an industrial and commercial presence across all five continents.

Oberthur Technologies S.A. is a limited liability company (societe anonyme) registered in France with its registered office at 50 quai Michelet 92 532 Levallois Perret, France. Oberthur Technologies S.A.’s corporate registration number is 340 709 534 R.C.S. Paris.

Website: http://www.oberthur.com

About Tata Teleservices Limited

Tata Teleservices Limited is one of India’s leading private telecom service providers, having a pan-India presence across all of India’s 22 telecom Circles. The company offers integrated telecom solutions to its customers under the Tata Indicom, Tata DOCOMO, Photon and Walky brands, and uses both the CDMA and GSM technology platform(s) for its wireless networks. Tata Teleservices Limited, along with Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited, operates in more than 325,000 towns and villages across the country. In November 2008, Tata Teleservices entered into an agreement with Japanese telecom major NTT DOCOMO, and this transaction marks a key step in the strategic evolution of Tata Teleservices Limited. Tata DOCOMO has so far launched GSM services in eight telecom Circles, and the remaining part of the country is also expected to be covered shortly. In December 2008, Tata Teleservices announced a unique reverse equity swap strategic agreement between its fully-owned telecom tower subsidiary-Wireless TT Info-Services Limited-and Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited, thereby becoming the largest independent entity in this space. Tata Teleservices’ bouquet of telephony services includes mobile services, wireless desktop phones, public booth telephony and Wireline services.

For details, visit http://www.tatateleservices.com, http://www.tatadocomo.com or http://www.tataindicom.com.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Tagged with: CDMA • CDMA Network • Chief Marketing Officer • Convergence • DiGi • digital wireless communications • Government • GSM • GSM Service • Handsets • India • india market • indian consumers • indian telecom • Indus • Intel • Japan • Maharashtra • Mobile Product • Mobile Service • Mobile services • NTT DoCoMo • oberthur • Oberthur Technologies • operators • OTE • Phones • Qualcomm • Quippo Telecom • Quippo Telecom Infrastructure • Research • Service Providers • SIM • SIM Card • Tata • Tata Indicom • Tata Tele • Tata Teleservices • Technology • Telecom Circles • TIM • VAS • wireless communication • Wireless network

TATA and BSNL enter Network Sharing deal (India)

On 10.02.09, In Mobile, By Editor

Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL), India’s fastest-growing pan India telecom service provider, today announced the signing of a landmark ‘Master Services Agreement for Passive Infrastructure Sharing’ with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

Becoming the first Indian private telecom operator to enter into an agreement of this nature. The agreement which is valid for 15 years will be applicable to both Tata Teleservices Limited and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited in all of India’s 22 telecom Circles.

“This is a moment of pride for us, as we have become the first private telecom operator to enter into such a strategically important agreement with BSNL, one that will allow us to expand our telecom footprint across the country much more quickly,” Mr Madhav Joshi, President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Tata Teleservices Limited, said.

The agreement comes at a very strategic time for Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited (TTML), as both companies have been aggressively expanding their network presence on the CDMA side with Tata Indicom, while also rolling out GSM services under the TATA DOCOMO brand name. “In the short space of just three months, we have already rolled out our GSM services in nine Circles—Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Orissa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh and Haryana,” Mr AG Rao, Chief Technology Officer, Tata Teleservices Limited, said. “This agreement has the potential to not just speed up our network expansion and rollout process, but would also have a substantial impact in terms of reduced costs,” he added.

Under the terms of the agreement, TTSL and TTML will have access to thousands of BSNL towers all across the country.

Tagged with: Agreement • Andhra Pradesh • BSNL • CDMA • Chhattisgarh • chief technology officer • DoCoMo • GSM • GSM Service • GSM Services • Haryana • India • india telecom • Infrastructure • Infrastructure Sharing • joshi • Karnataka • Kerala • Madhav • Madhya Pradesh • Maharashtra • Mr AG Rao • Mumbai • Network Expansion • Network Sharing • Network Sharing Deal • Orissa • Sanchar • Service Provider • Tamil Nadu • Tata • Tata DoCoMo • Tata Indicom • Tata Tele • Tata Teleservices • Teleco • Telecom Circles • telecom operator • Telecom Service Provider • Towers • TTML • TTSL

ZTE to market $20 mobiles in India

On 09.23.09, In Mobile, By Editor

ZTE has entered the Indian retail market as a standalone player.

It is hoping to hike the contribution of the Indian market to its global handset sales would go up to 20 per cent from the existing 16 per cent.

ZTE India Chairman & Managing Director D K Ghosh said in a statement that India is a key focus market for ZTE.

The company has launched a range of low-cost GSM handsets — S315, A261, R220, R230 and R230BT at price points ranging from USD 20 to USD 80. ZTE has sold over 20 million handsets in India through operator partnerships . It is targeting a network of 100,000 retail outlets in India by this year-end.

The company has appointed “Overseas Mobiles” as its national distributor. Overseas Mobiles will be appointing 80 regional distributors across India and will manage relationships with distributors and corporate customers on behalf of ZTE.

With global sales of over 100 million handsets last year, ZTE is currently the sixth-largest handset manufacturer in the world. It has established partnerships with mobile operators like Vodafone, Hutchison Whampoa, Telefonica globally and BSNL, Reliance, Tata, Vodafone, Spice Telecom and Aircel in India.

Tagged with: Aircel • BSNL • D K Ghosh • Hutchison • Hutchison Whampoa • India • Mobile Operators • r230 • Reliance • Retail Outlets • s315 • Spice • Spice Telecom • Tata • Telefonica • Vodafone • Whampoa • ZTE

Diet-SMS: Tata Docomo launches pay-per-character billing (India)

On 09.16.09, In Mobile, By Editor

This is a novel concept, instead of billing for a text message of 160 characters like most mobile operators, Indian mobile operator Tata Docomo has just launched a short messaging service, called Diet-SMS, which enables customers to pay on a per-character basis.

“The cost of any Diet-SMS will be only one paise per character used (100 paise= 1 rupee), thereby providing complete value to customers. ”

Deepak Gulati, President Tata Docomo said in a statement – “We broke the per-minute pricing paradigm for voice calls when we launched our services. With Diet-SMS, we are doing it again, this time on the SMS front.”

Tata Docomo is a frontrunner in the pay-per-use business model in the Indian mobile telephony segment. It will not charge for space between words!!

Tata Docomo has launched services in eight telecom circles and a countrywide rollout is expected to be completed this year.

“In all of the eight circles where we have launched our GSM services, we made the promise of introducing path-breaking innovative products and services, and never-before tariff options. Diet-SMS is another way of fulfilling that promise,” said Tata Docomo president Deepak Gulati.

Tagged with: Billing • Deepak Gulati • DoCoMo • GSM • India • Pricing • Tariff • Tata

In valuation, Bharti rings like Vodafone

On 08.15.06, In Mobile, By Editor

NEW DELHI: India’s telecom sector has a cause to celebrate, with strong evidence of domestic valuations keeping pace with the highest valued mobile telephone companies in the world – China Mobile and Vodafone.

An analysis of Bharti Enterprises subscriber numbers and stock performance, for example, shows its ratings comparable with China Mobile, the big daddy of mobile telephony in China and Vodafone, the world’s second largest mobile company.
Last week, China Mobile toppled Vodafone to become the world’s most highly valued telecom firm. China Mobiles shares closed at HK$51.50, valuing the company at US$131.46 billion, while Vodafone’s shares closed at 110 p in London, valuing the firm at US$123.11 billion.

China Mobile, with 200 million subscribers, is also the world’s largest mobile operator, ahead of Vodafone’s 186 million global subscribers.

Vodafone, however, remains ahead in terms of its global footprint across 54 countries. In India, it invested US$1.5 billion in Bharti in October 2005.

China Mobile’s subscriber base works out to about 8.3 times and Vodafone’s roughly 7.75 times Bharti’s 24.3 million subscribers. Bharti Enterprises boasts of a 21.2% market share, in comparison to China Mobile’s 40%.

Interestingly, at an average share price of Rs 412, Bharti’s valuation works out to about $16 billion or Rs 72,000 crore. Analysts point out that this mirrors China Mobile and Vodafone, as their valuations, just as with subscriber numbers, works out to around 8.3 times and 7.75 times that of BhartiTele ’s respectively. The striking feature of this comparison is that subscriber and valuation multiples are exactly comparable and proportionate across three firms.

This is a conclusive evidence that Bharti’s valuation (minus some of its other businesses such as Long Distance, and others), even at a fraction of China Mobile and Vodafone’s subscriber base, is globally benchmarked.
Given economies of scale and projections of doubling of mobile subscribers to 200 million by December 2007, it should be fair to expect Bharti to exceed 40 million subscribers before the close of financial year 2006-07, with a proportionate increase in shareholders value.

With these impressive valuations, it is no surprise that like Birlas and Tatas in the recent past, Hutch and Essar are similarly embroiled in bitter battles for control.

The flip side of this spectacular performance is its propensity to strengthen the argument for charging big bucks to these multi-billion dollar corporations in the controversial allocation of 3G spectrum.

Source- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Technorati : 3G, Airtel, Bharti Televentures, Birla, China Mobile, Essar, GSM, Hutch, Tata, Vodafone
Ice Rocket : 3G, Airtel, Bharti Televentures, Birla, Essar, Hutch, Tata, V

Tagged with: Birla • BSNL • CDMA • GSM • India • KTF • Nokia • Reliance • T-Mobile • Tata