Wireless Federation

Telcel launches mobile app store (Mexico)

On 03.23.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Mexico’s Telcel has introduced its Mobile Application Store named Ideas Appstore, powered by Appia. The store offers Telcel subscribers with various mobile content and applications across Android, Blackberry, Symbian and Java mobile operating systems.

It includes both paid and free applications such as social media, news, weather and sports apps in both Spanish and English. Appia’s open app marketplace service aims to provide the content for Telcel’s mobile application storefront, as well as the platform for storefront merchandising and commerce.

The app store is integrated with Telcel´s billing and customer care systems. The storefront is optimized to match applications to each subscriber’s device, offering thousands of applications across all major mobile operating systems.

App developers interested in distributing their applications through the Telcel Ideas Appstore, and Appia’s other distribution channels can visit the Appia Developer Program at the Appia website.

Ucell inks bilateral agreement with Smart Mobile and Telecom New Zealand (Uzbekistan)

On 03.21.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Uzbekistan-based mobile services provider Ucell has added new roaming partners. Ucell has signed a bilateral agreement with Latelz in Cambodia (Smart Mobile) and Telecom New Zealand.

The company will now allow prepaid users to roam on the Viva network in Kuwait, on Qtel’s network in Qatar and on Telekom Deutschland’s network in Germany.

Moreover, Ucell added Telecel in Bolivia as a GPRS and 3G roaming partner.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 3G • Bolivia • Cambodia • Germany • GPRS • Kuwait • Latelz • New Zealand • operator • Qatar • Qtel • Smart Mobile • Telcel • Telecom New Zealand • Telekom Deutschland • Ucell • Uzbekistan • Viva

Ericsson plans to acquire $1bn additional revenues

On 03.02.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Ericsson, world’s largest telecoms gearmaker, expects to acquire over $1 billion in additional revenues over the next two years by executing a swing of managed services contracts from India for large telecom firms in Latin America.

Ericsson’s wholly-owned Indian arm, Ericsson India Global Services, is already managing telecom networks in the US, Europe, Africa and Middle East.

According to Amitabh Ray, Senior Vice-President, Ericsson India Global Services, although its global service centre in Mexico has a time zone advantage, the company is planning to leverage its pool of certified engineering resources besides cost-efficiencies in India to support telecom companies across Latin America.

He added that Ericsson’s global services centre in India will work closely with its counterpart in Mexico to address the huge opportunity that exists in the Latin American telecoms spectrum.

He did not disclose the names of telecom firms whose networks will be managed from India but stated that they could include fixed-line operator Telefonica Brazil, cable TV player CableTica, Costa Rica besides Mexican mobile phone companies Telcel and Telefonica Moviles.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: additional revenues • Africa • Amitabh Ray • Brazil • CableTica • Costa Rica • Ericsson • Ericsson India Global Services • Europe • India • Latin America • Mexico • Middle East • Mobile • Senior Vice President • Telcel • telecoms gearmaker • Telefonica Brazil • Telefonica Moviles • U.S

Telcel make changes to voicemail service (Mexico)

On 02.05.11, In Mobile, By Editor

The Mexican unit of mobile phone giant America Movil SAB, Telcel has made adjustments to its voice mail service and is in compliance with regulations that require it to advise users before forwarding their calls to voice mail.

According to the federal telecommunications regulator, it has proposed sanctions against Telcel and two other operators for failing to advice users when they will start being billed for calls that go unanswered and are sent to voice mail.

According to Telcel’s statement, it received a notification from the federal consumer protection agency requiring adjustments in the forwarding message, and that it has proceeded to make the changes.

The telecommunications regulator added that it has also proposed fines against the Mexican unit of Spain’s Telefonica SA, and against smaller operator Unefon, over the voice mail service.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: federal telecommunications regulator • Mexico • Mobile • Spain • Telcel • Unefon • voice mail service

Telcel Mexico Launches Smart SMS Service With Acision Message Plus

On 10.28.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Acision, a world leader in mobile data, today announced that Telcel, the leading operator in Mexico and part of LATAM’s leading wireless group America Movil, has launched its Smart SMS service. Based upon Acision’s Message Plus solution, the service will offer Telcel’s 61.2 million users with personalised messaging services which generate new revenue streams for the operator.

Following a worldwide trend of rising peer-to-peer (P2P) messaging traffic, text messaging in Latin America has experienced a strong uplift in recent years. This clearly demonstrates the continued importance of SMS among mobile users. Acision’s solution comprises of key components of Acision’s Open Data Services Architecture, such as Acision Message Plus, Acision Online Message Store and Acision’s Mobile Data Charging solution. This allows Telcel to differentiate basic SMS with enhancements already available in voice and email. When sending and receiving text messages, Telcel users will now have the ability to send automatic replies, forward or copy messages to another number or email address, block messages from certain mobile numbers as well as access stored messages online.

“At Telcel, we are committed to providing services that match the ever changing lifestyles of our customers. In order to improve our ability to meet customer demand and improve the value of mobile messaging, we wanted to evolve our basic SMS service. As a strategic partner, Acision has always provided industry leading messaging solutions that allow us to innovate subscriber services, stimulate usage and create new revenue streams,” said Gustavo Leal, head of Entertainment VAS at Telcel. “Telcel has successfully launched its Smart SMS service through Acision Message Plus, giving users easy access to a range of new services, accessible through the internet and their mobile devices.”

“Over the past nine years, Acision has been working with Telcel, delivering reliable mobile messaging services to the millions of Telcel subscribers every day,” said Salvador Blasco, VP America Movil Global Business at Acision. “We are delighted to continue this relationship, supporting Telcel in adapting to the ever-changing mobile data environment. Telcel will be the first in the America Movil group to offer subscribers an array of innovative, value add messaging services.”

With Telcel launching its Smart SMS service, the Acision Message Plus services will soon be available to over 600m subscribers across five continents. This will ensure continued growth in P2P messaging. Furthermore, it will enable tie-ups with additional partners to offer ever more enhanced services, such as desktop messaging, parental control, message based advertising and location aware services.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Acision Message Plus • Mexico • Mobile • P2P • Smart SMS Service • Telcel • USA • VAS

Mexico’s Telecom Market expands with the increasing competition

On 09.22.10, In Mobile, By Editor

If reports are to be believed, Mexico’s telecom market will expand at a CAGR of 7.9% over the next five years to generate US$34.9 billion in 2015, owing to radio-access migration from 2.5G to 3G platforms, spectrum auction winners, and the entry of a new player increasing competition.

According to Jose Manuel Mercado, Senior Analyst at Pyramid, the need for better coverage, affordable prices and state-of-the-art communications has lead the federal government to promote competition in the mobile segment with much more intensity – two spectrum auctions took place in 2010, and the most important outcome is the entry of new player Televisa-Nextel. In 2011 Televisa-Nextel will start to offer services to the mass market, and Telcel and Telefonica will expand their 3G services thanks to their new capacities. The next step toward more competition will be related to the pay-TV market and its inclusion of Telmex.

Jose explained that, market expects mobile services revenue to account for 67% of the total market by 2015; this will be driven by an increase in the subscriber base of roughly 41 million net adds between 2009 and 2015, increased by intensified competition between Movistar and Telcel, which is helping to bring down the prices of services and to boost mobile data adoption. The pay-TV market is becoming more dynamic as a result of aggressive strategies and the entry of new players. Megacable will be the second MVNO player and with the spectrum acquired by Televisa, the pay-TV segment will lead the technological change.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 2.5G • 3G • CAGR • Mexico • Mobile • Movistar • MVNO • Pay-TV • Pyramid • radio-access migration • Telcel • Televisa • Televisa-Nextel • Telmex

Comcel launches 3G mobile TV service with Rok

On 08.30.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Comcel, the largest Mobile Operator in Colombia and Rok have joined hands to launch the Ideas Web TV a streamed, on-demand mobile TV subscription service. Powered by ‘ROK TV’ video-streaming technology, Ideas Web TV will offer an early package of Mobile TV channels that will include Discovery Movil, Discovery Kids, Nickelodeon, Playboy Lifestyle, ESPN, ESPN-X, Wappo TV, Disney Channel and National Geographic.

Comcel has confirmed that it will be joining Telcel and will able to offer its customers the highest quality streamed mobile TV service available which it will promote as a monthly subscription service valued at approximately US$8.25 per month.

According to Jonathan Kendrick, Chairman and CEO of ROK, the company is delighted to be working with Comcel in Colombia as this symbolizes another major milestone in the global roll-out of the company’s revenue-generating mobile entertainment services.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: ESPN • Colombia • Comcel • Discovery Kids • Discovery Movil • Disney Channel • ESPN-X • Mobile • National Geographic • Nickelodeon • Playboy Lifestyle • ROK • Telcel • TV • Wappo TV

Mexico’s spectrum auction delayed

On 02.06.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: MVS Comunicaciones and Iusacell appeal to suspend the auction of mobile spectrum in the 1850MHz-1990MHz and 1710MHz-2170MHz bands has been granted by a court of Mexico.

The two operators has cited the bidding rules as unfair and argued that the Secretario de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT) should first renew its licenses in the 2.5GHz band before the process begins.

Telcel, Mexico’s largest operator by subscribers has also voiced its discontent with the bidding rules. According to Daniel Hajj, CEO of America Movil, Telcel’s parent company, although the company is participating in the auction, they are not very happy.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: America Movil • Iusacell • Mexico • MVS • North America • operator • spectrum • Telcel • USA

Telcel declared dominant on mobile market by FCC (Mexico)

On 01.29.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Federal Competition Commission (FCC) of Mexico has reconfirmed its decision of establishing the market dominance position of Telcel. The decision was ratified after analyzing the arguments presented by Telcel to sustain that it does not apply any anti-competitive practices.

Telcel’s large market share in terms of subscribers and revenue and high levels of profit gained steadily in recent years has been taken into account during the investigations.

Telcel’s capacity to achieve net subscriber additions over its competitors as a result of its high level of coverage and extensive distribution network spread across the country, as well as the existence of significant barriers to the entry of new operators is also added by CFC.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: federal competition commission • Mexico • North America • operator • Telcel

Telcel and Telmex tie-up opposed by Mexican cablecos

On 01.20.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Mexico’s antitrust watchdog, the Comision Federal de Competencia (Cofeco), has been requested by the country’s cable television operators to reject businessman Carlos Slim’s plan to merge his wireless and fixed line operators, Telcel and Telmex.

According to Camara Nacional de la Industria de Telecomunicaciones por Cable (CANITEC), a trade body representing cablecos including Megacable, the tie- up could effectively cripple competition in the Mexican telecommunication sectors.

The plea came after the revelation that America Movil (AM) is planning to consolidate both Slim’s other telecoms companies Carso Global Telecom and Telmex Internacional (Telint). America Movil took the decision to create a regional telecoms giant offering fixed line, wireless and broadband services, to more than 250 million subscribers.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: America Movil • Carlos Slim • Cofeco • comision federal de competencia • Global Telecom • Mexico • North America • operator • Telcel • Telmex • USA