BOKU partners with O2 and mpass in Germany for direct mobile billing
Telef³nica O2 Germany, a leading provider of broadband and mobile services, and BOKU Inc., the global leader in online mobile payments, today announced a direct carrier billing relationship. O2 customers can now use BOKU’s payment platform to purchase virtual and digital goods ranging from .09 Euros to 30.00 Euros. O2customers pay for goods by entering their mobile number and charging directly to their mobile phone carrier bill.
O2 is part of Telef³nica, a leading global provider of broadband and mobile services, and the second largest carrier group in the world. O2‘s mpass system allows direct carrier billing for the purchase of virtual, digital and physical goods.
This new partnership integrates the BOKU mobile payments platform into O2 Germany’s operator billing interface, enabling the following advanced features:
- Support for one-off and subscription payments in Germany
- Full pricing granularity from .09 Euros to 30.00 Euros
- Authorization and Capture APIs with refund support
- In-App Billing support
- Web Billing support
The Boku service offers consumers a quicker and easier way to pay online when compared with existing credit card solutions.
This agreement opens up the opportunity for BOKU merchants to offer payment for physical goods as well as virtual and digital goods,†said James Patmore, Managing Director, BOKU in EMEA. Our partnership with O2 confirms our vision of evolving online mobile payments into a range of new vertical markets.â€
Understanding customer needs and merchant requirements in regards to our payment products is essential for continuing our success story in the mobile payment area. A close collaboration with BOKU ensures we position ourselves closely to the key players in the market,†said Michiel van Eldik, Managing Director Wholesale and Partner Management, Telef³nica O2 Germany.
We want to provide our customers with a safe, reliable, and convenient payment solution to pay for goods, be they virtual or physical,†continued O2‘s van Eldik. BOKU’s mobile payments platform has the right blend of technology and finance-grade infrastructure to mesh well with O2 customer needs.â€
BOKU’s bank-grade mobile payment service is available to online merchants and publishers on a global scale. The BOKU service enables merchants and publishers to drive incremental revenue by offering carrier billing as a payment option to their customers. BOKU is connected to 230 mobile operators in more than 65 countries, and provides access to more than 2.5 billion potential customers who can pay by mobile.
O2 Germany plans to launch LTE on July 1
Telefonica O2 Germany is planning to launch commercial LTE services on July 1. The news emerged this week, although the operator has made conservative estimates about the speed of its new network.
According to report, O2 Germany did not provide pricing details during a press conference at CeBIT in Hanover, but stated that its new network will offer connection speeds in line with an average DSL connection. By comparison rival operator Vodafone, which launched LTE in Germany in December 2010, offers connection speeds ranging from 7.2 Mbps up to 50 Mbps.
As per German telecoms regulator Bundesnetzagentur’s last report, broadband speeds typically fall between 2 Mbps and 10 Mbps. The watchdog didn’t break down connection speeds by access technology, but in terms of penetration DSL accounted for just below 90% of Germany’s 25 million broadband connections at the end of 2009.
O2 Germany introduces mobile data roaming promotion
Telefonica O2 Germany has launched a mobile data roaming promotion offering 11 MB of data for the price of 1 MB.
This will allow users to surf the web on their phones within the entire EU zone.
For every 1 MB paid for, O2 will give them 10 additional MB free, giving customers 11 MB data for US$7. The offer is valid until 15 March.
Telefonica O2 selects NSN as LTE partner (Germany)
Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has been selected by Telefonica O2 Germany, a subsidiary of Spanish telecoms group Telefonica, as one of the suppliers for the launch of the operator’s Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.
Telefonica O2 is planning to launch LTE in the coming months using both the 800MHz and 2.6GHz frequency bands. Deployment will begin in so-called rural white spot areas that are currently without any kind of broadband connectivity, followed by urban locations.
Under the three-year contract, NSN will install its Flexi Multiradio Base Stations to implement the LTE sites in large parts of Germany. It will also provide a full set of hardware and software maintenance services, and will continue to expand and maintain the operator’s 2G/3G network.
O2 Germany confirms 1,100 Job cut
Telefonica O2 Germany has confirmed plans to merge its operations with its HanseNet subsidiary to become an incorporated telecommunications company.
The company has also made it clear that it is going to cut 1,100 jobs as the company is merging with its HanseNet subsidiary. The merged O2 and HanseNet will continue to operate under the name of Telefonica O2 Germany with its head office in Munich.
Telefonica O2 bought the German broadband company, Hansenet from Telecom Italia for US$1.25 billion this year.
According to Ren© Schuster, CEO Telef³nica O2 Germany, with O2 and HanseNet the company is merging two strong companies into one and thus creating a future-oriented organization that can act quickly in the market.
As per the agreement with Telecom Italia the Alice brand will still be used for more than two years and will get gradually O2. The incorporation will be accomplished by 31 March 2011.
Telefonica O2 Germany launches ad- financed mobile service
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Launch of a free mobile service financed by advertisements has been announced by Telefonica O2 Germany and the company claims to be the first of its kind in Germany. It has been named as ‘Netzclub’ calling plan.
Under this plan, subscribers receive free mobile internet access, text messages and airtime if they agree to receive regular, personalized adverts on their mobile phones. Depending upon the users’ profile, the marketing areas are determined on an individual basis. Customers will have to respond once a month to one of the marketing offers by text message or on the internet to renew the subscription.
The pre-paid calling plans include- ‘Handy Internet Flat’ which offers unlimited internet surfing, and ‘Kombitarif 30′ with 30 free minutes, 30 text messages to any German network and 30MB of free mobile surfing.
Netzclub was developed in partnership with mobile marketing firm YOC and with a portfolio of more than 180 titles; it has the largest premium mobile advertising network in Europe.
Telefonica contracts NSN to expand network in Germany
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Telefonica O2 Germany has signed a service contract with Finnish equipment supplier Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) as per which the latter will expand the operator’s network capacity to prepare for future traffic growth.
A range of services will be provided by NSN under the contract including network implementation, project management and logistics. The aim is to efficiently expand network in Germany where the vendor has previously deployed network infrastructure. Besides, the company has also extended its existing supplier contract for 2G/3G technology.
According to Andrea Folgueiras, CTO at Telefonica O2 Germany, the company is constantly investing in its network capabilities to offer the best possible quality to its customers and to prepare its network for future demand and NSN is already its 3G technology supplier in the northeast and western areas of Germany and has also convinced that it has the service capability to handle a speedy network expansion.
KPN to act smart in Germany’s largest spectrum auction
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: With Germany preparing itself for the largest mobile spectrum auction scheduled for April 12, 2010, Dutch telecoms group KPN has announced that it would be ‘disciplined’ in its participation in the auction. Working under the name of E-Plus brand, t has also announced to improve its network.
E- Plus also divulged its interest in new spectrum as on option for decreasing the cost of its plans to increase capacity and coverage in Germany and aims to take a disciplined value-driven approach in the auction so that spectrum is only acquired at the right price.
It was announced by Germany’s telecoms regulator Federal Network Agency (FNA) last week that a total of four applicants had been admitted to the auction which involves licenses for spectrum freed up in the switchover from analogue to digital television. The name of the telcos include- incumbent telco Deutsche Telekom’s (DT’s) mobile unit T-Mobile; UK-based Vodafone; Spain’s Telefonica O2 Germany; and E-Plus.
360MHz spectrum package is up for sale along with spectrum in the 1.7GHz, 1.8GHz, 2GHz and 2.6GHz ranges, as well as 60MHz in the digital dividend range of 800MHz.
FNA receives six requests for spectrum auction in Germany
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Six requests have been received by Federal Network Agency (FNA) to take part in the country’s digital frequency auction scheduled for early in the second quarter of 2010. The applications will now be examined by FNA after which it will decide whether the companies are qualified to take part or not.
German telecoms giant Deutsche Telekom (DT), UK-based Vodafone, Spain’s Telefonica O2 Germany and E-Plus, the local unit of Netherlands-based group KPN, are all expected to be among those asking to be admitted as bidders.
It is one of the largest spectrum auctions in Germany since the allocation of UMTS concessions in 2000 and involves licenses for spectrum freed up in the switchover from analogue to digital television. The spectrum package includes 360MHz, 1.7GHz, 1.8GHz, 2GHz and 2.6GHz besides 60MHz in the digital dividend range of 800MHz.
Telefonica & O2 to merge business activities (Germany)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Telefonica Deutschland and O2 Germany will fuse their business-to-business activities and the operation of their mobile communications and landline infrastructures under the common name of Telefonica O2 Germany.
CEO of Telefonica Deutschland, Johannes Pruchnow has been appointed as the managing director of the new business division. Andrea Folgueiras, CTO at Telefonica O2 Germany, will take over landline operations in addition to her existing responsibilities. The new business division will merge the sales marketing of the business customer offers for SMEs and multinational companies as well as the landline wholesale business.
