Telenor launches Wimp, a music streaming service (Norway)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Wimp, a music streaming service for Norwegians has been launched by Telenor Norway along with Aspiro Music and Norwegian multimedia store Platekompaniet.
It’s a subscription-based music service that enables users to gain full, legal access to an online music library through the internet from their PC or mobile phone. New music could be searched and discovered by the users besides creating playlists, favorites, and recommendations.
The company has signed a deal with 20 content providers for over 6.5 million songs, including four major record companies and a number of smaller independent partners. An editorial crew to categorize music, publish playlists and recommending new and old releases with a special focus on Norwegian music is also established.
Huawei E398 modem to be first launched by Tele2, Telenor Sweden
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Triple-mode Huawei E398 modem, the first LTE wireless modem compatible with LTE, W-CDMA/HSPA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks will be launched over Net4Mobility, a joint infrastructure venture between Tele2 and Telenor Sweden.
The modem is based on Qualcomm’s MDM9200 chipset and it will support multiple LTE frequency bands.
Chinese technology provider has been selected by the Swedish network operator to develop its nationwide LTE network, including the supply of infrastructure and terminal solutions.
Mobile operators join force on global apps platform
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: An open international applications platform has been launched by a joint force of the world’s largest mobile operators. This marks the largest unified move to date by the operator community into the mobile apps space.
A combination of 24 of the world’s largest mobile carriers, the so called ‘Wholesale Applications Community’ includes America Movil, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, KT, mobilkom Austria, MTN Group, NTT Docomo, Orange, Orascom Telecom, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Telenor, TeliaSonera, SingTel, SK Telecom, Sprint, VimpelCom and WIND.
Vodafone, China Mobile, SoftBank and Verizon Wireless in the Joint Innovation Lab (JIL) mobile apps initiative are also included in the group. The move has been backed by GSMA, an industry association. The aim of the alliance is to create a wholesale platform for mobile apps providing a single point-of-entry for developers. Operators are also eyeing the revenue-generating potential of getting into the apps business.
The new operator-led initiative has also got the support from the handset vendors including LG, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.
Indian unit of Telenor hunt for bigger rival
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: With an aim to reflect the expanded ambitions for India, the Indian unit of Norway’s Telenor is considering buying a bigger rival. The step will herald the arrival of consolidation in the jam-packed mobile phone market.
The company is taking several steps to materialize this idea. Bankers are appointed by Uninor to advise it on the likely acquisition of a mid-sized operator besides equipping itself with an internal report on consolidation in the mobile space.
According to Telenor spokeswoman Glenn Mandelid, Telenor has previously stated the group is currently not planning any major acquisitions and Uninor has just launched with the focus on establishing the brand as a preferred provider of mobile services in India.
Telenor profit powered by Asian subscriber growth
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Telenor’s Q4 profit grew 25% year-on-year despite quarterly and annual declines in revenue because of increasing subscriber numbers in Asia. Net profit hit 2.5 billion kroner (€308 million) from 1.9 billion kroner even after sales fell from 29 billion kroner to 26 billion year-on-year.
The quarterly and annual growth of the operator is contributed by growing number of subscribers at Telenor’s operations in Pakistan which added 842,000, Thailand which added 386,000 users, and Bangladesh which added 1.2 million subscribers, thus ending 2009 with a total of 174 million subscribers.
According to CEO Jon Fredrik Baksaas, 2009 results reflect the firm’s focus on geographical presence and reorganization of its activities and he also predicted single digit growth in organic revenues for 2010, and EBITDA margin of 27%-28%, excluding other income and expenses.
Telenor & Alfa shareholders agree on Vimpelcom-Kyivstar JV
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Telenor and the Alfa Group’s shareholders have been offered by the firm to consolidate their Ukraine and Russian mobile operations, four months after ending their bitter dispute over Vimpelcom.
Approval of the minority shareholders has been seeked by the companies on the long-delayed merger between Russian-based Vimpelcom and Ukraine operator Kyivstar.
The proposed merger was finally cleared by the Russian regulators last week which would create a $23 billion (€16.81 billion) company with around 88 million subscribers, and annual revenues of $12.6 billion. Through this deal, Russia’s third-largest carrier Megafon will be merged with Turkish carrier Turkcell in a 50:50 JV.
However, concerns are raised that the deal would leave Alfa in too dominant a position.
Warid Telecom’s stake to be sold by Abu Dhabi Group
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: In order to sell controlling stake in Warid Telecom, the Abu Dhabi Group is in talks with several Pakistani telecommunications groups. If the deal materializes, it will create the largest mobile operator in the country. Although, the company denied revealing the size of the stake, it made it clear that it was looking to offload a sizeable shareholding along with management control.
30 percent stake in Warid Telecom’s Pakistani network was sold by Abu Dhabi Group in July 2007 for USD 758 million in a deal that valued the whole company at USD 2.9 billion.
According to Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and chairman of Abu Dhabi Group, the company is negotiating with PTCL and Telenor.
Vimpelcom-Kyivstar merger approved by Russian regulator
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Vimpelcom and Ukrainian operator Kyivstar merger has been approved by Commission on Foreign Investments. The announcement has been made by head of Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service.
As per the deal, Alfa Group and Norwegian group Telenor will pool their holdings in the two firms to establish a new US-listed, Netherlands-based operator, Vimpelcom Ltd.
Integrated mobile services to consumers in Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries, as well as Georgia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos will be provided by the united company. Vimpelcom Ltd will seek to expand its operations in Europe, Asia and Africa after its establishment.
Vimpelcom – Kyivstar merger to be completed by mid- 2010
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The proposed merger between Russian telco Vimpelcom and Ukrainian firm Kyivstar will be completed by mid- 2010. Telenor and Alfa Group, the two shareholders of Vimpelcom, have already agreed to combine common assets in the two cellular operators to create a new US-listed operator, thus, ending years of legal disputes between the two firms.
The proposed company will be based in Netherlands and will provide integrated mobile services to consumers in Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries, as well as Georgia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
VimpelCom, Megafon deals opposed by Russian regulator
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Alfa Group’s efforts to combine two of Russia’s biggest mobile operators VimpelCom and Megafon with peers in Ukraine and Turkey have been blocked by Russia’s competition watchdog, Igor Artemev.
According to the head of Russia’s Federal Anti-monopoly Service, the deals simultaneously would be undesirable and even unacceptable. Most of the shares of VimpelCom and Ukraine’s Kyivstar are owned by Alfa and Norwegian co-investor Telenor. Plans to combine the two companies were announced last September.
Alfa along with its Nordic partner TeliaSonera joined the forces several week later to try and merge Russia’s third-largest mobile firm Megafon with Turkey’s largest mobile company Turkcell.
