Tunisiana launches new mobile banking service titled ‘mobiflouss’ (Tunisia)
Mobile phone operator Tunisiana has launched a new mobile banking service, mobiflouss, in partnership with the Tunisian Mail (La Poste Tunisienne). The new payment method allows users to access mobility access to a range of payment services and transfer money from their mobile.
To qualify, a person must be a Tunisiana subscriber, carrying a prepaid card, e-DINAR SMART. Once the user registers with mobiflouss, he can perform various financial functions via his mobile phone. The service will enable users to transfer money and pay for goods and services from their mobile phone.
According to reports, Tunisia boasts of a mobile penetration rate of 110.3 percent, while less than 50 percent of the population has a bank account, thus highlighting the huge opportunity for success.
Tunisiana Telecom receives 3G and fixed-line licences (Tunisia)
Telecom operator Tunisiana Telecom has received the required licences to operate fixed line and 3G mobile services in the North African country. According to reports, the Ministry for Information Technologies and Communications said that the operator will pay $132 million for these rights.
The minister claims that this bid will enhance considerably the competitiveness of the Tunisian communication market and ensure easy access to the fast speed Internet countrywide.
The operator is expected to launch its 3G network in July 2012, while it will offer its fixed-line services in early 2013.
Tunisiana’s 3G bid declined (Tunisia)
Telecom operator Tunisiana’s bid for the 3G and fixed licence has been declined by Tunisia’s ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Ministry, according to a report by Biztech Africa.
As per the report the Minister of Information and Communication Technologies, Mongi Marzouk, said Tunisiana had offered to purchase the landline license for $ 23.38 million and the 3G license for $ 81.2 million. The Ministry earlier accepted the company’s proposed terms for network quality.
The report reveals that while the Ministry declined to specify what bid it would accept, it pointed out that Orange Tunisia had paid $ 179 million in June 2009 for a similar package with the option of an exclusive 3G licence for one year.
Tunisie Telecom acquired its 3G licence in 2010, for $ 75.3 million. Tunisiana has indicated that it may revise its bid.
Orange Tunisia offers its customers free mobile access to Wikipedia (Tunisia)
All customers who own an Orange SIM card and a phone can access the Internet using their phone’s browser to the largest online encyclopedia in the world, as often as they want at no extra cost as long as they remain on the pages of the Wikipedia mobile site.
They have the opportunity to navigate freely among millions of items available in the languages ??most used in Tunisia 1 (including Arabic, French and English).By supporting the connection fees for its customers, Orange Tunisia supports the initiative of the Wikimedia Foundation to disseminate knowledge to billions of people around the world where Internet access is mainly from their mobile phones.
This approach is part of a major and unprecedented partnership signed last January between the Orange Group and the Wikimedia Foundation. This partnership will eventually enable over 70 million Orange customers in Africa and the Middle East (AMEA) easier access to knowledge. According to Marc Rennard, Executive Director of the Africa, Middle East and Asia Orange, in countries where it is not easy to access knowledge, they offer access to all their customers from the mobile to Wikipedia, the largest online encyclopedia in the world with no connection fee. This is the first partnership of its kind and demonstrates again the ability to innovate Orange in Africa and the Middle East, and provide real value to their customers.
Wikipedia is the free encyclopedia reference with nearly 500 million unique monthly visitors and more complete with over 20 million articles in 280 languages, from the contribution of a community of volunteers.
Wataniya posts soaring profits on the back of revenue jump (Kuwait)
The Kuwaiti telco witnesses a robust growth in revenue on the back of strong domestic and Algeria operations.
Wataniya Telecom also, known as National Mobile Telecommunications Co. based in Kuwait stated that its net profit for the second quarter rose by 18.7% to $85.4 million from $71.9 million the preceding year for the same period; Tunisian operations have been significantly attributed by the jump in revenue.
Earlier, analysts had predicted a figure in the tune of $83.68 million while one other source forecast $74.87 million; the telecom’s results have exceeded them all.
There was an increase of 35.2% in revenue for the quarter to $669.11 million as compared to $494.76 million in the same quarter the preceding year.
The telco also witnessed a rise in its customer base by 6.8% to hit 16.9 million by the end of the second quarter, as compared to 15.8 million for the same period the preceding year.
According to Sheikh Abdullah Bin Saud Al Thani, Chairman of Wataniya Telecom, Year on Year revenue increase of 15.4% in Kuwait and 30.6% in Algeria shows that investments of previous periods are starting to pay off and that they are capable of driving progress in competitive markets. On the other hand, Tunisiana’s robust performance demonstrates the ability to overcome challenges and produce solid results.
Qatar Telecom or Qtel which is the Gulf Arab state’s largest telecom operator, in partnership with Tunisian investment firm Princesse Holding asserted on November 22 that they would pay Orascom Telecom $1.2 billion for its 50% stake in its Tunisian unit, Tunisiana. Eventually, Qtel completed the acquisition through Wataniya Telecom whose majority stakes it owns. In addition, Qtel had raised its stake in Tunisiana to 75% earlier this year.
Orange Tunisia, YouVas introduce App Shop
Orange Tunisia in partnership with local company YouVas has launched an App store featuring over 20 locally developed applications as well as intenational ones such as Roland Garros 2011, Jardins de Versailles and Coach Forme.
It offers a 70% revenue share to developers and gives them 50 percent of the ad space to promote their products.
Several of the first apps that went live were developed by Tunisian students under the Orange DevCenter initiative to support end-of-studies projects. These include Orange Viewer, Citations, Orange Services and Orange Info Plus.
Orange Tunisia to set up app store at end of May
Orange Tunisia will be offering its subscribers one-click access to hundreds of local and international apps for a broad range of smartphones using the major operating systems (Android, Blackberry, Java, Symbian and Windows Mobile)on 31 May.
Orange has been working with local talent on developing Tunisian apps since October 2010 and opened a mobile software development centre in Tunis in December.
The new app store is intended to enable developers to reap the fruits of their labour, with a revenue share of 70/30 in their favour. The operator informs the developer community that anyone with an app to offer can register at http://developpeur.orange.tn/ and that both free and pay apps will be made available.
208 operators in 80 countries currently investing in LTE- Report
A recent report by Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) has revealed that around 208 operators are now investing in LTE, which is 98 operators more than in June 2010.
According to the report, the number of countries and territories where LTE systems are deployed or planned has increased by 32 in the same period.
The report confirms 154 firm LTE network deployments are in progress or planned in 60 countries, including 20 networks which have commercially launched. A further 54 operators in 20 more countries are engaged in LTE technology pilot trials or tests.
Taken together, it means that 208 operators in 80 countries are now investing in LTE. The report covers both LTE FDD and LTE TDD systems. The 60 countries and territories having firm LTE network commitments are Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong S.A.R., Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore , South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, UAE, UK, Uruguay, USA, and Uzbekistan.
LTE networks are launched in 14 countries, namely Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Sweden, USA, and Uzbekistan. GSA forecasts that at least 81 LTE networks will be in commercial service by end-2012.
Tunisie Telecom offers bonus credit daily, weekly (Tunisia)
Tunisie Telecom has started offering its fixed and mobile customers bonus credit between based on daily or weekly consumption between 3 May and 5 June.
There is no charge to activate either the daily or weekly promotion, done by sending an SMS to short codes *112# and *113#, respectively.
For every Tunisian Dinar (TDT) of calls or text messaging consumed each day, people on the Ahla, Ahla Hbaybet and Sigounda prepaid services will get a free TDT of credit to be used the same night between 22:00 and 06:00. The limit is set at US$14.59 a day.
Customers on Elissa-branded service can get US$21.88 of bonus credit each week. This offer gives them a 30 percent bonus on any call or SMS consumption over US$2.18, Monday to Friday.
The bonus can be used between midnight on Saturday and midnight on Sunday.
