AT&T launches new data price plans (USA)
Mobile network operator AT&T has launched new data price plans in an attempt to improve revenue from data services. As reported by WSJ, customers signing up for the new data service plans will be paying 33 percent more per month, as compared with the earlier plans.
The report reveals that customers will pay an additional US$ 5 per month but will also receive more data. The most economical price plan now costs US$ 20 for 300 MB data, as compared with the earlier option of US$ 15 for 200 MB data.
As per the report, data contributes significant amounts to AT&T’s overall revenue, which accounted for 39 percent of AT&T’s revenue from wireless customers through the third quarter, up from just 20 percent in 2007.
AT&T has reportedly said that this move offers customers’ greater value for the price. However, industry analysts believe this could be risky for the operator as low data usage customers may look towards rivals with cheaper internet plans.
Airtel launches 3.75G service in Zambia (Africa)
Telecom giant Bharti Airtel has launched its 3.75G service in Zambia. The new technology will offer users high speed internet access enabling them to make video calls, stream and download music as well as watch live television on their mobile handset.
According to company reports, Fayaz King, Managing Director, Airtel Zambia, has said that the 3.75G technology will give their customers the opportunity to interact with data in a different way and that this is why Airtel doesn’t see 3.75G as a product but a platform that enables the community to expand its social and commercial horizons, alongside the rest of the world.
Further, as per the company, the latest technology will offer speeds up to 21 Mbps for its users including the business and youth segment and is similar to the technology being rolled out in Europe and USA. King also said that Airtel will be rolling out its data network across all its markets in Africa with the objective of building the largest 3G network across the continent.
King added that their 3.75G platform will allow customers to combine the enormous potential of the internet with the convenience of cellular phones and other devices. It will liberate the potential of the youth through enabling fast access to the internet for learning, sharing, social networking, creating and accessing content like music. Further, for the small and medium business, it will enable the entrepreneur to embrace a highly mobile way of working with high speed access to email and internet and it will allow large companies to increase productivity through vastly enhanced mobile internet speeds and access to record and allow for communication via video calls on handsets.
T-Mobile offers free messaging for Android users via Bobsled (USA)
Mobile operator T-Mobile has expanded messaging and enhanced calling functionality for Bobsled, providing consumers with effortless communication for free across devices, countries, social networks and mobile carriers. Expanding upon the Bobsled Calling service introduced earlier this year, Bobsled Messaging is an all-in-one, cloud-based messaging application that allows consumers to send and receive individual and group messages with friends and family from any Android-powered smartphone or tablet, and almost any Web-connected, browser-enabled device.
Further, T-Mobile has also enhanced its Bobsled Calling service, enabling users to make free phone calls over their data connection from their mobile and Wi-Fi-enabled devices including Android-powered smartphones and tablets as well as iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices.
Brad Duea, Senior Vice President, T-Mobile USA has said that with Bobsled, they continue to leverage and embrace the power of IP communications to bring seamless, cost-effective connections to consumers across networks, devices, countries and carriers. He added that people can now make free voice calls from an iPad or tablet, send free one-to-one and group messages anywhere in the world, and access their phone’s contacts and text messages from their tablet or computer.
A major advantage of this service is that it allows people to send free, rich media messages including photos, videos and locations to Bobsled users anywhere in the world where they have an open data connection from any Android-powered smartphone, tablet or Web-connected device, using their existing mobile number. Bobsled Messaging also allows people to send group messages from any Android-powered smartphone to other Android-powered smartphones as well as iOS, Windows and Blackberry smartphones and even feature phones.
Apple wins patent battle against HTC (USA, Taiwan)
Apple Inc has emerged victorious in its patent lawsuit against handset manufacturer HTC, as the International Trade Commission has reportedly ruled that HTC has infringed on one patent held by the iPhone maker. As per reports, any of HTC’s phones using the technology which has been infringed will be banned from sales in the USA from 19 April, 2012.
According to reports, industry analysts believe that the ruling is not expected to have a major impact on the company’s sales as the ruling gives them enough time to come up with another feature to compensate for the infringed feature.
As per sources, HTC has said that the feature in question is a common user-interface function which enables smartphone users to access information such as contact numbers and e-mail addresses from apps and other sources, and use them by simply tapping on the text.
The victory will be well received by Apple, after losing out to Korean giant Samsung, on a similar patent infringement case in Australia last month.
Verizon plans new price plan for multiple devices (USA)
Mobile operator Verizon is reportedly planning to introduce new price plans in the coming year enabling its customers to run multiple devices off one account. According to reports, Lowell McAdam, CEO, Verizon Communications has said that the carrier has been studying introducing the plans, which would allow a customer to use a pool of data or voice minutes spread across several handsets or tablets, for several years.
Further, he also said that Verizon could see usage of smartphones among its customers at 70 percent within a few years as compared with 40 percent today. McAdam said that having account-based pricing is the way to go as few consumers have four or five devices, with different plans for each. As per sources, rival operators Sprint and AT&T are also working towards introducing similar price plans.
MTN launches 3G enabled HTC phone to drive data usage (Ghana)
Africa’s leading telecommunications service provider, MTN has reportedly launched the MTN/Qualcomm 3G enabled HTC phone in Accra, in collaboration with Qualcomm, in an attempt to increase awareness and usage of data services, especially among business users.
According to reports, Rahul De, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Ghana, has said that their partnership with Qualcomm to promote these HTC 3G phones ties in with their broad objective to encourage Ghanaians to tap into the benefits of surfing the internet in order to boost productivity and generally impact the socio-economic development of the country.
As per sources, De hopes this initiative will cause more users to take advantage of the wide range of data services available on the network, enhancing their mobile experience. Further, it has been reported that some services such as MTN Business provide total ICT (Information and Communications Technology) solutions to businesses and individuals along with a wide range of 3.5G services.
AT&T may seek legal action against FCC (USA)
US based mobile operator, AT&T has reportedly threatened to sue the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in the event that the agency does not permit the operator to withdraw its application to purchase T-Mobile for $ 39 billion.
According to reports, Wayne Watts, General Counsel, AT&T has said that they have every right to withdraw their merger from the FCC, and that the agency has no right to stop them. He added that the FCC is obligated by its own rules to honor AT&T’s move to rescind its application to acquire T-Mobile USA Inc., and that any deviation from the procedure would be challenged by them in the court.
As reported earlier by Wireless Federation, mobile operators AT&T and T-Mobile withdrew their applications for the merger after the Chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski, had asked the commissioners to forward the proposal to an agency judge for a hearing. As per sources, the members of the FCC said that the deal would lead to a loss in jobs as well as lesser competition in the wireless market.
FCC seeks hearing on AT&T and T-Mobile merger (USA)
The AT&T and T-Mobile deal face yet another obstacle as the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Julius Genachowski, has reportedly asked the commissioners to forward the proposal to an agency judge for a hearing. Sources claim that agency officials believe that the merger could significantly diminish wireless competition.
According to reports, Larry Solomon, Senior Vice President, AT&T (corporate communications), has said that the FCC’s action was disappointing, adding that it is yet another example of a government agency acting to prevent billions in new investment and the creation of many thousands of new jobs at a time when the US economy desperately needs both.
As per sources, agency officials have said that the deal would lead to massive job losses as AT&T realizes savings and that the record at the FCC doesn’t show the merger would significantly spur the spread of wireless high-speed Internet service.
Telefonica signs network sharing agreement with China Unicom (Spain, China)
Spanish telecom operator Telefonica has reportedly entered into a strategic partnership with China Unicom, wherein both operators will use each other’s networks to expand their coverage. According to reports, the deal will provide Telefonica access to China Unicom’s network in the regions of Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Australia, France and Sweden.
In return, China Unicom can reportedly increase its presence through Telefonica’s network in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, USA, Puerto Rico, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.
Reports suggest that Telefonica believes this agreement will help both operators expand their capabilities to provide telecom services to various customers in different geographic areas.
Telefonica reports loss in Q3 results; first in nine years (Europe)
Telefonica, the largest telecom operator in Europe, has reported a net loss of USD 589.7 million for this year, a significant decline from the revenue amount of $ 7 billion during the same quarter last year. According to reports, the company has attributed the loss to the challenging economy, regulatory policies and competitive environments along with the cost to cut jobs.
As per sources, the telecom operator is working on reducing its debt, cutting down on its workforce in Spain and putting a stop to its mergers and acquisitions in an attempt to win back investor confidence. The company reportedly saw mobile data revenues accounting for 41 percent of the entire mobile service revenue, not including the Spanish market.
According to company reports, Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, Chairman and CEO, Telefonica Europe has said that the company has continued to see the benefits of its successful tiered pricing mobile data strategy. Mobile data revenues – driven by increasing smartphone penetration and spiralling mobile data usage – represented 41 per of total mobile service revenues in the first nine months of 2011, compared to 36 per cent in the same period of 2010. Further, Strong commercial results by Telefónica Germany offset moderate performances elsewhere in the Group, where the operating businesses have seen growth restricted by increasingly challenging macro-economic climates.
He also reportedly said that Telefónica Europe’s total customer base reached 57.8 million at the end of September 2011 – a 5 per cent rise year-on-year, while the mobile base was 48 million, with growth mainly in the contract segment.
