Vodafone Egypt to offer customers personalized mobile services (Egypt)
Telecommunications provider Vodafone Egypt is upgrading its One-NDS platform provided by Nokia Siemens Networks in a bid to offer users personalized mobile services thereby enhancing customer experience. According to company reports, Tony Dolton, Chief Technical Officer, Vodafone Egypt has said that with a fast growing emerging market, characterized by increased uptake of smartphones and tablets, subscribers are looking for more, highly personalized services. He added that staying competitive demands introduction of new features and services at a faster pace. Further, with its simplified architecture and high resilience, Nokia Siemens Networks’ One-NDS platform will enable them to do just that.
As per sources, Sharaf El-Din Mohamed, head of the Vodafone Egypt customer team at Nokia Siemens Networks claims that this implementation will provide the base for a more efficient and flexible management of subscriber data. He added that the project will help the operator to analyze current market segments, while improving subscriber loyalty.
Egypt mobile subscriber base reaches 67mn
According to Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Egyptian mobile subscriber base grew to 66.87 million at the end of November 2010, from 65.5 million a month earlier.
In November 2009, Egypt’s three mobile operators, Etisalat Egypt, Mobinil and Vodafone Egypt, had 53.68 million subscribers.
Egypt’s mobile phone networks restored
Egypt’s mobile phone networks have been able to resume their services after being ordered to shut-down their networks on Friday. Vodafone, France Telecom controlled Mobinil and UAE based Etisalat owned, Etisalat Misr were all ordered to block their networks in selected areas throughout the country.
The move seemed to fail on the government though, as protests had been pre-arranged in anticipation of such action, and the blockage seemed to simply inflame existing anger with the government.
According to Vodafone Egypt, they would like to make it clear that the authorities in Egypt have the technical capability to close their network, and if they had done so it would have taken much longer to restore services to our customers. It has been clear to them that there were no legal or practical options open to Vodafone or any of the mobile operators in Egypt but to comply with the demands of the authorities.
The decision to shut the network had been criticized by international campaigners who called upon the mobile networks to defy the government, despite the technical impossibility of doing so.
There have also been unconfirmed rumors that the mobile networks might be ordered to shut-down again on Monday and that landline networks may also be shut-down. The landline networks have been the main route for internet traffic as users which to dialing international ISPs to bypass the blocked local broadband services.
Egypt mobile phone ownership surpasses 80%
The latest figures by Egyptian officials reveals that more than 80% of Egyptians will start 2011 with mobile phones, it also showed that cell phone subscriptions grew by nearly a quarter during the year.
According to state website, subscriptions as of October were 65.488 million, a rise of more than 12.5 million, or 23.6% from a year earlier. Egypt is Arab world’s most populous country, with about 79 million people.
In October 2009, Egypt’s three mobile operators — Etisalat Egypt, Mobinil EMOB.CA and Vodafone Egypt — had 52.978 million subscribers.
According to the head of the telecoms regulator’s previous statements, Egypt was looking into options for a fourth mobile licence, including a virtual network.
Egypt’s Telecom Growth May Slow: HC
Cairo-based AlembicHC’s report has revealed that growth in Egypt’s telecommunications industry may be limited next year and beyond as mobile-phone revenue per user and the number of new subscribers decline.
The penetration rate in Egypt is higher than it seems as real penetration is expected to reach 95% by the end of 2010. HC Brokerage, which issued the report, is now known as AlembicHC.
According to AlembicHC, Telecom Egypt, the country’s monopoly fixed-line operator and 45% shareholder of the second-biggest mobile network, Vodafone Egypt, faces better growth prospects because of the diversity of its revenue stream and strong balance sheet. Egyptian Co. for Mobile Services, Egypt’s biggest mobile-network operator also known as Mobinil, will face rising competition and higher costs for upgrading its network.
AlembicHC estimates Mobinil will have a market share of 40.5% at the end of the year, compared with Vodafone Egypt’s 41.1%. According to the report Egypt will have 74.9 million subscribers by year-end.
Telecom Egypt backs away from buying Vodafone’s stake
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Telecom Egypt has announced that it has backed away from its desire to buy out Vodafone’s stake in its Egyptian mobile network. 54.9% stake in the company is currently held by Vodafone and 44.95% is controlled by Telecom Egypt.
According to a joint statement issued by the companies, Vodafone and Telecom Egypt announce that discussions concerning the ownership structure of Vodafone Egypt (VFE) have concluded and the parties have agreed that it is in the best interest of VFE that the current ownership structure should remain in place.
£3 billion might have to be paid by Telecom Egypt to buy out the Vodafone holding in the company.
Orascom to bid for 55% stake in Vodafone Egypt
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Orascom Telecom has announced that it will bid for 55 percent stake in Vodafone Egypt if Vodafone Group put it up for sale. According to Orascom chairman Naguib Sawiris, Orascom would strongly compete for the stake if Vodafone decides to sell.
Telecom Egypt controls the remaining 45 percent of Vodafone Egypt. Analysts have estimated the value of Vodafone’s 55 percent to be around GBP 3 billion (USD 4.36 billion).
Telecom Egypt eyes integrated telecom company
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Acquisition of an integrated telecom company has been considered by state-owned Telecom Egypt which is the only provider of fixed-line services in the country. If the fourth mobile license arrives in the market, the company would consider making a bid for it.
However, no timeline for the acquisitions has been given and the possibility of a fourth mobile license depends on the Egyptian regulator.
According to firm’s chief executive officer, Tarek Tantawy, the company is interested in increasing its exposure to mobile and the market can sustain a fourth player and if it comes up the firm is more than interested.
Profit contribution in 2009 from Vodafone Egypt increased 8% year-on-year to EGP1.4 billion and its total customers stood at 23.3 million at the end of December. Telecom Egypt has a 45% stake in Vodafone Egypt.
TE & Vodafone Egypt ink wholesale services deal
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Telecom Egypt and Vodafone Egypt have inked an agreement for the provision of wholesale telecommunications services.with immediate effect and is expected to represent a total value for TE of approximately EGP 4 billion over the next three years.The deal entails two distinct elements, using TE international gateway services to transit all Vodafone incoming and outgoing international traffic, plus relying on TE’s domestic network for all Vodafone infrastructure leasing needs.
