Vodafone Qatar mobile internet promotion (Qatar)
As per Vodafone Qatar’s ongoing promotion customers can use internet on their mobile for only US$ 0.12 per MB. The exciting new mobile internet promotion was announced in March and will continue until 12 midnight on the 19th April 2012.
With this fantastic new rate of only US$ 0.12 per MB, customers can now do more of everything online at a lower price! Whether customers wanted to browse You Tube, socialize on Facebook, look for the latest new updates, check today’s weather or anything else, the process has became a lot more enjoyable with Vodafone’s new mobile internet rate.
Luke Longney, Senior Marketing Manager, Vodafone Qatar, said that the possibilities with mobile internet are endless! This mobile internet promotion along with free 0.facebook.com allows customers to do more of what they love online for less with Vodafone.
Vodafone Qatar teams up with Q-Post to offer more Vodafone products
Vodafone Qatar has partnered with Q-Post to offer more Vodafone products at Q-Post branches.
According to the company, as per the agreement, customers can now sign up to Vodafone and receive a Welcome Pack at Q-Post’s branches all over the country. Visitors to the Q-Post branches can buy Red recharge cards and also the popular International Calling Cards.
With 30 Q-Post branches located all over Qatar, customers greatly benefit from the agreement and can take advantage of other services offered by Q-Post, from making e-government payments, to renewing licenses and health cards.
According to Daniel Horan, Director-Commercial Business Unit at Vodafone, the company continues to ensure that they reach everyone in the country, and continue to make a world of difference for all the people of Qatar.
Femtocell deployments more than double in 12 months
Recent research reports have unearthed that deployment of Femtocells by mobile networks have more than doubled in the past 12 months. The report has found that although residential services represent the overwhelming majority of Femtocell deployments, the market has also started to see particularly strong growth in the enterprise sector.
Almost a third of Femtocell deployments now include enterprise offerings, contrasting strongly with the situation 12 months ago when there were no non-residential deployments. There are 19 Femtocell deployments in total globally compared with nine last year.
These include six enterprise offerings, two urban deployments from Vodafone Qatar and Telefonica Spain as well as an outdoor rural service from SoftBank in Japan. These demonstrate that operator interest is not limited to residential services alone. Non-residential Femtocell services focus on the high-value enterprise market, public places such as metropolitan environments where they provide a capacity boost, and rural areas where network coverage has traditionally been uneconomical.
Furthermore, the past quarter has also seen important progress in Femtocell technology. In addition to more powerful models that cover larger areas, new low power USB-connected Femtocell designs promise to open up new service opportunities for operators. The second Femtocell plug fest also took place, indicating that the industry is close to seeing widespread standardized Femtocell deployments.
The researchers believe that while residential Femtocell deployments continue to grow, they are seeing changes in the market as a whole with operators realizing the technology can extend to the enterprise, rural and urban markets. Enterprise offerings are rapidly becoming a standard component of all Femtocell deployments. Beyond this, operators have already started to embrace urban Femtocells to overcome the coverage challenge, and outdoor designs for rural markets which could also revolutionize developing markets too.
Researchers expect that the Femtocell market will experience significant growth over the next few years, reaching just less than 49 million Femtocell access points (FAP) in the market by 2014 with 114 million mobile users accessing mobile networks through Femtocells during that year. Healthy growth is anticipated throughout the forecast period with Femtocell unit sales reaching 25 million in 2014 alone.
The expansion of the Femtocell industry is also reflected in the growing membership of the Femto Forum, the Femtocell industry association, which now includes 74 vendors and 61 mobile operators representing over 1.71 billion mobile subscribers worldwide, across multiple wireless technologies (WiMAX, UMTS and CDMA) and accounts for 33% of total mobile subscribers worldwide.
Vodafone Qatar collaborates with Alcatel-Lucent for radio base station deployment
Vodafone Qatar has teamed up with Alcatel-Lucent to set up 17 radio base stations designed to blend into the urban environment aligned with its ‘green technology‘ program.
According to the company, this initiative is in line with the urban planning and development of the country and is fully supported by the telecom regulator and the government of Qatar.
Alcatel-Lucent is providing Vodafone Qatar with a full end-to-end turnkey solution including monopole tower, camouflage solution, 2G and 3G equipment, microwave equipment, civil works and set of comprehensive services, including design, site engineering, integration, installation and commissioning, and network operation.
As part of Vodafone Qatar’s green technology program in 2011, they also target the deployment of additional hybrid powered base stations in rural areas to harness solar and wind energy.
Vodafone Qatar selects Alcatel-Lucent for landline contract
Vodafone Qatar has awarded an agreement to Alcatel-Lucent to be the sole supplier for an expansion into the fixed broadband market. Following the award of a landline license last year, Vodafone Qatar is planning to offer customers an integrated service, encompassing fixed and mobile.
To achieve this ambitious project, Vodafone Qatar selected Alcatel-Lucent, together with partner companies, to deploy an entirely new fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network, based on gigabit passive optical network (GPON) and point-to-point Gigabit Ethernet technology. Alcatel-Lucent’s IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) solution will then be used to link the new infrastructure with Vodafone Qatar’s existing mobile network. This will allow services to be offered seamlessly through fixed and mobile connections without excessive cost or complexity.
According to Jenny Howe, CTO, Vodafone Qatar, the company continues to be committed to bring innovations to their customers and to become the most admired brand in the country. Partnering with Alcatel-Lucent, they will now look forward to extend their service offerings across Qatar to fixed broadband – a major area of growth for our company. Together with Alcatel-Lucent they will make a world of difference for all people in Qatar.
Qatar Central Bank Permits Mobile Money Transfers & Payments
Qatar’s Central Bank has permitted telecom network operators, namely, Qatar Telecom and Vodafone Qatar to add mobile money transfer and payment services in direct collaboration with banks and exchange houses licensed by Qatar Central Bank.
The mobile payment will help the customers to pay for services provided by public institutions, companies and other enterprises, knowing that this service is actually provided in agreement with telecom network operators.
The service will also enable consumers to transfer funds through their telecom operator locally, as well as abroad, in accordance with the stipulated limits.
Qatar Central Bank has studied the feasibility of this service in terms of its procedures and applications with the mentioned companies as well as some banks to ensure the authenticity and transparency of the remittances and their conformity to the controls and regulations applied on payment systems in the State.
Vodafone Qatar report diminishing Losses
As per Vodafone Qatar, it is on target to break into operating profit as it continued to shrink its losses. The company reported a first half loss of US$8.77 million, compared to a loss of US$95 million a year ago. Revenues rose by 20% to $105.9 million.
According to the statement by John Tombleson, the company’s acting chief executive, Vodafone remains on track to deliver first full quarter of positive EBITDA for the three months ending 31 December 2010.
Vodafone Qatar’s customer base grew by over 700 customers a day, during the quarter to 601,000 by the end of September.
According to the company, this is a 12% increase in customers over the quarter and now equates to 37% of the population of Qatar using Vodafone.
Vodafone Qatar CEO dies
Vodafone Qatar has revealed that the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Grahame Maher has passed away. Maher was 51and died of a heart attack.
According to the company, it will appoint John Tombleson the Chief Financial Officer as acting chief executive.
Maher led Vodafone Qatar since 2008, managing the company through a $1 billion initial public offering and the rollout of service to the public last year. The company, which achieved a customer base of 600,000 in September out of a population of about 1.6 million, became the first domestic competitor to Qatar Telecom QSC.
According to the company, Grahame himself made a difference to the lives of everyone he touched. He was a great CEO, coach, mentor, and friend. The company will all sorely miss his inspiration and vision, his passion and energy, and his love for all the people he worked with.
UAE telecom market lacks competition – du CEO
As per the CEO of du, the UAE telecom market lacks competition but customers are seeing some improvement in the number of services offered by the country’s two operators.
According to Osman Sultan, there is never enough competition. The most important thing is ensure that customers have the choice, this is today happening in the mobile and it will happen through the right value proposition in the fixed and broadband market.
Du was launched in 2006 as part of a government plan to boost competition in the telecommunications sector but delays in infrastructure and number portability deals have failed to create value.
Sultan further claimed, a shared infrastructure deal with Etisalat, which would allow du to reach areas that could not be accessed before for fixed line telephone, internet and television services, is being hammered by technical glitches. There are technical things that have been identified and these technical things are taking a little bit longer than anticipated.
According to Grahame Maher, CEO of Vodafone Qatar, he thought the UAE telecoms market lacked real competition. He thinks prices are significantly higher in Dubai then they are in Qatar. So he would say you need real competition. In Qatar they have it, but he doesn’t thinks there is real competition in Dubai. So if you have real competition, two is enough. You can have five, but if there isn’t any real competition it won’t help you.
Vodafone Qatar Awarded as the Best Customer Strategy in the Middle East
Vodafone Qatar, Qatar’s fastest growing mobile operator won the ‘Best Customer Strategy in the Middle East’ prize at the Telecoms World Middle East (TWME) 2010 awards.
Vodafone was the only telecoms operator from Qatar to be honored at the largest gathering of telecom CEOs in the Middle East, Vodafone Qatar won praise from TWME 2010 judges for demonstrating an unparalleled ability to succeed and continually set standards of excellence.
After four months of strong competition, Vodafone beats 200 rivals from across the region as the hard slog and dedication of its Customer Care Champions and the loyalty of its customers were rewarded.
According to Daniel Horan, Director, Consumer Business Unit, Vodafone Qatar, this prestigious award is a great recognition for all the hard work that has gone in over the past 18 months in delivering an awesome customer experience for all the customers in Qatar.
According to Deirdre Hutchinson, Head of Vodafone Qatar’s Customer Care, being recognized as having the ‘Best Customer Strategy’ among 200 nominations is a fantastic success for Vodafone Qatar. It rewards the achievements Vodafone’s team has made in delivering great value products and services to more and more customers.
