By Editor on May 15, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Airtel Tanzania yesterday launched a five-in-one offer that encompasses its data and voice services through a combination of quality, affordable rates and unique online products, according to a report by Tanzania Daily News.
The new services launched will allow Airtel customers to call for half a shilling 24 hours throughout the week to preferred numbers. The company’s Managing Director Sam Elangalloor said at the launch in Dar es Salaam that Airtel subscribers will enjoy night calls at quarter a shilling, send 10 SMS at $0.02 and get 200 free.
They will also get free facebook browsing as well as free night time Internet. He emphasized that whereas the offer mainly targeted the youth, all other Airtel customers frequently using both data and voice services will also be rewarded. He said Airtel is committed to providing our customers with quality innovative products and services that will improve the total customer experience.
Elangalloor added that Supa 5 will provide a great experience with five grand offers that will enable youth across the country to select three numbers to call for half Shilling all day all night. He said the offer provides a well-rounded and affordable solution for those who seamlessly use voice calls, online social platforms and short texts to communicate with relatives, friends and peers.
On his part, Airtel Marketing Director Cheikh Sarr said the Supa 5 is the most competitive offer available in the local market with no hidden charges.
Filed under Africa, Mobile, Mobile Pricing, Mobile Promotions, Mobile Youth Segment, Tanzania ·
Tagged with Airtel Marketing Director Cheikh Sarr, Airtel Tanzania, data and voice services, free facebook browsing, Managing Director Sam Elangalloor, online social platform, short texts, Supa 5, Tanzania, Voice Calls, youth segment
By Editor on April 25, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Mobile phone users in Kenya have been decreasing their usage for voice calls and text messages as price wars between operators have started settling, according to a report by AllAfrica.
According to the report, the Minutes of Use (MoU) per subscriber per month in the period between October and December 2011 declined by 10.53 per cent from 89.3 minutes to 79.9 minutes. Latest industry data show the total number of voice minutes received on all mobile networks declined by 5.07 per cent from 7.1 billion minutes to 6.7 billion minutes compared to the same period in 2010 when an increase of 16.09 per cent was recorded.
The report also revealed that users sent fewer text messages with average number of SMS sent by each subscriber per month recorded as 10.71 down from 17.42 in the previous quarter, a decline of 38.52 per cent.
During the period, a total of 902 million messages were sent down from October 1.38 billion during the previous three months, posting a decline of 34.85 per cent, compared to one year earlier when an increase of 57.79 per cent was recorded.
As per the report, mobile price wars started in August 2010 when Airtel (then Zain) cut its calling rates by over 50 per cent. The operator’s entry in the market caused all operators to rethink their pricing strategies in order to maintain their subscriber base. However, the economic downturn caused operators such as Safaricom to focus more on its investment than the price war.
However, as the report reveals, industry analysts claim that new promotional offers may lead to an upswing in the mobile phone usage once again.
Filed under Africa, Kenya, Mobile, Mobile Pricing ·
Tagged with Airtel, minutes of use (MOU), Mobile networks, mobile phone usage, mobile price wars, price wars, Subscriber base, Text Messages, Voice Calls, Voice Minutes
By Editor on April 23, 2012 · Leave a Comment
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued amendments to the Telecommunication Tariff Order (TTO) thereby mandating provision of ‘Per Second Pulse Rate’ by every service provider.
After this amendment it has become mandatory for service providers to offer in each service area atleast one tariff plan each for both postpaid and prepaid subscriber with a uniform pulse rate of ‘one second’. The rates for Premium Rate Services currently levied by service providers are substantially higher vis-à-vis the normal tariff applicable for a two-way communication due to the fact that the charges levied also include the price for content.
Keeping in view the fact that calls and SMS made for participating in competition and voting hardly contain any content, the Authority has mandated that tariff for such calls and SMS shall not exceed four times of the applicable local call/ SMS charges. The amendment also provides flexibility to service providers to apply revision in ILD tariff uniformly for new as well as existing subscribers.
Filed under Asia, India, Mobile, Mobile Billing, Mobile PostPaid, Mobile PrePaid, Mobile Pricing, Mobile Regulatory Policies ·
Tagged with mobile postpaid, mobile prepaid, Per-Second Billing, SMS, Tariff Plan, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Telecommunication Tariff Order (TTO), Text Messages, Voice Calls, ‘Per Second Pulse Rate’
By Editor on April 9, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom, which is currently embarking on a $700-million landmark mobile network modernization program, brings a radically enhanced network experience to residents of Davao City through fast call connections, on-time delivery of text messages, and reduced incidence of dropped calls even at peak hours and traffic-heavy occasions.
Being a key market and focus area for Globe, Davao City was tapped for the implementation of the network change-out beginning December last year, resulting in doubled mobile telephony capacity in the area to support growing customer demand and improvements in voice and SMS service quality.
The network modernization program, touted as the most significant investment of Globe in the last two decades, includes an all-IP infrastructure, pervasive 3G coverage, double fiber optics capacity, 4G and LTE readiness, and overall quality and resiliency.
Once completed, Globe envisions a robust and resilient network that can provide an unparalleled customer experience to truly set the company apart from competition. The new Globe network and IT systems are not only designed to address all current customer needs but would also have the capacity and capability for more sophisticated use of mobile and broadband technologies.
With the telecom industry worldwide evolving at a breakneck speed, it has become imperative for local players to stay competitive and up-to-date with the latest developments. Thus, Globe constantly pushes its underlying infrastructure capabilities to much higher levels so as to touch both consumers and industries in new and progressive ways.
The unprecedented undertaking will modernize all layers of the Globe network within the next five years and is anticipated to set the industry benchmark for the most technologically advanced network in the Philippines. It is expected to bring aggressive growth prospects, savings in capital spending and expenses, as well as operational efficiencies from the synergy among Globe and its partners, Huawei and Alcatel-Lucent. Together bound by vision and resolve, the three companies are committed to instrumentally deliver a superior customer experience for the benefit of the consuming public.
At a higher level, Globe network modernization program also serves to broaden the telecommunications horizon of the Philippines as its corollary infrastructure expansion and service innovation stands to attract investment and business. Globe is effectively raising the bar of technology and service in the industry to make it at par with the world’s most advanced telecom communities and practices.
The Globe network and IT transformation program is an ambitious and yet necessary undertaking which will provide the platform that will make Globe even more competitive in the fast-moving market.
Filed under 3G, 4G/LTE, Asia, Mobile, Mobile Customer Experience, Philippines ·
Tagged with 3G coverage, 4G, Alcatel-Lucent, Davao City, enhanced network experience, Globe Telecom, Huawei, LTE, mobile network modernization program, Philippines, SMS service quality, upgrades network, Voice Calls
By Editor on December 7, 2010 · Leave a Comment
China Unicom has reportedly been warned about protecting customer rights after it started locking the Apple iPhone to its network.
The warning came from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which regulates the industry after the phone network started locking handsets from the beginning of this month.
According to China Unicom, users would have their iPhones locked and their bundled phone numbers suspended if the two are being used separately. This restriction has been put into new contracts since December 1.
Although only China Unicom offers the necessary 3G network for the mobile data service, the handset can be used on Wi-Fi hotspots and for voice calls on the rival China Mobile network.
By Editor on October 21, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Telstra and Vodafone Hutchison Australia today announced their network joint venture using the 2100MHz mobile phone spectrum would conclude in 2012.
The joint venture was created in 2004, before the launch of the Next G network which operates on the superior 850MHz spectrum.
The change is not expected to impact Telstra’s earnings in FY10/11 or FY11/12. Telstra expects an annual EBITDA improvement of more than $50m per annum from FY13/14 to FY16/17 as a result of the decision. Telstra does not anticipate any asset impairment as a result of this agreement as the assets will continue to be utilized.
Telstra Chief Marketing Officer Kate McKenzie said there would be no change for the vast majority of Telstra mobile customers because the Next G network was not impacted.
There is no change for customers on the Next G network and no change for customers in regional and rural Australia,†Ms McKenzie said. The exit of the joint venture will go unnoticed by most of the customers still using the earlier network because their handsets will automatically roam to the GSM network for voice calls and SMS.â€
From 2012 affected customers will be unable to use their handsets for 3G services such as video calling or Mobile FOXTEL and mobile browsing speeds will slow when in metropolitan areas. Few customers on the 2100MHz network use their phones for such services, with only 158 watching Mobile FOXTEL and 1500 placing video calls in recent months.
The coverage, speeds and services available on the Telstra Next Gâ„¢ network are far superior to the 2100MHz network so it made little sense to continue investing in the joint venture.â€
We will encourage customers using the earlier 2100MHz network to upgrade their handsets before 2012 so they can take advantage of faster data speeds, wider network coverage and mobile content available on Next G.â€
When the agreement concludes, Telstra’s share of the network assets will be incorporated into the Telstra Next G network to increase network capacity into the future.
The nominal end date for the partnership is 31 August 2012, but this may be brought forward to a date from 1 January 2012 if certain conditions are met.
Telstra will write directly to affected customers with more information about the change and their options.
To find out more, please see the FAQs at www.telstra.com.au/earlier3g or call Telstra on 125 111. Telstra Business customers can call their Account Executive or 13 2000.
|
Next Gâ„¢ network |
2100MHz network |
| Speeds |
Typical download speeds of 1.1Mbps to 20 Mbps and typical upload speeds of 300 kbps to 3 Mbps using the Ultimate USB device in all capital CBDs, selected metropolitan hubs, more than 100 regional and rural areas. |
Typical download speeds of 550kbps to 1.5Mbps in the CBD and metropolitan areas of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra and some associated satellite cities. |
| Coverage |
More than 2.1 million square kilometres plus more than 1 million sq km out to sea |
Less than 9000 square kilometers |
| Base stations |
More than 7000 |
Approximately 2700 |
| Devices |
38 mobile handsets and smartphones available as of 1 October 2010 |
With the exception of the LG watch phone sold to 23 customers, Telstra has only supplied shops and dealers with Next Gâ„¢ compatible devices since April 2007. |
| Services connected |
More than 10 million |
Less than 170,000. Of these only a fraction will be impacted by the change. 158 customers who have these devices use Mobile FOXTELâ„¢ from Telstra and only 1500 have recently made a video call. |
By Editor on October 8, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Vopium, VoIP provider has announced the launch of its new application for the Nokia N8. The first VoIP application for the Symbian ^3 operating system, Vopium will allow all N8 owners to make free calls over Wi-Fi and mobile data networks. The application has an inbuilt instant messaging feature, allowing users to chat on Facebook and Windows Live Messenger.
According to Tanveer Sharif, CEO at Vopium, Nokia still has the biggest market share in the mobile space and as such the company feels it is important to offer their customers access to the apps the rest of the market are enjoying. The new Vopium application for the Symbian ^3 operating system, allows users to make calls to other Vopium or Skype users for free using Wi-Fi and 3G data networks, while calls to local landlines from a Nokia N8 phones using Wi-Fi or data networks cost only a few pence with Vopium. Finally, if one calls a local mobile phone number, the application will use ones own mobile phone provider, since it offers the lowest rate.
Vopium offers calls to landline and mobile phones at a very low rate, even if the receiver does not have Vopium installed. With the app users can easily chat on Facebook and can even access Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk, AIM, Yahoo, ICQ and Twitter.
Vopium is currently offering fifteen minutes of free worldwide calls to the new users, giving users a great opportunity to try it out on their N8 handset.
Filed under Mobile ·
Tagged with VoIP, 3G, AIM, Facebook, Google Talk, ICQ, local landline, lowest rate, Mobile, mobile data network, mobile phone provider, Nokia N8, Operating System, Skype, Symbian ^3, twitter, Voice Calls, Vopium, Wi-Fi, Windows Live Messenger, worldwide call, Yahoo
By Editor on October 2, 2009 · Leave a Comment
British
Mobile operators are facing defeat in their battle against EU plans to regulate
international roaming rates, after the EU’s Advocate General ruled that the price caps were valid.
Luis Miguel Poiares Pessoa Maduro, the Advocate General and a key adviser to the European Court of Justice, ruled recently that the regulation is in the interests of the internal market in which ‘free movement of goods, services and capital is ensured’.
His decision is non-binding but in vast majority of cases rulings by Advocate Generals are heeded by the European Court of Justice. The final ruling will be delivered over the coming months.
Maduro said in a statement: ‘The differences in price between calls made within one’s own member state and those made while roaming could reasonably be regarded as discouraging the use of cross-border services such as roaming.’
The case was referred to the European Court of Justice in 2007 by the UK High Court.
British Mobile operators are facing defeat in their battle against EU plans to regulate international roaming rates, after the EU’s Advocate General ruled that the price caps were valid.
Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and O2 are challenging plans by the European Commission to regulate roaming charges on voice calls.
Luis Miguel Poiares Pessoa Maduro, the Advocate General and a key adviser to the European Court of Justice, ruled recently that the regulation is in the interests of the internal market in which ‘free movement of goods, services and capital is ensured’.
His decision is non-binding but in vast majority of cases rulings by Advocate Generals are heeded by the European Court of Justice. The final ruling will be delivered over the coming months.
Maduro said in a statement: ‘The differences in price between calls made within one’s own member state and those made while roaming could reasonably be regarded as discouraging the use of cross-border services such as roaming.’
The case was referred to the European Court of Justice in 2007 by the UK High Court.
Filed under Mobile ·
Tagged with adviser, advocate general, court of justice, EU, EUR, Europ, Europe, European, European Commission, International Roaming, luis miguel, Luis Miguel Poiares, maduro, mobile operator, Mobile Operators, National Roaming, O2, Orange, OSS, pessoa, price caps, Regulation, Roaming Charges, Roaming Rates, T-Mobile, UK, Vodafone, Voice Calls
By Editor on September 20, 2006 · Leave a Comment
Revenues from mobile location-based services (LBS) in the European market will grow by 34 percent annually to reach € 622 million in 2010, according to a new report from the research firm Berg Insight. Johan Fagerberg, senior analyst at Berg Insight, said that the market is picking up speed through successful launches of mobile personal navigation services and location based billing plans in several European countries. ‘Nokia’s recent acquisition of Gate5 is an evident example of the importance mobile industry players attach to navigation’, said Johan. ‘We expect GPS-enabled handsets with preinstalled navigation software to become available from the leading brands on the European market very soon.’ Berg Insight forecasts that navigation will account for 48 percent of mobile LBS revenues in 2010.
Johan also comments on the popularity of location based billing plans in Germany. ‘Over one third of O2′s customers in Germany have opted for the Genion service, which offers a discount tariff at their home location’, he said. ‘Vodafone and T-Mobile have followed and attracted 1 million and 700,000 customers respectively in a short time’. Through location based tariffs the users can receive discounts on both voice calls and mobile broadband data traffic at home and pay regular charges elsewhere. Berg Insight estimates that 18 million mobile users in Europe will subscribe to location based billing plans by 2010.
Technorati : Europe, Mobile
Ice Rocket : Europe, Mobile
