MTN launches 3G services in Ivory Coast (Africa)
MTN plans to offer its customers 3G services as soon as possible following the receipt of 3G licences in Benin and Ivory Coast. According to reports, Christian de Faria, MTN Group Chief Commercial Officer, said that this is exciting news for their customers, as they will now enjoy the benefits of world-class connectivity. They are grateful to the governments of Cote d’Ivoire and Benin for enabling MTN to further enhance the experience of mobile telephony for their customers.
Wim Vanhelleputte, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), announced that West African Cable System (WACS), a submarine cable stretching 14,000 kilometers between Portugal and South Africa, will upgrade connectivity for Ivoirians to international standards.
Vanhelleputte said that this is a dream come true for many Ivoirians whose internet access has been held back for a very long time. The cable will allow more Ivoirians to enjoy fast access to the internet. They have already identified about 30 per cent of subscribers who will be the first to experience and enjoy the 3G service.
Regarding the licence offered in Benin, Eric Tronel, Chief Executive Officer for MTN Benin, said that MTN is the first and only operator in Benin with a license which allows the use of new generation technologies, such as 3G, 4G, LTE and Wimax. This presents a great opportunity to improve business communication solutions and other services to customers, both in the consumer and corporate sectors. Customers are already eagerly waiting for the launch of new services using the new technology, and MTN Benin is working hard to ensure that customers are not disappointed.
MTN obtains 3G licences in Ivory Coast and Benin (Africa)
South Africa’s leading mobile operator MTN has obtained 3G licences in both Ivory Coast ad Benin, and is looking to launch 3G services in these regions soon. As per a report by CommsMEA, Bruno Koné, Icory Coast’s minister of post and ICT, told MTN that it was awarding the 3G licence to the telco at MTN’s offices in Abidjan.
Further, Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO, MTN Cote d’Ivoire, said that the operator had already identified about 30 per cent of subscribers who would be the first to experience 3G services.
As per the report, in Benin, the government granted MTN a universal licence which allows the company to provide mobile telecommunication services using any technology within the defined agreed frequency range without additional fees. This includes 3G, 4G, LTE, Wimax, Wi-Fi outdoor as well as the use of VoIP.
Eric Tronel, CEO, MTN Benin, said that MTN is the only operator in Benin with a licence to use wireless technologies such as 3G, LTE and WiMAX. He added that this presents a great opportunity to improve business communication solutions and other services to customers, both in the consumer and corporate sectors.
Taiwan aims to auction 4G licenses by 2013 (Taiwan)
The Taiwanese government is planning to commence its 4G auction schedule two years ahead of schedule, by 2013 in an attempt to enable operators to launch their LTE services by 2015, as suggested by reports. Sources reveal that these allocations are expected to be in either the 700 MHz or the 2.6 GHz bands and may be released together with the 900MHz and 1.8GHz spectrum.
According to reports, the ministry would need to reach an agreement to replace the 700-MHz band as the spectrum is currently allocated to the military. As revealed by sources, the advance in Taiwan’s LTE schedule may hint at the country’s shift in focus from Wimax technology to LTE.
Emaxx Telecom partners with PureWave networks for 4G infrastructure network (Cambodia)
EMAXX Telecom Limited has selected PureWave Networks Inc for its 4G network infrastructure network. Emaxx Telecom expects to expand its mobile WiMAX network to cover 7 cities by year end and to attract 150,000 customers over the same period. Currently, the network is commercially operating in the cities of Phnom Penh and Sean Reap. A total of 25 cities are expected to be covered by the end of 2012.
Reports suggest that according to Mr. Frank May, Chairman of Emaxx Telecom Network Group, network reliability and performance along with the economics of network deployment were the prime reasons for selecting PureWave. Further, the ability to deploy high-performing base stations in an all-outdoor configuration presents a winning combination that greatly reduces the network deployment costs. This, combined with PureWave’s exciting LTE roadmap, made them the ideal infrastructure partner for the network.
Vividwireless confirms NBN plans (Australia)
WiMax operator Vividwireless has confirmed its plans to be a key wholesale customer of the upcoming national broadband network (NBN).
At the CommsDay Summit in Sydney, Vividwireless re-affirmed that its wireless technology is complementary to the NBN and that it would become a key wholesale customer of the NBN, offering retail services to customers on the NBN.
Fitel, China Mobile team up to test 100 Mbps LTE (Taiwan)
First International Telecom (Fitel), Taiwanese WiMax operator will set-up a number of TD-LTE base stations in Taiwan with China Mobile.
According to reports, Fitel and China Mobile will launch five to ten TD-LTE base stations in the government-planned Taoyuan Aerotropolis beside the Taoyuan International Airport to undertake field test. The trial project is expected to run from July 1 this year to June 30, 2012. China Mobile will offer technological assistance while local notebook maker Quanta Computer will provide equipment and terminal devices.
Tranzeo appoints Smith as Chairman (US)
Wimax systems manufacturer Tranzeo Wireless Technologies’ board of directors has appointed Patrick N Smith as Chairman of the board.
Smith was previously lead director for the board and replaces James A Tocher who will continue to serve as a board member and the president and Chief Executive Officer of the company.
Smith’s appointment was recommended by the corporate governance and nominating committee of the board and approved by the board. He was the Chairman of the board of directors of broadband wireless semiconductor company Wavesat. He was also involved in Wavesat’s Indian deployments.
Smith was previously VP of Systems Integration and Technology Planning for Sprint in Kansas City.
3G Subscribers in Egypt to Grow Five Fold Till 2012
Egyptian 3G market, which is mainly operated by three operators, possesses huge potential for future growth. Currently, the penetration level is very less with number of 3G subscribers estimated at less than 1 Million at the end of 2009. According to our research report Booming Egypt Telecom Marketâ€, countries 3G market is expanding at a significant rate since 2007 and is projected to grow five fold by the end of 2012. Moreover, operators are making huge investment to upgrade existing technology with an aim to increase their ARPUs.
Our report finds that the main reasons for huge investments in the 3G infrastructure by the three mobile operators in the country, is the saturation in existing 2G networks and declining ARPU in the 2G segment. Operators are trying to convince their customers to move into the new 3G services as a way of freeing up 2G capacity and halting the steady erosion of the ARPUs. Besides, aggressive marketing strategy is being adopted by all the three operators to lure subscribers in Egypt.
According to our research report, various equipment manufacturers are playing an important role in developing Egypt’s 3G network. Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei have been developing Mobinil’s 3G networks while Alcatel-Lucent and Motorola are cooperating with Mobinil to establish its 2G network. Furthermore, Cisco Systems and Ericsson have had their part in the development and enhancement of the company’s network infrastructure.
Apart from 3G, we have found that Egypt’s mobile market has been growing at a fast pace and is projected to experience smart growth in the coming years. Growth in mobile telephony has been due to an increase in the low-income customer segment over the years. Additionally, stiff price competition between the mobile operators in the country and availability of pre-paid and installment payment options will fuel the segment.
Booming Egypt Telecom Market†provides analysis of Egypt’s telecommunication industry with detail analysis of future potential in different industry segments. The report includes mobile market, fixed line, internet, broadband, 3G, and WiMax market analysis and examines telecom infrastructure in Egypt. The report aims to provide the most accurate outlook of the telecom industry in Egypt.
Clearwire cancels plans to sell own-branded WiMAX phones (US)
Clearwire has cancelled its plans to sell its own branded mobile phones and will rely instead on handsets supplied by its majority shareholder, Sprint Nextel.
The company originally announced its plans to sell its own branded phones last year.
As per reports, Sprint currently resells the Clearwire WiMAX service and offers three handsets and has plans for several new handsets in the next few months.
As per commentators, the decision by Clearwire to start selling own-branded phones is part of the reason why Sony Ericsson would launch a trademark lawsuit claiming that there will be confusion between their respective logos if the Clearwire logo appears on handsets as well.
GO Telecom implements Metro fiber network in cooperation with ZTE Corporation
Etihad Atheeb Telecom Co.”GO” signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ZTE Corporation on Monday, March 21 to deploy fiber-optic network within the cities (Metro Fiber Ring). The first phase of this network implementation project will start in Riyadh city and will serve the government sectors and business (FTTB) and homes (FTTH).
Eng. Zaid Al Shabanat, Chief Executive of GO Telecom stated “We are pleased to sign this Memorandum of Understanding, which represents a new step towards building the most advanced telecommunications network in the Kingdom. The new fiber-optics network integrates with the Fourth Generation (4G) wireless communications technology, WiMAX 802.16e, to provide GO Telecom products & services that meet the needs of government, business and home sectors, both for Broadband Internet service and Voice services, and opens up more opportunities to provide other Value-Added Services. The second phase of the project will continue in each of the cities of Jeddah and Dammam. Building a new fiber optics network will reinforce the infrastructure of the company and its competitive standing in the Saudi market and will establish a long-term partnership with ZTE Corporation. It should be noted that the founding partners of Etihad Atheeb Telecom Co. “GO” have committed to 65% share upon the raise of company capital.”
