Huawei wins USD 550 mln GSM contract from Ufone

Huawei Technologies has won a USD 550 million contract to expand the GSM network of Pakistani mobile operator Ufone, a subsidiary of Etisalat. Huawei will provide its EnerG GSM platform to expand Ufone’s network to cover over 1,500 cities, towns, villages and all major highways in Pakistan. The network also allows Ufone subscribers to enjoy high-speed mobile data service. The GSM contract for Ufone also includes Huawei’s new GSM dual-density base station. Huawei will also provide the Mobile Softswitch solution based on R4 architecture to satisfy Ufone’s network expansion requirements.

Source- http://www.telecompaper.com

Nokia launches E50 smartphone in India

New Delhi: Nokia announced on Friday the launch of Nokia E50 smartphone in India. Nokia E50 is a compact and feature rich smartphone with outstanding voice, email and data capabilities.

Designed to cater to the needs of mobile professionals and enterprises, the Nokia E50 comes with Nokia Team Suite that facilitates conference calls, offers in-device search and allows to initiate push-to-talk sessions through a built in speakerphone.

The Nokia E50 adorns a classic and stylish look and has a 1.3 megapixel camera that suits both the business and personal needs of a user.

It comes with a Quadband GSM network that works on five continents (where GSM networks are supported) making it a necessity for business travelers.

The Nokia E50 is equipped with pre-installed business applications such as Nokia Catalogs, Worldmate, Wireless presenter, amongst others and has exceptional voice and calling functionality when compared to most mobile devices that combine PDA features and a mobile phone.

Sharing details of Nokia E50, Nokia Enterprise Solutions Country General Manager G K Chakrapani said, “Nokia E50 smartphone, a part of the new and sleek Eseries range of business-optimized devices, offer ‘on the go’ productivity to the mobile workforce. Powered with new features such as the Message Reader, Nokia Team Suite and multiple Email Solutions like Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email and BlackBerry Connect, the phone has all the components that will appeal to a wide range of professionals who want powerful functionality from a data-enabled device without compromising on the look, comfort, simplicity and usability.”

The Nokia Team Suite, part of the Nokia Office Tools offering, also includes a search function that enables fast queries into critical data such as contacts, emails and messages.

The Nokia E50 provides fast data connections with EDGE and offers connectivity to compatible PCs and devices via infrared, Bluetooth wireless technology, and USB cable.

The smartphone is securely managed through the Intellisync Device Management solution that provides productive and cost-effective multi-platform device management solution for ensuring connectivity of the mobile workforce and data protection.

Source- http://www.ibnlive.com

BSNL plans Rs 17000 cr expansion this fiscal

India’s largest telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) plans to invest over Rs 17,000 crores to expand its network during the current financial year. 

 The major area of expansion has been identified as the mobile phones and a 60 million tender for GSM lines has been floated by the company.

The company has over two crores mobile subscribers and its net switching capacity is about six crores. In the next three years the company plans to double its net switching capacity.

 The company has invested Rs 8892 crores in the expansion of the Telecom network and new addition of Telephone lines during the last financial year.

 BSNL has also emerged as the largest service tax payer in India contributing more than Rs 10,000 crores to the Govt. Exchequer by way of Taxes and levies. 

 BSNL has declared a dividend of Rs 1175 crores, which is inclusive of interim dividend of Rs 375 crores for the fiscal year 2005-06.

The company has earned a net profit of Rs 8940 crores on the revenue of Rs 40177 crores for the year 2005-06. The company has registered a net increase of 11.13% in revenue during the year. The operating profit of the company for the year was Rs 8270 crores showing a growth of 23.69% over the corresponding previous year.

The highlight of the performance in 2005-06 was the net addition of 82 lakh line including 77 lakh new cellular customers and launching of Broadband services in all the major towns of the country. BSNL is the main Telecom Service Provider to BPO and KPO industries in the country and also the largest Service Provider to the rural India. 

Source- http://www.moneycontrol.com

T-2, Si.Mobil confirmed as new 3G licensees; Mobitel denied extra UMTS spectrum

Slovenia’s Agency for Post and Electronic Communication (APEK) has this week confirmed that Si.Mobil and T-2 will join the country’s largest cellco Mobitel as 3G network operators. Si.Mobil, Slovenia’s second largest mobile operator, won its 15-year UMTS licence with a bid of SIT1.55 billion (EUR6.5 million), while T-2 offered the minimum SIT1.5 billion (EUR6.3 million). Domestic fixed line and broadband provider T-2 said it plans to begin constructing an UMTS network as soon as possible after signing supplier contracts. Mobitel also offered the minimum price for a 3G concession, aiming to gain extra frequencies, but had its bid rejected by the regulator on the grounds that it was not in line with the public tender conditions. APEK director Tomaz Simonic said: ‘It makes sense that Mobitel’s bid was rejected… If an operator who already has an UMTS licence gains further frequencies, there will be no competition,’ adding that APEK’s actions will ensure an equal playing field for all UMTS operators, and that the two new 3G entrants will be subject to the same conditions regarding rollout and coverage as Mobitel.

According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, Mobitel, a subsidiary of fixed line incumbent Telekom Slovenije, bought its W-CDMA licence in November 2001 for SIT22 billion (USD87 million at the historical exchange rate). It was allocated 2×15MHz (paired) in the ranges 1965MHz-1980MHz and 2155MHz-2170MHz, and 1×5MHz in the 1900MHz-1905MHz range. It launched commercial 3G services in December 2003, and by the end of June 2006 reported 48,307 3G users out of a total GSM customer base of 1.28 million; Si.Mobil had 392,700 GSM subscribers at end-June.

Source- http://www.telegeography.com

Govt may drop riders for 74% FDI in telecom

NEW DELHI: Facing divergent views on putting riders for allowing 74% foreign direct investment in telecom companies, the government is likely to keep in abeyance its earlier decision mandating that companies only have Indians in the top management besides banning remote access to networks located abroad.

A decision on the issue will be taken by the Union cabinet at its meeting on Friday. The restrictions were put on security grounds after the Left and the intelligence agencies insisted on the clauses for the move to raise the FDI cap from 49% to 74% to go through.

While the GSM industry comprising players like Bharti Airtel and Hutch Essar want Press Note 5 of 2005, which laid down the norms, to be scrapped, the move to keep the decision in abeyance indefinitely has been prompted by the wrangling between ministries on the best way forward.

There is also pressure from the US and the UK to do away with the restrictions. “The suspension will enable the telecom department to process applications in accordance with the policy prevailing before Press Note 5 was issued,” an official said.

While the PMO and the finance ministry favour that the norms should not be applicable for companies that have up to 49% FDI, the telecom department is against dilution of the norms.

In fact, DoT chose to ignore the PMO’s directive to rework the cabinet note to exempt companies like Tata Tele and Reliance from the provisions of Press Note 5 as they do not have 74% FDI.

Press Note 5 was to be originally applicable from March this year but was deferred by four months and subsequently by another three months. The latest deadline now expires of October 3.

The Celluar Operators Association of India has also sought more flexibility and wants the government to allow pyramid holdings.

Source- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

‘First’ GSM, VoIP dual-mode Windows Mobile handset launched

US-based VoIP handset maker Paragon Wireless has launched what it claims is the world’s first Windows Mobile 5.0 phone designed for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) VoIP calls that also operates as a regular quad-band GSM/GPRS handset.

Dubbed the Hipi 2200, the device is primarily pitched at corporates who want to provide workers with a mobile phone that can also be used for employee-to-employee calls when the device comes within range of the company WLAN.

Paragon claimed the Hipi provides not only a seamless transition between cellular and 802.11g networks, but also between the WLAN’s access points.

The 2200 is based on a Texas Instruments OMAP 730 processor and is fitted with a 1.9in, 176 x 220 display. There’s a two megapixel camera round the back. The 10.7 x 4.5 x 1.6cm handset contains a 1100mAh battery sufficient, Paragon said, for four hours’ talk time and 100 hours on standby with both GSM and WLAN active.

The device provides all the usual Windows Mobile 5.0 features, including media playback, push email, web browsing and Office compatibility. More details on Paragon’s website. ®

Source- http://www.theregister.co.uk

Nigeria: GSM Tariffs to Drop Soon -NCC

A new interconnect regime has been approved by the board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for telecom operators. The move according to NCC, signals the beginning of the possible reduction of the mobile phone calls in the country.

“It is being anticipated that the new interconnect rates will lead to substantial reduction in mobile retail tariffs in Nigeria while the fixed tariffs will experience some increase”, said.

NCC – the country telecom industry regulator. The Commission said in a statement yesterday that after due consideration of the possible fallout of the new interconnect rates, NCC is satisfied that the introduction of the new rates will be to the overall benefit of subscribers and the industry.

The commission said “the result of the Industry Cost Study revealed that the major fixed services operator, NITEL, which has the largest number of fixed lines in the country, might have been providing services below cost. This was indeed responsible for some of the financial problems that have been associated with NITEL over the years”.

“Today, about 95 per cent of telephone users in the country are on mobile lines which imply that only a small percentage use fixed lines, most of which are in offices and in a few homes of high net-worth individuals.

“A substantial drop in mobile rates therefore has the effect of impacting on more subscribers and the bulk of users of telecom services in Nigeria”, said NCC study.

The Commission considers it important that efforts should not be spared in making sure that mobile call rates continue to drop to enable more Nigerian subscribers enjoy the benefits of the growing subscriber base in the country.

This is already happening with recent publications of rate cuts by certain mobile networks. The Commission also believes that the coming weeks will witness tariff adjustments that will be to the overall interest of the subscribers.

NCC assured subscribers to look forward to more of such benefits as the new interconnect regime begins to impact positively on the industry.

The new regime according to NCC came into effect on September 22, 2006, saying the interconnect rates should be cost based and the new rates were arrived at following months of cost study and consultations with the industry.

Source- http://allafrica.com

Nigeria: Mobile Operators Hint On Recycling Dormant Lines

If you are warehousing some GSM numbers just to enjoy the tinkle of the new arriviste who carry mobile phones in a carry on bag or have that SIM that hasn’t been used for over six months, just be informed that the industry is raising questions and may sooner retrieve those lines or that line. There are strong indications that the mobile operators will start recycling numbers very soon.

The reasons for this, according to industry sources, are numerous but this two may just point you in the right direction. Numbers are a scarce resource and operators need to be able to account for every number secured from the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). There is also the need for the regulator to have accurate figures of how many lines are actually out there as the subscriber base for the country.

A source which spoke to Mobile Week last week explained that although the three frontline mobile operators, MTN, Glo and Celtel recently applied for a new set of numbers from the regulator, the truth is that some of them are yet to exhaust the first set of numbers which they got from the NCC when the industry opened up in 2001.

A block is 10 million lines. Were the three operators to exhaust their first block that would mean 30 million subscriber base for the country. But that is not the case at the moment as the mobile subscriber base hovers between 21million and 24 million lines depending upon the source of the information.

The decision by operators to retrieve dormant numbers may help correct this to some extent. But more than anything it will help stem the loss of revenue on the part of the operators who have to pay renewal fees for all the allocated lines. It means, therefore, that for any line on which income was not being earned, the operator would lose money. Why would an operator need to pay for numbers? The NCC wants to generate revenue and also ensure discipline in the use of the numbers by operators.

Said our source: “Operators pay renewal fees for allocated numbers. For the NCC in allocating the numbers wants to ensure that the numbers are prudently used.

Interestingly, most operators are widening their validity window which makes it possible for a customer to remain on the network, even if that customer is not making calls for months.

What then is the subscriber base of a network? Our source, giving a definition informed by activities on a particular net work, explained that subscriber base doesn’t mean the number of SIMS sold or how many SIMS have ever been used on the network but the number of lines active in a 90day window.

What then will happen to the lines that don’t come to life within this period? Our source explained that depending on the network, the lines may first be quarantined for a time before being recycled or sold out to a new subscriber. The quarantine period may just be a holding period within which to confirm whether the subscriber will put life back on the phone.

Also speaking on why it is difficult to actually know the number of mobile lines within the country, our source explained that while some people carry about three phones, some visitors to the country on arrival just buy a line which they discard immediately on departure.

But even then the source remarked that the regulator has done a great job tracking most of the lines in use through monthly reports from the operators, and added that of late the regulator is adopting the best global practices by asking more questions whenever such reports were submitted.

At the moment, Nigeria still maintains the record as the fastest growing market in Africa and third fastest in the world. It is a market that operators want to be. The coming of Celtel by swallowing up Vmobile speaks volume in this direction. But those doing business in the sector are beginning to look inwards by way of plugging every avenue of waste. The first move it seems is to put life back in all the dormant lines across the various networks either through reactivation by their owners or by being sold to a new subscriber.

Source- http://allafrica.com

Digicel to invest additional US$100mn

Caribbean mobile carrier Digicel plans to invest an additional US$100 million in upgrading its infrastructure in Jamaica this year, local daily Jamaica Observer reported.

The added investment will go into upgrading switches, WiMax, network facilities, training programs, retail stores and push total investment in the island to US$600mn since Digicel’s 2001 market entry.

“We think that Jamaica is going through a renaissance similar to what Ireland went through in the late 1980s, and as a place to attract investors we think that Jamaica has one of the more outstanding opportunities in the Caribbean,” Digicel chairman Denis O’Brien was quoted as saying. The company is Irish owned, but based in Jamaica.

Tourism industry growth, especially among Spanish hotel chains, is a motivating factor for increasing coverage. Digicel also signaled that growth in the manufacturing industry also contributed to its decision.

Spanish hotel investments are expected to surpass US$1.3bn this year, the newspaper quoted the Spanish ambassador to Jamaica Jesus Silva as saying.

Last week, Digicel announced it had reached an agreement to acquire Digicel Holdings Limited, an unrelated firm that operates a GSM mobile telecommunications business in El Salvador and holds a mobile license in Guatemala

Source- http://www.cellular-news.com

Mobile World-40 Million Customers each month

There are now more than 2.5 billion cellular connections around the world according to the GSM Association. New mobile phones are now being connected at the astonishing rate of 40 million per month.As the number approaches nearly one connection for every person on the planet, the new milestone came just 12 months after reaching 2 billion connections.

The estimates demonstrate how quickly mobile phone technology is becoming pervasive. It took 20 years to reach 1 billion connection and then just three years to reach 2 billion, according to Martin Garner, Director of Wireless Intelligence (a joint venture between Ovum and the GSM Association).

“Worldwide growth is currently running at over 40 million new connections per month – the highest volume of growth the market has ever seen.”

Over the four quarters to the end of September 2006, world total net additions were 484 million.

Most of the growth is coming from cellular markets with lower levels of market penetration.

The Asia Pacific accounted for a stunning 41 per cent of the growth. Eastern Europe and Latin America together accounted for 30 per cent, while Africa was 10 per cent.

The relatively mature markets of Western Europe, North America and the Middle East took the remaining 20 per cent in more or less equal measure.

Garner said these fast growing market often referred to as “emerging markets” are quickly reaching the same penetration levels as more established market.

The top ten countries for volume of new connections over the last year were China, India, Russia, USA, Pakistan, Ukraine, Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria and Bangladesh.  Between them, they account for over half of the growth in the world cellular market over the last 12 months.

A quarter of the growth is coming from China and India. China’s market is still expanding at more than 5 million new connections per month. India has moved rapidly up the top ten list, with the rate of new connections quadrupling over the last 18 months to reach a level very close to China’s.

According to Wireless Intelligence forecasts the next half billion new connections will take a little longer to be added – 16 months – meaning that the market is on track to reach 3 billion connections around the end of 2007.

Source- http://www.mobilised.com.au/content/view/594/84/