With the Walkman® Phone, approximately 30 hours of continuous playback, the longest of any The Music Shuttle, which gives you total control of music playback operations, is built into the lower portion of the handset. Plus, each handset color comes with a matching remote control. Twist its grip around 360 degrees to make music and FM operation a breeze. Releasing the earphones is also easy with the sliding earphone cover. The Walkman® Phone includes the Shuttle Player, which The 3D surround stereo speakers, which emit sound from four places on the back and sides of the handset, and the included earphones with great mid and high ranges allow sound reproduction with greater realism. Plus, with the equalizer function that lets you choose from five sound and bass settings and the AVLS setting that reduces sound leakage, you can enjoy the audio This 3G (CDMA2000) slider also features a 1.3 megapixel cam, a 2.2-inch, 240 x 320, 262k color LCD, FM radio, an EPG to keep you hip to the TV schedule, and a feast of dedicated player controls including a new mechanical wheel unique to Walkman phone SOURCE:http://www.mobile88.com/cellphone/Sony-Ericsson/Sony-Ericsson-W42S/preview.asp
Sony Ericsson W42S
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Cell Phone Industry Faces Unprecedented Challenges in 2009
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., February 9, 2009 - After 25 years of stellar growth, the cell phone (also known as mobile phone) industry faces huge challenges this year from a poor economy and a lack of new features, reports In-Stat http://www.in-stat.com . The bleak cell phone industry outlook is unprecedented, with dramatic ramifications for device manufacturers, semiconductor manufacturers, and mobile operators alike.
“While the cell phone industry has generally been unaffected by economic ups and downs, the near future is different,” says Allen Nogee, In-Stat analyst. “The current economic slowdown is more widespread and deeper than ever experienced during the cellphone’s lifetime, and has spread through Europe, Asia, and North America. In addition, this is the first year without any new major features being added, and last year’s new feature, mobile TV, has only become popular in limited regions.”
Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
- Over 1.2 billon cell phones were estimated to have shipped in 2008, but the growth rate is plummeting.
- For the next five years, cell phone semiconductor revenue will only grow at a 3.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR).
- Shipments of dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi phones shipped will quadruple from 2008 to 2012.
- The market for digital baseband semiconductors in WCDMA handsets will reach more than $6 billion annually in 2012.
- In 2008, cell phone semiconductor revenue was expected to reach more than $44.5 billion, up over 6.2% over 2007.
Latin America's Pay TV Will Surpass US$ 20.9 Billion in Revenues by 2013; CATV Services Market Share Will Fall From 81% in 2005 to 49% in 2013
The Latin American Pay TV market will have around 47.1 million subscribers by 2013. This figure represents a CAGR of approximately 10.9% for the 2008-2013 period. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico will have 82% of Pay TV subscribers via CATV.
Buenos Aires, Argentina - July 17, 2008 - Signals Telecom Consulting, the leading Latin American and Caribbean telecommunication markets consulting and research firm is proud to announce the publications of its "CATV Business Models in Latin America: Operator Profiles" report. In this study, Signals takes a look at the CATV type Pay TV service offerings of 11 operators in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.
This report highlights the fact that robust competition in the telecommunications market via multi-service packages will trigger an upswing in growth rates for pay TV services. This will be made possible by a reduction in entry barriers for segments that either do not currently making use of this type of service, or do so via clandestine connections.
"As a whole, the seven largest Latin American markets will have a household pay TV penetration rate of around 34.4% by 2013. This is almost double the 2007 figure. The drivers of this growth are the favorable economic environment being felt throughout the region and an increased competitive dynamic that has allowed for bringing lower income segments into this market," points out Carlos Blanco, report author.
"Local incumbent telecommunications operators enjoy sizeable scales and can position themselves as important players in the pay TV market," adds Blanco.
SOURCE:http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/caribbean-telecom-news/
PTA establishes 350 telecenters
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has completed establishment of around 350 telecenters across the country for the provision of basic telecom services in rural areas.
These telecenters, called "Rabta Ghars", are equipped with modern communication facilities such as computer, fax, printer, scanner, telephone and internet. They were sponsored by PTA, PTCL, Mobilink, Instaphone, Ufone, World Call and Intel.
According to details 104 telecenters were installed in Sindh, 82 in Punjab, 86 in NWFP, 62 in Balochistan and 15 in AJK and Northern Areas.
PTA started this project in 2007 with an aim to bring rural areas at par with developed areas in terms of telecom facilities and to provide self-employment opportunities.
Earlier Applications were sought from eligible youth from all over the country for free provision of telecom equipments to establish telecenters.
PTA also arranged free delivery, installation and training of Rabta Ghar equipment on the location of the selected individuals through Intel Corporation. These 350 Rabta Ghars are now fully operational and providing fastest communication facilities to the communities of rural areas.
SOURCE:http://www.itinsight.info/pakistan-telecom-technology-news/shownews.php?id=2230
Taiwan market: CHT to boost FTTx subscribers to 1.8 million in 2009
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT), the largest telecom service operator in Taiwan, aims to boost the number of its FTTx subscribers to 1.8 million in 2009, an increase of 800,000 from 2008 during which its FTTx customers doubled to one million, according to company president Shiao-tung Chang.
By the second quarter of 2010, the number of CHT's FTTx subscribers is expected to exceed its ADSL subscribers, according to an internal estimate of CHT.
Company chairman Shyue-Ching Lu has said that CHT will review its plan to reduce its registered capital this year now that it is important to hold an adequate amount of cash on hand to tide over the current business slowdown.
However, CHT's planned distribution of stock dividends for 2008 will be on par with that for 2007, with cash dividends accounting for the majority part of total dividends, Lu said. Market watchers expects CHT cash dividends for 2008 to top NT$4 per share.
In other news, CHT plans to hire 428 more employees in 2009, in addition to its current workforce of 24,500, the company said.
SOURCE:http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090211PD210.html
Nokia cuts R&D jobs amid weak sales
Nokia said it will cut at least 320 jobs in Finland and temporarily lay off some other employees, proving that even the world's largest handset maker is not immune the slowing sales and a weaker global economy.
The company said that it would close a production facility in Jyväskylä, cutting 320 jobs in product development. Instead, it will focus on mobile device R&D at other existing sites in Finland, including ones at Tampere, Oulu, Salo and the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Nokia also said it would be scaling down production at Salo as well. The company will lay off workers on a rotational basis, with operations continuing during the layoffs. About 500 to 750 of the 2,500 workers at the site will be laid off at a time.
The moves come amid an uncertain climate for Nokia, which saw its sales drop in the fourth quarter and its net profit drop 69 percent. The company shipped 113.1 million units in the quarter, down 15 percent from the 133.5 million it shipped in the fourth quarter last year and down from the 117.8 million it shipped in the third quarter of 2008. While the job cuts are not on the staggering scale of Motorola's, it is still significant that even Nokia is feeling the pinch from dropping sales.
SOURCE:http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/nokia-cutting-r-d-jobs-amid-weak-sales/2009-02-11
Boingo now in Yangtze Delta
Boingo Wireless has announced the addition of 10,904 China Telecom hotspots to the Boingo Roaming Network in the Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province and Shanghai; these locations are the first three of the 18 provinces and three municipalities that will be added to the Boingo network.
Reading the publicity and advertisements one gets the feeling that this will become a proper international network, but it has not got there quite as yet.
Allen Pan, director of Asia Pacific business development for Boingo Wireless, said, ‘With the first phase of the China Telecom launch in the Boingo Network, Boingo users have access to more than 10,000 hotspots in the most popular provinces. When the full network is launched, Boingo users will have access to close to 20,000 hotspots throughout China, one of our most popular destinations for both business and leisure.’Boingo members can have broadband connections throughout the Yangtze Delta, including airports, hotels and cafes.
SOURCE:http://www.chinaeconomicreview.com/it/
GTM - new services to support business transformation
The customers of BT Global Telecom Markets (GTM) see the potential benefits of transforming their core networks to next-generation networks, and also transforming their businesses to become 21st century communication providers. GTM offers products and services to help its customers make these transformations. To enhance its portfolio, GTM is launching services that offer a complete transformation methodology. These services, which further distinguish BT from the competition, are:
- Data Centre: BT has developed a flexible methodology to design, build, operate and optimise data centres and networked ICT services.
- DYNAMIC LINE MANAGEMENT (DLM): DLM allows customers to manage and improve their broadband services while reducing operational costs and supporting revenue growth from new value-added services. DLM enables continuous automatic monitoring and self-adjusting of DSL lines, for example to achieve line stability and maximum speed and availability. The data provided by DLM also helps carriers understand and exploit their network capacity.
- FIELD FORCE OPTIMISATION SERVICE:These services enable remote access to corporate data and applications from any device, anywhere and at any time. Field Force Optimisation Services deliver dramatic improvements in the productivity of a mobile workforce and enable an organisation to offer extraordinary customer service
SOURCE:http://www.btgtm.com/BTGlobalTelecomNewsFixed/Article.asp?ArticleCode=58269478&EditionCode=31287056
SingTel financials hit by currency fluctuations
11 February 2009 – Singapore’s SingTel, the largest mobile firm in Asia-Pacific outside of China, has reported a 16.1 percent fall in net profit for its fiscal third-quarter as a result of unfavourable currency movements. Net profit for the quarter ending 31 December stood at SGD 799 million (USD 534 million), down from SGD 952 million in the year earlier period, but beat an analysts poll conducted by Dow Jones Newswires. Operating revenue fell by 3.2 percent to SGD 3.7 billion but would have risen by 14 percent if the Australian dollar - which dropped 23 percent against the Singapore dollar - had remained stable, SingTel said. The operator wholly-owns Optus, Australia’s second-largest mobile firm.
The firm reported strong operational performance at both Optus and its Singapore unit (SingTel), with both countries posting double-digit revenue growth. However, SingTel noted lower operational performance at its subsidiaries in Indonesia (Telkomsel), the Philippines (Globe) and Pakistan (Warid). “The global economic slowdown has started to impact the Group,” said Chua Sock Koong, SingTel’s CEO. The operator’s total customer base rose to 232.4 million by the end of the quarter, up 35 percent from a year earlier and up 7.3 percent sequentially. ♠ JC
Source: GSMA World
Google adds synch to Windows Mobile and iPhone
11 February 2009 – Arch-rivals Google and Microsoft have agreed terms to allow Google applications to be synched via Windows Mobile smartphones. The new version of Google Sync is made possible by a patent license covering its implementation of the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol on Google servers. The service will allow Google Gmail contacts and calendar events to be automatically synchronised over-the-air to Windows Mobile devices. Google has also added synchronisation services for the Apple iPhone, while Google Sync for BlackBerry smartphones is already available.
In a statement, Horacio Gutierrez, deputy general counsel and VP, intellectual property and licensing at Microsoft, said that the agreement was “a great example of Microsoft’s openness to generally license our patents under fair and reasonable terms so long as licensees respect Microsoft intellectual property.” Microsoft already has similar agreements in place with Apple, Nokia, Palm, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson, among others. The new version of Google Sync is available now in beta mode. ♠ JC
Source: GSMA WorldNext Generation Networks Global Standards Initiative
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
NGN-GSI focuses on developing the detailed standards necessary for NGN deployment to give service providers the means to offer the wide range of services expected in NGN. NGN-GSI harmonizes, in collaboration with other bodies, different approaches to NGN architecture worldwide.
source:http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/ngn/index.html
Global mobile connections reach 4 billion
Mobile broadband users near 100 million; GSMA expects total number of mobile connections to hit 6 billion by 2013.
Global mobile connections have now reached the 4 billion mark, announced the GSMA Wednesday.
And, citing statistics from Wireless Intelligence, the industry body predicted that the world will hit six billion connections by 2013.
The GSMA said the growth is primarily being driven by the integration of mobile technology into previously unconnected devices, and subscriber additions in emerging markets.
Mobile broadband connections account for 100 million of the 4 billion connections, as the uptake of 3G dongles and mobile broadband-enabled laptops has accelerated.
In August the GSMA reported that the number of HSPA mobile broadband connections stood at 50 million.
However, it is difficult to calculate the exact number of mobile users worldwide, since many consumers in mature have more than one handset, while consumers in emerging markets often share devices.
The GSMA also said Wednesday that innovations in mobile technology can help drive productivity in a slowing economy.
"As we enter 2009, the world is in the midst of a broad economic slowdown, one that is impacting every facet of business, every link in the communications value chain," said Michael O'Hara, chief marketing officer at the GSMA, in a statement.
"Industry initiatives in the areas of mobile broadband, mobile lifestyle and mobile planet will help drive this innovation and growth despite the challenges of the global economic downturn," he said.
The announcement was made ahead of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which is run by the GSMA.
"Mobile phones have evolved to become broadband-enabled multimedia devices that connect mass markets in mature and emerging markets alike," said O'Hara.
"Mobile World Congress will showcase how the industry will continue to push the boundaries into the mobile future," he said.IP Phone Systems Help Companies Overcome Telecommunications Barriers
A powerful combination of social and economic forces is redefining the modern workplace, requiring that it be more flexible and portable than in the past. The only question for an individual company is whether this trend represents a threat to its competitiveness, or an opportunity to capture new markets, new employee pools, and greater cost savings.
This white paper describes how switching to an IP phone system can be a pivotal decision in the transition to a more flexible workplace. VoIP phone companies offer solutions which increase customer access and workforce mobility, and VoIP rates can represent a substantial savings over traditional telecommunications costs.
Read the whitepaper and match to VOIP vendors for your business>>
source:http://www.vendorguru.com/businessphone/whitepaper/VoIP-Providers-Help-Business.jsp?&CCID=20085031203471737&QTR=ZZf200810131655090Za20085031Zg135Zw0Zm0Zc203471737Zs4402ZZ&CLK=792090211040337524&&exp=y
Vertical Expands Features in SBX Converged IP Telephony Solution
Vertical Communications, a leading provider of next-generation IP-based phone systems and voice applications announced today significant enhancements to the award-winning SBX IP 320, a converged IP telephony system developed in partnership with LG-Nortel. Today’s availability of Release 2.5 provides improved mailbox management and new call management features to help small businesses further increase productivity and efficiency.
source:http://www.telephonyworld.com/news/vertical-expands-features-in-sbx-converged-ip-telephony-solution/
Mobile WiMax Services Launched Throughout Croatia Using Volubill Charge-IT
European WiMax operator enabled by VoluBill to Deliver Added Value and Flexible Service Options to Meet Demands of Growing Subscriber Base
Today, Volubill announced that their customer, WiMAX Telecom launched their high-speed broadband Internet service using WiMax 802.16e technology in Croatia using Volubill’s Charge-IT™ Dynamic Charging Platform.
The Charge-IT™ Dynamic Charging Platform (DCP) offers high performance, real-time, bi-directional management of service requests between the network, service and application layers. The pre and post-paid services being managed by the product are wireless broadband access and VoIP.
The cost-effective and comprehensive solution allows operators, like WiMAX Telecom, to prepare for
the next wave of challenges:
*** Sharply scaling up subscribers and traffic without losing control over QoS/QoE or over operating expenditure;
*** Adapting the service offer to mobility and a new breed of handheld and pocket devices; and
*** Moving up the value chain by introducing rich multimedia services with high stickiness.
Peter Ziegelwanger, Chief Technology Officer, WiMAX Telecom said, “The choice of Volubill’s Charge-IT product has been key to our strategy going forward, providing us with an ‘on the network’ charging and control solution which can be used to achieve our goals of bringing lower pricing to both home and business customers whilst bringing broadband access to places where, until now, it has been economically unavailable.”
John Aalbers, Chief Executive Officer, Volubill said, “WiMax is in area within which Volubill are experiencing increasing interest. This relatively new technology requires a charging solution that will enable operators to implement sophisticated value-based charging strategies allowing them to differentiate their services through innovative packages, bundles, and promotions. We are very proud that WiMAX Telecom is using our technology to push the boundaries within telecommunications, particularly now their services span three countries.
About WiMAX Telecom
Founded in 2004, WiMAX Telecom is a leading pan European Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) service provider with operations in Austria, Croatia, Germany, Slovakia, and Switzerland. With about 14,000 subscribers to their fixed WiMax services in Austria and Slovakia, where Volubill’s solution is already in active use, the launch of the Croatian mobile Wimax service heralds the beginning of a new mobile WiMax operation.
About Volubill
Volubill a leading supplier of innovative real-time “on the network” charging and control solutions to telecoms operators worldwide. The firm’s solutions enable operators to manage bandwidth based on subscriber and service centric usage policies & quotas in order to maximize revenues & service experience and eliminate churn. Transcending the boundaries between the network and IT systems, Volubill provides flexibility and unlocks the potential of real time BSS integration.
Founded in 2001, Volubill is a global company with in excess of 70 customers world-wide.
source:http://www.ossnewsreview.com/telecom-oss/mobile-wimax-services-launched-throughout-croatia-using-volubill-charge-it/#more-2184
WiMAX IC market opportunities in India
Amid the skeptic views by telecom industry analysts, WiMAX is becoming closer to reality. In India it’s getting implemented swiftly with top telecom and Internet service providers investing hugely in to this market.
WiMAX is serving now only the data connectivity market in India. It’s strongly expected to serve voice market in the coming years
source:http://indiatelecomnews.com/?p=64#more-64
Mexico to fingerprint phone users in crime fight MEXICO CITY (Reuters)
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico will start a national register of mobile phone users that will include fingerprinting all customers in an effort to catch criminals who use the devices to extort money and negotiate kidnapping ransoms.
Under a new law published on Monday and due to be in force in April, mobile phone companies will have a year to build up a database of their clients, complete with fingerprints. The idea would be to match calls and messages to the phones' owners.
Hundreds of people are kidnapped in Mexico every year and the number of victims is rising sharply as drug gangs, under pressure from an army crackdown, seek new income.
Lawmakers who pushed the bill through Congress last year say there are around 700 criminal bands in Mexico, some of them operating from prison cells, that use cell phones to extract extortion and kidnap ransom payments.
Most of Mexico's 80 million mobile phones are prepaid handsets with a given number of minutes of use that can be bought in stores without any identification. The phones can be topped up with more minutes via vendors on street corners.
The register, detailed in the government's official gazette, means new subscribers will now be fingerprinted when they buy a handset or phone contract.
The plan also requires operators to store all cell phone information such as call logs, text and voice messages, for one year. Information on users and calls will remain private and only available with court approval to track down criminals.
It was not clear whether the government would provide any funding to aid in the logistics of the register.
Billionaire Carlos Slim, who controls Mexico's No. 1 cell phone operator America Movil, said the law would be more useful if it tracked the movements of cell phone users. "What needs to be done is another type of more effective measures," Slim told reporters.
Former Finance Minister Francisco Gil Diaz, head of the local unit of Spain's Telefonica, has criticized the law, saying it will only create more bureaucracy for operators. Telefonica is Mexico's No. 2 mobile operator behind America Movil.
Lawmakers say phone users must immediately report lost or loaned phones to avoid being held responsible for a handset used in a crime.
source:http://www.telecommagazine.com/newsglobe/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_4824
Nokia's new Supernova range now in Pakistan …
KARACHI (February 11 2009): Recognising that no one style fits to all, Nokia has unveiled a new range of products to let consumers express their personal styles on a number of levels ranging from stylish designs, to personalisation through vibrantly hued exchangeable covers. This new and exciting Supernova range is now available in Pakistan.
The first four devices launched as part of the new Nokia Supernova range feature a mix of bold colours and of-the-moment designs, evoking the allure of the latest statement handbags or must-have sunglasses. Aimed at style conscious men and women, who want to stay connected, the new range delivers exceptional mobile functionality alongside a variety of music and internet experiences.
"As we rely more heavily on mobile phones to stay connected, they increasingly know everything about us and have become a window into our worlds," said Jo Harlow, vice president, LIVE category, Nokia. "With the Supernova range, we set out to give people the ability to set themselves apart in the same way that they would with a traditional statement accessory."
source:http://www.flare.com.pk/news.php?n=530
Du To Offer Home Cam Service
Du, the new telecom operator in the UAE, has announced the latest of firsts to be introduced soon to the UAE, the new HomeCam service.
HomeCam is a new service to be offered by du as part of it's NGMS (New Generation Mobile Service) portfolio that will allow users to monitor their homes, properties, etc. from anywhere and anytime simply from the comfort of their mobile screens. This new service will be offered to all du customers both Pay as you Go and Monthly Plan customers, and usage will be charged by the second.
Once the service is launched, customers can visit any of du's shops or premium dealers across the UAE to buy the du HomeCam and activate the service without paying any subscription fees. The HomeCam comes with a du SIM card and a memory card to record on.
Commenting on yet another upcoming milestone Osman Sultan, Chief Executive Officer of du said: 'We at du always believe that our customers deserve world class treatment and the best services and products. The introduction of HomeCam will further underscore this commitment and is set to make a difference to families in the UAE.
source:http://www.itinsight.info/middle-east-telecom-news-roundup/
Alcatel-Lucent & TE Connect Northern Egypt to France
Telecom Egypt (TE), the incumbent telecom operator in Egypt, and Alcatel-Lucent have signed a US$125 contract to deploy a new submarine cable network linking Sidi Kerir in Egypt to Marseille in France. Named TE North, the project will enable Telecom Egypt to expand international connectivity, providing diversity from existing cable routes. Additionally, the TE North submarine cable system will help Telecom Egypt enhance its network capacity to operate as a wholesale carrier to other operators and expand its service offering to businesses and consumers.
Spanning 3,100 km, TE North will deliver an ultimate capacity of 128 x 10Gbit/s on eight fiber pairs, which makes it one of the largest cable systems in the region. As a result, Telecom Egypt will be able to meet the growing demand for broadband services of its business and residential users at more affordable costs. Moreover, it will further establish Egypt’s role as international communication hub between Europe and Asia/Africa, and it will also reinforce the city of Marseille as a communications hub with ‘open access’ facilities.
“Egypt has a young population with a growing demand for more and more capacity. In addition Telecom Egypt has decades long tradition of being the partner of choice to all Asia-Europe submarine cable systems, by providing the infrastructure for crossing from Red to Mediterranean Seas. Today, through TE North, we extend the Telecom Egypt service footprint by offering an option to extend this infrastructure from the Red Sea to Europe,” said Akil Beshir, Chairman and CEO of Telecom Egypt. “Alcatel-Lucent’s turnkey expertise and technological lead in submarine networks shall help us achieve our project and business objectives on time."
“Access to advanced technologies is key to operators like Telecom Egypt to best serve their customers,” said Georges Krebs, Chief Operating Officer of Alcatel-Lucent’s submarine network activity. “By meeting the requirements of communications infrastructures in terms of capacity, flexibility and scalability, Alcatel-Lucent helps Telecom Egypt respond to the ramping demand for innovative applications.
source:http://www.itinsight.info/middle-east-telecom-news-roundup/
PAKISTAN:Decline In Growth For Mobile Subscribers In November 2008
According to PTA numbers, mobile subscriber growth across Pakistan declined slightly in November 2008. After many years of explosive growth this is the first decline. Although the dip is a small one (-118K users), but it is an indicator of the difficult environment for the telecom market. However this does not mean that all companies are losing customers. Mobilink is the only one which lost market share (over 827K) while Warid added over 244K users, Telenor added 240K. Ufone and Zong added subscribers as well. Total number: 90.4 million.
source:http://telecompk.net/category/telecommunications/mobile-companies/
Hong Kong awards three 4G licenses
Radio spectrum auction using Internet-based platform a first for country
by Ek Heng, Asia Pacific CorrespondentThu. January 29, 2009
Hong Kong has awarded licenses for fourth generation (4G) mobile operations to the three highest bidders in a recent spectrum auction. The successful telcos are CSL Limited, Genius Brand Limited and China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited.
In announcing the awards, the regulator, Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA), said it was the first time the government was deploying an Internet-based software platform for auctioning radio spectrum.
The highest bidder is CSL Limited at HK$523 million (US$67.4 million), while at HK$518 million (US$66.7 million), Genius Brand is second highest and is followed by China Mobile Hong Kong with HK$494.7 million (US$63.7 million). Genius Brand is controlled by PCCW Limited and Hutchinson Telecommunications International Limited.
The OFTA added that successful bidders will be able to deploy the next generation Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) technologies and offer a variety of advanced high-speed multimedia services. It will create opportunities to both network operators and providers of content and service applications, said the OFTA The three bidders have been allocated a total of 90MHz of radio spectrum in the 2.5 GHz brand for a total payment of HK$1.53 billion (US$197.8 million), the OFTA said.
Touching on the background to the auction which was opened in October 2008, OFTA said: “Five companies submitted their applications by the deadline of 16 December 2008 and were qualified to take part in the spectrum auction starting from 12 January 2009.” The other bidders are City Telecom (HK) Ltd. and SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Ltd. There are 17 mobile operators in Hong Kong.
Hutchinson planning Indonesian exit
Meanwhile, Hutchinson Telecommunications (HTIL) which also operates outside Hong Kong to offer mobile services in six other countries in Asia is planning to exit from Indonesia. It offers mobile services in Indonesia through Hutchinson CP Telecommunications (HCPT), a joint venture with CP Group of Indonesia.
‘Negative factors’ were reportedly cited for its decision which included ‘complicated regulatory risks.’ The joint venture operates 2G and 3G platform in Indonesia and has a subscriber base of 3.6 million as at September 2008 giving it a market share of 2.8 percent.
In December 2007, Indonesia invoked its anti-monopoly laws against Temasek Holdings, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund manager, for its indirect holdings in two telcos, Indosat and PT Telkomsel. The stakes in the two Indonesian telcos were owned by two Singapore entities – one, a fully owned investment unit, ST Telemedia and the other is publicly-listed, Singapore Telecommunications Limited, in which Temasek has substantial interests. Following unsuccessful appeal in May 2008, ST Telemedia sold its stake in Indosat to Qtel, Qatar Telecom.
source:http://www.telecommagazine.com/newsglobe/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_4775
