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Blogger launches mobile feature

Leading weblog publishing service Blogger has launched a new feature dubbed Blogger Mobile that allows users to post content from mobile phones. Both images and text can be posted to all Blogger powered sites (or by default a new moblog) via MMS or email.

Sending an MMS or email to go@blogger.com will automatically create a new blog. Your photo, along with any text you add, will be uploaded to that blog right away and then we’ll message you back with the address so you can visit your new blog on the web. It’s all free. When you feel like changing anything or you already have a Blogger account and you want the posts to go to your existing blog, you can log in to go.blogger.com and enter the token we sent to your phone.

Blogger is owned and operated by Google. As noted in the text above, this service like regular Blogger service, is free. Prior registration is not required to use Blogger Mobile.

Microsoft to announce Windows Mobile 2005

Microsoft is expected to announce the next version of its mobile phone operating system, Windows Mobile 2005, at the a developers conference next week. The Mobile and Embedded DevCon 2005 takes place May 9-12th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Windows Mobile 2005 is no secret thanks to leaked copies that sprouted up on the internet. Some of the new features include:

Increased support for QWERTY keyboards
Mobile version of PowerPoint
Updated versions of other Office applications

There is no word on when new devices running the software will begin shipping.

Source: mobile tracker

Student suspended after getting call from mom in Iraq

“Kevin Francois, a 17-year-old Spencer High School Columbus junior has been suspended for the rest of the school year for refusing the end a cell phone call – not in class but during his lunch break – to his mother who is a solider in Iraq.

Easy to understand why this story is making headlines all over the country,

"Kevin Francois, a 17-year-old Spencer High School Columbus junior has been suspended for the rest of the school year for refusing the end a cell phone call – not in class but during his lunch break – to his mother who is a solider in Iraq.

His mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, left in January for a one-year tour and serves with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.

"This is our first time separated like this," said Francois. Since her deployment overseas, Francois has been living with a guardian in Columbus."

According to the Muscogee County School District Board of Education’s policy, students are allowed to have cell phones in school, but cannot use them during school hours."

Source: The Associated Press:

Bharti to spend $1 bn on 3G rollout

Bharti Televentures on Monday said it will invest one billion dollars on the rollout of third generation (3G) mobile phone networks across India. “We have committed one billion dollars for roll out of 3G networks across the country,” Bharti Televentures Managing Director Akhil Gupta said at a seminar on 3G technology.

NEW DELHI: Bharti Televentures on Monday said it will invest one billion dollars on the rollout of third generation (3G) mobile phone networks across India. "We have committed one billion dollars for roll out of 3G networks across the country," Bharti Televentures Managing Director Akhil Gupta said at a seminar on 3G technology. The company is already running tests of 3G technology at some places. "We have to ensure that 3G does not remain a niche technology. It must not be confined to a particular section or geography," he said adding it should be rolled out in each and every state so that it makes commercial sense. Gupta said when the frequency is allotted to operators for 3G services, they should come with stringent rollout obligations.

"It (the frequency) must not remain an asset in the locker (of operator). Strict rollout obligations backed by bank guarantees should be set for operators so that the technology spreads," he added.

Government-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is also gearing up to rollout 3G networks.

"Our next rollout will have provision of 3G services throughout the country. We have the equipment and are waiting for the spectrum to start the tests," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director A K Sinha said.

He said by late 2005 or early 2006 the country would see the commercial rollout of 3G services.

SOURCE PTI

FoneArena Phone Pages New Layout

FoneArena Phone Pages New Layout Deployed

A new layout has been used for the Phone Pages at FoneArena.com

This is a move to make this site more user friendly and load faster

Slide and Shoot with the Nokia N70: the smallest 3G Series 60 smartphone with 2 megapixel camera

Slide and Shoot with the Nokia N70: the smallest 3G Series 60 smartphone with 2 megapixel camera.Nokia N70 is part of the Nokia Nseries high performance multimedia range

Amsterdam, Cancun, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur – Nokia today introduced the Nokia N70 multimedia, a beautifully designed, compact and easy-to-use 3G smartphone with versatile mobile photography, personal productivity and entertainment features. Incorporating a complete smartphone feature set, as well as a 2 megapixel camera, flash and front camera for video calling, the Nokia N70 comes fully equipped with stereo FM radio, a digital music player and new 3D games.

"The Nokia N70 perfectly illustrates our commitment to offer powerful, all-inclusive handsets that aid people in their daily lives. In addition to advanced smartphone and entertainment features, mobile photography is extremely easy and enjoyable with the elegant Nokia N70," said Joe Coles, Director of imaging product marketing at Nokia. "The number one reason why people today purchase new handsets is the camera. Indeed, we foresee that by the end of 2005, over half a billion people worldwide will own a camera phone."

Easy mobile photography

The slide and shoot design makes mobile photography fast and simple. The rear camera slide reveals and automatically activates the 2 megapixel camera, ready to instantly shoot photos or video. The intuitive slide is complemented with an integrated flash, 20x zoom capability and a range of capture scene settings for optimizing image quality in various environments, including Scenery, Portrait, Night, and Sports. Furthermore, the dedicated shutter key on the side of the phone enables users to capture images like they would with a regular camera, allowing for greater stability and ease of use.

The storage, management and organization of images and video clips is convenient and efficient with the Nokia N70. With the Nokia XpressTransfer storing solution, all new photos and video clips can be automatically copied to the PC. Photo albums created on the phone are also automatically saved in similar albums on the PC. Furthermore, the Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition software offers users an efficient way for organizing or editing photos and video clips on the PC.

The new improved rotating Gallery provides for enhanced browsing of images and video clips. Images can, for example, be organized into slideshows, with the viewing experience further heightened with added background music. Images and video clips can also be instantly printed from the Gallery with the Nokia XpressPrint printing solution using a USB cable, wirelessly over Bluetooth connectivity, or using the Reduced Size Dual Voltage MultiMediaCard (RS-MMC).

Smart productivity

An excellent and powerful tool for personal and professional information management, the Nokia N70 offers a full set of smartphone features, including very easy-to-set up email functionality with extensive attachment support, Internet browser, video streaming and 3G-enabled features such as two-way video calling* and video sharing*. Furthermore, additional applications can be installed from various sources**, while organizer information can easily be synchronized with compatible PCs.

Entertainment on the move

Equipped with a digital music player with stereo audio, FM radio and support for Visual Radio, the compact 126 gram Nokia N70 also doubles as a great pocketable music device. For an even more playful multimedia experience, the Nokia N70 supports S60 and Java 2D and 3D games, some of which are pre-installed in the phone or on the standard in-box RS-MMC.

Measuring just 108.8 x 53 x 17.5 mm (95.9 cc), the Nokia N70 is the smallest ever 2 megapixel 3G smartphone based on the leading Series 60 Platform. The Nokia N70 is expected to be available in the third quarter of 2005. Additionally, a variant of the Nokia N70 for EDGE (Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution) markets will be available at a later date.

*To check the availability and cost of the service, contact your network operator or service provider.

**Users are advised to install applications only from trusted sources.

Nokia introduces the Nokia N91 for a true mobile music experience

Storage for up to 3000 songs, plus smartphone functionality in an ultra-portable package

Amsterdam, Cancun, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur – Nokia today introduced the Nokia N91 multimedia, the company’s latest device optimized for mobile music consumption. With room for up to 3000 songs on the integrated 4-gigabyte hard disk, the Nokia N91 delivers a premier music experience. In addition, the industry standard 3.5mm stereo headset jack and easy transfer of music files from your PC help make the Nokia N91 a connected mobile jukebox. Encased in stainless steel, the Nokia N91 has dedicated music keys on its face, which slide down to reveal the phone keypad. The Nokia N91 is a part of the new Nokia Nseries range, bringing you the latest multimedia technologies and smartphone functionalities.

"The Nokia N91 delivers both a fantastic music experience and cutting-edge phone features," said Jonas Geust, Vice President, Music at Nokia. "What sets the Nokia N91 apart is the fact that it is always connected – you can download new music while on the move, add it to your favorite playlist and then share your playlist with friends. It’s truly the world’s best mobile connected jukebox."

Listen to Music

The Nokia N91 serves up to 12.5 hours of great sound via the included stereo headset with remote control. Enjoying your music collection has never been easier, as the Nokia N91 supports a wide range of digital music formats including MP3, M4A, AAC and WMA.

Nokia N91 is compatible with a number of accessories from industry leading brands Bose(R), Harman Kardon®, JBL®, and Sennheiser. In addition to using their favorite audio accessories with the Nokia N91 through its standard 3.5mm jack, consumers can maximize their audio experience by choosing products from a line-up of Nokia tested and recommended audio accessories*.

Get Music

Packed with multiple connectivity options, such as WCDMA, WLAN and Bluetooth wireless technology, the Nokia N91 makes it easy for you to find and enjoy music when and where you want. With the Nokia N91, you can quickly and easily find and purchase music over the air to your device from your operator’s music store.

Manage Music

Drag and drop your personal music collection from your PC to your Nokia N91 or synchronize your recent music purchases with your PC via USB 2.0. You can also create and manage your playlists directly on your Nokia N91, or shuffle songs around to build your optimal listening experience.

Share Music

A revolutionary feature of the Nokia N91 is the possibility to share your playlists with friends by multimedia message, email or Bluetooth. Proudly show off your musical taste or simply share the latest songs that have been stuck in your head.

The Nokia N91 also contains the latest multimedia technologies and smartphone functionalities, including a 2 megapixel camera for print-quality photos, email support, a full web browser and video sharing.

The Nokia N91 is expected to become commercially available worldwide by the end of 2005.

*The Nokia tested and recommended industry leading accessories for Nokia N91 include:

Sennheiser PX 100, 200, PMX 40, and PMX 60 mini headphones, PXC 150, 250, and 300 NoiseGard(TM) active noise-cancelling mini headphones and the HD465, 485, 515, 555, 595 audiophile headphones

JBL Duet(TM), OnTour(TM), Creature II®, and Encounter(TM) speaker systems

Harman Kardon Soundsticks II® speaker system

Bose Triport and Quietcomfort ® 2 Acoustic Noise Canceling headphones

About Nokia Nseries

Nokia Nseries is a range of high performance multimedia devices that delivers unparalleled mobile multimedia experiences by combining the latest technologies with stylish design and ease of use. With Nokia Nseries products, consumers can use a single device to enjoy entertainment, access information and to capture and share pictures and videos, whenever and wherever they want.

Twist and Shoot: Nokia N90 makes its premiere

Part of the Nokia Nseries high performance multimedia range, the Nokia N90 brings Carl Zeiss optics into the mobile arena

Amsterdam, Cancun, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur – Nokia today proudly presented the Nokia N90 multimedia, an advanced and inspirational multimedia device. Starring Carl Zeiss optics and a full set of advanced digital camera features, the Nokia N90 is targeted at high-technology enthusiasts who value the ultimate in connected mobile photography. The Nokia N90 boasts a 2 megapixel camera with autofocus and 20x digital zoom, integrated flash, macro mode for sharp close-ups, and high quality video capture with on-phone editing capabilities.

"We foresee that already this year, the camera phone market will grow to be over four times the size of the digital camera market," said Juha Putkiranta, Senior Vice President, Multimedia Imaging, Nokia. "And not only is the market growing at an enormous pace but, as fantastically highlighted by the Nokia N90, camera phone functionality is also developing rapidly to meet the needs of the more demanding picture taker. With its pioneering multi-hinge twist-and-shoot design, we have brought ease-of-use and high quality photography into mobile telephony."

Facilitated by its two screens, the Nokia N90 features two ergonomic modes for instant photo and video capture. Simply twist the unique rotating camera barrel, and automatically the 2 megapixel camera is ready to shoot high quality photos, in a snap. A dedicated capture key and the cover display (128 x 128 pixels) of up to 65,536 colors as a viewfinder make the snapshot experience ever more effortless. Unfold and twist the main display (352 x 416 pixels), and the Nokia N90 is ready to shoot high quality video in MP4 format using the high-resolution (352 x 416 pixels) 262,144 color landscape display as a viewfinder. Dedicated record and zoom keys, including up to 8x digital zoom for video capture, provide for very convenient one-hand operation.

Capture

The Nokia N90 is packed with advanced camera features that ensure high quality photos and videos every time. With autofocus, pressing the shutter key halfway automatically focuses in on the target, after which pressing the key all the way captures the image with amazing clarity. Furthermore, the macro mode feature provides for striking accuracy when taking close-ups.

Print

Printing great quality images is now possible directly from the Gallery with just a few pushes of a button. With the Nokia XpressPrint printing solution, users can select from a range of mobile printing options, including PictBridge, where the handset is connected directly to a compatible photo printer with a USB cable; wireless printing over Bluetooth wireless technology; or by extracting the Reduced Size Dual Voltage MultiMediaCard (RS-MMC) from the side of the phone and inserting it into a compatible printer.

Store

Photos and video clips taken with the Nokia N90 can conveniently be stored on the phone’s internal 31 MB memory or the 64 MB in-box RS-MMC. Users can also easily store captured content at full resolution using the Nokia PC Suite Image Store, which, when connected, automatically saves images and video clips to the PC.

Share

Images and video clips can also be instantly shared via MMS, email or by uploading them to web albums directly from the new improved rotating Gallery, which also allows on-handset editing of captured images and video clips. In addition, video clips can easily be trimmed further on the PC with the in-box Adobe Mobile Video Editor software.

Part of the Nokia Nseries, a new multimedia device range that combines rich functionality into one device, the Nokia N90 capitalizes on the convergence of imaging, smartphone features and 3G. 3G-enabled features, such as two-way video calling*, video sharing* and push email, are further complemented by an organizer, video streaming, Internet browser and add-on software.

Based on the leading Series 60 Platform, the Nokia N90 is a tri-band phone for GSM 900/1800/1900, EDGE and WCDMA networks, and is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2005.

*To check the availability and cost of the service, contact your network operator or service provider.

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Nokia launches Nokia Nseries branded multimedia device range

Nokia Nseries offers the latest technologies and new fusions of digital media and mobility to consumers

Amsterdam, Cancun, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur – Nokia announced today the Nokia Nseries branded range of next generation multimedia devices. Packed with the latest technologies such as 3G, Carl Zeiss Optics, megapixel cameras, multi-gigabyte memory, VHS resolution video and WLAN, the Nokia Nseries offers new fusions of digital media and mobility to the hands of mobile users. Consumers can now use a single device to do everything from snapping print-quality images, reading email, listening to music, browsing their favorite websites, watching mobile TV and much more. The Nokia Nseries multimedia range is styled to meet the expectations of the most demanding customers with stainless steel finishes and black pearl and smooth silver color pallets. The first Nokia Nseries products are expected to become available during the second quarter of 2005 followed by several more by the end of 2005.

"This next step in digital convergence brings together mobile devices, Internet content, still and video cameras, music, email and much more. Nokia Nseries devices share similar design traits as mobile phones, but they are actually powerful pocketable computers with a comprehensive set of multimedia features," said Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President, Multimedia, Nokia. "The Nokia Nseries offers the world’s most powerful functionality in the mobile space. As Nokia Nseries is based on Series 60, people can choose from thousands of add-on applications to customize their device to best suit their needs. The Nokia Nseries range is the perfect choice for customers who want to have mobility with the latest technologies and great design – for both work and play."

Nokia Nseries – high performance multimedia

Nokia Nseries leads the formation of new mobile product categories through the fusion of rich functionality into one beautifully designed, easy-to-use device. All Nokia Nseries devices support print-quality photography and high quality video recording. In addition, Nokia Nseries devices offer rich music experience including over-the-air downloads, gigabytes of memory and stereo audio.

Featuring large color displays, HTML web browser and streaming video, the Nokia Nseries devices enable access to entertainment, news and information anywhere, anytime. The Nokia Nseries range helps consumers balance personal and work life with a broad range of productivity features such as push email with attachments and full organizer features. PC synchronization of music, images, videos and organizer data are made simple with Nokia PC Suite and multiple connectivity options. As Nokia Nseries is based on the Series 60 smartphone platform, users can choose from more than 3 000 applications to add new functionality to their device. Rich communication is naturally at the core of all Nokia Nseries devices, including telephony, two-way video call, video sharing and multiple messaging options.

Six Apart to Bring Mobile Sharing to LiveJournal Users Through Nokia Lifeblog Compatibilityobile music experience

San Mateo, CA – Six Apart, the leader in weblogging software and services, and Nokia today announced that the users of Six Apart’s LiveJournal online community can easily post text to their diaries using Nokia Lifeblog, an application solution that effortlessly keeps an organized multimedia diary of items collected with your mobile phone. LiveJournal users with paid accounts can also enhance their diaries by uploading photos with text to their LiveJournal entries.

LiveJournal is an online community organized around personal journals. Built on open source software, LiveJournal has helped fuel the rapid growth of blogging by offering consumers both free and paid accounts on its easy-to-use personal publishing service. Every week, more than 1 million users update their LiveJournals.

Nokia Lifeblog software automatically organizes photos, videos, text messages and multimedia messages into a beautiful chronology you can easily browse, search and share. Lifebloggers can already share online, from the phone or PC, via Six Apart’s TypePad personal publishing service.

"The teamwork between Six Apart and Nokia continues to result in creative ways to improve our users’ blogging experience," said Barak Berkowitz, Six Apart’s CEO. "Nokia Lifeblog allows our users to create and seamlessly update a diary on LiveJournal or TypePad, easily sharing photos and memories with family and friends as events happen."

"With LiveJournal support, Nokia Lifeblog now has the potential to reach almost 7 million LiveJournal users," said Christian Lindholm, director of Multimedia Applications, Nokia Ventures Organization. "We are delighted to be working with Six Apart and believe this is an enormous advantage for operators and other service providers, who want to offer their customers the best mobile blogging experience available."

Nokia Lifeblog is compatible with a number of handsets, such as the, Nokia 6682 and Nokia 7610 phones in the Americas, and with the Nokia 3230, Nokia 6260, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6670, Nokia 6680, Nokia 6681 and Nokia 7610 handsets in Europe and Asia. The software is also available online at www.nokia.com/lifeblog. Other Nokia Series 60 based phones will be supported as they are released. The blogging capability of Nokia Lifeblog is based on the open ATOM standard.

About Nokia

Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations. www.nokia.com.

About Six Apart

Six Apart Ltd., based in San Francisco, CA, is the company behind the Movable Type publishing platform, the TypePad personal weblogging service and LiveJournal, an online community organized around personal journals. Founded by husband and wife team Ben Trott and Mena G. Trott in 2002, who were joined by LiveJournal founder Brad Fitzpatrick early this year, and funded by Neoteny Co., Ltd. and August Capital, Six Apart’s sole focus is to create tools that enable millions of individuals, organizations and corporations to participate in the Web’s full potential by publishing their ideas on the Internet with the simple, yet powerful software and services. For more information about Six Apart, TypePad, Movable Type and LiveJournal, visit the Six Apart corporate weblog at http://www.sixapart.com/.

Six Apart is a trademark of Six Apart Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Indian GSM body sets up 200 mln target by 2007

India’s GSM mobile user base is expected to touch 200 million customers by 2007 as firms ramp up networks in rural areas and slash rates to woo customers in the hotly competitive market, a leading industry body said on Tuesday

With more than 52 million users, India’s fast maturing mobile services sector is already the world’s fastest growing wireless market as cut-rate tariffs are pulling in some 1.7 million new customers each month.

“The Indian GSM cellular industry has matured with most GSM networks making profits and are well positioned to reach the 200-million mark by 2007,” a joint statement by the Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers said.

NEW DELHI – India’s GSM mobile user base is expected to touch 200 million customers by 2007 as firms ramp up networks in rural areas and slash rates to woo customers in the hotly competitive market, a leading industry body said on Tuesday

Bharti plans to begin 3G trial runs by month-end

BHARTI Tele-Ventures is set to begin trial runs of 3G mobile services by April-end. The company has sought spectrum from the Department of Telecom (DoT) to conduct the trial runs.

The company has told the DoT that it has set in place the equipment and the network required to conduct trial runs but is awaiting the release of spectrum in the 1900 Mhz, which has been earmarked for 3G services.

New Delhi: Bharti Tele-Ventures is set to begin trial runs of 3G mobile services by April-end. The company has sought spectrum from the Department of Telecom (DoT) to conduct the trial runs.

In a letter to the DoT Secretary, Brijesh Kumar, the company has said, “Bharti Cellular has planned actively to start the trials of 3G networks in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. It is also relevant to mention that the vendors have also been identified for trials and had many rounds of detailed discussions to carry out the trails by April-end, 2005.”

The company had earlier said that it was lining up investments of $1 billion for rolling out 3G mobile services across the country.

Hutch flags off `mobile’ shops in Hyderabad

HUTCH, the cellular service provider, has flagged off the first in the series of three `Mobile Hutch Shops’ here on Monday.

Addressing a press conference after launching the mobile shop, Mr Samuel Selvakumar, Operations Director of Hutchison Essar South, said customers would get access to all the Hutch services, available at the regular shops, at the mobile units.

HUTCH, the cellular service provider, has flagged off the first in the series of three `Mobile Hutch Shops’ here on Monday.

Based in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, the three vans would reach 150 towns covering a length of 100-200 km and two towns a day.

Customers in the respective areas would get an SMS, giving details of the scheduled arrival and stay of the van.

The company believed that the service provided the customers with flexibility to access the Hutch services.

These vans would have pre-determined geographical areas and routes to cover.

These were equipped with Global Packet Radio Service to provide online connectivity to facilitate billing services.

Mr Hamir Bakshi, Chief Operating Officer (AP), said the company had a subscriber base of four lakh in Andhra Pradesh.

The total market size was about 28 lakh.

SOURCE:thehindubusinessline.com

Maran asks cellular industry to reduce mobile roaming charges

The Communication and IT Minister, Mr Dayanidhi Maran, on Tuesday said the roaming charges of private cellular operators are ‘very high’ and the industry must look into it to bring them down.

NEW DELHI: The Communication and IT Minister, Mr Dayanidhi Maran, on Tuesday said the roaming charges of private cellular operators are ‘very high’ and the industry must look into it to bring them down.

“Mobile charges for roaming are very, very high… I think they should be much lower than the existing rates. BSNL does not charge roaming, why can’t the private operators also take this initiative to bring them down,” Mr Maran said at the cellular summ it organised by Cellular Operators Association of India.

The Government, on its part, will do everything to remove all the hurdles coming in the way of growth of telecommunication, the Minister said adding ‘but the operators also must reciprocate from their side.’

Replying to industry’s demand that the Government should reduce the licence fee and allow BSNL to share the infrastructure especially for the rural areas, Mr Maran said, “Don’t waste your time in Delhi making rounds to the ministry… Go to the rural are as and connect India. We, on our part, will do everything to see that all hurdles are removed one by one.”

Maran also launched low price cellular handset of Motorola costing about Rs 1,500. – PTI

BPL Mobile in talks to sell up to 40% stake

India’s privately owned BPL Mobile Communications Ltd. is negotiating to sell up to 40 percent stake to a strategic partner to help boost its business in the world’s fastest growing cellular market, the company said, reports Reuters. India’s mobile services industry, with more than 50 million users and growing rapidly helped by rock-bottom call rates of about 2 U.S. cents a minute, has attracted investors from funds to large global service providers. “We have identified a few partners with whom we are in dialogue,” Chief Executive Officer Sandip Basu told a news conference. “The deal can happen any time.” BPL, which aims to invest $143 million on expansion this year, was in talks with at least three possible partners, including a foreign company, another official said.

bpl
India’s privately owned BPL Mobile Communications Ltd. is negotiating to sell up to 40 percent stake to a strategic partner to help boost its business in the world’s fastest growing cellular market, the company said, reports Reuters. India’s mobile services industry, with more than 50 million users and growing rapidly helped by rock-bottom call rates of about 2 U.S. cents a minute, has attracted investors from funds to large global service providers. “We have identified a few partners with whom we are in dialogue,” Chief Executive Officer Sandip Basu told a news conference. “The deal can happen any time.” BPL, which aims to invest $143 million on expansion this year, was in talks with at least three possible partners, including a foreign company, another official said. Basu said the strategic partner can buy a stake in BPL Cellular Holdings, the founder, or in BPL Mobile Communications that provides cellular services in Bombay, or in BPL Mobile Cellular Ltd., which operates in three other telecoms circles.
“Ideally the strategic partner could pick up stake in the holding company, but it could be in the operating companies as well,” Basu said. Indian founders own 60 percent of the holding company, with the remaining 40 percent held by funds such as Commonwealth Development Corp. and American International Group.
SOURCE:Telecompaper