Roundup of all the Telecom providers and Operators
he new switch has the capacity to handle additional six lakh customers and will be able to complete additional one million calls during peak hours, the company has said.
In its bid to offer congestion-free network, Airtel has installed its third switch in Mumbai to absorb the growing voice and data traffic. The new switch has the capacity to handle additional six lakh customers and will be able to complete additional one million calls during peak hours, the company has said. Airtel is also planning to increase the number of cell sites in Mumbai from 800 to more than 1,000 by the end of the year.
Source:http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blnus/15291707.htm
Vodafone has recently started external 3G trials in Sydney, Australia. They are giving 180 customers the ability to use and test drive the 3G network for three weeks. The testers will be given 3G enabled phones, and data cards for usage with their notebooks, and etc. In the last week, they’re gonna have to report to Vodafone stores to talk about their experiences, usage problems
Vodafone has recently started external 3G trials in Sydney, Australia. They are giving 180 customers the ability to use and test drive the 3G network for three weeks. The testers will be given 3G enabled phones, and data cards for usage with their notebooks, and etc. In the last week, they’re gonna have to report to Vodafone stores to talk about their experiences, usage problems, etc…
During this task, they’ll be assigned tasks such as downloading MP3 tracks, videos, and 3D games – why? To see how well the 3G network operates and stands up. These results in the stores are going to be used to properly train Vodafone staff for the full network launch later on.
Vodafone has assigned sets of tasks for users to complete during the trial. Mobile handset users will be asked to download specific Vodafone live! content, such as the latest music tracks, sports action and 3D games. Business customers will use the VMC with 3G data cards to test mobile email with attachments, internet access and wireless working using various enterprise applications.
“We want to evaluate the customer experience across all areas of content and delivery so we’ve deliberately set objectives for users, but beyond that it’s up to them to decide how and what they want to explore,” said John Casey, Chief Marketing Officer at Vodafone Australia. “We’ll use feedback from the trial to give future 3G customers an unbeatable mobile experience.”
“At Vodafone, an unbeatable experience means much more than how the technology performs; it’s about how successfully we meet and exceed customer expectations on service and support and how effectively our products and content fires imagination, “ added Casey.
The external trial follows a three-month internal test programme, which evaluated the functionality of the Vodafone 3G network, handset and data card provisioning and support systems. The internal trial involved more than 100 Vodafone employees in Sydney.
“Our Australian customers will benefit from everything that Vodafone has learned in rolling out new 3G networks in 14 other countries around the world,” said Casey.
source:Cellular-News
In a major benefit to mobile subscribers, Government today said that calls between Chennai and rest of the Tamil Nadu and likewise between Mumbai and Maharashtra, Kolkata and West Bengal, and in the whole of Uttar Pradesh would be treated as local calls.
New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) In a major benefit to mobile subscribers, Government today said that calls between Chennai and rest of the Tamil Nadu and likewise between Mumbai and Maharashtra, Kolkata and West Bengal, and in the whole of Uttar Pradesh would be treated as local calls. This would result in saving roaming and long distance (STD) charges for consumers, Communication and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran said, adding that service providers would continue to operate in the same manner based on telecom circles. The minister said the facility would be only for calls terminating in the mobile network. This means calls from mobile to mobile and fixed to mobile within the states would be considered local. Till now the three metros — Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai and the rest of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra — were treated as two separate telecom circles. Similarly in Uttar Pradesh, which has been bifurcated into two telecom circles for licence purposes, the consumers in UP (East) and UP (West) would be able to connect as local calls now. The new policy comes into effect from May 25, the minister said. PTI
Hutch has announced new offers for both prepaid and post paid customers across the country. The company is now offering three zero rental plans for its post paid customers and a Rs 199 plan for its prepaid customers.
For its post-paid customers Hutch has introduced ‘Talk299’, ‘Talk699’ and ‘Talk 899’ zero rental offers, under which the user will not be charged a monthly rental, instead the paid amounts – Rs 299, Rs 699 and Rs 899, which be given to the user as talk-time.
Calls within the Hutch network will be charged at 50 paise per minute, while calls to other phones – cellular and landline, will be charged at Rs 1.69, Rs 1.19 and Rs 0.75 for Talk299, Talk699 and Talk899 plans respectively. SMS will be charged at 50 paise for all three plans.
For the Prepaid customers the company is now offering a Rs 199 recharge voucher with a validity period of 30-day. The customer receives only Rs 50 worth of talk-time for this recharge voucher.
Hutch has also reportedly cut roaming airtime rates by 33%, from Rs 3 per minute to Rs 1.99 per minute. The reduced tariffs would benefit all Hutch post paid and prepaid users across the country.
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.
SOURCE PTI
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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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
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.
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
South Africa’s three mobile phone operators have agreed to co-operate on sharing databases of stolen phones and baring them from use on all three networks. This agreement will make it easier for the companies – Cell C, MTN and Vodacom – to blacklist and disable stolen, lost and destroyed cell phones and for the police to trace and arrest those who steal cell phones or use them to further their criminal activities.
South Africa’s three mobile phone operators have agreed to co-operate on sharing databases of stolen phones and baring them from use on all three networks. This agreement will make it easier for the companies – Cell C, MTN and Vodacom – to blacklist and disable stolen, lost and destroyed cell phones and for the police to trace and arrest those who steal cell phones or use them to further their criminal activities.
Until now stolen phones have been “grey” listed by MTN and Vodacom, which means that the sim cards were blocked but not the cell phone instruments. Criminals could simply change sim cards and continue using the phones. On the other hand Cell C has been blacklisting stolen or lost cellphones since its inception.
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The company estimates revenue of Rs 25 crore per month from the service which went paid on April 1.
MUMBAI: Reliance Infocomm earned Rs one crore within two days of making its R World service paid. According to the company, the first Indo-Pak one-day match at Kochi contributed much of the Rs one crore revenue. The company estimates revenue of Rs 25 crore per month from R World.
According to the company, the popularity of R World remained high even after it was made paid service on April 1. The Java and Brew-based R World suite offers over 150 applications, including railway ticket booking and exam results, and the charges range from Rs two to Rs 25.
Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.’s emerging markets phone arm has delayed its Indian IPO as it awaits clarity over changes to foreign shareholding rules, but it remains determined to grow in what is its most promising market.
HONG KONG: Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.’s emerging markets phone arm has delayed its Indian IPO as it awaits clarity over changes to foreign shareholding rules, but it remains determined to grow in what is its most promising market.
Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd. (HTIL), controlled by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, has pushed the much-anticipated Bombay IPO of its Indian cellular arm into the second half of this year due to regulatory uncertainty, the firm said in an interview.
The Indian unit is expected to raise roughly US$350-$500 million through the listing.
That delay also follows the recent collapse of its US$350 million deal to take over carrier Aircel Ltd., which would have given HTIL a presence in Tamil Nadu.
But Hong Kong-based HTIL, which completed its own US$890 million listing in October, is undeterred as it looks for growth opportunities in India — including acquisitions.
“There are other targets that we might be interested in talking to,” Chief Executive Dennis Lui said at the firm’s headquarters in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district. “We want to move into other areas because there’s profits to be made. But you do it in stages — you don’t do it all in one splash.”
Since its IPO, which saw weak interest from retail investors, HTIL has expanded with deals to launch startups in Indonesia and Vietnam, densely populated countries with low mobile penetration rates of roughly 14 and 4 percent, respectively.
Its stock, which has risen by up to 46 percent since listing, ended at HK$7.20 on Monday, 20 percent above the IPO price.
HTIL, which positions itself as an emerging markets Vodafone, is looking for opportunities in Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Besides India, it operates in Hong Kong, Thailand, Israel, Ghana, Paraguay, Sri Lanka and Macau.
But it is HTIL’s business in India, where it holds roughly 15 percent of the 52 million-user market, that offers the greatest promise. Only five in 100 people in India have a cellphone, compared with over a quarter in China, the biggest mobile market.
“There is certainly capacity in the market up to 250 million, and we see ourselves getting certainly a fair share of that,” said Chief Financial Officer Tim Pennington.
BIG COUNTRY, GROWING FOOTPRINT
HTIL’s Indian arm operates in 13 of India’s 23 cellular regions, or circles, and is looking to broaden its footprint in the world’s most rapidly expanding major mobile market.
“We believe there are licence areas that we’re not currently in that we should be in, that offer the returns that we would expect for allocated capital,” Pennington said.
Though India has the world’s lowest tariffs, it is profitable given high volumes, low costs and few handset subsidies.
HTIL’s 2004 EBITDA margin (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) in India was 31 percent, compared with 33.3 percent for rival Bharti Tele-Ventures, which is 28 percent owned by Singapore Telecommunications.
Because it has a higher percentage of big-spending contract customers — about 30 percent of its total — Hutchison’s monthly ARPU (average revenue per user) is the highest in the market, at about 589 rupees (US$13.45), versus 519 rupees for Bharti.
The fragmented Indian market is led by Reliance Infocomm, Bharti, Hutchison, Idea Cellular, Tata Teleservices and state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. Consolidation is expected to accelerate after India raised the foreign investment limit in carriers to 74 percent from 49 percent in February.
“You’ve got emerging six larger players in India,” Pennington said. “I can see those players getting stronger as time goes by.”
HTIL holds 56 percent of its India business — including 14 percent indirectly. It said it won’t necessarily lift its stake in its India business now that it can do so, but it didn’t rule out such a move, either.
HTIL is awaiting further details on India’s decision to increase the cap on foreign holdings. That uncertainty also weighs on the timing of the planned IPO.
“Things have not been clarified by the end of March,” said Lui. “Because of that, we definitely feel that a June IPO date is not viable. But we will do what we can do, and see if we could actually try and do a listing, say, by the third or fourth quarter.”
HTIL plans to sell 10 percent of the enlarged capital in its India business through a domestic listing. Proceeds will be used to fund the company’s growth.
BEYOND INDIA
Pennington said HTIL believes the opportunity for it to expand in Latin America has passed. In Africa, he said, the Ghana operation gives HTIL a beachhead for future growth, although the continent is not currently ripe for the company to expand there.
“Asia’s our home market and that’s where we still see opportunities,” he said, adding: “We will continue to look at opportunities in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.”
© Reuters
