Telecompaper Africa/Asia articles from July 2011

Telecompaper Africa/Asia archives from July 2011

Tajikistan - Beelinje Tajikistan offers SMS alerts from social networks.
July 29, 2011... Mobile operator Beeline Tajikistan is offering free SMS alerts to updates on the Twitter, Facebook and Mail.ru social networks. The rate for responding to messages is USD 0.04.

Tajikistan - Beeline Tajikistan offers Ramadan SMS calender service.
July 29, 2011... Mobile operator Beeline Tajikistan has introduced a Ramadan SMS calendar service for subscribers. It enables then to establish the exact time of the start of prayer sessions, as well as the times of dawn and sunset. The activation rate for the...

Guam - GTA TeleGuam expands digital TV service coverage.
July 29, 2011... GTA TeleGuam has expanded its GUdTV digital pay-TV service reach into three additional Guam communities. GTA TeleGuam has installed additional digital television transmission equipment in Barrigada, Dededo and Santa Rita. The expansion project...

Japan - IIJ builds distribution infrastructure for Ricoh UCS Service.
July 29, 2011... Japanese internet and network services provider Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ) has completed video distribution infrastructure for Ricoh Company's cloud-based remote video communications service 'Ricoh UCS Service Platform', scheduled for...

Nepal - Ncell unveils scheme for four zones in Nepal.
July 29, 2011... Nepalese mobile operator Ncell has launched a scheme for the potential subscribers of Bheri, Rapti, Mahakali and Seti zones, as a part of a market expansion. Subscribers get an additional bonus of NPR 30 on net every purchase of Sim cards under...

South Korea - KT proposes open handset price system.
July 29, 2011... Korean communications firm KT is proposing an "open price system" in an effort to lower subsidies to retail outlets. Under the new system, KT will update retail prices of its mobile phones via its online shopping service at www.ollehship.com to...

South Korea - KT confirms discounts.
July 29, 2011... Korean communications provider KT has confirmed that it will cut its rates, in line with requirements from the regulator, but did not provide details. In June, rival SK Telecom announced that it would cut mobile fees by KRW 1,000 from September....

Malaysia - Maxis launches Ramadan offers.
July 29, 2011... Malaysian communications firm Maxis has a number of Ramadan services, including the Zakat Fitrah SMS service. Zakat Fitrah refers to obligatory alms which Muslims contribute during Ramadan to help the less fortunate. Prepaid and postpaid...

New Zealand - 2Degrees expands to Hamilton.
July 29, 2011... New Zealand mobile operator 2degrees is set to launch its network expansion in Hamilton, the operator's first geographic expansion since its August 2009 launch. The company is currently fine-tuning the network, a phase that is expected to last...

Australia - NBN launched at 2nd mainland site.
July 29, 2011... Australia's National Broadband Network has been launched at the second mainland trial site in Kiama Downs/Minnamurra in New South Wales. In May this year, the NBN trial was launched at Armidale, NSW, while the other sites of Brunswick (VIC),...

South Korea - LG Uplus sees Q2 profits slump.
July 29, 2011... Korean communications provider LG Uplus saw its profits slump in the second quarter. Revenues went up 16.5 percent to KRW 2.30 trillion from 1.98 trillion in the year-ago quarter. Wireless revenues came in at KRW 846.8 billion, down 5.1 percent,...

India - Teledensity in India rises to 70.89 in March.
July 29, 2011... The Telecom Regularity Authority of India (Trai) has issued the 'Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report' for the quarter ending March. The number of telephone customers increased from 787.28 million in December to 846.32 million at...

Thailand - AIS launches 3G services.
July 29, 2011... Thai mobile operator Advanced Info Service (AIS) has launched its 3G service in Bangkok and seven other areas, namely Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Songkhla, Phuket, southern Phetchaburi and northern Prachuap Khiri Khan, and Nakhon Ratchasima. AIS...

Australia - NBN Co releases new version of wholesale broadband agreement.
July 29, 2011... The Australian government company rolling out the national broadband network, NBN Co, has released the third edition of its Wholesale Broadband Agreement (WBA), following two previous rounds of industry consultation. The documents set out the...

Malaysia - Redtone narrows net loss in Q4.
July 29, 2011... Malaysian broadband services provider Redtone International narrowed its net loss in the fourth quarter ended 31 May. Revenues went up by 6.9 percent to MYR 23.04 million from 21.55 million in the same quarter a year earlier, due mainly to the...

Uzbekistan - Ucell launches incoming calls plan, Shakhrisabz package.
July 29, 2011... Uzbek mobile operator Ucell has launched an incoming calls plan and also introduced the 'Shakhrisabz' package. The incoming calls plan, 'Communication without borders', charges incoming calls at USD 0.30 per minute in CIS countries and USD 0.70...

Japan - Softbank's Q1 net income surges to JPY 95 bln.
July 29, 2011... Japanese communications firm Softbank posted rising sales and profit in the first quarter ended 30 June driven by the mobile communications segment. Net sales went up 9 percent to JPY 764.24 billion from 700.84 billion in the year-ago quarter....

Taiwan - Taiwan Mobile's Q2 profit grows 3%.
July 29, 2011... Taiwanese communications firm Taiwan Mobile ended the second quarter with 6.47 million mobile subscribers, up 1 percent year-on-year. Of the total 4.69 million are 3G customers, which includes 299,000 3G data card users. ARPU rose to TWD 716...

India - Indian mobile VAS market to hit INR 671 bln - study.
July 29, 2011... The Indian mobile VAS market is expected to reach INR 671 billion by 2015, contributing 31 percent to overall mobile revenues. The growth will be driven mainly by mobile data, which will contribute 54 percent to the overall mobile VAS market by...

Australia - AIIA names Suzanne Campbell as CEO.
July 29, 2011... The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has appointed Suzanne Campbell as the new chief executive officer, replacing outgoing CEO Ian Birks. Birks steps down after three years at the helm.

New Zealand - Orcon unbundles five more exchanges in Hamilton.
July 29, 2011... New Zealand ISP Orcon has unbundled five additional Hamilton exchanges. The five exchanges are Hamilton East, Te Rapa, Melville, Frankton, and Claudelands, and cover more than 21,000 home and business subscribers. Orcon unbundled the Hamilton...

Taiwan - Vibo to offer Wi-Fi services to smartphone users.
July 29, 2011... Taiwanese 3G services provider Vibo Telecom is planning to offer outdoor Wi-Fi services to its smartphone and tablet users. The company is currently negotiating the lease of Wi-Fi hotspots for the service, the Digitimes reports. Furthermore,...

New Zealand - New Zealand upgrades comms for hearing, speech impaired.
July 29, 2011... New Zealand communications minister Steven Joyce has announced that a range of services will be introduced for deaf, deaf-blind, speech, and hearing-impaired people. New services to be introduced from late this year will include captioned...

Australia - NEC's Nextep is expanding network in regional Australia.
July 29, 2011... NEC Australia is upgrading its regional DSLM and MPLS core networks for its subsidiary Nextep. Using transmission services supplied by Nextgen Networks as part of the government's Regional Backbone Blackspots Programme, NEC Australia is rolling...

Nepal - ISP group accuses govt of failing to meet ICT committments.
July 29, 2011... Internet Service Providers' Association of Nepal says the government has failed to meet its ICT targets. The government plans to develop infrastructure to roll out broadband to all villages, the finance minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari said in...

Indonesia - Indonesia begins crackdown on pirated music.
July 29, 2011... Following a crackdown on online pornography, the Indonesian ICT ministry is now starting a campaign against illegal music downloads. The government is planning to block sites offering digital music without the permission of the copyright...

Indonesia - Google not required to establish data centre in Indonesia.
July 29, 2011... Google, which is planning to open an office in Indonesia, will not be required to establish a local data centre. The search company is still negotiating conditions and regulations it will need to meet to set-up its office in Indonesia, including...

Nepal - NT to sign 5 more international interconnection agreements.
July 29, 2011... Nepal Telecom (NT) is set to sign agreements with five more international telecommunications providers to enhance its international long distance service. The company will sign interconnection agreements with operators in Saudi Arabia,...

Uzbekistan - Ucell offer SMS info service for graduates.
July 29, 2011... Uzbekistan mobile operator Ucell, in cooperation with the content provider Zava Mobile, launched a SMS information service for graduates of secondary schools. The operator offers SMS with information on opportunities to join universities. The...

Saudi Arabia - Saudi mobile operators agree on number porting.
July 29, 2011... Saudi Arabia's three mobile operators, STC, Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) and Zain Saudi Arabia, signed an agreement to allow their customers to switch their phone numbers from one company to another, Arab News reported. The agreement facilitates the...

South Africa - Dimension Data introduces vendor financing.
July 29, 2011... Dimension Data launched a new financing service, offering tailor-made leasing and financing in response to repeated difficulties experienced by clients trying to upgrade or improve their IT infrastructures. Dimension Data Finance aims to...

India - Vodafone, Idea hike prepaid tariffs by 20% - report.
July 29, 2011... Indian mobile operators Vodafone Essar and Idea Cellular are understood to have increased prepaid tariffs by up to 20 percent, in line with the recent Bharti Airtel move, reports the PTI. According to industry sources, the tariffs were increased...

Indonesia - Monitise to launch m-banking JV in Indonesia with AGIT.
July 29, 2011... Monitise Asia Pacific has signed an agreement with Indonesia's PT Astra Graphia Information Technology (AGIT) to create a joint venture that will offer mobile banking and mobile payment services for Indonesia's huge population, both banked and...

Australia - Gold Coast Suns selects Sepura's Tetra radios for AFL.
July 29, 2011... Australian Rules football team The Gold Coast Suns has selected Tetra radio supplier Sepura's Tetra radios for all aspects of its operations. The team has embarked on its inaugural season in the Australian Football League (AFL) and its...

China - GAMH selects Ekahau to improve medical waste disposal.
July 29, 2011... Guang'anmen Hospital (GAMH), affiliated with China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, has selected Wi-Fi-based real-time location systems provider Ekahau's RTLS system to monitor hazardous medical waste disposal. IT integrator HKC Technology is...

Georgia - Mobitel offers cheap calls abroad.
July 29, 2011... Mobile operator Mobitel, working under the Beeline Georgia brand, has launched a low-cost service under the name Calls Abroad. Calls to CIS countries and Turkey cost GEL 0.20 per minute and calls to European and Asian states cost GEL 0.30 per...

Uzbekistan - Beeline Uzbekistan provides wireless service for school.
July 29, 2011... Mobile operator Beeline Uzbekistan has launched its wireless services at a special boarding school in the Gulistan municipality under its Wireless For Children action. The operator has already donated PCs to the school. The operator is carrying...

Bahrain - Zain Bahrain launches SMS service with news from Egypt.
July 29, 2011... Zain Bahrain said it has launched a service providing SMS breaking news from Egypt. It costs BHD 0.30 per SMS received and subscriptions are available on *555#. It said this is part of its aim to bring customers' homes closer at the press of a...

China - Dena launches Mobage social gaming service in China.
July 29, 2011... Mobile portal and e-commerce website Dena Co has officially launched Mobage, Dena Group's social gaming network, in China through a localised service for smartphones. Dena also introduced the Chinese versions of two in-house Android social game...

Kenya - Safaricom sponsors UNICEF youth football scheme.
July 29, 2011... Kenyan operator Safaricom has entered into a partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to nurture and showcase youth soccer talent in the country. It said 22 young men and 14 young women picked from the Safaricom Sakata Ball...

Africa - Gateway launches online data platform for African ISPs.
July 29, 2011... Gateway Communications said it has launched an online data platform allowing customers to buy wholesale data on a prepayment basis directly from its website. It said Gateway Data on Demand makes it easier for smaller African ISPs to get...

Oman - Nawras Q2 net profit drops 13% to USD 26 mln.
July 29, 2011... Oman operator Nawras said that its second-quarter net profit fell 13 percent to OMR 10 million (USD 26 million) because of higher operating costs and expenses related to its fixed line business. This compares with a profit of OMR 11.5 million in...

South Africa - Mobile tech incubator mLab launches in South Africa.
July 29, 2011... MLab, an incubator for entrepreneurs and innovators with a focus on mobile technology, is preparing to open a Pretoria office on 15 September and is inviting applications for membership. MLab SA joins the East African mLab in Nairobi and is...

South Africa - Samsung launches Galaxy Tab 10.1 in South Africa in August.
July 29, 2011... Samsung will launch its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in South Africa on 01 August 2011, MyBroadband reported. This follows presentations of the device and of the Galaxy S2 smartphone in Cape Town on 26 July and Johannesburg on 28 July. Many operators already...

Israel - Ituran teams up with Pelephone to set up MVNO.
July 29, 2011... Israel's Ituran Location and Control and mobile operator Pelephone have signed an agreement to allow Ituran to use Pelephone's network for its MVNO venture, reported Globes. It said Ituran will purchase services from Pelephone and sell low-cost...

Hong Kong - Pacnet invests in data landing station in Hong Kong.
July 29, 2011... Asian communications group Pacnet has invested in into a new Data Landing Station (DLS) in Hong Kong, with direct high-speed connectivity into Pacnet's pan-Asian subsea cable network. This is part of the company's strategic plan to expand its...

Kenya - Safaricom ad spend surges 52% in H1.
July 29, 2011... Kenyan operator Safaricom increased its advertising spending by 52 percent to KES 3.1 billion in the six months to June 2011 as the price war encouraged it to raise its brand visibility, Business Daily reported. Data from Synovate shows that...

India - MTS appoints Sridhar as COO for Tamil Nadu circle.
July 29, 2011... Indian operator MTS has appointed Sridhar T as the chief operating officer for Tamil Nadu circle. Sridhar brings with him an experience of over nineteen years including around nine years in the telecommunication sector. During his last...

Kyrgyzstan - Sky Mobile offers top-ups abroad.
July 29, 2011... Mobile operator Sky Mobile, working under the Beeline Kyrgyzstan brand, launched the Foreign Payment service for customers to top up the balance of subscribers on Beeline networks in other CIS countries. Subscribers of Sky Mobile can top up the...

Jordan - Umniah sponsors Amman's Souk JARA 2011.
July 29, 2011... Jordanian operator Umniah is providing platinum sponsorship at Souk Jara 2011 as part of its partnership with the Jabal Amman Residents Association (JARA). Umniah hopes to support a revival of local art and handicrafts, the rehabilitation of...

Saudi Arabia - STC launches summer internship scheme.
July 29, 2011... Saudi operator STC has launched a summer training programme with more than 1,000 placements available as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives. The two-month internship will allow students to work within STC in various...

Ghana - MTN Ghana Foundation spends GHC 4.3 mln since launch.
July 29, 2011... The MTN Ghana Foundation has spent over GHC 4.3 million on social projects since its establishment in 2007, and has supported 21 educational projects and 12 health project across the country. The foundation plans to commence projects in the...

Oman - Omantel reaches remote customers via travelling service unit.
July 29, 2011... Omantel said mobile customer care units are touring remote parts of the country so that subscribers can have easy access to the full range of Omantel services wherever they live. Regions covered by the travelling service unit already have...

Kenya - Safaricom joins Kenya food aid initiative.
July 29, 2011... Safaricom is participating in a joint fund-raising effort aimed at helping the estimated 3.5 million Kenyans faced with starvation. Kenyans for Kenya brings together the Safaricom Foundation, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Foundation and members of...

Uganda - Ugandan 2010 mobile money transfers reach UGX 1 trillion.
July 29, 2011... Uganda's central bank said over UGX 1 trillion (USD 400 million) went through the mobile money transfer service in 2010, East African Business Week reported. The Bank of Uganda said MTN Uganda recorded transfers through its network in June of...

Iraq - Asiacell to provide Discovery TV SMS and content services.
July 29, 2011... Iraqi operator Asiacell said it is providing its customers with exclusive Discovery Science Channel and Animal Planet SMS and content download services in collaboration with Discovery TV. Asiacell customers can receive information from Discovery...

Bahrain - Bahrain unveils regional telecom price study; lags OECD.
July 29, 2011... Bahrain's Telecoms Regulatory Authority (TRA) presented its fourth price benchmark study for telecom services in the Arab region at the eighth annual meeting of the Arab Regulators' Network for Telecoms, Gulf Daily News has reported. The study,...

China - Alibaba launches mobile OS with cloud services.
July 29, 2011... Chinese e-commerce group Alibaba has unveiled its own mobile OS, known as Aliyun. The K-Touch Cloud-Smart Phone W700, the first mobile phone powered by the OS, will be introduced to the Chinese market at the end of July. The software was...

UAE - Samsung Apps unveils new payment method in UAE.
July 29, 2011... Samsung has announced a new payment method for Samsung Apps customers in the UAE. Users can now download applications and charge the payment to their credit cards. The company said this is simple, secure, convenient and flexible.

Australia - 3 Australia launches Samsung Galaxy S II.
July 28, 2011... Mobile operator 3 Australia has launched the Samsung Galaxy S II. Customers can get the phone for free on a AUD 79 per month cap plan or a AUD 99 per month unlimited plan.

Philippines - Smart launches 2 unlimited postpaid plans.
July 28, 2011... Philippine mobile operator Smart Communications has launched two new postpaid plans, the Sun Star reports. The 'Unli Text Plan 299' is priced at PHP 299 per month and offers unlimited SMS messages and also comes with a Samsung E1080 handset. The...

Thailand - NTC to decide on CAT-True deals, spectrum issue soon.
July 28, 2011... Thailand's National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is expected to release decisions on the CAT-True deals and the use of spectrum under the 2010 Frequency Allocation Act within three weeks, the Nation writes citing NTC chairman Prasit...

India - MTS India launches hourly data packs in Bihar and Jharkhand.
July 28, 2011... Mobile operator MTS India has launched hourly packs for its 'MBlaze' data services in the Bihar and Jharkhand circle. The packages start at INR 11 which includes 25 MB and access for one hour, followed by INR 21 for 50 MB and two hours access,...

New Zealand - Telecom to compensate 40,000 broadband customers.
July 28, 2011... Telecom New Zealand has finalised the details of a compensation package to broadband customers that were affected by its internet usage meter fault. In June, the company apologised for an error that affected broadband usage metering for some...

Pakistan - Wi-tribe Pakistan offers 3 tablet PCs with free Wi-Fi.
July 28, 2011... Wimax provider Wi-tribe Pakistan has launched three tablet PCs for its customers. The operator is offering the HTC Flyer, the Dell Streak 5, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000 with a free Wi-Fi connection. The Flyer is priced at PKR 63,000 while...

Nepal - PAC committee continues licensing probe.
July 28, 2011... The investigation into the issue of limited mobility licences by Nepal's regulator continues. A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has told the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) to provide the names of the officials...

China - SK Telecom pilots smart shopping cart technology.
July 28, 2011... Korean communications firm SK Telecom has launched a pilot for Smart Cart in China. Smart Cart is a service that uses a smartphone and a shopping cart equipped with tablet PC to offer shopping-related information based on indoor positioning...

South Africa - Vox Telecom to offer AppNeta PathView Cloud.
July 28, 2011... South Africa ISP Vox Telecom signed a partnership with AppNeta, a provider of cloud-based network performance management services. AppNeta has pioneered a range of network monitoring and troubleshooting services that evaluate any business's...

Egypt - Mobinil posts Q2 net loss, sales improve.
July 28, 2011... Egyptian mobile operator Mobinil reported a second-quarter net loss of EGP 108.5 million compared with a net profit of EGP 378.7 million a year earlier. The loss was due to the change in tax regime in Egypt; without that the company would have...

Malaysia - Malaysia looks to speed up 4G licensing.
July 28, 2011... The trial periods of between six months and a year given to companies offering 4G technologies may be shortened, reports the Bernama agency, citing Minister of Information, Communication and Culture Rais Yatim. The ministry will not allow the...

South Africa - POCiT launches payments app for Android.
July 28, 2011... The South African payments system POCiT has launched an app for Android that allows users to pay bills and transfer money. The app is compatible with all banks, mobile networks and Android phone types. Users can pay off accounts such as clothing...

Qatar - Vodafone Qatar sponsors Iftar during Ramadan.
July 28, 2011... Qatar Charity and Vodafone have joined hands to provide Iftar for those in need during the holy month of Ramadan. Funded by Vodafone and organized by Qatar Charity, the free daily Iftar will be located at a tent on the grounds of Ahmed Bin...

Kenya - Kenya to require security audit on mobile money transfers.
July 28, 2011... Kenya's mobile phone firms will be forced to invest in new software and expertise to comply with Central Bank of Kenya demands on money transfer services. The companies will be required to file a security audit report with the regulator and...

Africa - Avnet, Solarflare sign distribution agreement.
July 28, 2011... Avnet Technology Solutions, operating group of Avnet, has signed a distribution agreement with Solarflare. This distribution agreement expands the network and data centre systems available for VARs in the EMEA region. Avnet will be distributing...

Africa - Orange launches Google SMS chat service in Africa.
July 28, 2011... Orange and Google have signed a partnership that aims to facilitate access to Google's services across Africa by leveraging Orange's networks. This will enable Orange's mobile customers to stay in touch with their Google services and Google...

Africa - Ip.access signs African distribution deal with GDS.
July 28, 2011... Small cell developer ip.access has signed a distribution agreement with GDS Technologies, an African network engineering consultant. Under the terms of the agreement, GDS will be able to specify, supply and install ip.access small cell products...

Nigeria - Visafone, Panasonic ink sales promotion deal.
July 28, 2011... Nigeria's Visafone Communications has signed a sales promotion agreement with Panasonic. Under the agreement customers can get a free ZTE S100 FM handset with one-year warranty upon purchase of a Panasonic 32-inch TV model 32C22. The customers...

Israel - Rothschild to advise on IEC fibre investment.
July 28, 2011... Rothschild Bank has been picked as the advisor in the tender for an Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) fibre-optic venture, Globes reports citing sources close to the deal. It said that only two banks participated in the tender. Rothschild will...

India - TTSL to merge CDMA, GSM divisions - report.
July 28, 2011... Indian operator Tata Teleservices has decided to combine its CDMA and GSM businesses, raising fears of job cuts, reports The Economic Times. A TTSL company senior official said that CDMA employees will be impacted the most due to this...

Japan - Renaissance selects Qualcomm for mobile educational content.
July 28, 2011... Japan-based Renaissance Academy has selected Qualcomm to launch 3G Smartphone x Digital Textbook project through its Wireless Reach initiative to enable high school dropouts, habitual absentees and students seeking vocational training earn...

Malaysia - UEM, Iskandar Investment select Cisco for ICT services.
July 28, 2011... UEM Land Holdings and Iskandar Investment have selected Cisco to develop an ICT and Services Smart City master plan to transform Nusajaya, part of Iskandar Malaysia, into a Smart+Connected Community. UEM Land Holdings and Iskandar Investment aim...

Bahrain - Batelco to co-sponsor Tamkeen Business Quiz Show.
July 28, 2011... FinMark Communications said Bahrain operator Batelco will be the telecom sponsor of its Tamkeen Business Quiz Show, which will be held during the month of Ramadan. The show will gather competing teams of participants from a range of Bahrain's...

Kenya - Nokia Siemens Networks to enter Kenyan leasing market.
July 28, 2011... Nokia Siemens Networks will start building telecommunication infrastructure to lease to mobile phone operators as it fights competition from Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE, Business Daily reported. It said Nokia Siemens, along with other European...

South Africa - South African IPs want updates on progress of rural services.
July 28, 2011... South Africa's Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) is asking about progress on two initiatives aimed at providing access to affordable voice and data services across the country, TechZentral reported. One concerns state-owned backbone...