Telecompaper Africa/Asia articles from May 2011

Telecompaper Africa/Asia archives from May 2011

South Korea - Samsung sells over 1 mln Galaxy S2 to South Korean carriers.
May 31, 2011... Samsung Electronics said that it has sold more than 1 million units of the Galaxy S2 smartphone to South Korean carriers since the phone debuted about one month ago, reports the Joongang Daily. The Galaxy S2 smartphone reached the milestone at a...

India - Telecom gear to undergo TEC test before deployment in India.
May 31, 2011... All shades of telecommunication gear will have to undergo mandatory certification by the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) before deployment in communication networks across India, reports The Economic Times. The telecommunications department...

India - BSNL to invite fresh bids for 15 mln GSM lines in June.
May 31, 2011... State-run Indian operator BSNL has decided to cancel its existing tender for 5.5 million GSM lines and invite fresh bids for 15 million GSM lines in June, reports the Business Standard. The new tender is estimated to be around INR 50-60 billion....

Israel - AppsFire raises USD 2.5 million from IDInvest.
May 31, 2011... Franco-Israeli mobile app marketing platform AppsFire has raised EUR 2.5 million from venture capital company IDInvest, Les Echos reports. AppsFire, which has 2 million unique visitors, will use the funds to expand its staff and to open an...

Australia - Australia's NBN app centre names Griffith as director.
May 31, 2011... The Australian Centre for Broadband Innovation, a joint venture between Csiro, Nicta and the NSW government, will be headed by Colin Griffith, a former senior public servant with the NSW Department of Commerce, reports The Australian. Griffith...

Qatar - Qtel connects to TGN-Gulf cable project.
May 31, 2011... Qtel announced the successful landing of the Tata Global Network (TGN) Gulf submarine cable in Sumaismah, north of Doha, Qatar. When the new link is fully functional by the end of the year, it will route traffic from Qtel customers to Mumbai and...

Middle East - Middle East operator selects Symsoft messaging platforms.
May 31, 2011... A mobile operator in the Middle East has selected VAS services provider Symsoft's Short Message Service Center (SMSC) and an Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging service. The Symsoft SMSC service will support the delivery of messages to and...

Singapore - HTC launches Flyer tablet in Singapore.
May 31, 2011... HTC has launched its Android-powered 7-inch tablet, the HTC Flyer paired with an HTC Pen, in Singapore in conjunction with the Great Singapore Sale. The HTC Flyer features an aluminum unibody case with integration of HTC Sense and HTC Scribe...

India - HTC launches Wildfire S smartphone in India.
May 31, 2011... HTC has launched the Wildfire S smartphone in India. The HTC Wildfire S, powered by the Android OS, includes HTC Sense and features 3.2 inch HVGA display, a 5-megapixel camera with auto focus, expandable microSD memory and support for a variety...

Kenya - SES, Wananchi launch DTH line-up in Kenya.
May 31, 2011... Global satellite operator SES has joined forces with Kenyan television and broadband operator Wananchi Group to launch a new DTH line-up called Zuku TV in East Africa. Zuku TV is a pay-TV offering, set to provide affordable and quality TV...

Algeria - Algeria committed to buying Djezzy.
May 31, 2011... Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia has confirmed that the government has decided to buy the mobile operator Djezzy, controlled by Orascom Telecom. The PM was responding to a question on the ongoing financial assessment of the operator, at a...

Israel - Xfone disqualified, Select takes Israeli mobile licence.
May 31, 2011... Israel's Ministry of Communications has awarded a mobile licence to Select Communications, after 018 Xfone Communications owned by Marathon Telecom was disqualified due to failure to secure financing, Globes reports. Third place Select...

Qatar - IctQatar rejects Vodafone pricing claims against Qtel.
May 31, 2011... Qatar's regulator rejected a claim from Vodafone Qatar that rival Qatar Telecom engaged in anti-competitive practices when pricing international calls. The Regulatory Authority of the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology...

Qatar - GBI, Interoute sign contracts on communication links.
May 31, 2011... Qatar-based Gulf Bridge International (GBI), a submarine cable operator, and European operator Interoute have signed two new agreements that will offer seamless communications between the Gulf and Europe. Under the Italian Terrestrial Network...

Qatar - Vodafone Qatar extends World Calling Club promotion.
May 31, 2011... Vodafone Qatar has extended its World Calling Club international call rates to more than 180 countries at QAR 65 a minute until 30 June. All of the most popular calling destinations are included in this promotion including Bahrain, Bangladesh,...

Egypt - Motorola Solutions opens Egypt office.
May 31, 2011... Motorola Solutions is expanding further in North Africa with a new office and Regional Engineering Centre in Cairo, Egypt. Motorola hopes that this will be a key office for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. With an enhanced local...

Congo, Dem. Rep. - SkyVision launches iDirect Evolution network in DRC.
May 31, 2011... SkyVision Global Networks has expanded its VSAT coverage in Africa by launching an iDirect Evolution network. The provider has deployed an iDirect 5IF satellite hub in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), allowing it to extend its SkyVision...

Hong Kong - BrightHost selects Equinix to expand cloud services in HK.
May 31, 2011... Cloud infrastructure and web hosting services provider BrightHost has selected global data centre operator Equinix's Platform Equinix to support the expansion of its managed private cloud services to Hong Kong. The deployment of its cloud...

Fiji - Vodafone Fiji adds Nadi council rates to m-payments service.
May 31, 2011... Vodafone Fiji has seen a second town council adopt its m-payments system for rate payments. The Nadi Town Council now allows residents to use M-PAiSA to pay for rates and business licence fees. Earlier this month the mobile operator announced...

China - China Telecom, Coolpad launch 2 Android smartphones.
May 31, 2011... China Telecom and Coolpad have jointly launched two Android smartphones. The companies introduced the 9930 and the N950 which will be available in June, Xinhua reports. The 9930 is a dual-Sim phone with a 5-inch screen and both phones run on...

China - Corruption probe to widen in China's telecom industry.
May 31, 2011... A corruption investigation into the China's telecommunications industry is set to widen after high-level officials and executives were detained. Senior executives of the three major companies - China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom -...

Pakistan - PTCL expands payment options with Ufone.
May 31, 2011... Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL) has expanded its bill payment option. In cooperation with mobile operator Ufone, PTCL offers customers payment options for their fixed-line, broadband, and EV-DO bills via Ufone outlets, the Daily Times...

Philippines - Philippine regulator sticks by ISDB-T adoption.
May 31, 2011... The Philippine National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) claims the set-top boxes using the DVB-T2 standard are more expensive than the ISDB-T set-top boxes and that the decision for the ISDB-T standard is the right one. The regulator's...

Australia - Australian govt unveils National Digital Economy Strategy.
May 31, 2011... Australian communications minister Stephen Conroy has launched the National Digital Economy Strategy at the CeBIT conference. The Strategy identifies eight goals to help measure the countries progress towards this vision. The goals for 2020...

Australia - Australian govt funds telehealth, online eduction projects.
May 31, 2011... The Australian government will provide AUD 5.5 million in funding to telehealth and 21.7 million for an educational project that uses the NBN. For the telehealth initiative, some 2.01 million will be used by the Princess Alexandra Hospital in...

Thailand - NSN Thailand expects sales to be up on TOT's roll out.
May 31, 2011... Nokia Siemens Networks Thailand expects sales to grow by 25 percent this year, boosted by TOT's nationwide 3G network roll out. The company recorded revenues of around THB 5 billion last year. TOT granted a contract worth THB 15.99 billion to...

New Zealand - Telecom NZ launches XT business promotion.
May 31, 2011... Telecom New Zealand has launched an XT promotion for business customers. Customers that bring their phone to the company's XT network will get up to NZD 695.65 in credit when they sign up to a new 24-month postpaid plan. The offer, which is...

Thailand - Thaicom plans 6th satellite.
May 31, 2011... The board of Thai satellite operator Thaicom has approved investments in the Thaicom 6 satellite project. The company plans to invest up to THB 4.88 billion in the project it said in a stock exchange announcement. The satellite will have 26...

Australia - Optus launches Samsung Omnia 7 promotion.
May 31, 2011... Australian communications provider Optus has launched a Samsung Omnia 7 promotion. The phone runs on Windows Phone 7 and features a 4-inch touch screen, Wi-Fi, GPS, and FM radio. Under the promotion, the operator offers the phone for AUD 5 per...

Australia - iiNet launches online safety series.
May 31, 2011... Australian ISP iiNet has launched an online safety series, offering advice to internet users become more aware of safe practices when surfing the web. The launch coincides with the government's National Cyber Security Awareness Week. Each month,...

Singapore - Singapore ends March with 7.4 mln mobile users.
May 31, 2011... Singapore ended March with 7.384 million mobile users, up from 7.320 million in February. The mobile penetration rate grew to 145.5 percent from 144.2 percent a month earlier, according to figures from regulator IDA. Of the total mobile...

Australia - Internode launches Huawei E5832 3G/Wi-Fi router.
May 31, 2011... Australian ISP Internode has introduced the Huawei E5832, a personal wireless hotspot router that can share 3G internet connections with up to three Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Internode is selling the device for AUD 149, on its own or with a...

Asia - Measat secures Ipstar capacity from Thaicom.
May 31, 2011... Thailand-based satellite operator Thaicom has signed an agreement with Measat for the Malaysian payload of the Thaicom 4 (Ipstar) satellite. Measat will secure a major portion of the Ipstar capacity over Malaysia allowing it to become the Ipstar...

Uzbekistan - UCell launches night internet tariff.
May 31, 2011... Uzbek mobile services provider UCell has launched a new night internet package called 'Internet Mega Boom'. The package charges USD 0.05 per MB between 1am and 8am, while the daily fee is USD 0.10. Activation of the tariff is free. Separately,...

Sri Lanka - Mobitel launches mHealth platform with Nawaloka Hospitals.
May 31, 2011... Sri Lankan mobile operator Mobitel, together with Nawaloka Hospitals, has launched an mHealth Platform capable of delivering medical data over Mobitel's network. The hospitals will use the mHealth platform to send MRI and CT scanning data via...

Malaysia - Time dotCom grows Q1 revenues 8%.
May 31, 2011... Malaysian communications provider Time dotCom saw its revenues and profit rise in the first quarter on improved data earnings. Profit before tax went up 22 percent to MYR 22.9 million from 18.8 million in the year-ago quarter due to higher...

Japan - Yahoo Japan grants stock options to employees.
May 31, 2011... Yahoo Japan has decided to offer stock option rights to employees. Each subscription right can be exchanged for one share and initially, the total number of shares represented by the amount of subscription rights granted shall be 589 shares.

Australia - Telstra offers Foxtel unmetered to Xbox users.
May 31, 2011... Telstra will not charge BigPond broadband customers for data when they use Foxtel pay-TV on their Xbox 360. Telstra also announced that six BigPond TV channels have been added to the service. The six new channels from BigPond TV cover sport,...

Australia - Ergon: telcos need to increase diesel supply for generators.
May 31, 2011... Telecommunications firms need to increase the amount of diesel kept at base stations in case of outages, such as during disasters. Ergon Energy's telecommunications manager Adrew Deme spoke at ACMA's RadComms conference and recalled watching...

Maldives - Mobile subs in Maldives up to 527,000 in April.
May 31, 2011... The number of mobile subscribers in the Maldives in April rose to 527,459 from 519,850 in March, according to figures from the Telecommunications Authority of Maldives. The teledensity stood at 167.69. Of the total, 454,060 were prepaid...

Oman - IND powers NBO m-banking service launch.
May 31, 2011... Financial services provider National Bank of Oman (NBO) has introduced its mobile banking service. The service is powered by IND Group, a European developer and provider of banking front-office products. The NBO mobile banking service is...

India - Reliance Communications FY profits down sharply.
May 31, 2011... Indian operator Reliance Communications reported revenues of INR 78.76 billion for its fiscal fourth quarter to 31 March, up 57.4 percent from the previous quarter. EBITDA was INR 41.2 billion, versus INR 16.2 billion in the three months to...

Georgia - Geocell launches prepaid data add-on promotion.
May 31, 2011... Georgian mobile operator Geocell launched a promotion whereby its prepaid Lai-Lai customers who activate a data add-on by dialling *135*4#OK get a bonus of 100 MB. Free of charge service activation will be valid until 24 June. The 100MB bonus...

UAE - Etisalat FM partners with Elite Security.
May 31, 2011... Etisalat Facilities Management (EFM) announced a partnership with Elite Security, a security company run by Emirates Link Group with Britam Defence, a risk management and training consultancy based in the UK. This partnership between EFM and...

UAE - LG introduces entry-level touch phone in UAE.
May 31, 2011... LG announced the release of the LG T310i, a color full-touch phone aimed at 'Generation Z' consumers in the UAE. The LG T310i is designed for younger users or first-time touch phone users. It comes with versatile texting functionality, enhanced...

UAE - BlackBerry PlayBook to launch in UAE on 12 June.
May 31, 2011... EMS will distribute the BlackBerryPlayBook tablet from Research In Motion (RIM) through select retail outlets across the UAE region from 12 June. After experiencing a successful launch in North America, RIM looks to continue this within the UAE...

Uganda - UTL accuses MTN Uganda of blocking calls.
May 31, 2011... Uganda Telecom (UTL) said MTN Uganda has suspended interconnection with its network over claims of unpaid termination fees, The Monitor reported. MTN earlier threatened to stop accepting calls from its network to UTL amid claims it's owed USD...

South Africa - Vox introduces Tickybox services.
May 31, 2011... South African operator Vox Telecom launched a new service for local communications hubs, called Vox Tickybox. Similar to internet cafes, the hubs at local retail outlets or businesses provide voice, internet, photocopying, faxing and e-mail...

Asia - Asia Pacific server shipments grow 21% in Q1 - study.
May 31, 2011... The Asia Pacific server shipments grew 21 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same quarter last year, according to a study by Gartner. Server revenue increased 29 percent year-on-year. Mainframe customers in countries such...

Kenya - Airtel Kenya names Kitinya as HR director.
May 31, 2011... Airtel Kenya announced the appointment of Irene Kitinya as its new Human Resources Director. Kitinya has over thirteen years experience in HR management with various organizations in Kenya including her immediate past assignment as Human...

Saudi Arabia - Gemalto opens office in Saudi Arabia.
May 31, 2011... Gemalto has opened its new office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a bid to bolster its presence in the Middle East region. Hisham Surakhi, director of Gemalto Saudi Arabia said Gemalto believes in proximity to its clients. Gemalto has offices and...

Australia - Australian PC market grows 6% year-on-year in Q1.
May 31, 2011... The Australian PC market grew 6 percent year-on-year and 3 percent sequentially in Q1 to reach just under 1.5 million units, according to a study by IDC. Despite increased uptake of all-in-one desktops by consumers, the overall desktop market...

UAE - Etisalat enables online payment for Lootah BC Gas.
May 31, 2011... UAE operator Etisalat announced that it has enabled an online payment mechanism for Lootah BC Gas. Lootah Gas customers will now be able to use the Etisalat Payment gateway to pay their monthly gas bills online through the website...

Saudi Arabia - Mobily, NetComm launch 42Mbps router.
May 31, 2011... Saudi mobile operator Mobily launched the NetComm DC-HSPA+ 42Mbps WiFi Router. This marks a carrier world-first for the launch of a 42Mbps router, NetComm said. The device offers downstream data rates of up to 42Mbps and upload speeds up to...

Egypt - LinkDSL launches ADSL at up to 48Mbps.
May 31, 2011... Egypt ISP LinkSL, a subsidiary of LinkDotNet, announced the launch of new ADSL speeds up to 48Mbps through its LinkDSL Plus service. The service uses ADSL 2+ with bonding, a new technology to boost the speed of copper networks. LinkDSL Plus...

Singapore - NTT Com to expand UC services for Arcstar Global IP-VPN.
May 31, 2011... Global ICT services provider NTT Communications' Arcstar Unified Communications Services will introduce the SIP Trunking Plan to allow Arcstar Global IP-VPN users to dial external lines for voice communications worldwide beginning 31 May. The...

Egypt - Cisco to invest USD 10 million in Egypt.
May 31, 2011... Cisco announced plans for USD 10 million in venture capital investments aimed at growing high-potential small business in Egypt. Cisco Egypt President Olaf Krahmer said that job creation and the chance for greater opportunities are of clear...

Israel - Comverse recruits 150.
May 31, 2011... Comverse Technology is planning to hire 150 employees over the next few months for its business support systems (BSS) division, after sacking 2,500 employees in the past few years, Globes reports. The move comes after the company won several new...

Kenya - CCK completes audit on number portability.
May 31, 2011... An audit of Kenya's mobile number portability (MNP) process is complete and the Communication Commission of Kenya will release the findings early June. The investigation started last month ago after a battle between rival mobile operators...

Bahrain - Batelco launches Super Smart postpaid package.
May 30, 2011... Bahrain's operator Batelco announced the launch of a new postpaid mobile package called Super Smart. It features 4GB of data, 200 minutes of local calls and 75 SMS, in addition to the Smartphone 16GB with a two-year local warranty. The new...

Qatar - Uniqtel partners Huawei for SME services.
May 30, 2011... Uniqtel, a subsidiary of Spanco Golden Key Solutions, and Huawei Technologies have signed a memorandum of understanding. Under the MoU, Uniqtel will work with Huawei to provide a bundled offering of equipment and infrastructure services,...

India - Indian retail market to enable mobile payment grow - study.
May 30, 2011... India's retail market with annual transactions worth USD 410 billion and nearly 100 percent mobile penetration make phones a perfect medium for payments, according to a study by Assocham. A growing middle class with over 300 million people and...

Israel - Marathon Mobile misses licence payment.
May 30, 2011... New Israeli mobile firm Marathon Mobile missed the 27 May deadline for getting a ILS 710 million bank guarantee to the Communications Ministry, The Maker reported. Marathon Mobile, one of two winners of the recent mobile frequency tender, missed...

India - India wants operators to store call data records for 5 years.
May 30, 2011... India's Intelligence Bureau (IB) wants all mobile phone companies to store call data records or details of all phone calls made by their customers for a period of five years, reports The Economic Times. At present, telecommunications store call...

Tunisia - Tunisian court orders all porn sites to be filtered.
May 30, 2011... A Tunisian court has ordered the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI) to block all pornographic websites, Le Monde reports. These had been filtered under the Ben Ali regime, but have been free to access since January. The court ruling follows a...

Nigeria - Main One Cable partners with Global Crossing.
May 30, 2011... Nigerian international cable operator Main One Cable Company has entered into a partnership with Global Crossing to deploy a portfolio of IP-enabled services to its customers. The agreement will enable Main One to extend its customers...

India - MTNL to invest INR 11.45 bln to launch services in FY2012.
May 30, 2011... Indian state-run operator MTNL said it will invest INR 11.45 billion in 2011-12 to launch services and upgrade its network, reports The Economic Times. MTNL chairman and managing director Kuldip Singh said the company plans to launch features...

India - MTS India launches INR 0.005 per second lifetime tariff plan.
May 30, 2011... Indian operator MTS has launched a lifetime tariff for its new and existing customers. Customers can avail INR 0.005 per second tariff for lifetime on all local and national outgoing calls made to any telecommunication network in the country....

Ghana - Tigo Ghana expands Family Care Insurance.
May 30, 2011... Tigo Ghana has expanded its Tigo Family Care Insurance product to postpaid customers. The company launched the product for its prepaid customers in December 2010. The product is underwritten by Vanguard Life. Registered subscribers who spend GHC...

Saudi Arabia - Mobily auctions numbers for charity.
May 30, 2011... Saudi operator Mobily has donated SAR 2.5 million in proceeds from the sale of two platinum Mobily numbers to the Society for Disabled Children. The company organized a charity auction for 15 platinum numbers, dedicating the entire turnover to...

Egypt - LinkDotNet partners with FVC, Polycom on Link Conferencing.
May 30, 2011... Egypt ISP LinkDotNet announced the launch of Link Conferencing, a managed audio and video conferencing service in Egypt, in cooperation with FVC, the regional distributor for Polycom. LinkDotNet's corporate customers will be offered 750 free...

Qatar - Qtel to carry BlackBerry PlayBook.
May 30, 2011... Qatari operator Qtel announced that it will be carrying the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet at flagship stores across Qatar. The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity can be experienced in Qtel shops in Villagio Mall, City...

Egypt - OT in talks on USD 350 mln loan.
May 30, 2011... Orascom Telecom Technology, a unit of Orascom Telecom Holding, started talks with several banks to obtain a USD 350 million loan, said Alalam Alyoum newspaper. The firm will use the loan to fund its new subsidiary established to own the...

Ghana - Vodafone Ghana integrates fixed-line network in MNP system.
May 30, 2011... Vodafone Ghana said it has fully integrated its fixed-line network and revised its billing system to ensure that numbers ported from other networks to Vodafone would be recognised by its fixed-line network as Vodafone numbers and be billed as...

India - Tata revenues grow 8% to INR 119.32 bln in FY 2010-11.
May 30, 2011... Indian communications services provider Tata Communications' revenues for the year ended 31 March grew 8 percent to INR 119.32 billion from INR 110.26 billion in the previous year. Global Voice Solutions division revenues fell to INR 10.14...

Bahrain - Zain Bahrain launches BlackBerry PlayBook.
May 30, 2011... Zain Bahrain announced the launch of the BlackBerry PlayBook, now available at its Zain Experience Shops throughout Bahrain. The tablet is available on monthly installment purchase plans and with direct discounts. The device features a 7-inch...

South Africa - BCX partners Sipcom for Microsoft SaaS.
May 30, 2011... South Africa's Business Connexion is adding to its infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) offering by partnering with Sipcom to deliver Microsoft-based communication and collaboration products including Exchange, Lync with full Enterprise...

South Korea - KT, Softbank to set up cloud computing joint venture.
May 30, 2011... South Korean operator KT and Japanese communications firm Softbank will set up a cloud computing joint venture by the end of September, reports The Nikkei. The joint venture, in which KT would take a 51 percent stake and Softbank would take the...

South Africa - FNB reaches 3 mln mobile banking customers.
May 30, 2011... South Africa's FNB said its Cellphone Banking business has reached a landmark 3 million customers. The simplicity of Cellphone Banking has resulted in a diverse portfolio of customers using it, the bank said. More than 72 percent of customers...

Nepal - NTA suggests method against spectrum hoarding.
May 30, 2011... The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has recommended the government take back spectrum that is unused by mobile operators for over two years. "In order to discourage the frequency hoarding tendencies, the government should set standards...

New Zealand - Telecom NZ to resell Sky TV products.
May 30, 2011... Telecom New Zealand and Sky have signed new commercial agreement that will enable Telecom to sell all of Sky's television services to its customers alongside their home line, mobile and broadband products. Telecom currently sells Sky's basic...

Australia - 6 more ISPs join IIA's icode scheme.
May 30, 2011... Australia's Internet Industry Association (IIA) has seen six new ISPs join its icode scheme. The IIA's icode defines integrated steps of early identification, notification and direction of users to remediation tools for computers thought to be...

Thailand - True offers to sell CDMA towers to CAT.
May 30, 2011... Thai communications group True is proposing that CAT Telecom buy the 1,400 CDMA telecommunications towers in 25 provinces for THB 3 billion. The proposal is part of a deal signed by CAT and True in January which involves cooperation on 3G...

Thailand - CAT, TOT to sign 3G roaming MoU.
May 30, 2011... Thai state-owned communications firms CAT Telecom and TOT have agreed on 3G roaming. Both companies are rolling out a 3G network (TOT on the 2.1 GHz band and CAT on the 850 MHz band) and they have agreed to allow customers to roam on each...