Telecompaper Africa/Asia articles from October 2011, page 7

Telecompaper Africa/Asia archives from October 2011

Kuwait - Viva selects AdaptiveMobile for privacy protection.
October 19, 2011... Viva Kuwait has selected AdaptiveMobile's Network Protection Platform which includes a call screening solution for its subscribers. The technology protects subscribers' privacy by screening and controlling voice and video calls, SMS and MMS...

Kazakhstan - Beeline Kazakhstan offers free USB modems.
October 19, 2011... Mobile operator Kar-Tel, working under the Beeline Kazakhstan brand, is offering a free USB modem for its new mobile internet users. Unlimited internet service with the USB modem costs KZT 3,000. Users are offered the Easy Unlimited tariff for...

China - Synnex distributes Huawei products in China, Hong Kong.
October 19, 2011... IT product distributor Synnex Technology International has won a contract to distribute Huawei's network devices and tablet PCs in China and Hong Kong, reports Cens. The Taiwanese company is stepping up distribution of Huawei's network devices...

Nigeria - MTN Nigeria rolls out Opera Mini.
October 19, 2011... MTN Nigeria has signed an agreement with Opera Software to enable its over 40 million subscribers to experience faster mobile web surfing on their handsets. The agreement will also enable MTN customers to experience one-click access to MTN's...

South Africa - Vodacom SA launches mobile education programme.
October 19, 2011... Vodacom has launched a Mobile Education Programme, making use of mobile technology to provide teachers throughout South Africa with better access to quality instruction resources and ICT. The programme is rolled out in partnership with the...

Azerbaijan - Azercell offers tariff for students.
October 19, 2011... Azerbaijan mobile operator Azercell launched a new tariff focused on students at universities and higher education schools, as well as special secondary schools. Calls for AZN 0.01 per minute are offered to other customers on the tariff, while...

Azerbaijan - Azercell offers cheap calls for prepaid.
October 19, 2011... Azerbaijan mobile operator Azercell introduced an offer for calls to all Azerbaijan networks for AZN 0.05 per minute for users of its SimSim prepaid network. The offer runs until 16 November amd requires a top-up of at least AZN 5.

UAE - Tahadi picks Level 3 for online game delivery.
October 19, 2011... Level 3 Communications announced that it has been selected to provide content delivery network (CDN) services to support the online delivery of game content for Tahadi Games, an online games publisher in the Middle East. Based in Abu Dhabi,...

Bahrain - Batelco sponsors golf open.
October 19, 2011... Bahrain's operator Batelco is sponsoring Awali Golf Club's 48th Bahrain open, which will take place on 21 and 22 October. Golfers from around the world, which includes ex-members of the club, are expected to participate in the Bahrain Open,...

Qatar - Qtel launches mobile money services.
October 19, 2011... The Qatar Telecom (Qtel) Group has launched its new Mobile Money service, which enables customers to transfer funds to overseas destinations through a mobile wallet. With the mWallet, Qtel customers will be able to use their mobile phone...

Kyrgyzstan - O! offers free GPRS traffic with online device sales.
October 19, 2011... Kyrgyzstan mobile operator O! introduced a joint offer with the Svetofor online shop. Customers receive a Sim and 500MB of free GPRS traffic when purchasing mobile devices for USD 200 to 500 on the online shop. Sims with 1,024MB of data are...

South Africa - Vodafone launches Webbook in South Africa.
October 19, 2011... Vodacom South Africa announced the launch of the Vodafone Webbook, a new device expected to bring simplified, value-added internet access to thousands of South Africans. The compact device weighs less than 1 kg and features a 10-inch LCD screen,...

Uzbekistan - Beeline Uzbekistan appoints new CFO.
October 19, 2011... Mobile operator Beeline Uzbekistan has appointed Karem Karapetyan as CFO of the company, replacing Valeriy Yakushin, reports Uzdaily.uz. Karapetyan earlier worked as head of the internal audit and risk management unit at Armenian operator and...

Middle East - Qtel connects to HomeSend.
October 19, 2011... Mobile operator Qtel has connected to HomeSend, an international mobile centric remittance hub operated by BICS and powered by eServGlobal. Following an agreement between eServGlobal and Qtel, HomeSend becomes the preferred remittance supplier...

Bahrain - Batelco offers Samsung Galaxy SII in white.
October 19, 2011... Bahrain operator Batelco, has introduced the Samsung 19100 Galaxy SII in white at its retail shops throughout the country. The phone is sold in combination with Batelco's Super Smart package which features 4GB of data, 200 minutes of local calls...

Kenya - Safaricom gives BlackBerry users a week free service.
October 19, 2011... Kenyan operator Safaricom has given its 13,000 BlackBerry subscribers seven days of free subscription following last week's three-day outage. From 22 October until 29 October, the BlackBerry users on the Safaricom network can access data and...

China - HTC, Tencent launch ChaCha smartphone in China.
October 19, 2011... HTC has launched its HTC ChaCha smartphone in China in cooperation with the Chinese internet and mobile VAS provider Tencent, reports Cens. The HTC ChaCha is an Android-powered smartphone, which features a shortcut button to enable users to...

Tajikistan - Tcell cuts rates for mobile internet packages.
October 19, 2011... Tajikistan mobile operator Tcell has reduced its rates for its mobile internet packages. A 25 MB package is being offered for USD 2 and a 250 MB package costs USD 8.5.

Kuwait - Wataniya Telecom starts GiveKuwait young entrepreneur scheme.
October 19, 2011... Wataniya Telecom has announced the launch of its GiveKuwait Campaign for the year 2011-12. This year, GiveKuwait will focus on creating opportunities for young entrepreneurs. It will provide them with a platform to display their products and...

Japan - Sony Ericsson launches Xperia mini smartphone in Japan.
October 19, 2011... Sony Ericsson has launched Xperia mini line smartphone for Japanese mobile operator Emobile customers as 'Sony Ericsson mini'. The smartphone features 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and allows access to up to sixteen applications in the...

Israel - Partner Communications shareholder to sell 15% stake -report.
October 19, 2011... Israeli operator Partner Communications' controlling shareholder Ilan Ben-Dov is to sell 15 percent of the Orange franchisee, Globes reported online. He currently owns 45 percent of Partner through Scailex. Ben-Dov has received a numbers of...

Kuwait - Wataniya Telecom markets Android handsets.
October 19, 2011... Kuwaiti operator Wataniya Telecom said it has introduced a selection of the latest Android-supported handsets bundled with cost-effective postpaid plans. The devices include the Galaxy S2, HTC Desire S, HTC Sensation, HTC Cha Cha, Sony Mini Pro,...

Middle East - UAE's Optimus signed as distributor for GN Netcom's Jabra.
October 19, 2011... Dubai-based Optimus Technology and Telecommunications has been signed as a distributor by hands-free accessories brand Jabra. The Jabra range, which is owned by GN Netcom, includes headsets and Bluetooth technologies.

Kenya - Intel, Safaricom promote e-learning in schools.
October 19, 2011... Intel has partnered with Kenyan operator Safaricom to promote the use of computers in primary and secondary schools, Business Daily reported online. The e-initiative aims to improve education standards and targets pupils aged nine to eighteen...

South Africa - Icasa to overhaul revenue management.
October 19, 2011... The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) said it will develop and implement a two-year turnaround strategy to ensure efficient revenue management, the Independent Online reported. The news portal said that the auditor-general had...

South Africa - South Africa's uThetha offers business IP telephone services.
October 19, 2011... South African telecommunications systems integrator uThetha said it is providing IP telephony systems for small, medium, and large businesses, allowing them to make huge cost savings. The company has its sales office in Cape Town and said it...

Japan - TechFaith to enter Japanese smartphone market in Q4.
October 19, 2011... Original design manufacturer China TechFaith Wireless Communication Technology will re-enter the Japanese market in the fourth quarter this year. The company plans to ship its model H900, a 3.8-inch capacitive touch Android smartphone, to the...

Rwanda - African Development Bank keeps backing Rwandan ICT centre.
October 19, 2011... The African Development Bank (AfDB) has pledged continued support for the establishment of the Regional ICT Centre of Excellence in Kigali, The New Times reported online. The centre will provide an academic and research programme based on the...

Kuwait - Wataniya Telecom launches business bundle.
October 19, 2011... Wataniya Telecom has announced its new bundle for postpaid customers of the local business community. It said the bundle is cost-effective for small, medium and large organisations and at the same time it attempts to lower communication barriers...

Nepal - Qtel signs PoP deal with Nepal Telecom.
October 19, 2011... Qtel said it has signed an agreement with Nepal Telecom to establish and manage a multi-service Point of Presence (PoP) in Qatar. This will connect Nepal Telecom's network to Qtel's global internet network, allowing for greater connectivity and...

Bahrain - Viva Bahrain launches Manchester Utd SMS service, prize draw.
October 18, 2011... Viva Bahrain has announced the launch of a Manchester United SMS service alongside a competition to win a trip to see the soccer team play live in the UK. It said 40 customers will win a journey to the Old Trafford football stadium to watch the...

Middle East - Cyberoam appoints ME regional sales manager.
October 18, 2011... Cyberoam announced the appointment of Pradeesh VS as regional sales manager for the Middle East. A veteran in channel management, business operations and revenue expansion, Pradeesh will manage the growth strategy for Cyberoam's NetGenie...

Saudi Arabia - STC launches customer service app.
October 18, 2011... Saudi operator STC has introduced its customer services application on the Android Market. The app allows customers to get information about fixed phone services (home broadband packages, voice services), preview phone bills, see the saving...

Kenya - Internet Solutions raises stake in Kenyan operation.
October 18, 2011... South Africa-based Internet Solutions (IS) has increased its majority stake in its Kenyan operation, from 51 percent to 80 percent. IS initially acquired a 51 percent stake in local Kenyan service provider iConnect in 2005, which was rebranded...

South Africa - South Africa union opposed to Telkom, KT deal.
October 18, 2011... South Africa's trade union federation Cosatu has come out against the further privatisation of Telkom through a possible sale of a stake in the company to Korea Telecom. The union said the privatisation of Telkom to date has meant "increasing...

China - Siano offers DTV app for CMMB broadcasts on Android devices.
October 18, 2011... Mobile TV chip maker Siano Mobile Silicon has launched Kan, an advanced DTV player application for the reception of CMMB live TV broadcasts on Android devices. Based on Siano's DTV technology, Kan meets CMCC and CBC requirements, targeting the...

Japan - Docomo unveils LTE phones, new smartphone portals.
October 18, 2011... NTT Docomo unveiled a new range of smartphones, including its first LTE handsets, while also announcing plans for new apps and content portals aimed at moving its i-mode customers to smartphones. The winter-spring device line-up includes seven...

India - Uninor offers Mumbai users ISD calls for INR 0.01 per second.
October 18, 2011... Indian mobile operator Uninor has launched Special Tariff Voucher (STV) 18 ISD pack offer for its Mumbai customers to stay connected with their friends and families across the globe. With Uninor's STV 18 ISD pack, Uninor customers can make ISD...

Armenia - Orange Armenia starts second phase of Orange Book Prize.
October 18, 2011... Orange Armenia launched the second stage of Orange Book Prize 2011, a contest that aims to discover Armenian literary works as well as boost interest towards reading. During the second phase of the competition, works selected by a jury during...

India - Tata Teleservices to deploy NEC's iPasolink platform.
October 18, 2011... Indian operator Tata Teleservices (TTL) has selected NEC's iPasolink platform for the transformation of its backhaul mobile transport network. The iPasolink provides customers with a mobile transport network that can be adapted for enhanced...

Armenia - Orange Armenia starts international calls promo.
October 18, 2011... Orange Armenia launched a special offer for those customers who get or receive international calls. Under the terms of the offer, Let's Talk and Every Month customers get 2 bonus points for all made and received international calls instead of 1...

Malaysia - MCMC names Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi as chairman.
October 18, 2011... The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has named Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi as chairman. Mohamed Sharil succeeds Khalid Ramli, Bernama writes.

Nepal - Colors launches G-40 handset.
October 18, 2011... Nepalese distributor of Colors mobile phones Teletalk has launched the G-40 handset. The dual-Sim phone features an MP4 media player, 2.4-inch screen, sound recorder, camera, as well as Bluetooth connectivity and support for Wap, GPRS, and MMS,...

New Zealand - Vodafone again in court over Fair Trading Act breaches.
October 18, 2011... Vodafone New Zealand is defending charges that it breached the Fair Trading act with broadband and mobile promotions. The legal action was brought by the Commerce Commission. The hearing has been adjourned to 24 November as the two parties could...

Australia - Telstra shareholders approve NBN deal.
October 18, 2011... Shareholders of Australian communications company Telstra support the company's plan to migrate its copper network customers to the National Broadband Network (NBN). Over 99 percent of votes supported the deal and only 0.55 percent of votes were...

Viet Nam - MobiFone launches BlackBerry smartphones, plans.
October 18, 2011... Vietnamese mobile operator MobiFone has launched BlackBerry services and smartphones. MobiFone is offering the BlackBerry Bold 9780, Torch 9800, and Curve 9300. The operator offers three BlackBerry Internet Service packages for consumer and...

Viet Nam - Vietnamobile launches Maxi Talk promotion.
October 18, 2011... Vietnamese mobile operator Vietnamobile has launched a promotion for its Maxi Talk 24 package. New customers that buy one day of Maxi Talk 24 will get the next day for free. The Maxi Talk package is priced at VND 5,000 per day and comes with...

Cambodia - Smart launches 500% top-up bonus.
October 18, 2011... Cambodian mobile service provider Smart Mobile has launched a top-up promotion. Customers recharging their prepaid account before 20 October will get 500 percent bonus credit for on-net calls, SMS and MMS messages, as well as for internet...

Pakistan - Easypaisa adds PIA tickets to service.
October 18, 2011... Mobile operator Telenor Pakistan's Easypaisa, a branchless banking service, will add PIA to its service. Customers will be able to pay for their airline tickets via their Easypaisa mobile accounts by 1 January 2012. The receipt and confirmation...

Philippines - PLDT confirms talks on divesting spectrum.
October 18, 2011... Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) has said there is no legal basis to recall any 3G spectrum but also admitted that it is in discussions with the regulator on divesting some spectrum held by a subsidiary. The comment was made after media...

Singapore - SingTel donates THB 2 mln to Thailand.
October 18, 2011... Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) has donated THB 2 million to help the communities affected by the severe flooding in Thailand. Two months ago when the flood began, Intouch Group - comprising Intouch, local mobile operator AIS, and...

Singapore - M1's Q3 revenues down, profit up 4.1%.
October 18, 2011... Singaporean communications provider M1 grew its net profit by 4.1 percent to SGD 41 million in the third quarter from SGD 40 million a year earlier. EBITDA was flat at SGD 79 million and EBITDA margin slipped to 42.1 percent from 43.5 percent in...

Japan - J:Com grows customer base to 3.58 mln in September.
October 18, 2011... Japanese cable operator Jupiter Telecommunications (J:Com) grew its customer base to 3.58 million in September, up 6.1 percent year-on-year. Combined revenue generating units (RGUs) for cable television, internet access, and telephony services...

Philippines - Globe, Yahoo! Philippines launch online family contest.
October 18, 2011... Philippine communications provider Globe Telecom and Yahoo! Philippines have launched the 'Yahoo! Purple Hunt 3.0 Family Edition'. The Purple Hunt is a four-week long online contest which aims to encourage the whole family to explore the web and...

New Zealand - New Zealand's Labour party releases ICT policy.
October 18, 2011... New Zealand's Labour party has announced its ICT policy ahead of upcoming elections which will also include a broadcasting component that is yet to be released. The opposition party says it has some grave concerns about the government's urban...

Australia - Govt cuts controversial section from copyright paper.
October 18, 2011... Australia's Attorney-General has removed a controversial provision from its latest copyright discussion paper. The removed section involved a proposed 'streamlined' process for copyright holders to access information about alleged copyright...

South Korea - KT ends September with 7.7 mln broadband subs.
October 18, 2011... South Korean communications firm KT ended September with 7.72 million broadband customers as the company added 36,000 new subscribers in the month. KT also had 19.23 million fixed-line customers, down by 4,000 as the growth in VoIP customers...

Australia - IAB Australia establishes Mobile Advertising Council.
October 18, 2011... IAB Australia has established a Mobile Advertising Council (MAC). The Council will hold its first meeting in October to consider its scope of work which will include mobile audience measurement, mobile advertising standards, guidelines and best...

Australia - NewSat completes share sale, top-up facilities.
October 18, 2011... Australian satellite operator NewSat has completed the voluntary share top-up and share sale facilities for small shareholders. The demand for top-up shares at 15.19 million shares exceeded the 5.78 million shares offered. The clearing price for...

New Zealand - Chorus begins UFB rollout in South Island.
October 18, 2011... New Zealand network operator Chorus together with Crown Fibre Holdings has marked the start of the ultra-fast broadband (UFB) rollout in the South Island by deploying new network infrastructure in Blenheim's town centre. Over the next ten...

Viet Nam - FPT launches payment kiosk for mobile top-ups, bills.
October 18, 2011... Vietnamese ICT firm FPT has launched the 'Easy Payment' service kiosk. The service is launched by subsidiary FPT Payment Technology. Easy Payment enables customers to pay bills for mobile services, water, electricity, internet services, credit...

Africa - Fratel to hold next regulators' meeting in Conakry.
October 18, 2011... The next annual meeting of Francophone countries' telecommunication regulators group Fratel, will be held in Conakry, Guinea, on 10-11 November. The meeting will be chaired by the Bulgarian regulator in the presence of ITU deputy general...

India - RIL plans 4G launch by mid-2012 - report.
October 18, 2011... Reliance Industries plans to offer data services on tablets by early next year and scale it up to a countrywide network by the middle of 2012, reports The Economic Times. The company plans to offer 4G-enabled data cards that can be plugged into...

Bahrain - Batelco to offer services at BBK financial malls.
October 18, 2011... Bahrain operator Batelco announced an agreement to provide its retail services at five of BBK's Financial Malls. The distribution deal targets individuals and SMEs looking to buy their banking and telecom services all under one roof. Moreover,...

Kenya - Google Trader launches in Kenya.
October 18, 2011... Google announced the launch of Google Trader in Kenya. Trader is a free online classifieds service that allows Kenyans to buy and sell products and services, as well as search for jobs or services. Trader can be used by anyone in Kenya, but is...

Egypt - Telecom Egypt workers threaten strike over corruption.
October 18, 2011... Hundreds of employees at Telecom Egypt (TE) started an open-ended strike on 16 October and threatened to cut landline and internet services countrywide if their demands to dismiss the company's upper management are not met, Ahram Online...

Oman - Nawras starts FTTH trial service.
October 18, 2011... Oman operator Nawras, is offering a free trial of fibre broadband to around 200 customers living in Al Mabailah North. For a three-month period, customers will be invited to experience the benefits of FTTH services with download speeds of...

Armenia - Armentel launches seasonal fixed broadband promotion.
October 18, 2011... Operator Armentel, working under the Beeline Armenia brand, has launched a seasonal promotion for fixed broadband services under the Hi-Line sub-brand. The operator is offering free services for three months to new subscribers on 'Mega' tariffs...

Kazakhstan - Tele2 Kazakhstan covers Ust-Kamenogorsk, eyes Semey.
October 18, 2011... Mobile operator Tele2 Kazakhstan launched services under its own brand in Ust-Kamenogorsk on 15 October. The operator plans to launch services in Semey on 22 October.

Ghana - Ghana's Multi-TV partners SES to give training to installers.
October 18, 2011... Ghanaian satellite television platform Multi-TV has joined forces with SES, a world satellite operator, to provide training for its digi-box installers, dealers and distributors. The training programme, called Elevate, is an SES Africa installer...

Thailand - NBTC says 3G licence auction on schedule.
October 18, 2011... Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) has insisted the 3G licence auction will be held on schedule, reports the Bangkok Post. Air Marshal chairman Thares Punsri said that the NBTC will auction the licences for...

India - Bharti Airtel unveils Smartbyte broadband top-ups.
October 18, 2011... Indian operator Bharti Airtel has launched the broadband scheme 'Smartbyte' in India, reports PTI. Under the scheme, customers have been given the option to buy additional data access at a fixed price, in contrast to the earlier system of paying...

Saudi Arabia - STC connects Saudi Fransi Bank branches with optical fibre.
October 18, 2011... Saudi operator STC said it has signed an agreement with Saudi Fransi Bank to connect up its branches using optical fibre technology.

Bahrain - Regulator TRA says Bahrain mobile phone mast signals 'safe'.
October 18, 2011... Radio signals from Bahrain's telecommunication masts are within international safety limits, said a top official from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). TRA director of consumer affairs and media Ghada Al Gassab said it had...

UAE - ZeroWire launches UAE-inspired app for BlackBerry.
October 18, 2011... ZeroWire Labs, a software developer with offices in Dubai and Toronto, said it has launched a UAE-inspired User Generated Content application for BlackBerry smartphones in collaboration with two Emirati Zayed University graduates. The new...

Middle East - Qtel has no plans for acquisitions in near future.
October 18, 2011... Qtel Group said it is awaiting further consolidation in the telecommunications sector before carrying out any more acquisitions. Group CEO Nasser Marafih told Arabian Business that there are no plans to go into any countries for in the near...

Kyrgyzstan - Megacom reports jump in net profit by 450% in 9M.
October 18, 2011... Kyrgyzstan mobile operator Megacom reported that its net profit jumped by 450 percent in the first nine months of this year to KZS 1.7 billion, or USD 36.2 million.

Oman - Omantel EGM clears merger with Oman Mobile.
October 18, 2011... Oman operator Omantel said its extraordinary general meeting has approved its merger with Oman Mobile. CEO Amer bin Awadh Al-Rawas said the approval is a legal requirement and forms the last step in the merger process that began was launched...

UAE - UAE introduces e-commerce trust mark.
October 18, 2011... The UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) is looking to boost confidence in the e-commerce industry through the introduction of a national electronic trust mark, TRUSTae. The initiative is aimed at promoting a secure and safe...

Saudi Arabia - STC, KEC ink infrastructure deal.
October 18, 2011... Saudi Telecom Co (STC) has signed a cooperation agreement with the Knowledge Economic City (KEC), Arab News reported. According to the agreement, STC will provide network links and infrastructure for the city's communications and information...

Malaysia - Online video viewing grows 8% in Malaysia.
October 18, 2011... Social networking accounted for one third of all time spent online in Malaysia in August, ranking as the top online activity for the market, according to a study by comScore. Online video viewing continues to grow in Malaysia with the viewing...

Israel - ECI Telecom to fire up to 150 more employees - report.
October 18, 2011... Israel-based telecommunications equipment vendor ECI Telecom will fire 100-150 more employees in Israel after the Jewish holidays, local paper Globes reports. The last wave of layoffs was a year ago. Swarth Group acquired ECI in 2007 for USD...

Armenia - Acme acquires Armenian network equipment wholesaler.
October 18, 2011... Lithuanian PC wholesaler Acme PC Components has acquired Armenian network eqipment wholesaler Maxtronic. No financial details of the deal were disclosed, reports Verslo Zinios. Acme plans to extend Maxtronic services in Armenia. To date,...

China - Guangzhou selects Casa to expand broadband services.
October 18, 2011... China's Guangzhou Digital Media Group has selected US-based cable modem developer Casa Systems to expand its broadband communications services to subscribers using the C10G Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS). This network expansion will more...