Wireless Asia articles from July 2004

Wireless Asia archives from July 2004

Finally, customers demand 3G: the ability to pick up a phone and show off to a friend or colleague your kids, your new office or the snows of Kilimanjaro is genuinely a fresh one.(Unwired)
July 1, 2004... It's hard to remember a time when 3G wasn't a talking point in the mobile industry. It's been 12 years since IMT-2000 spectrum was set aside, and six since the first proposed standards were put forward. It's been a rocky path since. The...

MII tariff plan aims to halt wireless price wars.(News Analysis)
July 1, 2004... With competition among China's four telecoms operators growing increasingly fierce, particularly between cellular and Xiaolingtong (Little Smart) services, the government has stepped up its efforts to curbing the ongoing price wars by issuing a...

Keeping your pulse on the network.(Insight: one month's wireless research)
July 1, 2004... With mobile operators looking to valued added video services to fuel data revenues, they need to ensure that their existing networks can cope with demand as well as deliver QoS. A report from Chorleywood says having the ability to monitor...

Users keen on full-featured audio.(Insight: one month's wireless research)
July 1, 2004... Mobile subscribers in the US are looking to move beyond basic ringtones and starting to purchase full-featured audio services. Although awareness of full-featured mobile music services is low due to the immature state of carrier deployments, a...

Targeting the youth.(Insight: one month's wireless research)
July 1, 2004... As wireless operators search frantically for new growth areas, a report from Visiongain points to the preteen market as a lucrative segment that has yet to be fully exploited by carriers. Given the fact that preteens now spend nearly double the...

Early adopters lack loyalty.(Insight: one month's wireless research)
July 1, 2004... Early adopters of new mobile technology may spend freely on handsets, but according to a report by Strategy Analytics, they aren't the most profitable target audience for operators. Early adopter segments, which account for 24 % of mobile...

FOMA fights back in Japan's 3G wars.(News Analysis)
July 1, 2004... NTT DoCoMo, with new president and CEO Masao Nakamura at the helm, has launched sever al major new products and services to capitalize on the recent popularity of its 3G FOMA service and wrench the initiative from KDDI in the saturated domestic...

Unicom unites GSM and 1X with WorldWind.(News Analysis)
July 1, 2004... GSM and CDMA have finally become one--at least in China, with the launch of China Unicom's dual-mode GSM/1X service. Scheduled for official launch earlier this month after we went to press, the dual-mode service--branded "WorldWind"--sports...

Global mobile base tops 1.5 billion.(Metrics)
July 1, 2004... It doesn't seem that long ago when the global mobile market hit one billion subscribers. But two years later, it's already halfway to the next billion, according to wireless analyst firm EMC. "With subscriber numbers having passed the 1.5...

True grit in Thai mobile market.(Metrics)
July 1, 2004... The Thai mobile sector is still largely a two-horse race dominated by Advanced Info Services (AIS) and Digital Total Access Communications (DTAC), who between them command 87% of the market's 24.8 million subscribers. True Mobile (formerly TA...

Six telecoms carriers, including KT, NTT Communications and BT, form the Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance.(Movements)
July 1, 2004... Six telecoms carriers, including KT, NTT Communications and BT, form the Fixed Mobile Convergence Alliance designed to support integration of wired and wireless communications.

The governments of Korea, Japan and China agree to start an international working group to share their advancements in information technology.(Movements)
July 1, 2004... The governments of Korea, Japan and China agree to start an international working group to share their advancements in information technology. The agreement includes cooperation in developing 3G and other wireless solutions, encouraging joint...

NTT DoCoMo is setting up FOMA base stations in Athens, Greece.(Movements)
July 1, 2004... NTT DoCoMo is setting up FOMA base stations in Athens, Greece to offer its 3G service to subscribers from July 30 to September 30.

3 Italia reaches the 1 million subscriber.(Movements)
July 1, 2004... 3 Italia reaches the 1 million subscriber mark for its 3G service.

Ericsson posts Q2 earnings of $706m, reversing a year-ago loss of $359m.(Movements)
July 1, 2004... Ericsson posts Q2 earnings of $706m, reversing a year-ago loss of $359m. The company attributes the strong growth to 3G rollouts, GSM expansions and upgrades to EDGE technology, and the continued growth in Europe and Asia, led by China and...

Nokia sees its shares drop sharply in mid-July after it reports a drop in sales and core earnings and warns its profit will suffer for the rest of the year.(Movements)
July 1, 2004... Nokia sees its shares drop sharply in mid-July after it reports a drop in sales and core earnings and warns its profit will suffer for the rest of the year. The company's Q2 sales decreased 5% year-on-year, while mobile phones sales fell 13%.

Motorola records a net loss of $203m in the second quarter due to the partial spin-off of its chip unit, but sales increased 41% to $8.7b.(Movements)
July 1, 2004... Motorola records a net loss of $203m in the second quarter due to the partial spin-off of its chip unit, but sales increased 41% to $8.7b. The company also increased its handset market share, with phone sales up 67%.

Sony Ericsson increases its handset sales by 55% year-on-year to 10.4m units during the second quarter.(Movements)
July 1, 2004... Sony Ericsson increases its handset sales by 55% year-on-year to 10.4m units during the second quarter, with 113m euros ($140m) in earnings, compared to a year-ago loss of 102m euros.

Lucent Technologies raises its outlook for the rest of the year after the company posts a net profit for the fourth consecutive quarter.(Movements)
July 1, 2004... Lucent Technologies raises its outlook for the rest of the year after the company posts a net profit for the fourth consecutive quarter. Sales of wireless network gear rises 4% from the previous quarter to $986m, and are up 58% from a year ago....

Qualcomm sees its Q3 net profit more than double to $486.4m.(Movements)
July 1, 2004... Qualcomm sees its Q3 net profit more than double to $486.4m compared with a year-earlier profit of $191.7m.

Sony Ericsson and other shareholders in Symbian succeed in thwarting Nokia's bid.(Movements)
July 1, 2004... Sony Ericsson and other shareholders in Symbian succeed in thwarting Nokia's bid to gain a controlling stake in the handset software developer.

The Ministry of Information Industry and the State Development and Reform Committee issue a decree on tariff controls.(Beijing)
July 1, 2004... The Ministry of Information industry and the State Development and Reform Committee issue a decree on tariff controls, requiring case-by-case approval for all new tariff plans requested by telecoms operators.

Shanghai Unicom launches its "Worldwind" (GSM/CDMA dual mode service, unveiling 5,000 handsets developed by Motorola, Samsung and LG Electronics.(Shanghai)
July 1, 2004... Shanghai Unicom launches its "Worldwind" (GSM/CDMA dual mode service, unveiling 5,000 handsets developed by Motorola, Samsung and LG Electronics. The service rollout is seen as a key strategy to ensure sustained development of its two networks...

Huawei Technologies and free space optics vendor LightPointe expand their existing partnership outside of China.(Shenzhen)
July 1, 2004... Huawei Technologies and free space optics vendor LightPointe expand their existing partnership outside of China. Under terms of the deal Huawei will sell and market LightPointe optical wireless products in Europe, southeast Asia, Middle East,...

Hubei Mobile awards a $224m deal to Ericsson to expand its GSM network.(Wuhan)
July 1, 2004... Hubei Mobile awards a $224m deal to Ericsson to expand its GSM network. Under the contract, Ericsson will deliver infrastructure equipment by February 2005.

DTAC chooses Nokia to supply low-cost GSM equipment.(Bangkok)
July 1, 2004... DTAC chooses Nokia to supply low-cost GSM equipment to increase coverage in rural areas.

Viettel is seeking government permission to fix its monthly subscriptions at VND90,000 ($5.73), the lowest in the country.(Ho Chi Minh City)
July 1, 2004... Viettel is seeking government permission to fix its monthly subscriptions at VND90,000 ($5.73), the lowest in the country. The move is expected to spark off a price war.

Telenor Pakistan commissions Siemens to build its GSM network in the southern part of the country.(Islamabad)
July 1, 2004... Telenor Pakistan commissions Siemens to build its GSM network in the southern part of the country. The company also awards Nokia a three-year turnkey deal to build and operate its GSM network scheduled to be operational by Q2 2005.

Indonesia is expected to see a big surge in its mobile market.(Jakarta)
July 1, 2004... Indonesia is expected to see a big surge in its mobile market, with the country's mobile subscriber base growing from 23m in June to 28m by year-end, according to the Association of Cellular Telecommunications.

Digi.Com see its Q2 net profit grow nearly 188% year-on-year to 66.35m ringgit ($17.46m).(Kuala Lumpur)
July 1, 2004... Digi.Com see its Q2 net profit grow nearly 188% year-on-year to 66.35m ringgit ($17.46m), boosted by an increase in customers.

New statistics released by the Department of Telecommunications reveal that India's teledensity has grown from 2.3% in March 1999 to 7.02% in March 2004--with much of that driven by the mobile industry, which has grown 159.2% in the same period.(New Delhi)
July 1, 2004... New statistics released by the Department of Telecommunications reveal that India's teledensity has grown from 2.3% in March 1999 to 7.02% in March 2004--with much of that driven by the mobile industry, which has grown 159.2% in the same...

Bharti Tele-Ventures reports a nearly tenfold rise in Q1 profit, as well as a 65% rise in sales.(New Delhi)
July 1, 2004... Bharti Tele-Ventures reports a nearly tenfold rise in Q1 profit, as well as a 65% rise in sales. Bharti says lower rates helped to double its subscribers base.

The Ministry of Information and Communication decides to allocate the 908.5-914 Mhz band for RFID operations.(Seoul)
July 1, 2004... The Ministry of Information and Communication decides to allocate the 908.5-914 Mhz band for RFID operations to accelerate the development of related electronic equipment.

The MIC orders SK Telecom to pay 16% more in fees for the use of its wireless spectrum.(Seoul)
July 1, 2004... The MIC orders SK Telecom to pay 16% more in fees for the use of its wireless spectrum, while reducing the fees of its rivals KTF and LG Telecom, in a move the regulator says is aimed at promoting "fair" competition in the overcrowded mobile...

SK Telecom cancels a plan to buy a stake in its unlisted mobile content unit WiderThan.com from SK Group's founding family.(Seoul)
July 1, 2004... SK Telecom cancels a plan to buy a stake in its unlisted mobile content unit WiderThan.com from SK Group's founding family on concerns about "insufficient communication" with investors.

Nearly 90% of Korea's 34m mobile users are now registered for cdma2000 1X or 1X EV-DO services.(Seoul)
July 1, 2004... Nearly 90% of Korea's 34m mobile users are now registered for cdma2000 1X or 1X EV-DO services. According to industry figures, SK Telecom has 16.2m 1X subscribers, followed by KT Freetel with 9.9m and LG Telecom with 4.3m. SK Telecom also leads...

Production of Taiwan-made mobile phones is forecast to increase 57% to NT$104b ($3.1b) in the second half of this year.(Taipei)
July 1, 2004... Production of Taiwan-made mobile phones is forecast to increase 57% to NT$104b ($3.1b) in the second half of this year, boosting the value of output for the whole year to NT$170.3b, according to estimates by Taiwan's Industrial Technology...

NTT DoCoMo sees its 3G FOMA subscriber.(Tokyo)
July 1, 2004... NTI DoCoMo sees its 3G FOMA subscriber base pass the 5-million mark in July.

KDDI will work with Toshiba and Hitachi to jointly develop a compact fuel cell battery.(Tokyo)
July 1, 2004... KDDI will work with Toshiba and Hitachi to jointly develop a compact fuel cell battery for mobile phones by the end of 2005.

Telstra will invest between $A900m ($643m) to A$1b to roll out its W-CDMA network by the end of 2005.(Sydney)
July 1, 2004... Telstra will invest between $A900m ($643m) to A$1b to roll out its W-CDMA network by the end of 2005. Telstra will also spend A$50m to upgrade its cdma2000 1X network to 1XEV-DO in capital cities and selected regional areas across Australia....

Vodafone Australia begins legal action against the ACCC, challenging its right to set the fees mobile firms charge to terminate calls on each other's networks.(Sydney)
July 1, 2004... Vodafone Australia begins legal action against the ACCC, challenging its right to set the fees mobile firms charge to terminate calls on each other's networks. The ACCC confirmed in June a draft recommendation to cut the price of mobile...

The Labour Party criticizes the appointment of former National Farmers Federation head Donald McGauchie as Telstra's new chairman, saying it is an effort by the Howard government to drum up support for the incumbent's privatization.(Sydney)
July 1, 2004... The Labour Party criticizes the appointment of former National Farmers Federation head Donald McGauchie as Telstra's new chairman, saying it is an effort by the Howard government to drum up support for the incumbent's privatization. McGauchie...

M1 reports a yearly 26% increase in its net profit to S$86.7m ($51m) for the first half of the year.(Singapore)
July 1, 2004... M1 reports a yearly 26% increase in its net profit to S$86.7m ($51m) for the first half of the year. Revenue during the period expanded 6% to S$337m.

Meanwhile, M1 begins push-to-talk trials with the Marriott Hotel and United Parcel Service involving Nokia's push-to-talk platform.(Singapore)
July 1, 2004... Meanwhile, M1 begins push-to-talk trials with the Marriott Hotel and United Parcel Service involving Nokia's push-to-talk platform, Nokia 5140 handsets, and about 20 users.

The big handset crackup: the old voice handset business has fragmented, with ODMs attacking the bottom end, vendors trying to figure out the top and both groups trying to do deals with operators. Welcome to the mobile business, 21st-century style.(Cover Story)
July 1, 2004... What's up with the handset sector? Sales are booming. A mammoth 153 million units shipped in the first quarter, up 34% over 2003, and Gartner forecasts as many as 620 million will be sold over the full year. That compares with 520 million...

802.11i: all secure? The widely anticipated 802.11i security standard for WLANs is a done deal, but vendors are reminding enterprises that it's just one link in the LAN security chain, while one company says it's already found a way around it.(Wireless Tech)
July 1, 2004... Enterprises have been worried about WLAN security for years since the discovery that 802.11b's security standard, WEP (wired equivalent privacy), was hard to implement but fairly easy to crack with the right tools, and that the tools in...

Setting the standards: in June 2002, when the Open Mobile Alliance was created to cope with fragmented wireless data standardization efforts, some critics said it wouldn't solve anything.(1_2_1)
July 1, 2004... Setting the standards: in June 2002, when the Open Mobile Alliance was created to cope with fragmented wireless data standardization efforts, some critics said it wouldn't solve anything. Two years later, the OMA has managed to settle into its...

Lack of scale impedes handset customization: customization will remain a complex and costly proposition for most operators, with few willing to invest in custom-built handsets.(Wireless Forum)
July 1, 2004... Mobile device customization is a hot topic in Asia. With competition increasing, operators are looking to customize handsets to help stimulate data revenues. The region's unique characteristics, however, make customization a tough proposition....

Bluetooth utility meters.(tools)
July 1, 2004... Cambridge Consultants delivers a prototype design of a single-chip Bluetooth-based radio module to utility metering company Actaris, which will use the module for its ACE1000 single-phase electricity meter designed for residential applications....

Carrier-grade solutions.(tools)
July 1, 2004... SmartTrust launches a portfolio of carrier-grade solutions built around the company's SmartCore offering, which allows operators to build comprehensive solutions that meet defined business requirements. Each solution area addresses a key...

Expanded apps development training.(tools)
July 1, 2004... Nokia expands its certified training program in mobile software application development to include Nokia Certified Training Centers in Finland, Korea, Australia and California, bringing the total number of training centers worldwise to 11. The...

Code protection for OTA updates.(tools)
July 1, 2004... Certicom releases Certicom CodeSign, a standards-based code signing application for firmware that enables organizations like device manufacturers and wireless service providers to remotely distribute over-the-air firmware updates and...

Nokia SDKs get Eclipse support.(tools)
July 1, 2004... Nokia updates a broad array of its tools and software developer's kits to support Eclipse, the Java-based open source Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Support for the Eclipse platform is included in new versions of the Nokia...

InnoPath gets KDDI nod.(deals)
July 1, 2004... KDDI taps InnoPath Software formerly known as DoOnGo Technologies--to supply its DeltaUpgrade Plus over-the-air (OTA) update solution to enable OTA delivery of advanced services for KDDI handset users. KDDI hopes to have the system commercially...

Network performance monitoring.(deals)
July 1, 2004... Indonesian cellco Telkomsel instalts ADC's Metrica software in its GPRS and SMS networks to monitor network performance and QoS.

Orange selects In-Fusio.(deals)
July 1, 2004... Orange selects the ExEn Gaming Extensions (EGE) from In-Fusio as a key feature of its Signature phone range for Java-enabled handsets across Europe. The first Orange handset to ship with EGE is due to be launched in Q1 2005.

Location with context.(out now)
July 1, 2004... Australian company Locatrix Communications announces a new "personal availability service" solution that runs on both fixed and mobile networks, allowing users to share their availability, context and location with a select group of colleagues,...

Corporate mobility.(out now)
July 1, 2004... Equant launches a multinational corporate version of parent company France Telecom's "Business Everywhere" range of mobility solutions for business customers. The MNC-geared solution incorporates four key features: global Wi-Fi/GPRS/DSL/dial-up...

Video editing suite.(out now)
July 1, 2004... muvee Technologies officially launches muveeStyles, a video-editing app for Nokia 7610 mobile phones (for now) that allows camera-phone users to quickly edit video clips before sending them to friends, muveeStyles provides themed templates...

Chinese BlackBerry for HK.(out now)
July 1, 2004... Research In Motion (RIM) launches new BlackBerry terminals with support for Chinese characters in conjunction with two cellcos in Hong Kong: CSL and Hutchison Telecom, The BlackBerry 7230 and BlackBerry 7730 will both allow users to read and...

Centrex for mobile.(out now)
July 1, 2004... KDDI announces plans to launch "Office Wise", a mobile PBX call-service alternative for corporate clients in their local office buildings and plant areas. The service, which is essentially a Centrex-like service for mobile phones, will be...

Browsers for TD-SCDMA handsets.(deals)
July 1, 2004... ACCESS partners with Datang Mobile Communications Equipment to jointly develop technology specifications and go-to-market business strategies for new client-end data solutions on TD-SCDMA handsets. ACCESS will also provide its NetFront Mobile...

ACL chats up Smart and Celcom.(deals)
July 1, 2004... ACL scores two service launches in Asia based on its Wireless Instant Messaging solution. One service, "CHATUP", is launched by Smart Communications and ABS-CBN Interactive, both of the Philippines, while the other service, "chatZone", is...

OMA and W3C collaboration.(deals)
July 1, 2004... The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) announce an MoU that will enable both organizations to collaborate on specifications for mobile access to the Web.

Taral + Schlumberger = airwide.(deals)
July 1, 2004... Messaging infrastructure provider Taral Networks acquires UK rival Schlumberger Messaging Solutions. The two are integrated into a single company headquartered in the UK and renamed airwide solutions.

Tata launches BREW.(out now)
July 1, 2004... Tata Teleservices launches BREW-based wireless services in six states across India, with plans to extend the service to 12 more states in the coming months. The operator will offer four BREW-enabled handsets from Kyocera Wireless for the...

3G VPN.(out now)
July 1, 2004... 3 Hong Kong launches a new VPN Connect service for corporate users, allowing them to use the operator's 3G network to access their corporate networks via a new Merlin U530 UMTS wireless data card. supplied by Lucent Technologies and Novatel...

Brainiest goes mobile.(out now)
July 1, 2004... Celador International and Mobileway deliver a mobile version of the TV quiz show "Brainiest" for SMS and WAP to Singaporean cellco MobileOne, which is the first cellco in Asia to carry the game. Celador and Mobileway previously worked together...

WAP dating.(out now)
July 1, 2004... Chinese wireless VAS provider Linktone and Singaporean animation company Vasunas jointly launch "Love Genie", a WAP-based mobile dating service for the Chinese mobile market, Mobile users can choose and customize avatars or characters as their...

Place your bets.(out now)
July 1, 2004... UK-based Mobile Streams releases Go Vegas, Go, a gaming/gambling tool where subscribers can download games provided by development house Virtue Fusion like poker, roulette, blackjack and slot machines.

DoCoMo opens mobile wallet.(this month's model)
July 1, 2004... NTT DoCoMo has launched an i-mode "mobile wallet" service, which utilizes FeliCa smartcard technology developed by Sony that has been integrated into four new i-mode handsets. The new service--which DoCoMo and Sony have been testing since...

SmarTone goes vertical with Xera: the fact that SmartTone can produce a handset, then bring it to market on own terms, illustrates that any company large enough can now be a handset vendor.(Street Wise)
July 1, 2004... The handset market took yet another twist last month with the launch of a new brand, Xera. While the name sounds pretty original, it is actually the people behind the company that are worth talking about. As many of you might already know,...

There's no such thing as free spectrum.(Short message: around the wireless industry)
July 1, 2004... One of the established attractions of Wi-Fi is that the spectrum is license-flee. Unfortunately, this is also an affront to governments everywhere who see spectrum as a revenue generator. As such, last month's news that the Japanese government...

Say what?(Short message: around the wireless industry)
July 1, 2004... As if the mobile industry didn't have enough trouble over worries that cell phones might cause cancer--a recent study from the University of Szeged in Hungary claims that mobile phones may lower a male user's sperm count by as much as 30% if...

Reasons to ban camera phones #49.(Short message: around the wireless industry)
July 1, 2004... For all their popularity, camera phones have a bad rep in some circles. They've been banned from locker rooms and swimming pools for obvious reasons. Now, apparently, some US corporate executives have another reason to fear cam-phones:...

Blind dates the Bluetooth way.(Short message: around the wireless industry)
July 1, 2004... The killer app for Bluetooth is still meeting nearby strangers, apparently. Bluetoothers have already discovered this in the form of bluejacking (sending anonymous messages to unsuspecting devices) and toothing (same idea, only with very casual...

She's got game.(Short message: around the wireless industry)
July 1, 2004... Those lame stereotypes about teenage gaming enthusiasts don't play in the mobile world. At least not in the US, where the majority of mobile garners are women. That's according to a recent Yankee Group Mobile Entertainment Survey, which...