Wireless Asia articles from July 2005

Wireless Asia archives from July 2005

Lord of the ringtones.(UNWIRED)
July 1, 2005... China's path to 3G adoption has become a Tolkien-scale saga. It may not have pixies, hobbits or dashing wizards, and the fate of the world does not hang on the outcome. But the complex battle for 3G in the Middle Kingdom will determine the...

Bangladesh SIM tax stifles mobile growth.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
July 1, 2005... Mobile carriers in Bangladesh are blaming a new tax on mobile connections for drops in subscriber take-up. Industry sources say the tax will put the brakes on otherwise spectacular growth of the market's telecoms sector and ICT development. ...

Mobile infra capex potential at $190b.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
July 1, 2005... Mobile carriers are expected to spend $190 billion for wireless infrastructure from 2005 to 2009 as they continue to expand their network coverage and cope with subscriber growth, as well as roll out infrastructure for high-bandwidth...

'Cellular-only' market to stifle convergence.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
July 1, 2005... The number of cellular-only users will hit 500 million by 2010, over five times the number of fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) users, which is projected to hit 90 million. A Strategy Analytics report says that cellular-only users will generate...

Cellphones more popular than TV.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
July 1, 2005... The mobile phone is among the last media that UK adults will give up, with 50% of adults aged 18-24 years old opting to give it up last. An Enpocket survey reveals that TV is the second most popular, with 28% of individuals in that age bracket...

US mobile backhaul to grow threefold by 2010.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTHS WIRELESS RESEARCH)
July 1, 2005... The number of wireless backhaul links in the US will grow threefold by 2010 as voice and data minutes per subscriber increases and mobile carriers strive to reduce operating costs. A Visant Strategies study says wireless backhaul now accounts...

Japan's future mobile players plot MVNO strategies.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
July 1, 2005... Mobile hopefuls in Japan are gearing up to apply this month for new mobile licenses on offer from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. And, interestingly, the top contenders see wholesale MVNO offerings as a key element in their...

Australian mobile CPs self-regulate as SMS complaints soar.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
July 1, 2005... Australian mobile content providers are implementing a new system of self-regulation as statistics show a dramatic increase in complaints about SMS-based services, particularly from young people. March quarter data from the...

Mobile handset growth limited to 5% this year.(METRICS / Inside the wireless data numbers)
July 1, 2005... The growth in cellular phone production is projected to taper off to only 5% this year to 750 million traits, after growing 25% year-on-year to 713 million units in 2004. Market research firm iSuppli Corp. says that while mobile phone...

China's mobile gaming market to hit $722m in 2008.(METRICS / Inside the wireless data numbers)
July 1, 2005... With better data services and enhanced handsets, China's mobile gaming market, both online and offline, is expected to reach RMB 5.86 billion ($722.6 million) in 2008. An Analysys International report shows that the market will start rapid...

Nokia.(Movements)
July 1, 2005... * Nokia names the head of its cellphone unit to succeed Jorma Ollila as CEO. OlliPekka Kallasvuo is slated to replace Ollila as chief executive in June 2006.

Deutsche Telekom is facing a tough decision on whether to sell its mobile phone business, T-Mobile USA for about $30b or spend up to $10b for technology upgrades.(Movements)
July 1, 2005... * Deutsche Telekom is facing a tough decision on whether to sell its mobile phone business, T-Mobile USA for about $30b or spend up to $10b for technology upgrades. The high cost attached to the upgrade is not a likely choice.

Federal regulators approved Alltel's $4.4b acquisition of Western Wireless.(Movements)
July 1, 2005... * Federal regulators approved Alltel's $4.4b acquisition of Western Wireless, a move that would make Alltel the fifth largest US cellular telephone service provider.

Qualcomm is suing chip-maker Broadcom for alleged patent infringement.(Movements)
July 1, 2005... * Qualcomm is suing chip-maker Broadcom for alleged patent infringement. The suit marks the latest chapter in an ongoing patent dispute between the two companies.

LG Telecom's net profit for the second quarter jumped 132% to 52 billion won ($50 million) from the previous quarter.(Movements)
July 1, 2005... * LG Telecom's net profit for the second quarter jumped 132% to 52 billion won ($50 million) from the previous quarter. The company's first-half profit hit 74.4 billion won ($74 million).

Research firm Infonetics says Wi-Fi VoIP handset revenue totaled $54.7m in 2004 worldwide, and that strong uptick in the market is expected to last at least through 2009.(Movements)
July 1, 2005... * Research firm Infonetics says Wi-Fi VoIP handset revenue totaled $54.7m in 2004 worldwide, and that strong uptick in the market is expected to last at least through 2009. Unit sales totaled 143,000.

Nextel profit falls sharply in Q2, largely due to an unfavorable comparison with the previous year's quarter, When it received a hefty tax benefit.(Movements)
July 1, 2005... * Nextel profit falls sharply in Q2, largely due to an unfavorable comparison with the previous year s quarter, When it received a hefty tax benefit. The firm earned $524m in the quarter ended June 30, compared to net income of $1.34 b in the...

Bridge Mobile, an alliance encompassing eight Asia-Pacific mobile operators.(Movements)
July 1, 2005... * Bridge Mobile, an alliance encompassing eight Asia-Pacific mobile operators, chooses European firm LogicaCMG as a solutions and systems integration partner for its inaugural regional mobile prepaid services offering.

The European Commission in Brussels approves the use of the 5-GHz spectrum for wireless networks.(Movements)
July 1, 2005... * The European Commission in Brussels approves the use of the 5-GHz spectrum for wireless networks. The move will allow broadband Internet usage in the 25 member states of the European Union to "become faster and more widespread," according to...

Motorola.(BEIJING)
July 1, 2005... Motorola announces plans to reorganize its operations in mainland China. Tom Sun, president and CEO at Motorola Taiwan, will be appointed chief representative for the mainland.

China Unicom slashes handset subsidies in the first quarter of the year to HK $1.1b ($141m).(HONG KONG)
July 1, 2005... China Unicom slashes handset subsidies in the first quarter of the year to HK $1.1b ($141m), a significant cut from the HK$ 2.7b ($347m) it allocated in the fourth quarter of last year.

TOT completes a deal to buy out shares of CAT Telecom in Thai Mobile for 4b baht ($95.8m).(BANGKOK)
July 1, 2005... TOT completes a deal to buy out shares of CAT Telecom in Thai Mobile for 4b baht ($95.8m). TOT will take full ownership of the 1900-MHz bandwidth and all assets of Thai Mobile.

Hutchison Vietnam and Hanoi Telecom select Nortel to build a nationwide cdma2000 1X network.(HANOI)
July 1, 2005... Hutchison Vietnam and Hanoi Telecom select Nortel to build a nationwide cdma2000 1X network, which is expected to deliver advanced broadband mobile services in Vietnam.

PT Indosat plans to trial 3G technology next month.(JAKARTA)
July 1, 2005... PT Indosat plans to trial 3G technology next month to support its bid for a license and increase its customer base.

Maxis Communication reveals it will spend another 200 million ringgit ($52m) to roll out 3G to more areas in Malaysia by year-end.(KUALA LUMPUR)
July 1, 2005... Maxis Communication reveals it will spend another 200 million ringgit ($52m) to roll out 3G to more areas in Malaysia by year-end. The carrier is eyeing expansion to Penang and Johor.

The Philippine government taps Intel to help develop broadband wireless networks.(MANILA)
July 1, 2005... The Philippine government taps Intel to help develop broadband wireless networks capable of connecting remote rural communities to the Internet via WiMAX.

Ericsson says the Philippines remains the world.(MANILA)
July 1, 2005... Ericsson says the Philippines remains the world's SMS capital due to the volume of messages the country churns out everyday.

Philippine telephone companies licensed to operate mobile phone services but failing to do so may be sanctioned by the National Telecommunications Commission.(MANILA)
July 1, 2005... Philippine telephone companies licensed to operate mobile phone services but failing to do so may be sanctioned by the National Telecommunications Commission. The regulator warned that the frequencies of these firms could be cancelled.

SK Telecom plans to spend 155.6b won ($152.4m) to upgrade its mobile network.(SEOUL)
July 1, 2005... SK Telecom plans to spend 155.6b won ($152.4m) to upgrade its mobile network by the end of this year.

Mobile carriers SK Telecom and KTF agree with the government to launch commercial operations.(SEOUL)
July 1, 2005... Mobile carriers SK Telecom and KTF agree with the government to launch commercial operations of an ultra-fast wireless network.

Taiwan announces a 5-year tax holiday for the country's 3G providers.(TAIPEI)
July 1, 2005... Taiwan announces a 5-year tax holiday for the country's 3G providers. Savings coming from this tax break are seen reaching NT$1b ($31.5m).

FarEasTone has launched Taiwan's first 3G cellular system using W-CDMA.(TAIPEI)
July 1, 2005... FarEasTone has launched Taiwan's first 3G cellular system using W-CDMA. The 3G service is currently available from the north coast to Hsinchu, Taichung and Kaohshiung.

Taiwan's BenQ announces the $80, the island's first locally made 3G handset.(TAIPEI)
July 1, 2005... Taiwan's BenQ announces the $80, the island's first locally made 3G handset. BenQ will collaborate with Chunghwa Telecom to distribute the $80 as part of the telecom giant's 3G offerings.

Vodafone acquires a preliminary license from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to operate W-CDMA experimental radio stations on the 1.7-GHz band.(TOKYO)
July 1, 2005... Vodafone acquires a preliminary license from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to operate W-CDMA experimental radio stations on the 1.7-GHz band. Vodafone currently offers a 3G service on the 2-GHz band.

NTT DoCoMo completes its 1-Gbps real time packet transmission tests on 4G radio access.(TOKYO)
July 1, 2005... NTT DoCoMo completes its 1-Gbps real time packet transmission tests on 4G radio access. This is the latest achievement in DoCoMo's ongoing development of key radio access technology for 4G.

Vodafone Australia starts trial of its 3G services in Sydney.(SYDNEY)
July 1, 2005... Vodafone Australia starts trial of its 3G services in Sydney. The external trial is reported to be evaluating the 3G experience over a three-week period and will include assessment of staff training and customer service.

SingTel reports its net profit for the quarter ending June 30 increased 13.7% to S$796 million ($482 million).(SINGAPORE)
July 1, 2005... SingTel reports its net profit for the quarter ending June 30 increased 13.7% to S$796 million ($482 million). The telco major's associates contributed 36% or S$273 million of its post-tax profits.

BSNL is floating a tender for the procurement of GSM equipment worth over $5b.(NEW DELHI)
July 1, 2005... BSNL is floating a tender for the procurement of GSM equipment worth over $5b. It is inviting bids for 60m lines, 40% more than India's existing GSM subscriber base.

Trendsetters: Asia's hottest mobile apps right now.(Cover story)
July 1, 2005... Voice may be the all-purpose "killer app" for mobile, but there's little doubt nowadays that non-voice services are becoming increasingly important to the average cellco's bottom line. Evidence from the past 18 months alone indicates that...

SMS spam on the cheap: SMS spam has been regarded as a minor problem because the economics were too costly compared to email spam. That's changed, but while technical solutions abound, the real challenge is convincing operators and regulators to take it seriously.(WIRELESS TECH)
July 1, 2005... In the global fight against spam, the mobile sector has more or less been watching from the sidelines thus far, knowing that at some point the spam problem would become its problem. In markets like Japan and South Korea, which pioneered mobile...

Cashing in on the mobile content maelstrom: service providers need to take a number of critical steps to deliver content in a way that boosts revenues, improves the customer experience and differentiates the provider from its competitors.(WIRELESS INSIDER)
July 1, 2005... The launch of advanced networks across Asia has opened a new era of mobile content. Consumer desire for different types of content such as ringtones, multimedia messages, games, Web content and video provides new opportunities for service...

KT's OnePhone: too little, too soon?(WIRELESS FORUM)
July 1, 2005... Following a regulatory battle for approval of its fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) service, KT launched its first FMC service in June 2004--almost a year before the BT Fusion launch. Formerly known as "Du," KT has renamed the service OnePhone--it...

On-demand mobile security.(tools)
July 1, 2005... Sygate Technologies and Aruba Networks have developed what they claim is the industry's first integrated on-demand security system for mobile enterprise users and devices. The joint development is part of a strategic partnership under which...

White-label media access portal.(tools)
July 1, 2005... In-Fusio has launched its mobile Media Access Portal, mMAP--a customizable end-to-end solution (downloadable or pre-loaded) that allows presentation and management of a wide variety of mobile entertainment content. mMAP will be marketed as a...

2G/3G content optimization.(tools)
July 1, 2005... NEC now offers its Multimedia Message Adaptation System (MMAS), a server software system that optimizes video, photo and other data for various types of services and terminals. It can also be fully customized for each service operator. NEC says...

J2ME tool supports messaging and Basic.(tools)
July 1, 2005... Development-tech-enabler apps for phones has announced the availability of Version 2 of its Visual RAD (Rapid Application Development) tool for developing J2ME applications.

Korean text-to-image service.(out now)
July 1, 2005... KTF has launched a service that allows users to send Korean text messages to cell phones without Korean language functions by converting the letters into an image file. The service costs 100 won (about 10 cents) per use. www.ktf.com

Field connectivity package.(out now)
July 1, 2005... Fujitsu has launched its new USX field connectivity software package, designed to bring ubiquitous connectivity to the front lines of businesses. The USX client/server package sports functions such as presence management, call routing over the...

ESPN on MobiTV.(out now)
July 1, 2005... Video content from ESPN is now available to mobile phones via MobiTV courtesy of an agreement between the two companies. Fans with the MobiTV service can now view regularly updated ESPN content--selected and edited specifically for the mobile...

Personalized user interface partnership.(deals)
July 1, 2005... SmartTrust has partnered with SurfKitchen to simplify the mobile data experience through the dynamic delivery of personalized user interfaces. The joint solution, which adds GUI management to SmartTrust's portfolio of mobile device management...

Mobile Media acquires Rubberduck.(deals)
July 1, 2005... The Mobile Media Company has acquired Rubberduck Media Lab. Mobile Media says Rubberduck will form a key building block in the company's global launch program for mobile TV channels. www.mobilemedia.com

Sybase teams with XXIT on SMS114.(deals)
July 1, 2005... Sybase says it is helping Xiamen Xiangtone Information Technology (XXIT) develop SMS 114, a mobile information search service to be launched this month. SMS 114 leverages Sybase's Answers Anywhere Mobile Messaging Edition software enabling...

Interactive TV platform in Australia.(out now)
July 1, 2005... conVISUAL says it has installed its Mobile Interactive TV Platform in association with Australian partner IAM Mobile. The platform includes applications enabling the use of mobile interactive TV services. The first service was with broadcaster...

Music video editing.(out now)
July 1, 2005... muvee Technologies has partnered with Bango and Equal Mobile to make it easier for camera-phone users to purchase and download muveeStyles to their phones, muveeStyles enable users to make simple edits and put clips together as a music...

Screen calls and text messages.(out now)
July 1, 2005... Killer Mobile has released BlackBaller--a call filter utility that can block both calls and text messages on Series 60 Smart Phones. Users can create either a blacklist blocking certain numbers or a whitelist allowing only certain numbers....

Mobile 365 behind INXS votes.(out now)
July 1, 2005... Mobile 365 says it will distribute SMS votes for a new reality TV series, "Rock Star: INXS," on Star World. Mobile subscribers in Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia will be able to text in their votes to designated short codes...

Kineto strikes UMA deals with Samsung and LG.(deals)
July 1, 2005... Kineto Wireless has signed separate agreements with handset makers Samsung and LG Electronics. Under one deal, Samsung will license Kineto Wireless' UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) technology for inclusion in future Samsung cellular/Wi-Fi...

Airbus contracts Siemens for inflight mobile.(deals)
July 1, 2005... Siemens has signed an exclusive contract with Airbus to jointly develop a solution for the use of in-flight communication via GSM. Siemens will provide the GSM technology, while Airbus will take charge of its integration in the existing...

Opera on Toshiba BREW handset.(deals)
July 1, 2005... Opera Software has announced that its Opera browser is included on the new Toshiba W31T BREW-based handset for KDDI. www.opera.com

Virtual plastic surgery.(this month's model)
July 1, 2005... SK Telecom is offering a new service called "Photo Speed Plastic Surgery," which enables users to retouch their camera-phone shots, by altering the color of facial and body skin. Users can choose from six levels of SPF or sun protection...

Asia's biggest gets bigger.(POST SHOW)
July 1, 2005... CommunicAsia2005, together with EnterpriseIT, ended on a vibrant note in June after attracting more than 47,000 visitors across the IT and telecom industries. Almost half of the visitors were from overseas. The shows, which ran from June 14...

The beginning of the end.(STREETWISE)
July 1, 2005... It's quite shocking when a senior manager at a major Japanese wireless operator points out that i-mode is basically pass& The words weren't as severe as that, but the executive--from one of DoCoMo's competitors--asserts that DoCoMo's wireless...

Mobile phone health/safety roundup.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
July 1, 2005... The bad news: concerns over cellphone radiation, particularly in regards to children, continue to dog the mobile sector. In July, the World Health Organization recommended that children use a hands-free headset to avoid roasting their brains....

One word at a time.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
July 1, 2005... Text-based content may be one of the hot mobile apps, but for many the tiny text can be hard in the eyes. Researchers at Stanford University have a technological solution: present text one word at a time using a technique called Rapid Serial...

Mobile video can wait.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
July 1, 2005... Video may be the future killer app for mobile, but today's mobile users are less than impressed, according to research firm In-Stat. A user survey conducted by the firm found that as few as one in eight current mobile customers are...