Wireless Asia articles from June 2005

Wireless Asia archives from June 2005

In search of the gray dollar.(UNWIRED)
June 15, 2005... So, the mobile industry has discovered the senior citizen. Giving new meaning to the notion of the gray market, Vodafone operators worldwide are rolling out a service for over-65s called "Simply," using a stripped-down Sagem handset with large...

Optus forges wireless broadband deal with PBA.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
June 15, 2005... SingTel's Australian subsidiary Optus has ventured into the wireless broadband market by announcing a deal with Internet group Personal Broadband Australia (PBA), which offers the iBurst wireless product. Under the deal, Optus will offer...

Cost efficiency key to MVNO success.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
June 15, 2005... Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) have to be creative in keeping their costs down if they want to succeed in emerging markets. A Pyramid Research report says emerging market MVNOs should be more cost-efficient than their developed market...

Interest in VoWLAN/cellular combo increasing.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
June 15, 2005... Cellular phone users are growing more interested in having wireless LAN built into their handsets, with better in-building coverage and the prospect of being able to make unlimited local calls while at home topping the list of reasons for this...

Wireless email boosts PDA growth.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
June 15, 2005... The surging popularity of wireless email fueled the worldwide sales growth of personal digital assistants, which soared 25% year-on-year to 3.4 million units in the first quarter, the strongest ever first quarter for the industry. PDAs with...

Content certification to curb mobile viruses.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
June 15, 2005... An industry-wide content certification as well as targeted anti-virus measures can prevent mobile phone viruses from becoming as rampant and dangerous as their PC counterparts. A Northstream report said mobile viruses are still rare as these,...

TD-SCDMA's next big test.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
June 15, 2005... TD-SCDMA is edging closer to commercial reality, thanks to a continual push from vendors and their efforts to allay worries over handset availability. At the International TD-SCDMA Summit held in Beijing in April, up to 15 models of...

Hutchison's 3 reaches iconic status.(METRICS / Inside the wireless data numbers)
June 15, 2005... Hutchison Whampoa's 3G brand "3" is fast becoming an "iconic" brand, following the footsteps of industry giants Vodafone and Orange. In the UK alone, the operator has won a number of consumer and innovation awards, an ABI Research report said....

Global smartphone shipments grow 82%.(METRICS / Inside the wireless data numbers)
June 15, 2005... The number of smart mobile devices shipped in the first quarter soared 82% to more than ten million units, with converged devices such as smartphones and wireless handhelds driving growth for the industry. According to a Canalys report, Nokia...

Vivendi Universal sues Deutsche Telekom for 2.2b euros ($2.8b) for "wrongful termination".(Movements)
June 15, 2005... Vivendi Universal sues Deutsche Telekom for 2.2b euros ($2.8b) for "wrongful termination" of talks on the sale of Polish mobile unit PTC.

Alcatel withdraws from TAMP.(Movements)
June 15, 2005... Alcatel withdraws from TAMP, a mobile phone joint venture it established with TCL in August last year.

Vodafone Hungary selects Siemens to supply W-CDMA radio network equipment for the implementation of a 3G network across the country.(Movements)
June 15, 2005... Vodafone Hungary selects Siemens to supply W-CDMA radio network equipment for the implementation of a 3G network across the country. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Research firm IDC reports that Indian mobile users are willing to spend more to upgrade their handsets.(Movements)
June 15, 2005... Research firm IDC reports that Indian mobile users are willing to spend more to upgrade their handsets to have features such as digital camera, FM radio and speaker phones.

NTT DoCoMo will set up an investment subsidiary in Silicon Valley as part of plans to expand its R&D efforts.(Movements)
June 15, 2005... NTT DoCoMo will set up an investment subsidiary in Silicon Valley as part of plans to expand its R&D efforts. The Japanese mobile carrier will open DoCoMo Capital on July 1 in San Jose, California, to "take stakes in venture companies."

LG Electronic India plans to build a GSM handset manufacturing plant in Ranjangaon near Pune as part of plans.(Movements)
June 15, 2005... LG Electronic India plans to build a GSM handset manufacturing plant in Ranjangaon near Pune as part of plans to produce 20m GSM handsets by 2010.

NEC signs a contract with Russia's Mobile TeleSystems.(Movements)
June 15, 2005... NEC signs a contract with Russia's Mobile TeleSystems to supply platforms and telephones for the carrier's network.

Intel and Sprint sign a deal on WiMAX broadband technology.(Movements)
June 15, 2005... Intel and Sprint sign a deal on WiMAX broadband technology. The two companies will engage in joint efforts to advance the development of the technology and will jointly conduct tests.

NTTCom and Telecom Italia sign a Wi-Fi roaming agreement.(Movements)
June 15, 2005... NTTCom and Telecom Italia sign a Wi-Fi roaming agreement, which gives the Italian group's subscribers access to broadband Internet in Japan through NTT Com's 1,500 hotspots, while NTT Corn customers will be able to use Telecom Italia's 700...

A survey by GSA confirms that the number of W-CDMA subscribers jumped 46% during the first four months of 2005.(Movements)
June 15, 2005... A survey by GSA confirms that the number of W-CDMA subscribers jumped 46% during the first four months of 2005. The number of W-CDMA networks offering commercial services has now reached 71 in 33 countries, compared to 60 networks in 28...

China Unicom plans to purchase 7m low-end CDMA handsets.(BEIJING)
June 15, 2005... China Unicom plans to purchase 7m low-end CDMA handsets to accommodate the demand of users in rural areas and in some urban areas.

China Unicom forms an alliance with the country's 20 major.(BEIJING)
June 15, 2005... China Unicom forms an alliance with the country's 20 major ISPs in a bid to boost its wireless value-added services.

China Mobile launches its services.(SHENZHEN)
June 15, 2005... China Mobile launches its services based on EDGE in Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen.

Buyers of prepaid mobile SIM cards in Thailand start registering.(BANGKOK)
June 15, 2005... Buyers of prepaid mobile SIM cards in Thailand start registering with the authorities in a bid to prevent mobile-detonated bomb attack in the country's deep south.

S-Telecoms revises its investment plan for the upgrade of its CDMA network to $300m.(HANOI)
June 15, 2005... S-Telecoms revises its investment plan for the upgrade of its CDMA network to $300m, instead of $230m as previously announced.

Telenor will continue to expand its GSM services.(ISLAMABAD)
June 15, 2005... Telenor will continue to expand its GSM services in Pakistan and invest $900m by 2007 in the process.

Telkom and its subsidiary Telkomsel set aside 13.71 trillion rupiah ($1.45b) for capital expenditure this year.(JAKARTA)
June 15, 2005... Telkom and its subsidiary Telkomsel set aside 13.71 trillion rupiah ($1.45b) for capital expenditure this year. Telkom alone has an expenditure budget of 6.14 trillion rupiah and its cellular subsidiary Telkomsel has a budget of around...

Indosat plans to install an additional 100 Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country this year.(JAKARTA)
June 15, 2005... Indosat plans to install an additional 100 Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country this year. It currently has 30 hotspots across Indonesia.

Celcom launches its 3G services covering several states in the peninsula.(KUALA LUMPUR)
June 15, 2005... Celcom launches its 3G services covering several states in the peninsula including the Klang Valley, Penang, Johor Bahru, Melaka and Kedah areas.

Maxis plans to invest more than $50m over the next two years.(KUALA LUMPUR)
June 15, 2005... Maxis plans to invest more than $50m over the next two years to expand its GSM network coverage in Malaysia.

The government fines SK Telecom 23.1b won ($23.1m).(SEOUL)
June 15, 2005... The government fines SK Telecom 23.1b won ($23.1m) for unlawfully subsidizing new mobile subscribers.

KT Corp plans to invest 200b won ($199m) this year.(SEOUL)
June 15, 2005... KT Corp plans to invest 200b won ($199m) this year to build infrastructure for WiBro service.

Pantech and its affiliate Curitel Communication are under investigation by the Korea Exchange for suspected violations of stock trading rules.(SEOUL)
June 15, 2005... Pantech and its affiliate Curitel Communication are under investigation by the Korea Exchange for suspected violations of stock trading rules, an official at the bourse said.

Chunghwa Telecom, FarEasTone Telecom and Taiwan Cellular plan to invest NT$37.1b ($1.2b) to boost coverage and upgrade their networks this year.(TAIPEI)
June 15, 2005... Chunghwa Telecom, FarEasTone Telecom and Taiwan Cellular plan to invest NT$37.1b ($1.2b) to boost coverage and upgrade their networks this year. Spending from these three carriers will be mostly placed on 3G and broadband.

Foxconn International, a contract manufacturer of mobile handsets for Nokia and Motorola, plans to pay NT$2.5b ($79.8m).(TAIPEI)
June 15, 2005... Foxconn International, a contract manufacturer of mobile handsets for Nokia and Motorola, plans to pay NT$2.5b ($79.8m) for a 56.5% stake in Chi Mei Communication Systems, a rival handset manufacturer based in Taiwan.

NTT DoCoMo posts a 28.9% drop in its core operating profit on a consolidated basis in the year to March 31.(TOKYO)
June 15, 2005... NTT DoCoMo posts a 28.9% drop in its core operating profit on a consolidated basis in the year to March 31, but reports a net profit gain thanks to a decrease in equity-valued investment losses.

The poor performance of Vodafone's Japanese business continued in April with the country's third-placed mobile operator losing a further 39,500 customers.(TOKYO)
June 15, 2005... The poor performance of Vodafone's Japanese business continued in April with the country's third-placed mobile operator losing a further 39,500 customers, its fourth straight month of losses.

Hutchison Australia sees growth in 3G subscribers slowing down in recent months.(SYDNEY)
June 15, 2005... Hutchison Australia sees growth in 3G subscribers slowing down in recent months due to intensive market competition.

The Australian Communications Authority releases a new information kit to help teenagers who are ringing up large debts.(SYDNEY)
June 15, 2005... The Australian Communications Authority releases a new information kit to help teenagers who are ringing up large debts by using their mobile phones to learn how to manage phone and Internet bills better.

Almost 65m people now have their mobile subscription with companies allied with the SingTel group.(SINGAPORE)
June 15, 2005... Almost 65m people now have their mobile subscription with companies allied with the SingTel group. The figure, as of March 31 was 37% higher than at the same time last year.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India proposes to open up the 450-MHz radio frequency band for the first time.(NEW DELHI)
June 15, 2005... The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India proposes to open up the 450-MHz radio frequency band for the first time. The frequency is earmarked for CDMA operators, although these firms want the 1900-MHz band.

Will Wi-Fi find its voice? Voice over Wi-Fi may still be in its infancy, but many analysts see it as a huge threat to mobile phone companies as it has the potential to cut sharply into their roaming revenues. Others argue the impact will be minor since few handsets are in the market and Wi-Fi networks lack ubiquitous coverage and QoS.(Cover story)
June 15, 2005... You might have spotted them already--people milling around a hotel lobby or pool area talking into a phone that looks very much like a cellular phone, or perhaps a smartphone PDA, only it's not. Today, that phone could actually be a Wi-Fi...

Wireless broadband shakes up Oz: Australia has become a test bed to rate wireless broadband's chances against 36 and DSL. While growth has been good and the throughput competitive, the biggest challenges for upstarts Unwired and PBA are coverage and cash.(WIRELESS BIZ)
June 15, 2005... All eyes are on WiMAX to deliver the future of wireless broadband, but in some markets, it's already happening. In the Asia-Pacific region, it's happening with a vengeance in Australia, which has become a sort of microcosmic test bed to study...

Pushing beyond wireless email.(1-2-1)(Interview)
June 15, 2005... With the BlackBerry brand now synonymous with wireless push email, Research In Motion plans to make BlackBerry synonymous with the promised competitive advantages and productivity gains of corporate mobility. Competitors are lining up for...

WiMAX: finding the business case.(WIRELESS FORUM)
June 15, 2005... In 2004-05 a number of operators deployed wireless broadband networks, and many are planning to move to the much-hyped WiMAX standard when hardware becomes available in 2006. Early network deployments have highlighted a number of business...

Smartphone virus security.(out now)
June 15, 2005... Symantec has announced the availability of Symantec Mobile Security 4.0 for Symbian-based mobile devices. The security solution protects Symbian-based Series 60 and Series 80 smartphones, such as the Nokia 9300 and 9500, from network...

Wireless eBay access.(out now)
June 15, 2005... Abidia has released Abidia Wireless 3.0, which enables real-time access to eBay accounts and listings for mobile devices. The new technology allows users to bid, search, browse and monitor live auction listings from the eBay site, with...

In-flight Internet on ANA.(out now)
June 15, 2005... All Nippon Airways has introduced Internet and email services on its Tokyo-New York route via technology from Connexion by Boeing. The ANA@AIR service allows passengers to access the Internet on their own laptops via a choice of wired or...

Mobile broadcast for AIS.(out now)
June 15, 2005... Celltick Technologies and AIS collaborate to provide wireless subscribers with real-time interactive content on their idle phone screens via the mLive service. These interactive content appear as non-obtrusive messages, just like a screensaver,...

Mobile kickboxing distribution.(deals)
June 15, 2005... Mobile Media has partnered with Nephin Games for the distribution of WKN Kickboxing to 500 million mobile phone subscribers in 30 countries all over Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. The partnership could possibly serve as a springboard...

Jataayu in AOL program.(deals)
June 15, 2005... Jataayu Software has joined AOL's Mobile Developer Program, enabling it to provide handset manufacturers with a Wireless Village IMPS-based instant messaging client that includes a branded, full-color version of the AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)...

Windows Mobile 5.0 + Bluetooth toolkit.(tools)
June 15, 2005... Microsoft has launched Windows Mobile 5.0, the new version of the Windows Mobile software, and Windows Embedded Shared Source Bluetooth technology, a source code toolkit that enables faster development of Bluetooth applications. The company...

Greater control over mobile subs.(tools)
June 15, 2005... SmartTrust's new Device Management v1.2 allows GSM operators to exert greater control over subscribers and their handsets by ensuring that devices are correctly configured to access revenue-generating services such as MMS and are ready to...

Software development program.(tools)
June 15, 2005... Action Engine has unveiled the Action Engine Developer Network, a software development program that aims to encourage independent software vendors and developers to build applications for Action Engine Mobile Application Platform. Under the...

Teleca, Microsoft collaboration.(deals)
June 15, 2005... Teleca has expanded its collaboration with Microsoft via the creation of a "Competence Center for Software Services for Windows Mobile-based Products." This will provide device makers with development and support services for the design and...

Panasonic selects Ikivo for new handsets.(deals)
June 15, 2005... Panasonic has chosen Ikivo's SVG Player software solution for its newly released mobile phone models: the VS3, VS7, SA6, SA7, MX6 and MX7. The Ikivo SVG Player will provide the users of these new handsets with a richer media experience via...

Ringback melody project.(deals)
June 15, 2005... Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Russia's largest mobile operator, has ordered a ringback melody (RBM) system from NEC that will initially cover 500,000 of its 40 million subscribers. The RBM solution can be rolled out just by adding dedicated...

Privacy solution for mobile LBS.(tools)
June 15, 2005... Locatrix Communications has announced the availability of Locatrix/P2, a mobile location privacy solution that enables network operators to safely deploy location-enhanced applications to their subscribers. This solution provides users with the...

Java-based solutions for SKY-MAP.(tools)
June 15, 2005... SKY Mobile Media has expanded its SKY-MAP mobile applications platform to include a fully integrated mobile Java technology solution, SKY-VM, based on the Sun Microsystems-licensed optimized Java technology. The SKY-VM allows OEMs and ODMs to...

Asian Wireless Solution Center.(tools)
June 15, 2005... Sybase has opened its first Asian Wireless Solution Center in Singapore, which will serve as the reference site for all Sybase mobile innovation and incubation projects in the AsiaPacific region. ap.sybase.com

Dog translation download.(this month's model)
June 15, 2005... KTF of Korea has launched a mobile service that enables dog owners to communicate with their pets through a mobile handset by interpreting the dog's bark. Similar to human voice recognition, the service matches barks with digital patterns...

When everything costs money.(STREET WISE)
June 15, 2005... It's been over a month now that I've been using the 3G service from SmarTone, and I have total confidence that the 3G business model in Hong Kong will make money if people actually start using the services. Quite simply, when it comes to...

New adventures in emergency services.(SHORT MESSAGE)
June 15, 2005... This month's hot mobile app--public toilet locations in Shanghai. The service--announced at the First World Toilet Forum in Shanghai in May and due to be launched this month--allows users to dial a special number to find out the location...

Text book record.(SHORT MESSAGE)
June 15, 2005... If you've been wondering if there's an official world record for sending the most SMS messages in a month... well, there is now. Last month, Deepak Sharma of Ludhiana, India, made it into the Guinness Book of World Records by sending...

The SMS heard round the world.(SHORT MESSAGE)
June 15, 2005... Mobile phones aren't just communications tools, but harbingers of democracy. That's according to an essay by Hyung-june Park and Jae-young Kim published in the Dong-A Ilbo on "mobile democracy." Activities like flash mobs, and events like...

Top 10 causes of cellphone damage.(SHORT MESSAGE)
June 15, 2005... 1. Dropped on the ground 2. Squeezed into tight jeans 3. Used handset in the rain 4. Thrown to the ground in rage 5. Destroyed by dog or child 6. Dropped into toilet 7. Dropped into the sea 8. Left on roof of car...