Wireless Asia articles from March 2007

Wireless Asia archives from March 2007

China's telecom lesson.(UNWIRED)
March 1, 2007... After years of stasis, Chinese telecom is once more starting to move. Over the past five years, with the Hu-Wen government focused on social and macroeconomic issues, telecom sector reform has gone missing. Under the previous administration,...

Yahoo, Nokia take aim at mobile ad space.(NEWS: ANALYSIS)
March 1, 2007... The mobile advertising landscape is quickly shifting, with two industry heavyweights unveiling initiatives to take a sizable chunk of the estimated $10-billion market. Aiming to take a lead in the mobile search and advertising space, Yahoo...

Mobile IM to replace SMS.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
March 1, 2007... Mobile instant messaging is expected to replace SMS as the mainstream messaging service by 2011, with the proliferation of smartphones and wireless Internet. According to Portio Research, operators will have to strike a balance between SMS and...

3G femtocells to drive FMS.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
March 1, 2007... Indoor base stations, or femtocells, are expected to accelerate the migration of voice traffic from fixed to mobile networks, until 3G networks carry the majority of voice traffic. Analysys says there is a compelling business case for mobile...

Music, video threaten mobile game revenue.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
March 1, 2007... The mobile game market in the US, while currently experiencing strong growth, has to compete with mobile video and full-track music to sustain this growth in the future. According to Telephia, mobile games will compete with these other...

Russia fuels W-CDMA connections in region.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
March 1, 2007... The number of W-CDMA connections in Eastern Europe is expected to double in five years, fueled by the entry of Russia into the market. Wireless Intelligence says Russia represents 45% of connections in Eastern Europe. A "reasonably rapid"...

KTF's W-CDMA push creates two-front mobile war.(NEWS: ANALYSIS)
March 1, 2007... The Korean mobile market is set for dramatic change as its second largest mobile operator, KTF, launches a fierce assault on the market dominance of SKT by reinventing and rebranding itself as a W-CDMA operator. A new frontline in the...

Content drives growth.
March 1, 2007... With voice ARPU continuing to fall, carriers are relying on music, video, gaming and other data services to offset the losses, iSuppli reported last month that voice ARPU in 2006 fell by an average of 5% for 13 key global wireless carriers,...

3G opens opportunities.
March 1, 2007... Since its introduction more than five years ago, the global 3G penetration has reached 10%, and rollouts continue to progress worldwide. According to BuddeComm's report on global mobile communications trends, the developing market of Africa,...

Bridge Mobile Alliance and Free Move sign a MoU to establish a cooperation covering 38 countries and about 400m customers across Europe, Americas and Asia.(Movements)
March 1, 2007... Bridge Mobile Alliance and Free Move sign a MoU to establish a cooperation covering 38 countries and about 400m customers across Europe, Americas and Asia. The two alliances will extend their current efforts to facilitate seamless roaming of...

Europe is laying the groundwork to roll out mobile TV services and hopes to have a system up and running in time.(Movements)
March 1, 2007... Europe is laying the groundwork to roll out mobile TV services and hopes to have a system up and running in time for the European football championship in 2008.

Motorola replaces its CFO in a shake-up of top management as it slashed its first-quarter forecast, blaming weaker-than-expected revenue from its mobile phone unit.(Movements)(Financial report)
March 1, 2007... Motorola replaces its CFO in a shake-up of top management as it slashed its first-quarter forecast, blaming weaker-than-expected revenue from its mobile phone unit. Still reeling from sales and profit problems that emerged in the fourth...

Alcatel-Lucent signs a three-year, $6b contract with Verizon Wireless to supply network equipment.(Movements)
March 1, 2007... Alcatel-Lucent signs a three-year, $6b contract with Verizon Wireless to supply network equipment, software and additional services to expand the US-carriers network.

Palm reports a 61% drop in its third-quarter profits as rumors of a buyout continued.(Movements)(Financial report)
March 1, 2007... Palm reports a 61% drop in its third-quarter profits as rumors of a buyout continued. Sales of the company's Treo smartphones reached record levels, but increased costs, $5.7m in stock-based compensation and $3.7m in acquisition-related...

Yahoo and MobiTV enter into a partnership under which the Internet company will handle sales and delivery of video advertising for the mobile television and music firm.(Movements)
March 1, 2007... Yahoo and MobiTV enter into a partnership under which the Internet company will handle sales and delivery of video advertising for the mobile television and music firm. Yahoo will deliver video advertisements for MobiTV mobile television and...

An EU lawmaker says legislation creating a compulsory cap on mobile roaming charges would lead to a sudden massive drop in mobile operators' revenues that could cause share prices to plummet.(Movements)
March 1, 2007... An EU lawmaker says legislation creating a compulsory cap on mobile roaming charges would lead to a sudden massive drop in mobile operators' revenues that could cause share prices to plummet. Austrian Christian Democrat Paul Ruebig, who is...

A judge rules that Qualcomm withheld key information from a standards-setting body, potentially waiving rights to enforce two patents on video-compression technology.(Movements)
March 1, 2007... A judge rules that Qualcomm withheld key information from a standards-setting body, potentially waiving rights to enforce two patents on video-compression technology. The ruling is a victory for rival Broadcom in a wide-ranging legal battle...

Sina.com teams up with five international music labels--BMG Universal, Sony, Warner, EMI and Rock Records--to jointly launch a new ad-driven music platform.(BEIJING)
March 1, 2007... Sina.com teams up with five international music labels--BMG Universal, Sony, Warner, EMI and Rock Records--to jointly launch a new ad-driven music platform, offering free online music as well as mobile ringtones and ringback tones.

The government bans sending pornographic text messages or pictures via mobile phones after busting phone dealers who sold mass-storage devices containing porn.(BEIJING)
March 1, 2007... The government bans sending pornographic text messages or pictures via mobile phones after busting phone dealers who sold mass-storage devices containing porn. Under the new rule, violators face fines of up to 3,000 yuan ($385) and two weeks in...

Huawei reports that its global sales of CDMA equipment and terminals increased 30% year-on-year.(SHENZHEN)
March 1, 2007... Huawei reports that its global sales of CDMA equipment and terminals increased 30% year-on-year. The company says it received 16 new contracts for commercial use of EV-DO last year, making it No.1 in the industry.

China Mobile reports a 23% year-on-year increase in 2006 net profit to 66b yuan ($8.5b) on the back of strong subscriber growth.(HONG KONG)
March 1, 2007... China Mobile reports a 23% year-on-year increase in 2006 net profit to 66b yuan ($8.5b) on the back of strong subscriber growth. Revenues rise 21.5% to 295.4b yuan while subscribers topped 300m, up 22% from the previous year.

Hutchison Whampoa records a loss before interest and taxes of HK$20b ($2.6b) from its 3G mobile business in the financial year of 2006, narrowing 35% from the previous year.(HONG KONG)
March 1, 2007... Hutchison Whampoa records a loss before interest and taxes of HK$20b ($2.6b) from its 3G mobile business in the financial year of 2006, narrowing 35% from the previous year. The company is still aiming to turn around its 3G operations during...

SmarTone-Vodafone launches what it claims is the world's first mobile broadband services in taxis, offering Hong Kong customers flee access to the Internet via its HSDPA network on a trial basis.(HONG KONG)
March 1, 2007... SmarTone-Vodafone launches what it claims is the world's first mobile broadband services in taxis, offering Hong Kong customers flee access to the Internet via its HSDPA network on a trial basis. In the first phase, SmarTone-Vodafone is...

AIS.(BANGKOK)
March 1, 2007... AIS names Vikrom Sriprataks, the firm's CTO, as its new CEO, succeeding Somprasong Boonyachai, who becomes the executive chairman of parent Shin Corp.

The labor union of mobile carrier CAT Telecom holds a rally to protest against a decision by the National Telecommunications Commission to give an international call license to rival AIS.(BANGKOK)
March 1, 2007... The labor union of mobile carrier CAT Telecom holds a rally to protest against a decision by the National Telecommunications Commission to give an international call license to rival AIS. The union claims the entry of AIS would cause CAT's...

Maxis Communications may join its parent company Usaha Tegas Sdn Bhd, controlled by tycoon Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan, to buy a stake in Sri Lanka Telecom.(KUALA LUMPUR)
March 1, 2007... Maxis Communications may join its parent company Usaha Tegas Sdn Bhd, controlled by tycoon Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan, to buy a stake in Sri Lanka Telecom. Usaha Tegas's unit Global Telecommunications Holdings NV was given the green light by Sri...

LG Telecom accuses bigger rivals SK Telecom and KTF of having colluded to launch a two-pronged attack against the smaller company.(SEOUL)
March 1, 2007... LG Telecom accuses bigger rivals SK Telecom and KTF of having colluded to launch a two-pronged attack against the smaller company. The Korea Communications Commission is set to conduct a probe on the allegations.

LG Electronics signs a deal to pre-install Google's products and services on millions of mobile phones that scheduled to be shipped globally in the second quarter.(SEOUL)
March 1, 2007... LG Electronics signs a deal to pre-install Google's products and services on millions of mobile phones that scheduled to be shipped globally in the second quarter. These sdected LG handsets will offer one-click access to Google's search engine...

Qualcomm will join hands with TTV and China Network Systems to conduct a trial of mobile TV service using its MediaFLO technology.(TAIPEI)
March 1, 2007... Qualcomm will join hands with TTV and China Network Systems to conduct a trial of mobile TV service using its MediaFLO technology. The planned trial in Taipei, the first of such kind in Asia, will include seven live channels - four from China...

BenQ's board refuses the resignation of its chairman K.Y Lee over losses caused by the company's inability to make its former German mobile phone subsidiary profitable.(TAIPEI)
March 1, 2007... BenQ's board refuses the resignation of its chairman K.Y Lee over losses caused by the company's inability to make its former German mobile phone subsidiary profitable. BenQ's board of directors demands the executive remain in his role and turn...

NTT DoCoMo and McDonald's Japan enter into a joint-venture agreement that will allow DoCoMo's customers to pay for purchases at McDonald's outlets using mobile phones.(TOKYO)
March 1, 2007... NTT DoCoMo and McDonald's Japan enter into a joint-venture agreement that will allow DoCoMo's customers to pay for purchases at McDonald's outlets using mobile phones. McDonald's Japan will provide 70% of the 300m yen ($2.5m) investment while...

DoCoMo terminates its pager services due to a plunge in the number of beeper users.(TOKYO)
March 1, 2007... DoCoMo terminates its pager services due to a plunge in the number of beeper users. The number of the firm's pager service subscription contracts was only 136,000 as of February 28, down from 6.49 million at the service's peak in 1996.

M1 launches a mobile classified ads service that gives customers a mobile platform for buying and selling--and also supports photo and video uploads.(SINGAPORE)
March 1, 2007... M1 launches a mobile classified ads service that gives customers a mobile platform for buying and selling--and also supports photo and video uploads. The platform, cared mClassified, is touted as the first mobile classified advertisement...

Local multimedia and mobile telephony firm Cre8 signs a deal to acquire Brazilian mobile content services company Mobile Development Limitada.(WELLINGTON)
March 1, 2007... Local multimedia and mobile telephony firm Cre8 signs a deal to acquire Brazilian mobile content services company Mobile Development Limitada.

New Zealand Communications, formerly known as Econet Wireless, contracts Huawei Technologies to build a 3G network rolled out in some parts of New Zealand.(WELLINGTON)
March 1, 2007... New Zealand Communications, formerly known as Econet Wireless, contracts Huawei Technologies to build a 3G network rolled out in some parts of New Zealand over next 18 months.

Smart Communications and Mediaquest Holdings jointly offer mobile TV service using DVB-H technology on a trial basis.(MANILA)
March 1, 2007... Smart Communications and Mediaquest Holdings jointly offer mobile TV service using DVB-H technology on a trial basis. The service, which will be initially available in metro Manila, Cebu and Davao, offers nine channels including 24hour news...

Idea Cellular awards IBM a ten-year contract to manage the Indian mobile operator's IT infrastructure.(NEW DELHI)
March 1, 2007... Idea Cellular awards IBM a ten-year contract to manage the Indian mobile operator's IT infrastructure. The deal is worth between $600m and $800m.

Vodafone Group and India's Essar group reach an agreement to jointly manage Hutchison Essar.(NEW DELHI)
March 1, 2007... Vodafone Group and India's Essar group reach an agreement to jointly manage Hutchison Essar, in which the British mobile carrier is buying a controlling stake.

Mobile operators in India are reportedly planning to set up a common mobile advertising exchange, which will provide profiles of mobile subscribers across the nation, regardless of which service provider they subscribe to.(NEW DELHI)
March 1, 2007... Mobile operators in India are reportedly planning to set up a common mobile advertising exchange, which will provide profiles of mobile subscribers across the nation, regardless of which service provider they subscribe to. The move will allow...

Media players force operators to re-tune: flawed business models, cautious operators and conflicting standards are stifling mobile TV from reaching its true potential. As media companies quickly get their mobility act together, with or without support from cellcos, the technology is set to lead a user-driven video revolution.(Cover story)(Company overview)
March 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Robert Redford added the gloss and currency of his Sundance indie film empire to the 3G movement, mobile TV got a sudden infusion of undeniable cool. The efforts at 3GSM in Barcelona this year to get a series of...

Still waiting for WiMAX: carriers are investing billions, and dozens of deployments are underway worldwide, but the technology still has a number of serious obstacles to overcome.(WIRELESS TECH)
March 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After years of anxious anticipation, WiMAX technology is poised to enter the mobile market this year as standards solidify, vendors roll out equipment and carriers in Asia and around the world invest billions and...

Mastering the data services game: adoption of mobile data services is on the rise, but the application isn't generating significant revenue, thanks to user frustration. To translate both new and existing mobile services into a real revenue stream, cellcos must ensure that end-users' first usage attempts are successful.(WIRELESS APPS)
March 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mobile instant messaging is about to hit the big time. IM, which has gained its popularity from the Internet as a free application, is now penetrating quickly into the mobile space, thanks to the growing demand from...

Touch opens new frontier for designers: touch-based systems with rich graphics can enable more informative, intuitive and exciting visually-engaging experiences.(WIRELESS FUTURE)
March 1, 2007... "Get what you need with the click of a button" is the mantra for many technology designers. But how do you create that kind of a user experience when you have a screen to touch, not a button to push? Touch-based systems with rich graphics...

Mobile WiMAX on verge as niche play.(INDUSTRY: VIEW)
March 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After years of speculation, mobile WiMAX has finally become a viable option for network operators offering high-speed data services. While some operators have begun to deploy the technology in recent months, the lack...

Service suite for mobile publishers.(tools)
March 1, 2007... Yahoo has launched a suite of services designed to enable publishers to increase the discovery, distribution and monetization of their content on mobile phones. The collection of Yahoo Mobile Publisher Services are live across 19 countries,...

Syware tools Vista-ready.(tools)
March 1, 2007... Syware says that its mobile development tools are now fully compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista. Developers can use the tools to build applications for all types of Windows Mobile devices: Pocket PC, Pocket PC Phone Edition and Smartphone....

In-game ad partnership.(tools)
March 1, 2007... Exit Games partners with Amobee Media Systems to serve contextual and targeted opt-in advertising impressions for mobile phone games running on Java and BREW handsets. Exit Games' Neutron multiplayer solution for mobile phones will be...

Snapblue for encrypted voice.(tools)
March 1, 2007... Tadiran Communications subsidiary Snapshield has introduced Snapblue, a Bluetooth-enabled voice encryption system. Aimed at the government, military and emergency services sectors, Snapblue is a Bluetooth-enabled mobile terminal designed to...

China finance/property market channel.(out now)
March 1, 2007... Hong Kong cellco CSL has launched a mobile financial information channel covering Hong Kong and China's financial and property markets. The channel is available for both its business-oriented 1010 brand and its youth-targeted One2Free brand....

Tandberg to launch mobile TV platform.(out now)
March 1, 2007... Tandberg Television plans to launch an end-to-end system solution for mobile TV this month: the "mPlex" media processing platform, which essentially allows mobile TV operators to stuff even more channel space into their services via technology...

DoCoMo payment JV with McDonald's.(deals)
March 1, 2007... NTT DoCoMo and McDonald's will invest 300 million yen in a 70-30 joint venture to plan and manage e-marketing promotions for McDonald's newly planned membership club based on DoCoMo's "Osaifu-Keitai" mobile wallet services. McDonald's, which...

Ericsson/Turner development deal.(deals)
March 1, 2007... Ericsson is collaborating with Turner International to develop Turner's Internet, broadcast news and entertainment content for mobile multimedia environments. Turner will supply the content while Ericsson will supply the hosting and content...

Chinese ad-funded music service.(deals)
March 1, 2007... Sina.com has reached a strategic agreement with Universal Music, SonyBMG, Warner Music, EMI and Rock Records to jointly launch a new ad-driven music platform called Sina Music Storeroom, which offers free online music as well as mobile...

FreeMove and Bridge Mobile Alliance join forces.(deals)
March 1, 2007... FreeMove, the mobile telecommunications alliance between Orange, TeliaSonera, TIM (Telecom Italia Group) and T-Mobile, has signed an MoU with Asia's Bridge Mobile Alliance to extend the reach of their current efforts to facilitate seamless...

Mobizines prepares Asia launch.(deals)
March 1, 2007... Refresh Mobile has partnered with Hong-Kong based mobile content business developer Borderless for the Asia launch of Mobizines--fun-size versions of print magazines--for mobile phones in Hong Kong and Singapore. The Mobizines service breaks...

Namco/KDDI games partnership.(deals)
March 1, 2007... Namco Networks has forged an exclusive partnership tol publish KDDI's catalog of BREW mobile games from Japanese publishers and developers in the US market. KDDI says the partnership would give many Japanese publishers access to the North...

Handmark to distribute Smaato mobile RSS feed.(deals)
March 1, 2007... Smaato announces a strategic partnership with Handmark under which Handmark will distribute the free, ad-supported Smaato RSS NewsReader through its distribution channels. Smaato News is available for Palm OS, Windows Mobile Pocket PC and...

Thai mobile TV ROKs.(out now)
March 1, 2007... Thai mobile operator AIS has launched a mobile TV service over its 2.5G mobile network with ROK Entertainment Group. The service offers up to 20 channels in both English and Thai. AIS is targeting one million subscribers within the first year...

Amp'd goes live in Japan and Canada.(out now)
March 1, 2007... US-based mobile entertainment provider Amp'd Mobile has launched a portal service in Japan designed exclusively for KDDI subscribers, and kicked off its Canada launch with a live studio session by EMI Music Canada artists Pride Tiger. Overseas...

Symbian upgrades to 9.5.(out now)
March 1, 2007... Symbian has launched the latest evolution of its operating system for smartphones: Symbian OS v9.5, which promises higher performance for lower hardware cost via features like memory optimization, as well as richer multimedia, Wi-Fi to 3G...

Buzz launches 3G portal.(out now)
March 1, 2007... Thailand-based ISP Buzz Technologies says it has launched a new mobile 3G services portal, with over 80,000 mobile products and content available in 20 languages. Buzz Technologies also says it has established arrangements in 62 countries where...

Sony Pictures goes cress-platform with afterworld.(this month's model)
March 1, 2007... Part TV show, part videogame and part social networking platform, Afterworld is one of the most ambitious multimedia projects to date, bridging mobile and the Internet to tell the story of a man who wakes up to find he's the last person on...

Breaking out of the mobile data rut: the biggest issue for operators in expanding mobile data applications is the inability to scale necessary components of their offering.(WIRELESS FORUM)
March 1, 2007... There are no more killer applications. SMS, ringtones and, to a lesser extent, graphics and gaming have made huge contributions to mobile data revenues, yet since their introduction nothing has made a similar impact despite 10- to 20-fold...

TV goes 360: this revolutionary new form of entertainment uses technology as a means to an end and not as the end in itself.(STREET WISE)
March 1, 2007... If you just happen to be in the US on a Monday evening for the past six months or so, you might be familiar with the term "ordinary people doing extraordinary things," or the even better catch phrase, "save the cheerleader, save the world. ...

A slider with real magnetism.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
March 1, 2007... Magnetic levitation--the technology that brought you the fastest trains in the world--has found another application: slider handsets. Well, one, anyway. Korean handset maker Pantech will be launching a new slider phone model this month that...

Your new favorite mobile TV standard: MPH.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
March 1, 2007... DVB-H, DVB-SH, S-DMB, T-DMB, ISDB-T, MediaFLO, TDtv, CMMB, MBMS--you can't have enough mobile TV technologies these days. LG Electronics, its US research subsidiary Zenith Electronics and Harris Corporation couldn't agree more, and will be...

High on the phone.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
March 1, 2007... The expedition to make the world's highest mobile phone call and send the highest text message without the use of an airplane has begun. British mountain climber Rod Baber plans to scale Mount Everest and make the first-ever phone call...

Now you're playing with power.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
March 1, 2007... As handsets become more and more stuffed with power-hungry features like music and video, the pressure's on for handset makers to extend battery life further. Lower-power components are one way, but some boffins are thinking outside the box....