Wireless Asia articles from October 2007

Wireless Asia archives from October 2007

3G's strange times.(UNWIRED)
October 1, 2007... For what is supposed to be a mature technology, the world of 3G has been unusually active lately--and active in an unusual way. First, was Hong Kong's license auction, or non-auction. For a start, the regulator departed from its traditional...

Cellcos seek ways to cut backhaul cost.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
October 1, 2007... With 3G adoption and bandwidth-hungry applications such as mobile video on the rise, ABI Research estimates that mobile operators' spending on backhaul is expected to reach $23 billion by 2012, up 65% from over $14 billion this year. While...

Getting hooked on mobile TV.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
October 1, 2007... Mobile subscribers are expected to get increasingly hooked on mobile TV, with spending on such services to hit $6.6 billion by 2012. According to Juniper Research, from less than 12 million users this year, nearly 120 million mobile subscribers...

Distraction from true convergence.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
October 1, 2007... The relatively "disappointing" initial take-up of fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services using dual-mode handsets may distract operators from taking advantage of real convergence opportunities. According to Analysys, a narrow focus on...

Wimax deployments on the rise.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
October 1, 2007... From mere trial operations spanning almost two years, operators worldwide have started actual deployments of Wimax networks. An ABI Research study shows that mobile operators and other service providers are planning mobile Wimax networks,...

W-CDMA connections forecast to double.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
October 1, 2007... The number of W-CDMA connections worldwide was forecast to reach 161.7 million at the end of the third quarter, after passing the 150-million mark in August. Wireless Intelligence says this number will more than double to 324 million by the end...

No to 3G, yes to TD.
October 1, 2007... The Chinese government last month ruled out any early issuance of 3G licenses--yet the domestic industry is working overtime to develop the nationally-preferred 3G standard, TD-SCDMA. MII vice-minister Lou Qinjian told a press conference...

GPS-capable handsets take the spotlight.(METRICS: Inside the wireless data numbers)
October 1, 2007... Personal navigation devices (PNDs) continue to take center stage in the GPS market, as GPS-based navigation technology gradually moves from the "nice-to-have" to the "must-have" category for both enterprises and consumers. According to...

M-payments in infancy stage in China.(METRICS: Inside the wireless data numbers)
October 1, 2007... Despite the vast number of m-payment options available, mobile subscribers in China have been slow to adopt them, still opting to pay in cash for their purchases and their bills. Maverick China Research says less than 25% of China's 400...

Vodafone Group beats off rivals to acquire the Italian and Spanish assets of Tele2 for 537m pounds ($1.1 b).(Movements)
October 1, 2007... Vodafone Group beats off rivals to acquire the Italian and Spanish assets of Tele2 for 537m pounds ($1.1 b). Vodafone will pay cash for the assets in a debt-flee deal.

AT&T agrees to pay $2.5b.(Movements)
October 1, 2007... AT&T agrees to pay $2.5b for spectrum licenses that will allow it to expand wireless services or add broadcast video in much of its coverage area.

Sprint Nextel's board, disappointed with weak financial results, pushes out chairman and CEO Gary Forsee last month.(Movements)
October 1, 2007... Sprint Nextel's board, disappointed with weak financial results, pushes out chairman and CEO Gary Forsee last month. The company forecasts weaker financial results and a larger subscriber loss for the current quarter than it had seen earlier.

Verizon Wireless is launching a cellphone that looks a lot like Apple's iPhone with LG Electronics.(Movements)
October 1, 2007... Verizon Wireless is launching a cellphone that looks a lot like Apple's iPhone with LG Electronics. The LG Voyager features a large touch screen, a camera and extensive multimedia, web browsing and email capabilities.

Austria Telekom acquires a 70% majority stake in Belarusian Mobile Digital Communication, or MDC, for 730m euros ($1.03b).(Movements)
October 1, 2007... Austria Telekom acquires a 70% majority stake in Belarusian Mobile Digital Communication, or MDC, for 730m euros ($1.03b). Austria Telekom will buy the stake through a 70% holding in the company's full owner.

Nokia buys US navigation software maker Navteq.(Movements)
October 1, 2007... Nokia buys US navigation software maker Navteq for around $8.1b as the world's largest mobile phone maker continues to expand services and content.

Research In Motion's fiscal second-quarter profit and revenue more than doubled, boosted by strong sales of its flagship BlackBerry products.(Movements)(Financial report)
October 1, 2007... Research In Motion's fiscal second-quarter profit and revenue more than doubled, boosted by strong sales of its flagship BlackBerry products. Revenue more than doubled to $1.37b from $658.5m.

Qualcomm raises its profit forecast for the fourth quarter.(Movements)(Financial report)
October 1, 2007... Qualcomm raises its profit forecast for the fourth quarter, citing higher-than-expected shipments of its chipsets for more advanced cellular phones.

Sun Microsystems and Samsung seal a deal to jointly develop a mobile phone.(Movements)
October 1, 2007... Sun Microsystems and Samsung seal a deal to jointly develop a mobile phone to challenge Apple's iPhone.

Sony Ericsson's third-quarter profit slip as it sold more lower-priced phones.(Movements)(Financial report)
October 1, 2007... Sony Ericsson's third-quarter profit slip as it sold more lower-priced phones. The company earned 267m euros ($377.7m) in the July-September period compared with 298m euros ($423m) a year earlier.

Motorola, badly in need of hit products to spark a turnaround, unveils nine new cellphone handsets.(Movements)
October 1, 2007... Motorola, badly in need of hit products to spark a turnaround, unveils nine new cellphone handsets. Among them is a luxury version of the Razr2, the latest successor to its once top-selling model.

French wireless carrier Orange will be the exclusive partner for the iPhone in France.(Movements)
October 1, 2007... French wireless carrier Orange will be the exclusive partner for the iPhone in France. France will become the third European country, after Britain and Germany, to sell the iPhone.

Intel secures a mobile WiMAX chip order from Nokia.(Movements)
October 1, 2007... Intel secures a mobile WiMAX chip order from Nokia, which will use its semiconductors in internet-focused devices from 2008.

China plans to submit homegrown 4G mobile technology standards to the ITU between 2008 and 2009.(BEIJING)
October 1, 2007... China plans to submit homegrown 4G mobile technology standards to the ITU between 2008 and 2009, according to Wen Ku, director of the Department of Science & Technology at the Ministry and Information Industry.

China Mobile generated 59.88 billion yuan ($8 billion) net profit in the January to September period 2007.(BEIJING)
October 1, 2007... China Mobile generated 59.88 billion yuan ($8 billion) net profit in the January to September period 2007, up 29.8% year on year.

OFTA awards a cdma2000 license to PCCW, the sole bidder of the city's latest 3G auction, for $76m ($9.8m).(HONG KONG)
October 1, 2007... OFTA awards a cdma2000 license to PCCW, the sole bidder of the city's latest 3G auction, for $76m ($9.8m). Under the terms of the 15-year license, PCCW will be able to offer cdma2000 services after November 28, 2008.

Hutchison Telecom Macau.(MACAU)
October 1, 2007... Hutchison Telecom Macau, a unit under Hutchison Telecommunications International, launches 3G services based on W-CDMA technology.

DTAC prepares for a major revamp of its business strategy to strengthen core voice-based services.(BANGKOK)
October 1, 2007... DTAC prepares for a major revamp of its business strategy to strengthen core voice-based services. The company said it plans to launch a "brand refreshment and service re-feeling" campaign.

AIS is spearheading an effort to expand into fixed WiMAX in 2008 as part of its strategy to become a total telecom service provider.(BANGKOK)
October 1, 2007... AIS is spearheading an effort to expand into fixed WiMAX in 2008 as part of its strategy to become a total telecom service provider. AIS is on the verge of overhauling its distribution channels to expand its reach.

A PLDT statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange reveals that its wireless subsidiaries, Smart Communications and Pilipino Telephone.(MANILA)
October 1, 2007... A PLDT statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange reveals that its wireless subsidiaries, Smart Communications and Pilipino Telephone, had a combined 28.3m mobile subscribers as of September.

DiGi Telecommunications and Citibank enter into a collaboration to launch DiGiRemit.(KUALA LUMPUR)
October 1, 2007... DiGi Telecommunications and Citibank enter into a collaboration to launch DiGiRemit, which facilitates the transfer of money from Malaysia to Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines via SMS.

SK Telecom awards a contract to Alcatel-Lucent to upgrade its optical-fiber network to support increased traffic.(SEOUL)
October 1, 2007... SK Telecom awards a contract to Alcatel-Lucent to upgrade its optical-fiber network to support increased traffic from mobile data services for an undisclosed amount.

Samsung reports that it has sold a record 42.6m handsets in the third quarter, with a slight increase in the average selling price.(SEOUL)
October 1, 2007... Samsung reports that it has sold a record 42.6m handsets in the third quarter, with a slight increase in the average selling price. Margins for the company's telecommunications division rose to 8% in the April-June quarter.

KT Freetel and NTT DoCoMo agree to a create a venture fund worth 30b won ($32.7m).(SEOUL)
October 1, 2007... KT Freetel and NTT DoCoMo agree to a create a venture fund worth 30b won ($32.7m). Each will take a 45% stake while Korean investment firm KTBnetwork will take the remaining 10%. The fund, named as KTF-NTT DoCoMo Mobile Investment Limited...

Chunghwa Telecom reports a net profit of NT$37.8b ($1.16b) for the January-September period.(TAIPEI)(Financial report)
October 1, 2007... Chunghwa Telecom reports a net profit of NT$37.8b ($1.16b) for the January-September period, into a net earnings per share of NT$3.56.

NTT DoCoMo, Softbank and KDDI and their partners file.(TOKYO)
October 1, 2007... NTT DoCoMo, Softbank and KDDI and their partners file for licenses to provide WiMAX services in Japan worth billions of yen.

Sanyo Electric is in final negotiations to sell its mobile phone operations to rival Kyocera.(TOKYO)
October 1, 2007... Sanyo Electric is in final negotiations to sell its mobile phone operations to rival Kyocera. No price was set for the deal.

US telco NextWave Wireless sells its stake in IP Mobile to real estate group Mori Trust for an undisclosed amount.(TOKYO)
October 1, 2007... US telco NextWave Wireless sells its stake in IP Mobile to real estate group Mori Trust for an undisclosed amount. NextWave was only the second foreign firm entering Japan's competitive mobile market, following in the footsteps of Britain's...

Hutchison Whampoa's listed Australian telecoms unit will sell shares worth A$330.64m ($298m) to Telecom 3G.(SYDNEY)
October 1, 2007... Hutchison Whampoa's listed Australian telecoms unit will sell shares worth A$330.64m ($298m) to Telecom 3G, a subsidiary of New Zealand Telecom.

StarHub will offer a mobile payment service in conjunction with EZ-Link, a government-owned company that operates a contactless payment service based on cards with NFC technology.(SINGAPORE)
October 1, 2007... StarHub will offer a mobile payment service in conjunction with EZ-Link, a government-owned company that operates a contactless payment service based on cards with NFC technology. Subscribers will be able to use their cellphones to pay for bus...

The Indian government receives about 300 applications from about 30 companies wing to tap the growth potential in the world's hottest wireless market.(NEW DELHI)
October 1, 2007... The Indian government receives about 300 applications from about 30 companies wing to tap the growth potential in the world's hottest wireless market. The telecoms ministry has set up a committee to scrutinize applications, and analysts expect...

The government plans to open the terrestrial TV broadcasting space so that operators are able to offer mobile TV services.(NEW DELHI)
October 1, 2007... The government plans to open the terrestrial TV broadcasting space so that operators are able to offer mobile TV services. At present, private operators are not allowed access.

Bharti Airtel is in talks to sell around 10% of its mobile telecoms tower company for about $1.1b.(NEW DELHI)
October 1, 2007... Bharti Airtel is in talks to sell around 10% of its mobile telecoms tower company for about $1.1b. The firm has been in talks with Singapore's state-owned Temasek Holdings and Warburg Pincus to sell the stake in Bharti Infratel.

Mimicking the apple touch: the iPhone has generated the buzz--taking usability and design to a new level. But rivals aren't standing still. Many have launched touch-screen models and all have a loyal brand following. And without 3G can Apple enjoy the same success outside of the US?(Cover story)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Apple's iPhone caused a sensation in the US market when it was introduced earlier this year--selling more than one million units in the first three months on the market. With the product poised for introduction into...

Late-comer takes center stage in FOTA: by focusing on the client side, Red Bend has picked up market share in the expanding FOTA market and is aiming for an 80% share in 2008.(INDUSTRY: CLOSUP)
October 1, 2007... As the number of software apps installed in mobile phones soars, mobile software management or MSM is increasingly becoming a vital business concern for operators, manufacturers and mobile software developers. Bitfone (now part of HP) and...

Biz potential of ringback tones still untapped.(INDUSTRY: VIEW)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Next to SMS or text messaging, ring-back tones (RBT) has been touted as a lucrative revenue source for mobile operators. However, based on its uptake across the globe, it seems it has not lived up to its...

The death of SMS--not quite yet: mobile email and IM may have taken some of the shine off plain vanilla text messaging, which isn't generating the high growth rates it once did. To bring back the shine, cellcos should launch SMS-driven data services like mobile payment and mobile advertising.(APPLICATION)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With its ubiquity and simplicity, SMS has become a cash cow for mobile operators, generating the largest slice of their revenues after voice. Research reports and operators' statistics show that in some countries,...

Strong appetite for mobile banking: a global survey shows consumers are keen on mobile banking, but more than half of respondents don't know if their banks offer the service.(RESEARCH: NOTE)
October 1, 2007... The convenience that the mobile medium provides and the new consumer attitude of wanting to know everything in an instant is spurring a great deal of excitement worldwide for mobile banking services. Research from Sybase 365, a subsidiary...

SMEs slow to adopt mobile services in China.(FORUM)(Survey)
October 1, 2007... Mobility is becoming increasingly important for SMEs globally, with a rising number of workers being issued various types of mobile device and spend on both mobile voice and data growing each year. However, in China only one-quarter of SMEs'...

Behavioral targeted mobile ads for Japan.(tools)
October 1, 2007... Revenue Science, Japanese mobile web portal operator mediba and the Digital Advertising Consortium will offer behavioral targeting services to advertisers on mobile phones in Japan. mediba will create audience segments using the content...

Motorola's comprehensive solutions catalog.(tools)
October 1, 2007... Motorola announces the public beta launch of its first-ever comprehensive solutions catalog, an online collection of third-party software designed to bring consumers and enterprise users the latest games, tools, productivity and line of...

Free Linux platform for next-gen mobile apps.(tools)
October 1, 2007... Movial is selected by ARM to create a Linux platform to help mobile device companies quickly and easily create next-generation mobile applications. Movial and ARM will offer the Linux software platform free to device manufacturers around the...

Upgraded Edgelib mobile games SDK.(tools)
October 1, 2007... Elements Interactive releases version 3.20 of its multi-platform mobile game engine Edgelib. The new version adds support for OpenGL ES for NVidia GoForce GPU chipsets, Windows Mobile 6 and the Gizmondo handheld device. Other improvements...

MTV says: you've got 'decome'.(out now)
October 1, 2007... Viacom International Japan launches a music-centric mobile "decome" (decoration mail) service that lets users liven up their email with MTV brands. Available on NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service, the MTV Decostyle service lets members decorate their...

Free Google Maps for Symbian.(out now)
October 1, 2007... Google is offering a native Symbian C++ version of Google Maps for mobile as a free download for $60 3rd Edition. Google Maps allow users to locate their approximate position using A-GPS and based on this information can provide services such...

Nokia expands Video Center content.(out now)
October 1, 2007... Nokia adds new content partners to its Nokia Video Center, including CNN, IBN, Jamba, Sony Pictures, RooftopComedy, ROK and Versaly Entertainment. The Nokia Video Center offers Nokia Nseries users one place to discover and access mobile video...

Melodeo signs deal with KTF.(deals)
October 1, 2007... Melodeo announces a licensing deal that gives KTF the rights to distribute the mobile entertainment platform behind nuTsie, Melodeo's online and mobile music application, and Mobilcast, the company's flagship mobile podcasting application. ...

Gomalto, Far EasTone start NFC trial.(deals)
October 1, 2007... Gemalto is partnering with Taiwan's Far EasTone to run a SIM-based NFC (near field communications) trial in November and to be rolled out in phases. The trial is part of the GSM Association's Pay-Buy Mobile initiative that seeks to define a...

Rakuten and Fast Search in mobile IV.(deals)
October 1, 2007... Japanese internet search company Rakuten forms a joint venture with enterprise search firm Fast Search & Transfer to develop and provide mobile search and advertising service in Japan. Mobile search services will initially be rolled out to...

Mippin promises easier access.(out now)
October 1, 2007... Refresh Mobile launches Mippin, a service providing access to mobile content. Mippin promises an easier user experience, with features such as automatically remembering personal preferences and building user profiles. The service is free to...

Put your mobile avatar on TV.(out now)
October 1, 2007... Hong Kong-based Artificial Life announces the upcoming release of an enhanced version of its inter-active mobile to TV interface technology. SMS Galaxy now supports user-generated content that lets viewers send their own pictures and personal...

MySpace Mobile goes ad-funded.(out now)
October 1, 2007... Fox Interactive Media has announced a beta version of MySpace Mobile that will be ad-funded rather than subscription-based, although the premium service will continue to be on offer. FIM has partnered with mobile advertising network Millennial...

Colibria lands DiGi IM deal.(deals)
October 1, 2007... Instant messaging solutions vendor Colibria signs a deal with Malaysia's DiGi to provide mobile IM services for DiGi's 6m subscribers. www.digi.com.my, www.colibria. com

SMS air ticket alliance.(deals)
October 1, 2007... India's Kingfisher Airlines forms an alliance with Paymate to launch FlyBuySms, an SMS based service for finding and booking tickets. The service requires no registration or application download. Paymate users can pay via SMS with their Paymate...

CNN extends TU Media deal.(deals)
October 1, 2007... CNN International strikes a new deal with Korean mobile TV operator TU Media to stream more than 16 hours a day of live CNN content to Korean mobile users. Mobile TV news content now features CNN World News Now, CNN Hollywood Express and CNN...

Sony Ericsson to preload ColorZip.(deals)
October 1, 2007... Sony Ericsson Mobile has reached a deal with ColorZip SEA to preload ColorCam color barcode software into its mobile devices. Similar to QR codes, ColorCam creates color-coded print images that can be scanned by cameraphones to access targeted...

Do you have any idea what time it is?(this month's model)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Some of the best mobile apps are the simple ones that address minor but commonplace problems. Like making an overseas call without having to worry about whether the person you're calling is asleep. ...

Have we gone completely barking mobile mad?(STREET WISE)
October 1, 2007... It used to be that phases like "the future is mobile," or "ubiquitous access" conveyed visions of hope, glory and even scenes of utopian bliss where everyone is connected, everywhere and all of the time. In many ways, those visions are...

Bury me with my phone, just in case.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
October 1, 2007... From Age Concern, a British charity that promotes the interests of the elderly, comes news that the second most common request for burial plans is to be "buried with my mobile phone". According to AFR other common requests from the 100,000...

Toxic handset.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
October 1, 2007... The Center for Environmental Health plans to take legal action against Apple because the iPhone uses group of chemicals that violates a California law. Wired.com reported that the CEH claims the iPhone has levels of phthalates (a group of...

Better celling.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
October 1, 2007... More jobs for those unemployed media analysts. As mobile advertising revenue grows with enhanced wireless internet connections, Nielsen Wireless is going to monitor US media usage over cellphones. With 33 million Americans using their...

Water phone.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
October 1, 2007... This is a few years out: by 2010 a handset that runs on water. Samsung Electro-Mechanics' VP of research Oh Yung-soo says "when the handset is turned on, metal and water in the phone react to produce hydrogen gas. The gas is then supplied to...