Wireless Asia articles from September 2006

Wireless Asia archives from September 2006

Beyond the 'phone'.(UNWIRED)
September 1, 2006... The move into retail by the world's biggest and most influential handset maker has generated surprisingly little reaction. Nokia's plan to set up a chain of flagship stores worldwide tells us a couple of things about the mobile market. It...

EV-DO Rev A to take on HSDPA in Japan.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
September 1, 2006... The fierce competition between Japan's three dominant mobile carriers entered a new phase August 31 when NTT DoCoMo began HSDPA service in central Tokyo with a single NEC handset capable of data packet downloads of up to 3.6 Mbps--ten times the...

Handsets evolve beyond voice.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
September 1, 2006... Mobile phones are expected to continue evolving over the next few years, settling into three broad categories: voice-centric, converged-function and specialist handsets. According to Analysys, traditional voice-centric devices diversify with...

Consumers embrace multimedia.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
September 1, 2006... Cellphone users are increasingly warming up to mobile video and music multimedia services. An In-Stat report says that over the past three years, music streaming has become the most popular multimedia service among handset owners, although...

Photo messaging gains ground.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
September 1, 2006... American and European handset owners are increasing their use of photo messaging, especially those who own higher-resolution mobile phones. A recent M:Metrics survey shows that in June, photo messaging has grown 32% since February in the US,...

IC makers prepare for mobile WiMAX.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S WIRELESS RESEARCH)
September 1, 2006... To be technically and economically viable, mobile WiMAX ICs must hit "sweet spots" on a number of parameters. ABI Research notes that performance, power consumption and cost requirements for WiMAX ICs become much more challenging on the mobile...

Warid joins crowded Bangladesh market.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
September 1, 2006... Bangladesh's mobile market, which grew by 144% last year, is bracing itself for stiffer competition once new entrant UAE-based GSM operator Warid Telecom International enters the market as the sixth mobile operator. Mobile phone customers...

Inmarsat and ACeS collaborate on handheld voice.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
September 1, 2006... Inmarsat and ACeS International have announced collaboration arrangements to offer low-cost handheld and fixed voice services to Asia, with plans to eventually extend coverage globally. Under the arrangement, Inmarsat will assume...

Steady growth for IM in China.(METRICS: Inside the wireless data numbers)
September 1, 2006... The number of registered instant messaging (IM) accounts in China increased 11% quarter-on-quarter to 828.6 million in the second quarter, according to Analysys International. The number of active accounts has grown at a faster pace of 13.78%...

Mobile Internet population soars.(METRICS: Inside the wireless data numbers)
September 1, 2006... More than 34.6 million mobile subscribers accessed the Internet via their wireless devices in June. According to a report from Telephia, email and weather sites were the top two most visited categories. The sports category followed, with more...

SK Telecom and China's National Development and Reform Commission agree to cooperate in developing 3G.(Movements)
September 1, 2006... SK Telecom and China's National Development and Reform Commission agree to cooperate in developing 3G, in a deal which SK Telecom says will help strengthen its foothold in China's fast-growing mobile market.

Organizations in Bangkok and Singapore are the most ready of six major Asian cities to mobilize their businesses, a new survey by Nokia unveils.(Movements)
September 1, 2006... Organizations in Bangkok and Singapore are the most ready of six major Asian cities to mobilize their businesses, a new survey by Nokia unveils. Nokia says it based the conclusion on research into nine indicators, ranging from mobile...

Motorola and Huawei Technologies announced a new collaboration to bring an enhanced and extensive portfolio of UMTS and HSPA infrastructure equipment to customers worldwide.(Movements)
September 1, 2006... Motorola and Huawei Technologies announced a new collaboration to bring an enhanced and extensive portfolio of UMTS and HSPA infrastructure equipment to customers worldwide.

China Mobile overtakes Vodafone as the world's biggest mobile company.(Movements)
September 1, 2006... China Mobile overtakes Vodafone as the world's biggest mobile company. China Mobile now has a market value of 69.7b pounds ($131.6b, compared to 57.9b pounds ($109.3 b) for Vodafone.

Ericsson files a new lawsuit against Samsung in a court in Texas.(Movements)
September 1, 2006... Ericsson files a new lawsuit against Samsung in a court in Texas. The suit charges Samsung with infringing on Ericsson mobile phone patents and is related to a lawsuit that Ericsson filed in February.

Belgium's Belgacom agrees to buy Vodafone Group's 25% stake in Proximus for 2b euros ($2.6b).(Movements)
September 1, 2006... Belgium's Belgacom agrees to buy Vodafone Group's 25% stake in Proximus for 2b euros ($2.6b), giving it full control of the mobile operator.

Qualcomm agrees to acquire Qualphone, a maker of Internet-based multimedia software for $18m.(Movements)
September 1, 2006... Qualcomm agrees to acquire Qualphone, a maker of Internet-based multimedia software for $18m.

The US FCC accelerates the bidding in its auction of licenses for advanced wireless services.(Movements)
September 1, 2006... The US FCC accelerates the bidding in its auction of licenses for advanced wireless services, which has already raised more than $13.6b after 15 days.

A California computer security specialist claims that hackers can attack networks through BlackBerry handheld devices.(Movements)
September 1, 2006... A California computer security specialist claims that hackers can attack networks through BlackBerry handheld devices. Jesse D'Aguanno of Praetorian Global says the BlackBerry device is actually a computer constantly connected to your network.

The Wi-Fi Alliance plans to start certifying products next year without waiting for the completion of technical standards.(Movements)
September 1, 2006... The Wi-Fi Alliance plans to start certifying products next year without waiting for the completion of technical standards. The group said that without a certification program, the market could have been fragmented by the growing number and...

Nortel sets up a product design, development and testing center in Bangalore, India, in a move to take advantage of lower staffing costs in the country.(Movements)
September 1, 2006... Nortel sets up a product design, development and testing center in Bangalore, India, in a move to take advantage of lower staffing costs in the country. The Nortel Technology Excellence Center will employ more than 100 engineers by the end of...

Nevada regulators allows slot machine giant International Game Technology to compete in an emerging market for handheld, mobile gambling devices.(Movements)
September 1, 2006... Nevada regulators allows slot machine giant International Game Technology to compete in an emerging market for handheld, mobile gambling devices.

The government plans to start testing mobile TV services using DMB in the middle of 2007 in preparation for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.(BEIJING)
September 1, 2006... The government plans to start testing mobile TV services using DMB in the middle of 2007 in preparation for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Transmission of TV signals to mobiles will be tested in mid-2007 and the satellite system activated in the...

Global Music International.(BEIJING)
September 1, 2006... Global Music International enters into a partnership agreement with China Unicom to jointly develop wireless music services and broadcast of its music video content through Unicom's cellular network.

Statistics by the Ministry of Information Industry show that China's mobile subscriber base reached 432m as of July.(BEIJING)
September 1, 2006... Statistics by the Ministry of Information Industry show that China's mobile subscriber base reached 432m as of July, as the nation added 5.43 million new users in the month.

China Mobile posts a 25.5% increase in first-half net profit, boosted by solid growth in operating revenue and subscriber numbers.(HONG KONG)
September 1, 2006... China Mobile posts a 25.5% increase in first-half net profit, boosted by solid growth in operating revenue and subscriber numbers. Net profit rose to 30.17b yuan ($3.63b), while operating revenue for the period rose 19.6% to 136.98b yuan...

SmarTone-Vodafone reports a net profit of HK$70m ($9m) for the year to June 30, down 79% due to the extra costs of 3G license amortization and handset subsidies.(HONG KONG)
September 1, 2006... SmarTone-Vodafone reports a net profit of HK$70m ($9m) for the year to June 30, down 79% due to the extra costs of 3G license amortization and handset subsidies. Revenues rose 4% to HK$3.779b ($486m) while EBITDA fell 5% to HK$816m ($105m). The...

The National Telecommunications Commission.(BANGKOK)
September 1, 2006... The National Telecommunications Commission announces that it can now allocate 3G spectrum to mobile operators to provide 3G services without having to wait for the creation of the National Broadcasting Commission.

Thailand's mobile operators--AIS, DTAC, True Move, Hutchison-CAT and Thai Mobile--have spent a combined 400m baht ($10.6m) upgrading their phone numbering systems to comply with the national telecom regulator's new number plan.(BANGKOK)
September 1, 2006... Thailand's mobile operators--AIS, DTAC, True Move, Hutchison-CAT and Thai Mobile--have spent a combined 400m baht ($10.6m) upgrading their phone numbering systems to comply with the national telecom regulator's new number plan. The upgrades...

Dialog Telekom rolls out commercial 3G services in the country, after securing a license from Sri Lanka's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission.(COLOMBO)
September 1, 2006... Dialog Telekom rolls out commercial 3G services in the country, after securing a license from Sri Lanka's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission. Dialog will provide coverage in Colombo initially.

SK Telecom cuts its earnings projections for 2006 from 4.4 trillion won ($4.6b) to 4 trillion won ($4b).(SEOUL)
September 1, 2006... SK Telecom cuts its earnings projections for 2006 from 4.4 trillion won ($4.6b) to 4 trillion won ($4b). SK also revises upward its sales-to-marketing expenses ratio for this year to 20.5% from 17.5%.

LG Telecom posts a Q2 loss of $205m compared to a net profit of $56.8m in the same quarter last year and $109.5m in the previous quarter.(SEOUL)
September 1, 2006... LG Telecom posts a Q2 loss of $205m compared to a net profit of $56.8m in the same quarter last year and $109.5m in the previous quarter. The company blames its Q2 financial struggles on an increase in marketing expenses.

KT and ArrayComm sign a deal to collaborate on improving KT's new mobile broadband WiBro network.(SEOUL)
September 1, 2006... KT and ArrayComm sign a deal to collaborate on improving KT's new mobile broadband WiBro network. Under the deal, the two firms will jointly work to integrate multi-antenna signal processing technologies for KT.

Taiwan Mobile sells 8.7m shares of Chunghwa Telecom for NT$473m ($14.4m).(TAIPEI)
September 1, 2006... Taiwan Mobile sells 8.7m shares of Chunghwa Telecom for NT$473m ($14.4m), reducing its stake in the incumbent carrier to 1.1%.

BenQ posts its third consecutive quarterly loss for the April-June period, following its delay in a plan to increase handset shipments.(TAIPEI)
September 1, 2006... BenQ posts its third consecutive quarterly loss for the April-June period, following its delay in a plan to increase handset shipments. The unaudited net loss in the three months ended June 30 was NT$2.51b ($76.45m), reversing a net profit of...

KDDI and JCB join forces in providing mobile phones with credit card functions by installing JCB's payment settlement software into KDDI's handsets.(TOKYO)
September 1, 2006... KDDI and JCB join forces in providing mobile phones with credit card functions by installing JCB's payment settlement software into KDDI's handsets. The first models of the handsets for the so-called mobile wallet service will hit the market as...

eMobile taps Huawei Technologies as a key 3G equipment supplier for the roll out of its UMTS/HSDPA network.(TOKYO)
September 1, 2006... eMobile taps Huawei Technologies as a key 3G equipment supplier for the roll out of its UMTS/HSDPA network. The deal will see Huawei deploy Japan's first-ever all IP-based HSDPA radio access network initially in several larger metropolitan...

Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) reports that its first half net loss widened to A$524.7m ($399m) as of June 30, compared with a loss of A$305.3m ($232.1m) the previous year.(SYDNEY)
September 1, 2006... Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) reports that its first half net loss widened to A$524.7m ($399m) as of June 30, compared with a loss of A$305.3m ($232.1m) the previous year. Hutchison attributed the loss to a write-down it took as it...

Unwired Australia expands its wireless broadband service in Melbourne.(SYDNEY)
September 1, 2006... Unwired Australia expands its wireless broadband service in Melbourne, bringing its service to residents in Balwyn, Brunswick, Hawthorn, Kew and parts of North East and North Melbourne.

Telkomsel awards Nokia a three-year network and managed services deal.(JAKARTA)
September 1, 2006... Telkomsel awards Nokia a three-year network and managed services deal, under which Nokia will provide network equipment and operate the operator's 3G network.

Bharti Airtel awards Ericsson a 780m euros ($1b) deal to expand its wireless networks.(NEW DELHI)
September 1, 2006... Bharti Airtel awards Ericsson a 780m euros ($1b) deal to expand its wireless networks. The three-year contract, which also includes upgrades and technical support, will help Bharti Airtel improve its mobile coverage in rural parts of India,...

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority launches a campaign to curb mobile phone theft.(KARACHI)
September 1, 2006... The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority launches a campaign to curb mobile phone theft. The agency will work with the nation's mobile carriers and the national police to curb mobile phone theft, which has been on the rise in the country.

The CDMA lobby group Auspi, backed by the Tata Group and Reliance, fails to show up in a joint meeting with GSM industry players called by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).(KARACHI)
September 1, 2006... The CDMA lobby group Auspi, backed by the Tata Group and Reliance, fails to show up in a joint meeting with GSM industry players called by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The meeting aims to provide final input to TRAI, ending...

Mobile gaming goes casual; next-gen multi-player online mobile games may be grabbing headlines, but the mobile industry is betting on casual games to push mobile gaming into the relatively untapped mass market. Either way, cellcos and game developers/publishers must work closely to make mobile gaming more appealing.(Cover story)
September 1, 2006... Television and music have been stealing the limelight in the mobile content arena recently, but after years of development, mobile gaming has established itself as a serious content player. It is a core element of the growing market for mobile...

Search me: why mobile search is getting personal: as mobile phones become data devices, search engines are going mobile. The big deal: mobile has the ability to take capabilities--particularly advertising--to increasingly personalized levels that PC-based search can't realize. The only limits are ease of use, network readiness and very serious privacy issues.(SERVICES)
September 1, 2006... With cellphones becoming increasingly outfitted for Internet access and mobile services becoming increasingly content-driven, it was inevitable that search engine technology would go mobile. Many mobile operators have employed localized engines...

Ready for OTA: the Open Mobile Alliance held its first Interoperability Summit in Asia last month and used Asia as the platform to announce its FUMO release. Group editor Joseph Waring caught up with OMA chairman Jari Alvinen during his travels for an update on OMA's firmware release and what's top of its interoperability pipeline.(1-2-1)(Interview)
September 1, 2006... Wireless Asia: What brings you to Asia this time? Alvinen: There are three things that bring me to the region. First, there's the release of FUMO [Firmware Update Management Object], which took me to Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing,...

Danger at the low-end: lifestyle factors like value and "coolness" play larger role in purchasing decisions than price in emerging Asian markets.(WIRELESS SURVEY)
September 1, 2006... Is the low-end really all about low price? Maybe not. Low-income mobile users in emerging markets do not make purchasing decisions based solely on price as many industry officials believe, according to the result of a survey of mobile customers...

VoFi in the real world: what is needed is a real-world check on whether VoFi is ready to move out of the enterprise world into the consumer world of 802.11.(WIRELESS FORUM)
September 1, 2006... It's a natural fit: VoIP (inexpensive phone calls over the Internet) coupled with Wi-Fi (wireless connection to the Internet). In the enterprise setting, VoIP over Wi-Fi, or VoFi, provided acceptable voice quality while dramatically reducing...

OTA firmware update standard.(tools)
September 1, 2006... The Open Mobile Alliance has launched its Firmware Update Management Object (FUMO) Version 1.0 as a Candidate Enabler Release, to allow mobile operators to update mobile devices across network infrastructure without requiring consumers or...

Mobile content storefront.(tools)
September 1, 2006... Volantis has released its next-generation Mobile Content Storeffont 2.0, a turnkey solution that enables wireless carriers and content providers to merchandize a wide range of mobile content. The solution is optimized for more than 3,000 2G,...

Congestion control system.(tools)
September 1, 2006... NTT DoCoMo will separately manage call and data packet transmission congestion over the 3G FOMA network to prevent voice traffic congestion control from affecting packet communication traffic and vice versa. One result is the increased ability...

Real-time graphics and video.(tools)
September 1, 2006... Vizrt has unveiled a new release of Viz|3G, an end-to-end platform for delivering real-time graphics and video content to mobile devices. The newViz|3G release features a more advanced graphical user interface with a dynamic matrix layout,...

3D mobile search technology.(out now)
September 1, 2006... GeoVector has introduced what it claims as the world's first 3D search technology for mobile phones, which allows users to obtain information by selecting objects on a map displayed in 3D on the screen of their handsets. The 3D map, generated...

Mobile 'sticky notes'.(out now)
September 1, 2006... The new version of Electric Pocket's BugMe! application, which is compatible with handheld devices based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC platform, allows users to send sketches and notes via MMS. One of the most notable new features...

Mobile phone = credit card.(deals)
September 1, 2006... KDDI has partnered with credit card company JCB to make phones that can be used as credit cards. According to reports, the mobile wallet service will allow KDDI customers to instantly pay for goods and services by swiping their handsets over...

Ozura Mobile, Excite Japan enter partnership.(deals)
September 1, 2006... Excite Japan has chosen Ozura Mobile as its first international mobile game distribution partner. Under the partnership, Excite Japan will grant Ozura Mobile the distribution rights for its premium mobile game titles. Ozura Mobile plans to make...

FoneStarz launches in Fiji.(deals)
September 1, 2006... Mobile media content provider FoneStarz Media has launched new mobile content services in Fill, as part of a deal with the Fiji Sun to provide off-the-page content to its readers in the island region. www.fonestarz.com

TOM Online uses mMAP solution.(deals)
September 1, 2006... TOM Online has chosen Mobile Scope's mobile Media Access Portal (mMAP) solution as part of its strategy to drive wireless content traffic and customer loyalty. The mMAP, a downloadable over-the-air Java application and a server-side management...

Free music downloads with ROKR E2.(out now)
September 1, 2006... Music downloads from Soundbuzz will come bundled with Motorola's ROKR E2 at point of purchase, allowing new owners to go to a Soundbuzz music site, key in a code from a download redemption card and select free songs to download to their PC and...

Handy Games channel comes to Thailand.(out now)
September 1, 2006... MOffY and www.handy-games.com have launched the Handy Games lava game WAP channel in Thailand via mobile operator AIS. Featuring more than 30 Handy Games titles, including the Ancient Ruins series, Townsmen series, 1805 French Empire, and...

Travel support services.(out now)
September 1, 2006... SmarTone-Vodafone has launched Traveller, a comprehensive suite of travel support services. Call screening prevents nuisance calls and unwanted roaming expenses by controlling what calls can go through. Auto phonebook backup allows customers to...

Free mobile push email service.(out now)
September 1, 2006... emoze has introduced "emoze for Smartphones," touted as the world's first free and secure push email and PIM service. Using emoze, users of Microsoft Pocket PCs, Microsoft smartphones and most Symbian Series 60 phones can automatically receive...

Globe Telecom chooses Aicent SMS Gateway.(deals)
September 1, 2006... Globe Telecom has chosen Aicent's SMS Gateway to provide two-way SMS delivery to international destinations. According to Aicent, its SMS Gateway offers a one-stop SMS exchange hub that seamlessly connects Globe to mobile operators currently on...

SK C&C selects Dilithium for video ringback.(deals)
September 1, 2006... SK C&C, the systems integrator for Korean mobile operator SK Telecom, has selected Dilithium Networks' DTG 2000 multimedia gateway for the delivery of multimedia and enhanced video services across its 3G network. With the DTG 2000 gateway, SK...

Qualcomm to acquire Qualphone for $18m.(deals)
September 1, 2006... Qualcomm has agreed to acquire Qualphone, a maker of Internet-based multimedia software, for $18 million in cash. Qualphone offers an IMS software platform that enables integrated and interactive voice, text, picture and video features in...

Have a drink on me.(this month's model)
September 1, 2006... Not technically an app in the strictest sense, but still eye-catching: a new handset for NTT DoCoMo's FOMA service comes with sensor-driven wallpaper that makes the screen look like a glass of liquid. The N702iS--developed by NEC and...

It's the best price, trust us! By any method you measure it, how can a call that must travel across a continent be set at the same price as a call to a phone down the block?(STREETWISE)
September 1, 2006... Roaming has always been a rather contentious issue for consumer advocates. Simply put, roaming used to be a huge luxury that GSM operators offered their subscribers, enabling them the convenience of having a single cellphone that worked across...

Nokia at the movies.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
September 1, 2006... In April, Nokia accompanied the launch of its latest N series handset, the N93, with the news that actor and director Gary Oldman would make a short video with an N93 handset and post the results on Nokia's Nseries Studio Web site, where other...

Cellphones are the new wristwatch.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
September 1, 2006... In April 2006, in a story on the state of cellphone usability, 3G guru Tomi Ahonen told Wireless Asia that cellphones were replacing wristwatches as the preferred timepiece for mobile users. According to a report from market research firm...

Life goes better with a BlackBerry addiction.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
September 1, 2006... BlackBerry devices aren't called "CrackBerries" for nothing: many users freely admit they're addictive, but addicts also swear that their lives are better as a result. A study by executive recruitment firm Korn/Ferry International covering...

A femtocell in every home.(SHORT MESSAGE: Around the wireless industry)
September 1, 2006... The latest secret ingredient for cellcos in the quest for FMC is the femtocell--a cellular base station that's smaller than a picocell and designed for use in residential and corporate environments. The pitch from manufacturers is that...