http://www.telecomsinsight.com Telecoms Insight RSS Feed from Business Monitor International en Copyright 2009, Business Monitor International Ltd Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:30 GMT Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:30 GMT AFP RSS Generator Thailand's National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is to conduct a study into the amount of credit left unused on prepaid cards once services have been cancelled by the subscriber, according to True, of its total mobile service revenues, postpaid accounted for just 22%, while the remainder largely arrived from prepaid. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/79058/Thailand-Considers-Unused-Prepaid-Credit-To-Develop-Services.html Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00 GMT São Paulo mobile operator aeiou is looking to take part in further spectrum auctions that are set to take place by the end of 2009, according to company president José Roberto Melo da Silva. The announcement comes despite growing rumours of the company's serious financial problems, according to Teletime, and the company's limited growth thus far. Regardless, Melo da Silva has ambitious plans for the operator and says the company is considering which markets to expand into. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/79059/aeiou-Looks-Beyond-Sao-Paulo.html Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00 GMT There has been both good and bad news for the internet market in Uganda. On the plus side, the East African nation has the prospect of improved access to international bandwidth through the TEAMS and SEACOM submarine cables soon to go online in neighbouring Kenya. There is also more competition coming to the broadband market as WiMAX operators sit poised to enter the market. Unfortunately, a decision to ban the import of used computers has led many to worry that a scarcity of cheap IT equipment is going to seriously hinder further growth in the internet access market. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/79057/Two-Steps-Forward-And-One-Step-Back-For-Broadband.html Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00 GMT As India prepares for the upcoming implementation of mobile number portability (MNP) in October 2009, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has published draft rules. Comments on the proposals will be made by industry operators and authorities by July 14 2009. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/79015/India-Announces-MNP-Proposals.html Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00 GMT Mexican mobile subscribers are increasingly turning to SMS messaging to keep in touch. Throughout 2008, the number of SMS messages sent over Mexican mobile networks grew faster than the number of voice minutes, although both retained a growth rate over 15%. Subscribers are increasingly looking to SMS to keep in contact owing to the lower cost of sending a message versus making a http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/79016/SMS-Increasingly-Appealing-To-Mexicans.html Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00 GMT Mobile market leader Movistar is considering placing limits on its mobile broadband packages reports Teletime. The company's network engineering manager, José Venegas, pointed out that while 3G subscriptions grew 45% over the past 12 months, data traffic more than doubled, putting extra strain on the network and leading to questions over how to deal with heavy users of mobile data. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/79017/High-Mobile-Data-Use-Causing-Operator-Dilemmas.html Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00 GMT Eight months since signing a contract with US-based telecoms equipment vendor Motorola in October 2008, Qatar Telecom-backed operator wi-tribe has launched WiMAX services in the country. The operator, which also offers services in Jordan, will provide coverage in the major cities of Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi before expanding into areas outside of the main metropolis, where the technology is expected to have a more significant impact. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/79014/Wi-Tribe-Commercially-Launches-WiMAX-Across-Pakistan.html Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00 GMT Bangladesh's telecommunications regulatory authorities, government ministries and telecoms service providers have met to discuss the rampant growth in illegal VoIP activity. Since VoIP was made legal last year and licences awarded to four operators Mir Telecom, Novotel, Bangla Trac Communications and the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL), in August, a number of illegal outfits have also sought to take advantage of the apparent 'open door' policy. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/78971/Illegal-VoIP-Usage-In-Bangladesh-Sees-Revenue-Losses-Soar.html Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00 GMT South Korea's mobile TV subscriptions total for June 2009 reached 22mn, according to data released by the Korea Times. The first digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) function was launched on mobile handsets by SK Telecom unit TU Media in 2005, but despite the impressive growth in the last four years, which sees mobile TV penetration rates at 45%, it remains a money-losing business for operators. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/78972/Mobile-TV-Subscribers-At-22mn-Still-A-Loss-Making-Business.html Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00 GMT Swedish telecoms equipment vendor Ericsson is reported to be in talks with various mobile operators in the Middle East about setting up projects to begin deploying 4G technology in the region. Ericsson is hoping to become a leader in the deployment of the 4G long-term evolution (LTE) technology, and getting things started in the Middle East should help this goal. Several countries in the Middle East have seen pretty good take-up of 3G and have shown enthusiasm for new technology, so it may be a good area for the vendor to target. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/78970/Ericsson-Looking-To-Be-Ahead-Of-The-Pack-On-Middle-East-4G.html Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00 GMT European mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Lycamobile has partnered with 21st Century Telecom Networks to begin offering services as a full mobile network operator (MNO) in the Caribbean. The move marks a departure for Lycamobile, both in terms of geography and business strategy. The company offers prepaid SIM cards in eight Western European countries with plans to expand to another six markets, including the US and Canada, by the end of 2009. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/78935/21st-Century-Would-Lycamobile-Partner.html Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00 GMT Wireless broadband, or WiBro, was developed by South Korea's telecommunications industry to compensate for the slowing markets of fixed line and mobile and to provide a boost in revenues. Three years since its launch on June 30 2006, WiBro has not delivered on expectations, falling far short of government forecasts that the technology would grow to a value of KRW8.1trn (US$6.3bn) by 2010. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/78890/South-Koreas-WiBro-Service-Three-Years-On-And-Still-Struggling.html Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00 GMT Spain's Telefónica is set to acquire the remaining 1.8% of Telefónica de Argentina (TASA) that remains in free float. The company is set to pay EUR24mn (US$34mn) for the shares it does not own, approximately 126mn. The purchase follows a similar move made by Telefónica in Chile earlier this year when it acquired the remaining shares in its Chilean operations. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/78812/Argentina-Telecoms-Ownership:-Consolidation-And-Confusion.html Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00 GMT The world's leading chipmaker, Intel, is reported to have signed a deal with the world's largest mobile handset manufacturer to put Intel processors in Nokia phones. The deal is expected to be confirmed by the senior vice-president of Intel's mobility group. While Intel provides the microprocessors for around 80% of the world's PCs and laptops, it has yet to make a dent in the mobile market. As subscribers increasingly get online via their mobile handsets, it is an important area of development for Intel. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/78770/Global-Leaders-Come-Together.html Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00 GMT Second-ranked mobile operator Entel PCS is looking to start a test for 4G mobile standard long-term evolution (LTE). The company is already in talks with Sweden's Ericsson, reports BNAmericas, and expects tests to begin over the next few months once the company has received government approval. As the first company to have launched 3G services in Chile, it seems Entel is set to remain a beacon in the mobile market for launching the latest technologies. http://www.telecomsinsight.com/file/78701/LTE-Future-For-Entel.html Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00 GMT