Telecommunication Electronics - Global Trends, Estimates and Forecasts, 2011-2018

Global Market Watch: With a CAGR of 12.8%, global market value for Telecommunication Electronics Application sector is anticipated to be worth US$847.6 billion by 2018. On a global scale, Asia-Pacific accounts for more than 26.3% of the market share. While US accounts for the largest share of the global market value on a country basis, India surpasses the US in terms of growth rate anticipated in the near future. Among the application sectors, Mobile Phones account for the largest share of the entire market, driving a CAGR of 14.5% during the analysis period 2011-2018. Wireless LANs & WANs see as the fastest growing end-user with a forecast with a CAGR of approximately 20.9% by 2018. With the growing trend in network and mobile satellite terminal technologies (dual-mode GSM cellular/satellite, handset and broadband data) the future of telecommunication electronics industry suggests for a positive growth.
Report Focus: The report 'Telecommunication Electronics - Global Trends, Estimates and Forecasts, 2011-2018' reviews the latest telecommunication electronics market trends with a perceptive attempt to disclose the near-future growth prospects. An in-depth analysis on a geographic basis provides strategic business intelligence for electronics sector investments. The study reveals profitable investment strategies for electronics companies, business executives, product marketing managers, new business investors and many more in preferred locations.
The report primarily focuses on: • Emerging Market Trends • Advancements in the Technological Space • Market Demand of the Segments (By-Region) • Key Growth Areas and Market Size • Region-Wise Demand Factor • Key Competitors Edge • Investment Strategies
Estimates are based on online surveys using customized questionnaires by our research team. Besides information from government databases, company websites, press releases & published research reports are also used for estimates.
The analysis primarily deals with applications. Further, the subdivided categories include:
Telecommunication Electronics - By Application • Mobile Phones • Wireless LANs & WANs • DSL/Cable Modems • Other (Incudes: Infrastructure & Radio Communication, Telephone, Wired Network, Wireless Network, Etc.,)
The period considered for the telecommunication electronics market analysis is 2011-2018. The region wise distribution of the market consists of North America (USA, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, Russia, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Denmark and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific ((Ex-Japan) (China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Rest of Asia-Pacific)),Japan, Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Venezuela, Peru and Rest of Latin America) and Rest of World (South Africa, Turkey, United Arabs Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Rest of Rest of World). The market growth rate in the major economies such as the U.S., Japan, China etc. are estimated individually.
More than 1346 leading market players are identified in electronics industry out of which 42 key companies in telecommunication electronics that project improved market activities in the near future are profiled. The report consists of 85 data charts describing the market shares, sales forecasts and growth prospects. Moreover, key strategic activities in the market including mergers/acquisitions, collaborations/partnerships, product launches/developments are discussed Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/12/17/6007657/telecommunication-electronics.html

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A Free reign over 4G? How the upstart's LTE gambit upended the mobile market in France

When France's enfant terrible Free Mobile announced in early December that it was adding LTE to its rolling monthly €15.99 and €19.99 price plans at no extra cost with 20GB of mobile data to boot, it would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall in the offices of rivals Orange, Bouygues Telecom and Vivendi-owned SFR.
More interesting still would have been observing the reactions to Free Mobile's subsequent announcement that LTE was being added to its €2-a-month plan with 50MB of data.

When the mobile upstart arrived on the scene in 2012, it shook up the French mobile market. Now, by giving away 4G free with its low-cost tariffs, it looks to be doing the same all over again.
The three incumbent operators have certainly already suffered at the hands of Free Mobile following the introduction of the Iliad-owned operator's low-cost plans in January 2012: €19.99 for 3GB of data appeared incredibly cheap at the time, and users switched to Free Mobile in droves.
It sparked a lasting change on the French market and caused Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom to revamp their pricing, introducing low-cost secondary brands and embarking on new strategies to prop up ARPU.
These new strategies include introducing LTE, with fourth-generation services now in the process of being rolled out across France. SFR was the first French operator to launch commercial LTE services for consumers: it debuted LTE in the city of Lyon ahead of schedule in November 2012.
Orange was close behind, while Bouygues Telecom launched services in October this year after the operator was given the go-ahead to refarm its 1800MHz spectrum for LTE services. Bouygues Telecom and SFR have since embarked on talks to share parts of their mobile networks, and these talks are still ongoing.

Network sharing

Free Mobile, already facing criticism over its 3G coverage and still reliant on the Orange network under a 3G roaming agreement, is the last of the four French mobile operators to launch LTE services and has also applied to join the network sharing talks between its two rivals.
Whether they will be sympathetic to Free's wishes remains to be seen: the upstart has already forced Bouygues Telecom's hand on LTE pricing, for example: the operator is extending LTE to all of its mobile plans at no extra cost and plans to add LTE to the low-cost plans offered under its B&YOU secondary brand this year. Orange has done similarly, announcing that it's adding LTE to Sosh, its low-cost brand, from 9 January, on its €24.99 plan with 5GB of data included.
How far Free's LTE challenge will continue to affect existing prices also remains to be seen. Emma Mohr-McClune, services director at Current Analysis, noted that Free's 'Free 4G' campaign is an approach that is "now commonplace in Europe, particularly from price aggressors launching LTE late in a market, and we've seen recent examples of this from TDC in Sweden, Three in the UK, and Base in Belgium."
Orange has criticised Free's inclusion of LTE in its current offers as "an exercise in communication timed to coincide with the start of the Christmas sales period," and has previously maintained that it will continue with its plan to increase LTE prices next year. Nevertheless, Mohr-McClune questions whether operators will now be able to raise prices, thanks to Free.
"First-to-market LTE providers were in a position to exact a premium, but that window has now closed," she said. "From the outset, it was clear that the opportunity to market LTE as a premium service would expire the moment the market challengers launched their own LTE networks."

LTE coverage

As well as attractive prices, operators will need to meet their promises to continually improve coverage and capacity across the entire country. Orange, Bouygues Telecom, and SFR have been providing regular updates on their coverage statistics since they first launched services, and it is here that they currently have the edge over Free Mobile's offers.
For example, Free Mobile said it is offering a service based on 700 LTE masts in 1,000 areas. This to compares to 3,800 LTE masts in service at Orange, which said it offers coverage in 866 towns and cities across France. "By the end of the year, we will provide coverage for 50 percent of the French population and aim to reach one million 4G customers," an Orange spokesperson said.
Bouygues said it now has 63 percent coverage and offers LTE in more than 2,100 cities with over 5,300 masts in service. It has 500,000 active clients on its LTE network.  SFR says its LTE network is present in 567 towns, and the company said it aims to cover 70 percent of the population by the end of 2013.
According to France's spectrum watchdog ANFR (Agence Nationale des Frequences), as of 1 December Orange had 3,879 LTE masts in service, SFR 1,013, Bouygues Telecom 5,392 and Free Mobile 700. ANFR said 12,069 sites are now authorised for LTE and the number rises on average by 6.4 per month a month.
Operators have already come in for criticism over network coverage claims, with Free Mobile in particular provoking a sharp response from the French government for launching its LTE services without the necessary coverage:
"As Iliad builds out its mobile network, its launch seems to be a risky and audacious bet," Arnaud Montebourg, industry minister, and Fleur Pellerin, junior minister for telecom and digital issues, said in a statement.
Despite their superior number of masts, the incumbent operators have not escaped criticism over making promises they are currently unable to meet. For example, in early November consumer watchdog UFC Que Choisir filed a legal complaint against Orange and SFR over the claims they have been making about their respective LTE services.
According to UFC Que Choisir, tests conducted between 3 and 17 October in Paris showed a discrepancy between the LTE coverage that Orange and SFR claim to have in the capital and the access consumers really get.
The consumer group also asked French telecoms regulator Arcep to set up a special body to monitor the rollout of LTE networks and guarantee operator claims on coverage and speed.
If 2013 was the year that remade France's LTE market, then 2014 looks set to bring more of the same. In the coming year, expect to see a continuation of network rollouts and possible reactions to new low-cost plans along with new efforts to entice users to the higher-speed offerings. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose?

Source: http://www.zdnet.com/a-free-reign-over-4g-how-the-upstarts-lte-gambit-upended-the-mobile-market-in-france-7000024407/

2G, 3G & 4G Subscriptions, Deployments and Infrastructure Contracts Database Q4'2013

With over 250 commercial network launches and over a thousand LTE-enabled devices available in the market as of December 2013, LTE adoption has considerably gained momentum throughout the globe. Unique market and operator requirements have driven several early LTE launches. Driven by these early launches global LTE subscriptions reached nearly 130 Million in Q4'2013. From an operator viewpoint U.S. operators dominate the market with a 37% market share thanks to the tremendous coverage footprint of tier 1 operators Verizon Wireless & AT&T. The market share of U.S. operators is followed by Japanese and Korean operators NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, SoftBank, LG Uplus, SK Telecom and KT which represent 38% of all LTE subscriptions worldwide. Going forward, the LTE market is set to grow at a CAGR of 56% over the next 7 years and will eventually represent more than 20% of all mobile connections by 2020. From an infrastructure manufacturer perspective Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia Siemens Networks and Alcatel-Lucent are leading the market and account for a combined market share of 85% of all LTE contracts. Ericsson is also leading the market from a technology neutral perspective with a 24% stake in all global 2G/3G/4G contracts.
Covering over 810 operators, 53 infrastructure vendors and 222 countries worldwide the "2G/3G/4G Subscriptions, Deployments and Infrastructure Contracts Database Q4'2013" tracks global cellular network deployments, infrastructure vendor contracts, and subscriptions by technology, data protocol, category (pre-paid, post paid), region, country, and operator.
The report includes: • Infrastructure contracts by technology, data protocol, region, country, vendor and operator • Infrastructure market share by equipment type, region, country and vendor • Network deployments by technology, data protocol, region, country and operator. • Number of cellular network subscriptions (as of Q4'2013) by air interface technology, data protocol, region, country and operator • Five-year subscriptions forecasts by air interface technology, data protocol, region, country and operator • Subscriptions market share data by air interface technology, data protocol, region, country and operator. • Penetration data by region and country • Population data by region and country
Companies Mentioned AirNet Alcatel Alcatel Shanghai Bell Alcatel-Lucent Alvarion Andrew Corporation Apertio Argent Networks USA BSNL COMSAT RSI Plexsys Systems Datacraft DMC Stratex Networks Ericsson Ericsson Nikola Tesla Fujitsu Harris Hitachi Huawei Huawei; Huawei Hyundai Syscomm interWAVE ip.access Kyocera LG LogicStar Lucent Motorola NEC Nera Nokia Nokia Siemens Nortel Panasonic Plexsys Samsung Siemens Siemens/NEC SK Teletech Starent Networks Stratex Networks Tecnomen Tecore Tellus Radio Timor Telecom UTStarcom WiderThan.com ZTE "3 Australia 3 Indonesia 3G Telecommunications Access Communications limited Aero 2 Afghan Wireless Africell Burundi Africell Gambia Africell Sierra Leone Aircel AIS AkTel Albanian Mobile Communications Alfa Telecom Algérie Télécom Almadar Aljadeed Altel AM Wireless Uruguay Ambitel America Movil Costa Rica America Movil Dominican Republic America Movil Jamaica America Movil Peru America Movil Puerto Rico A-Mobile AMX Argentina AMX Paraguay ANCEL Applifone APUA Aquafon Armentel Asia Pacific Broadband Wireless Communications Asiacell ASTCA Astelit AT&T Mobility Puerto Rico AT&T Mobility US Virgin Islands AT&T Mobility USA Atlantic Wireless Liberia Atlantique Cellulaire RCA Atlantique Telecom Cote d'Ivoire AVEA Azercell Azerfon Babilon Mobile Bakcell BakrieTel Batelco Bahamas Batelco Bahrain BayanTel Belau Cellular Belcel Belgacom Mobile Bell Benin Communications Bell Wireless Affiliates BellTell Benin Telecom Benson Informatics Bermuda Digital Communications BeST Bharti Bharti Airtel Burkina Faso B.V. Bharti Airtel Chad Bharti Airtel Congo B.V. Bharti Airtel Gabon B.V. Bharti Airtel Ghana Bharti Airtel Kenya B.V. Bharti Airtel Madagascar B.V Bharti Airtel Malawi Bharti Airtel Niger Bharti Airtel Nigeria Bharti Airtel RDC Bharti Airtel Sri Lanka Bharti Airtel Tanzania B.V Bharti Airtel Uganda B.V. Bharti Airtel Zambia Bhutan Telecom Bité Latvia Bité Lithuania Blue Sky Communications Samoa (American) B-Mobile Brunei B-Mobile Papua New Guinea Botswana Telecom Bouygues Telecom BSNL BTL Cable & Wireless Cable & Wireless (St Lucia) Cable & Wireless Anguilla Cable & Wireless Antigua & Barbuda Cable & Wireless British Virgin Islands Cable & Wireless Cayman Islands Cable & Wireless Dominica Cable & Wireless Grenada Cable & Wireless Guernsey Cable & Wireless Isle of Man Cable & Wireless Jamaica Cable & Wireless Jersey Cable & Wireless Montserrat Cable & Wireless Panama Cable & Wireless Seychelles Cable & Wireless St Kitts & Nevis Cable & Wireless St Vincent & The Grenadines Cable & Wireless Turks & Caicos Islands Cabo Verde Telecom Cadcomms CamGSM CAMTEL Canartel Caribbean Cellular Telephone CariGlobe CAT Catel CCT CDMA Ukraine Celcom Côte d'Ivoire Celcom Malaysia Cell C Cell One Cellcom Guinée Cellcom Israel Cellcom Liberia Celtel Centernet CHEO China Mobile China Mobile Pakistan China Telecom China Telecom (Macau) China Unicom Chinguitel Chunghwa Telecom CI Telecom Claro Brazil Claro Chile Claro Panama CMHK Coastal Communications Colombia Movil Comcel Haiti Comium Côte d'Ivoire Comium Gambia Comium Liberia Comium Sierra Leone Comores Telecom Comunicaciones Celulares Colombia Comunicaciones Celulares Guatemala Conecel Corporacion Digitel Venezuela Cosmo Bulgaria Mobile Cosmofon Cosmote Cosmote Romania CSL New World CST Mobicel CTBC Telecom CTE Telecom Personal CTM CYTA Dauphin Telecom Dawamiba Dhiraagu Dialog Axiata DiGi Digicel (Bonaire) Digicel (Curaçao) Digicel Anguilla Digicel Antigua Digicel Aruba Digicel Barbados Digicel Bermuda Digicel British Virgin Islands Digicel Cayman Islands Digicel Dominica Digicel El Salvador Digicel Fiji Digicel French Guiana Digicel French West Indies Digicel Guatemala Digicel Haiti Digicel Honduras Digicel Pacific Vanuatu Digicel Panama Digicel Papua New Guinea Digicel Samoa Digicel St Kitts & Nevis Digicel St Vincent & The Grenadines Digicel St. Lucia Digicel Suriname Digicel Tonga Digicel Trinidad & Tobago Digicel Turks & Caicos Islands Digitel Mobile Digitel Philippines Djibouti Telecom DNA Comms DNA Finland DoCoMo Pacific Guam DoCoMo Pacific Northern Marianas Dovetel DSTCom DTAC eAccess Eagle Mobile East Caribbean Cellular ECMS Econet Burundi Econet Telecom Lesotho Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Elisa Estonia Elisa Finland Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company EMT Estonia Emtel Mauritius EMTS eNIC enitel movil Entel PCS Telecomunicaciones E-Plus Equateur Telecom Congo Eritrea Telecom Essar Telecom Kenya Ethiopian Telecom Etihad Etisalat Etisalat Afghanistan Etisalat DB Telecom Etisalat Misr Etisalat Sri Lanka Etisalat UAE ETL Everything Everywhere EVN Telecom ExcellentCom Extelcom AirNet Alcatel Alcatel Shanghai Bell Alcatel-Lucent Alvarion Andrew Corporation Apertio Argent Networks USA BSNL COMSAT RSI Plexsys Systems Datacraft DMC Stratex Networks Ericsson Ericsson Nikola Tesla Fujitsu Harris Hitachi Huawei Huawei; Huawei Hyundai Syscomm interWAVE ip.access Kyocera LG LogicStar Lucent Motorola NEC Nera Nokia Nokia Siemens Nortel Panasonic Plexsys Samsung Siemens Siemens/NEC SK Teletech Starent Networks Stratex Networks Tecnomen Tecore Tellus Radio Timor Telecom UTStarcom WiderThan.com ZTE FarEasTone Faroese Telecom FITEL Free Mobile FSM Telecommunications Corporation Gabon Telecom GAIN Gamcel Gamtel Gemtel Geocell GETESA Gibraltar Telecom Globacom Benin Globacom Nigeria Globe Telecom G-Mobile Golis GrameenPhone GSM BiH GSM Kazakhstan GTA GTEL Mobile GT-TELL Guernsey Airtel Guinetel Guyana Telephone & Telegraph H3G Haitel Hello Axiata Cambodia HFCL Infotel HI3G Hi3G Access Norway HI3G Denmark HiTs Telecom Burundi HiTs Telecom Equatorial Guinea Hola Paraguay Hondutel Hormuud Telecom HPT Mostar Hutchison 3G Austria Hutchison 3G Ireland Hutchison 3G UK Hutchison Hong Kong Hutchison Sri Lanka Hutchison Telecom Hutchison Vietnam Hutchison-CAT ICE Ice.Net Denmark Ice.net Norway Ice.net Sweden IceCell Iceland Telecom iConnect Guam iConnect Northern Marianas Idea Cellular IMC Indigo-Somoncom Indosat Infotel Broadband Innovative Wireless Intelfon El Salvador Intelfon Guatemala Intelsur Intercel Holdings Guinea Republic InterDnestrCom Intergroup Telecom Investcom Guinée Ipko Net Islandcom Wireless ITE Guam i-Tel Itisaluna Ittissalat Al-Maghrib Iusacell Celular Jersey Telecoms Jersey Telenet Kalimat Kar-Tel Kasapa Katel KDDI Kibris Telsim KKTCell Korek Telecom KPN Group Belgium KPN Mobile KT Corp KT Powertel K-Telecom Kuwait Telecom Company Kyivstar Lacell Lao Telecom Latelz LG U+ Libyana LMT Lonestar Communications Corporation Loop Mobile M.Teko Magticom Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Manx Telecom Mara Telecom Mascom Wireless Mattel Mauritel Maxis Communications Médi Télécom Megacom MegaFon Meteor Communications Metro PCS Mfone Millicom Millicom Ghana Milmex MIRS Communications Israel Mobicom Mobiel 4 MobiFone Mobile Norway Mobile Telecom Service Mobile TeleSystems Mobile TeleSystems Belarus Mobile-8 MobileOne Mobilicity mobilkom Austria Mobilkom Czech Republic mobilkom Liechtenstein Mobilna Srpska MobilTel MobIsle Communications Mobistar Mobitel Georgia Mobitel Slovenia Mobitel Sri Lanka Mobyland Mocambique Celular Moldcell MoldTelecom Monaco Telecom Moov Gabon Mossel Grenada Mossel Jamaica Movicel Movil de Entel Movilnet Movistar (Venezuela) MTC Namibia MTC Touch MTCE MTEL MTL MTN MTN Afghanistan MTN Cameroon MTN Congo MTN Cote d'Ivoire MTN Cyprus MTN Ghana MTN Irancell MTN Nigeria MTN Rwanda MTN Sudan MTN Swaziland MTN Syria MTN Uganda MTN Yemen MTN Zambia MTNL MTS Mobility MTS-Turkmenistan MTS-Ukraine MTS-Uzbekistan Multi-Links MundoStartel Myanmar P&T Natcom National Telecommunications Authority Nationlink Nationlink Somalia Natrindo Telepon Seluler Nawras Ncell NEAT&T Neotel South Africa Nepal Telecom Net* One Netcom Network Norway Nexi Next Mobile Nextel Argentina Nextel Chile Nextel Mexico Nextel Peru Nextel Telecomunicacoes Nizhegorodskaya Cellular Communications Nova NTT DoCoMo Núcleo NuevaTel Nur Telecom O2 (UK) O2 Germany O2 Ireland Oasis Telecom Omantel Omnitel Onatel Burkina Faso Onatel Burundi Open Mobile OPT New Caledonia Optus Orange (Poland) Orange Armenia Orange Austria Orange Bissau Orange Botswana Orange Cameroon Orange Caraibe French Guiana Orange Caraibe French West Indies Orange Central African Republic Orange Côte d'Ivoire Orange Dominicana Orange France Orange Guinee Orange Jordan Orange Kenya Orange Liechtenstein Orange Luxembourg Orange Madagascar Orange Mali Orange Mauritius Orange Mayotte Orange Moldova Orange Niger Orange Réunion Orange Romania Orange Senegal Orange Slovak Republic Orange Spain Orange Switzerland Orange Tunisie Orange Uganda Orascom Bangladesh Orascom Telecom Algeria Orascom Telecom Tunisia Oricel Otecel Other Others Outremer Telecom French Guiana Outremer Telecom French West Indies Outremer Telecom Mauritius Outremer Telecom Mayotte Outremer Telecom Reunion P&T Luxembourg P4 Pacific Telecom Northern Marianas Palestine Cellular Communications Partner Communications PBTL PCCW Mobile Pelephone PMCL PNCC Polkomtel Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa ProGroup Holding Estonia Proxtel Wireless PTC Saudi Arabia PTML Public Mobile Q-TEL QuantumNet Radiomóvil Dipsa RCS&RDS Reliance Communications Reliance Communications Uganda Reliance Telecom Nigeria Robi Axiata Rogers Wireless Communications Romtelecom Roshan Rubicon Wireless Communications RwandaTel S Tel Safaricom Sahelcom SamoaTel Sampoerna (STI) Sanatel SaskTel Mobility Saudi Telecom Company SCO Sentel Sercom de Honduras Sercom Guatemala Sercomtel Celular SETAR Setel Netherlands Antilles Sferia S-Fone SFR SFR Mayotte SFR Reunion Shaw Inc Shyam Si.mobil Sierra Leone Telecommunications Company SingTel Mobile SK Telecom Sky Mobile Skytel Smart Communications Smart Telecom Indonesia Smart Telecom Nepal SmarTone SmarTone-Vodafone SMARTS Smile Telecom SMTC Saudi Arabia Softbank Mobile Solomon Telekom Somafone Sonaecom Servicos Comunicacoes Sonatel SONITEL Sotel Sotelco Sotelgui SOTELMA Spacetel Spacetel Benin Speednet Sprint Nextel Puerto Rico Sprint Nextel US Virgin Islands Sprint Nextel USA SPTC STA Standard Telecom Democratic Rep of Congo Star Telecom Starcomms StarHub Sudatel Senegal Sudatel Sudan Sunbeach Communications Sunrise Supercell Swisscom Mobile Swisscom Mobile Liechtenstein Syriatel T-2 Tacom Taiwan Mobile Company Taliya Tamin Telecom Tango Liechtenstein Tango Luxembourg Tashi Infocomm Tata Teleservices TCI TDC Mobil TelCell Telcom Tele2 Tele2 Croatia Tele2 Estonia Tele2 Latvia Tele2 Lithuania Tele2 Sweden Telecel Benin Telecel Bolivia Telecel Burkina Faso Telecel Burundi Telecel CAR Telecel Niger Telecel Paraguay Telecel Togo Telecel Zimbabwe Telecom Cook Islands Telecom Italia Telecom Malagasy Telecom Namibia Telecom New Zealand Telecom Niue Telecom Personal Telecom Seychelles Telecom Vanuatu Telecommunicacoes de Mocambique Telecomunicaciones Celulares del Caribe Telecsa Telefonía Celular de Nicaragua Telefonica Móviles Telefónica Móviles Telefónica Móviles Argentina Telefónica Móviles Chile Telefonica Moviles Colombia Telefónica Móviles Costa Rica Telefónica Móviles del Uruguay Telefonica Moviles El Salvador Telefónica Móviles Guatemala Telefónica Móviles Mexico Telefónica Móviles Panamá Telefonica O2 Czech Republic Telefonica O2 Slovak Republic Teléfonos Celulares de Cuba TeleGreenland Telekom Baltija Telekom Networks Malawi Telekom Srbija Telemar PCS (Oi) Telemobil Telemóvil Telenet NV Telenor Denmark Telenor Hungary Telenor Mobil Telenor Montenegro Telenor Pakistan Telenor Serbia Telenor Sweden Telesur Telesystems Ukraine Teletalk Televorgu TeleYemen Telia Denmark TeliaSonera Finland TeliaSonera Sweden Telkom Indonesia Telkom South Africa Telkomsel TelOne Telsom Mobile Telstra Telus Mobility The Bermuda Telephone Company Tibet Telecom Tigo Laos Tigo Rwanda Tigo Tanzania Tikiphone TIM Brasil Timor Telecom TK Mobile TM Cell T-Mais TMN T-Mobile Austria T-Mobile Croatia T-Mobile Czech Republic T-Mobile Germany T-Mobile Hungary T-Mobile Macedonia T-Mobile Montenegro T-Mobile Netherlands T-Mobile Puerto Rico T-Mobile Slovak Republic T-Mobile USA TMP Uganda TogoCel Tonga Communications TOT TRICOM Dominican Republic Trilogy Dominicana True Corp True Move TSKL TSTT Trinidad & Tobago TT Mobile TTCL Tunisie Télécom Turkcell Tus Mobil Two Degrees Mobile TWT Guyana U Mobile Malaysia UCell Uganda Telecom Ukrtelecom Umniah UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones Unicel Unitech Wireless Unitel Angola Unitel Mongolia Unitel Uzbekistan Unitel Yemen Uralsvyazinform USAN-Gabon UTL Nepal UzMobile Vala Velcom Verizon Wireless VIBO Videocon Videotron Viettel Cambodia Viettel Vietnam VimpelCom VinaPhone VIP Vip Mobile VIPnet Visafone Communications Viva Bahrain Vivacell Sudan Vivacom Vivo Vodacom Congo Vodacom Lesotho Vodacom Mozambique Vodacom South Africa Vodacom Tanzania Vodafone Albania Vodafone Australia Vodafone Czech Republic Vodafone D2 Vodafone Egypt Vodafone Espana Vodafone Essar Vodafone Faroe Islands Vodafone Fiji Vodafone Ghana Vodafone Greece Vodafone Hungary Vodafone Iceland Vodafone Ireland Vodafone Italia Vodafone Libertel Vodafone Malta Vodafone New Zealand Vodafone Portugal Vodafone Qatar Vodafone Romania Vodafone Turkey Vodafone UK VTR Cellular Wana Warid Bangladesh Warid Congo Warid Pakistan Warid Telecom Uganda Wasel Telecom Wataniya Maldives Wataniya Palestine Mobile Telecommunications Company Wataniya Telecom Wataniya Telecom Algerie Wave Telecom Willcom Wind WIND Hellas Wind Mobile XL Axiata XPress XPress Palestine Yemen Mobile Phone Company Yoigo Zain Bahrain Zain Iraq Zain Jordan Zain Kuwait Zain Sierra Leone Zain Sudan Zamtel Zanzibar Telecom Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/12/19/6014379/2g-3g-4g-subscriptions-deployments.html  

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Brussels finally gets 4G after politicians relent on tough mobile radiation cap

The Brussels parliament has approved a proposal to raise the maximum allowed radiation levels for mobile antennas, finally allowing telcos to begin rollout of high-speed 4G networks in the Belgian capital.
Brussels has the strictest radiation standards of all of Belgium. In 2007, the Parliament of the Brussels Region of Belgium adopted a three volt per metre exposure limit for mobile phone base stations, a limit 200 times lower than those recommended by the EU and the World Health Organisation — making them not only the toughest across Belgium, but in all of the EU as well.
Whereas most cities in Belgium already have 4G coverage, the cap has to date prevented the rollout of 4G in the city, and so damaged trade in the Belgian capital, according to a report from the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT).
"Brussels' current regulations and policy on radiation standards constitute a serious impediment to… the rollout of new mobile technologies, which has had unintended consequences on economic development, job creation, and consumers in the Brussels-Capital region. It seems appropriate to change the current limits," the BIPT said in February of this year.
The radiation cap didn't only raise concerns in the Belgium itself; even European Commission VP Neelie Kroes joined in the discussion, writing to the Brussels authorities on the matter. In her letter, Kroes asks for objective reasons for the extremely low voltage cap in the Brussels region and how it could be justified in relation to European guidelines.

Telcos get ready

In response to all the commotion concerning 4G, the Brussels parliament has now agreed to raise the radiation cap from three volts per metre to six volts per metre, effectively allowing 4G antennas to be rolled out in the city.
With the starting pistol fired on 4G, operators are hoping to launch their networks in Brussels as soon as possible. The rollout of 4G requires 380 additional mobile masts in the capital, which could take years, due to the time it takes to get the necessary paperwork to install them.
To overcome this obstacle, 133 Brussels companies have agreed to rent out the roof of their buildings to Belgian telcos, so that mobile antennas can be set up on there, following a letter by the Belgian economy minister Céline Frémault to do so. This development allows Belgian telcos to rollout 4G as soon as next year.

Source: http://www.zdnet.com/brussels-finally-gets-4g-after-politicians-relent-on-tough-mobile-radiation-cap-7000024218/

 

Bouygues, Orange respond to Iliad’s 4G challenge

French telcos Bouygues Telecom and Orange France have hit back at Iliad (Free) in the ongoing price war within the French mobile market, by offering free 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) services with their respective low-cost packages. Local newspaper Le Figaro reports that Bouygues Telecom has added 4G access to its budget B&You subscriptions, starting at EUR9.99 (USD13.76). For its part, Orange France has announced that it will offer access to its 4G network for Sosh subscribers from January 2014, although no further details regarding the pricing have been revealed.

As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, earlier this month Iliad revealed that subscribers to its Free Mobile Plan, currently priced at EUR19.99 per month, would benefit from download speeds of up to 150Mbps, at no additional cost. Further, the price plan would provide a 20GB data allowance. Further, on 9 December Free Mobile revealed that current subscribers to its EUR2 (USD2.75) plan would automatically benefit from access to its 3G/4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, with MMS messaging and 50MB of data allowance also included in the subscription plan; ‘FreeBox’ users can access the 4G network for free. Iliad’s move was widely perceived as a direct response to rival Bouygues Telecom’s prior announcement that it would provide its subscribers with access to its LTE network at no extra cost.

Meanwhile, Orange France CEO Stephane Richard has addressed the escalating price battle by threatening to end its roaming agreement with Free Mobile, by stating: ‘Orange may very well do without the roaming agreement, but is the [opposite] certain?’ The executive clarified: ‘Free Mobile has only a few frequencies and antennas, when compared to its competitors. Even accelerating its deployment, it can in no way claim to have national coverage 4G on its own, which means that to get coverage worthy of the name in the coming weeks, it will necessarily press for a roaming agreement or [network] sharing with one of its competitors.’

source: http://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2013/12/17/bouygues-orange-respond-to-iliads-4g-challenge/

Dish Taps Sprint for 4G Trial in Texas

Dish revealed Tuesday that it plans to use Sprint's 4G spectrum to try out a fixed broadband service deep in the heart of Texas next year.

Sprint and Dish "plan to jointly develop and deploy a fixed wireless broadband service, on a trial basis, in Corpus Christi, TX that will be available in the middle of 2014," the pair said in a press release. "The service will initially be available in limited areas of Corpus Christi with a plan to expand into additional markets in the future."

Depending on location, Dish Network Corp. (Nasdaq: DISH) will install either a "ruggedized outdoor router" or an indoor system to beam broadband to the site. The service will use the Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) 2.5GHz spectrum for Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex (LTE TDD) 4G service, sometimes called TD-LTE too. (See: Defining 4G: What the Heck Is LTE TDD?)

Sprint said the service, which uses technology originally deployed by Clearwire, offers downloads of 50-60 Mbit/s at the moment. It can boost that download speed up to 2 Gbit/s over time through its Spark network overlay program.

Dish has its own spectrum that it could use for a fixed wireless service. The trial with Sprint, in which Dish was trying to grab a stake just a few months ago, suggests that it is easier for the operator to use someone else's network than build one on its own right now. Dish has a similar mobile broadband deal in place with the regional operator Ntelos Inc. (Nasdaq: NTLO)

source: http://www.lightreading.com/mobile/4g-lte/dish-taps-sprint-for-4g-trial-in-texas/d/d-id/707023?f_src=lightreading_node_229

China Mobile Makes Quick 4G Inroads

China Mobile on Tuesday signed agreements with 10 mobile phone manufacturers and retailers, the latest foray into the fledgling 4G market.

Tuesday's agreements saw China Mobile join with manufacturers -- Lenovo, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and Gionee-- as well as retailers and online platforms including Jing Dong, TMall, Suning, Gome and Dixintong. 

The deals will speed up sales of 4G mobiles, a China Mobile official said. 

On Dec. 4, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued 4G licenses to three operators, China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, marking a new era in China's mobile network. 

The three operators received permits for fourth generation (4G) services using homegrown Time-Division Long-Term Evolution (TD-LTE), one of two international standards. The technology will lower bandwidth and promises faster mobile broadband.

China Mobile will hold a worldwide partner conference on Wednesday, when a variety of 4G phones will be launched by domestic and international players.

source: http://english.cri.cn/6909/2013/12/17/2561s803888.htm

Dream big, take bold steps: Ambani at IMT convocation

"Dismiss prophets of doom and voices of cynicism, always dream big and convert adversity into opportunity and fearlessly take bold steps. These three lessons have worked for me and will work for you too," Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani told the convocation ceremony at Institute of Management Technology (IMT) near here on Saturday.

Ambani was the chief guest at the convocation while Union Minister for Urban Development Kamal Nath, chairman of IMT's board of directors, presided.

Observing that economic power is shifting from West to East, Ambani said, "This is going to be the centre of the world, not America or other countries. We have a chance and we will become an economic superpower, for which we need leadership in all spheres. With this degree, you must graduate to a higher level of aspiration as you are graduating in the times of a resurgent India. Power of youth is central to shaping future of India."

"The impact of your ambition will be exponential on society, humanity and economy. It will be crucial to creating better life for all. Indian business must command respect from all Indians and the passion must be combined with compassion to achieve inclusive growth," he said. Drawing attention to the "important" role of technology in India's future, Ambani said, "Time and distance are collapsing under the impact of technology. What happens in one part affects others in other parts too. Be leaders in technology, management and innovation to make India one of the best in the world... Let's build India that will shine in the world. We need unprecedented and steely determination for it."

'Nagpur will be a 4G hub'

Later, talking to journalists, Ambani said Nagpur will be one of the important hubs for 4G technology and is critical to his 4G plans being in the centre of India. "Nagpur cannot be missed in any plan of that scale and would be one of the main hubs for 4G rollout. Nagpur will soon see some investments from RIL," he said. On being asked if Nagpur will see more Reliance investments besides 4G, he said, "We already have a polyester plant here. Soon, we will make more investments in Nagpur and will explain later at the appropriate time and forum.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dream-big-take-bold-steps-ambani-at-imt-convocation/919710/

Belgacom still dominant on the business market - study

Belgacom remains dominant in the fixed and mobile business market, DataNews wrote, based on its 17th telecom survey. Belgacom holds a 62.5 percent share of the fixed business market, a 55.7 percent share of the mobile communication market and 43.8 percent share of the data network market. Around 60-70 percent of Belgacom said they have no plans to change provider in the coming year. Datanews interviewed 872 people, including CEOs , CIOs and IT managers, programmers and developers. Around half said they take mobile and fixed telephony from the same provider. Over a quarter (28%) said they were not satisfied with their 3G subscription. Belgacom unit Proximus has the least number of dissatisfied mobile customers (12 %) , followed by KPN unit Base (17 %), MVNO Telenet (36%) which uses the network of Mobistar, and finally Orange unit Mobistar (58%). Around 21 percent of respondents expect to switch to a 4G subscription, either partially or completely.

source: http://www.telecompaper.com/news/belgacom-still-dominant-on-the-business-market-study--984465

Vodafone Report: How are Kiwis using 4G…?

Vodafone has released the first 4G Network Report, Leading the 4G Revolution, providing a snapshot of how Kiwis are using New Zealand’s 4G network.

Offering an insight into how faster mobile internet speeds are changing our lives, the research combines a survey of Vodafone’s 4G customers and detailed network analysis to offer a glimpse into the way Kiwis are using the world’s best commercially available mobile technology.

Vodafone Consumer Director, Matt Williams says the way Kiwis are using their mobile and tablets has evolved since Vodafone brought 4G to New Zealand more than eight months ago.

“Vodafone’s introduction of 4G gives Kiwis more flexibility and independence – allowing them to stream more, share more and spend more while they’re on the move,” Williams says.

“Access to 4G brings with it the potential to work and play in ways that make our lives even more enjoyable, more productive and more convenient.

“A large proportion of activity on our 3G network is web browsing. But on 4G, customers enjoy traditionally fixed line activities – like shopping and streaming music and video.

“Users are intuitively taking advantage of the increased speeds – and enjoying it.”

According to the report, 24% of Kiwis use their 4G device to check social media apps at least 20 times a day, while New Zealanders on 4G shop online nearly twice as much as those on 3G.

Unsurprisingly Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are the most popular social media apps over 4G, with people keen to share photos at major events – with uploads exceeding downloads.

Other key findings from Vodafone’s Leading the 4G Revolution report:

· 62% of Kiwis use video streaming websites more since upgrading from 3G

· Kiwis are more than twice as likely to stream music from free services (like Spotify) on 4G

· 44% of 4G users use their mobiles as portable hotspots so they can access the internet on their tablets or laptops

· 4G use peaks at lunchtime, with smaller spikes as kids finish school and commuters make their way home on public transport

Vodafone’s 4G network is now well-established, with national coverage available to over 1.3 million New Zealanders across twelve towns and cities: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, Wanaka, Lake Brunner, Taupo, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Hamilton, Arrowtown and the Coromandel.

Vodafone: Leading the 4G Revolution is the first report to examine the impact of the country’s only 4G network on social trends and behaviour.

source: http://techday.com/telco-review/news/vodafone-report-how-are-kiwis-using-4g/173205/

Consumer Survey: Sprint = Biggest Loser

Sprint is scraping the bottom of the barrel among US carriers in terms of overall satisfaction. The results come from Consumer Reports, which polled more than 58,000 subscribers about their opinions. Sprint received poor marks all around, with consumers dinging its value, voice and text quality, and 4G reliability. Sprint ranked second last year.

Sprint has certainly struggled throughout much of 2013. It fought a contentious battle to acquire Clearwire earlier this year. It wrestled with its own shareholders as well as the shareholders of Clearwire over the value of the company. It also had to stave off an aggressive offer from Dish Networks -- all while being acquired by Japan's SoftBank. Sprint also shut down its iDEN network in June and has been re-farming its spectrum to improve its LTE network. The company had a full plate. That didn't stop consumers from rating it poorly.

Verizon Wireless earned consumers' highest ratings as far as the top four are concerned. Its customers were generally pleased with Verizon's LTE 4G network and some aspects of its customer support organization. Consumer Reports said that AT&T ranked second and T-Mobile ranked third, with "ho-hum" marks. AT&T managed to beat Verizon Wireless in at least one category, though: reliability of its 4G service.

[ Sprint is building its LTE coverage, but it still badly lags AT&T and Verizon. See Sprint LTE Network Slowly Expands. ]

Verizon Wireless recently admitted that it is struggling to handle all the traffic on its LTE network in major markets across the country, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. Its network has reached capacity in many markets, and it is forcing some data connections back down to its CDMA 3G network. Verizon is preparing to offer LTE on the 1700 MHz spectrum in some markets to supplement its 700 MHz spectrum, but is a long way from making the additional spectrum widely available.

AT&T's LTE network has fared better in large cities, and that is likely why consumers rated it above Verizon's.

Consumer Reports said Consumer Cellular, a prepaid provider, was the overall leader among wireless networks in the US.

"Our latest cell service satisfaction survey revealed a somewhat precipitous decline by Sprint that shuffled the rankings of the major standard service providers," said Glenn Derene, electronics content development team leader for Consumer Reports, in the press release. "And smaller, no-frills, no-contract, and prepaid service providers continue to do a better job of satisfying customers, and provide an increasingly viable alternative to some of the expensive, long-term contracts that many consumers find themselves locked into."

Many of the prepaid networks run on those of their larger rivals. For example, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA both use Sprint's network, while Consumer Cellular runs on AT&T's network. Cricket, MetroPCS, and U.S. Cellular run their own networks, but offer no-contract service plans that often dramatically undercut those of the country's biggest wireless providers.

source: http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/mobile-business/consumer-survey-sprint---biggest-loser/d/d-id/1112728

80% service providers plan to leverage NFV in 2014: Survey

According to a study by Dialogic, the Network Fuel company, an overwhelming majority of 80% of service providers plan to leverage NFV in 2014.
The survey says that 81 percent of respondents foresee a diminishing role for the Central Office; but more than half expect purpose built hardware to have longevity. The top benefits of NFV were seen as relating to CAPEX and OPEX, with 70 percent of respondents believing they could be more operationally efficient with NFV and 67 percent indicating it is a better way to invest capital.
Dialogic  announced the results of its first Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) Survey, to cut through market speculation and deliver relevant information on NFV and virtualization and how it will alter the way service providers deploy the networks of tomorrow.

“It all comes down to the fact that virtualization of Network Functions is just a matter of when, not if,” according to Thomas Schroer, director of service provider marketing for Dialogic. “Because the timing is right now for virtualizing UC and VoIP applications and 70 percent of survey respondents expect to see gains in operational efficiency right away.”

The survey results reveal that an overwhelming majority of respondents see service providers benefitting the most from NFV with Unified Communications the likely starting place for NFV deployments followed by 4G and 3G a distant consideration.

It was no surprise that security and scalability are leading challenges for those implementing a virtualization strategy, so the take away here is for companies to look for solutions and partners who can be trusted to address those concerns.

source: http://www.telecomtiger.com/Technology_fullstory.aspxpassfrom=topstory&storyid=19267&section=S210

China Mobile To Release 4G Service With Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhones; Sprint Customers Declining

Mizuho Securities Analyst Marvin Lo in Hong Kong said that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s deal with China Mobile Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:CHL) would give it a big increase in the China market as the largest local carrier has the largest number of users. He added that at least 10% or 70 million wealthier ones would be potential customers for iPhones among China Mobile’s more than 700 million mobile subscribers.

By using the nation’s home grown flavor of LTE called TD-LTE, China Mobile will unveil its 4G network. With existing 4G LTE, the carrier technology is unsuited, an attempt by China to avoid paying patent royalities to Qualcomm, much as it former did with its version of 3G service “TD-SCDMA”.

For TD-LTE, Apple (AAPL)’s iPhone 5s and 5c specifically include support and in early September, China’s Telecom Equipment Certification Center approved the two models. Addition of the two new iPhones is a small minority of devices competent of working on China Mobile’s 4G network and licensed by the state.

According to Consumer Reports’ survey released on Thursday, Sprint Corporation (NYSE:S) attained “dreary marks” in voice, text messaging, 4G reliability and value. However, last year, Sprint ranked No. 2 behind Verizon Wireless. The company is in the middle of upgrading its network to offer improved and faster service to customers, but the transformation has been bumpy for users. That’s why in the last few years, many have left the carrier.

A Sprint representative commented on the Consumer Reports’ survey by saying that they’re not necessarily surprising but disappointing. The company is hopeful that declining rate of customers will get better with improvement in the network. Last month, the company demonstrated Sprint Spark, its enhanced LTE network, to stimulate interest for its next-generation network.

Once again, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is on top of the list, although Verizon recently admitted that it was facing pressures in big cities like San Francisco and New York. Consumer Reports said that T-Mobile US Inc (NYSE:TMUS) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) attained “ho-hum” results but for 4G reliability, AT&T was the lone carrier to get a top rating. About offering both the fastest and most reliable network in the nation, AT&T has been advertising a lot while to pair with HSPA+ network, T-Mobile has built out its 4G LTE network.

According to survey, many customers are overpaying for their data, with 38 percent of users surveyed using half or less than half of their monthly data plans.

source: http://www.consensuspress.com/china-mobile-to-release-4g-service-with-apple-inc-nasdaqaapls-iphones-sprint-customers-declining/252602/

4G network still limited in Sao Paulo - survey

Tests conducted by Brazilian daily Folha de Sao Paulo of the 4G connection in 21 districts of the city of Sao Paulo have rated the network "frustrating" due to gaps in coverage and varying speeds. The upload and download rates in some places of the city were almost equal to those of 3G. However, when the signal worked properly, the connection proved to be very fast. All the operators admit that there is room for improvement in coverage. Vivo blames the restrictive legislation of the municipality and says it hinders the installation of new antennas. TIM said it is offering complementary solutions, such as 3G and Wi-Fi, while Claro claims it covers 80 percent of Sao Paulo, but there are still spaces to be filled. Oi still does not provide a 4G signal in the city.

source: http://www.telecompaper.com/news/4g-network-still-limited-in-sao-paulo-survey--979168

Sprint dead last in Consumer Reports' phone service survey

The nation's third-largest wireless carrier by subscriber base sank to the bottom of a survey conducted by Consumer Reports over cell phone service. Sprint scored "dismal marks" in value, voice, text messaging, and 4G reliability, according to Consumer Reports' survey released Thursday. Sprint ranked No. 2 behind Verizon Wireless a year ago.

t's the latest headache for a carrier that is going through a long and painful transformation of its network. Sprint is in the middle of upgrading its network to allow for better and faster service, but the transition has been rough on customers. As a result, many have left the carrier in the last few years.

"While the findings in the Consumer Reports' survey are disappointing, they're not necessarily surprising," said a Sprint representative. "We've asked customers during the past year to 'pardon our dust' as we build out and upgrade our network."

Sprint is hoping the rate of customer attrition will fade once the network improves. To drum up interest for its next-generation network, the company last month demonstrated Sprint Spark, its enhanced LTE network. The company said in areas where the coverage has improved, the customer satisfaction has moved up accordingly.

Verizon Wireless was once again the top-rated carrier, though Verizon recently conceded that it was facing pressures in big cities such as New York and San Francisco.

AT&T and T-Mobile scored "ho-hum" results, Consumer Reports said, but AT&T was the lone carrier to get a top rating for 4G reliability.

source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57613261-94/sprint-dead-last-in-consumer-reports-phone-service-survey/

RIL poised for big bang cellphone debut

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-run RIL's telecom arm, Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJI) has asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to release four crore new series of phone numbers for all 22 telecom circles as it plans for an aggressive pan-India launch of mobile phone services on 4G (Fourth-Generation) spectrum sometime soon.

The ambitious move is expected to generate fierce competition in the telecom sector and comes at a time when the debt- ridden telcos had started firming up call rates to shore up their bottomlines.

RJI has submitted an application to the telecommunication ministry stating that the company immediately needs 40 lakh phone numbers for each metro city, 20 lakh for A and B telecom circles and 10 lakh for category C circles, which comprises small towns and rural areas of the country.

DoT secretary M. F. Farooqui told Mail Today on Friday that the department has received a letter from RJI for the new series of phone numbers as they plan to launch their telecom services. "I don't recall the quantum of phone numbers they have asked for but we have received their application in this regard," said Farooqui.

"RJI has asked for the same series of numbers for its nationwide operations like the ones given to BSNL. We have to work it out if it is feasible or not. As the quantum of numbers to be released is very high, it could take about 2- 3 weeks for us to clear it. Our team will soon start working on it," said another DoT official.

RJI has already completed trial runs for Voice over LTE (Long Term Evolution also called VoLTE) technology that would enable it to provide voice call services on its wireless broadband network. RIL plans to offer 4G broadband data services with voice.

It is the only telecom operator to have a pan-India license for 4G broadband services and has ambitious plans that could erode the market share of large players like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone.

Cash-rich RIL also plans to sell tablets at a much cheaper price of less than Rs  3,000 with much- much cheaper voice rates which could spell trouble for its competitors.

Although Bharti Airtel is already providing 4G data services in Bangalore, Pune, Kolkata and Chandigarh, it has not been able to attract many subscribers ow- ing to the high tariffs.

Some other 4G operators like Tikona are also planning to launch highspeed Internet services at much lower rates which would make the data market much more competitive.

Videocon Mobile Services has also expressed its interest to launch 4G services at rates that are less than the present 2G and 3G data tariffs, indicating that the 4G race will heat up in the coming months.

RJI has aggressively been pursuing its pre-launch strategy. It has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to fix the reserve price of the 4G spectrum at 7 to 8 times higher than that for 3G radio waves, which has rattled its rivals. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone want the reserve price at a much lower level. While Bharti Airtel has 4G spectrum in 8 circles, Vodafone does not have 4G airwaves. A senior official with a leading telecom company said RJI has excess of 4G airwaves, which offers data transmission almost four times the speed of 3G and 16 times the speed of 2G.

source: http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/ril-mukesh-ambani-poised-for-big-bang-cellphone-debut/1/200437.html

Intex plans to launch 4G smartphone in first half of next year

Intex Technologies is planning to launch its 4G smartphone in the first half of next year.

Currently, 80 percent of Intex smartphones are 3G phones.

Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, business head – Mobile, Intex Technologies, said: “Both 3G and 4G phones will get more prominence next year.”

Intex, which is looking at 80 percent growth in revenue in 2014 from the Rs 1800 crore revenue this year, is planning to expand in India to tap new geographies.

The devices vendor will also be adding more distributors. At present, it has around 650 service centers to look after mobile phone users’ concerns.

The phone vendor is competing with MNC phone majors such as Apple, Samsung, Nokia, LG, Sony, etc.

Meanwhile, Intex in an alliance with chip vendor MediaTek announced its Octa-Core smartphone that will be available in India at a price of around Rs 20,000 early next year.

“MT6592 chip combines an advanced eight-core application processor with multimedia capabilities and mobile connectivity for a perfect balance of performance and power consumption. Each of the eight CPU cores is capable of clock speeds up to 2GHz, designed to offer superior multi-tasking and excellent performance-per-watt for higher-end smartphones and tablets,” said Finbarr Moynihan, general manager, International Sales and Marketing, MediaTek.

source: http://www.telecomlead.com/smart-phone/intex-plans-launch-4g-smartphone-first-half-next-year-56370/

Austrian telecoms industry plans legal challenge against 4G auction

An auction of fourth-generation (4G) mobile phone frequencies in Austria is being legally challenged by at least two of the three leading telecoms companies in the country.

Hutchison's Whampoa and Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile Austria are both planning to launch appeals  against the auction, that was run by regulator Telekom-Control Commission (TCC), because they felt the conditions of the auction endangered competition and pushed prices up too high.

The third telecoms company who took part in the auction, Telekom Austria, is also due to announce whether they've decided to appeal as well.

The auction of the frequencies took place under blind conditions where the bidding companies did not know the size of their rivals' bid. Although a regulator would try to prevent it, there was also the risk that one party would lose out completely as each company was able to bid for up to 50% of the spectrum that was available. This led to the pressure to put in higher bids as a result of fear of losing out completely. Following the auction, the total amount the telecoms companies collectively have to pay for the next-generation frequencies they placed bids for is two billion euros.

H3G, a brand of Hutchison Whampoa, suffered the worst, winning 18% and also missing out in the re-auction of the the valuable 800 megahertz spectrum that would have improved the competitiveness of the company in remote areas.

Chief Executive of the company Jan Trionow described the auction process as illegal in form and in substance. "Drei (H3G) was considerably harmed," he said in a statement on Tuesday. " To simply accept this would be irresponsible."

Along with T-Mobile Austria, H3G are requesting Austria's constitutional and administrative courts to rule that the auction is put on again but the decision will take up to two years, which means the companies may begin work on the 4G frequencies as they are currently divided.


source: http://austrianindependent.com/news/General_News/2013-11-27/14796/Austrian_telecoms_industry_plans_legal_challenge_against_4G_auction

Vector wades in on 4G spectrum, opposes letting telcos buy more

Vector opposes antitrust approval being given to dominant mobile phone operators Telecom and Vodafone New Zealand to buy more radio spectrum set aside for fourth-generation mobile technology, saying it would lock out other potential users in the future.

The Auckland-based electricity, gas and telecommunications lines company says the Commerce Commission should extend its brief in deciding whether to clear Vodafone and Telecom to buy a fourth lot of the 700 megahertz spectrum.

The regulator needs to consider a broader range of users in markets beyond simply telecommunications, Vector says, citing convergence between telecommunications and sectors such as broadcasting, energy, agriculture, finance, retail, health and emergency service applications.

If the regulator doesn't look beyond cellular operators, it could effectively lock-in the spectrum for almost two decades, Vector regulatory affairs manager Bruce Girdword said in the company's submission on the clearance applications.

"Imposing limits on the further concentration of spectrum holdings will help ensure that parties who wish to deploy similar or other services would not be prevented from doing so at a future date, or when it makes sense for them to do so operationally, due to the unavailability or prohibitive price of spectrum," Girdword said.

The regulator is considering applications by the two telecommunications operators to buy a fourth lot of the spectrum if it became available. Both Telecom and Vodafone bought three lots in the government's auction, while Two Degrees Mobile bought two lots. The government is mulling whether to re-tender the remaining spectrum, or shelve for allocation at a later date.

The spectrum became available when the government decided to switch-off analogue television services, freeing up the radio waves for use on 4G mobile networks.

The Electricity Networks Association, a lobby group for electricity distribution companies, said in a separate submission that the regulator should view the wider value of the spectrum to other infrastructure providers, to ensure communications channels in the event of a civil emergency, and to reserve space for smart network development.

The Radio Network, whose stable of stations include NewstalkZB, ZM and Radio Hauraki, said it wanted the regulator to be aware of potential interference on its broadcast transmitters if best engineering practices aren't adhered to.

source:http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/vector-wades-4g-spectrum-opposes-letting-telcos-buy-more-bd-148520

Maori disappointed over 4G spectrum snub

A push to secure the final chunk of the 4G spectrum for Maori interests has been snubbed by the government.

Telecom, Vodafone and 2degrees have already bought shares of the spectrum, which offers faster mobile broadband.

One block remains, and will be auctioned to one of the companies.

The decision is disappointing for Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples.

"All along I've been leading the fight to try and get the Government, if not to recognise it as a taonga, to recognise it under the treaty relationship and Te Reo Maori, which is the main reason we want it.

"It's appropriate to give something to Maori."

Mr Sharples says it's a poor decision from the Government.

"So many Maori organisations have been fighting this fight. To us it's a taonga, just like water, and foreshore, and stuff like this.

"This government, or the last government, both don't believe it's a taonga, only on the grounds that we didn't realise this technology existed."

source: http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbpol/1848756778-maori-disappointed-over-4g-spectrum-snub

4G play: It’s GSM biggies vs Reliance Jio once again Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/business/4g-play-its-gsm-biggies-vs-reliance-jio-once-again-1243593.html?utm_source=ref_article

New Delhi: Reliance Jio Infocomm’s ambitious plans on 4G or fourth generation telephony launch could well upset the applecart of established GSM operators. Reliance Jio is reportedly planning an aggressive 4G launch – it can now also offer voice besides data – and recent media reports suggest it has sought a new number series with four crore new numbers from the Department of Telecom to begin services in each of the country’s 22 telecom circles. A story in Mail Today newspaper on November 10 says these numbers have been sought – 40 lakh phone numbers for each metro city, 20 lakh each for A and B telecom circles and 10 lakh for every C circle. A Reliance spokesperson did not offer any comment on the quantum of numbers sought. These numbers mean Reliance Jio has an exclusive series all to itself and once these numbers are allotted, the company could well be in a position to offer a very well differentiated voice cum data offering at low prices and shake up competition. Reliance Jio is the only operator which bagged 4G spectrum in all the 22 circles and the only other company which has any 4G presence is Bharti, which is operating in four circles (Maharashtra, Kolkata, Punjab and Haryana).

No wonder then that GSM companies are worried. On November 15th, Cellular Operators Association of India, which is the GSM industry lobby group, wrote a letter to the Telecom Secretary M F Farooqui where it sought two things: 1) As per the existing guideline, only one million numbers can be allotted per circle to any operator initially and this should be followed for Reliance Jio too. Additional codes should be allotted based on minimum VLR criteria of 40% later on only. 2) There is already a severe number crunch and Reliance Jio should not be allotted any exclusive number series COAI’s members comprise GSM biggies like Bharti, Vodafone and Idea and the letter was written based on media reports about Reliance Jio seeking four crore numbers in an exlcusive number series. The letter has been reviewed by Firstpost. A telecom industry veteran pointed out that if Reliance Jio is indeed allotted so many numbers in an exclusive series, it will get a platform to offer disruptive pricing and could well shake up the nascent 4G market. COAI’s Rajan Mathews pointed out that the request for such a large set of numbers “is just another way of Reliance Jio to get backdoor entry to offer voice services when they had originally opted for ISP license only”. He was referring to COAI’s long standing demand that Reliance Jio not be allowed to offer voice services since it had initially opted for only an ISP license and later came forward to get the Unified License without having to pay as much license fee as COAI’s own members. Now, the ball is in DoT’s court – if it does decide to allot a large quantum of numbers to Reliance Jio, the company will certainly get a huge leg up in offering high speed data services to begin with, and perhaps voice later. Firstpost has pointed out earlier as well that the debate over whether Reliance Jio will bring a tsunami to the voice market is a bit premature. What it could immediately do though is revolutionise the data market. Kunal Bajaj of Analysis Mason had told Firstpost earlier that a Unified License will allow Reliance Jio to offer ‘fixed voice’ services which are like shared telephones similar to the ‘Tata walkies’ some years back. “This service will not use the traditional mobile phone but shared phones and will be similar to what Airtel is using for its 4G services.” So in effect, Reliance Jio could be looking to revolutionlise the data market for now, not so much voice telephony. Bajaj had pointed out that no where in the world have voice services been offered on 2300 mhz spectrum band with LTE technology (this is what Reliance Jio has at present) and it is difficult to offer voice services continuously on this spectrum band. If the company were to indeed try offering voice, it will not be compatible with current handsets and newer devices will be needed. Voice business will only make sense if Reliance Jio were to tie up with existing voice operators to offer intra circle roaming etc.


source: Firstpost has pointed out earlier as well that the debate over whether Reliance Jio will bring a tsunami to the voice market is a bit premature. What it could immediately do though is revolutionise the data market. Kunal Bajaj of Analysis Mason had told Firstpost earlier that a Unified License will allow Reliance Jio to offer ‘fixed voice’ services which are like shared telephones similar to the ‘Tata walkies’ some years back. “This service will not use the traditional mobile phone but shared phones and will be similar to what Airtel is using for its 4G services.” So in effect, Reliance Jio could be looking to revolutionlise the data market for now, not so much voice telephony. Bajaj had pointed out that no where in the world have voice services been offered

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/business/4g-play-its-gsm-biggies-vs-reliance-jio-once-again-1243593.html?utm_source=ref_article