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/

BICS Enables Africa's First 4G Video Roaming Call With Royal Approval

BICS, a global provider of wholesale carrier services, today announced it has enabled the first 4G video roaming call (data roaming session) made in Africa, in the presence of HRH Princess Astrid, Princess of Belgium, on an official state visit by the Belgian Economic Trade Mission to Angola.

The video call took place during the official signature ceremony of the trade mission. It was performed between the Belgium Deputy Prime Minister / Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Didier Reynders in Luanda, and BICS' SVP Operations and Customer Services, Mr Johan Wouters, located in Belgium, using BICS' LTE signalling platform.

This milestone marks the launch of LTE roaming services from Unitel, a leading Angolan mobile operator based in Luanda, which allows customers to access LTE services while roaming in partner countries already signed-up to the BICS IPX network. The deployment confirms BICS' position as a leading provider of LTE roaming solutions.  

Mr Amilcar Safeca, Deputy CEO and CTO at Unitel commented: "This agreement with BICS will allow us to offer our customers an entirely new range of quality services when abroad. It will also allow visitors in Angola to roam onto Unitel's network with a very high speed. With its extremely fast data transmission, the technology opens a new dimension with a multitude of communication possibilities."

Unitel launched its 4G LTE service in 2012 allowing its mobile customers to utilise high performance mobile data applications, including video, voice, and messaging. Its implementation of LTE roaming is expected to further stimulate the use of new technology by mobile subscribers, contributing to Angola's rapid social and economic growth.

BICS assists mobile operators around the world address the growing demand for LTE by rapidly enabling LTE connections with their roaming partners.

Clémentine Fournier, Regional Vice President Africa, BICS said: "We have a long-standing partnership with Unitel for voice and 2G/3G roaming services. While extending this partnership to our 4G LTE roaming solution is a natural step, we are very excited to see Unitel become the first mobile operator in Africa to realise a 4G roaming session."

Daniel Kurgan, CEO, BICS said: "This landmark partnership marks the next stage of the evolution of the telecom market in Africa and the further realisation of LTE roaming across the globe, brought about by the increasing usage of Internet-enabled mobile or tablet handsets and the high workforce mobility on the continent."

About BICS

BICS delivers best-in-class international wholesale solutions to any communication service provider worldwide. Through its Mosaic portfolio, a comprehensive, flexible and innovative suite of solutions designed to be used individually, or collectively, BICS meets the existing and future requirements of the global telecoms industry.

BICS' headquarter is located in Brussels with regional offices in Bern, Dubai, New York and Singapore. We also have a satellite office in Beijing and local representation in Accra, Cape Town, Miami, Montevideo, Nairobi and Toronto. Our team continuously strives to provide our customers with the highest levels of quality, reliability and interoperability enabling them to maximise their end-user value.

With our successful consolidation strategy, and a continuing focus on technological advancement and innovation, we have achieved a world-leading position in the international Voice and Mobile Data markets.