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Samsung Provides Handsets for Chinese TD-SCDMA Test
http://www.telecomskorea.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1467&Itemid=2
Wednesday, 23 February 2005
Samsung Electronics provides TD-SCDMA handsets for the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) of China that will run a special test on the nation’s 3G mobile standard, the handset maker announced Wednesday.
On the same day, the South Korean handset giant presented 10 TD-SCDMA handsets to the MII and demonstrated the phones during the TD-SCDMA Presentation Ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
According to the cell phone maker, the 10 handsets offered for the Chinese MII will go through the ministry-led tests such as RF test, IOT, power test which are also conducted on cell phones currently used. Samsung is the only company that provides perfect phone-shaped products for the test that will go one until June, the company emphasized.
The TD-SCDMA project is the greatest success in the history of Korean-China cooperation in technology since the year 2000 when Samsung participated in Chinese CDMA tender and, the Korean phone maker added, it will help the company ascend to TD-SCDMA market leader in China.
The MII is planning to issue 3G licenses after the test and launch TD-SCDMA commercial service in the first half of 2006.
By Seong-ju Lee
Cricket Offers Megapixel Camera Phone
By Susan Rush
January 14, 2005
news@2 direct
http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=document&doc_id=1340003005&verticalID=34&ve...
Flat-rate wireless service provider Cricket Communications is touting its first offering of a 1.2 megapixel camera phone, the Kyocera Koi from CDMA handset manufacturer Kyocera Wireless.
The Kyocera Koi is a slider handset that features a swivel design, a 5x digital zoom, MPEG-4 video record and playback capabilities and 16 MB of memory. The handset supports Cricket's ringtone and graphics services. In December, Cricket launched FlixTones, a selection of downloadable quotes and soundtracks from movies that can be played as ringtones. The carrier expects to offer MMS and picture messaging services this year.
Cricket is offering the camera phone to its customer base for $299.99 and is touting the handset as the first phone sporting a megapixel camera to be offered by a flat-rate service provider.
The Kyocera Koi also is Kyocera's first entry into the megapixel camera phone market. Yesterday, Kyocera announced plans to transition its manufacturing business from its headquarters in San Diego to a plant owned by its sister company in Tijuana, Mexico.
Alltel holds cards for future jackpot
By Jeffry Bartash
Last Updated: 1/14/2005 5:12:58 PM
http://www.investors.com/breakingnews.asp?journalid=24984517&brk=1
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - The regional wireless phone carrier Alltel has engaged in $18 billion worth of acquisitions over the past six years, but the biggest deal, by far, is yet to come.
Eventually, many analysts expect the Little Rock, Ark.-based firm to get bought out by one of the large national carriers, most likely Verizon. Yet such a deal could be at least several years away.
The big carriers, for their part, already have their plates full. Several have just concluded massive acquisitions and all are carrying sizable debts. Intensifying competition has only complicated the situation.
Alltel (AT) itself appears in no hurry to depart. The carrier, run by the grandson of the company's co-founder, is an Arkansas institution with deep local roots. It's been around a long time and is known for taking the long view.
Investors can afford to take the long view as well given Alltel's solid financial performance. Taking dividends and earnings into account, Alltel has generated higher returns over the past five years than Sprint, Verizon, BellSouth and SBC Communications.
That's why Wall Street has rewarded the company with a market value of almost $17 billion. Indeed, Alltel now tops AT&T (T), one of the most storied names in American business.
Over its long history, Alltel has also raised its dividend 44 straight years, a clear sign of its ability to generate hard cash, the lifeblood of any truly successful company. Alltel is not a "bubble" baby or stock-market mirage.
"We are grinders," Chief Executive Scott Ford told investors after the proposed $6 billion acquisition of Western Wireless was unveiled Monday. See full story.
Rural roots
Alltel, founded in 1943 to deliver local phone service to rural Arkansas, first entered the wireless-phone business in 1985.
While Alltel enjoyed steady growth over the next decade, the carrier didn't truly break onto the national scene until the crucial 1998 acquisition of 360 Communications, a mid-sized wireless carrier that once belonged to Sprint (FON).
Over the next few years, the company snapped up a handful of other properties and signed a ground-breaking "roaming" agreement that let Verizon use Alltel's wireless network at shockingly low rates, at least by then-industry standards.
Although the cut-rate deal initially took a bite out of Alltel's sales growth, the agreement enabled Alltel to offer national calling plans on par with the largest U.S. wireless companies. Fully 40 percent of its customers now choose national plans. And they tend to be the most loyal and profitable of Alltel's wireless subscribers.
"We are the only regional player in this country that, by virtue of this roaming agreement, can compete like a national player," Ford said.
Because Alltel uses the same wireless technology as Verizon -- the CDMA standard created by QualComm -- investors have long viewed the company as a potential takeover target.
Yet the very success of the roaming deal has turned into a key deterrent. Why should Verizon (VZ) spend large sums of money to extend its wireless network to vast though sparsely populated Southern and Western territories?
"Verizon has a fantastic roaming deal with Alltel," noted Kevin Roe of Roe Equity Research.
Other fish to fry
Verizon has other reasons to stand pat.
For starters, the company has been wildly successful over the past few years without any major purchases. It has more than 42 million customers and could soon overtake Cingular for the No. 1 position. Cingular, owned by SBC (SBC) and BellSouth (BLS), leaped past Verizon with its recent acquisition of AT&T Wireless.
Verizon is also gearing up for a costly battle with cable-television operators like Time Warner and Comcast, which are swiftly moving into the phone business. The company plans to spend billions of dollars to link customers via fiber-optic links in an effort to slow the decline in its large local phone business.
The acquisition of Alltel, once its pending purchase of Western Wireless is complete, could cost well over $20 billion. Yet Verizon isn't exactly eager to add to its $40 billion debt.
With another five years to run on its roaming agreement with Alltel, Verizon can bide its time, analysts say.
Beyond Verizon
Other large wireless carriers, meanwhile, are in no position to make a bid.
Sprint (FON) uses the same CDMA technology as Alltel, but the company just announced a $35 billion acquisition of Nextel Communications (NXTL).
Similarly, Cingular is preoccupied with its recent $40 billion purchase of AT&T Wireless. And the smaller T-Mobile is owned by the financially hamstrung German firm Deutsche Telekom (DT) .
That's not to say none of those companies would find Alltel attractive. Indeed, a combined Alltel-Western Wireless would be the largest roaming partner for all four national wireless carriers in a wide swath of middle America.
Alltel-Western Wireless, in fact, would cover more actual U.S. territory than any of its larger rivals.
"It is the largest physical network in the country -- bigger than Verizon's, bigger than Cingular's, bigger than T-Mobile, bigger than Sprint," Ford noted.
"There are not many people out there, but there's an awful lot of territory and a lot of people end up driving around it a lot of their time," he said.
Ford wants to cement those relationships -- and deter the big carriers from expanding their networks into Alltel's territory -- by keeping roaming rates low.
"We intend to aggressively price roaming so as to continue to incent the four national players to use our network," he said.
Of course, that can only make Alltel more valuable to everyone. If Ford plays his cards right -- he likes card metaphors -- any attempt by one big carrier to purchase Alltel could launch a bidding war.
Down to the wire
With the potential sale of Alltel probably years away, however, the company has lots of work to do.
First Alltel has to wrap up the acquisition of Western Wireless (WWCA). It hopes to complete the deal by late spring or early summer. The combined company would have 11.5 million customers and $10 billion in annual sales.
At the same time, Ford promises a close review of the company's wireline-phone operations. Most investors took Ford's comments to mean he will sell its landline-phone business given that the wireless will soon account for nearly 70 percent of Alltel's revenue
Yet at a Wall Street conference a day later, Ford took pains to dampen such speculation. "That is not what we said," he noted. "We may decide to do nothing."
Granted, the landline business is in long-term decline, but it still generates higher profit margins and almost as much operating income as the wireless business. Alltel's DSL, or high-speed Internet service, has been a standout performer.
In the third quarter, for instance, Alltel's landline unit posted a margin of 56 percent and operating income of $228 million, compared with 38.2 percent and $288 million for wireless.
Just as important, the company's landline network can carry some of Alltel's wireless traffic at little cost, and the carrier can also "bundle" a variety of phone services to keep customers loyal.
"Those who have landline and wireless will be in much better shape because they can bundle," said Jane Zweig, chief executive of The Shosteck Group, a wireless consultancy.
Keeping the unit, however, might prove an obstacle to an acquisition. Indeed, Verizon sold 600,000 phone lines in Kentucky to Alltel three years ago for a tidy sum of $2 billion. And Verizon would like to get rid of even more local lines in less densely populated markets.
Analysts say the spinoff of Alltel's landline business would be the first clue that a potential merger could be in the offing.
"It's inevitable that they will be acquired at some point," Roe said. As Alltel has shown, though, good things can come to those who wait
CHINA
Beijing to open mobile phone sector
by Maurizio D'Orlando
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=2335
Milan (AsiaNews) – China is set to open its domestic mobile phone market to foreign companies who will be able to manufacture locally as long as they meet certain conditions such minimum investment levels and research and development requirements.
The State Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Information Industry are preparing new guidelines to replace the six-year-old law that required mobile phone makers to apply for an administrative licence before setting up shop in China.
Soon Chinese and foreign companies will only be required to submit to the control procedures of the aforementioned Commission and Ministry.
“There will some entry requirements and barriers but no limits to the number of [authorised] enterprises,” said Wang Bingke, director of the Ministry of Information Industry’s Bureau of Economic System Reform and Economic Operation.
According to Wang Bingke, some companies with good products and structures have not been able to operate because of licence restrictions. This is contrary to markets trends and World Trade Organisation rules.
Market opening also fits in with the Ministry’s plans to licence third generation (3G) mobile phone carriers.
Ann Liang, an analyst in the Mobile Communications Asia/Pacific and Japan program of Gartner's Dataquest Telecommunications group (Gartner Research), said that by offering the 3G mobile phone licences the Chinese government wants to open its doors to the mobile phone industry. 3G mobile phone use is spreading across Europe and Asia and China can no longer wait, Ms Liang added.
The Information Industry Ministry started licensing mobile phone manufacturing in 1998.
Some 37 licences were given to 24 companies to manufacture GSM and CDMA phones before the plug was pulled two years ago forcing 10 to 20 companies to shut down their operations—among them, Huawei Technologies, China’s global telecommunication network solutions provider.
ZTE To Showcase World’s Smallest 3G WCDMA Handset
14th January, 2005
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Jan2005/8951.htm
ASIA : Innovative solutions – from its world-leading NGN (Next Generation Network) equipment to the world’s smallest 3G WCDMA handset – will be unveiled by ZTE Corporation, China’s largest listed telecommunications company, at next month’s Supercomm India exhibition in New Delhi, India (February 2-4).
As the event’s Platinum Sponsor, ZTE Corporation will showcase its profitable, customer-oriented and integrated solutions covering wireless, optical and data telecommunications, such as NGN technology, CDMA2000 1x EVDO, GoTa (Global open Trunking architecture), TVoIP/VOD (Television over IP/Video on Demand), WCDMA, value-added services and its range of handsets – including the F808 – the world’s smallest 3G WCDMA handset.
ZTE is already supplying the Indian market and the exhibition comes at a time when, just outside Delhi, a major installation is taking place between ZTE and its local partner Atlas Interactive (India) Private Limited to provide world-leading TVoIP and high-speed Broadband Internet access facilities. The strategic alliance agreement between the two companies, expected to be worth more than one billion Rupees, involves supplying and commissioning a network as the foundation for a range of triple play services for subscribers around Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida.
“These services will entertain, educate and facilitate communications, through one single, unique and flexible point of entry into homes and businesses. It will create for India a centre of excellence in service delivery to customers that will be the envy of much of the rest of the world and we are very proud to be working with Atlas to achieve it,” said Ms Fang Rong, ZTE Vice President.
“The exhibition stand at Supercomm will reflect how ZTE can develop such enterprising, solution-rich networks, for the benefit of operators across India, Asia and the rest of the world and we look forward to showing visitors our capabilities.”
The exhibition also comes at a time when ZTE’s ongoing commitment to research and development is paying off in terms of fast growth at home and abroad (the corporation spends about 10% of revenues annually on investment for future developments). With an accurate and in-depth perception of the market, ZTE has introduced multi-level product systems to meet the individual requirements of various customers by leveraging its diversified products and customised market strategies. The exhibition will provide an ideal opportunity to discuss new advancements and technologies with key industry organisations, and see the latest developments that help keep implementation costs down and maximize return on infrastructure investment.
The Asian telecoms market has continued to grow steadily in recent years, and it is now a broad market with vast potential. In 2004, ZTE achieved the following significant breakthroughs:
• In Vietnam, ZTE signed a framework agreement with Vietnam Railways for its railway communication network project.
• In the Philippines, ZTE won the contract for an NGN tandem switch project from leading telecom players.
• In Uzbekistan, ZTE deployed a national IP backbone Network.
• In Indonesia, home to the world’s fourth largest population, ZTE supplied one of the world’s most advanced access network systems.
• In Pakistan, ZTE installed the country’s first nationwide NGN.
• In Bangladesh, ZTE signed an agreement with Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) to install a fixed network.
• In Nepal, ZTE deployed CDMA2000 1X equipment to build a state-of-the-art network that will cover the country’s major areas.
• In Malaysia, ZTE deployed a CDMA based GoTa digital communication network covering the whole country.
“ZTE has a mission to be the leading supplier to the Asian region and visitors to our stand will be able to see for themselves that we have the products, the solutions and the people to make that mission successful,” said Ms Fang Rong.
Terion Announces FleetView 3F for Flatbed Trailers
Terion FleetView 3F Trailer Management System -- The Solution for Flatbeds (Photo: Business Wire)
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050111005...
PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 11, 2005--Terion, the leading provider of trailer fleet management systems with over 80,000 devices installed, today announced the launch of FleetView 3F - its trailer management system specifically designed for flatbed trailers. FleetView 3F combines the latest digital wireless and GPS technologies with Terion's robust web-based application designed specifically for operation on a flatbed trailer.
The Smarter Flatbed Trailer Management Solution
-- FleetView 3F is designed to perform in the harshest environments, exceeding the stringent SAE-1455 and NEMA 4 independent standards.
-- FleetView 3F installs underneath the bed, allowing installation when the trailer is loaded and never interfering with a load.
-- The system supports full over-the-air system upgrades and enhancements, eliminating the expense of taking trailers off the road to manually upgrade the unit.
-- FleetView 3F utilizes the CDMA digital wireless network, intelligently switching from 1XRTT, SMS, circuit switched digital service and AMPS cellular. The result is the most powerful ubiquitous digital network capable of economically and efficiently delivering significant amounts of data.
"Terion's FleetView 3 technology platform allows for installation on several trailer types, including dry vans, refrigerated trailers, and now flatbeds," said Ken Cranston, President and CEO of Terion. "Flatbed carriers now have access to the most advanced trailer tracking system on the market with FleetView 3F - the same system used to manage over 80,000 dry vans and reefers today."
About FleetView 3
FleetView 3 provides a comprehensive trailer fleet management system that allows transportation companies to maximize efficiencies associated with trailer fleet operations by combining a high-bandwidth wireless path with intelligent messaging and sensor capabilities. Typical benefits associated with FleetView include an increase in trailer utilization and a reduced trailer-to-tractor ratio. Information is provided to the operator over the Internet through Terion's patented hardware and software design. The design integrates GPS and digital CDMA cellular technology for comprehensive coverage throughout the United States and Canada.
FleetView communicates real-time trailer location and event status when the trailer is tethered or untethered, including an accurate determination of loaded or unloaded status with FleetView's Cargo Sensor. The system uniquely supports over-the-air software downloads for device settings and software upgrades.
About Terion, Inc.
Terion, Inc. (www.terion.com) is a leading two-way wireless data communication and information solution provider for mobile and remote business-to-business applications focusing on the transportation industry. Terion provides value-added products and services, robust application content software accessed through the Internet, and reliable, high-quality hardware designed specifically for our target markets.
TCS and QUALCOMM Collaborate to Provide Advanced Assisted GPS Location Solutions
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/Jan/1107093.htm
ANNAPOLIS, Md. --(Business Wire)-- Jan. 11, 2005 -- Updated Global Resale Agreement Extends Relationship and Targets All Major Digital Wireless Networks
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (Nasdaq: TSYS), a global leader in wireless data technology, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of QUALCOMM Incorporated announced an agreement enabling TCS to provide precise Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) position location solutions to wireless operators around the world. The comprehensive TCS location solution takes advantage of QUALCOMM's QPoint(TM) position location server product, and is available from TCS for use in-network and on all major air interfaces, i.e., GSM/GPRS, WCDMA (UMTS) and CDMA2000.
TCS now offers precise location solutions either as in-network platforms or as hosted services through TCS' TL9000-certified Network Operation Centers. The collaboration with QUALCOMM enhances the ability of TCS to provide its award-winning Xypoint(R) Location Platform, enabling complete end-to-end service features that include a suite of applications utilizing either network or A-GPS location fixes.
TCS' in-network location-based solutions are now available to any wireless operator in the world, directly through TCS or through TCS' original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners. The TCS hosted location solution complements and shares facilities with TCS' E9-1-1 service.
TCS' E9-1-1 service is currently being provided to more than 30 network operators in North America, including 4 of the 5 largest operators. This capability allows TCS to rapidly deliver emergency and commercial services to any wireless operator in North or South America over major air interfaces.
"We are pleased to assist TCS in their efforts to pursue new location-based service opportunities with wireless operators around the world," said Michael Wallace, vice president of partner relations for QUALCOMM Internet Services. "TCS is a recognized leader in wireless location solutions, and with QUALCOMM's QPoint location solution powering their platform, TCS can help wireless operators meet their location services needs and advance the adoption and use of mobile wireless location-based applications."
"Our collaboration with QUALCOMM started in the North American emergency services space, and we have now expanded our relationship well beyond that to encompass commercial location-based services opportunities worldwide," said Maurice B. Tose, Chairman, President and CEO of TeleCommunication Systems. "We are confident we can leverage both companies' recent success in driving location-based services adoption, and hope that our expanded relationship with QUALCOMM will serve as a catalyst to accelerate the evolution of wireless location-based capabilities."
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2003 FORTUNE 500(R) company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market(R) under the ticker symbol QCOM.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the extent and speed to which the BREW solution is adopted and deployed, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 28, 2003, and most recent Form 10-Q.
ABOUT TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, INC.
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ:TSYS) is a leading provider of mission critical wireless data solutions to carriers, enterprise and government customers. TCS' wireless data offerings include location-based Enhanced 9-1-1 services, and messaging and location service infrastructure for wireless operators, real-time market data and alerts to financial institutions, mobile asset management and mobile office solutions for enterprises, and encrypted satellite communications to government customers. For more information visit www.telecomsys.com.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are based upon TCS' current expectations and assumptions that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that would cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated.
The actual results realized by the Company could differ materially from the statements made herein, depending in particular upon the risks and uncertainties described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These include the risks and uncertainties relating to the company's future financial results and ability of the Company to (i) reach and sustain profitability as early as anticipated, (ii) continue to rely on third parties to market and sell the Company's products and for other relevant support, (iii) adapt and integrate new technologies into its products, (iv) expand its business offerings in the new wireless data industry, (v) capitalize on opportunities in the marketplace, (vi) develop software without any errors or defects, (vii) implement its sales and marketing strategies, and (viii) deploy its software and services quickly.
Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, or otherwise.
QUALCOMM is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. QPoint is a trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners
Alltel bids $6 billion to acquire Western
BY BILL W. HORNADAY
http://www.nwanews.com/story.php?paper=adg§ion=News&storyid=104530
Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Email this story / Printer-friendly version
Alltel Corp. has agreed to buy Western Wireless in a deal worth $6 billion that soon will create the nation’s fifth-largest cell-phone service provider in the fast-consolidating telecom industry.
The combination will expand Alltel’s reach to 33 states from 14 and give the Little Rock-based company about 9.8 million U.S. subscribers along with 1.6 million international customers.
The deal calls for each share of Western Wireless stock to be exchanged for 0.535 share of Alltel common stock and $9.25 in cash — and gives Western Wireless investors the option of an all-cash or allstock payout.
All told, Alltel will issue some 60 million shares and disburse about $1 billion — for a total cost of about $4.5 billion.
Alltel also will assume about $1.5 billion in debt from Western Wireless, which is based in Bellevue, Wash.
Alltel shares dropped $1.37 on Monday to close at $54.75 on the New York Stock Exchange. Western Wireless stock gained 85 cents to finish at $37.37 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Now the nation’s No. 6 cellular provider, Alltel moved up a spot last fall when Cingular Wireless acquired AT&T Wireless for $41 billion.
Once the merger of Sprint and Nextel that was announced last month closes later this year, Alltel will move up another notch and solidify its role as the largest regional player behind national giants Cingular, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile.
That’s something President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Ford said he did not expect — at least not so quickly — when talks with Western Wireless began. "The timing of our discussions began last fall, before we even heard rumors about Sprint and Nextel," Ford said at a Monday news conference. "We thought this would be the big news in the wireless industry last fall."
Once the deal is approved by Western Wireless shareholders and federal regulators around midyear, Alltel would command about 6 percent of the nation’s 173 million wireless subscribers.
After the buyout, Alltel will have a coverage area that encompasses 56 percent of the continental United States in areas occupied by 25 percent of its population.
Annual revenues for Alltel will grow to $10 billion from $8 billion annually, but the deal is not expected to affect earnings until 2006.
As for employees — 22,000 for Alltel and 4,000 for Western — Ford said that everything is a "wild guess" so far, but that layoffs, if any, likely would be limited to corporate staff or areas where services overlap. Alltel employs 2,800 in the Little Rock-area. "It’s an issue where we’ll sit down and plan what makes the best sense," Ford said. "Some of their people are pretty talented and might just raise the bar a bit." Alltel’s headquarters will remain at its Little Rock campus along the Arkansas River. Western’s facilities in Washington will be used for operations, call centers and other operations — and might see the arrival of "additional talent" from Alltel’s ranks.
Most field personnel will not be affected by the merger, Ford said. Nor will the 1,500 employees of Western’s international operations who serve subscribers in six countries — mostly in Austria and Ireland.
International business, which Alltel plans to expand, would contribute about 5 percent of the combined company’s annual revenue, he said.
Domestically, the Alltel brand gradually will replace the Cellular One and Western Wireless brands, said Western’s Chairman and CEO John W. Stanton.
Stanton, who with several partners merged two companies to form Western Wireless in 1994, will join Alltel’s board of directors.
Monday’s announcement momentarily quells recent analyst speculation that Alltel could be a prime takeover target for Verizon Wireless should it wish to overtake Cingular as the nation’s largest wireless provider.
Ford poked fun at such buzz Monday, noting that it goes back as far as 1965 when Allied Telephone Co. — an Alltel predecessor — once was reported to be a buyout target of GTE. "Every time we go into a new deal, people think it’s because we’re being bought out and I think it’s funny. At the same time, we are seeing economic conditions that make such a possibility more probable," Ford said. "If you want a better read on it, you’d have to call six or eight people who aren’t in this room — obviously people with other wireless companies — and ask them how things will play out."
In that vein, Ford hinted Alltel likely is not finished with its buyout binge.
Indeed, analysts such as Morgan Keegan’s Tavis McCourt said last week that other large regional providers — Chicagobased U.S. Cellular with 4.8 million customers and Jackson, Miss.-based Cellular South — both feature the same CDMA (code division multiple access) network technology as Alltel.
At the same time, Alltel is working to add new technology such as GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) to its network. It will continue to support areas where GSM already is used by Western Wireless and plans to gradually add it to its own network.
While this could open the door to still other regional buys, analysts such as McCourt and Merrill Lynch’s David Janazzo insist that the bigger Alltel gets, the more attractive it becomes to suitors such as Verizon or Sprint.
But Ford seems preoccupied with other outcomes. "If all other M&A [merger and acquisition] activity stops, I can say we’re in a great position as a long-term business that’s focused — as the folks in New York call it — [on] the ‘secondtier’ and ‘third-tier’ markets. That’s our focus."
ZTE In Strategic Alliance To Bring Triple Play Broadband To India
http://www.webitpr.com/release_detail.asp?ReleaseID=2151
Alliance with Atlas Interactive worth more than one billion Rupees
11th January 2005 - World-class television over IP (TVoIP) and high-speed broadband Internet access will be just some of the services available in the NCR region of Delhi, India following an agreement reached between ZTE – China’s largest listed telecommunications manufacturer – and Atlas Interactive (India) Private Limited.
The strategic alliance, expected to be worth more than one billion Rupees, involves supplying and commissioning a TVoIP network as the foundation for a range of triple play (voice, video and data) services for subscribers.
“This historic agreement between our two companies will play a pivotal role in the broadband revolution and set a benchmark in Indian telecommunications,” said Ms Fang Rong, ZTE Vice President.
“These services will entertain, educate and facilitate communications, through a single, unique and flexible point of entry into homes and businesses. It will create for India a centre of excellence in service delivery to customers that will be the envy of much of the rest of the world and we are very proud to be working with Atlas to achieve it.”
ZTE equipment has already arrived for deployment and commissioning. Combined with the Atlas “netTV” technology, it will produce a solution that is able to deliver video on demand, broadcast TV, music, video conferencing, SMS, email, web, intranet access and data at broadband access speed. Installation will take place around Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida and the service will be launched in the coming months.
The agreement with Atlas Interactive is the latest in a number of recent successes for ZTE in Asia: last year, ZTE won contracts to provide Nepal Telecom with the biggest CDMA contract in the country’s history, and the Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) with switching equipment for 59 cities and 220 towns.
ENDS
For further information please contact Helen Lyman Smith or Brian Dolby on +44 (0)115 950 8399 or email helen@gbcspr.com or brian@gbcspr.com.
About ZTE: ZTE Corporation is China's largest listed telecommunications equipment provider specializing in offering customized network solutions for telecom carriers worldwide. The company develops and manufactures telecommunications equipment for fixed, mobile, data and optical networks, intelligent networks and next generation networks as well as mobile phones. For more information please visit www.zte.com.cn.
About Atlas Interactive (India) Pvt. Ltd - Atlas Interactive is the Indian joint venture entity of the multinational Rs.1500 core Atlas Group of companies
Mobile Action Introduces CDMA Version of Handset Manager v8.0 to Link Cellular Phones and PCs
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/Jan/1104317.htm
LAS VEGAS --(Business Wire)-- Jan. 3, 2005 -- New Software Product Now Offers American Mobile Users New Solution To Share Addresses, Calendar, Ring Tones, and More
Mobile Action, a world leader in mobile management software solutions, is introducing a CDMA-compatible version of its popular Handset Manager software for North America in conjunction with this year's Consumer Electronics Show, being held here January 6-9. During CES 2005, Mobile Action will demonstrate Handset Manager v8.0 to potential retail and OEM partners, showing how the product integrates mobile telephones with Windows-based PCs.
Mobile Action is already a world market leader. In Europe and Asia, Handset Manager is widely distributed as an integration solution to connect GSM cellular phones to PCs. Handset Manager allows cellular phone customers to share files and manage features on their mobile phones from their personal computer. Handset Manager v8.0 includes sharing of Outlook and Outlook Express address information (.csv files), calendar synchronization, a picture editor to manage cell phone pictures and wallpaper, an audio composer to create customized ring tones, an MMS composer for multimedia messages, and PC-to-cellular file sharing. Mobile Action currently offers Handset Manager for more than 500 different cellular phone models in versions with USB (universal serial bus) cables, infrared links, and Bluetooth-compatible connections.
"Mobile Action has already built a strong global reputation with the help of local retail partners and OEM and carrier partners like Sharp, Panasonic, and SonyEricsson," said Fitzwilliam Yang, brand manager for Mobile Action. "With the release of a CDMA version of Handset Manager, we expect to replicate that market success in North America."
Mobile Action has already established a regional sales office in Los Angeles, and the company has started to establish retail channels in Texas and New York City. In addition to consumer electronic retailers, Mobile Action is also looking to partner with North American cellular carriers as well as OEM partners.
"Mobile Action has been able to establish a market lead in Asia and Europe because of our ability to remain flexible in terms of our packaging and OEM relationships," Yang added. "We already offer cost-effective integration solutions for more than 500 handsets, including USB cable, infrared, and Bluetooth connectivity, and we have been able to develop custom packages for partners like Sharp, Panasonic and SonyEricsson. We recognize that cellular technology is marketed differently in North America, and Mobile Action has the market agility to work with North American carriers and manufacturers to develop packages that meet the unique needs of American cellular customers."
Handset Manager is currently available in three versions: USB version with cable for $32.95; infrared version for $43.95; and a Bluetooth version for $54.95. Mobile Action will be offered in North America through retailers and via the Internet at www.mobileaction.com.
About Mobile Action
Mobile Action is the leading developer of mobile management software for the North American, European, Middle Eastern, Asia/Pacific markets. The company's Handset Manager, Mobile Action's trademarked mobile management software, links cellular phones with PCs and allows users to store and edit files, phone book information, appointments, ring tones, images, and more. Handset Manager supports more than 500 popular mobile phone models from well-known mobile manufacturers, including Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Siemens, Sharp, Panasonic, Sagem, SAMSUNG, LG, Kyocera, Sanyo, Audiovox, Sharp, etc.
For more information, see Mobile Action at www.mobileaction.com
Orange Offers Talk/SMS at 50p
Jonah Ramball Email Print
2005-01-04 17:14:48
http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/showstory.jsp?storyid=56999&s=ln
Following the footsteps of CDMA mobile service providers, Orange's latest scheme to woo its prepaid customers offers a talk-time rate of 50 paise per minute and reduced SMS rate at 50 paise per message to another mobile phone within the Orange network.
The offer comes with a monthly rental of Rs 50. To activate this, customers are required to send an SMS message - ACT 50 to the Orange service number 144.
Orange is offering the pricing for new prepaid customers without the monthly rental for the first month if they recharge their phones with a refill of Rs 400 or more.
New customers also stand to receive full talk-time of their first refill of Rs 400 (of which Rs 238 will be credited instantly and Rs 162 will be credited to their card within 48 hours), 100 free local SMS messages (valid till 31 January 2005) and local mobile to mobile calls across all GSM networks at 99 paise without the monthly rental for the first three months.
However, according to an executive from Orange, customers activating the 99 paise offer cannot avail of the 50 paise offer and vice-versa.
The mobile operator is also offering free talk-time of Rs 100 for the second, third and fourth recharges of Rs 330 or more.
Orange has been offering for some time now an option for its customers to call any local mobile at a reduced rate of 99 paise for a monthly rental of Rs 25.
Another offer that Orange has also been offering is reduced STD rates that allows customers to call STD numbers at Rs 2.25 instead of the regular Rs 2.99 which can be availed of by paying a monthly rental of Rs 25.
Vodacom already looking to 3.5G
http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2005/0501041139.asp?S=Cellular&A=CEL&O=FRGN
BY RODNEY WEIDEMANN, ITWEB TELECOMS EDITOR
[Johannesburg, 4 January 2005] - Vodacom, which has already launched the country's first third generation (3G) network, is set to debut in April what is effectively 3.5G technology.
The mobile operator's MD, Pieter Uys, says enhanced data for GSM evolution (EDGE) technology has been used as a stepping-stone between 2G and 3G – creating what is, in effect, 2.5G technology.
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“We will be doing a similar thing with our 3G network, using a technology known as high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), which should increase the data speed from 384Kbps to anywhere between 2Mbps and 8Mbps, depending on whether you adopt the optimistic or pessimistic view.”
“Obviously the company is still busy setting up its 3G network, but as soon as the network is stabilised, we will begin putting the HSDPA technology in place,” he says.
Uys says that since technology continues to develop at a rapid rate, it is important to stay in touch with these new developments, hence the initial move towards 3.5G, even as the 3G network in going up.
“International operators are already working on developing 4G networks, which will be based on WiMAX technology, chiefly because WiMAX is much more spectrum-efficient than the current code division multiple access (CDMA) technology.”
Asked about yesterday's announcement that a number of major international players have begun to develop standards for a new technology dubbed “Super 3G”, which is expected to roll out commercially by 2009, Uys says that he believes the integration of WiMax and 3G will occur much sooner than that.
“I foresee the integration taking place well before 2009, but since our international partner, Vodafone, is involved in developing the standards for Super 3G, we will be able to leverage our relationship with it to receive immediate access to any new technology they develop around this.”
Cell Phone Makers May Pay 20% Royalty
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/tech/200501/kt2005010218090111800.htm
By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter
Korean manufacturers of European third-generation (3G) handsets might have to pay 20 percent of their cell phone prices in royalties, according to an info-tech market researcher.
ROA Group on Sunday predicted the gloomy situation that local makers of global systems for mobile communications (GSM)-based handsets may soon face via negotiations with GSM-patent holders.
``As of the end of 2004, 99 percent of core 400 GSM technologies were owned by foreign companies. To complete royalty agreements with them, the cumulative rates would amount to 20 percent of phone prices,'' ROA Group said in a report.
Among the world's two mainstream 3G mobile technologies, GSM is dominant in Europe while the alternative platform, code division multiple access (CDMA), has a strong foothold in the United States and Korea.
A dozen expatriate companies, such as Nokia, Motorola, Lucent Technologies and Philips, hold most of the source patents indispensable to making GSM phones.
An industry insider said Korea's big three handset providers, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Pantech Group, are now maintaining the GSM royalty rate in the neighborhood of 10 percent through cross-licensing.
He added, however, that once the full-scale royalty negotiations with the above-mentioned GSM patentees start, the rates will be sure to increase, chipping away at Korean players' bottom line.
In this climate, the nation's mid-tier firms face fiercer headwinds because they don't have any major patents, which is the ammunition needed to forge cross-license deals.
The Institute of Information Technology Assessment (IITA) recently came out with a report that confirms foreign firms possess 99 percent of 400 GSM source technologies.
The state-funded agency also estimated that relevant GSM patents of other potential rights-claimers would reach as many as 4,000 and Korean makers will not be able to roll out GSM phones without them.
To relieve the burden of domestic makers, the Korean government decided to draw up the ``GSM patent map'' by March and begin offering them consulting services.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!! eom
The Best Of The Best
Jody Yen, 12.31.04, 8:30 AM ET
http://www.forbes.com/personalfinance/2004/12/31/cz_jy_1231sf.html?partner=yahoo&referrer=
NEW YORK - In the last 12 months, the Best Big Companies in America, the Forbes Platinum 400, outperformed the S&P 500 by an average of five points. Of the 400 companies on the list, 213 beat the market and 176 lagged behind. The remaining 11 firms matched the S&P 500's 12-month return of 11%.
The biggest winner was oil refiner Valero Energy (nyse: VLO - news - people ), whose stock more than doubled to $47 in tandem with its estimated 2004 earnings increase of 134%. Based in San Antonio, Valero is the second-largest petroleum refiner in the U.S. Other top-performing oil stocks in the Platinum List are Burlington Resources (nyse: BR - news - people ) and EOG Resources (nyse: EOG - news - people ), whose shares returned 85% and 79%, respectively.
Online auctioneer eBay (nasdaq: EBAY - news - people ) came in second with a price gain of 101%. Ebay trades for 106 times its latest 12-month earnings of $1.06 per share.
The ten best performing stocks on the 2004 Platinum List are listed below. But one-year winners often don't repeat. For example, Valero Energy's earnings are expected to decrease 23% in 2005.
2004 Platinum Winners
Company Industry Recent Price Price Change* Market Value ($mil)
Valero Energy (nyse: VLO - news - people ) Oil & Gas Operations $46.79 117% 12,006
Ebay (nasdaq: EBAY - news - people ) Retail (Specialty Non-Apparel) 112.30 101 74,444
Landstar System (nasdaq: LSTR - news - people ) Trucking 70.51 96 2,136
Symantec (nasdaq: SYMC - news - people ) Software & Programming 31.91 94 20,257
Nucor (nyse: NUE - news - people ) Iron & Steel 52.90 89 8,416
Qualcomm (nasdaq: QCOM - news - people ) Communications Equipment 41.62 87 68,219
Burlington Resources (nyse: BR - news - people ) Oil & Gas Operations 46.41 85 18,170
Pentair (nyse: PNR - news - people ) Conglomerates 40.02 84 4,034
Harman International Industries (nyse: HAR - news - people ) Audio & Video Equipment 122.85 80 8,231
EOG Resources (nyse: EOG - news - people ) Oil & Gas Operations 75.07 79 8,903
Prices as of November 30. *Price changes from November 28, 2003 to November 30, 2004. Sources: FT Interactive Data via FactSet Research Systems.
WIRELESS: The New Generation
JIM MELE, EDITOR IN CHIEF, 12.31.04, 10:39 AM ET
http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/wireless/2004/12/31/wirelessprimemedia_2004_12_31_eng-primeme...
Fleet Owner
EV-DO, EDGE, GPRS, 1XRTT, UMTS, 3G, 4G, CDMA, GSM, iDEN - it's called wireless communications, but sometimes it seems more like a Tower of Babel than a cell tower. Not only is the wireless world in love with acronyms, but it's also blessed and cursed with rapid and relentless development of new technology. It's an exciting environment for those in that industry, but for the rest of us it's a bewildering mix of potential and promises.
The problem for trucking is that wireless communications is well established as an essential tool. If you aren't using some type of wireless system to manage your fleet, you're shopping for one. And whether you're a current user or a prospective one, you recognize that the impact of wireless technology on productivity and competition can be enormous. That makes choosing the right technology or figuring out how to best exploit the next big development in wireless systems a difficult and high-stakes decision.
The good news is that you don't have to understand what the acronyms mean or how the latest developments work to take advantage of their benefits. What you do need is a general understanding of the ongoing evolution of wireless technology, which will help you evaluate how that evolution can benefit your particular fleet.
First, a bit of background. Starting in the mid to late 1980s, trucking, or one segment of it, became the first profitable market for wireless data services as truckload carriers recognized the value of messaging and tracking. The pioneer was Qualcomm, with its satellite service offering coverage no matter where a truck might roam. Others, like PeopleNet, followed, providing similar messaging and tracking services using rapidly growing analog cellular telephone networks that had been developed for consumer voice communications. And still others, like the company now called GeoLogic, began serving the truckload market with a mix of satellites and land-based networks.
No matter what wireless data network truckload carriers adopted, they all shared similar characteristics - broad coverage, but low data transmission speeds and fairly expensive rates based on the amount of data transmitted over their networks. Those characteristics suit truckload fleets well, since small status and location reports can provide big benefits when used for load planning, driver management and customer service.
While a number of early wireless providers have disappeared or merged, the survivors have thrived serving a niche that finds a clear return-on-investment in the services they provide. However, the rest of the trucking industry, and indeed the rest of the general business community, has always been intrigued by the promises of wireless data, but struggled to find a clear ROI that would justify investment. And that's where recent and near-future developments are opening new opportunities to extend the reach of wireless data into virtually every segment of trucking.
BLURRING THE LINES
Higher speed and lower cost are the powerful drivers of this change. Think about how the move from dial-up Internet connections to broadband access has changed the way we use wired networks in our businesses and private lives. We have started to see the introduction of wireless networks that can support faster data transfers, and technology that can reach true broadband speeds has already been developed and is in the early stages of commercial deployment.
Speed is important because it makes more complex mobile devices and applications practical. Speed also increases the amount of data that can be moved over a wireless network, theoretically lowering data transmission cost, or at least making it cost-effective to move larger data blocks required by new applications. Instead of messages and position reports measured in individual characters, a document like a bill of lading can require KB of data. Vehicle operating data for diagnostic purposes might move into the MB range, and video streams for security could raise file transfers into the GB territory.
The higher speeds for wireless data are coming as a direct result of the cellular telephone industry converting from analog systems, which aren't very efficient at handling data, to digital ones that were intended from their inception to move data, as well as voice communications. Here's where acronyms become important.
The first all-digital wireless network was iDEN, a technology developed by Motorola and used in North America by Nextel. Initially, the system only supported voice communications, but data was always part of its evolutionary path and a few years ago Nextel rolled out that service. A software upgrade to that data service, called WiDEN, is now in trial use and will offer a fourfold increase in data speeds.
In the same timeframe, other cellular providers began converting from analog to digital with what they called their third generation, or 3G, networks. Currently there are two 3G networks: GSM, which is used by Cingular and its recently acquired AT&T Wireless network, and CDMA, which is a technology developed by Qualcomm and used by both the Verizon and Sprint networks. Digital data travels over the GSM network using technology known as GPRS, and over CDMA via 1XRTT.
And already in field tests are a fourth generation of wireless systems. Called collectively 4G, of course, these are FLASH-OFDM for Nextel's iDEN, EDGE for GSM and EV-DO for CDMA.
Got all that? If not, don't worry because the important thing for a fleet is the potential speed differences, not the technology names.
The best way to describe those differences is an analogy, according to Henry Popplewell, vp for transportation and logistics at Nextel. The initial cellular networks have "speeds comparable to the 16-29Kbs we saw with the first, slow dial-up [wired] modems," he says. The new 3G digital data networks "are more like the 56Kbs speed you get with current dial-up service or a bit faster. With the 4G systems, we'll be moving to true broadband cable/DSL type speeds."
In practical terms, the 3G network speeds mean fleets can think about "wireless file transfers, HTML internet applications and other applications that have higher data transmission requirements," says Tom Cuthbertson, vp of government industry liaison and network technologies for GeoLogic. "Devices for those networks are already starting to come on the market."
"Over the last few years cellular carriers have put a lot of money into their [3G] networks, and now they're looking for a way to get [data] traffic up on those networks," says Clem Driscoll, author of a number of fleet wireless services studies. "I see a real trend beginning towards the use of portable devices with wireless connectivity, handhelds with bar code scanners and field service tools."
One good example of the trucking-specific devices being developed for the new wireless generation is Symbol Technologies' recent announcement that it will offer versions of its handhelds with built-in Nextel network capability, giving those devices cellular voice, push-to-talk voice and wireless data communications with GPS tracking.
"You can see the strategy developing as the industry begins filling in the pieces of the supply chain," says Popplewell. "First we had voice, then tracking, and now with Symbol we move into the distribution network. With this continual development of devices and network speed, we're filling in all the missing pieces of the supply chain puzzle."
When PeopleNet asked its fleet user advisory board where it should go with the new 3G and 4G capabilities, the board came up with five areas it wanted to see addressed: supply chain communications, route management, safety and security compliance, end-to-end vehicle management, and driver services.
Applications and features envisioned by the fleets include in-transit freight inventory updates for customers, graphical maps and geo-corridor parameters included in dispatch messages, onboard accident reconstruction, remote vehicle shutdown, vehicle component tracking, and even streaming video for entertaining or training drivers.
"It's a whole new world [with 3G and 4G], with cost coming down and speed going up rapidly," says Brian McLaughlin, vp of marketing. "Now we have to build the applications for that environment.
SATELLITE STAYS
Despite the huge improvements in cellular data capabilities, satellite networks will continue playing an important role. "Cellular networks are getting much better, but the need for absolute ubiquitous coverage in some truckload operations is not going away," says Cuthbertson. Instead of replacing satellite data systems, the new cellular ones are more likely to complement them in these operations, he says.
Under its former name, Aether Systems, Geologic developed, patented and began marketing such dual-network systems. The initial motivation was to control communications costs by using lower cost land-based networks when they were available and switching to satellite when necessary for complete coverage.
Now with the higher bandwidth cellular services, it's possible to build integrated systems that rely on the cellular networks to deliver high-data services like document transfers and driver entertainment, while reserving the satellite network for remote messaging and tracking.
"Some of the truckload guys have the mindset that satellite coverage is better than terrestrial [cellular], but I see the integration of cellular and satellite coming," says Driscoll. In fact, he says, integration will probably pull together a number of wireless communication technologies, including local area or short range ones like WiFi and RFID.
Calling them "hybrid systems," Popplewell also sees the advent of such integrated systems. "I see an opportunity for service that lets you use a [wireless] LAN within a building and then roam seamlessly onto a public network when you leave the building."
Another important point is that satellite communications technology is not standing still. As mentioned earlier, Qualcomm developed the CDMA technology as a direct outgrowth of the work that went into creating its OmniTRACS satellite network.
"Now we're actually able to leverage the CDMA 3G technology and pull it back into the satellite link," says Tom Doyle, vp-business development for Qualcomm's wireless business solutions division. The company is using the 3G work to develop its next-generation satellite data system, which will "deliver dramatic increases in bandwidth and improvements in cost, but still retain ubiquitous coverage," says Doyle.
However, with its investment in digital cellular technology, the company also sees a growing role for terrestrial systems "as those networks increase capability and ubiquity," he adds. In fact, Qualcomm's new trailer tracking system is based on terrestrial systems. "But in our view, satellite will still be an important technology [for trucking] for a very long time and the blending [of satellite and terrestrial] will develop over many years," Doyle says.
BIG FISH, SMALL FISH
When looking at the evolution of wireless data, one more thing to consider is the change in trucking's place in the pecking order. For years, fleets have been one of the largest, if not the largest, user of wireless data services. Wireless service providers have focused solely, or at least largely, on trucking, developing services and support specifically for fleet operations.
With the development of the 3G networks, the potential market for wireless data services changes dramatically. For example, with the acquisition of AT&T Wireless, Cingular now has over 47-million customers who will have access to data and voice over their network. Verizon, Sprint and Nextel combined serve approximately 84 million.
As the pond grows, trucking becomes a relatively smaller fish, or in other terms a niche market for wireless data. It's not clear how this change in market position will affect the wireless service available to fleets. "In general, I think [the growth of the wireless data market] will help trucking," says Doyle. "It should bring down the total cost of ownership over time and it means there's a bigger opportunity pie for funding network build-out."
More importantly in Doyle's view, the larger potential market means much more rapid development of the IT tools needed to build wireless applications. "As those tools become more mature, it frees us [as application developers] to move up the stack, to stop spending time on infrastructure development and to focus on application features and value for our customers."
And that promise is almost enough to make up for all the acronyms.
For more information on this publication, or to subscribe to the print edition, visit http://www.fleetowner.com.
Copyright 2004 by Primedia Business Magazines & Media, Inc.. All rights reserved.
26 Asian, US, European firms to work on global 3G cellphone standard
www.chinaview.cn 2004-12-31 20:12:26
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-12/31/content_2402669.htm
TOKYO, Dec. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Twenty-six Asian, US and European cellphone service companies and data communications equipment manufacturers have agreed to develop a unified standard for speedier 3G (third-generation) cellphone technology, Kyodo News reported Friday.
The firms including NTT DoCoMo Inc., Vodafone Group PLC and Cingular Wireless LLC, agreed to establish a unified standard for updated third-generation mobile technology based on the W-CDMA format by 2007 and make high-speed services available as early as 2009.
The new technology will be capable of transmitting high-resolution video at a maximum speed of 100 megabits per second, as fast as data transmissions via fiber-optic broadband Internet service, Kyodo said.
The 26 companies, also including China Mobile Communications Corp. and NEC Corp., have all adopted the W-CDMA format. They reached an agreement in an international project to standardize the third-generation technology.
KDDI Corp. and other companies which have adopted the CDMA2000 format for their mobile phone services are also expected to update the technology in their camp
Staccato Names CEO
12.29.04
http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=65203
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Staccato Communications, Wireless USB silicon leader and Ultrawideband pioneer, announced today that Rick Kornfeld has joined its executive management team as president, CEO and board member, effective immediately. Mr. Kornfeld earned distinction for many innovations in the field of wireless voice and data communications. Most recently he was vice president and general manager of Texas Instruments' Wireless Center responsible for TI's wireless chipset business. Additionally, Staccato announced that Marty Colombatto, former vice-president and general manager of Broadcom's Networking Business Unit, has also recently joined Staccato's board of directors as chairman.
"Rick successfully led Qualcomm, Linkabit, Dot Wireless, and TI through dozens of successful wireless product development and launch cycles and into hundreds of millions in chipset revenue. He has also helped create some of the most dramatic financial successes in the wireless industry including Qualcomm's multibillion dollar IPO and a near half billion dollar acquisition of Dot Wireless," said Roberto Aiello, founder and CTO of Staccato Communications. "Additionally, Marty built and managed one of the most explosive semiconductor businesses in recent memory as the head of Broadcom's Networking Business Unit", added Roberto. "Very few executives in our business could bring the experience and talent of either Rick or Marty so it is extraordinary for Staccato to now have both involved. This is indicative of the market and growth opportunity ahead of us."
"Ultrawideband has emerged as one of the most promising wireless technologies for the future, and both Staccato and San Diego have emerged as the center of gravity for Ultrawideband technology leadership," said Rick Kornfeld. "Ground floor opportunities with this potential for growth don't emerge very often, and I am very excited to be a part of Staccato at this stage."
While at TI, Mr. Kornfeld oversaw a rapid and sustained growth in wireless chipset revenues. Mr. Kornfeld joined TI through the acquisition of Dot Wireless, which he co-founded and served as its chairman, CEO and president.
Prior to founding Dot Wireless, Mr. Kornfeld was a founding member of NextWave Telecom, Inc., where he was the senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Products division.
Previously, Mr. Kornfeld was vice president of engineering at Qualcomm, Inc. During his 10-year tenure, he helped Qualcomm grow from a 20-person startup to a world leader in telecommunications, currently employing more than 7,000 people. While at Qualcomm, Mr. Kornfeld founded and led the development of the first commercial CDMA subscriber equipment including custom ICs, software, manufacturing, etc. Prior to joining Qualcomm, Mr. Kornfeld held various technical positions at M/A-Com Linkabit.
"Staccato features many of the strengths we'd built at Broadcom to take full advantage of the Ethernet's explosive growth," stated Marty Colombatto. "Our mixed signal expertise positioned us for market leadership then. Now Staccato's true single chip, all-CMOS technology promises comparable advantage in Wireless USB."
Marty Colombatto was one of Broadcom's early employees having started in 1996 and serving 8 years. His most recent position was vice-president and general manager of Broadcom's Networking Business Unit where he grew the annual revenue from zero to over $400 million annually. Prior to Broadcom Marty spent 20 years in the semiconductor business in a broad range of engineering, sales, marketing, and management roles at TI and Reliance Electric.
Dr. Roberto Aiello is transitioning into a full-time CTO role while retaining most of his current duties at Staccato.
Samsung Provides EV-DO Handset to Verizon Wireless
http://www.telecomskorea.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1166&Itemid=2
Thursday, 30 December 2004
Samsung Electronics announced Thursday it has started exporting CDMA2000 1x EV-DO phone (SCH-A890) to Verizon Wireless, the biggest CDMA service provider in the US. According to Samsung, it already shipped 20,000 handsets and will increase the supply from next year.
The SCH-A890 is a clamshell phone with rotating 1.3megapixel camera, flash usually adopted to digital cameras and dynamic three-dimension user interface. The model is 8.9cm long and boasts elegant and curbed design. In addition, the handset provides interactive voice recognition service and speaker-independent voice dial.
Dobson Communications Purchases RFB Cellular, Inc. Assets in Northern Michigan
http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/news_releases.mhtml?d=70112
OKLAHOMA CITY, Dec. 29, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Dobson Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DCEL), through its operating subsidiary, Dobson Cellular Systems, Inc., announced today that it has acquired the non-license wireless assets of RFB Cellular, Inc. and certain affiliates in Michigan in a sale pursuant to Bankruptcy Code sections 363 and 365.
Dobson will operate under a spectrum lease with RFB pending regulatory approval of the license assignments for the 850 MHz cellular licenses in Michigan 2 and 4 Rural Service Areas (RSAs) and the 1900 MHz PCS licenses in Basic Trading Areas for Alpena, Escanaba, Mt. Pleasant, Petoskey, Saginaw, Sault Ste. Marie, and Traverse City. Dobson's acquisition of the licenses covering the leased spectrum is expected to close in 2005, after FCC approval. The total purchase price for all acquired assets, including FCC licenses, was $29.3 million.
The newly acquired RSAs cover a total population (POPs) of approximately 256,000. Excluding overlap with markets already served by Dobson, the RFB assets add an incremental 185,000 POPs to Dobson service areas in northern Michigan. These markets include Mackinac Island, Interstate 75 from the Straits of Mackinac to the Canadian border, and the cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Escanaba and Manistique. Dobson already served all or portions of Michigan 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10 RSAs, as well as the Muskegon Metropolitan Service Area.
RFB operated both CDMA and analog technologies. Dobson plans to upgrade the RFB network with GSM/GPRS/EDGE technology.
Dobson Cellular Systems will market its products and services throughout northern Michigan under the Cellular One(r) brand.
Dobson acquired approximately 25,900 subscribers, of which more than 90 percent are on postpaid calling plans. Dobson also acquired seven retail stores and 78 cell site locations, of which 40 are leased and 38 are owned.
"This represents further progress in increasing our strategic coverage footprint in Michigan. The acquisition enhances the value of calling plans that we sell in the state and enables us to reduce roaming expenses statewide," said Everett Dobson, chief executive officer and president.
Dobson plans to fund the purchase primarily with cash raised from the recent senior secured notes offering.
About Dobson Communications
Dobson Communications is a leading provider of wireless phone services to rural markets in the United States. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the Company owns wireless operations in 16 states, with markets covering a population of 11.4 million. The Company serves 1.6 million customers. For additional information on the Company and its operations, please visit its Web site at http://www.dobson.net.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Dobson's plans, intentions and expectations. Such statements are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. A more extensive discussion of the risk factors that could impact these areas and Dobson's overall business and financial performance can be found in Dobson's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these concerns, investors and analysts should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: Dobson Communications Corporation
J. Warren Henry, Vice President, Investor Relations
(405) 529-8820
Kenya Data Networks Expands Its Wireless Broadband Networks with Additional Alvarion Equipment; Operator Also Planning Small BreezeMAX Deployment
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Dec/1104035.htm
TEL AVIV, Israel --(Business Wire)-- Dec. 29, 2004 -- Alvarion Ltd. (NASDAQ:ALVR), the world's leading provider of wireless broadband solutions and a supplier of specialized mobile networks for hard to serve areas, today announced that Kenya Data Networks Ltd. (KDN), a subsidiary of Kenya's Sameer ICT Group, has ordered approximately $900,000 worth of Alvarion BreezeACCESS(TM) OFDM and WALKair(TM) products to expand its existing broadband wireless networks and implement a small deployment of BreezeMAX 3500. With these network deployments, KDN, a data communications carrier, is now emerging as a local loop operator.
"We have found that wireless broadband is the only way to ensure affordable communication services for the greatest number of Kenya's population, both residential and commercial users." said Mr. Kai Wulff, Managing Director of KDN. "Alvarion's wireless technology has been very successful for us in the past and obviously, this is the key factor in our choice to continue using Alvarion equipment to expand our networks. Very shortly, we will also be assessing the viability of using Alvarion's WiMAX solution to provide voice services via VoIP in rural areas as well."
Alvarion's WALKair 1000 in the KDN network serves as the ideal broadband access system for servicing business customers of all sizes, including banks, universities and corporations, offering them one point of access for all their business communication services, including Internet access, virtual private networks (VPNs), leased lines, ethernet, and frame relay, all with enhanced capacity and wide coverage. As an overlay network, the BreezeACCESS OFDM enables KDN to offer broadband network access to ISPs for additional revenue with minimal investment.
BreezeMAX is Alvarion's third-generation OFDM platform with advanced non-line-of-sight functionality. Its carrier-class design supports high quality of service (QoS) and broadband speeds to enable carriers to offer both data and toll-quality voice to thousands of subscribers in a single cell.
"KDN's network expansion reflects Alvarion's philosophy that wireless broadband is the best economic alternative to traditional wired access, especially for areas with little existing telecommunications infrastructure," said Zvi Slonimsky CEO of Alvarion. "Building on that idea, we are quite pleased to be assisting KDN with their move to next generation solutions with an upcoming deployment of our BreezeMAX 3500 for evaluation as a solution for both voice and data over IP. More and more, emerging carriers such as KDN are appreciating the business case that WiMAX networks will be able to offer."
Kenya Data Networks Ltd. (KDN)
KDN is a public data network operators in Kenya. KDN was established early in 2003 in the wake of the liberalization of the Kenyan telecommunications market by the Sameer Group, a major Kenyan conglomerate and a pioneer provider of affordable, mobile, telephone services in Kenya. Having invested approximately $10 million in sophisticated data communications infrastructure, in July 2003 KDN launched commercial Leased Line, Frame Relay, and IP Data services aimed at businesses and large institutions in Nairobi and other areas of Kenya. For more information, see www.kdn.co.ke and www.sameer-group.com
About Alvarion
With more than 2 million units deployed in 130 countries, Alvarion is the worldwide leader in wireless broadband providing systems to carriers, ISPs and private network operators, and also in extending coverage of GSM and CDMA mobile networks to developing countries and other hard to serve areas.
Leading the WiMAX revolution, Alvarion has the most extensive deployments and proven product portfolio in the industry covering the full range of frequency bands with both fixed and mobile solutions. Alvarion's products enable the delivery of business and residential broadband access, corporate VPNs, toll quality telephony, mobile base station feeding, hotspot coverage extension, community interconnection, public safety communications, and mobile voice and data. Alvarion works with several global OEM providers and more than 200 local partners to support its diverse global customer base in solving their last-mile challenges.
As a wireless broadband pioneer, Alvarion has been driving and delivering innovations for more than ten years from core technology developments to creating and promoting industry standards. Leveraging its key roles in the IEEE and HiperMAN standards committees and experience deploying OFDM-based systems, the Company's prominent work in the WiMAX Forum is focused on increasing widespread adoption of standards-based products in the wireless broadband market and leading the entire industry to mobile WiMAX solutions.
For more information, visit Alvarion's World Wide Web site at www.alvarion.com
This press release contains forward -looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the current expectations or beliefs of Alvarion's management and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward -looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: inability to further identify, develop and achieve success for new products, services and technologies; increased competition and its effect on pricing, spending, third-party relationships and revenues; as well as the in ability to establish and maintain relationships with commerce, advertising, marketing, and technology providers and other risks detailed from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Information set forth in this press release pertaining to third parties has not been independently verified by Alvarion and is based solely on publicly available information or on information provided to Alvarion by such third parties for inclusion in this press release. The web sites appearing in this press release are not and will not be included or incorporated by reference in any filing made by Alvarion with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which this press release will be a part of.
You may request Alvarion's future press releases or a complete Investor Kit by contacting Carmen Deville, Investor Relations: carmen.deville@alvarion.com or +1-760-517-3188.
Tata Tele to share network with Bharti
SATISH JOHN
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041228/asp/business/story_4157868.asp
CALL CONNECT
Mumbai, Dec. 27: Tata Teleservices will reach out to 20 telecom circles by the middle of January with its ‘Project Moonwalk’ and ‘Project Sunshine’. The ramp-up will be aided by a shared infrastructure with Bharti Tele-Ventures.
Tata Teleservices is the last of the six mobile telephony companies to get a pan-Indian presence. But unlike its rivals in the CDMA segment — Reliance Infocomm and BSNL — Tata Teleservices’ rollout involves a unique blend of owned and shared infrastructure, which hopes to cover 95 per cent of the telecom market in India.
Ajay Pandey, president and in-charge of the programme management office, said almost 20 per cent of the base stations would be shared with operators like Bharti.
“Sharing allows one to pare costs. We don’t want to duplicate infrastructure,” he said.
“The key factor is speed and focus,” Pandey added. Seventy officials within the central programme management office are implementing the national rollout.
VSNL, another Tata group company and the leading international long distance telephone player, already has a tieup with Bharti for sharing the latter's national long distance network.
Pandey, however, maintains that it is not an exclusive tieup with Bharti. “We will share base stations with other mobile operators like Hutch, a leading GSM operator, and HFCL, the CDMA operator in Punjab,” he added.
Project Moonwalk is the code name for the first phase of expansion in its existing eight circles of Maharashtra, Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, New Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Chennai and Karnataka. The project entails a cost of Rs 1,600 crore.
Project Sunshine involves rolling out in 12 new circles. “We decided to play the game (nationally) after all the regulatory issues were put to bed,” Pandey said on being asked why it took so much time for the national rollout.
“The ramp-up gathered pace in the last few months. Till last year, we had a presence in 50 cities. Today, we are there in 500 cities. It’s not only the cities but the national highways too. It’s all about capacity creation. At this point, the company has a saleable capacity of 4.5 million subscribers in the existing eight circles and by March, it will double to 10 million,” he said.
Tata Teleservices is also introducing features like push-to-talk.
Sunshine involves creating a new network “virtually from scratch” at a cost of Rs 2,400 crore. In the 12 new circles, Tata Teleservices hopes to be present in 350 towns initially and almost 1000 by March.
The company is also setting up a chain of Tata Indicom Stations to sell telephony products. “We have a well planned retail strategy with stores that will focus on customer service and also sell Tata Indicom products,” Pandey said.
According to Tata Teleservices, it is already the leader in fixed-line wireless telephony with its Tata Indicom Walky, which has a 60 per cent market share. Pandey said while the work of the programme management office was to “co-ordinate and cajole”, in the 12 new circles it will be a greenfield project. “It is like running a kitchen at home. The kitchen never stops. It keeps cooking. We make mistakes occasionally and also turn out delicious dishes at times,” he said.
“We’ll get 5 million customers by March-end,” Pandey added.
The expansion into 12 new circles will primarily be around the north and eastern states alongwith Kerala — the only southern state that was missed in the first phase.
Symbolically, the geographical expansion has started from Jharkhand, where the Tatas have a historical presence. It has recently launched services in Orissa. By March, Tata Teleservices will cover 95 per cent of the mobile telecom traffic in the country.
PART II 3G: Where Will It be this Time Next Year? PART II
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1743419,00.asp
3G Wireless Networks Come of Age
Is U.S. Wireless Industry Catching Up on 3G?
Verizon Wireless to Expand 3G Network
AT&T Rolls Out 3G Wireless in Four Cities
Sprint to Spend $1 Billion on 3G Upgrade
Well, it turns out that the use of wideband CDMA for data is popular with big spenders. And indeed, personally, I wouldn't be without my Vodafone 3G data card. For someone like myself who absolutely has to have Internet access on a daily basis or go out of business, the price is not the critical factor. At least, not until there's a choice.
The trouble is, the plan was for the 3G network operators to have had four years of revenue at this level before the Flash-OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) and TD-CDMA (Time Division-CDMA) packet-switching networks were needed to cope with the overspill. The plan was for the big spenders to have funded the rollout of the network, which would then carry voice to the millions of people who were happy with a 15K bps codec to turn voice into data and back again, but who wanted to send the occasional frame of video.
And of course, the latency is the killer. Both satellite and 3G were conceived by people whose minds thought of "broadcast": A big antenna owner sending out precious content to an eager audience. If it started a second or so after real time, who could tell?
But data users are running software that was developed for use on local Ethernet systems. They expect communications protocols to run at the very least at around 10M bps with a latency of around 5 milliseconds. Their software times out waiting for satellite or GPRS responses for FTP or HTTP interchanges, and needs rewriting. And instead of being passive recipients of data, they generate it.
So 2004 was the preview for packet-switched mobile data. And 2005 will turn out to be show time. And on this occasion, it may well be that America won't have to regard itself as being a laggard.
Click here for Jason Brooks' analysis of 3G.
In another twelve months, when we're preparing our "What happened last year?" summaries, we may well find that commercial deployment of TD-CDMA and Flash-OFDM in North America will have heavily outstripped Europe and even Asian deployments.
Why? Well, the obvious problem with the European and Asian countryside is that it's all too easy to dream about do-it-yourself solutions. China is seriously considering rolling out a Wi-Fi franchise system so that users can roam from the nascent mobile phone network onto the Internet, seamlessly switching from one to the other. Britain is planning a network of telematics nodes along all major highways (so are several other European countries) that could provide very high-speed Internet access.
In the wide open spaces of North America, however, the idea of providing a mast every 100 yards along all major highways looks very much less like a commercial proposition. Something with longer reach is essential. And it will have to be a genuine broadband solution, not a slapdash offering that is basically ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) circuit-switched technology.
This time next year, I think the politics of 3G will be in turmoil as the operators try to bargain for better deals, but I think the rollout of widespread high-speed wireless data will be well under way, and reaching close to 1 percent of the data user population
PART I 3G: Where Will It be this Time Next Year?
By Guy Kewney
December 27, 2004
Opinion: By the end of 2005, we may well find that commercial deployment of technologies such as Flash-OFDM in North America will heavily outstrip European and Asian 3G deployments.
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=4936023
3G Wireless Networks Come of Age
Is U.S. Wireless Industry Catching Up on 3G?
Verizon Wireless to Expand 3G Network
AT&T Rolls Out 3G Wireless in Four Cities
Sprint to Spend $1 Billion on 3G Upgrade
It's probably time to admit it: 3G wireless is like satellite. It will never be economical as a broadband solution.
Five years is a long time to wait and now that 3G wireless is here, you'd think we'd be grateful. Not a chance of that! We want its successor on schedule, please.
The concept of 3G phone networks was originally seen as a 2001 technology. Then, after four or five years, we were supposed to start using advanced data extensions to 3G.
Click here for more on the state of 3G in the United States.
Well, the news that Flight 123 was delayed is no concern to the passengers on Flight 345; they still expect 345 to be at the gate on time. The world's desire for wireless broadband didn't disappear just because video phones weren't ready for the marketing boys.
So the arrival of both IP Wireless and Flarion on the scene as purveyors of genuine high-speed packet-switched data to mobile users is forcing the phone business to re-think its priorities—especially in Europe.
It's far, far too soon to suggest that either of these newcomer technologies will dominate. Right now, the best bet would be that they'll find separate niches. But the plan was that they would find niches supplying data to people who were, around now, starting to lose patience with wideband CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) or other 3G networks, and needing more capacity.
"You can see that 3G voice technologies aren't suitable for data except on a small scale," said John Hambidge, global marketing director of IP Wireless, when announcing new licensees of his company's technology. "They are simply not capable of supplying enough data to enough users at a high enough speed to pull prices down."
That is ironic of course because this was always obviously true about satellite broadband. It doesn't take a very wide calculator to see that satellite data on a penny-per-bit basis can't be made cheap enough to compete in any area where there is actual competition. The technology will always be useful in places where you can't run cable, and people there will always include enough big-spenders who can afford satellite fees.
But satellite will always be a backup, a failsafe, or a last resort. If the launch vehicles and the transponders could be combined for a price of a thousandth of the current budget, then sure! You could send enough of them up to supply 512KB to a large number of homes. But that simply isn't going to happen. When you charge around 500 euros for 50MB of data, your customers are going to have to be desperate, or they won't sign up. And if you have to charge no more than what Europe's fiber providers can charge for metro Ethernet, you can't get the rocket off the ground
Tata Teleservices enters Rajasthan
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/972446.cms
PTI[ MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2004 06:21:23 PM]
JAIPUR: Tata Teleservices on Monday rolled out its CDMA based mobile and fixed wireless services in Rajasthan and said it has earmarked an investment of Rs 175 crore in the state.
As part of the Rs 2,500 crore investment for expansion phase in which the company is slated to enter 12 more circles in the country, the company has launched services across 12 towns in Rajasthan including Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur which will increase to 320 towns by next-year end, president Tata Teleservices Ajay Pandey told reporters.
Tata Indicom will deploy state-of-the art Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network in Rajasthan offering next generation wireless system 3G CDMA for improved call quality and coverage and network efficiency.
In its new phase of expansion, the company had already rolled out its services in Jamshedpur and Orissa, he said. The telecom service provider has a customer base of 2.7 million at present and is steadily expanding, Pandey added.
BEIJING, Dec. 27 -- SK Teletech Co., a unit of South Korea’s leading mobile operator SK Telecom Co., said Sunday it had won the business license for a handset manufacturing joint venture in China.
SK Teletech Co. will hold a 60 percent stake of the joint venture, SK Mobile China Corp., while the remaining 40 percent will be held by two Chinese companies: Datang Telecom and Tech Co. Ltd. and Tiandi Group Telecom Industry Co.
The new venture, with an initial paid-up capital of US$25 million, would supply phones for code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile networks in China, a SK Teletech spokesman said.
It would target the high-end mobile phone market and was expected to generate US$100 million in revenue next year and more than US$600 million by 2007, the spokesman said.
The move is part of SK Telecom’s strategy to diversity its sources of revenue as its wireless phone operations in South Korea has been confronting a saturated market and increasing regulatory pressure.
Earlier this month, SK Teletech said it planned to sell mobile phones in China under the SK brand of SK Telecom.
SK Teletech hopes to become one of the world’s top 10 mobile phone makers by 2007 to keep up with its domestic rivals including Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Ltd.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-12/27/content_2384694.htm
(Source: Shenzhen Daily-Agencies)
Investors hope Reliance board meet ends spat
Dec. 27, 2004
http://www.indiadaily.com/breaking_news/18346.asp
Investors hope a dispute within Reliance Industries Ltd., India's largest private sector company, which has weighed on markets for over a month, will soon be resolved after the chairman's surprise offer to surrender a stake in a group firm. Indian shares hit record highs on Friday after Mukesh Ambani offered to return a 12 percent stake in Reliance Infocomm. However, analysts cautioned investors would have to wait for Monday's board meeting of flagship Reliance Industries Ltd. for clarity over a dispute over ownership in the giant petrochemicals-to-telecoms group. The full agenda of the meeting, called to discuss a share buy-back, is not public. Markets are hoping the Ambani brothers who run the group will settle their differences, which have sent group shares tumbling in recent weeks. "We can be hopeful that corporate governance will be given importance, and that the board meeting will resolve matters," said Mitesh Mehta, vice president of equity sales at LKP Shares. On Thursday, a Reliance statement said Mukesh Ambani had decided to return 500 million shares he held in unlisted Reliance Infocomm, equivalent to a 12 percent stake in India's top CDMA-based mobile services provider, which Mukesh Ambani heads. The offer helped drive India's benchmark share index up to a new record high of 6,498.06 points on Friday as investors hoped it a settlement was near. Reliance Industries holds a 45 percent stake in Infocomm. Shares in Reliance Industries, which accounts for a tenth of the Bombay index, rose 3.5 percent to end at 523.60 rupees, well above a three-month closing low of 480.15 rupees hit a week ago. Power utility Reliance Energy, in which Reliance Industries is the main shareholder and which is headed by younger brother Anil Ambani, surrendered early gains and ended down 1 percent to 529.75 rupees. Reliance Capital was flat at 135.10 rupees
Reliance Infocomm gets $750 mln loan
Dec. 27, 2004
http://www.indiadaily.com/breaking_news/18326.asp
Mobile phone services firm Reliance Infocomm Ltd said on Saturday it had raised $750 million of debt in the form of loans from Export Development Canada (EDC) and a U.S. Exim Bank backed line of credit. Reliance Infocomm, which is India's largest CDMA-based mobile services provider and 45-percent-owned by Reliance Industries Ltd., said the latest loans marked the closure of its total $2.2 billion debt financing campaign. "The financing consists of $500 million of Exim Bank guaranteed loan and $250 million of EDC loan and has a total repayment tenor of 10 years after a one-and-a-half year build out period of the telecom network," Reliance said in a statement. The credit facilities were arranged by Citigroup. A Citigroup special purpose vehicle, GOVCO, is the Exim Bank-backed lender. Reliance Infocomm currently has a customer base of nearly 9 million wireless users in one of the world's fastest growing major mobile markets. The company said the debt would go to financing the expansion of its mobile network across 5,000 towns and cities and help in the roll out of its broadband communications services. The telecoms arm of the Indian petrochemicals and refining major Reliance, posted a second-quarter net loss of around 500 million rupees, but expects to turn a profit by March 2005.
NTT DoCoMo to Invest in Location-Based Business in China
http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=9088
Tokyo, Japan, Dec 27, 2004 - (JCN Newswire) - NTT DoCoMo, Inc. (TSE: 9437) announced today that it will invest $4 million in newly issued stock for an equity stake in Emcore Technology Inc. (Emcore), which has a Chinese location-based service subsidiary, in January 2005.
The wholly owned subsidiary, Beijing Lingtu Spacecom Technology Co., Ltd. (Lingtu Spacecom), is known for its high-quality location-based services. Through the investment, NTT DoCoMo will provide its expertise in such services and gain a foothold in the Chinese mobile telecommunications industry.
Emcore and Beijing-based Lingtu Spacecom were established in April 2004 and are both headed by Tang Ningzhe.
About NTT DoCoMo
NTT DoCoMo is the world's largest mobile communications company, serving more than 48 million customers. The company offers a wide variety of leading-edge mobile multimedia services, including i-mode(r), which provides e-mail and internet access to over 41 million subscribers as the world's most popular mobile internet service, and FOMA(r), launched in 2001 as the world's first 3G mobile service based on W-CDMA. In addition to wholly owned subsidiaries in Europe and North America, the company is expanding its global reach through strategic alliances with mobile and multimedia service providers in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. NTT DoCoMo is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM), and New York (DCM) stock exchanges
• Alaska Communications Systems hired Tiffany Trboyevich as director of marketing, Mark Enzenberger as director of product management and Brian Dollerhide as a marketing specialist and Web liaison. Jeaneen Gill was promoted to senior marketing specialist. Trboyevich has 16 years experience in sales and marketing, seven in advertising and four in telecommunications. She has a bachelor's in marketing and a master's of business administration. Enzenberger has 20 years of experience. Formerly with GCI, Enzenberger will be responsible for driving product management. Enzenberger has a master's of business administration and a bachelor's in electrical engineering. Dollerhide is developing marketing materials for the new high-speed wireless Internet EV-DO and Enhanced 911 technologies, part of ACS' CDMA network. Dollerhide, a former promotions and production assistant at KAKM-TV, spent the last four years in Virginia as a marketing manager of a small firm. Gill was hired by ACS three years ago. Her responsibilities include developing marketing strategies to keep customers or win them back
http://www.adn.com/business/story/5951747p-5857441c.html
Hutchison mulls major 3G plan
HA NOI — Luxembourg’s Hutchison Communications SARL has applied to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) for licence to set up a US$655.9 million third-generation (3G) mobile telecommunications project.
The MPI said Hutchison’s proposal, for a tenure of 15 years, has been forwarded to the Government for approval.
If approved, it will be the country’s first 3G project to be deployed using CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/2004-12/25/Columns/InfoBytes.htm
People to watch: Dave Shepard (WHO IS THIS?)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20041224-9999-1b24person.html
UNION-TRIBUNE
December 24, 2004
Title: Chief executive officer
Age: 43
Company: Sequoia Communications
Employees: 31 in Rancho Bernardo.
Founding Date: September 2000
Dave Shepard joined Sequoia Communications last year after spending 17 years at Texas Instruments.
Sequoia Communications designs RF integrated circuits for wireless phones?
We have frankly a revolutionary approach to designing the chips, with a new architecture that will enable all possible modes, both data and voice, wireless LAN, all the different voice standards that are out there. Everything can be integrated into one chip with one architecture.
Why is that revolutionary?
There is no architecture out there that allows that. So if you wanted to add a mode or add a feature to a phone today, you have to add another chip, or add another set of circuitry to an existing chip, which is very inefficient in terms of both power and cost.
If you looked at a phone five years ago, they were these big bricks. That's where the phone would go without our technology with all the features that are being added today.
What features are you talking about?
The features are a combination of different voice modes. The European standard is GSM. The Asian standard is CDMA, with some using both. The U.S. uses both. You look at Cingular with GSM and you look at Verizon with CDMA. The point is if you want to have a handset that talks all over the world, you have to have a handset that supports those multiple modes in a single handset.
Then you add to all the emerging data standards that third generation is giving us, such as wireless LAN, GPS for positioning, even faster data – all that adds even more modes to the phone. Then there are things coming down the pike. Maybe there will be TV going to the phone, or streaming video. The ability of that handset to integrate all of those modes is what we address.
What stage of development is Sequoia in?
Our first product will come out probably in the second quarter of next year. So we're still in research and development. Most all the people we have here are engineers.
What were your marching orders when you came to the company?
The basic marching order was get the first product completed and get a design win. It's really that simple. We plan to have a design win by the end of next year. A design win means you can call up a phone maker like a Nokia, Motorola or Samsung and they will tell you that the Sequoia chip is in XYZ model and it's going to ramp to production on X date.
What happens next?
What's unique about Sequoia is it's actually a technology platform that can spawn an entire road map of products. That is one of the basic value propositions of the company. We can shorten the design cycle for multimode products significantly. If you have a time frame from concept to production of 2½ years, that means the marketing guys at Nokia or Samsung or Motorola have to figure out what modes are going to be on a phone 2½ years out, which is very difficult. So what we can do is shorten that design cycle so they can put out new phones faster without having to look that far ahead.
What keeps you up at night?
Just the complexity of what we're undertaking here. The industry has not built a chip like this. So it's a big project. It's complex. I'm confident we can do it. But until you actually build it, you think about it every night and try to figure out what you don't know.
Samsung Outpaces Nokia in North America
http://www.telecomskorea.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1138&Itemid=2
Thursday, 23 December 2004
Samsung Electronics announced Thursday that it is still leading in North American market, outperforming Nokia in the third quarter after waging neck-and-neck race with Motorola in the second quarter. In the quarter, Samsung ranked 2nd in the handset market of North America.
Samsung quoted Gartner Dataquest as saying that it sold more than 6.9m units of handsets in North America from July to September, accounting for 20.5% of market share. That brought Samsung to the second largest handset provider in the region, following Motorola.
Also, Samsung bragged that it outpaced Motorola in global handset market, coming into the second place in the third quarter. It emphasized that it is now undisputedly the second largest handset maker in the world as it outpaced Nokia, the world’s first, in North America.
Samsung said that it has closely competed with Motorola and Nokia armoring with broad portfolio that includes both CDMA and GSM and quality and advanced technologies.
By Seong-ju Lee
Tata Tele launches push-to-talk service
Press Trust of India
New Delhi, December 23, 2004/17:10 IST
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1166264,00020009.htm
Tata Teleservices on Thursday launched push-to-talk services offering customers the facility to make unlimited calls without any long distance (STD) or roaming charges within the network on a monthly rental of Rs 99.
The PTT service, which is the first by any mobile operator in the country, will offer instant connectivity across the country and internet surfing at 3G speeds.
Announcing the launch of the service, Tata Teleservices president Amit Bose said it was targeted at corporates, SMEs and individuals, and will be available on a Kyocera handset costing Rs 5,000 with Qualcomm's BREW Chat applications.
Presently, upto four subscribers sitting anywhere in the country can talk to each other at a cost of Rs 99 each.
The company has announced a CDMA based PTT service for post-paid users who will be paying Rs 99 amonth for unlimited calls and will either buy a handset for Rs 5,000 upfront or pay Rs 1,000 with 12 installements of Rs 350 each.
The company will soon launch its pre-paid version, Bose said, adding PTT will have international roaming within a year.
The company also announced a GSM based PTT services with a handset price of Rs 15,000.
It which offers CDMA-based mobile service under the brand name 'Tata Indicom' and is eyeing a customer base of 50,000 in the first year from the National Capital Territory.
The major benefit of PTT is that it frees the customer by allowing him to instantly call a group of people at no cost, Bose said.
Leap First to Launch FlixTones Adding to Its Suite of Cricket Clicks Data Applications
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20041221005...
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 21, 2004--
Flixtones Gives Cricket Customers Access to a Realm of Downloadable Quotes and Soundtracks from Their Favorite Movies Replacing the Average Ringtone
Most everyone has a favorite movie one-liner they can recite on cue, whether it is Caddyshack or Casablanca, so Leap Wireless International, Inc. (OTCBB:LEAP), a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless communications services, has expanded its Cricket Clicks(TM) suite of mobile applications and is the first wireless carrier to offer FlixTones(TM) -- a variety of downloadable quotes and soundtracks from movies to play as ringtones for their mobile phone.
"We are thrilled to be the first carrier to offer FlixTones(TM), an exciting application that enables our Cricket Clicks(TM) customers to personalize their mobile phones even more to reflect their personalities," said Nitu Arora, Vice President, product development for Leap. "With movie buffs in every walk of life, we believe that FlixTones(TM) will appeal to a variety of our customers, since it provides access to quotes and soundtracks from a wide range of movies from classics to the latest box-office hits."
"Since FlixTones is continually updated with new quotes and soundtracks, Cricket Clicks(TM) users will always have access to a fresh selection," said Ted Suh, Chief Marketing Officer, 9 Squared, Inc. "In addition to enabling Cricket Clicks(TM) users to select their favorite movie clips, FlixTones(TM) also allows subscribers to select the clips that best fit their family and friends. A call from mom may be signaled by the soundtrack from The Wizard Of Oz, while a clip from Old School might play when a life-of-the-party friend calls."
Customers with a Cricket Clicks(TM)-enabled phone and an activated Cricket Clicks(TM) service account can easily navigate through the Cricket Clicks(TM) catalog and choose the FlixTones(TM) application. The application will then be automatically downloaded to their phone, and the customer can select one of three credit packages, which include: 1 credit (clip) for $2.99, 3 credits for $7.99 or 5 credits for $11.99. Upon selecting the credit package, the user can then surf the easy-to-use movie catalog and make their movie clip or soundtrack selection.
In addition to FlixTones(TM), several other innovative wireless data applications are available through Cricket Clicks(TM,) including RealTone JukeBox, wallpapers, games, entertainment, sports information, weather, e-mail and other personal and business content. A full listing of Cricket Clicks(TM) applications can be found at www.mycricket.com.
Cricket Clicks(TM) is currently available in 25 Cricket(R) markets. Leap anticipates that Cricket Clicks(TM) will be available in all of its 39 Cricket(R) markets by early 2005.
About Leap
Leap, headquartered in San Diego, Calif., is a customer-focused company providing innovative mobile wireless services that are targeted to meet the needs of customers who are under-served by traditional communications companies. With a commitment to predictability, simplicity and value as the foundation of our business, Leap pioneered Cricket(R) service, a simple and affordable wireless alternative to traditional landline service. Cricket(R) service offers customers unlimited anytime minutes within the Cricket(R) calling area over a high-quality, all-digital CDMA network. Operating in 39 markets in 20 states stretching from New York to California, Cricket(R) service is available to customers in more than 840 different municipalities. For more information, please visit www.leapwireless.com.
Korea’s EoNex Mass Produces EV-DO Chips, Challenging Qualcomm MSM6500
http://www.telecomskorea.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1125&Itemid=2
Tuesday, 21 December 2004
EoNex, a South Korean technology start-up embarked on mass production of CDMA 2000 1x EV-DO modem, NS1100 which the company recently developed.
The mass production of NS1100 represents a milestone in the EV-DO chipset market which is 100% dominated by Qualcomm, the Korean company emphasized. The EV-DO chip will be installed in handsets that will be launched in the second half of 2005, the company announced Tuesday.
As N1100 is equipped with a GPS system, MIDI or musical instrument digital interface system, broadband stereo DAC and an MP3 player, there is no need for additional MIDI chip or GPS system. According to EoNex, the software is designed to easily work with VoIP, Wi-Fi and Java.
Chun Sung-hwan, president of EoNex said in a telephone interview, “NS1100 is comparable to MSM6500 in its functions. We will bring out NS1150 during the second half of 2005 to match MSM 6550.” According to Mr. Chun, the company is working on the development of chipsets for both WCDMA and EV-DO.
EoNex is planning to launch N1150 (CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A), N3100 (WCDMA/CDMA2000 1xEV-DO) and N4000 (HSDPA/EGPRS) enabled with various multimedia functions by the end of next year so that the company may have the complete line-up of modems compatible with all telecommunication standards currently available in the world.
Earlier in September 2002, EoNex released the world first dual modem working on both WCDMA and CDMA2000 1x. The company has developed N1000 (CDMA2000 1x), N1100 (CDMA2000 1xEV-DO), N2000 (WCDMA) and N3000 (WCDMA/CDMA2000 1X dual mode) so far and now is cooperating with handset makers from home and abroad for commercialization of these modems.
By Seong-ju Lee
China Mobile sees stronger growth than Unicom
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-12-21 10:22
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-12/21/content_401988.htm
China Mobile (Hong Kong) Ltd., the country¡¯s top mobile operator, said Monday it added 3.27 million subscribers in November, bringing its total to 200.98 million.
The November addition was China Mobile¡¯s second-strongest monthly growth after it signed up 3.33 million new users in October, the Hong Kong-listed company said in a statement.
The report came one day after its archrival China Unicom Ltd. announced it enlisted 1.556 million new subscribers in November, its weakest monthly growth this year.
China Unicom, which had seen its monthly gains drop to 1.6 million new users in each of the three previous months, attributed the slowing growth to a market that had started to mature.
Within its November additions, nearly 650,000 were CDMA subscribers, bringing the network¡¯s total to 27.168 million. The growth further slowed from 686,000 new users in October and 697,000 in September.
It also added 905,000 GSM subscribers in November, after adding 897,000 in October. It had a total of 83.381 million GSM users by the end of last month.
China Mobile only operates GSM/GPRS systems.
Some analysts believe China Unicom¡¯s recent weakness was caused by several factors, including its decision to focus on profits over subscriber growth and a lack of handset selection for its highly promoted CDMA system.
China is the world¡¯s largest mobile market with more than 300 million subscribers, However, as most of its affluent urban residents have already signed up for service, the two competitors have been striving to maintain their growth rates by exploring less-profitable markets in small towns and rural areas.
ANNUAL QUALCOMM MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE ON TUESDAY, MARCH 8,2005!
QUALCOMM Named '2004 Best Financially Managed Company' by Fabless Semiconductor Association
Monday December 20, 7:30 am ET
- Strong Business Execution by QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies Lands Company Award for Third Consecutive Year -
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041220/lam025a_1.html
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM - News), pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, was named the winner of the "2004 Best Financially Managed Company" by the Fabless Semiconductor Association (FSA) for outstanding financial performance. Winners were announced at the FSA's Awards Dinner Celebration on December 9, 2004, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California. The award was accepted by Dr. Sanjay K. Jha, president of QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies (QCT), the chipset and system software division of QUALCOMM, in recognition of the division's performance.
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The FSA and financial analysts evaluated the performance of publicly traded fabless semiconductor companies by comparing financial indices such as return on investment, return on equity, inventory turns, revenue, net income, days sales outstanding, cash per share, cash burn, gross profit margin, operating margin and current ratio.
"For the third year in a row, the FSA is pleased to present QUALCOMM with the award for Best Financially Managed Company," said Jodi Shelton, co-founder and executive director of the FSA. "Year after year, QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies successfully executes the financial and business strategies necessary to maintain QUALCOMM's industry leadership in the competitive semiconductor market."
This is the third year in a row that QUALCOMM -- the largest fabless semiconductor company -- has received this award. Last month QUALCOMM announced its financial performance for fiscal 2004 in which QCT recorded total revenues of $3.09 billion and operating profit of $1.04 billion, representing year-on-year percentage increases of 29% and 31% respectively.
For more information on the awards dinner, please visit http://www.fsa.org/dinner/.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2003 FORTUNE 500® company traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market® under the ticker symbol QCOM.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Company's ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of CDMA components on a timely and profitable basis, the extent and speed to which CDMA is deployed, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 26, 2004, and most recent Form 10-Q.
QUALCOMM is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For further information please contact: Jennifer Bernas, QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies, +1-858-845-7571, qct_publicrelations@qualcomm.com, or Emily Gin, Corporate Public Relations, +1-858-651-4084, publicrelations@qualcomm.com, or Bill Davidson, Investor Relations, +1-858-658-4813, ir@qualcomm.com, all of QUALCOMM Incorporated
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Source: QUALCOMM Incorporated
Bird Sets Foot in Two 3G Standards
, 12.10.04, 1:40 PM ET
World Media Digest
Asiaport Daily News
http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/general/2004/12/10/generalcomtex_2004_12_10_as_0000-510437-KE...
CHINA, Dec 10, 2004 (SinoCast via COMTEX) -- Bird, a leading cellphone maker in China, has obtained a financial allocation of CNY10 million from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to develop terminals for the domestic 3G standard TD-SCDMA.
Bird is able to come up with TD-SCDMA cellphone for commercial use before the issuance of 3G licenses next year, said Dai Maoyu, vice president of the company.
Like Datang, Bird's controlling parent Putian was also an initiator for TD-SCDMA Industry Alliance. Thus Bird is a put-upmajor developer and producer by Putian for domestic 3G cellphones.
Bird also leagues with Qualcomm to develop terminals for CDMA2000, the 3G standard led by Qualcomm. Such standard is believed to be the must choice for China Unicom to enter 3G market.
Bird has reached an agreement with Qualcomm on developing 3G cellphones with Qualcomm's chips and technologies, revealed DaiMaoyu.
Bird's two CDMA1X cellphones C625 and C620 which adopt Qualcomm's chips have been on the procurement list of China Unicom.
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