Nokia Investing in Africa

We are doing that exactly as I speak in Africa, coming to the new markets earlier than the competition," Kallasvuo said during a Webcast of an investor conference.

"Things are also starting to happen in a major way in Africa." he said. "We are seeing things in Africa now that we saw in China seven or eight years ago."The executive did not say which African countries Nokia saw as the biggest opportunities.

Research firm Gartner said earlier this week that growth in countries such as South Africa and Egypt as key drivers behind a 6 percent increase in phone sales in Europe, Middle East and Africa in the first quarter.

The Rest @ Mobil Africa

Celtel to Expand Free Roaming to 6 Countires, Plans for 9 More

African mobile operator Celtel has expanded its One Network free roaming to six countries. Already available in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, the service will now also be available to subscribers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo and Gabon.

One Network gives users the same prices when roaming in the six countries that they pay at home and free incoming calls.

Celtel aims to expand the service to all 15 countries where it has a presence in Africa. Inter-regional traffic jumped 300 percent in the first three months after the launch of One Network in the three east African countries, Anna Othoro, Celtel marketing director in Kenya, told Business Day.

The Rest @ Telkom Paper

Real-time navigation over the aerial photos on Standard Phones

DigitalGlobe Satellite Imagery on Mobile Phones via amAze LONDON, May 25, 2007 - Satnews Daily - LocatioNet Systems, Ltd., a provider of mobile mapping and location applications, and DigitalGlobe, a provider of imagery and geospatial information products, have entered into a partnership that adds DigitalGlobe's global satellite imagery to the amAze mobile service.

DigitalGlobe has joined the amAze collaborative initiative, led by LocatioNet. LocatioNet's GIS technology enables fast enough streaming of aerial photos from the huge backend databases to client mobile phones over wireless networks, to allow real-time navigation over the aerial photo.

This collaboration means that for the first time, worldwide voice-guided GPS navigation is enabled over high-resolution satellite imagery and aerial photos with regular mass-market phones.

amAze is a navigation, mapping and local search service supported by several industry leading vendors. It offers services free to mobile users and generates revenue from the emerging mobile advertisement model. The application provides any regular, Java-enabled mobile phone with navigation and local search information over maps and DigitalGlobe satellite imagery in Europe and North America. A full voice-guided navigation feature is available for users with any Bluetooth GPS device.

The Rest @ SatNews

Mobil Phone Applications for Core Business Activities

Competition is pushing businesses towards greater mobility, and companies plan to adopt mobile applications for core business activities - these were two key findings in a recent global survey on business mobility conducted by Nokia and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and in cooperation with the CIO Forum.

As business mobility continues making headway into organizations and more advanced applications and processes are mobilized, the reasons behind companies' mobility adoption can vary from hard core ROI benefits to softer values such as employee retention.

Companies are increasingly implementing mobility to offer greater collaboration, responsiveness to customers, and better work-life balance to staff, fundamentally changing the ways people are working.

Nokia and EIU polled more than 500 global executives across a range of industries to find out how their organizations were using business mobility. In the survey, three quarters of the respondents pointed to human factors such as attracting the best talent - including new entrants to the workforce--improving customer support, and building brand reputations as reasons for deploying business mobility.

The Rest @ Mobil Africa

WiMax will be the African Standard

WiMAX is defined as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access by the WiMAX Forum, formed in June 2001 to promote conformance and interoperability of the IEEE 802.16 standard, officially known as WirelessMAN.

WiMAX aims to provide wireless data over long distances, in a variety of different ways, from point to point links to full mobile cellular type access. In practical terms this enables you, for example, to browse the internet on a laptop computer without physically connecting the laptop to a socket in a wall. The Forum describes WiMAX as "a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL."

Source: Wikipedia

As I read news about the installation of new networks, the WiMax standard will soon surpass any new land line installation in most countries in Africa. This is not news to many, but African monopolies phone companies seem unsure as to what to do when they build new infrastructure.

This means that:

• African governments and the telecoms monopolies that support them may begin to take legislative and incentive measures to keep their land lines relevant. This will slow technological economic development.
• New telecoms start-ups can (and need to) bring real innovation to network architecture when they enter a country to improve their chances of success.
• New GSM devices need to be created which can deal with power uncertainties in Africa.
• We need to watch marketing strategies that emerge from the coming "gold rush" in telecoms expansion-Who can tap into the African culture's high-touch communication culture.
• New small business management applications need to be developed for emerging GSM devices like cell phones, Multi-media devices, and the coming $100 laptops?

Ericsson has shipped 1 million GSM base Stations

Ericsson has shipped its millionth GSM base station [receiver/transmitter that serves as the hub of the local wireless network. It typically consists of a low-power transmitter and wireless router.] the company has announced. The millionth unit was delivered to the mobile operator MTN Nigeria. Ericsson has shipped its millionth GSM base station, the company has announced. The millionth unit was delivered to the mobile operator MTN Nigeria. Base Stations. [a base station is a network, and may also be the gateway between a wired network and the wireless network. The vendor delivered its first base station in 1991 to Mannesmann in Germany, and it took 12 years to ship its first half million, with the second half million taking only three years.
The worldwide GSM network now connects 2.3 billion users and the strong growth is expected to continue, said Ericsson.

The number of GSM subscribers around the world is set to increase by 40 million a month during 2007, according to the GSM Association.

More than 10 million are currently being added every month across India and China. In India alone, Ericsson is currently installing a new GSM base station every 15 minutes. Kurt Jofs, executive VP and head of the networks business unit at Ericsson, said: "After 16 years, the pace of GSM deployments shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, we expect 2007 to be the fifth consecutive record year for deliveries."

Meanwhile president and CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg said at a conference in Stockholm today that he expects traffic in fixed as well as mobile networks to grow tenfold by 2012. "With high-speed broadband, we will see multimedia to start a new era in telecom," he added.

The Rest @ GlobalTelecombusiness

MTC Finishes buyout of Celtel, Nigeria

Mobile Telecommunications Group K.S.C (MTC) says it has become the holder of 100 percent of the outstanding shares of Celtel International B.V (Celtel) following the final payment of $467-million (N59.8-billion). This payment finalises a binding agreement entered into with the shareholders of Celtel in April 2005 to acquire the remaining 15 percent of the outstanding shares in Celtel within two years and brings the total purchase sum to $3.4-billion (N435.2-billion
The Rest @ Business Day

Linux for Mobil Devices - October 2007l

Linux evolves for mobile devices

Mobile devices are becoming more and more sophisticatedA version of the increasingly popular Linux operating system Ubuntu will be developed for use on net-enabled phones and devices.
The Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded project aims to create the open source platform for initial release in October 2007.

The operating system will be developed by members of the Ubuntu community, along with staff from chip giant Intel. Its development was prompted by the growth of power hungry portable devices that place new demands on software.

The Rest @ BBC Technology News

Celtel Uses Ceragon to for Wireless Infrastructure in DRC

Ceragon Networks, a provider of high-capacity wireless backhaul solutions, has announced that Celtel International has selected its FibeAir 1500HP equipment for deployment on its network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Ceragon’s solution will enable Celtel to cover large distances with fewer installations, significantly reducing infrastructure costs. The value of the contract is USD3 million. ‘Celtel faced the challenge of finding a cost-effective solution that would reduce infrastructure costs while facilitating remote management for each area of service,’ said Thibeault De La Barre De Nanteuil, Chief Technical Officer at Celtel Congo.

‘Ceragon Networks is meeting the challenge with their FibeAir 1500HP, a long-haul solution covering distances greater than 43 miles, which is mission-critical in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa’s third largest country.

Hand Held PC & Phone Web pages

Mobile-friendly versions of big web sites are becoming a lot more common. Most news sites have them, as do the portals. Edelman too has one that's on a dot-mobi URL (one of our clients). Still, lots of sites don't have a mini companions.

Enter Mowser. The site, which is run by mobile guru Russ Beattie, is a great home page for your your phone. You can enter any URL and it will shrink it down for you. Even better, if the site you want to view has a feed it will auto-detect it and present it in a very clean, efficient way that's perfect for phones. For example, here's Lifehacker as viewed through Mowser. A list of popular feeds can be found here. There's also a directory of mobile sites

The Rest @ Micro Persuasion

East African Wireless Telcoms to Lower or Remove Excise Taxes

Tanzania Uganda and Kenya are looking to lower or remove excise duty levied on mobile phone airtime.

A study carried out last year by consultancy Delloitte for the association of mobile telephone operators, GSMA has indicated removal or reduction of excise would result in increases in tax receipts in the long term.

The decision to lower excise, if adopted, will be contained either in the next budget reading (2007/2008) or the financial year after (2008/2009).

In Uganda, discussions in that direction are ongoing between the ministry of finance, planning and economic development, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and the new ministry of ICT and communication.

"We are optimistic that the three governments will announce decreases in excise duty," Mr. Gabriel Solomon, director, government & regulatory affairs at the GSM Association told Business Week in a telephone interview last week.

Read the Rest from All Africa.com, and East Africa Business Week

China ZTE to Profide free WyFI internet Access to Mexico City

Mexico City's 8 million residents will get citywide free Wi-Fi access, along with some 4,000 closed-circuit security cameras, according to Mayor Mercelo Ebrard.The mayor signed an agreement with China telecommunications company ZTE Corp. this week to established a Wi-Fi network connecting schools and government offices. The agreement is expected to provide numerous jobs for Mexican residents, according to press reports."We hope in the coming months, throughout this government, we will have more Chinese and Mexican engineers working together to solve our technological problems," the mayor was reported to have said. The broadband wireless network is scheduled to be completed by 2008.
advertisement

The most populous city in the Western Hemisphere also will deploy some 4,000 security cameras, also to be connected via Wi-Fi. "The capital government is giving top priority to this project," Mayor Ebrard said.

Read the Rest from ITNews Australia

Free International Fund Transfers Skype & Paypal

Remember the days when sending money overseas meant traipsing over to a Western Union office and paying a transfer fee?

Then came the Internet and companies like eBay embarked on the painstaking process of creating an online payment system that could connect banks and computers all over the world.

On Wednesday, eBay took another step, announcing that online payments can now be set in motion from eBay's Skype calling service.

With a few clicks, a parent will be able to send money to an exchange student in France, a gambler will be able to settle a bet with a soccer fan in Germany, and a language student will be able to pay an online tutor in Italy - all without pausing their conversations.

Individuals will need a PayPal account, but the service will be free.

Read the Rest from Mercury News

Drive-by Internet Access for Rural Businesses

The vehicles can effectively send and receive emails from villagersBuses equipped with wi-fi are being used to deliver web content to remote rural villages in the developing world.

In rural India and parts of Rwanda, Cambodia and Paraguay, the vehicles offer web content to computers with no internet connection.
The buses and a fleet of motorcycles update their pages in cities before visiting the hard-to-reach communities.

As well as offering popular pages, the United Villages project also allows users to request specific information. The buses and a fleet of motorcycles update their pages in cities before visiting the hard-to-reach communities. Then a small box, with an antennae, on board the vehicle communicates with these rural computers.

Local business
In many parts of the developing world it is too expensive to lay the fibres and copper cable to deliver a standard internet connection. Wireless technologies also do not reach many remote places.

The founder of the United Villages initiative Amir Hassan said the company had been set up to give those people in these areas a slice of the web for a fee.

They want to know the cricket scores, they want to see the new Aishwarya Rai photos, and they want to hear a sample of the latest Bollywood tunes

Amir HassanUnited Villages "There's only 0.003% percent of the web that rural India cares about," he told BBC News. "They want to know the cricket scores, they want to see the new Aishwarya Rai photos, and they want to hear a sample of the latest Bollywood tunes." The village computer was often in the local store, he added. Every time the wi-fi bus rolled by the village - up to six times a day - the pages were updated, he said.

Britney requests
As well as this regular content users can make special requests for a few additional rupees.

Q&A: Wi-fi explained
For example, if there was no information about Britney Spears on the village computer, a fee could be paid to get hold of such information.
The bus would then go back to the city and communicate with an internet server.

The box on the bus would be updated with the requested information and, a few hours later, the bus would arrive back at the village to zap the Britney Spears pages to the computer. The wi-fi vehicles also deliver and collect e-mails from the villagers.

Product catalogue
The system also made it easier for villagers to buy essential products such as fertilisers, pesticides, books and medicines, Mr Hassan added.

"What we've done is created a catalogue of those products that they can order at the kiosk and get them delivered the next day via the bus," he said.
"We're bringing e-commerce to rural India." Right now, more and more people are asking me about what can be done on the PC and internet

Raj Kishor SwainSatasankha
Because many people in rural communities cannot read, and because the majority of the web is in English, villagers often rely on the person who operates the local computer to help them. Raj Kishor Swain, who runs the computer in the village of Satasankha, said he is now a popular man. "Right now, more and more people are asking me about what can be done on the PC and internet," he said.

"My objective is to show to the village youth that having a PC with connectivity is a viable business so that more and more unemployed youth can take up this as a self-employment opportunity."

Read From the BBC

Wireless BroadBand Internet Access Under the Communications Act, says Court

Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declared that wireless broadband Internet access service is an information service under the Communications Act (Act). This action places wireless broadband Internet access service on the same regulatory footing as other broadband services, such as cable modem service, wireline broadband (DSL) Internet access service, and Broadband over Power Line (BPL)-enabled Internet access service. It thus ensures that wireless broadband Internet access services are similarly free from unnecessary regulatory burdens. Competition among all of these broadband services will provide consumers with more and better services at lower prices, said the FCC in a release.

Read More from Government Technology

Millicom buys out 3 Africa wireless firms

(this is from 2-06, but interesting news I did not know)

Millicom International Cellular has taken 100 percent ownership of a trio of African wireless companies after buying out their minority partners.
The Swedish firm announced Wednesday that it had completed the buyouts of its partners at Millicom Sierra Leone and MIC Tanzania and cancelled a call option involving Millicom

Ghana. Company President Marc Beuls said the buyouts were consistent with Millicom's strategy of gradually growing its stake in companies in developing nations and then buying out minority partners.

Millicom operates in seven African nations as well as Latin America and sees the African continent as fertile ground for wireless growth. "Africa has once again seen particularly strong growth, and given the relatively low mobile penetration rates in these markets compared to other regions of the world, we have every reason to expect that this will continue in the future," Beuls said in a news release.

read the rest from Pysorg

6 Billion $ 3 year Verizon Wireless Network Upgrade

Verizon plans to boost its wireless data network through a new three-year contract with Alcatel-Lucent that is expected to be worth $6 billion.

In addition to increasing the coverage and capacity of Verizon Wireless' existing CDMA2000 (Code Division Multiple Access) EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) Revision A broadband data network, Alcatel-Lucent will also supply technology to enable VoIP and video telephony services. The EV-DO Revision A network offers users a 300Kbps to 400Kbps upload data rate and 450Kbps to 800Kbps download speed.

The network update, part of Verizon Wireless' transition to an all-IP network, will also support other new multimedia services that combine voice, data and video, Verizon Wireless said. Many mobile operators are in the midst of moving to IP networks, which can efficiently handle data traffic and allow for new types of services.

The rest from infoWorld

The Use of Phones by Microentrepreneurs

Here is a terrific white Paper by Jonathan Donner of Microsoft Research India. It shows how microentrpreneuers in Rwanda and India are using wireless phones to do business. If you are using telecom to support small business and economic development, you have to read this.
It is posted by MIT Press Journals

Nokia N95 multimedia computer starts Nokia today announced that the Nokia N95 started shipping in key European, Asian and Middle Eastern markets, with expanded shipments to other markets in those regions in the coming weeks.

The Nokia N95 is an all-in-one multimedia computer with a unique 2-way slide design, integrated GPS functionality, a 5 megapixel camera and support for high-speed mobile networks, making it easier to watch and record videos, listen to songs, take high-quality photos, browse the internet, or catch up on email while on the move.

read the rest from Mobil Africa

Fixed Cellular Terminal Router in Ghana

News from Ghana
-Lee

A communications company, Meridian Infotel has launched its new product, fixed cellular terminal router. The product allows customers to channel all their mobile and international phone calls via a GSM gateway using an areeba corporate SIM card.

The total number of national mobile and fixed line subscribers is currently pegged at 4,300,000 and 330, 00 respectively, with companies’ monthly telephone bills predominantly recording landline to mobile phone calls, increasing expenditure.

With the introduction of the fixed cellular terminal router, expenditure can be reduced drastically and the efficiency of the mobile call network maintained.

Read more from Mobil Africa