Competitive Edge
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CLICK HERE YOURTO IP HREADONE /ONIPAD BUSINESS ANALYSIS FOR TELECOMS PROFESSIONALS APRIL 2011 LEADER CONTENTS NEWS IN BRIEF COMPETITIVE EDGE 5 Timeline A roundup of some of the Competition is back in the spotlight as operators try to tackle major stories reported in our daily news service mobile and Internet service growth and look to build scale www.totaltele.com CONTENT STRATEGIES any telecoms markets and the telecoms landscape is chang- have opened up to much ing fast. As regulators mandate 8 Location-based Mgreater competition since greater access to (former) incum- services BT became the first national opera- bent networks—BT faces further Operators are looking for tor to go down the path to reductions in wholesale pricing after new business models to privatisation some 26 years ago. new proposals from Ofcom—fresh make revenues from Today many mobile markets players are springing up to deliver location-based services. continue on that path, with new new services and in some cases Ian Kemp BUSINESS AND FINANCE Editor licence awards a regular occurence bypass those networks altogether. 11 Competition in Total Telecom+ and virtual network operators Where once operators hoped to take receiving clearance from regulators a lead in location-based services, mobile markets to provide targeted services that now they are playing catch-up with A new report shows that give consumers greater choice than Internet and handset heavyweights regulation has had mixed results in terms of ever. Regulators are also going to and still trying to use their network boosting competition in work on tariffs, with the UK and assets to make revenues (p.8). mobile markets globally, France in March announcing further Regulators have largely shied just as the US is set for mobile termination cuts over the away from intefering with the further consolidation. next few years (see Timeline). Internet, although the debates over TECHNOLOGY TRENDS But despite increased choice and net neutrality and prioritisation of traffic are far from over. Regulation 15 Next-gen Internet Regulatory action will surely play a part in the next Business models as well as generation of Internet services, but technologies will shape so too will improving technologies the next generation of has yielded mixed Internet services, as and developing business models. traffic growth spirals. results globally Operators are concerned about sky- rocketing traffic on their networks NETWORK STRATEGIES improved pricing, regulatory action and how to fund infrastructure 19 WiMAX futures has yielded mixed results in terms needed to support it and maintain Growth forecasts for of mobile competition globally as quality of service: our Technology WiMAX are still strong we highlight in our analysis on p.11. Trends this issue takes a look at this despite the uncertain Last month’s big news—the big subject and what operators such future of some operators proposed acquisition of T-Mobile as AT&T and Verizon are doing. and the march of LTE. USA by AT&T—has once more Mobile operators, too, are grap- STATISTICS raised the question of competition pling with data growth, and many as operators look for scale through are building LTE networks for their 22 Prime numbers consolidation and governments and next-generation services. But we Record mobile subscriber regulators seek the best way to show that there is still life left in growth worldwide, mobile churn declines in Europe, ensure widespread next-generation that other 4G-pretender, WiMAX, and hosted IP services. mobile and broadband services. both as a complementary and Competition takes on many guises competitive technology. n Book a table Visit www.asiacommsawards.com and complete the booking form Asia Communication Awards Celebrating the success of Asian telecoms, globally asia • communication • awards Raffles Hotel, Singapore• 22 June 2011 www.asiacommsawards.com Organised by: Founding Partner: Asia ICT Partner: Sponsor: Event Partners: TIMELINE A roundup of the major stories in telecoms in the past month, as reported in our daily news service www.totaltele.com BUSINESS Regulators cut mobile rates Qualcomm bought the licences TeliaSonera, Telenor and Turkcell UK regulator Ofcom will last year for $1.05 billion. are reported to be among seven AT&T moves for T-Mobile USA mandate mobile termination bidders for Polkomtel, which is AT&T said it plans to acquire rate cuts of 80% over four years Telekom Austria bid in Serbia 24.39%-owned by Vodafone. T-Mobile USA for US$39 billion, starting from April. And French Telekom Austria made a E950 creating a market leader with regulator Arcep plans to reduce million bid to buy 51% of fixed- Microsoft funds Nokia switch 129.2 million customers . The deal termination rates from July until line operator Telekom Srbija, but Reports suggest Microsoft will raises questions about mobile the end of 2013, bringing them the government says the stake give Nokia US$1 billion for competition in the US (see p.11). down to E0.008. is worth E1.4 billion. Telekom marketing and development costs Austria owns the second-largest to migrate to the Windows Phone Vodafone strengthens in India France Telecom buys into Iraq mobile operator in Serbia, Vip. operating system. Vodafone will buy the 33% stake France Telecom and logistics of its joint venture partner in company Agility together agreed Proposals for EU data privacy KPN shuts down mobile TV India, Essar Group, for $5 billion, to buy 44% of Iraq’s third mobile The EC is proposing new KPN will shut down its DVB-H taking its holding to 75%. operator Korek Telecom. France regulation to provide greater mobile TV service in June. Telecom’s 46% share of the privacy over personal data Subscribers have fallen from Etisalat abandons Zain deal venture will give it a 20% indirect supplied by Internet users. 40,000 to 20,000 after the service Etisalat abandoned its deal to stake in the operator. was launched in 2008. acquire 46% of Zain for US$12 Telmex splits in two billion. Zain had earlier last NSN faces acquisition hurdle Mexican operator Telmex will TI raises Argentina stake month accepted a bid from Nokia Siemens Networks failed split into two companies, one Telecom Italia raised its stake in Batelco and Kingdom Holding to gain approval from China’s of which will serve rural and Telecom Argentina from 18.3% for its Saudi Arabia operations, a antitrust regulators to acquire marginalised areas. Telmex has a to 21.1% by purchasing a further condition of the Etisalat deal. Motorola’s mobile network assets. roughly 80% share of fixed-line 10% of holding company Sofora. subscribers in Mexico. EC action on telecoms taxes Qualcomm set to sell in India India set to cancel licences The European Commission Qualcomm entered talks to sell Polkomtel sale extension India’s regulators issued notices has referred France and Spain its 2.3-GHz broadband wireless The deadline for second-round to Idea Cellular and Etisalat to the EU’s Court of Justice for access spectrum in India to bids for Polish mobile operator in preparation to cancel their Book a table continuing to impose levies of Bharti Airtel for US$1.2 billion. Polkomtel was extended to May. licences in regions where they 0.9% on operators’ revenues to have failed to roll out services, Visit www.asiacommsawards.com and complete the booking form help fund public TV services. Long-haul Ethernet prices on key routes, Q1 2011 and geared up to cancel more. n FastE, EoMPLS n FastE, EoSDH Vimpelcom deal clearance London - New York City America Movil expansion Russian mobile operator America Movil reached an Asia Communication Awards Hong Kong - Singapore Vimpelcom received approval agreement to buy Digicel’s Celebrating the success of Asian telecoms, globally from shareholders and regulators Hong Kong - LA operations in El Salvador and to proceed with its US$6 billion Honduras and sell its Jamaican Hong Kong - London acquisition of Wind Telecom and operator to Digicel. asia • communication • awards Raffles Hotel, Singapore• 22 June 2011 Orascom assets. Frankfurt - Paris BT extends mobile agreement Miami - New York City Liberty’s German cable deal BT signed a five-year extension www.asiacommsawards.com Liberty Global agreed to buy $0 $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 to its MVNO agreement with Median Monthly Lease Price (US$) Germany’s third largest cable Source: TeleGeography Vodafone in the UK. operator, Kabel BW, for E3.16 Telegeography research on long-haul Ethernet services shows that Ethernet over Organised by: Founding Partner: Asia ICT Partner: Sponsor: Event Partners: SdH/Sonet (eoSdH) services—which can provide value add such as guaranteed billion. Liberty already owns the latency and restoration times, and specifi c routing and restoration paths—come Centurylink-Qwest approval second-largest German cable at a price. On key routes 100-Mbps Ethernet over SDH (EoSDH) services cost an US regulator the FCC approved average of 50% more than Ethernet over MPLS. company, Unitymedia. Centurylink’s purchase of Qwest April 2011 www.totaltele.com 5 TIMELINE Communications for US$10.6 3G launches in India set to launch in the first half of billion a year after the deal was Vodafone Essar and Idea Cellular this year. Orange has invested first announced. became the latest operators to E33 million in the project. launch 3G services in India. Russian consolidation ahead According to reports the two Fibre launch in India All seven regional subsidiaries companies and Bharti Airtel are BSNL lanched India’s first fibre- controlled by Russian state-run close to signing an agreement to to-the-home services, in Jaipur. telecoms holding company share 3G networks in some areas. Svyazinvest filed applications people for liquidation ahead of their HSPA+ service launches New BT Openreach chief integration with Svyazinvest’s key Zain Jordan launched broadband ITALIAN JOB subsidiary, Rostelecom.