Orascom to bid for Vodafone Egypt stake

Orascom Telecom will bid for Vodafone Group's 55 percent stake in Vodafone Egypt if it is put up for sale, reports Bloomberg. In an interview with Al Mal newspaper, Orascom chairman Naguib Sawiris said that Orascom would 'strongly compete' for the stake if Vodafone decides to sell. The remaining 45 percent of Vodafone Egypt is controlled by Telecom Egypt. Vodafone's 55 percent is valued by analysts at around GBP 3 billion (USD 4.36 billion).

SOURCE: Telecompaper
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=737043

Mobile VoIP users to surpass 100 million by 2012

Mobile VoIP services will develop significantly faster in developed markets due to the direct correlation between 3G roll outs and the take up of mobile VoIP, according to a study by Juniper Research. This is the case even though mVoIP traffic volumes may eventually be higher in developing markets due in part to the calling patterns of migrant workers. Mobile VoIP users will exceed 100 million by 2012 and over half of mobile VoIP users will reside in North America and Europe. Juniper Research senior analyst Anthony Cox said that by 2012 mobile VoIP will be available over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks. It is anticipated that several more traditional operators will have joined 3UK and Verizon in the US and developed relationships with mobile VoIP players such as Skype, he said. The study found that alliances between mobile VoIP players and traditional operators may provide the best option for today's incumbent operators to address the advent of mobile VoIP. Revenues from the circuit switched voice market will continue to diminish over the next five years, although this will not accelerate. A high percentage of mobile VoIP carried over applications will be via Wi-Fi networks, bypassing operators' networks altogether. Such traffic will result in some lost revenues, amounting to around USD 5billion by 2015.

SOURCE: Telecompaper
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=737043

CONNECT 2010

Transworld participated in Connect 2010, the 5th Information & Communication Technology Exhibition and Conference which was held from the 8th to the 10th of May at Expo Centre Karachi. The TWA stall was exceptionally well designed and centrally placed and was the centre of attraction at the event.


The Federal Minister of IT and Telecom Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa inaugurated the stall at the event, he was joined by the Minister of IT for the Sind Government, Mr. Raza Haroon.


The marketing team engaged in PR and promotional activities, while the sales team liaised with other companies and pursued prospective leads. The event proved to be a success as our stall experienced constant traffic and was covered by many leading news channels such as PTV, ARY News, CNBC, Geo News, Dunya, Waqt, Samaa, APNA, News 1, Royal TV, Express News, Aaj and Business Plus.

TELECOM TIMELINE

2002
State-owned monopoly PTCL has earned over USD 1 billion revenue in FY2001-02.
Internet bandwidth availability increased to 400 MB/s and 250 cities connected through fiber optics.
Under an Ordinance, the division was upgraded into Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunications (MoITT) in order to govern the IT and Telecom sector.
Inter operator SMS implemented.
46 licenses issued for Radio Based Services.
76 No Objection Certificate (NOCs) were issued for telecom equipment.


First DSL service launched by MicroNet in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Total 80 licenses issued for Value Added Services.

2003

Two new Cellular Mobile Licenses awarded to Telenor and Warid telecom against an amount of US$ 291 million each through open auction.
12 LDI (Long Distance and International) and 77 LL licenses issued to 33 local and international companies
141 licenses issued for value added services and 84 licenses issued for radio based services
Video Conferencing allowed through hiring leased lines from PTCL
Telecommunications Sector declared an Industry
Total card pay phones in Pakistan reached 184,669.
12 long Distance and International (LDI), 76-Fixed Local Loop (FLL) and 92 Wireless Local Loop (WLL) licenses.
Mobile sector exhibits growth of 108%.

2004

Fixed line working connections reached up to 4.5% in July 2004.
Cellular penetration crossed the fixed line penetration in July 2004
Total number of mobile subscribers in Pakistan reached 12.5 million by end of June 2005 bringing mobile density to 8.3% crossing fixed line teledensity, which is 3.43%.
During 2004-05, telecom contributed Rs. 67.1 billion in the national exchequer in terms of taxes and fee. FDI in telecom sector amounted to US$ 494 million making it one-third of the total FDI in the country.
Over 2.1 million internet subscribers existing in Pakistan.

2005

Total telecom revenue standing at Rs 192.6 billion.
Telecom sector contributed Rs. 77.1 billion in the national exchequer in terms of taxes and regulatory fee.
183,063 additional direct & indirect jobs created in the telecom sector.

2006

Total Teledensity of Pakistan reached 26.19% in June 2006.
Etisalat takes over PTCL’s management.
Total teledensity of Pakistan reached 26.19% in June 2006.
Total telecom revenue was Rs 236 billion.
China Mobile investment is US$ 704 million for expansion of CMPak networks.
2.3 million Mobile subscribers added every month.
The telecom sector received above US$ 1.8 billion FDI, 35% of the total FDI.
Over one million jobs created since the deregulation of the telecom sector.

2007

Pakistan had almost 128 ISPs concentration across Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi.
Cellular subscribers in Pakistan reached 76.6 million.
6,000 cities/towns/villages have mobile saturation.
Total investment in the LDI sector grew up to US$ 603 million.
Total LDI outgoing minutes from Pakistan grew to 1.3 billion minutes.
Total fixed line connections stood at 4.8 million where as the teledensity is 3.04%.
387,490 PCOs including WLL based PCOs working across Pakistan
Broadband subscribers reached 71,000 and 65% of Pakistani broadband users enjoy DSL broadband technology.
Total number of Internet subscribers crossed 3.5 million and total number of users crossed 17 million.
The total teledensity of AJK & NAs was 20.1 in 2006-07 as compared to 3.6 in 2005-06.
Overall growth in teledensity in the region due to deregulation is 450%.
Mobilink continues to lead the market with the greatest share of consumers and corporates.

2008

Mobile subscribers were 89.9 million.
According to the PTA, Mobilink continues to lead the market with 28.47 million subscribers, followed by Telenor (19.38 million), Ufone (19.30 million), Warid Telecom (16.65 million), Zong (5.5million) and Instaphone (0.32).
WiMAX Wireless Devices Connections are available from 256Kbit to 1Mbit.
Mobilink launches WiMAX service,Infinity.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority reported over 22 million internet users.

2009

Broadband subscribers increased to 600,000 subscribers in the country.
Fixed teledensity is 3.3, which was just 2.32 in year 2000.
Mobile saturation currently is 10 million people in the country.

Source: CIO Pakistan, May 6th 2009
http://ciopakistan.com/2009/05/here%E2%80%99s-a-look-at-the-progress-the-telecom-industry-has-made-between-2002-to-2008/

TRANSWORLD INVITES YOU TO CONNECT 2010

Connecting
Everyone, Everywhere



Transworld's submarine fiber optic cable is the backbone of every major internet Service Provider and Telecom Company in Pakistan.

Catering to the need for Global connectivity, 24/7/365.

Our aim is to seamlessly connect you to the world; Anytime, Anywhere.

Visit us at:

Hall No. 2
Karachi Epxo Center
Timings: From 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
8th to 10th May, 2010

10 MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES TO WATCH IN 2010 AND 2011

Gartner, Inc. has identified 10 mobile technologies that will evolve significantly through 2011 in ways that will impact short-term mobile strategies and policies. “We are highlighting these 10 mobile technologies that should be on every organization’s radar screen,” said Nick Jones, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. “These mobile technologies were selected because they will evolve in ways that affect corporate strategies, significant numbers of customers or employees will adopt or expect them, or they will address particular mobile challenges that organizations will face through 2011.”

The 10 mobile technologies to watch in 2010 and 2011 include:

Bluetooth (3 and 4) Two new Bluetooth versions will emerge by 2011:

Bluetooth 3 will introduce 802.11 as a bearer for faster data transmission, and Bluetooth 4 will introduce a new low-energy (LE) mode that will enable communication with external peripherals and sensors. Both versions will include other technical improvements to improve battery life and security. Gartner believes that Bluetooth 3 will facilitate corporate and consumer functions demanding large bandwidth (e.g., downloading images and videos from handsets). Bluetooth LE will enable a range of new sensor-based business models in industries such as fitness, healthcare and environmental control and will be used by handset and PC peripherals to enable new functions, such as PCs that autolock when users move away from them.The Mobile WebBy 2011, over 85 percent of handsets shipped globally will include some form of browser. In mature markets, such as Western Europe and Japan, approximately 60 percent of handsets shipped will be smartphones with sophisticated browsing capability and the ability to render conventional HTML sites in some manner. The growth in smartphones with relatively large and high-resolution screens will encourage greater numbers of people to access conventional websites on mobile devices, and will make it possible to deliver some B2C applications using conventional Web tools without adaptation. In mature markets, the mobile Web, along with associated Web adaptation tools, will be a leading technology for B2C mobile applications through 2012, and should be part of every organization’s B2C technology portfolio.

Mobile Widgets

Widgets are installable Web applications that use technologies such as JavaScript and HTML. Many handsets support widgets running on their home screens, where they are easily visible and accessible. Despite the lack of standards, widgets provide a convenient way to deliver simple, connected applications, especially those involving real-time data updates (such as weather forecasts, e-mail notifications, marketing, blogs and information feeds). Because widgets exploit well-understood tools and technologies, they have lower entry barriers than complex native applications, and thus can be a good first step to assess the demand for an application on a specific platform before undertaking expensive native development.

Platform-Independent Mobile AD Tools

Mobile platforms will become more diverse through 2012 although consolidation will not have started, and, in some markets, five or more platforms may have a significant presence. Therefore, tools that can reduce the burden of delivering installable applications to several platforms will be very attractive. Platform-independent application development (AD) tools cannot deliver a “write once, run anywhere” equivalent to native code; however, they can significantly reduce the cost of delivering and supporting multiplatform applications that provide a more sophisticated experience than the mobile Web and operate outside signal coverage.

App Stores

App stores will be the primary (and, in some cases, the only) way to distribute applications to smartphones and other mobile devices. App stores also provide a range of business support functions, such as payment processing, that assist smaller organizations. Gartner believes that app stores will play many roles in an organization’s B2C and B2E strategies. They will be a distribution channel for mobile applications and a commercial channel to sell applications and content (especially in international markets), and they will provide new options for application sourcing. Many applications will exploit ecosystem cloud services.

Enhanced Location Awareness

By the end of 2011, over 75 percent of devices shipped in mature markets will include a GPS. GPS will be the primary, but not the only, means of establishing handset location. Wi-Fi and cell ID systems will remain important in situations where GPS is unavailable or unreliable. The popularity of location-aware handsets will enable a wide range of B2E and B2C location-aware applications, and will serve as a foundation for more-sophisticated contextual applications in the future. However, organizations must be sensitive to local privacy regulations, ensure that applications that expose location are “opt in,” and remain on alert for new risks and concerns that will be raised by location awareness.

Cellular Broadband

During 2010 and 2011, the availability of multimegabit wireless broadband performance will continue to grow as mobile networks enhance their broadband performance. Continuous improvements in wireless broadband performance will increase the range of applications that no longer require fixed networking, and make cellular broadband a more effective fallback when fixed connections fail. Embedded cellular networking will become a standard feature of many corporate laptops, and will enable new types of network-connected devices and business models, such as e-books and media players.

Touchscreens

Touchscreens are emerging as the dominant user interface for large-screen handsets, and will be included in over 60 percent of mobile devices shipped in Western Europe and North America in 2011. Touch-enabled devices will also make increasing use of techniques such as haptics to enhance user experience. Organizations developing native handset applications may need to exploit single and multitouch interfaces and haptics to give their applications a compelling and competitive user experience.

M2M

Many network service providers increased their commitment to machine to machine (M2M) in 2009, so a good range of both national and multinational M2M service options will be available in mature markets during 2010 and 2011. Although the M2M market is very fragmented, it’s growing at over 30 percent per year. Low-cost M2M modules will enable a wide range of new networked devices and business models. Key applications include smart grid, meter reading, security/surveillance, automotive systems, vending and point of sale, remote monitoring, and track and trace.

Device-Independent Security

This isn’t strictly a single technology, but refers to a collection of security technologies, application technologies and sourcing options that enable the provisioning of applications that are secure, but less tightly tied to specific devices and platforms, and that, in many cases, do not require security tools to be installed on the client. It includes thin-client architectures, applications as a service, platform-independent forms of network access control (NAC), portable personality, virtualization, and hosted security services, such as “in the cloud” virus scanning. Device-independent tools cannot provide the rigor of fully installed security, but a blend of several of these tools can enable CIOs to deliver applications that can run on a wider range of devices while reducing security risks.

Source: IT Insight, 24th March 2010
http://www.itinsight.info/2010/03/gartner-outlines-10-mobile-technologies-2010/

PTCL GETS NOTICE OVER POOR QUALITY OF SERVICE

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued Show Cause Notice to initiate proceedings against M/s PTCL on showing poor quality of service, based on the results of the Quality of Service (QoS) Survey conducted recently by PTA. PTA has given 30 days time to PTCL to submit a reply. Based on the outcome, PTA, under the Telecom Act, reserves the right to proceed legally.

The QoS survey is a regular activity of PTA and the objective is to ensure that the interests of the consumers of telecommunication services are duly safeguarded and that the licencees are providing telecom services as per service quality standards of the license.

PTA has been repeatedly informing PTCL about its poor QoS results and PTCL was directed to improve their service quality as per license conditions, however, no improvements have been made despite ample time provided to PTCL. As a result, show cause notice has been served to initiate proceedings against the licensee as per the rules.

Chairman PTA, Dr. Mohammed Yaseen said that ensuring quality service to consumers has always been a priority of PTA. This is evident from the continuous surveys conducted by PTA for both mobile and fixed line sectors. The recent establishment of Consumer Protection Directorate, providing fast and easy complaint registration mechanism is another major step in protecting and safeguarding consumer interests.

Source: IT Insight, 4th February 2010.
http://www.itinsight.info/2010/02/ptcl-gets-notice-over-poor-quality-of-service

SEA-ME-WE-4 Outage to Affect Internet and Telcom Traffic

The SEA-ME-WE 4 cable linking Europe with the Middle East and South Asia was cut on Wednesday, 14th April in the Mediterranean Sea.

It became inoperable due to a “shunt fault” approximately 1,886 kilometers from Alexandria towards Palermo, Italy in the S4 section of the cable.

A shunt fault occurs when the submarine cable insulation is damaged and a short circuit occurs when it comes into contact with water. While repairs are underway it is likely that the outage will take a further 4 days at a minimum and might take up to 10 days depending on weather and sea conditions.

Until 12 PM on April 24th 2010, SEA-ME-WE-4 was operating with limited capacity, however, since then, all west bound traffic from Egypt onwards has been shut down, meaning that all traffic to Europe and US (from Pakistan) may face higher latency but not blackout due to redundant/alternate pipes available for usage, though service providers have to bear extra cost because of shift of all traffic to secondary pipes.

In a telephonic communication a Transworld official told ProPakistani that Transworld has bought additional capacity, worth millions of dollars, for eastbound routes, initially landing at Singapore via Japan to United States and then to Europe. This will increase the route distance hence the latency, but traffic will not be impacted at large, said the official.

Transworld and PTCL are only operators selling international voice and data traffic in Pakistan.

Transworld is the sister concern of Mobilink and a project of Orascom and has major operators such as Wateen, Worldcall, Wi-Tribe, Nayatel etc on its network.

Source: Aamir Attaa for ProPakistani, 24th April 2010
http://propakistani.pk/2010/04/24/sea-me-we-4-repair-may-take-another-4-days/