Raketu, has created an SMS-Text Driven VoIP Service called RakSMS calling. The service enables mobile device users to make phone-to-phone voice over IP (VoIP) Internet calls with no computer or Internet connection required. It does not even need a GPRS
connection to initiate a call.
A mobile phone user in the
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has released the 3rd annual Mobile Attitude and Usage Study.
Among 1,405 consumers surveyed, 1 in 4 respondents are interested in mobile marketing and 1 out of 20 participated in mobile marketing campaigns. Moreover, 58% of the respondents utilize the camera phones compared to only 35% last year. Highlights of this study include:
The customer is already the king in
It will be a heart-warming change for millions of mobile phone subscribers in the country, when customers will be allowed to switch to a different service provider without having to surrender their existing phone number will be introduced in about a year's time.
But at least some of the service providers in the industry, if not all, will suffer the effects of even more intensified competition, and they could be expected to do everything within their powers to retain customers. In the lead time that they enjoy up to the introduction of the number portability, market leader Bharti Airtel as well as others could be expected to launch new plans to lock-in customers for a certain period of time by offering a sweeter deal.
They will need to make extra efforts to retain their corporate accounts, as well as individual high-billing users, who will undoubtedly be targeted by competitors. Additional investments to improve network reach and service quality will be called for. And costs will inevitably rise, while average revenues per user (ARPU) could remain under pressure in a more competitive environment.
Of the 10 mobile service providers in the industry with at least a million subscribers, the smaller ones such as Spice Communications and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam (MTE) , Aircel, could be at a greater risk than others, as they lack a nationwide footprint
Among the bigger companies, Reliance Communications (RCOM) has the greatest opportunity, but it also faces the biggest threat. Reliance currently offers a majority of its around 40 million customers CDMA services, while the rest of the industry offers mostly GSM services. Reliance has been looking at a far bigger presence in GSM as well, and the introduction of number portability offers it a big opportunity to steal GSM customers from competition. However, it is equally possible that its existing CDMA customers are weaned away by competition, and RCoM will have to constantly watch its back to prevent that from happening.
Number portability, however, needn't be bad news for everyone in the industry. It is a great opportunity for a service provider to differentiate from the rest of the pack by offering a truly superior service that is customized to individual users -- something that few service providers seem to be doing today.
Vodafone, "the world's largest mobile operator by revenue", has plans to use the government led restructuring of the telecoms market to increase its presence in the country. The Chinese government is planning to shake up the local telecoms market as part of the roll out of 3G in country. And Vodafone intends to use its 3.3% holding in leading carrier, China Mobile, as leverage to extend its reach in the world's largest mobile markets.
Vodafone chief executive, Arun Sarin, is quoted by UK newspaper the Financial Times as saying that that the Big V's $13bn stake in China Mobile could be used to take advantage of local opportunities. One of the likeliest options could potentially see Vodafone exchange its holding in Chain Mobile for a bigger stake another company.
The Kenyan government has selected France Telecom as the preferred bidder for the acquisition of a 51% stake in the Telkom Kenya. The transaction is planned to close before the end of the year. Telkom
Google is planning to bid on a chunk of wireless spectrum that would allow it to run its own cellphone network across the entire
The Department of Telecom (DoT) expects at least 6 companies to pay the licence fee to offer cellular services on a pan-India basis. 46 companies have submitted 575 applications in response to the latest offer from the DoT to provide cellular services, of which only 20 companies want to operate across India.
The companies that are expected to buy the pan-India licences include domestic and foreign players, such as AT&T, Spice, HFCL, DLF, Parsvnath and BPL Mumbai.
Source: The Telegraph
