OXFORD, United Kingdom-Adding to the worries of potential third-generation (3G) operators are announcements from the two public broadcasting organizations in Germany, ARD and ZDF, that they want to levy a monthly license fee on users of 3G handsets.The two broadcasters claim the high-speed data...
NEW DELHI, India-The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has decided to review universal service obligation of telecom operators, including cellular service providers.It has proposed to include several new services, including short message service (SMS) and other wireless data services, in the list of designated...
BEIJING-Starting on 1 October, China's telecom carriers will be allowed to adjust prices for value-added services. The Ministry of Information Industry (MII) will continue to regulate basic services, such as fixed-line and cell-phone call charges.Mobile value-added services include information services, short message service (SMS),...
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-South African mobile network operator Vodacom announced it has stopped the practice of "blacklisting" stolen handsets and instead has moved toward what it refers to as "greylisting."The blacklisting practice uses a handset's unique identity number to bar it from use on any...
OXFORD, United Kingdom-If you believe the latest predictions from the handset manufacturers and market research firms, then mobile gaming is set to become a major business for mobile operators.Nokia is actively attempting to pull together the various technologies, content providers and operators to make...
ZAGREB, Croatia-Croatians sent nearly 600,000 short message service (SMS) messages through an m-commerce parking service in the capital of Zagreb. Th mobile parking service is offered by parking company Zagrebparking and mobile operators HTcronet and VIPnet.The messages were sent between September 2001 and July...
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica-Lucent Technologies Inc. said it has signed a $29 million contract to supply TDMA equipment to operator ICE for short message service, circuit-switched data and international roaming.According to the agreement, Lucent will supply its Flexent TDMA base stations to increase network...
DUBLIN-Mobile messaging company XIAM Ltd. announced the United Kingdom's West Midlands police force is using its technology for a text messaging application that will assist the deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired in contacting police in an emergency.The service is being implemented following a study by...
OXFORD, United Kingdom-A survey of 38,000 text messaging users conducted by SMS.ac claimed that nearly 70 percent stated they are open to receiving messages from strangers, while just more than 20 percent registered an opposing point of view. Overall, the study indicated that cell-phone...
JAKARTA, Indonesia-Singapore's mobile market grew slightly in terms of the number of mobile subscribers during the first half of this year. According to the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), the country's telecom regulator, there were 3,040,800 total mobile subscribers as of the end of June...
LONDON-Jordanian operator MobileCom announced it will now offer short message service (SMS) services to prepaid customers traveling abroad. Launched on 21 August, the service will be available in more than 90 countries."Building on our achievement of being the first operator in the Middle East...
WASHINGTON-Target Wireless, a provider of short message service (SMS) advertising, was given permission Thursday by the Federal Election Commission to provide political advertising without disclosing who is paying for the advertising.In a four-to-one vote, the FEC said that SMS advertising of 160 or less...
SANTA CRUZ, Calif.-LightSurf Technologies Inc. released a new version of its Instant Imaging Platform, a technology the company said allows users to send picture messages across various networks and handsets.LightSurf's platform supports picture messaging across multimedia messaging and short message service standards, as well...
NEW DELHI, India-Navin Communications, which supplies voice messaging services, has partnered with another Indian cellular operator, BPL Mobile, for its VMS services for prepaid subscribers. "The service is free and allows BPL subscribers to be reachable whether their mobile phones are switched off or...
LONDON-As the tech sector continues a shaky recovery and telecom companies in Europe and the United States offer nothing much to write home about, the Middle East continues its love affair with the mobile phone unabated, and its operators continue to see strong increases...
MUNICH, Germany-T-Mobile said two of its subsidiaries will contribute to helping the victims of the flooding in parts of Europe.RadioMobile in the Czech Republic is donating about $16,000 to a special fund announced by the Czech Red Cross to provide humanitarian aid for the...
DUBLIN, Ireland-Jinny Software signed a messaging contract with Yemen's GSM operator Sabafon. Jinny will provide its short message service center solution, along with sub-systems.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-MTN is reported to be urging its subscribers to ignore a scam involving short message service (SMS) messages currently circulating among GSM subscribers in Nigeria. The message alleges that MTN and other mobile operators have joined for a special trial that offers...
COPENHAGEN, Denmark-Testing and monitoring company NetTest said Telia Mobile Denmark ordered an expansion of its existing MasterQuest system to monitor General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) services.Telia Mobile Denmark, which purchased its original system in December 2001 to monitor its voice and short message service...
SAN DIEGO-Adversoft Inc., a mobile marketing agency, launched a short message service marketing campaign in the United States in conjunction with Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment for Revolution Studios' new movie 'XXX'.The interactive text message campaign, which targets the under-25 market, allows movie fans to...
Research analysts at investment banks are retreating, lemming like, from the telecom sector. Some banks are abandoning research in the sector completely, citing the diminishing potential for activity, such as mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings (IPOs), bond issues, rights issues and even wrongs...
LONDON-Text messaging company Scan Mobile scored a major new outlet for its applications, announcing a partnership with European carrier Orange to offer a variety of messaging applications.Among its portfolio, Scan Mobile will offer Orange subscribers its ticketing and shopping applications, which allow users to...
ANNAPOLIS, Md.-TeleCommunication Systems Inc. and messaging company Mobileway announced they will team to develop a short message service delivery network to allow mobile users to send text messages to recipients all over the world.The companies said they will pursue direct connect agreements with U.S....
As the battle for the multimedia messaging service (MMS) market in Europe begins to heat up among the region's wireless carriers, the fight for the MMS infrastructure market has largely drawn to a close-and the undisputed winner is Ericsson."The leader in the MMSC (multimedia...
