MURRAY HILL, N.J.-Lucent Technologies Inc. introduced enhancements to its MiLife SurePay Solutions Suite, a group of prepaid solutions for wireline and wireless operators.Version 8 includes flexible account spending, support for data services, including short message service, and support for transactions like online purchasing and...
LONDON-Vodafone announced details of its public offer for the outstanding shares of Portuguese operator Vodafone Telecel that it does not already own. The unconditional offer price is $9.17 for each share.The acceptance period begins March 3 and expires March 31. Results of the offer...
LONDON-Vodafone Group plc confirmed that it is in discussions regarding Japan Telecom, its Japanese subsidiary that offers fixed-line service. Vodafone acquired Japan Telecom in stages to gain control of mobile arm J-Phone last year.Vodafone said the talks "may or may not lead to an...
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-The Zimbabwean Ministry of Transport and Communications has ruled out the possibility of licensing a fourth mobile network operator in the near future.Dr. Witness Mangwende, the minister of transport and communications, said flatly: "There will be no fourth mobile operator."The minister failed...
PARIS-Alcatel said that Vodafone Telecel extended its contract for Alcatel's local multipoint distribution services (LMDS) for its customer base in Portugal.The 26 GHz network covers Lisbon, and the center and south of Portugal is already operational.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-Witness Mangwende, Zimbabwean minister of transport and communications, has informed parliament that the regulatory body, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), has been dissolved amid allegations of irregularities concerning the licensing of the two independent mobile networks, Telecel and...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-The Telecommunications Secretary in Argentina authorized Millicom to rent the infrastructure network of existing cellular operators. This is the first time there has been a legal directive in place that allows for a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) to operate in the...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-The Telecommunications Cooperative of Santa Cruz (Cotas) has become the first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the region by launching its Cotas M
DUBLIN, Ireland—Some trends are beginning to emerge in the European multimedia messaging service (MMS) market following the launch of services by several operators. However, there is still a distinct split between those charging per message and operators adopting volume pricing models similar to those...
BERNE, Switzerland—Swisscom Mobile said it will begin offering multimedia messaging services on June 3, following MMS launches from Telecom Italia Mobile and Vodafone Telecel in Portugal last week.Swisscom Mobile will provide the service free during its launch phase until the end of September. Beginning...
OXFORD, United Kingdom—Looking to build on the runaway success of short message service (SMS), two more European mobile operators have joined in the rush to be among the first to launch multimedia messaging services (MMS). Vodafone Telecel in Portugal and Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM)...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—Millicom's cellular operator in Bolivia introduced Telecel Free, a post-pay service with no subscription or invoice that charges airtime costs to the client's credit or debit card. According to Laura Schneider, Telecel general manager, the company invested US$250,000 to offer this...
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa—Zimbabwe is a country on the threshold of total anarchy and economic collapse. With the recent elections, the world is collectively holding its breath to see if the beleaguered country will ever recover from the decades of abuse. Yet within this political,...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—The major cellular operator in Paraguay, Telecel (Millicom International), has launched its prepaid fixed wireless telephony service called Tele2. The new service uses an 800 MHz cellular network and is direct competition to the state-owned monopoly Compa
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—More than 41 percent of Ericsson's last half-year losses were attributed to the possible failure to pay by various telephony operators in Argentina and other countries in the region."The traditional circuit-switching business continues to shrink, and we are particularly affected by the...
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa—Zimbabwean telecommunications company TeleAccess is reported to be involved in negations to purchase Telecel International, the mobile network operator with services in 13 African countries including Zimbabwe.TeleAccess Chief Executive Daniel Shuma said the company would also apply for a global mobile personal...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—As planned, the telephony liberalization process in Bolivia began on 28 November, including a multicarrier system for national and international long-distance calls. Through the process, Entel's monopoly of the market has finally ended, as well as the regional cooperatives' hold on local...
LONDON—Vodafone said adoption of the single Vodafone brand by Portugal's Telecel Vodafone and Spain's Airtel Vodafone is complete, ahead of the original early 2002 schedule. Both companies supported the single brand through advertising campaigns.Vodafone said the subsidiaries can now benefit from brand advertising, media...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—The Paraguayan Communications Company (CPC) was granted a license by the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) to offer cellular telephony in Paraguay on the 900 MHz frequency using GSM technology. The president of Conatel, Victor Bogado, stated "CPC will be shortly offering its...
AlcatelParis. With Orascom Telecom for the supply and installation of GSM solutions in the Middle East and Africa.Value: Undisclosed. Brazil. With Telemar for a GSM 1800/GPRS network in Brazil.Value: US$275 millionMoscow. With ZAO SMARTS for GSM 900 MHz solutions to extend networks in the...
NEW YORK-Vodafone Group plc introduced international roaming for its prepaid mobile-phone customers on its networks across Europe. The service, already available to Vodafone's postpaid customers, follows the launch of Vodafone Eurocall and Home Services international prepaid roaming services.The new international prepaid service, introduced recently...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-With a growth rate above 50 percent during 2001 and a 20-percent penetration, cellular telephony has proven itself as the main communications vehicle in Paraguay.Four operators compete nationwide. Telecel and Personal together control 95 percent of the market share, offering traditional cellular...
LONDON-Vodafone Group plc customers on seven of the company's networks in Europe now can use their normal "short code" dialing numbers to access services such as voicemail, directory assistance and customer service when traveling outside their home country."Allowing customers to use their existing short...
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-Orascom Telecom (OT) is emerging as the winning titan in the conquest of cellular operations in Africa and the Middle East. With GSM cellular licenses firmly secured in the last few weeks in the Cameroon and Niger, Orascom now boasts more than...
