Telecom, Mobile & Wireless: Trends,News & Articles

Study: Cell service costs more in US

2009-08-31T01:02:00.000-07:00

Six consumer-oriented organizations answered a forceful "yes" in a July federal filing with the Federal Communications Commission. Backing their assertions is an international study concluding Americans pay the world's highest cell phone rates. And a U.S. senator is examining whether text messaging is priced out of line.
U.S. residents pay the world's highest rate — about $53.30 per month — for a "medium-use package" including 780 minutes of outgoing voice calls, 600 text messages and eight multi-media messages per year, says an August report by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
In contrast, Finns, Swedes and the Dutch pay $11 to $12 per month for the same plan, according to the report, which covers 26 countries.
Americans also pay the most — about $22.50 a month — for what the group termed a "low-use package" including 360 minutes of outgoing voice calls, 396 text messages and eight multimedia messages per year. That compares with $4.16 a month in the least expensive country, Denmark, with Finland, Sweden and Norway just slightly more expensive.
But the OECD's data is misleading, said the Cellular Telephone Industry Association, the official voice of the cellular-service companies.

Via MSN

Verizon Wireless Set To Rollout 4G In 2010

2009-08-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Verizon Wireless completed its first successful Long Term Evolution (LTE) Fourth Generation (4G) data call in Boston based on the 3GPP Release 8 standard; the company also announced that it had earlier completed the first LTE 4G data call based on the 3GPP Release 8 standard in Seattle. While Verizon previously disclosed its intentions to test the 4G standard in the two cities, the carrier had not provided details on the trials until now.

The tests involved streaming video, file uploads and downloads, and Web browsing. Interestingly, Verizon also said it placed voice calls using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to enable voice transmissions over the LTE 4G network, though the carrier has said in the past that it plans to keep most voice traffic on its existing CDMA 1x network.

Technology partners helping to enable data calls in these initial markets include Alcatel-Lucent (Boston) and Ericsson (Seattle) for base station/radio access network, LG and Samsung for trial devices, and Starent Networks and Nokia Siemens Networks for network equipment. Devices from LG and Samsung will soon be supplemented by devices from ST Ericsson, Motorola and Qualcomm.

Boston and Seattle each now have 10 LTE 4G cell sites up and running on the 700 MHz spectrum. These LTE 4G markets were selected by network planners due to their geographic configuration of suburban and urban areas as well as the areas’ high-technology population. The trials will help Verizon Wireless and its LTE 4G network partners understand issues that include how to best prepare cell sites and how to add the new technology to the network.

Verizon Wireless expects to commercially launch its LTE 4G network in up to 30 markets in 2010, covering 100 million people. In subsequent years, an equally aggressive growth plan will result in full nationwide coverage in 2013.

For more information about Verizon Wireless’ LTE 4G network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte.

Nokia Unveils N97 3G HSDPA Mobile Phone

2008-12-08T02:48:00.000-08:00

Nokia unveiled the Nokia N97, the world's most advanced mobile computer, which will transform the way people connect to the Internet and to each other.

After the iPhone shakened up the cellphone market, celllphone manufacturers are desperately trying to create an iPhone killer.

Nokia too announced the Nokia N97 to compete in this space and here are the features:

* 3.5″ Wide Screen (16:9)
* Symbian
* WiFi and HSDPA
* A-GPS
* 3.5 mm standard headphone jack.
* MicroSD slot.
* 5 Megapixel Camera with Carl Zeiss lens.
* 32GB onboard memory, expandable to 48 MB.

Unlike the iPhone, Nokia is following a lot of standards, which is plus.

Nokia Going for Linux Instead of Android

2008-12-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

After unveiling the very impressive N97, Nokia Vice President of markets units, Ukko Lappalainen, made several comments that brought to our attention the fact that the Finnish manufacturer was thinking of using the Linux OS for its more expensive, upcoming smartphones.

“In the longer perspective, Linux will become a serious alternative for our high-end phones,” said Lappalainen in what can only be deemed his most relevant statement in this sense.

Such a development may become a reality also because of the fact that Google has now developed a Linux-based Android platform. This may be one of the solutions that Nokia will be employing, although more realistic is the theory that the world's biggest mobile phone maker could be developing its own Linux system for its smartphones. This theory rings true mainly because the potential clients of this kind of smartphones are very demanding, their needs being a bit special, so it’s understandable if Nokia didn't want to take too many risks in this respect.

Also, the Linux maemo operating system found on the niche line of Internet tablets has been performing quite well, and is seemingly in conformity with the demands of Nokia's presidents in all aspects. As Lappalinen stated, “I don’t see anything in Android which would make it better than Linux maemo.”

Caller ID-Spoofing Service In UK shuttered After Five Days

2008-06-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

Spookcall, the UK's first caller ID-spoofing service available to the general public, has decided to close less than one week after launch.
Spookcall allowed anyone to impersonate any other phone number on a call recipient's caller ID display. Spookcall also offered customers the ability to disguise their voice using software. It cost £5 for every 10 minutes of faked calling.

It's thought such trickery is currently legal in the UK. The Liberal Democrats have called on regulators to act however, claiming the availablity of such services in the UK could make it even easier to fleece the public and invade privacy.

Caller ID spoofing services have been available in the US for several years.Spookcall brought the controversial practice to the UK with the tagline "be anyone you want to be".

Cisco, Intel And Others Join To Form WiMAX Patent Pool

2008-06-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

Six WiMAX firms have teamed together to create the Open Patent Alliance, a group that's goal is to jointly license WiMAX patents so they can keep royalty rates in check and make the technology more affordable. The companies involved in the formation of the OPA include Cisco Systems, Intel Corp., Alcatel-Lucent, Clearwire, Sprint and Samsung.
the OPA members made it clear that companies that join the group don't relinquish their patents. The IPR remains with the owners and they are free to use them. Instead the group will work to make it easier for others to license those patents.

In addition, the OPA referred to itself as a "patent pool" and said that it is very different from the WiMAX Forum, an organization with a goal of promoting interoperability and collaboration among its members.

However, several well-known WiMax providers are not on the list, including Motorola Inc., which is providing equipment for a field test of mobile WiMax services in Chicago as part of the Xohm initiative spearheaded by Sprint. Other companies which are interested in WiMAX, which are not yet a part of this pool are Motorola, Qualcomm and Nokia.

Nokia Launches Mobile Wallet Phone

2008-04-17T00:50:00.000-07:00

Handset giant Nokia introduced the Nokia 6212 classic, a new 3G handset featuring integrated Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies enabling users to share content and access services as well as conduct payments and ticketing transactions.

According to Nokia, travel tickets may be charged over the air, eliminating waits at service counters--users can securely store their credit card info on the 6212 classic and access accounts directly from the handset. A single tap on an NFC-enabled tag also enables users to receive new content like weblinks, audio files or contact data--they may also activate profiles and open applications including FM radio or web browsing. Photos and videos may be easily shared by tapping another NFC-capable phone and pairing with a Bluetooth NFC-enabled device. The Nokia 6212 classic is expected to start shipping in the third quarter in selected European and Asian markets.

UK: Mobile Number Porting With In Two Hours

2007-11-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

The UK's telecoms regulator, Ofcom has issued new rules making it easier for consumers to keep their mobile number when they switch providers. Under the new rules, consumers will be able to receive calls using their existing number within 2 hours of moving to a new mobile network. Previously the processing time was 5 days.

The move follows Ofcom's earlier decision to reduce mobile number porting lead times from 5 days to 2 days from 1 April 2008. Two hour transfers for mobile numbers must now be implemented by 1 September 2009.

In addition, industry will be obliged to ensure that the new porting process includes the necessary levels of protection for consumers.

CDG And 3GPP2 Published Ultra Mobile Broadband(UMB) Spec

2007-11-08T00:06:00.000-08:00

The CDMA Development Group (CDG) and the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) published the Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) air interface specification, which is often referred to as a 4G technology, in September.

The publication of this specification marks the world’s first IP-based mobile broadband standard to enable peak download data rates of 288 Mbps in a 20 MHz bandwidth, while preserving large economies of scope and scale.

The spec claims that UMB is the first IP-based mobile broadband standard to enable peak download data rates of 288 Mbps in a 20 MHz bandwidth, while preserving large economies of scope and scale. UMB is the latest family member of CDMA2000 technologies and allows the transfer of native IP at speeds that are orders of magnitudes higher than technologies commercially available today, according to the standards groups. UMB is an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) standard. UMB is expected to seamlessly integrate with CDMA2000 and EV-DO.

Here are a few of the specs:
* High-Speed Data: Peak download and upload speeds of 288 Mbps and 75 Mbps, respectively.
* Increased Data Capacity: Ability to deliver both high-capacity voice and broadband data events in mobile environments at excess of 300 km/hr.
* Low Latency: An average latency of 14.3 msec over-the-air with minimal jitter.
* Increased VoIP Capacity: Up to 1000 simultaneous VoIP users within a single sector.

Some facts and figures about SMS

2007-11-07T00:04:00.000-08:00

* The first text message was sent in December 1992, and SMS was launched commercially for the first time in 1995
* 1998 - Interconnect between UK Operators O2, Orange, Vodafone and T-Mobile
* The first recorded monthly text message total was 5.4 million in April 1998
* August 2001 was the first month in which over one billion messages were sent in the UK
* December 2002 - 1 billion SMS per day were exchanged globally
* The MDA has forecast that 36.5 billion messages will be sent throughout the UK during 2006, with an average of 100 million messages being sent per day

* 65 million UK subscribers were registered as active on UK networks as of the end of December 2005 of which over 70% send text messages
* 95% of 16-24 year olds use text messaging regularly, each sending an average of 100 texts per month
* On New Year's Day 2003, the number of text messages sent in one day topped one hundred million for the first time
* On New Year's Day 2006, the highest daily total ever recorded by the Mobile Data Association was reached, when 165 million messages were sent
* Annual SMS totals: 1999 - 1 billion; 2000 - 6.2 billion; 2001 - 12.2 billion; 2002 - 16.8 billion; 2003 - 20.5 billion; 2004 - 26 billion; 2005 - 32 billion
* Britons sent 120 million text messages on Valentine's Day 2006, compared to the estimated 12 million cards sent.
* On average, 4.1 million messages are sent every hour in Britain.
* 72% of women v 70 % of men text regularly (source - ICM Research)
* More women than men use picture messaging, while men are bigger users of the mobile internet (WAP) (source - Enpocket)
* The peak hours for texting are between 10.30pm and 11.00pm
* There is a huge range of services that can send you text updates e.g. Movie reviews, bank balances, sports, and weather.
* The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair MP became the first UK Prime Minister to use text message technology to talk directly to the people on 25th November 2004, answering questions submitted in advance by text message from members of the public as well as in real-time in a mobile phone chat-room, transmitted live from No.10 Downing Street.

Google Launches Adsense For Mobile

2007-09-18T00:36:00.000-07:00

Google has launched Adsense for mobile. Adsense is an advertising program that contextually targets advertisements to website content.
Like Google's other AdSense products, mobile text ads run on an auction model. The system automatically reviews the content of publishers’ mobile websites and delivers text ads that are relevant to the websites’ audience and content. Publishers earn money whenever mobile users click on the ads.

If you have a website optimized for mobile browsers, or are interested in creating one, you can start monetizing your mobile site by accessing a growing number of our mobile advertisers.
When you add the new AdSense for mobile code to your site, we'll display relevant ads using the same targeting technology that you are familiar with for existing AdSense products.

AdSense for Mobile will be available in the following countries: US, England, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Russia, Netherlands, Australia, India, China, and Japan (available in the coming weeks).

Chinese Airline Offers InFlight Mobile Service

2007-09-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

China's Shenzhen Airlines has fitted its planes with communications technology that will allow passengers to use their mobile phones to make voice calls and send e-mail and SMS messages during flights.

The OnAir service is set to be installed across Shenzhen Airlines' full fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft by mid-2009. Three "demonstrator" aircraft are also being readied for the Beijing Olympic Games in August 2008.

OnAir said its equipment will be retrospectively fitted on Shenzhen's existing aircraft and line-fitted on new aircraft. The service is aimed at passengers with smart phones or basic handsets.

The deal with Shenzhen is the third such agreement OnAir has secured that covers an airline's whole fleet, following a pact signed last summer with low-cost carrier Ryanair and an agreement in June this year with AirAsia. The Ryanair in-flight communications service is due to go live by the end of this year, according to an OnAir spokesman, and the AirAsia service is slated to launch in early 2009.

Source

YouTube Goes Mobile

2007-06-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

User submitted video aggregator YouTube has launched its mobile version. So, the YouTube video fans can take their favorite portal along with them where ever they go.
This portal is available at m.youtube.com. Currently the new YouTube Mobile offers only a small selection of video clips, with categories including Featured, Recently Added, Most Viewed, Top Rated, Top Favorites, Entertainment and People. Video files are streamed rather than downloaded.
But as the video straming is bandwidth hungry, users with low bandwidth plans may not experience good quality.

WiBree Forum Merges With Bluetooth SIG

2007-06-14T01:04:00.000-07:00

Bluetooth SIG, the consortium behind the Bluetooth wireless standard announced Tuesday that the Wibree Forum, the group specifying the Nokia developed ultra low power wireless technology, will be merged with the Bluetooth SIG.

The technology, called Wibree, opens up the possibility of a host of small wearable gadgets, like watches, heart rate monitors, pedometers and pill boxes that communicate with Bluetooth-equipped cell phones or computers. A watch could display the user's incoming text messages, for instance, or an action figure toy could sense the presence of other toys.

“By including or referencing other wireless technologies like ultra wideband for high speed applications, near field communication (NFC) for association and now Wibree for ultra low power applications under the well-established Bluetooth profiles, we are opening up a host of new applications and functionality while keeping the user experience consistent,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director, Bluetooth SIG. “Our members have been asking for an ultra low power Bluetooth solution. With Nokia’s innovative development and contribution to the Bluetooth specification with Wibree, we will be able to deliver this in approximately one year.”

Wibree has a lower data rate and much lower power consumption than Bluetooth, which is in widespread use as the interface between cell phones and wireless headsets. That means smaller batteries that don't have to be charged often, unlike Bluetooth headsets.

“The development work for Wibree began when we discovered a series of interesting new use scenarios that no current local connectivity solution was addressing. Now we are happy new market opportunities and space to innovate for the industry,” said Jarkko Sairanen, Vice President of Corporate Strategy for Nokia. “Including Wibree within an existing forum will ensure interoperability and its wide and fast adoption. The Bluetooth SIG is the optimal new home for Wibree.”

The decision by the Bluetooth SIG to embrace Wibree validates Nokia's technology, but it also means the Finnish company is giving away the results of a multiyear development effort as Wibree will now be licensed royalty-free.
Certainly this sounds like a good move for the gadget users, lets wait for a while and see how it goes further.
Leave a comment about your opinion..

Apple To Allow External Applications On iPhone

2007-06-12T02:18:00.000-07:00

Recently speaking at Apple's annual developers' conference in San Francisco, Chief Executive Steve Jobs said Apple would let outside developers create applications for the iPhone by tapping Safari, softening the company's previous position that the device would not support other software due to security concerns.

Addressing concerns that the iPhone would not support programs not created by Apple, Jobs said independent developers could write application software for Safari, which is included in the multimedia device.

"It's an innovative new way to create apps for mobile devices ... and it gives us tremendous capability, more than has ever been in a mobile device," Jobs said.

This is a good news for Apple’s enthusiastic development community.

ThinkEquity analyst Jonathan Hoopes said developers writing applications to run on Safari could have their software run on either a Mac or Windows-based computer. "That same app should be able to run on the iPhone," he said.

At the same conference Jobs announced the beta of Safari for Windows based PCs, which is avilable for only Mac systems until now.
Safari for Windows can be downloaded from Apple's website.

Virgin Mobile USA expands mobile search

2007-05-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

Virgin Mobile USA announced an agreement with mobile search technology provider JumpTap to extend the MVNO's WAP-based local search services, enabling subscribers to seek specific search terms by zip code as well as city and state. According to Virgin Mobile, the new capabilities also enable search for local maps and directions to and from destinations. Virgin Mobile introduced JumpTap's white-label search engine in February, allowing for on- and off-deck mobile content discovery via both sponsored and organic links.

"Local search provides our customers with quick and easy access to information right from their cell phones," said Virgin Mobile USA's vice president of mobile data services Dominick Tolli in a prepared statement. "By simply typing in a zip code, they can find restaurants, stores, maps and directions while they're out and about. Our customers no longer need to scramble to get to their computers for this type of local search information."

For more on the Virgin Mobile/JumpTap partnership:
- read this release

New Wireless Internet Technology Based Protocol Developed For LBS

2007-05-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

T. John Kim, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Illinois
along with U. of I. postdoctoral fellow Sung-Gheel Jang, developed the protocol for the international standard for Geographic Information Systems, described by the U. of I. professor as “the backbone” of LBS. Earlier this year, the standard created by Kim and Jang was adopted and published by the International Organization for Standardization as ISO 19134.

Kim said LBS, introduced on cell phones in Korea and Japan, and just becoming available in the U.S., function through a combination of GIS; information, positioning, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies; and the Internet.

“LBS combine hardware devices, wireless communication networks, geographic information and software applications that provide location-related guidance for customers,” Kim said. “It differs from mobile position determination systems such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in that Location Based Services provide much broader, application-oriented location services.”

While cars or hand-held electronic devices equipped with GPS may be useful when trying to get from one place to another, LBS go beyond providing routes and directions, functioning much the same way as a hotel concierge.

“For instance,” Kim said, “if it’s my wife’s birthday, and on my way home from the office I need to pick up a birthday cake and a dozen roses, I would want to know not only where is the nearest bakery and floral shop, but where is the cheapest – or the right – place to find these things that I want.”

The technology can be adapted for a wide range of other functions, he said, ranging from relaying locations of people requiring emergency assistance to first responders to providing alerts about traffic congestion.

Kim said the “proactive” decision by the research and standards communities and consumer-products manufacturers to come together and establish an industry standard for LBS before the market is flooded with devices offering concierge services is somewhat unusual, but highly practical.

Source

Nokia Introduces S60 Widgets

2007-04-17T05:31:00.000-07:00

Nokia announced that it will include widget support in S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2, which means that users will be able to further personalize their mobile Internet experience and customize which content appears on their handsets, such as live weather updates.

This opens up exciting possibilities for Web developers to create innovative applications and services for mobile devices. Web technologies help and promote the rapid development of applications for mobile. Developers can now leverage the same skills, technologies, and tools used for creating Web pages to develop widgets for mobile devices.

S60 on Symbian OS, will be complemented with Web Run-Time, a Web application development environment, enabling the development of widgets and integrated Web applications for mobile devices with familiar standards-based Web technologies, such as Ajax, JavaScript, CSS and HTML.

S60, the popular smartphone platform is the first to add the full HTML browsing experience to millions of S60 mobile devices is now also the first mobile phone platform to give a this functionality which allows the developers to create new innovative widgets and also migrate existing widgets from the desktop to S60 with minimal effort.

"Mobility will change the Internet as people are able to access and create information specific to place, time and context," said Tero Ojanperä, Chief Technology Officer, Nokia. "Widgets are an important milestone in this development. Introducing widget support for S60, much of the innovation seen on the Internet today is being brought to the mobile space for the benefit of the millions of S60 mobile device users".

Press Release

Nokia, Samsung to Cooperate on For Mobile TV Interoperability

2007-04-17T00:48:00.000-07:00

Handset makers Samsung and Nokia announced their plans to collaborate on mobile TV interoperability among their respective DVB-H-enabled devices and the open standards-based Nokia network services system. Samsung and Nokia will work together to develop open OMA BCAST standard-based solutions targeted for operators deploying multi-vendor mobile TV services and trials.
The deployment of mobile TV services will offer new business opportunities for companies across the value chain, including content and broadcast companies, mobile service providers, infrastructure and handset manufacturers, and technology providers. The availability of interoperable DVB-H enabled devices and services is a key factor in further opening up the market.

Nokia warmly welcomes the collaboration in accelerating the adoption of DVB-H based mobile TV services to the market. We see that the OMA BCAST standard is essential in launching mobile TV services on a global scale," says Harri Mannisto, Director, Multimedia, Nokia. "Further, the well-defined service and content protection profiles within the OMA BCAST standard such as the already now available OMA DRM, provides the ideal path towards standardized solutions enabling a coherent and open market for successful worldwide mobile TV deployments."

Within DVB-H technology, Samsung has already commercialized handsets based on the CBMS OSF standard, and will develop the OMA BCAST standard-based mobile TV handset," said Samsung senior VP Kwang Suk Hyun in a prepared statement. "Its inclusion in our product portfolios will enhance our customers' flexibility in choosing suitable standards based on their business models."

DVB-H is an effective technology for deploying broadcast mobile TV among the many digital technologies available to deliver mobile TV services. DVB-H technology offers high service level quality, low battery consumption and offers the end-user the ability to simultaneously receive broadcasts while using other mobile services such as telephony and internet access on their device.

In parallel to supporting mobile operators launching mobile TV services based on existing technologies in their networks, Samsung and Nokia are both active in ongoing standardization and technology development to optimize the broadcast mobile TV experience. The companies will work on interoperability efforts using the open OMA standard while continuing to participate in industry-wide interoperability efforts within the related standardization bodies.

Source

Palm Announces New Linux Based Mobile Platform

2007-04-13T00:16:00.000-07:00

Treo-maker Palm's CEO Ed Colligan officially announced that it will deliver a new Linux and open source based mobile computing platform combined with Palm OS Garnet technology on new products later this year.

Colligan said that the company has been working on this new OS for several years and it has no plans to license it out to other handset makers. Palm still plans to use Garnet OS (Palm OS) and Windows Mobile in its Treo line of phones, but it plans to use its right to the Garnet OS (Palm OS) source code to evolve the current Palm OS into the just announced Linux-based one, which is also rumored to make use of Opera's mobile browser.

Colligan highlighted and stressed a few points about the new platform. He continually stressed the importance of the user experience citing the ability to have an instant on, highly portable device with great battery life. Other highlights included greater hardware flexibility and the ability to handle simultaneous voice and data, two key ares which have hampered the traditional Palm OS in recent years.

The Analyst presentation concluded without any technical or developer details revealed about the new Linux based platform. Many questions remain to be answered as to what the official name will be, what Linux technologies are included, how Palm OS Garnet compatibility will be handled and what the development environment will be composed of. Colligan ended the Q&A session stating that the Linux based platform will be a integral "core technology" for Palm for the foreseeable future.

But certainly it is a good move by Palm and let wait and watch for the progress.

Read more about this news sourse

Google Launches 800GOOG411 - A Voice Search Service

2007-04-11T23:38:00.000-07:00

Google launched a new product called Goog-411 into Google Labs - a free telephone based information service that could replace toll 411 calls. This is a free voice-based directory search service that can recognize speech and read results over the phone or return them in an SMS.

This new service can be accessed by dialing 1-800-GOOG-411. The service is completely automated and there is no way to talk to a human for additional or clarifying information. You tell it your city and state, and then ask for a specific business or business category. In my tests the product was excellent. Although the voice recognition was only working at about 70% efficiency, I just said “back” and retried when it didn’t understand what I said. Results are spoken back or text messaged back to you, and you are automatically put through to the phone number requested.

GOOG-411 is using Google’s normal local business information available on Google Maps and elsewhere. Businesses that want to add or correct data can do so here.

The product competes head on with Jingle Networks, which has taken 6% market share in the U.S. 411 business over the last year. AT&T is also experimenting with free 411 calls. None of these products come anywhere close to as good as TellMe’s rich client business information tool for mobile phones, but few phones support TellMe at this time (TellMe was recently acquired by Microsoft).
Source

Digg for Mobile DiggRiver is Updated

2007-04-10T23:23:00.000-07:00

Digg has updated the mobile version which is called DiggRiver is updated. Though DiggRiver is online for quite sometime, it was passive. You could read whatever is there on the home page but you couldn't digg your favorites.
With this update you could do that also. The diggriver is very conveniently designed for access from the limited size mobile displays. The stories are easy to read and the digg buttons placed on the left side of the story are very easy to use.

The about page on diggriver says:

"This site is a streamlined version of Digg, a community-driven news site where users submit the stories and vote for what they like best. Whether on the train, in line at the grocery store, or in a boring meeting, you can now read the news on your Palm mobile device, Blackberry, or Web-enabled smart phone.

We've added the ability for previously registered users to Digg stories and will continue to add more features in the future. If you don't have a Digg account, go to digg.com to register using a desktop Web browser.

Note that sites we link to may not be optimized for mobile browsers."

Study: Consumers still wary of mobile ads

2007-04-04T03:11:00.000-07:00

A new study from Forrester Research poses the titular question "Is the U.S. Ready for Mobile Marketing?" and while the results indicate the answer is a tentative "Yes," 79 percent of the sample group finds the idea of handset marketing annoying and only 3 percent say they trust ads delivered via mobile device.
"We've grown up with this view of the TV commercial interrupting our favorite program," Forrester analyst and report co-author Christine Spivey Overby said in an interview with AdAge. "There's this ad-equals-interruption mindset that we have, and when you think about something as personal as the mobile phone that you hold in your hand and carry in your pocket, the idea of a marketer interrupting you while you have the phone, that's an idea that consumers hate." According to the Forrester report, text messaging coupons and short codes remain the most consumer-friendly mode of mobile advertising, but are also far less immersive than ad-sponsored games and other more interactive content. Forrester's basic recommendations to mobile marketers: Keep the message brief and measure consumer response, target campaigns to the demographics most likely to respond, and adopt a mindset of value.

Source

EU Commissioner Calls For DVB-H Mobile TV Standard

2007-03-22T01:15:00.000-07:00

The European Commission is urging the European telecommunications industry to accelerate its mobile TV efforts, calling for action to determine a single broadcasting technology standard. "I'm not very impressed with the progress the industry and governments in Europe have made so far," European Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding told Dow Jones Newswires. "The time for decisions is now--otherwise mobile TV will miss the boat to the European soccer championships in 2008." Reding said she considers the DVB-H standard the front-running broadcasting technology option.

Despite ongoing hiccups, the European Commission remains bullish on mobile TV--according to its most recent estimates, mobile TV services will generate €11.4 billion in global revenue by 2009, buoyed by an international market of 50 million video-enabled handsets.

Source

Yahoo! expands oneSearch service to the Mobile Web in the U.S

2007-03-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

Yahoo announced the expansion of its new oneSearch service beyond its Go for Mobile 2.0 platform onto the mobile web. According to Yahoo, the move makes oneSearch accessible on more than 85 percent of the U.S. handset population. "Yahoo oneSearch has already started to change the mobile search game by fundamentally improving the way consumers' access and use the Internet on their mobile phones," said Yahoo senior vice president of connected life Marco Boerries in a prepared statement. "Consumers that have tried oneSearch love it, telling us it's easier and more helpful than any other mobile search services they've used. We are delivering the results consumers want with just one search, not a list of Web links."
Yahoo added it plans to roll out oneSearch in additional global markets and languages in the months ahead.

Source

Nokia announces platforms to connect advertisers and media publishers with mobile

2007-03-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

Nokia announced two mobile advertising services. Nokia Ad Service is a fully managed service for advertisers to conduct targeted advertising on mobile services and applications. Nokia Ad Service consists of a group of mobile publishers forming a mobile ad network and a platform to deploy, manage and optimize mobile advertising campaigns. Nokia also introduced Nokia Advertising Connector, a private label service for third party Publishers and Advertising Aggregators that want to extend to relevant mobile advertising.
According to Nokia, Nokia Advertising Connector operates as an intelligent switch, selecting between text, visual, audio and video ads - depending on the user's context - and feeding the ad to the device.
The Nokia Ad Service is designed to support and manage the complete ad campaign lifecycle, including planning, deploying and reporting. According to Nokia, the service targets advertisers launching global mobile campaigns, agencies expanding into mobile advertising alongside traditional media initiatives, and publishers exploring new business models and larger consumer audiences.
Nokia Ad Service is now available in Europe and will roll out globally in the second half of 2007. "Mobile advertising is becoming an increasingly attractive channel for brands," said director of Nokia Ad Service Tom Henriksson in a prepared statement. "We have completed a number of pilot campaigns with advertisers and mobile publishers for testing the Nokia ad serving technology and consumer experience. The feedback has been very positive from all parties."

For more info read the release

NXP Introduces Nexperia Cellular Linux System for 3G Handsets

2007-02-08T01:22:00.000-08:00

NXP, the newly independent semiconductor company founded by Philips, announced the availability of the Linux open source operating system for its 3G mobile phone system solution. Working in collaboration with Purple Labs, a French design company offering fully integrated solutions for mobile communication products, NXP has launched the Nexperia(TM) cellular system solution 7210 with Linux for 3G handsets. Not having the additional cost and complexity of integrating a dedicated application processor, manufacturers will be able to enjoy the time-to-market advantages of using a high level operating system. Operators will also be able to provide a stable and powerful, yet cost effective platform to offer new connected services.

The NXP Nexperia cellular system solution 7210 is a powerful dual-mode UMTS multimedia platform running on a single-core ARM9 for the 3G mobile feature-phone market. By offering a Linux-based platform on a single core, the Nexperia cellular system solution 7210 gives greater flexibility, allowing easy development and upgrades. The choice of offering an open source operating system gives this flexibility without increase of cost.

"Linux is gaining ground in the mobile-handset space due to the benefits it brings to manufacturers and operators and eventually also to the end consumers," said Michel Windal, marketing director, Mobile & Personal Business Unit, NXP Semiconductors. "Linux motivates developers to generate and share new vibrant media applications such as games, advanced music players and intuitive TV-on-mobile, offering greater benefits to the end user and allowing for differentiation for both manufacturers and operators."

"The Open Source platform supports interoperability across the various brands of handset devices," said Dennis O’Donovan, managing director, Purple Labs, "Linux lends itself well to modular design by offering OEMs a flexible and powerful operating system, resulting in the easier development of new applications. Today’s end-users demand feature-rich, compact and cost competitive handsets, but will not compromise on core features such as low-power consumption and high performance, and the Nexperia cellular system solution 7210 with Linux easily enables manufacturers to meet these needs."

Source

ITU to make WiMAX a 3G standard

2007-02-07T04:31:00.000-08:00

According to the WiMAX Forum's white paper "WiMAX and IMT-2000" , there is a good chance that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will allow mobile WiMAX to be included in its range of 3G technologies, collectively known as IMT-2000.
Such a move would bring considerable benefits by allowing WiMAX to operate in globally allocated frequency bands, allow it to be used to complement other 3G technologies, enable global roaming and reduce equipment costs.

The White Paper says: "including IP-OFDMA (mobile WiMAX) within the IMT-2000 family of radio transmission technologies will put mobile WiMAX on a comparable worldwide footing with EV-DO, HSPA, and other recent and planned enhancements to 3G technology. This will offer operators an additional migration path to consider as they strive to add network capabilities to support a larger suite of value-added broadband services."

According to WiMAX Day, "The exact technology that is being considered for inclusion in IMT is 'IP-OFDMA'. This is an acronym for Internet Protocol - Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access used by the IEEE 802.16e mobility standard, which is otherwise commonly referred to as WiMAX."

Source

MMA: Consumers more open to participating in mobile marketing campaigns

2007-02-05T22:29:00.000-08:00

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) (www.mmaglobal.com) today reported key findings of its annual attitude and usage study on mobile marketing effectiveness. The study, conducted with global market research firm Synovate, measures both the perceptions and usage for wireless and text messaging, as well as overall receptiveness and participation in mobile marketing initiatives. More than 1,800 consumers between the ages of 13 and 65 were queried, with results indicating that mobile consumers are more educated about the features and functionality of their devices and are engaging more frequently in mobile marketing campaigns.

The study also revealed that the youth market reported the highest rate of interest and usage, ranging from 30 to 40 percent.

Source

Wireless trend: Consumers have not reaped the expected benefits of cellphone 'number portability'

2007-01-23T03:46:00.000-08:00

According to a report from Analysys Research, there are few countries where more than 10 percent of mobile phone subscribers have taken advantage of number portability, which refers to the rule that a customer can take a phone number to another carrier should he or she switch carriers. In Britain and Italy, just under 10 percent of mobile users took advantage of number portability. France and Germany's figure was so small its percentage was negligible. The U.S. saw about 5 percent of mobile users taking their numbers to a new operator. The curve-breaker of the 25 countries surveyed was (surprise, surprise) Finland, which saw 55 percent of mobile users transferring their numbers to a new carrier during the four years since portability first became available.

Number portability has not ushered in a new paradigm of radically improved mobile services or customer care as the hype machine predicted so many years ago. Here's a new topic to chew on: So, when do we do away with these numbers altogether?

Source

One of Four Handsets Shipped in 2011 Will Cost Less Than $20, Says ABI Research

2007-01-21T03:42:00.000-08:00

According to a new report from ABI, the global market for ultra low cost handsets (ULCH) under $20 will see more than 330 million units shipped in 2011. Additionally, ABI predicts that 50 percent of these handsets will be shipped in the emerging markets of Asia Pacific, while the other half will be shipped to Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Eastern Europe. India will prove to be the biggest ULCH market during the next five years, growing from 9 million handsets last year to more than 116 million by 2011.

While recent quarterly results from major handset makers like Nokia and Motorola have shown declining profits because of the emerging ultra-low cost handset market, ABI predicts declining ARPUs for mobile carriers in emerging markets as well. The average ULCH user has a monthly spending limit of between $2 and $5.

Source

US Carrier price changes on handsets

2007-01-15T08:42:00.000-08:00

As is typical for the post-holiday season, U.S. carriers, including T-Mobile, Alltel, Boost Mobile and Cingular Wireless are reconfiguring their pricing strategies for handsets. T-Mobile reduced its Samsung t609 from $50 to "free" and the carrier-branded Sidekick 3 from $250 to $200. It also raised the prices of the t619 from "free" to $40, the t629 from $100 to $450 and the Motorola V195 from $20 to $30. The T-Mobile Dash also crept up to $200 from $150.

Source

Apple Reinvents the Phone With iPhone

2007-01-13T04:46:00.000-08:00

After months of rumors and speculation, Apple finally unveiled its iPhone hybrid device during CEO Steve Jobs' keynote appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The reality of the iPhone matches closely with the conjecture that anticipated the announcement: It is a quad-band GSM mobile phone, a widescreen iPod music/video player and Internet communications device all in one, complete with the function-over-form user interface hallmarks that are Apple's signature. As expected, Cingular Wireless will serve as Apple's exclusive carrier partner, and both Apple and Cingular stores will carry the iPhone when it reaches the U.S. market in June 2007; the 4GB model will retail for $499, while the 8GB model will carry a price tag of $599.

From a content standpoint, the most compelling iPhone news is unofficial--by spotlighting the Beatles' "Lovely Rita" during the CES iPhone demo, Jobs implicitly acknowledged that Apple finally secured digital distribution rights to the Fab Four's back catalog. No official announcement on a licensing deal was forthcoming, but music biz insiders confirm an agreement is in place. The two entities already share a long history, most of it tempestuous: Branding conflicts have kept Jobs' Apple in legal battle with the Beatles' Apple Corps for two decades, culminating in mid-2006 when a British judge ruled that iTunes did not violate a 1991 agreement stipulating the Apple Computer could continue doing business under the Apple name as long as the technology maker steered clear of the music industry. Interestingly, Jobs announced Tuesday that his company was officially updating its name from Apple Computer to Apple Inc., although it's unclear what if anything the change portends in regards to its relationship with Apple Corps.

Read the release

Ringback tones on the rise

2007-01-11T04:37:00.000-08:00

Ringback tones continue to gain traction even as the U.S. ringtone market plateaus, according to new figures from M:Metrics.

The market research firm found that the popularity of ringback tones—music clips that a caller hears instead of a traditional ring before the person being called answers the phone—more than tripled last year, exploding from 2.4 million subscribers in January to nearly 8 million subscribers in November. The application continued to gain ground in Europe, as well, growing at a rate of roughly 150 percent in Germany and the United Kingdom during the year.

Meanwhile, ringtones remain popular, if not as lucrative. Nearly 7 percent of all U.S. wireless subscribers have made their own ringtones, M:Metrics found, as the percentage of users purchasing ringtones slipped from 10 percent of wireless consumers to less than 9 percent.

Source

Cellphone Video Gets On the Beam

2007-01-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

Cellular carriers and other technology companies have come up with numerous ways to deliver video and even live TV to cellphones over wireless networks in recent years. So far, the results have been a limited success.

Samsung Electronics announced the development of a new mobile television standard that essentially enables portable devices to receive digital signals from local TV broadcasters. Developed by the South Korean company's Samsung Information Systems America subsidiary, the technology--dubbed Advanced-Vestigial Side-Band--does not rely on wireless network bandwidth, effectively freeing capacity for other data-heavy mobile content services.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the technology operates via existing television infrastructures, including spectrum and transmitting towers, enabling broadcasters to sidestep investments in separate network buildouts or carrier partnerships. The Samsung service does require broadcasters to transmit separate signals to mobile handsets and related devices outfitted with Samsung chipsets, but the company said that hurdle is already being addressed. Among the business models Samsung is reportedly exploring is an ad-supported free service as well as a more traditional premium service.

Samsung will demonstrate the standard for the first time at next week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, employing content contributed by Sinclair Broadcasting Group. Sinclair, which operates 58 local stations across the U.S., is currently trialing Advanced-Vestigial Side-Band services in the Baltimore, Buffalo and Las Vegas markets.

Source

Manufacturers sued over Bluetooth wireless technology

2007-01-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

A foundation named the Washington Research Institute (WRI) has filed a lawsuit against Matsushita, Samsung and Nokia, alleging that Bluetooth technology infringes on its patented work carried out at the University of Washington. WRI filed the suit in December and seeks unspecified damages. The WRI's lawyer, Michael Lisa claimed that the foundation "will not refuse reasonable settlements, but if we don't get an offer to do so, we are going to trial." The lawsuit claims that computers, mobile phones and headsets made by the three companies violate four patents held by WRI. Each of the defendants use chipsets made by U.K. firm CSR, which WRI claims has not licensed the technology.
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HP Brings Mobile Device Management to Enterprise Customers with Acquisition of Bitfone Corp

2006-12-29T02:34:00.000-08:00

Hewlett-Packard has announced plans to acquire firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) technology developer Bitfone for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will strengthen HP's enterprise offerings with mobile device management, which highlights the increasing importance of mobile devices in the core IT infrastructure of the enterprise. HP says Bitfone's technology will help its enterprise clients reduce device support costs and smooth device deployments, migration and replacement. Bitfone will be integrated into the Handheld Business Unit of HP's Personal Systems Group.

Source

Viacom's MTV targets mobile phone content

2006-12-28T22:13:00.000-08:00

In a move that proves MTV is increasingly slow in responding to the kinds of youth culture phenomena it once ignited, the Viacom-owned cable network announced the launch of its Mobile Media Group division, which will develop MTV content and brands for wireless games, ringtones and video clips. The group will administrate mobile activities within MTV Networks' various cable channels (e.g. Nickelodeon, VH1 and Comedy Central) and among its domestic and foreign operations. Among its responsibilities: Mobile Junk 2.0, a new user-generated content service launching in conjunction with Sprint Nextel.

"Connecting with our consumers on every platform they love is at the heart of our digital strategy," MTV Networks CEO Judy McGrath said in a prepared statement.

Source

BT to re-enter mobile market with license bid - report

2006-12-13T23:38:00.000-08:00

BT is ready to re-enter the UK mobile market five years after it hived off its O2 wireless unit, according to a report in the Independent.

The former monopoly operator is expected to bid in a forthcoming spectrum auction, details of which were announced yesterday by telecoms industry watchdog Ofcom.

It will be the largest ever sale of spectrum in the UK, although the UK government is unlikely to generate anything near the 23 bln stg it earned from the 2000 3G auction.

Source

China to issue phone charger standard

2006-12-08T01:39:00.000-08:00

According to a report in the People's Daily Online, China is developing a national standard for mobile phone chargers "to avoid waste and lower costs for users." The standard should be approved before year-end. The standard expects all mobile phones, regardless of brand, to provide a USB access port for a universal charger, which will also allow for charging via laptops. The report claims the standard will not be compulsory, but the director of a lab in charge of the program, He Guili said, "We believe that the home-brands makers will give positive response to it." He said the standard may take effect during the first half of 2007.

EU: Let consumers pick telecom standards

2006-12-07T23:50:00.000-08:00

The EU's commissioner for information society and media, Vivian Reding, said regulators should not be the main force in charge of mandating standards: "I think it should be left to businesses to find the business models that attract consumers to opt for the services they like (most)... The GSM standard was a landmark decision... today the picture is more complex. For governments to make a viable case for choosing any standard is much more difficult." Reding also added that for WiMAX to be successful, a new degree of flexibility must be introduced to regulation: "We are a long way off this, however ...barriers are bureaucratic, not technical. It is governments' duty to get it right."

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Wireless: The battle of the standards

2006-11-15T04:46:00.000-08:00

The International Herald Tribune has an article on the GSM vs CDMA battle, although at the end it concludes that they’re basically equivalent.

Most cellphone users do not know what kind of network their service provider runs, nor whether it is 2G or 3G. Yet behind the scenes, industry lobbies and makers of network equipment and cellphone chips jockey for position as they struggle to make their technology dominant.

Though the front line of the battle is shifting to 3G - or so-called third- generation - technologies, which offer more capacity on their networks and faster data transmission speeds, the previous generation of networks may ultimately determine who comes out on top, because service providers tend to use the same family of technology when they migrate to faster networks.

GSM, the global system for mobile communications, is the dominant mobile phone standard in the world, with a market share of 83 percent. But GSM networks have been slow to move to 3G, allowing CDMA, which is widely used in North and South America, a window that it has quickly exploited.

"It's probably too early to call the death of CDMA," said Martin Garner, the director of Wireless Intelligence.

While the growth of CDMA will not match that of GSM, Wireless Intelligence is forecasting that there will be nearly 500 million people using CDMA technologies by 2010, compared with 340 million today. Those using the 2G and 3G GSM networks are forecast to increase to 3.5 billion in 2010 from 2.1 billion today.

"CDMA is certainly going to remain small when compared to GSM," Garner said, "but they have a decent chunk of the market, a reasonable niche that they will be able to defend."

While companies have staked their future on the continued success of one technology versus another, for people who just want to use their cellphone to make a call, send e-mail or browse the Internet, it may all be academic.

"People make outlandish claims about what one cellular technology is capable of compared with another, but they offer broadly similar performances," Garner said. "One of the technologies will make a move before the other and then have an advantage for a while, but they are basically moving in the same direction at the same speed."

Fully Ad-supported Free Mobile Phone Service to Launch in '07

2006-11-02T23:50:00.000-08:00

Blyk, is an advertising-funded mobile phone service scheduled to launch in the United Kingdom in mid-2007, followed by other markets, the company said Thursday. The service will be aimed at consumers between the ages 16 and 24. The company hopes to go live in the U.K. by next year. Whether it actually makes this goal remains to be seen.
Blyk isn’t the first company to offer free mobile service in exchange for advertising rights, Harris said. Similar advertising-supported services were launched a few years ago for fixed-line phones, but "you really don’t hear anything about them anymore," Harris said.
Spotcast Communications launched an advertising-supported service in Hong Kong in 1999 but shut it down a year later.

Source

YouTube wants to go mobile

2006-11-02T23:41:00.000-08:00

YouTube founder and CEO Chad Hurley told attendees at an advertising conference that it is planning a mobile version of the site for next year.
Currently, YouTube members can upload videos to the video-sharing site from their mobile phones. The new service would allow them to browse and view videos from the site as well.
Already many of the clips seen on YouTube are captured by users with their cellphones. A new mobile service could enable users to share videos with others in the YouTube community directly via their phones.

Source

Location, not TV, tops mobile content wish lists

2006-10-20T02:15:00.000-07:00

According to an In-Stat study, mobile users are more interested in getting directions and location-based information on their mobile phones than they are receiving mobile TV. A survey of 1,000 mobile early adopters and businessmen, only 15 percent expressed a strong interest in mobile video, while local directions and navigation services garnered 53 percent. Third-generation networks, the study found, are enhancing the utility of existing mobile Web services by making them faster to load, rather than generating interest in multimedia services.

Source

TV still best place for viewing video

2006-10-03T04:04:00.000-07:00

A study commissioned by the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau found that-- surprise!--people still like watching TV. The report found that 60 percent of the population prefer watching TV on the TV over on the Internet and mobile phones. Yet 26 percent say the Internet has affected how they watch TV and that mobile devices simply expand viewing options.

Of course the cable industry is fighting to keep ad dollars on the TV so they won't lose them to mobile phones or the Internet. The study pointed out that respondents say they will tolerate ads 10 seconds or less and only with the promise of free content. Keep the source of the study in mind, of course. The Internet and mobile won't replace watching the good ol' Tube, but traffic on both is increasing. And where there is traffic, ad dollars will follow.

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US, UK Team on Mobile Research

2006-09-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

The United States and the United Kingdom today announced the formation of the International Technology Alliance (ITA) in Network and Information Sciences, a team of 25 high-profile vendors and universities that will study new capabilities in wireless technology. The alliance will be headed by IBM and given $135.8 million during the next 10 years to develop long- and short-range battlefield communications.

Source

The Orange 3G/ HSDPA data card

2006-09-18T06:24:00.000-07:00

Data cards that let laptop users connect to the internet over the mobile network have been one of the quiet successes of 3G, with business people being able to work from almost anywhere there is a mobile signal.

Orange's latest data card brings the added promise of connections that, at up to 1.8mbps, approach the speed of fixed broadband, using a technology known as HSDPA. Just as importantly for UK-based mobile workers, the card also supports the Edge network. This is not quite 3G, with a maximum speed of around 0.2mbps, but it is significantly faster than conventional 2.5G or GPRS data.

Source

Reality check on mobile search

2006-08-31T05:41:00.000-07:00

Despite recent data suggesting mobile search is taking off, the current reality is less-than-thrilling, says AdAge. Citing Forrester Research, the article points out that 80 percent of marketers say they either use or plan to employ Internet-based search marketing, yet less than one-third of retail marketers and one-half of consumer goods marketers expect to use mobile search as part of that plan. The reason? Traffic. Only about 5 percent of the nation's 190 million mobile phone subscribers have ever used mobile search, according to M:Metrics. The reason: (wait for it….) bad user experience.

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Yahoo expands mobile apps to Windows phones

2006-08-31T01:02:00.000-07:00

Yahoo has made its Yahoo Go for Mobile service available as a download for Windows Mobile powered phones worldwide. Yahoo Go for Mobile includes Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Search and Yahoo Photos, among other services. It also is working to strike deals with manufacturers to embed the service suite in new phones still in development.

Source

Wi-Fi Cards Expose Laptops to Hackers

2006-08-11T00:33:00.000-07:00

Security researchers say they have found a flaw in WiFi drivers that could give hackers access to passwords, bank accounts and other sensitive information when the system isn't even connected to the Internet. David Maynor, senior researcher at network security firm SecureWorks, and fellow researcher Jon "Johnny Cache" Ellch said the problem is with the software built into wireless-networking hardware that allows it to communicate with a computer's operating system.

Read more here

Ofcom Publishes 3G Measurement Plans..

2006-08-11T00:31:00.000-07:00

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has published the methodology that it proposes to use to determine the extent to which the 3G mobile network licensees - O2,Vodafone, Hutchison 3G, T-Mobile and Orange - have complied with their obligation to roll out services. Under the terms of their licences, each is required to cover 80% of the UK population by 31 December 2007.
Ofcom's proposed approach is intended to measure the availability of each licensee's service which should, under normal circumstances, be able to provide a range of applications such as voice, text, video and multimedia services.
Ofcom's methodology, which is subject to consultation, is as follows:
Ofcom will assess coverage on the basis of data about base stations supplied by the licensees and population data from the 2001 Census. It will use planning tools to perform an engineering analysis of the signal strength receivable at outdoor locations. This will be supported by sample measurements around to the UKto verify the results.

READ MORE HERE: SOURCE

3G Subscribers Download Average of 4 Music Tracks Per Month

2006-07-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

Twenty-seven percent of UK 3G mobile subscribers download full track music on their mobile phones, according to Telephia. The latest research from Telephia shows that full track music download penetration is more than 11 percentage points higher among 3G subscribers, as compared to non-3G subscribers at 16 percent. On average, 3G subscribers in the UK download 4.1 music tracks per month and spend an average of 8.3 hours per month listening to full track music on their mobile phones.

The study shows many 3G subscribers prefer to use their PC for storage and transfer of music to their mobile phone, revealing that the PC remains an essential part of the music experience.

Forty-four percent of 3G subscribers would prefer to transfer computer music files that have been ripped from their home music collection to their phone. Nineteen percent would prefer to transfer computer music files that have been downloaded from a peer-to-peer or file-share site, and 14 percent prefer to transfer computer music files that were downloaded from a paid website.

PayPal hires ad agency for Text2Buy

2006-07-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

Despite all the hype and ballyhoo over mobile commerce, one of the largest barriers to market for such services is the unaware public: My phone can do what? With that in mind, PayPal has hired top ad agency Zimmerman Advertising to launch a campaign aimed at educating the public on the ins and outs of PayPal's new Text2Buy. The service allows users to buy actual CDs, DVDs, shoes, etc. I think examples like CDs and DVDs are poor choices, but most releases and other articles seem to cite those first--why go through the trouble of texting and waiting for the mail to arrive when you can get the same content through a mobile music service? Other non-mobile content items should be stressed, and Text2Buy may lead the mobile commerce charge in the U.S., anyway, as promised.

Source

Will WiMax play second fiddle to 3G? - A Report

2006-06-07T00:41:00.000-07:00

Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan has sunk the boot into the much talked about high-speed mobile broadband service known as WiMax, saying it will play a secondary role to 3G in Australia in the coming years.

A key restraint of the emerging WiMax technology at the moment is its lack of mobility. While users can get fast Internet wirelessly, the moment they are in motion, for example, on a train, the signal drops out.

According to Frost & Sullivan analyst Tony Tu, this is one major hurdle the wireless industry needs to overcome if it intends to pick up customers.

In the meantime the ability of the current 3G networks by Vodafone, Optus, Telstra and Optus across metropolitan Australia to provide reasonably fast data speeds weighs against WiMax, limiting it to a supporting role, he claims.

"WiMax is complementary to 3G data services as it provides high bandwidth. But we see it as a nice offering," he said.

Furthermore, the ability of 3G to scale to the even faster HSDPA, known as 3.5G, may be a more worthwhile proposition for subscribers as the basic infrastructure already exists.

HSDPA is High Speed Downlink Packet Access, a mobile broadband standard capable of reaching downlink speeds of 14.4Mbs. In real life, users can expect actual download speeds of between one and 1.8Mbs, with peak upload speeds of 384Kbs.

"It is unlikely existing mobile carriers will invest in WiMax. HSDPA is a cost-effective alternative to existing mobile carriers," he said.

One of the key players in the wireless broadband, and soon to be WiMax space, Unwired, disagrees with Tu's assessment. Unwired's CTO Eric Hamilton said the assumption that WiMax will be in a supporting role is not proven.

"In fact, the question that needs to be considered is whether WiMax will intrude into 3G territory by offering voice, video and other applications."

Hamilton says WiMax will have better performance compared to 3G-based technologies. "This will be the case in terms of all three Cs - Coverage, Capacity and hence Cost."

He said this will be most apparent when customers seek to use a "true" broadband service, where significant uplink (from the customer to the network) capacity is used as well as downlink capacity (from the network to the customer). "In these circumstances the WiMax technology has a significant advantage," he said.

"If a large number of customers choose to take up wireless broadband services, the amount of spectrum and infrastructure needed to support services will be important. At this time suppliers of 3G-based services have significant spectrum limitations, while Unwired and Austar are extremely well placed to take advantage of their spectrum holdings to provide a wide range of broadband services to fixed, portable, nomadic and mobile users across Australia."

Tu said mass adoption in Australia of WiMax should take place in 2009, predicting 500,000 Australians will be subscribed to the technology. This is when chipset-embedded notebooks and Customer Premises Equipment drop to more affordable levels.

SOURCE

Broadband, 3G - Gateway For Nex-Gen Technologies

2006-06-07T00:38:00.000-07:00

Telecom service providers in the Asia Pacific region are looking to broadband and mobile segments to enhance diminishing revenues from the fixed voice segment.

Countries like India and Indonesia are experiencing an increased adoption of 3G services and broadband, while their flourishing cellular markets ensure continuing competitiveness.

A Frost & Sullivan's analysis, which covers 13 major Asia Pacific economies - Asia Pacific Telecom Services Review and Forecast Databank, revealed that revenues in this market in 2004 totaled $246.20 billion and is expected to touch $320.80 billion by the end of 2008.

"Although service providers are providing faster network speed, the pressure to bring down prices persists. In time, service providers are likely to migrate to flat-rate or capped plans, as the cellular market matures and the rate of broadband adoption improves," said Janice Chong, Program Leader, Frost & Sullivan.

3G service providers offering transparent and bundled packages that comprise voice and data services are now offering flat-rate schemes, and unlimited data download packages offered by broadband service providers are becoming increasingly popular.

Read more: SOURCE

Europe’s first Mobile TV Phone and Service

2006-06-07T00:36:00.000-07:00

Samsung Electronics and Debitel (A major German Mobile telephone provider) are offering the first European Mobile TV phone and service. The offering willl allow subscribers to watch 2006 World Cup games on their Samsung P900 handsets in ladnscape view. The service will be available in 5 major cities - Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Stuttgart and Frankfurt - and will extend to more cities thereafter. Samsung has already provided satellite and terestrial DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) phones to the Korean market.

SOURCE

Japan's DoCoMo planning big push in Asia

2006-06-07T00:33:00.000-07:00

Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo says it is planning a big expansion into Asian markets like Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam in an effort to capitalize on the expected demand for 3G services. DoCoMo doesn't have a stellar track record when it comes to international acquisitions. In 2000, the company committed about $23 billion in acquisitions to port its i-mode technology, including more than $15 billion for a share of AT&T Wireless, an investment which turned out to be ill-timed. Problems signing up i-mode subscribers in Europe and the tanking of the telecom industry in 2001-2002 took a heavy toll on DoCoMo's international investments. The firm wrote off almost $15 billion in international share value in 2001-2002 and stopped international expansions in early 2002. It ended up making technical alliances with operators in Europe and Asia to push i-mode. Now DoCoMo faces a super-saturated market in Japan and needs to find growth elsewhere.

For more about NTT DoCoMo's international plans:
- read this article from the Financial Times

HSDPA Facts

2006-06-07T00:29:00.000-07:00

High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is a new mobile telephony protocol and is also known to as 3.5G (or “3½G”) technology which is one step higher for 3G. In this respect it extends WCDMA in the same way that EV-DO extends CDMA2000. HSDPA provides a smooth evolutionary path for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks allowing for higher data capacity (up to 14.4 Mbps in the downlink). It is an evolution of the W-CDMA standard, designed to increase the available data rate by a factor of 5 or more. HSDPA defines a new W-CDMA channel, the high-speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH) that operates in a different way from existing W-CDMA channels, but is only used for downlink communication to the mobile.

Technology

The HS-DSCH channel does away with two basic features of other WCDMA channels - the variable spreading factor and fast power control - and instead uses 1. Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC), 2. fast packet scheduling at the Node B (Base Station) and 3. fast retransmissions from Node B (known as HARQ-Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) to deliver the improved downlink performance. The concept of “incremental redundancy” is used in HARQ, where retransmissions contain different codings of the user data, relative to the orignal transmission. When a corrupted packet is received, the user device saves it, and combines it with subsequent retransmissions, to formulate an error-free packet as quickly and efficiently as possible. Even if the retransmitted packet(s) is itself corrupted, the combination of the sum of the errored transmissions can yield an error-free packet.

The HS-DSCH downlink channel is shared between users using channel-dependent scheduling to take advantage of favourable channel conditions to make best use of available radio conditions. Each user device periodically transmits (as many as 500 times per second) an indication of the downlink signal quality. The Node B uses this information received from all user devices to decide which users will be sent data on the next 2 ms frame and, for each user, how much data should be attempted. More data can be sent to users which report high downlink signal quality.

SOURCE

Nokia set to announce WiFi Google Talk app

2006-05-16T00:26:00.000-07:00

Nokia is reportedly adding Google's Talk application to its Internet Tablet device, which has become a popular WiFi device with consumers. According to reports, Nokia plans to announce tomorrow an upgraded version of the device that will come pre-loaded with Google's Talk service to allow voice services and IM capabilities. Last week Google executives said they weren't interested in launching an MVNO or creating a Google phone, but the company does want to extend services to as many wireless devices as possible. Google Talk can already be used on BlackBerry mobile devices from Research In Motion.

LBS mobile games on the rise

2006-05-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

Location-based services (LBS) can spice up nearly every type of mobile content, but none more than mobile gaming. To wit, Amp'd Mobile just announced an LBS-enabled game at E3 called PhoneTag that allows users running around city streets to track other players on maps displayed on their mobiles. Participants can virtually "kill" other players in the massive multiplayer game. Amp'd teamed up with actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's LivePlanet company to develop the game concept. Each player is assigned one target to track and capture, while a different player is tracking down that player--like a daisy chain. The last player "standing" wins. It's not entirely clear to me how one virtually "kills" another, but the game also offers invisibility screens, decoys, infrared goggles, scanners and, yes, even bloodhounds. Virtual ones, of course.

SOURCE

Nokia Mobile Web Server: Web server on your phone

2006-05-04T04:49:00.000-07:00

The Nokia Research Center is well under way on a project to put a web server on a handset. Nokia's grandiose vision: "If every mobile phone or even every smartphone initially, is equipped with a webserver then very quickly most websites will reside on mobile phones. That is bound to have some impact not only on how mobile phones are perceived but also on how the web evolves." That impact may very well be that every time a commuter goes into a tunnel their personal Web site goes down until their handset reconnects with the network.

Nokia is one of the few big companies that still invests in "blue sky" research, but the project is still one worth exploring seriously. However, until networks are more rugged, Nokia's vision is a long way off. Rumors of the project started circling the Internet in early January, but Nokia has just made the client available for public download.

Read more about this here.

Malasia: 3G on your notebook

2006-05-03T01:13:00.000-07:00

MULTIMEDIA Prospect Sdn Bhd recently announced the availability of the Sierra Wireless AirCard 850, a PC Card for accessing 3G HSDPA services.

The AirCard 850 works on HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) networks, and it utilises the 2100MHz frequency band for Asian users.

Multimedia Prospect said the product has been tested with the 3G services offered by local telcos Maxis and Celcom.

The AirCard 850 is also backward compatible with EDGE, GPRS and GSM networks, on all four frequency bands – 850, 900, 1800, and 1900MHz.

Walt Disney Internet Group To Launch UK Family Mobile Service

2006-05-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

The Walt Disney Internet Group said it's creating a mobile phone service in the U.K. similar to what it announced in the U.S in the fact that its targeted at families. Disney Mobile will use the O2 network and will launch later this year. Like the service in the U.S., Disney's service will include family entertainment content and the ability to control children's access to the Internet and chat rooms as well as control voice access and airtime.

Read more

First Commercial 3G UMTS DVB-H Handset

2006-05-02T06:09:00.000-07:00

LG Electronics announced the launch of the LG-U900, the world’s first commercially available UMTS (WCDMA) DVB-H phone, at a ceremony in Rome, Italy. The LG-U900 will be available early May through Hutchison, a leading global telecommunications services provider, in time for the 2006 World Cup.

Hutchison Italy, the country’s largest 3G telecommunications provider, has exclusive DVB-H broadcasting rights for the 2006 World Cup. The company will provide video footage of all World Cup matches beginning June 6, through the Hutchison’s service channels, ‘La3’.

Hutchison plans to offer the LG UMTS (WCDMA) DVB-H phone to customers world-wide, after initially establishi ng a base in Italy.

Mr. Mun-Hwa Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, said: “We are so proud that LG is supplying the world’s first commercially available UMTS (WCDMA) DVB-H phone through Hutchison Italy. LG has already proven its unrivalled mobile multimedia technology in 3G markets by introducing a seri es of first-of-their-kind models including SDMB and TDMB handsets. LG will continue to introduce advanced te chnology that is second-to-none in the mobile TV industry.”

Mr. Vincenzo Novari, the CEO of Hutchison Italia said at the ceremony, “With support from LG Electronics, our company will strengthen its leadership in the 3G mobile communication market.”

LG’s new LG-U900 DVB-H handset features a 2.2-inch ‘wide-swing’ screen for mobile TV viewing. Its premium digital broadcasting functions include ESG (Electronics Service Guide) and CAS (Conditional Access System).

Actual TV on 3G phones

2006-05-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

LG Electronics has launched its LG-U900, the world’s first commercial WDCMA phone which can receive terrestrial digital video broadcast (DVB)-H in Rome at the end of April, and it will be made available in time for the 2006 World Cup this month.

Unlike IP-TV which is streamed over the 3G network, DVB is transmited one-to many from TV station to phone like regular TV, except that it’s digital, and it’s received directly by a separate DVB receiver in the phone, much like current FM radios in or attached to GPRS phones do today.

Thus DVB can be received independently of mobile networks and only your feedback and selections, requests, voting, etc are sent back over the network, which forces operators to think of other ways to make money.

Sony Ericsson Head Says “A TV In Every Cellphone”

2006-04-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

Miles Flint, President of Sony Ericsson, believes that mobile TV is coming to all cellphones in a few years. Could it be that SE is working on their own, proprietary system and this is a warning shot from deep within their Swedish bowels? Possibly.

When will it happen, you ask? 2007 or 2008. I’m thinking it won’t happen in the US until we get some sort of DMB system installed or XM/Siruis or even some of the old guard satellite TV folks start streaming something we want to watch. Video over 3G probably won’t be the best solution, but it’s also a potential winner.

SOURCE

Helio Bundles Yahoo Into 3G Service Phones

2006-04-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

HELIO LLC and Yahoo Inc.announced a relationship to give Helio members access to one of the most extensive suites of Yahoo! services available from any mobile brand.

Helio members will stay connected to their favorite Yahoo! services such as Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Sports and more on Helio's 3G services.

In addition, Yahoo! and Helio will co-market the services across the Yahoo! network and other Helio marketing channels. The marketing efforts will showcase how easily Yahoo! users can extend their experience into the mobile environment with Helio's 3G network and high-end devices.

SOURCE

3 to provide user-gen content for Sky, ITN

2006-04-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

Continuing to leverage its recently launched citizen journalism services, U.K. operator 3 is in talks with Sky News and ITN to provide the news networks with video clips of newsworthy stories from its subscribers' video camcorder phones. The deal aims to create a direct channel for any 3 subscriber in the midst of a big news event, as opposed to the networks relying on viewers to send in clips, which they did during Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami two years ago. 3's SeeMe TV service allows subscribers to upload video clips for others in the network to view and vote on. The service also recently signed a deal with MSN Spaces to showcase some of the best content online. But most of these clips are gags or attempts at humor--this deal would carry a solicitation for more powerful, newsworthy clips.

Source

Pure-play wireless carriers eye DSL

2006-04-14T04:46:00.000-07:00

Pure-play mobile operators like O2 and Vodafone in Europe are looking to enter the fixed broadband market through local loop unbundling options that allow them to attain and deploy DSL equipment. Vodafone's management restructuring last week included a new division headed by CTO Thomas Geitner that will focus on converged IP services and IMS and a centralized service delivery platform architecture, which it couldn't do if it was simply wholesaling a DSL provider's services. Reports circling the Internet claim that Alcatel has already made a pitch to Vodafone and other vendors may have, too.

Content is the key to Mobile TV

2006-03-31T07:26:00.000-08:00

Persistently declining voice revenues, exacerbated by the need to pay off expensive 3G licences, mean that operators will seize any opportunity to generate data revenues. Mobile TV and video provides many revenue streams and, with the right content strategies and business models in place, promises to have mass market appeal.

Despite the well-documented convergence that is now taking place in order to facilitate the provision of mobile TV and video services, there is a fundamental difference between the telecoms and television industries; whereas the telecoms industry has been technology-led, the television industry has been content-led. It is becoming apparent that the provision of quality content and the strength of brands will be what drives uptake of mobile TV, rather than technology per se. Although technology is an important enabler, content is what is really important. Mobile operators must adjust their focus to this end.

If players in the value chain do not get their content strategies right, mobile users will simply not be interested in mobile TV. In a nutshell, content must be compelling. This is the core theme of a new management report from Informa Telecoms & Media, which brings together the latest research and current market information from around the world.

SOURCE

DoCoMo Tests WiMAX And HSDPA Handovers.

2006-03-31T07:23:00.000-08:00

Just as the world starts to catch up with Japan…DoCoMo has applied for a license to test WiMax network (IEEE 802.16e) for its mobile customers. The trial is intended to determine:
–Assess throughput and wireless transmission characteristics according to the distances between a handset and base station, and handset moving speed.
–Verify the optimal wireless parameters and base station allocations to obtain maximum results.
–Assess the possibility of interference from existing satellite communication systems, such as WideStar
–Confirm continuous connections during handover within the WiMAX system or between WiMAX and other systems, such as HSDPA.

SOURCE

PayPal for mobile in beta

2006-03-23T20:20:00.000-08:00

eBay's online payment service PayPal launched a mobile payment service that includes person-to-person money transfers and "Text To Buy," which allows users to order products through SMS that they see advertised "on a poster, in a magazine, at an event." PayPal's mobile debut has long been expected, but the Text To Buy feature was a surprise to many. To try out PayPal Mobile:

Go to PayPal.com and sign in.
Add a new phone to your profile and mark it as a mobile.
When prompted, confirm that you would like to use it to make payments.
Enter a PIN number.
An IVR system will call your phone and ask you to type the PIN in.
Make payments.

For more information on PayPal Mobile: read this blog

3G mobiles 'change social habits'

2006-03-23T05:10:00.000-08:00

Increasing use of 3G mobile phones can change the way people communicate and create new social trends and tribes, a behavioural study has suggested.

The study said the combination of still and video cameras on modern phones, and the advent of high speed data transfer, can inspire a generation of users.

Bloggers, film-makers and clubbers all benefit from 3G phones, it said.

Analysts Future Laboratory said the report was the first ethnographic survey of 3G use across the UK.

3G is the next generation of mobile phone technology, offering a wide range of high speed mobile services, including video calling and messaging, e-mail, games, photo messaging and information services.

SOURCE

Siemens and Nokia Help T-Mobile Build HSDPA Wireless Network

2006-03-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

European cell phone giant, T-Mobile, is working together with Siemens and Nokia to enhance its mobile phone network, and speed up 3G mobile data services in Germany and Austria.

Siemens is the main supplier for the project, but Nokia will also be supplying some equipment for the new HSDPA network, which will bring true broadband speeds to mobile phones.

“Starting with Germany and Austria, T-Mobile customers can now use their notebook or mobile phone to surf in the Internet at DSL (digital subscriber line) speeds and download large volumes of data such as movies or large e-mail attachments faster than before,” said Siemens in a statement.

Existing 3G services have failed to generate mass-market interest in Europe, but T-Mobile is hoping that the faster HSDPA network will create more interest in advanced mobile data offerings.

The new network will be up and running by the end of May, with initial data transfer speeds of up to 1.8 Mbps, compared to 384 kbps with the existing technology. Further upgrades should see the T-Mobile network boosted to 3.6 Mbps by the end of the year, and doubled to 7.2 Mbps shortly thereafter.

SOURCE

UK: Skype and Hutchison 3 Group launch 3G datacard

2006-03-15T23:13:00.000-08:00

Skype has struck a deal with Hutchision 3 Group, the 3G mobile operator (UK) last month to provide its VoIP services to the 3 mobile subscribers, which enables the customers to make cheaper VoIP calls.

This service was launched 13th of this month. The new datacard available from £ 39.99. 3 has bundled a special starter pack provided by Skype. The starter pack includes the Skype software, a Skype headset and a Skype starter voucher.

Users hoping to get the card at the cheapest price - £ 39.99 will have to opt for the Web and Office 512 package priced at £45 per month. However users will get half a Gb of data bundled in each month.

The Skype and Hutchison 3 brands compliment each other, representing innovation and high value offerings to consumers. This partnership will enable Hutchison to directly tap into the 75 million people using Skype across the Hutchison territories and promote to them the benefits of using Skype on Hutchison’s networks.

Related News:
Skype news
Silicon.com News article
3G Portal News

SurfNoise launches mini-ads for mobiles

2006-03-15T23:08:00.001-08:00

Voice advertisement company, SurfNoise has launched a mobile marketing service called PocketSpots that will create mini audio commercial campaigns for MP3 players and mobile phones. The company urges clients to keep their ads under 10 seconds long and rely on intrigue for their pitch. PocketSpots charges between $100 and $900 per commercial tag.

Source

SurfNoise launches mini-ads for mobiles

2006-03-15T23:08:00.000-08:00

Source

Microsoft, Telstra to demo DVB-H in Australia

2006-03-15T23:06:00.000-08:00

Microsoft, Telstra and Broadcast Australia will provide the country with a look at DVB-H enabled mobile TV at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. The announcement follows Telstra's recent launch of its Big Pond mobile 3G and broadband service. The demo will broadcast seven channels of live coverage of the games. Microsoft will provide specially enabled Windows Mobile handhelds and the content will be broadcast using Windows Media 9 compression. Broadcast Australia will provide the transmission infrastructure. The games were originally called the British Empire Games and include a wide variety of sports.

More Info

WiMAX to complement 3G/4G networks...

2006-03-15T07:25:00.000-08:00

Pioneer Consulting's new report, The Impact of 3G & 4G Wireless Technology on Carriers' Network Development Strategies, concludes that WiMAX will have a significant role to play in the evolution of mobile networks. A survey of manufacturers and network operators indicates that they are making plans to incorporate 4G technology as a value-adding adjunct to existing mobile infrastructure and services.

"WiMAX has received a lot of negative publicity recently," says Julian Rawle, Managing Partner, "but when you look beyond the hype and anti-hype, there is a viable business case for the fixed standard and maybe also for the mobile standard."

Instead of characterizing the evolution of 3G and 4G mobile technologies as a battle to the death between species, the report highlights the potential for complementarity between the various technologies which reside under the 3G and 4G "umbrellas". Pioneer's Managing Partner, Howard Kidorf, commented, "In modeling scenarios for 4G development, we found that accelerated growth in demand for 4G stimulates interest in broadband wireless applications which also has a beneficial impact on demand for 3G."

SOURCE

SMS Interop Agreements Made Easier

2006-03-08T23:12:00.000-08:00

The GSMA has developed a new hub-based structure to support cross network SMS traffic that will make it much easier to set up inter-working agreements between operators and bring on world wide SMS interoperability.

The first proof of concept trial for SMS delivery via a new open hub approach has been successfully completed by Orange, SFR, Proximus and TIM working with hub providers Belgacom and Telecom Italia Sparkle. Next, the GSMA is to launch a large scale SMS ‘hubbing’ trial with a broad range of operators and hub providers.

As the growth and volumes of SMS continues to take operators by surprise, they have been forced to find ways to shortne the time consuming process of setting up bi-lateral inter-working arrangements between each other.

Currently operators must negotiate agreements to exchange SMS between each other one by one. The GSMA’s new structure means operators will only have to connect once to a hub to reach all the other networks connected to that hub. Moreover, through interconnect arrangements between hubs, they will be able to reach operators connected to other hubs. This combined solution ensures that operators and their customers will benefit from the highest level of service quality (including protection against spam), security, billing and settlement while maintaining the independence of each operator to determine its own pricing structures.

Groundbreaking With MMS

The hubbing approach has already been successfully proven globally for MMS with regional hubs established in Asia, North America and Europe linking over 110 operators delivering commercial MMS services in 58 countries. In addition to text messaging, the GSMA is now extending this approach to other key applications.

“Newer entrants will find this simple one-hub-connection an easy way to manage their SMS inter-working traffic and relationships” said Mr. Roberto Vannini, member of the GSMA’s Executive Committee and head of business innovation and technologies at Telecom Italia (formerly TIM Italy).

The main SMS hub providers on the market are Belgacom, Telecom Italia Sparkle, Syniverse Technologies, CITIC and Mobile 365.

CeBIT 2006.

2006-03-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

CeBIT is all set to start on 9th March 2006. For those who dont know what is CeBIT.
CeBIT is the world's biggest, and one of the world's most important, computer expos. It is held in Hanover, Germany, each spring and is a barometer of information technology.
The name CeBIT stands for Centrum der Büro- und Informationstechnik (Center for office and information technology) and was traditionally the CeBIT part of the Hanover Fair, a big industry trade show held every year. However, in the 1980s the information technology and telecommunications part had grown so big that it was given a separate trade show starting 1986, held four weeks earlier than the Hanover Fair.
So, lets wait for the big event and see what its going to promise for telecommunations/mobile/wireless fields.

CeBIT Website

Google News Mobile launches in beta

2006-03-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Google launched a mobile version of its Google News service that allows users with Web-enabled handsets to "access top headlines, browse through news categories, or search for exactly the stories you want--all in a phone-friendly format that's easy to read and navigate." Search results are links for relevant stories from "multiple" sources, but only those that are specifically designed for viewing on mobile devices--a move that should prompt many news sites to get with the mobile program. Users of PDAs, smartphones or mobile devices that can view HTML pages can access the entire Google News index of 4,500 sources the same way as the traditional desktop version. The offering is currently in Beta and is only available in English, but Google says the service will expand to other languages soon.

Check the Google News FAQs

O2 partners with InfoSpace for games over i-mode

2006-03-01T01:15:00.000-08:00

InfoSpace has signed a deal with O2 to provide classic British pub games using the i-mode service to U.K. users. The partnership for the "iPub" games channel will include mobile game offerings like Pub Pool, Pub Fruity and Pub darts among others. The site will offer mobile consumers access to InfoSpace's iPub channel on its i-mode site for £3. InfoSpace will collect its revenue from subscription-based services billed directly through the user's phone bill. i-mode is a flexible business model that facilitates both subscription based and non-subscription based content.

The partnership forms part of i-mode's unique content structure through which InfoSpace will be able to quickly develop and deploy sophisticated, secure commercial content to consumers. It allows InfoSpace to expand its revenue opportunities by selling its content through O2's generous revenue sharing model. InfoSpace will collect its revenue from subscription based services billed directly through the user's phone bill permitting it to concentrate on its core business. i-mode is a flexible business model that facilitates both subscription based and non-subscription based content.

InfoSpace runs and manages every aspect of the iPub channel delivered through O2's network. This means that InfoSpace can leverage its extensive experience in the merchandising and promotion of games, music, TV and video to provide consumers with a bespoke "pub" experience.

For more see this press release

Sony Ericsson to bundle Google's Blogger.com

2006-02-28T23:40:00.000-08:00

This week, Sony Ericsson has signed a deal with Google, which enables Sony Ericsson to integrate Google's Blogger.com and Google Web Search features on all of its future mobile phones.

This means blogger.com account holder with the new Sony Ericsson phone can write and post content to his blog on the move using the bundles software. So you can post content to your blog even on a vacation, travel or away from the computer. This is the first any mobile handsent manufacturer providing this kind of features related to blogging. This shows how popular is blogging in the present internet era and it looks like surely this is going to be a hit feature.

"We are seeing exponential growth in blogging and consumers are turning more and more often to the Internet as a means of sharing information or images in personal blogs”, said Jan Wäreby, Corporate Executive Vice President, Head of Sales and Marketing, Sony Ericsson. “By working with Google, we're able to offer a quick and easy way for people users to blog as they discover how convenient it is as a way to share words and pictures with friends, family and beyond. We are also delighted to collaborate with Google, the undisputed leader in Web Search, to provide our end users with relevant internet information directly to their Sony Ericsson handsets."

From now, Google will become the standard search engine for all new Sony Ericsson internet-capable phones. Sony Ericsson is the latest company to announce that it will feature Google software on its handsets.
The announcement comes after Motorola and Vodafone have said that they too would be offering users access to Google Search.

Image and news source: http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news.php?newsId=2647

NTT DoCoMo hits 2.5Gbps in 4G trial

2006-02-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

NTT DoCoMo says it managed to transmit data at 2.5Gbps to a moving vehicle in recent tests of a new wireless data technology.
The tests involved using MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) and are part of the Japanese carrier's research into so-called fourth generation (4G) wireless technology. MIMO involves sending data using multiple antennas -- six transmission antennas in the case of the DoCoMo trial -- to increase the total throughput.

The tests involved a vehicle traveling at 20 kilometers per hour (12mph) and took place at the company's research and development center in Yokosuka, Japan, on Dec. 14 last year but were not reported until Thursday.

Last year the carrier reported it had achieved 1Gbps transmission throughput so the latest figures are a significant improvement on that result. In addition to increasing the number of antennas from four to six, the data volume per transmission was also increased from four bits to six bits, said NTT DoCoMo (Profile, Products, Articles).

As a result the frequency spectrum efficiency, which measures how much data can be transmitted in a single Hertz of bandwidth, increased from 10 bits per second per Hertz last time to 25 bits per second per Hertz this time.

2.5Gbps is a very high dataspeed compared to today standards. But 4G is now nowhere visible in the near future, it will take many years before we see this in practical.

WiMAX Forum awards 802.16e test contract

2006-02-26T21:10:00.000-08:00

WiMAX product certification lab Cetecom Spain and U.K.-based Aeroflex have won a joint contract from the WiMAX Forum to develop the protocol conformance test solution for the 802.16e standard, which will be the basis for Mobile WiMAX.

The companies will market a base station emulator for the protocol conformance testing of mobile stations that will execute ETSI-approved TTCN-3 test cases, the companies said in a statement. Early functionality will be available to support development efforts, and a fully functional system will follow later. The solution will be ready in the second half of 2006, and is expected to be used in the initial certification of Mobile WiMAX products in late 2006, according to Cetecom, which is currently involved in ongoing certification testing for Fixed WiMAX products.

In October 2005, Aeroflex and CETECOM entered into a long-term, global distribution partnership under which Aeroflex became the sole worldwide sales and support channel for Cetecom’s MINT RF conformance test platform for 2G/2.5G/3G mobile handsets.

IP Communications Consortium (IPCC) becomes IMS Forum

2006-02-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

The International Packet Communications Consortium (IPCC), an international trade association dedicated to the advancement of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) over broadband cable, wireline and wireless technologies, announced its transition to the IMS Forum -- The Voice of IP Convergence.
The mission of the IMS Forum will be to accelerate the adoption of IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) by providing an environment for discussion and resolution of real-world implementation issues, such as interoperability and standards-based architectures in the application layer. The Forum will also provide consultancy and expertise to the industry on best practices and approaches for IMS rollouts, interconnectivity and convergence.
“With VoIP proliferation continuing at a very aggressive rate, it has become quite clear that we are going through a major transition toward IP multimedia convergence and are witnessing the dawn of a new era of communications driven by bundled services, applications, multimedia content delivery, and telecommunications convergence,” said Michael Khalilian, chairman and president of the IMS Forum.
The IMS Forum is comprised of service providers, solutions providers, system integrators and government agencies translating industry standards into revenue generating services. Our members develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, WiFi and WiMAX networks.
Just after few days after the latest buzz about IMS technology buzz at 3GSM world congress, this is an interesting move to watch out for. Lets hope the IMS forum will live upto its mission.

What to expect from 3GSM World Congress, Barcelona

2006-02-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

The official 3GSM World Congress 2006 has kicked off in Barcelona. 3GSM 2006 is being held in Barcelona this year and is being attended by every major wireless mobile phone handset manufacturer in the world. This year's event is shaping up to be one of the biggest and busiest ever, with plenty of new technologies, services and gadgets to make their debut in this event.
We can expect a flurry of announcements from Europe's largest wireless mobile show ever.

What to expect? There are many.

Some of the themes talked about last year will surface as products this year, including HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) mobile phones, dual-mode handsets supporting both GSM and Wi-Fi technologies, handsets capable of receiving broadcast TV signals(T-DMB - Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting). Mobile TV, mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), mobile search and discovery and the roadmap to 4G will be some of the hottest themes at this year's 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, according to many industry experts.

Hottest themes:

HDSPA:
Despite all the excitement about new services and applications, it is worth remembering that 3GSM is first and foremost a wireless technology show. As such, much of the exhibition will be devoted to HSDPA, a new, even higher speed version of 3G.
Japan's NTT DoCoMo, never one to miss an opportunity to show its eagerness for using the latest technologies, will demonstrate HSDPA handsets from Fujitsu, Motorola and NEC. The 'super 3G' phones are capable of downloading data at 3.6Mbps (megabits per second) on the move, a rate nearly 10 times faster than present 3G (third-generation).

Dual Mode:
Nokia is one of several vendors expected to unveil new dual-mode 3G and Wi-Fi phones in Barcelona. The vendors are responding to demand from telecom companies that own wireless and wireline networks and are keen to offer dual-mode phones to keep customers using both.

Mobile TV/T-DMB:
Of the mobile broadcast TV solutions on offer, digital mobile broadcast (DMB) has stolen a march on the market and is expected to be the technology of choice for the next couple of years in a number of markets worldwide. Competing broadcast technologies DVB-H and Qualcomm MediaFLO solution may then be able to compete effectively, once complex issues such as regulation, capacity and spectrum planning have been overcome, continues McQueen.

Added to this mix are the cellular network TV offerings, which may prove to be a cost-effective alternative for the operators once faster data networks are rolled out and multicast solutions are implemented. Indeed, this option may prove preferable for operators a Korean mobile operator has already voiced fears that mobile TV could erode future revenues from 3G.

At 3GSM, Samsung will unveil what it claims will be the first mobile phone for the European market supporting the T-DMB (Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) standard, one of two planned in Europe.

The competing broadcast mobile TV standard is DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting – Handheld), which is supported by Nokia, Motorola, NEC and Sony Ericsson.

Open-source and Push-Email:
Open-source software, including the Linux operating system, is expected to surface in several new handsets targeting both the business and consumer markets. Trolltech AS, which in 2004 agreed to deliver its embedded Linux development platform to Motorola, plans to make an announcement in Barcelona. On the application front, open source is also coming to push email, another hot technology in the mobile phone sector.

Interest in push email has grown significantly among operators and enterprises alike, fuelled by the popularity of the BlackBerry technology developed by RIM. And while RIM impatiently waits for a resolution in its patent infringement lawsuit, rivals are seizing the opportunity to win over BlackBerry customers.

VoIP:

Another hot topic is VoIP (voice over IP) technology. A growing force in the fixed-line market, VoIP is on its way to the mobile market.

Skype, a household word for fixed-line VoIP, has been reaching out to collaborate with mobile phone operators and handset manufacturers. The company, which was acquired last year by eBay, is holding a news conference in Barcelona.

High-speed Networking:
Speed continues to be a big issue in mobile communicaitons, especially for data services. Several vendors plan to use the Barcelona event to show their high-speed networking systems.

MVNO:
The emergence of the MVNO model has taken the whole industry by surprise in the last 12-18 months and is having a significant impact on mobile markets in Europe and North America. In Germany, Informa believes there could be as many as 50 MVNOs by the end of this year. Many operators see the rise of MVNOs as an opportunity to secure new revenues by selling wholesale network capacity and retail strategies. But whilst the MVNOs may extend operator reach, particularly into niche markets where they are not traditionally strong, they are also forcing them to review their underlying cost structures.
Many giants in the area are going to demonstrate their capabilities and strategies.

Road map to 4G:
Many of the vendors at trhe 3GSM, will also be giving their visions of a roadmap to 4G.

Other than the above, there is growing interest in mobile search and discovery as operators realise their interests may be best served by helping their customers find content they want rather than pushing specific content to them on their portal. Companies like Yahoo!, exhibiting at the show for the first time, and Google seem intent on replicating the success of their Internet pay-per-click advertising model on the mobile internet.
Mobile location technology and application providers, meanwhile, are making comeback at 3GSM this year. More than 150 million phones are in use today with embedded GPRS technology that gives the potential to use location as a context for services such as mobile search and discovery.

Surely 3GSM World Congress is all set to announce plenty of new and interesting technologies, exciting services and hottest gadgets to make their debut. Lets hope for the best out of it.

Related Links:
3GSM World Congress

3GSM World Congress and MVNOs

2006-02-09T23:26:00.000-08:00

3GSM world Congress is set to start in three days from now(Barcelona from 13-16 Feb 06).
We can expect lot of new technologies and gadgets display at the congress. And with the current growing trend of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO), it will interesting to see MVNOs andMobile Virtual Network Enablers (MVNE) at the congress. There are many events shceduled in the related context. Featured speakers during the congress also include some very interesting small companies from the domain.
Here are a couple of small/medium MVNO/VOIP related or MVNO companies I came across that are participating in the congress:

http://www.blueslice.com
http://www.visagemobile.com

Let me know if you know others.

Lets wait and watch for the big event and hope for the best out of it.

Pay Per Click Ads Go Mobile with AdMob

2006-02-09T06:21:00.000-08:00

After the success of the pay per click (PPC) ad programs Yahoo YPN, Google Adsense, Chitika Minimalls and others , now they are reaching mobiles also. AdMob brings mobile advertisers together with content publishers. Advertisers reach consumers right on their phone and target by region, manufacturer, platform, or device capability level. Publishers can monetize their existing mobile products and services.

This is what AdMob says about the program:

"To put it bluntly, we simply feel that it's about time that everyone had an easy and cost-effective way to reach out to people on mobile devices. That's what AdMob is all about.

We actively partner with high quality, high traffic, independent mobile sites to carry our ads. This is not about a carrier deal or a proprietary portal; this is the open mobile web, the way it should be.

To make your ads as effective as possible we have developed a number of unique technologies that will change the way you think about mobile advertising.

You get what you pay for :
But in a good way. Everyone is familiar with pay-per-click advertising on the web, but AdMob is the first time this concept has been taken mobile. With AdMob, there is finally a way to reach a highly desireable audience of mobile users who are active on the mobile web."

More on HSDPA for Laptops

2006-02-04T20:46:00.000-08:00

Last week Dell announced its plans to embed Vodafone's 3G wireless broadband technology in notebook PCs sold in the UK, France, and Germany which is expected to release in the first half of this year. This High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) capability boost the 3G dataspeeds by approx 4 times. This news becomes significant with respect to announcements of HSDPA connectivity based on the usual data card form factor that we are used to seeing with 3G and GPRS.

Basically, it is an upgrade to existing 3G networks that were originally built out in Europe based on the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) standard. 3G networks upgraded to HSDPA are anticipated to deliver three to four times the data capacity and three to four times the data access rates of UMTS.

HSDPA also significantly reduces network latency, the delay associated with response to network requests, which further boosts the performance of bandwidth consuming applications such as Web browsing over HTTP. Together with better in-building coverage and improved QoS management, the end result should be a dramatically enhanced user experience, and a network that is able to tolerate high network loads at busy times much more effectively.

HSDPA rollout is set to gain momentum as we go through the second half of the year, though timescales vary between operators and indications are that it will take some time before 3G networks are fully upgraded. From that point onwards, new cell sites commissioned as the physical 3G networks continue to expand will be HSDPA enabled. In terms of HSDPA coverage, we can expect the kind of rollout schedule we have seen before with 3G - specific cities and major conurbations first, with wider coverage following. In reality though, it is likely to be well into 2007 before we see anything other than relatively restricted HSDPA availability.

The obvious question therefore is why anyone would be interested in buying a notebook from Dell with embedded HSDPA as soon as the middle of this year. The answer is to future proof their investment. The modules installed by Dell will support UMTS and GPRS (2.5G) as well as HSDPA. They may therefore be used to connect via the commonly available cellular data standards today, while being ready to take advantage of HSDPA as coverage increases to useful levels, as it undoubtedly will during the lifetime of a new PC bought this year.

So get ready and gear up for higher wireless data speeds.

Related Links
Vodafone readies HSDPA 3G card for notebooks
Dell Puts Vodafone 3G in Euro Laptops

Customer Churn = MVNO Butter

2006-01-31T20:57:00.000-08:00

Brand loyalty is rare among cellular subscribers, according to a study released this morning by In-Stat/MDR -- a finding that could have profound future implications for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) targeting enterprise customers.

According to the new In-Stat survey, entitled "MVNOs: Current and Planned Wireless Subscriber Interest in Alternative Carriers," 80 percent of the 1,017 current cellular subscribers and people who plan to subscribe in the next year would consider switching their service to a virtual operator. Often connected with established, familiar brands targeting niche consumer markets, MVNOs offer packaged mobile voice services along with specialized applications and features, running over conventional carriers' cellular networks.

Read More

Bluetooth set to take over wireless from Wi-Fi

2006-01-31T20:55:00.000-08:00

The IEEE has abandoned its effort to create a UWB standard, but has agreed on a draft for the next generation of WiFi, 802.11n. The conventional wisdom is that this week's events are great news for Wi-Fi, and a disaster for Ultra-Wide Band, UWB, and by association, Bluetooth. In fact, the exact opposite is likely to be the judgment of the future.

Who was surprised when the IEEE abandoned an attempt to define the ultra-wide band wireless standard? Amazingly, lots of people. "Why haven't you covered this? It's your area of expertise!" complained a reader. "Is it news?" I asked, astonished. Apparently, it was.

But it was only news if you weren't studying UWB. Insiders knew it was coming. It's been a horrible mess for more than three years now; politics, power groups, competing technologies which are completely incompatible, and confident statements by chief technology officers which have all proved to be cobblers. And I don't mean technical cobblers: I mean, nonsense in the field of commercial reality.

The technology is not a mystery any more. There are several ways of doing UWB; the trouble is, you can't make them all part of the same standard. And the reasons aren't simple, but if you want to simplify them a bit, you could say that there are issues of power, data speed, and carrier material - because UWB isn't just a wireless technology: it can be used down fibre, too.

Ultra-wide band wireless is close to being magic. It's the ultimate expression of technology advances in the last twenty years - which is to say, it's the exact opposite of how radio has worked ever since different wavebands started being allocated to individual transmitters. Those early radios tried to reach all around the world on one frequency, so it was very important not to have two transmitters on the same frequency. So the technology originally focused on getting the band narrower and narrower.

READ MORE

Siemens To Build 3G Wireless Network In Malta

2006-01-30T07:44:00.000-08:00

German technology company Siemens, Monday said it has received an order from Malta's wireless operator Vodafone Malta to build a third generation wireless, or 3G/W-CDMA, network.

The network which will cover the entire island of Malta, will be available to personal users, business customers and tourists later this year. Siemens has been an exclusive supplier to Vodafone Malta since 1997, and has already built its cellular wireless, or GSM, network.

In building the third generation wireless network, Siemens will plan, design and optimize the entire radio network, and will supply and install the radio and core network technology. This will enable subscribers to download large volumes of data, such as video clips or e-mail files, for example, over their mobile handsets or laptops while they are out and about.

With over 170,000 subscribers, Vodafone Malta Ltd. is Malta's largest wireless operator; nearly one out of every three residents makes phone calls over this network.

SOURCE

Dell Puts Vodafone 3G in Euro Laptops

2006-01-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

Dell is planning to embed Vodafone's 3G wireless broadband technology in notebook PCs sold in the UK, France, and Germany. The agreement represents the latest in a series of similar deals between Dell and wireless operators rolling out 3G networks.

Last Fall, for example, Dell inked agreements with both Cingular and Verizon in the U.S., with plans to roll out 3G-enabled laptops here soon.

In the first half of this year, Dell will offer the Vodafone-enabled computers with the optional integrated High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) capabilities.

HSDPA is a wireless broadband technology that boosts 3G download speeds by approximately four times. A subscription to a Vodafone wireless data plan will be required to use the new broadband service.

The Impact of VoIP, WiFi and 3G Data on Wireless Telecom

2006-01-26T06:51:00.000-08:00

Recently, there's been a great deal of industry chatter about fixed-mobile convergence (FMC). Mobile network operators plan to leverage emerging IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) service platforms to deliver true “one phone, one number” telephony over both fixed and mobile infrastructure. This means your mobile handset will use 2G/3G mobile infrastructure when you are outdoors and VoIP over WiFi or Bluetooth when you are at work or at home.

Mobile operators see IMS and FMC as an opportunity to take additional market share from traditional fixed line operators. But mobile operators are kidding themselves if they think they can control the FMC market for very long. Once high speed Internet access becomes available on mobile phones, a plethora of VoIP services will follow.

READ ARTICLE by Brough Turner, SVP, CTO and Co-Founder of NMS Communications

The Challenges for 3G in a Fully Converged World

2006-01-24T21:15:00.000-08:00

Within the developed world, IP connectivity is a reality for almost anyone that wishes to connect to the Internet. And within developing countries, cost-effective solutions are being sought to provide increased Internet access to communities as a way of enhancing and supporting communication, commerce, health care and education.

The communication protocol we refer to as IP has already had an enormous impact on the way people all over the world conduct business and their personal lives. Yet still greater change will come as wireless technology continues to evolve from its current nascent capabilities, and much of the attention today is focused on 3G technology and the word “convergence” – whether it be the device, service, fixed or wireless.

ARTICLE: by Simon Clayton-Mitchell, Global Crossing VP for Wireless Services Exchange