Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has launched BlackBerry services across India. The telecom behemoth has launched the services in association with Research in Motion.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam is World's 7th largest Telecommunications Company providing comprehensive range of telecom services in India. The company has installed Quality Telecom Network in the country and now focusing on improving it, expanding the network, introducing new telecom services with ICT applications in villages and wining customer's confidence. Today, it has about 47.3 million line basic telephone capacity, 4 million WLL capacity, 20.1 Million GSM Capacity, more than 37382 fixed exchanges, 18000 BTS, 287 Satellite Stations, 480196 Rkm of OFC Cable, 63730 Rkm of Microwave Network connecting 602 Districts, 7330 cities/towns and 5.5 Lakhs villages.
BSNL is the only service provider, making focused efforts and planned initiatives to bridge the Rural-Urban Digital Divide ICT sector. In fact there is no telecom operator in the country to beat its reach with its wide network giving services in every nook & corner of country and operates across India except Delhi & Mumbai. Whether it is inaccessible areas of Siachen glacier and North-eastern region of the country. BSNL serves its customers with its wide bouquet of telecom services.
BSNL cellular service, CellOne, has more than 17.8 million cellular customers, garnering 24 percent of all mobile users as its subscribers. That means that almost every fourth mobile user in the country has a BSNL connection. In basic services, BSNL is miles ahead of its rivals, with 35.1 million Basic Phone subscribers i.e. 85 per cent share of the subscriber base and 92 percent share in revenue terms.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) to launch GSM services later this year
Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) is expected to launch GSM services in Mumbai, Maharashtra and Goa by the second half of calendar 2009, previously it only offers the CDMA services.
Mr Mukund Govind Rajan, the company’s managing director told on Wednesday that “You will hear a lot from us in subsequent months on our strategy for our GSM launch,” .
Mumbai has nearly 15 million mobile subscribers and is the highest-revenue generating telecom circle in India. Last year, the Tata group company had received spectrum in the 1800 Mhz band to offer GSM services in Mumbai, Maharashtra and Goa.
Mr Mukund Govind Rajan, the company’s managing director told on Wednesday that “You will hear a lot from us in subsequent months on our strategy for our GSM launch,” .
Mumbai has nearly 15 million mobile subscribers and is the highest-revenue generating telecom circle in India. Last year, the Tata group company had received spectrum in the 1800 Mhz band to offer GSM services in Mumbai, Maharashtra and Goa.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
American Tower to buy XCEL Telecom
American Tower Corporation on Tuesday said it would acquire XCEL Telecom Private Ltd., an Indian telecom infrastructure firm that owns and operates around 1,700 wireless communications tower sites.
ATC’s Mauritius subsidiary — American Tower Mauritius — has entered into a definitive agreement with Horse-Shoe Capital, Mauritius (an affiliate of Q Investments, U.S.), under which it will acquire XCEL, a joint statement by both companies said. The transaction details remain undisclosed.
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2009, subject to customary closing conditions and the completion of customary regulatory and other approvals, the statement added.
“India is one of the fastest growing telecom markets, with the tower market seeing record growth. This deal will strengthen our base in India and give us access to a new set of clients and geographies where XCEL has established connections,” said ATC Executive Vice-President and President for Asia Amit Sharma.
According to XCEL Telecom Director Pranav Parikh: “This represents a significant milestone for XCEL and is beneficial to all its stakeholders. XCEL will benefit from ATC’s commitment and expertise in managing and growing such businesses globally.”
When combined with ATCs operations in India, the acquisition would create an independent tower company with a combined portfolio of about 2,000 tower sites in 15 telecom circles and a team of 240 employees.
ATC’s Mauritius subsidiary — American Tower Mauritius — has entered into a definitive agreement with Horse-Shoe Capital, Mauritius (an affiliate of Q Investments, U.S.), under which it will acquire XCEL, a joint statement by both companies said. The transaction details remain undisclosed.
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2009, subject to customary closing conditions and the completion of customary regulatory and other approvals, the statement added.
“India is one of the fastest growing telecom markets, with the tower market seeing record growth. This deal will strengthen our base in India and give us access to a new set of clients and geographies where XCEL has established connections,” said ATC Executive Vice-President and President for Asia Amit Sharma.
According to XCEL Telecom Director Pranav Parikh: “This represents a significant milestone for XCEL and is beneficial to all its stakeholders. XCEL will benefit from ATC’s commitment and expertise in managing and growing such businesses globally.”
When combined with ATCs operations in India, the acquisition would create an independent tower company with a combined portfolio of about 2,000 tower sites in 15 telecom circles and a team of 240 employees.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Airtel Removes '95' Dialing from Fixed Line Phones
Airtel announced the withdrawal of '95' dialing for long distance calling on its fixed line service as per the directive from Department of Telecom (DoT), Ministry of Communications and IT, Government of India. This withdrawal will come into effect from midnight of March 9, 2009.
Airtel's fixed line customers will now be able to call these telephone numbers (earlier accessed through 95) by activating the STD facility and dialing the city STD code prefixed with 0. For example - to call Mysore, Airtel fixed line customers in Bangalore will need to dial 0821 instead of 95821. Similarly, to call Bangalore, Airtel Telemedia customers in Mysore will need to dial 080 instead of 9580.
Airtel customers within 500 kms of a telecom circle and less than 50 kms of the adjoining SDCA can do without activating STD facility. They will need to dial the city STD code prefixed with 0. To access numbers outside of this perimeter, the customer will have to activate his STD facility by calling 121 from his Airtel fixed line number. The customer will continue to be billed for all calls as per the prevailing tariff.
Airtel's fixed line customers will now be able to call these telephone numbers (earlier accessed through 95) by activating the STD facility and dialing the city STD code prefixed with 0. For example - to call Mysore, Airtel fixed line customers in Bangalore will need to dial 0821 instead of 95821. Similarly, to call Bangalore, Airtel Telemedia customers in Mysore will need to dial 080 instead of 9580.
Airtel customers within 500 kms of a telecom circle and less than 50 kms of the adjoining SDCA can do without activating STD facility. They will need to dial the city STD code prefixed with 0. To access numbers outside of this perimeter, the customer will have to activate his STD facility by calling 121 from his Airtel fixed line number. The customer will continue to be billed for all calls as per the prevailing tariff.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
BSNL to expand 3G services over 700 cities by June
BSNL is betting big on 3G services and the head start advantage gained by it over the private operators who are yet to enter 3G domain due to policy delays. The PSU now aims to launch 3G services across 700 cities by June.
"We plan to bring 3G to north and east India by June," said BSNL Deputy Director General (VAS) S S Sirohi. “The services would be launched in east and west Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam. We plan to cover over 700 cities in the next three months,” he added.
The expansion of services will be at an estimated investment of Rs 2,700 crore.
mobile broadband, mobile television, online gaming, video streaming, full track downloading and video telephony are the features and applications which the company aims to offer to its 3G subscribers.
Other Stories in this Section
Motorola to spin off its Chinese mobile handset factory
Motorola’s joint venture in China, Hangzhou Motorola Cellular Equipment is reportedly intending to spin off its mobile handsets division as it has called for a freeze on production of mobile phones in the following month.
According to the Motorola China spokesperson, Chen Lei, the mobile phone sector will be incorporated into the production lines in Tianjin Motorola after the first quarter of this year.
Further he added that the Hangzhou Motorola will concentrate on TV set-top-box business, broadband and mobile network equipments.
The move is also directed to help Motorola reduce its costs as the handset industry in Tianjin offers better potential.
Motorola’s ISC Hangzhou Site is a joint venture founded in 1996, and has around 5,000 employees working at two manufacturing plants-- Hangzhou Motorola Cellular Equipment and Hangzhou Eastcom Cellular Phone.
According to the Motorola China spokesperson, Chen Lei, the mobile phone sector will be incorporated into the production lines in Tianjin Motorola after the first quarter of this year.
Further he added that the Hangzhou Motorola will concentrate on TV set-top-box business, broadband and mobile network equipments.
The move is also directed to help Motorola reduce its costs as the handset industry in Tianjin offers better potential.
Motorola’s ISC Hangzhou Site is a joint venture founded in 1996, and has around 5,000 employees working at two manufacturing plants-- Hangzhou Motorola Cellular Equipment and Hangzhou Eastcom Cellular Phone.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
RIM carves out its own App World: Will it work?
Research in Motion launched its BlackBerry application store—dubbed App World—and the pricing model will immediately draw comparison’s to Apple’s App Store set-up. That comparison, however, only goes so far.
For starters, RIM’s App World pricing model has raised a bit of a ruckus since it veers a bit from Apple’s scheme (Techmeme). But a business audience isn’t going to sweat a $2.99 application compared to a 99 cent minimum priced app. And RIM’s audience is likely to even pay higher prices if the App World can actually deliver software with a real business use. And there are so many tiers to the App World model that RIM could have said “charge what you want.”
But the biggest takeaway from the App World pricing model is that higher prices mean more for developers (see FAQ). RIM needs more developers on its bandwagon since the iPhone is the shiny object in the mobile world. Simply put, money talks and RIM plans to use it. Matthew Miller notes that RIM’s pricing model shouldn’t be that big of a deal.
Sure RIM does offer free apps, but developers aren’t likely to offer them. Given developers pay an upfront fee why would you pay RIM to distribute a free app? RIM’s message with App World appears to be: Frivolous and fun apps need not apply.
Will RIM’s App World work?
My hunch is that RIM’s App World will do well, but isn’t going to a success as measured by Apple’s store. RIM’s store is likely to be more BlackBerry-ish—the applications will be more business focused, tool oriented and won’t feature hot games.
RIM also has an app management issue on its hands. Apple’s App Store has to support just the iPhone and iPod touch. RIM’s applications will work on these models:
* BlackBerry Bold 9000 smartphone
* BlackBerry Storm smartphone
* BlackBerry Pearl Flip Series
* BlackBerry Curve 8300 Series
* Black Berry Curve 8900 smartphone
* BlackBerry 8800 Series
* BlackBerry Pearl Series
The experience on all of those models will vary. For instance, a game on the Storm will be different than the Bold and Curve. How will RIM navigate that conundrum? As a developer those models mean more complications.
Other takeaways from the RIM App World effort:
* A PayPal account is required with App World for customers and developers;
* Developers from around the world can contribute except for those from Belarus, Myanmar/Burma, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria.
* To submit an application there’s a $200 fee, which will be refunded if the software is rejected.
For starters, RIM’s App World pricing model has raised a bit of a ruckus since it veers a bit from Apple’s scheme (Techmeme). But a business audience isn’t going to sweat a $2.99 application compared to a 99 cent minimum priced app. And RIM’s audience is likely to even pay higher prices if the App World can actually deliver software with a real business use. And there are so many tiers to the App World model that RIM could have said “charge what you want.”
But the biggest takeaway from the App World pricing model is that higher prices mean more for developers (see FAQ). RIM needs more developers on its bandwagon since the iPhone is the shiny object in the mobile world. Simply put, money talks and RIM plans to use it. Matthew Miller notes that RIM’s pricing model shouldn’t be that big of a deal.Sure RIM does offer free apps, but developers aren’t likely to offer them. Given developers pay an upfront fee why would you pay RIM to distribute a free app? RIM’s message with App World appears to be: Frivolous and fun apps need not apply.
Will RIM’s App World work?
My hunch is that RIM’s App World will do well, but isn’t going to a success as measured by Apple’s store. RIM’s store is likely to be more BlackBerry-ish—the applications will be more business focused, tool oriented and won’t feature hot games.
RIM also has an app management issue on its hands. Apple’s App Store has to support just the iPhone and iPod touch. RIM’s applications will work on these models:
* BlackBerry Bold 9000 smartphone
* BlackBerry Storm smartphone
* BlackBerry Pearl Flip Series
* BlackBerry Curve 8300 Series
* Black Berry Curve 8900 smartphone
* BlackBerry 8800 Series
* BlackBerry Pearl Series
The experience on all of those models will vary. For instance, a game on the Storm will be different than the Bold and Curve. How will RIM navigate that conundrum? As a developer those models mean more complications.
Other takeaways from the RIM App World effort:
* A PayPal account is required with App World for customers and developers;
* Developers from around the world can contribute except for those from Belarus, Myanmar/Burma, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria.
* To submit an application there’s a $200 fee, which will be refunded if the software is rejected.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Airtel Introduces New BlackBerry Service Plan
Airtel and Research In Motion (RIM) have introduced a new service plan for Airtel BlackBerry customers in India.
Now, the BlackBerry Personal Mail service plan will offer subscribers unlimited email and instant messaging services for Rs. 499.
According to Airtel, this is the first service plan priced at less than Rs. 500 to offer unlimited email and IM services to BlackBerry smartphone customers in the country.
With this tariff, the company is trying to target a wider market, making the service affordable for people like young professionals, small business owners, and students.
The BlackBerry Personal Mail service plan offers unlimited access on the BlackBerry platform, allowing Airtel customers to access up to 10 supported POP3/IMAP email accounts (including the most popular ISP email accounts such as Yahoo! Mail and Google Mail) as well as various instant messaging services (including Windows Live Messenger, GTalk, Yahoo! Messenger, and BlackBerry Messenger) from a single device.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tata, Etisalat to launch enterprise network service
Tata Communications, the USD 62.5 billion Tata Group subsidiary, has joined hands with UAE's based telecom service provider Etisalat to launch an enterprise network services.
The agreement will enable the companies to offer a range of dedicated ethernet services to customers seeking connectivity in the UAE and across the globe.
Etisalat can now leverage Tata Communications' Ethernet portfolio to offer advanced network services to its customers who are expanding globally into new and emerging markets, looking for a service provider who provides the best connectivity options, a company statement said.
Tata Communications' ethernet services span across five continents.
Commenting on the partnership Tata Communications Chief Operating Officer Vinod Kumar said, "Expansion into the UAE in partnership with Etisalat achieves a key milestone in our strategy of building connectivity into emerging markets and being the provider of choice, delivering seamless solutions to meet the varied and wide spread network needs of our global customers."
The company is eyeing key enterprise segments such as airlines, media, real estate, logistics, banking & finance and other companies.
Etisalat business solutions Vice President Abdulla Hashim said, "Through this partnership, Etisalat will offer benefits of dedicated end-to-end bandwidth through a superior variety of global Ethernet solutions in addition to offering value added services."
Etisalat also plans to extend its global footprint by either setting up its own nodes or by partnering with the best telecom operators across the globe.
The company currently has partnerships with 15 major telecom providers worldwide has been offering international connectivity solutions to major customers.
The agreement will enable the companies to offer a range of dedicated ethernet services to customers seeking connectivity in the UAE and across the globe.
Etisalat can now leverage Tata Communications' Ethernet portfolio to offer advanced network services to its customers who are expanding globally into new and emerging markets, looking for a service provider who provides the best connectivity options, a company statement said.
Tata Communications' ethernet services span across five continents.
Commenting on the partnership Tata Communications Chief Operating Officer Vinod Kumar said, "Expansion into the UAE in partnership with Etisalat achieves a key milestone in our strategy of building connectivity into emerging markets and being the provider of choice, delivering seamless solutions to meet the varied and wide spread network needs of our global customers."
The company is eyeing key enterprise segments such as airlines, media, real estate, logistics, banking & finance and other companies.
Etisalat business solutions Vice President Abdulla Hashim said, "Through this partnership, Etisalat will offer benefits of dedicated end-to-end bandwidth through a superior variety of global Ethernet solutions in addition to offering value added services."
Etisalat also plans to extend its global footprint by either setting up its own nodes or by partnering with the best telecom operators across the globe.
The company currently has partnerships with 15 major telecom providers worldwide has been offering international connectivity solutions to major customers.
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