ROW Short Takes

3G should stay ahead of WiMAX this decade: In-StatA recent study from high-tech market research firm In-Stat suggests that broadband wireless acces (BWA) technology in the form of WiMAX is unlikely to pose a big threat to wireless 3G services in the Asia/Pacific market this decade. While BWA technologies provide complimentary services to 3G, a lack of standardization and interoperability holds them back. Highlights from the report include: WiMAX is expected to reach 14 million subscribers by 2011; there were more than 130 million 3G users in the Asia/Pacific region in 2005; and mobile WiMAX devices are anticipated to be available in late 2007. Sony Ericsson leads JD Power rankingsAccording to JD Power and Associates’ 2006 US Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation Study – Volume 2, Sony Ericsson ranks the highest in satisfying customers who have owned their current mobile phone for less than two years. Sony Ericsson received the highest ratings from customers in handset durability and rated highly in features and battery functionality. In order, LG, Sanyo and Motorola trailed Sony Ericsson in the overall rankings. The study also found: that the average replacement cycle for typical handsets is 16.6 months; handset features that are used most often, in order, are the speakerphone, camera capabilities, services to send/receive short messages, and gaming; and more than half of all current wireless users compared other handset brands before selecting their current wireless phone. Juniper: Mobile adult content market to reach $3.3 billion by 2011The latest study from Juniper Research reports that the mobile adult content market is forecast to grow from $1.4 billion in 2006 to more than $3.3 billion by 2011, and the whole global mobile entertainment market should generate $14.4 billion in revenues in 2011. "Adult content business models have succeeded in other major delivery media: print, cinema, DVD, PPV TV, et cetera," said Bruce Gibson, Juniper’s research director, in a press release. "There is no reason why the mobile channel should not be equally profitable for adult content industry players. The mobile channel will provide a different way of presenting adult content to traditional delivery channels and will reach new audiences. Mobile is about fun and instant gratification." Dancom deploys Redline’s wireless backhaul products in PakistanDancom, a subsidiary of Dancom Malaysia, has become one of the first telecommunications providers in the world to deploy Redline Communications’ new RedConnex AN-80i wireless backhaul infrastructure products. Dancom has deployed the AN-80i to establish wireless networks in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Faisalabad and Sialkot in Pakistan. The AN-80i is capable of delivering up to 108 Mbps over a distance of more than 80 kilometres. "The AN-80i is the ideal solution for our customers in Pakistan, delivering on the high standards of performance that have made Redline our first choice for broadband wireless backhaul solutions," said Lugman Kamil, CEO of Dancom Group, in a press release. Dell, Telus team up on embedded wireless effortDell Inc. and Telus Corp. have announced a strategic relationship to package mobile broadband capabilities on select Dell Latitude XPS notebooks and Dell Precision mobile workstations. The mobile broadband option will be exclusive to Telus clients and will enable the computers to access the Internet with broadband-like download speeds using Telus’ EvDO service. "This offering greatly expands our customers’ access to their critical data networks to anywhere they can make a cellular phone call," said Greg Davis, president of Dell Canada. "The impact to the individual’s productivity is significant." Telus’ wireless high speed is available in Canada’s major urban centres and many smaller regions, covering 21 areas across the country. Tranzeo Wireless announces South African distributorPitt Meadows BC-based Tranzeo Wireless Technologies Inc. has announced Michelangelo Technology as an authorized distributor of Tranzeo’s fixed wireless broadband solutions. Based in Mauritius, Michelangelo has an operation in South Africa and is expanding into Botswana and Uganda in 2007. "Africa is a hotbed of opportunity for deploying wireless technology at this point in time," said Tranzeo’s VP of sales and marketing Tony Kot in a news release. "The main reason for this is they have very little copper infrastructure currently in place for communications so the fastest and most affordable way to create vital communication infrastructure is through wireless technologies." Flag down a cab with #TAXI from AliantEarlier this month, Aliant launched #TAXI in cities and towns across Atlantic Canada. By dialling #TAXI (#8294), Aliant wireless customers can connect to the first available taxi dispatcher at any time with no busy signals. Aliant worked closely with CallWand Communications Inc. which owns and manages the #TAXI service. "This is a major step forward in achieving coast-to-coast coverage for #TAXI," said CallWand president Nick Quain in a news release. "Aliant customers can benefit from using the service in approximately 60 cities and towns in the region." The service costs $1.25 per call plus airtime. MTS offers flat-rate roamingMTS Allstream Inc. has launched International Roaming Service, which allows MTS customers to roam on CDMA and GSM networks worldwide with the Motorola A840 handset for a flat rate of $2.49 per minute for all in-country and country-to-country calls, including airtime and long distance charges. The services allows MTS customers to forget about keeping track of what type of calls they make due to their location. "It’s like a passport for your cell phone," said Kelvin Shepherd, MTS’ president of consumer markets, in a media release. "With one phone, one phone number and one straightforward flat rate, frequent international travelers can seamlessly send and receive calls and text messages almost anywhere in the world." Redknee can process more than two billion mobile transactions per monthMississauga ON-headquartered Redknee Inc., a provider of software that monetizes services and content for mobile users, has announced that its solutions can now process 2.4 billion transactions per month through deployments at its 26 operator customers worldwide. Through Redknee solutions such as its Turnkey Converged Billing Solution, IP Charging and Policy, and User Privacy and Preference management server, operators can offer a range of voice, messaging and data services in real time. "This exponential growth in transaction volume demonstrates Redknee’s scalable capabilities for operators to manage complex messaging, content, multimedia downloads, mobile TV, mCommerce and voice in a single convereged, real-time solution," said Luca Skoczkowski, Redknee’s CEO, in a press release.

ROW Short Takes

News | December 4, 2006

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