Intel launches low-cost quad-core mobile chip December 31, 2008
Posted by aikservices in Acer, Intel, Mobile, Telecom, USA, Wireless.Tags: Acer, Intel, Mobile, Telecom, USA, Wireless
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Intel has launched a low-cost quad-core mobile processor and added more mobile Core 2 Duo processors to its chip lineup, according to an updated price list dated December 28. Acer was one of the first PC makers to announce a system with the new quad-core processor. On Monday Acer released the Aspire 8930G-7665 laptop designed for extreme gaming using the new Intel Core 2 Quad Mobile Processor Q9000, which runs at 2.53GHz. The laptop comes with a 18.4-inch WUXGA screen and Nvidia GeForce 9700M GT graphics. It is priced at $1,799.
The Q9000 processor is listed at $348, significantly less expensive than the existing QX9300 mobile quad-core processor, which is listed at $1,038, and the Q9100, listed at $851. Both of these processors, however, have 12MB of cache memory, twice the amount of the cheaper Q9000, which integrates 6MB of cache. Generally, the more cache memory, the faster the processor.
AT&T mobile service back to normal (USA) December 31, 2008
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An AT&T wireless spokesman said this morning that virtually all service traffic in the Midwest is operating normally after mobile services were disrupted on Sunday in several states, including Wisconsin. The problem began about 9:30 a.m. Sunday when a power failure knocked out an AT&T facility in suburban Detroit.The situation resulted in intermittent disruption of mobile services for customers in some Midwest states, the spokesman said. Backup power was restored later Sunday, and the Michigan facility was restored to service Sunday afternoon.There are still some areas of Michigan without service, the spokesman said.
Pakistan sees mobile user base drop to 90.41 million December 31, 2008
Posted by aikservices in Asia, Instaphone, Mobile, Mobilink, Pakistan, Telecom, Telenor, Ufone, Warid Telecom, Wireless, Zong.Tags: Asia, Instaphone, Mobile, Mobilink, Pakistan, Telecom, Telenor, Ufone, Warid Telecom, Wireless, Zong
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Pakistan ended November with 90.41 million mobile phone users decreasing by 0.1 percent compared with 90.51 million in October, according to figures from market regulator PTA. Mobilink was the market leader with 30.06 million customers, losing 827,000 customers during November, followed by Ufone with 19.1 million. Telenor was in third place with 18.88 million subscribers, followed by Warid with 16.66 million subscribers. Zong‘s subscribers reached 5.39 million, while Instaphone subscribers remained steady at 321,134. Mobile teledensity stabilised at 56.20 percent in November.
Russia’s MTS Brand Expands into India December 31, 2008
Posted by aikservices in Asia, India, Mobile, MTS, Russia, Shyam Telelink, Sistema, Telecom, Wireless.Tags: Asia, India, Mobile, MTS, Russia, Shyam Telelink, Sistema, Telecom, Wireless
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India’s Shyam Telelink, which is controlled by Russia’s Sistema has announced plans to use the brand-name of the Russian mobile network operator, MTS in the Indian market. MTS is itself 52.8% majority-owned by Sistema. Sistema guaranteed US$520 million of the total US$630 million that Shyam Telelink paid for obtaining its operating licenses. The company recently used a call-option to increase its shareholding in India’s Shyam Telelink from 51% to 72% – just shy of the 74% which is permitted under Indian laws.
At STL, our endeavour is to provide world class affordable mobile services to the customers, said Mr. Vsevolod Rozanov, CEO, Shyam Telelink Limited. Coming to market with a fully developed and globally recognized brand will give us a clear competitive advantage in the marketplace. The MTS brand offers Shyam Telelink a valuable portfolio of marketing guidelines that will provide time and cost advantages. The universality of MTS’ brand values and the simplicity of its design will resonate well among potential customers in India, and we are confident that the brand will aid in the expansion of our business.
Smartphones Need Stronger Malware Protection, Report Finds December 31, 2008
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As more mobile subscribers make the move to smartphones, growing security threats from mobile malware are spurring increased demand for more robust applications that minimize the potential impact of malware on mobile services, according to the latest report from Unstrung Insider. Despite all the benefits smartphones offer, one considerable disadvantage is mobile malware designed to damage or disrupt mobile systems, notes Denise Culver, research analyst with Unstrung Insider and author of the report. Mobile malware threats are on the rise, especially as smartphones increase in popularity, because smartphone operating systems are a primary malware target.
Security applications are aimed at minimizing the malware threat before a full-fledged attack can occur, Culver says. “Mobile malware security vendors are preparing for wide-scale attacks by hackers — attacks that eventually will be as headline grabbing as those that hit email systems,” she notes. “Their hope is that smartphone manufacturers, carriers, and enterprises — not to mention smartphone users — will not wait until the threats have reached that level before securing their mobile systems.”
Portuguese Telecoms Company Competes for Third Mobile License in Mozambique December 30, 2008
Posted by aikservices in mCel, Mobile, Mozambique, Portugal, Portugal Telecom, Telecom, Vodacom, Wireless.Tags: mCel, Mobile, Mozambique, Portugal, Portugal Telecom, Telecom, Vodacom, Wireless
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Portugal’s leading telecommunication company (PT) has said it plans to bid for Mozambique’s international tender in 2009 for the third mobile telephony license in Mozambique.PT chief executiv e Zeinal Bava told reporters in Maputo Friday during a visit that his company has plans to expand into Mozambique.The Mozambican authorities viewed PT’s interest in a favourable light, therefore we will be competing when the tender is finally launched, he said.PT said it is preparing to launch Internet Service Provider Sapo Mozambique and will provide 1,000 Magalhaes computers to Mozambican schools.Mozambique will launch an international tender for a third mobile telephone licence in the first half of 2009 as it tries to boost access to communications.
Two mobile telephone firms already operate networks in Mozambique. They are the state-controlled mCel and South Africa’s Vodacom, in which Vodafone is buying a majority stake.Vodacom Mozambique has about 1.3 million subscribers, after paying about $15 million for a licence to enter the country five yeas ago. mCel, which was established in 1997, says it has 3.5 million clients. Mozambique has given approval for the regulator, the Institute of Mozambique Telecommunications (INCM), to propose legislation for a third licence.
U.K. mobile-phone sector to shed thousands of jobs: report December 30, 2008
Posted by aikservices in France Telecom, Job Cuts, Mobile, Orange, Telecom, UK, Wireless.Tags: France Telecom, Job Cuts, Mobile, Orange, Telecom, UK, Wireless
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Thousands of workers are expected to lose their jobs across the U.K.’s mobile phone industry in early 2009, the Guardian reports Saturday, without citing sources. According to the report, some of the biggest job cuts should be seen at mobile operator Orange, owned by France Telecom, which employs 12,000 people. Management consultants are being used by a range of firms to advise on cost savings, the newspaper says.
T-Mobile prepping free replacement batteries for G1 owners? December 30, 2008
Posted by aikservices in Android, G1, Google, Mobile, T-Mobile, Telecom, Wireless.Tags: Android, G1, Google, Mobile, T-Mobile, Telecom, Wireless
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Wouldn’t it be nice if all cellphones came with an extra battery pack free of charge? Well, that doesn’t seem like it will be happening in the near future, what with all manufacturing costs mobile phone makers are facing nowadays. But rumors have it that T-Mobile and Google are going to do just that. It is said that T-Mobile is gearing up for a so-called extended battery project in which they’ll be sending out free T-Mobile G1 battery packs to owners within a month from now. This is to address the user-feedback regarding the T-Mobile G1’s less not quite impressive battery life.
An Odd Couple Pitching iPhone: Apple, Wal-Mart December 30, 2008
Posted by aikservices in 3G, Apple, AT&T, iPhone, Mobile, Telecom, USA, Wal-Mart, Wireless.Tags: 3G, Apple, AT&T, iPhone, Mobile, Telecom, USA, Wal-Mart, Wireless
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Apple has officially gone mass market with the iPhone. Wal-Mart said Friday that it would start selling the popular smart phone on Sunday in nearly 2,500 stores.The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer will sell the 8-gigabyte iPhone 3G for $197 and the 16-gigabyte model for $297, with a new two-year service agreement from AT&T T or qualified upgrade. Apple and Wal-Mart make an odd couple. Apple is a high-end brand known for its boutique-style stores and pricey computers. Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, is a renowned discount chain that touts “always low prices” for goods ranging from apparel to grocery items.
But Wal-Mart isn’t heavily discounting the iPhone as some media outlets had speculated in recent weeks. Instead, Wal-Mart is charging $2 less than Apple’s list price on both models, just a 1% discount. By adding Wal-Mart to its list of iPhone retail outlets, which in the U.S. also includes AT&T stores and the Best Buy BBY consumer electronics chain, Apple is executing on a strategy to take market share in the burgeoning smart phone market.
BlackBerry Curve 8900 To Hit U.S. In Feb.? December 29, 2008
Posted by aikservices in 3G, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Curve 8900, BlackBerry Javelin, Canada, Edge, GPS, Mobile, QWERTY Keyboard, RIM, T-Mobile, Telecom, UK, USA, Wi-Fi, Wireless.Tags: 3G, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Curve 8900, BlackBerry Javelin, Canada, Edge, GPS, Mobile, QWERTY Keyboard, RIM, T-Mobile, Telecom, UK, USA, Wi-Fi, Wireless
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It seems the stateside BlackBerry faithful will have to wait until the new year to get their hands on the BlackBerry Curve 8900, also known as the BlackBerry Javelin.TmoNews, an unofficial T-Mobile news blog, has confirmed that the anticipated and updated Curve has a “hopeful” release date of Feb. 18. The device is expected to hit T-Mobile first. Already available in Canada and the U.K., the Curve 8900, which got the stamp of approval from the FCC here in November, is being called the high-end BlackBerry Bold 9000’s kid brother.
The quad-band Curve 8900 offers Edge support with built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, a 512MHz next-generation processer, a full QWERTY keyboard and a 2.4-inch, 480 x 360 high-resolution display. The Curve 8900 also marks the thinnest smartphone in BlackBerry’s 10-year history to offer a full QWERTY keyboard, just a hair over a half-inch thick. While the Curve 8900 lacks 3G support, it wraps in a 3.2-megapixel camera and BlackBerry OS version 4.6.
Orange upgrades 3G in N Ireland and Scotland, network performance improves by 20% December 26, 2008
Posted by aikservices in 3G, Europe, HSPA, Ireland, Mobile, Orange, Scotland, Telecom, UK, Wireless.Tags: 3G, Europe, HSPA, Ireland, Mobile, Orange, Scotland, Telecom, UK, Wireless
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Orange has boosted its 3G and 3G+ (HSPA) networks in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Some 760 sites have been upgraded across the areas, resulting in a 20% improvement in network performance for both voice and data, claims Orange.
Orange Vice President for IT and networks Pete Marsden said, “We are investing heavily in updating and improving our infrastructure to meet our goal of being the best UK network for coverage and reliability.”
Orange is offering over 94% population 3G coverage and over 70% HSPA across the UK.
Telenor expects to close transaction with Unitech in Jan’09 December 26, 2008
Posted by aikservices in India, Mobile, Norway, Telecom, Telenor, Unitech, Wireless.Tags: India, Mobile, Norway, Telecom, Telenor, Unitech, Wireless
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Telenor is expecting to close transaction with Unitech Wireless in January next year. Unitech had said that it would sell 60% of its stake in its telecom venture for about Rs 6,120 crore to Telenor, in October. It was earlier announced that, Telenor would be able to complete transaction by the end of 2008. The company is also evaluating alternatives to fund the transaction, it said.
“The closing of the transaction is subject to certain conditions being fulfilled. Telenor and its partner, the Unitech Group, anticipate that not all conditions for closing (the deal) will be fulfilled before year-end,” the telecom entity said. The company is also planning to proclaim a decision on the “funding of the investment at, or prior to, the closing of the Unitech Wireless transaction”. Unitech is also planning to launch its services in the first half of 2009.
Cellcos complete asset swap (USA) December 24, 2008
Posted by aikservices in AT&T, CDMA, Dobson Cellular, GSM, Mobile, North America, telecom USA, Verizon Wireless, Wireless.Tags: AT&T, Dobson Cellular, Mobile, North America, Verizon Wireless, Wireless
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AT&T and Verizon Wireless have completed an asset swap which helps them meet the regulatory conditions of two recent buyouts of smaller operators. The Federal Communications Commission approved AT&T’s buyout of Dobson in November 2007 and Verizon’s purchase of rural Cellular in August 2008 as long as a number of overlapping operations were divested. Verizon has now acquired licences, network infrastructure and subscribers from AT&T in Kentucky and other unspecified areas, while AT&T has acquired Verizon assets in rural areas of Vermont, New York, Washington State and Kentucky. Verizon has also received an undisclosed cash payment under the deal.
Government to strike deal with unnamed telco for rural infrastructure expansion (Bolivia) December 24, 2008
Posted by aikservices in BNamericas, Bolivia, Entel, Latin America, Mobile, Telecom, Wireless.Tags: BNamericas, Bolivia, Latin America, Mobile, Telecom, Wireless
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BNamericas is reporting that the Bolivian government will sign a deal that will see an unnamed local telecoms operator expand its infrastructure in rural regions. Deputy communication minister Roy Mendez revealed the plans, reiterating the state’s focus on the deployment of telecoms infrastructure in underserved areas through agreements with telcos. Mr Mendez noted that, following a deal signed in 2006 with state-run telco Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Entel) for the deployment of 150 base stations in rural areas, around 87 had been installed. The government claims that coverage in rural areas should reach 80% by the end of 2009.
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