In my opening remarks at the Ministerial Program of GSMA’s Mobile World Congress in February, I referred to predictions that tablet sales would overtake laptop sales in 2014. This Economist report supports the general argument, but does not break out the numbers by desktops and laptops. Apple, which makes desktop and laptop computers as well as tablets, suffered a smaller hit than other PC-makers. It also still commands a premium over other manufacturers for its sleek designs. And unlike other PC-makers, it makes up for lost PC sales with new tablet sales.
GSMA has urged the governments to immediately suspend the collection of Universal Service Fund (USF). Because, the trade body has found that USF has failed to deliver what it promises in theory. After surveying 64 countries GSMA has detected that more than one-third of these governments have not even disbursed any fund they have taxed the consumers in the name of public interest. Such accumulated idle USF amounts to in excess of a whooping US$11 billion only. The study cites India, Cote D’Ivoire and Paraguay as bad examples: In India, the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) continues to impose approximately a five per cent levy on operator revenues, despite the fact that is contains over 4 billion USD of accumulated funds.
Many talk about corruption in telecom procurement by government owned telecos. Here are details: According to a police source familiar with the probe, a suitcase containing US$2 million in cash was allegedly found in Thein Tun’s residence. Investigators are trying to establish whether the alleged funds may have originated from foreign firms, including major Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE known to be angling for potentially lucrative telecom contracts in Myanmar, according to the same source. Authorities are also trying to gain access to bank accounts in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore where kickbacks to senior ministry officials may have been deposited, according to the same source. Both Chinese companies have voluntarily given investigating authorities documents related to their previous deals with the MPT ministry, including during Thein Zaw’s tenure as minister, according to the police source.
Many of the millions of expatriate workers living in the Gulf are separated from their families. They need to keep in touch. They need to talk. But the cheapest way of the talking has been blocked so far in Dubai. But things change.
Who would have thought? A UK-based global operator that emerged in the competitive era joining with China Mobile, the big dog in China, to bid for a Myanmar license. Operator heavyweights China Mobile and Vodafone Group have formed a consortium to bid for a mobile licence in Myanmar. Keen to promote competition, Myanmar wants to increase the number of mobile operators from two (Myanmar Post & Telecommunications and Yantanarpon Teleport) to four. In a statement, Vodafone laid out some of the attractions of entering this market.
Myanmar has shortlisted 22 aspirants for two mobile licenses for an initial 15-year term. Global and regional heavyweights in this beauty contest is listed bellow in alphabetical order: 1 ACO Investment Group 12 Millicom 2 Asia Megalink (local) 13 MTN Consortium 3 Axiata 14 Orange / Marubeni 4 Bharti Airtel 15 Orascom / EPIC 5 China Mobile / Vodafone 16 Qatar Telecom / Ooredoo 6 China Telecom 17 SingTel / KBZ (local) / M-Tel 7 CP Group / True / Thana Telecom 18 SK Telecoms / Red Link 8 Digicel / Quantum 19 STT / Bewell / Frontier 9 First Pacific 20 Telenor 10 IG Group / MTI 21 Telkom Indonesia 11 KDDI / Sumitomo 22 Viettel China Mobile, the world’s largest operator by subscriber and Vodafone, the world’s top operator by revenue has teamed up for a license. Telenor, which operates in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia – has strong aspiration for a license in Myanmar to make its presence seamless across South and South East Asia. Bharti Airtel, China Telecom, SingTel, Telkom Indonesia, Viettel (Viet Nam) SK Telecom (South Korea), KDDI (Japan), Axiata (Malaysia), Orascom (Egypt), Orange (France) and Ooredoo (Qatar Telecom) are the other big […]