The Editor's Cut

Femtocell trial: update

noreply@blogger.com (Anne Morris) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:18:00 +0000

Well, I have placed the femtocell at a greater distance from the router - but given the limitations of where to put routers and the length of cables this is still not an ideal scenario, I would say.

I was talking to an executive from Nokia Siemens about this yesterday, and he said the spectrum filters in current femtocells are still quite poor and really need to be further refined - although this would make them more expensive initially.

I'm no engineer, but as a consumer my view is that it's not good enough to just ask consumers to locate a femtocell six feet away from their router. Sometimes that's just not always that feasible, and it's hardly user friendly. It might be OK for the early adopters to do this - but what about the mass market? I can't help but think that if femtos are to take off as a mass-market solution for indoor coverage or even data offloading then these interference issues need to be eliminated. I'm just trialling a femtocell; not sure I would buy one just yet.

TT Makes the Shortlist

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:14:00 +0000

Total Telecom is delighted to have made the shortlist for this years PPA Independent Publisher Awards in the category of ONLINE BRAND OF THE YEAR.

The Independent Publisher Awards are described by the PPA (Periodical Publishers Association - one of the leading publishing trade bodies worldwide) as the ultimate accolade for the achievements of independent publishers and so Total Telecom is delighted to make the shortlist alongside two other extremely strong brands, The Moodie Report and Clash Magazine.

The winner will be revealed during the glamorous awards ceremony on Tuesday 1 December 2009 where Total Telecom will be crossing fingers that we are named ONLINE BRAND OF THE YEAR.

Watch this space!

Femtocell trial: first impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Anne Morris) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:51:00 +0000

Well, it works, I can make calls in my home and both mobile phones have been registered - although it took a couple of calls to get that sorted out. And I never received my confirmation SMS...

But there is one very worrying development. When my femtocell is on, my WiFi network does not work properly. The signal becomes very weak and I can't always get on the Internet. This is resolved by unplugging the femtocell...

So what's at fault here? My WiFi network, or the femtocell? I did assume the two would not interfere with one another but this is too much of a coincidence to ignore. What can I do? I have no control over where they are located as the broadband router has to be connected to both...

Trialling femtocells

noreply@blogger.com (Anne Morris) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:07:00 +0000

I've just started trialling a femtocell in my home. It's the Access Gateway from Vodafone UK. So far, it's great. Although I live in central London the mobile reception in my home is appalling. Now, after having registered my mobile number with the gateway, I get a strong signal indoors and all being well will never miss a mobile call or text again!

Trialling the femtocell, and thinking about how it can be used, certainly brings into perspective the conundrum faced by mobile operators with the femtocell business model. It is great for coverage indoors if like me you suffer from poor access to the macro network. But other than that, if you already have WiFi, why would you need a femtocell for anything else? Even my mobile broadband service would be no use to me if my fixed connection went down as I need the fixed broadband for the femtocell backhaul...

Home networking perhaps? Offloading traffic? Hard to see it at the moment. But an all-singing, all-dancing router with WiFi, cellular, and home networking support- now you're talking.

While installing my femtocell I also tested my broadband speed: 11 Mbps on the downlink! Way to go, Virgin Media! Shame the uplink is still below 1 Mbps though.

Joost UK enters liquidation

nick.wood@totaltele.com (Nick Wood) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:24:00 +0000

The U.K. arm of online video service Joost announced on Wednesday it has gone into liquidation.

"The company had failed to sustain a significant share of the Internet video industry and was unable to address this effectively through a re-positioning of its services," said Joost UK in a brief statement emailed to Total Telecom.

In what could be other signs of its protracted demise, the struggling P2P video firm announced in July it was retreating from the consumer market and would instead focus on providing white label solutions to enable media companies to publish their own Internet video content.

The reorganisation also saw the replacement of CEO Mike Volpi with Matt Zelesko, Joost's senior vice president of engineering.

Although Wednesday's announcement concerns one Joost subsidiary, the company launched by Skype founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis has recently become embroiled in a wider dispute with its ex-CEO.

In September Volpi was removed as chairman and became the subject to an internal investigation.

A week later it emerged that Joost, along with another Zennstrom and Friis company, Joltid, was suing him for breach of fiduciary duty by allegedly using confidential information to strike a deal with eBay to sell its 65% stake in Skype to a group of private investors.

Viennese whirl

noreply@blogger.com (Anne Morris) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:48:00 +0000

I'm in Vienna at the moment, hearing about Telekom Austria's strategy for both its fixed and mobile units. It's interesting how much more subdued the company has become since Boris Nemsic left - but that's not just because Nemsic left of course. The company has been forced to sooth ruffled shareholder feathers over its expansion strategy - investors accused the operator of empire building, according to CFO Hans Tschuden. Now the focus is on cash flow, dividends and shareholder value. The mini mobile empire is to be retained, but there are no plans to expand it further. No wonder Nemsic left really - it must have become a very dull place for him. Instead he has gone to stir things up at Russian mobile operator Vimpelcom!

World Vendor Awards Launched

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:55:00 +0000

Total Telecom have launched the World Vendor Awards - recognising excellence and innovation amongst telecom hardware and software vendors.

Initial response suggests this could very quickly become as significant as the World CommunicationAwards - which are now in their 11th year - so don't miss out, check out the categories today at www.worldvendorawards.com

It's quiet on the Geneva front...

noreply@blogger.com (Anne Morris) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:28:00 +0000

Unaccustomed as I am to finding a spare seat in the press room on day 1 of Telecom World in Geneva...

Well, yes, as predicted it's quiet here. But that's not to say it's not been worth coming. I think a lot of the exhibitors will be pretty fed up if traffic doesn't increase in the next few days, but the Forum is well attended and there are plenty of people to meet from a media point of view. But as one media rep just said, the ITU should probably now forget about the exhibition part and just have it as a Forum, because it's a good platform for debate at a pretty high level.

The ITU is already advertising Telecom World 2011 - apparently it will be the 40th anniversary of Telecom World. I hope the ITU learns from this year's event and cuts its cloth accordingly, though.

The great thing is that all the events and exhibitors have been squeezed into halls 1-4, and as anyone familiar with the Palexpo will know, that means much less walking than normal!

Who mentioned tumbleweed...?

India to hit half a billion mobile subs this year

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Lennighan) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:59:00 +0000

India's telecoms minister Andimuthu Raja predicts that the country will hit 500 million mobile subscribers during 2009.

Raja made the comments on Thursday at an industry conference, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

The country's previous target saw it reaching the half-billion mark in 2010.

According to the latest figures from the TRAI, India's total mobile customer base stood at 456.74 million at the end of August, with over 15 million new subscribers having been added during that month.

If it maintains that level of customer addition, India should break the 500 million barrier in November.

Double Hat-Trick!

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:22:00 +0000

Total Telecom are delighted to welcome not one, not two, but three new partners for three of our events....

Juniper Networks join the list of sponsors of this years World Communication Awards, which will be presented at the London Hilton on the 25 November. Juniper will present the trophy to the recipient of this years Green Award.

Tellabs have joined us as the founding Event Partner for our telecom strategy club, the World Telecoms Council. The next meeting will be held in central London on the 24 & 25 November and will offer the opportunity to discuss Green & Sustainable Telecoms, Wholesale Telecoms, and Business Models with leading telecom professionals and experts including Robin Mersh, COO of the Broadband Forum.

Finally we are delighted to confirm PricewaterhouseCoopers as the Founding Partner of the NEW World Vendor Awards. Launching officially next month, the WVA will recognise excellence and innovation amongst hardware and software vendors serving the global telecom community.

For more information on any of these events, contact rob.chambers@totaltele.com.

Orange to offer iPhone in UK

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Lennighan) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:49:00 +0000

Having had exclusive rights to offer Apple's iPhone in the U.K. for the past two years, O2 will soon face competition when it comes to providing the much-hyped handset.

Orange announced Monday that it too will offer the phone later this year, although it has yet to announce an official launch date or reveal pricing details.

So, getting an Orange in your stocking this Christmas could actually be a bonus!

Any more votes? Going, going, gone...

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:18:00 +0000

CEO of the Year:
Voting for the World Communication Awards 2009
CEO of the Year closes tomorrow, 11 September.

So far the category, sponsored by Rogers Communications has generated over 10,000 votes - and it's close!

Any more votes, get them in quick - view the shortlist here

To view the finalists of other WCA categories, or to find out more about the remaining sponsorship opportunities visit www.worldcommsawards.com

Samsung is not Apple

nick.wood@totaltele.com (Nick Wood) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:45:00 +0000

The dreaded 'A'-word is starting to be used as an expletive by any telco player that has watched the iPhone's meteoric rise in hardware sales and app downloads from the sidelines.

Last week Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann had to think twice before mentioning Apple's handset during a presentation at Nokia World, and now Samsung is getting in on the act.

"We're not Apple, we actually want to coexist with other players," said Yoon Lee, of Samsung's global marketing operations, during a panel session at Broadband World Forum Europe in Paris.

Lee made the comment in reference to Samsung's ongoing strategy of adopting open standards that will eventually enable devices from other hardware makers to connect to all of Samsung's products.

That's not just the company's mobile phones, either. Lee said Samsung intends to include connectivity on all of its devices including TVs, printers, Blu-ray players and cameras.

"We're helping consumers to share content through multiple devices," he said.

Just don't use the 'A'-word.

Click here to catch up with all the breaking news from Broadband World Forum Europe.

UK mobile merger imminent

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Lennighan) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Deustche Telekom and France Telecom are close to agreeing a deal to merge their U.K. operations, according to unnamed sources cited by Dow Jones Newswires this afternoon.

To further fuel the fire of speculation, France Telecom CEO failed to appear at the opening keynote of Broadband World Forum Europe in Paris on Monday, and replacement speaker Jean-Philippe Vanot, innovation and marketing head, was unable to provide a reason for his boss' absense.

Didier Lombard sends his apologies, he told a packed auditorium, before muttering something about the CEO being "otherwise engaged"...

So far so good

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Lennighan) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:42:00 +0000

The online team from Total Telecom has arrived in Paris and we have a working Internet connection. Admittedly, we haven't been anywhere near CNIT, the venue for this year's Broadband World Forum Europe, yet, but nonetheless things are looking good.

There's already news in our dedicated BBWF news channel - I spoke to Ethernet over copper specialist Actelis in advance of the show - and there will be much more as the day goes on, so keep checking back.

Click here for Total Telecom's free BBWF news service.

Next stop, CNIT La Defense, where I'm due to meet LG-Nortel and sit in on the opening keynote from Orange.

Sony Ericsson lifts lid on Xperia X2

nick.wood@totaltele.com (Nick Wood) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:17:00 +0000

Sony Ericsson on Wednesday unveiled the second in its line of Xperia handsets, the X2, aimed at the growing 'prosumer' market.As with the X1, Sony Ericsson is powering its latest smartphone with a specially designed user interface running on Windows Mobile, which enables users to customise various screens (or panels, if you're Sony Ericsson) with their own shortcuts and applications.

Unlike its predecessor, however, the X2 will be running on the latest version of Microsoft's mobile OS - Windows Mobile 6.5. Microsoft announced on Tuesday that the first phones to feature said software will be available from 6 October, so we'll be keeping an eye out for an operator announcement over the coming weeks.

Sony Ericsson has stuck with a touchscreen interface complemented by a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and is pitching the X2 more towards the business user, rather than the segment that will only use it watch YouTube in the pub.

Unfortunately, there is someone missing from the Xperia X2: Johnny X. When the X1 came out we were treated to a diabolically cheesy, Web-based tale of a man with amnesia who relies on his rather snazzy handset to regain his memory, find his wife, and save a professional baseball player from some gangsters.

Mentioning the unmentionable

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Lennighan) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:35:00 +0000

There are some words you just can't use at a Nokia event... and I'm not talking about the four-letter variety.

But after some verbal dancing, in the end Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann just couldn't help himself.

People with high-end mobile devices are now surfing the Internet as much on the mobile as they do on a fixed-line connection, Obermann told attendees at Nokia World today.

"[And I'm not just talking about] the device whose name I am not allowed to mention here!" he said, raising a titter from the audience.

"It's not just the iPhone," he clarified, just in case anyone at the Stuttgart event had been living under a rock for the past couple of years.

Nokia will struggle to avoid comparisons with Apple's world-conquering handset though. The Finnish vendor announced two new phones today, both in its Comes With Music range. And unveiling the devices, Nokia's Anssi Vanjoki deliberately compared the cost of downloading music on iTunes with Nokia's unlimited music download service. More info on those new phones on Total Telecom.

Nokia launches N97 Mini

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Lennighan) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:52:00 +0000

It's still early, but Nokia has already launched a new device at this year's Nokia World.

Anssi Vanjoki, EVP markets at Nokia, has just presented the N97 Mini, a new version of the N97 designed to appeal to the social networking segment.

Vanjoki said the new slimmer, N97 Mini will appeal to young explorers and tech stylists, listing maps, games, photos, music, messaging and the Ovi Store among the features users can "mash up" on their device.

Oh, and it costs €450, but Vanjoki expects operators will subsidise it to zero in many markets.

Two new music phones from Nokia

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Lennighan) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:40:00 +0000

Nokia chief exec Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo has just delivered his opening keynote at this year's Nokia World event.

While the focus of his speech was squarely on the services space and Nokia's ambitions there, the Finnish vendor has not forgotten its roots and plans to unveil two new handsets later today.

"We will launch two new music-focussed devices," Kallasvuo told attendees at the event.

He added that the vendor plans to present a new version of its flagship N97 device, that will have a "broader appeal".

"The N97 is selling at a faster rate than its high-profile predecessor the N95," Kallasvuo added.

hooray, hooray...

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Lennighan) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:56:00 +0000

...it's a holi-, holi-day!

Just to let our readers know that we will not be updating the Total Telecom website on Monday due to the bank holiday in the U.K. We feel that we've earned the rest.

But before we go, here's a quick news snippet:

China Telecom had signed up 1.3 million subscribers to its 3G service as of the end of June, a company executive told Reuters yesterday.

The telco launched 3G services earlier this year.

Palm Pre to hit UK 30 October?

nick.wood@totaltele.com (Nick Wood) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:55:00 +0000

The Palm Pre looks set to launch in the U.K. on Friday 30 October, if rumblings reported by Palm webOS Blog on Friday are to be believed.

Unnamed sources claimed that managers at O2, which announced in July its exclusive deal to sell the Pre across Europe, have been informed of the handset's upcoming release date.

It is understood that the price plans will be the same for the Pre as they are for the iPhone, which says all you need to know about which segment Palm is going after with its latest phone.

Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that if the rumours turn out to be true, and the Pre's tariffs do match those of the iPhone, then it's likely that O2's exclusive Apple deal is set to end at around the same time.

After all, what better way to grab some attention after your competitors start selling your flagship handset than by offering a choice of dazzling devices on the same price plans?

Motorola to unveil first Android handsets 15 September

nick.wood@totaltele.com (Nick Wood) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:16:00 +0000

Motorola looks set to finally unveil its first batch of Android devices, after a press invitation was sent out by the handset maker bearing the operating system's distinctive green robot logo.

The invitation is to an event in London on 15 September, but beyond that - and the logo pictured on the right - details are scant.

It's no secret that Motorola has been busy working on Android-powered handsets, and it looks like the industry is about get its first look at the raft of new phones aimed at reviving the company's fortunes.

The head of Motorola's mobile devices division and co-CEO Sanjay Jha said during the company's second quarter results presentation in late July that Motorola is planning to launch two Android phones in time for Christmas 2009, with several more planned for the first quarter of 2010.

"Smartphones are the future of this division at least in 2010," he said at the time.

For all intents and purposes Motorola looks like it's betting on a winner.

The smartphone segment is one that is likely to show continued healthy growth in mature mobile markets for the foreseeable future; plus there is a lot of buzz surrounding Google's Android platform and whether it can mount a serious challenge to the likes of Apple, Windows Mobile, RIM and Nokia.

However, this hasn't gone unnoticed, and now PC makers including most recently Dell are looking to smartphones as a possible way of generating fresh revenues at a time when computer sales are sluggish, meaning competition is only going to increase.

So, come 15 September all eyes will be on Motorola to see if it has finally designed a handset that can measure up to the success brought about by the now legendary RAZR.

Will it be make or break for the once mighty Moto? Email nick.wood@totaltele.com to let me know what you think!

...and on to the next issue of Total Telecom magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Anne Morris) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:45:00 +0000

We're now starting work on the October issue of Total Telecom magazine, and this will also include our annual Global 100 ranking of the top telecoms operators globally. It's a must-have supplement if you want to be able to entertain your friends and family with in-depth facts about operator standings in the world! Seriously, we spend months collating the information that enables us to put this ranking together, so hope you find it a useful read.

Otherwise we've already had huge interest in our planned analyses of next-gen broadband and unified communications in the magazine. Media & Entertainment will focus on online advertising, and the challenges that market is facing in the current climate. The October cover story will provide an analysis of the US mobile services market - a timely and thoroughly interesting topic given recent developments, such as Sprint's acquisition of Virgin Mobile USA and the FCC's planned review of how competitive the market really is.

The issue will be published on 1st October.

Thanks!

Anne Morris,
Editor

Total Telecom magazine - hot off the press

noreply@blogger.com (Anne Morris) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:35:00 +0000

Total Telecom magazine has just gone to press with its September issue following the summer lull, so watch out for your copy in your post/inboxes in the coming weeks. It includes an extremely fascinating analysis of the fibre network funding debate by Joanne Taaffe (cover story), while our "Focus on Asia" section covers 3G in China, mobile in Japan and IPTV in India, as well as an assessment of current investment opportunities in the region.

Elsewhere our technology guru Roy Rubenstein takes a close and critical look at the issues surrounding subscriber data management systems, and the privacy issues that operators face when they look to upgrade their SDM systems. I tackle mobile TV business cases in Media & Entertainment, a very interesting and timely subject as increasingly more TV services are launched, while services remain difficult to monetise. Our news analysis section tackles network vendor strategies in the face of the increased dominance of Ericsson and Huawei, mobile broadband services, content delivery services and the increased traction with m2m services. Roy also provides a close and personal look at the challenges now being faced by the traditionally innovative vendors in Israel.

Hope you enjoy the read!

Review: Is HTC's Hero any match for the iPhone?

nick.wood@totaltele.com (Nick Wood) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:32:00 +0000

HTC's Hero marks the handset maker's latest and most emphatic Android-powered effort to tempt consumers away from shelling out for the all-powerful iPhone, and thanks to it's sleek design, new interface and impressive features, it's in with a good chance.
The front of the phone is dominated by a 3.2-inch touchscreen, leaving just enough room for a small speaker, a row of buttons including call start and end, a home button, menu, back and search, and the small trackball that we've come to expect from HTC's Android devices.

Then there is the 'chin' at the bottom of the phone, which HTC says is designed to make the Hero more comfortable to hold both in your hand and to your face. It certainly serves no other purpose, unless you count dividing opinion as a purpose - a quick office poll was split between those who thought it was stylish, and others who thought it made the Hero look old-fashioned. If anything, at least it sets it apart from the multitude of touchscreen candy bar handsets to have hit the market in the last 18 months.

The touchscreen's 320x480 resolution displays information very clearly, and the screen itself is coated with a similar type of oil-resistant material as the iPhone's, although inevitably it still gets smeared with grubby fingerprints.

The Hero's touch QWERTY keyboard is just big enough for the average pinkie...<more>