Sri Lanka has changed the taxes for telecommunications services and also imposed regulatory licence fee of 2 percent of revenues. While high tech telecommunications equipment imports will not be charged VAT, the government has imposed a LKR 2 per minute tax on outgoing calls. The 20 percent tax replaces the VAT, a mobile subscriber levy, and an economic service charge, The Lanka Business Online reports. Furthermore, from July 2011, the minimum call rate of LKR 2 per minute will be reduced to LKR 1.50 per minute, president Mahinda Rajapaksa said in the budget speech.
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Showing posts with label telecom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label telecom. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Leading mobile phone makers lose market share
 |
The Galaxy S from Samsung (right) and Apple's iPhone 3G, being demonstrated in South Korea |
The world's leading mobile phone makers are losing market share to non-brand manufacturers, according to research. Analysts at Gartner say smaller, Asian companies accounted for a third of worldwide handset sales in July, August and September. Nokia is still the biggest seller of mobiles, followed by Samsung and LG.
Meanwhile, Google's Android operating system has sharply increased its share and is now the second most popular mobile operating system after Symbian.
Rising Sales
Gartner says 417 million phones were sold globally during the period - an increase of 35% from the year before.
All of the large manufacturers, except Apple, lost market share to companies that make handsets without a brand.
Apple leapfrogged Research In Motion, which makes Blackberry, to fourth place.
"White-box manufacturers continued to expand their reach outside of China into markets such as India, Russia, Africa and Latin America," said Carolina Milanesi from Gartner.
"We firmly believe this phenomenon will not be short-lived as we still see a continued need for non-3G devices."
China's Huawei and ZTE increased their share of sales, as did HTC of Taiwan.
The number of phones which use Google's Android operating system has been rising rapidly, challenging established rivals.
Android was on 25% of all phones sold during the period, overtaking Microsoft Windows Mobile and Apple's iOS.
Last year, the equivalent figure was 3.5%.
"Google is maintaining a fast pace," said the Gartner report. "Each version brings new features and polish to Android, and the level of innovation is a major innovator."
Courtesy : BBC
Courtesy : BBC
Top mobile phone makers
- 1. Nokia
- 2. Samsung
- 3. LG
- 4. Apple
- 5. Research In Motion
Airtel posts $370 Million 2Q profit but misses estimates
Bharti Airtel Ltd., India’s largest mobile-phone operator, reported profit fell 27 percent after the company cut calling rates to compete in the world’s second- largest wireless market.
Second-quarter net income dropped to 16.6 billion rupees ($374 million) in the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with 22.6 billion rupees a year earlier, New Delhi-based Bharti said today. That lagged behind the 17.8 billion rupee average of 27 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Bharti, controlled by billionaire Chairman Sunil Mittal, fell in Mumbai trading as intensifying competition with Vodafone Group Plc and Reliance Communications Ltd. drove down monthly phone bills in India by 20 percent. Bharti is expanding into countries including Kenya with the $9 billion purchase of the African assets of Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Co. to offset slowing growth at home.
“In Africa, the turnaround is going to take a while,” said Naveen Kulkarni, an analyst with MF Global Ltd. in Mumbai. “It will take at least two to three quarters for them to get a foothold there, and to maintain margins.”
Bharti fell 0.9 percent to 331.55 rupees as of 10:55 a.m. in Mumbai trading. The benchmark Sensitive Index, or Sensex, was unchanged. The stock has advanced less than 1 percent this year compared with the Sensex’s 20 percent climb.
African Expansion
Manoj Kohli, chief executive officer of Bharti’s Africa business, plans to invest in expanding new businesses in Nigeria, Gabon, Zambia, Malawi, Niger and Uganda after the company completed its purchase of the African assets of Zain.
The company plans to invest $1.2 billion in the six countries over the next three years, Kohli said in July.
Japan’s NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Norway’s Telenor ASA triggered a price war last year when they entered India with cut-rate plans to win a larger share of a market that is forecast by researcher Gartner Inc. to exceed 993 million users by the end of 2014. India had 671 million mobile-phone accounts in August, according to the phone regulator, lagging behind only China.
Bharti said it had 195 million subscribers across 19 countries as of Sept. 30, according to today’s statement.
Sales rose 47 percent to 152.2 billion rupees. That compared with the 150 billion rupee average of 37 analyst estimates. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda, rose 19 percent to 51.2 billion rupees.
“The margins in Africa are still low,” Kohli said. “By the time we reach the next fiscal year we will see improvements.”
Falling Phone Bills
Bharti announced it completed its purchase of the African assets of Zain, as Mobile Telecommunications is known, on June 8. The acquisition gave the company 42 million new subscribers and access to a population of about 450 million across 15 African countries including Ghana and Uganda.
Bharti’s average revenue per user, a key measure of performance in the telecommunications industry, plunged 20 percent in India to 202 rupees a month. That’s cheaper than Bharti’s average phone bill from its Africa operations.
Bharti is rolling out a third-generation wireless network in India this year that will allow it to begin providing faster data services on smartphones this year. The company paid the government 123 billion rupees for permits in 13 of India’s 22 telecommunication zones, and 33 billion rupees in June for licenses to offer wireless broadband service in four regions.
The company also paid $300 million in January for a 70 percent stake in Abu Dhabi-based Warid Telecom Group’s Bangladesh operations and plans to invest $200 million in the next five years in its mobile operations in Sri Lanka.
Read more ...
Second-quarter net income dropped to 16.6 billion rupees ($374 million) in the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with 22.6 billion rupees a year earlier, New Delhi-based Bharti said today. That lagged behind the 17.8 billion rupee average of 27 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Bharti, controlled by billionaire Chairman Sunil Mittal, fell in Mumbai trading as intensifying competition with Vodafone Group Plc and Reliance Communications Ltd. drove down monthly phone bills in India by 20 percent. Bharti is expanding into countries including Kenya with the $9 billion purchase of the African assets of Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Co. to offset slowing growth at home.
“In Africa, the turnaround is going to take a while,” said Naveen Kulkarni, an analyst with MF Global Ltd. in Mumbai. “It will take at least two to three quarters for them to get a foothold there, and to maintain margins.”
Bharti fell 0.9 percent to 331.55 rupees as of 10:55 a.m. in Mumbai trading. The benchmark Sensitive Index, or Sensex, was unchanged. The stock has advanced less than 1 percent this year compared with the Sensex’s 20 percent climb.
African Expansion
Manoj Kohli, chief executive officer of Bharti’s Africa business, plans to invest in expanding new businesses in Nigeria, Gabon, Zambia, Malawi, Niger and Uganda after the company completed its purchase of the African assets of Zain.
The company plans to invest $1.2 billion in the six countries over the next three years, Kohli said in July.
Japan’s NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Norway’s Telenor ASA triggered a price war last year when they entered India with cut-rate plans to win a larger share of a market that is forecast by researcher Gartner Inc. to exceed 993 million users by the end of 2014. India had 671 million mobile-phone accounts in August, according to the phone regulator, lagging behind only China.
Bharti said it had 195 million subscribers across 19 countries as of Sept. 30, according to today’s statement.
Sales rose 47 percent to 152.2 billion rupees. That compared with the 150 billion rupee average of 37 analyst estimates. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda, rose 19 percent to 51.2 billion rupees.
“The margins in Africa are still low,” Kohli said. “By the time we reach the next fiscal year we will see improvements.”
Falling Phone Bills
Bharti announced it completed its purchase of the African assets of Zain, as Mobile Telecommunications is known, on June 8. The acquisition gave the company 42 million new subscribers and access to a population of about 450 million across 15 African countries including Ghana and Uganda.
Bharti’s average revenue per user, a key measure of performance in the telecommunications industry, plunged 20 percent in India to 202 rupees a month. That’s cheaper than Bharti’s average phone bill from its Africa operations.
Bharti is rolling out a third-generation wireless network in India this year that will allow it to begin providing faster data services on smartphones this year. The company paid the government 123 billion rupees for permits in 13 of India’s 22 telecommunication zones, and 33 billion rupees in June for licenses to offer wireless broadband service in four regions.
The company also paid $300 million in January for a 70 percent stake in Abu Dhabi-based Warid Telecom Group’s Bangladesh operations and plans to invest $200 million in the next five years in its mobile operations in Sri Lanka.
Confusion over 5 SIMs or 25 SIMS per person?
Despite media reports that said Sri Lanka’s Defense Ministry had limited use of Mobile SIMS to 5 per person an official from country’s telecom regulator said that the rule has only restricted a person to have 5 SIMS per mobile operator in the country.
There are currently 5 mobile operators named Dialog, Mobitel, Etisalat, Airtel and Hutch operating in South Asian island nation having nearly 60% of 21 million population using mobile phones. Sri Lanka is said to be the one of the countries that were offering cheapest mobile tariffs in Asia.
“This means that each person can have 5 SIMS from any operator allowing them to have 25 SIMS per person as there is currently 5 operators in the country” said Telecommunication Regulatory Communication (TRC) Chief Anusha Palpita speaking to Asian Tribune.
He clarified that there are no immediate plans to ban individuals from owning more than five mobile-phone SIM cards, while many were in argue that it was reported earlier that according to a Defense Ministry order that each person in the country is only allowed to have only five SIM cards.
However Defense Ministry had issued a fresh notice earlier in October directing every telecom operator to register their subscribers to prove ownership of their respective SIM cards.
Thus all SIM cards which are not registered by December 31st 2010 would be terminated according to reports.
Under this set up, Sri Lanka will tighten mobile phone regulations by forcing service providers to maintain full details of phone users.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
SLT reaches 200,000 ADSL Broadband customer milestone
Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the nation’s number one integrated telecommunications service provider and the leading broadband services provider in the country is proud to announce that 200,000 Sri Lankan homes and businesses (including entrepreneurs, small, medium & large organizations) now access broadband services via ADSL 2+ technology on SLT’s island wide Broadband network. This achievement represents more than 70% of Sri Lanka’s total broadband consumer base and over 20% of SLT Megaline (PSTN/wireline) telephone customer base.
The company has succeeded in achieving its target for the year 2010 ahead of time, mainly due to the recently concluded island-wide broadband campaign, “SLT Broadband Twenty20 Promotion”.
Mr. P.E. D. A. Silva of PULASTIGAMA (situated in Polonnaruwa District), was the 200,000th customer to be connected with SLT Broadband services. The SLT broadband service was already activated for him by enabling broadband access through the Entrée package.
This attractive broadband promotional campaign was SLT’s response to the huge demand for ADSL broadband services that has arisen from all parts of the country and is also an attempt by the company to popularize broadband services among all Sri Lankans by providing them access to information and entertainment contents whenever they want. During year 2010, a total of 80,000 new customers got connected with SLT Broadband services for High-speed internet and IPTV (PeoTV) services. Customers have benefitted greatly from ADSL broadband due to its ALWAYS ON connection, higher speed, reliability and uninterrupted service provided by wireline with benefits of cost savings and affordability. The ability to make and receive calls simultaneously while browsing the internet are among the great values it offers. Furthermore, through SLT Broadband, customers receive access to multiple services of voice, broadband internet & TV/multimedia and all other benefits through a single wireline connection. SLT started offering IPTV through its broadband platform in year 2008 and has succeeded in covering almost all the provinces in the country.
Customers have the freedom and flexibility to choose from a wide selection of broadband plans at affordable prices to meet their individual needs. Services include downstream speeds of up to 4 Mbps for SLT Broadband internet customers. For customers with a wireline home/business telephone, SLT provides a broadband connection starting at Rs. 500/= per month without a connection fee. SLT Broadband services provides high speed internet access (downstream) through seven different packages: Entrée (512Kbps - Volume based), Home (512Kbps - Unlimited), Xcite (1Mbps - Unlimited), Office (2Mbps - Unlimited), Office 1IP (2Mbps – Unlimited, 1Static IP), Xcel (4Mbps - Unlimited) and Xcel 1IP (4Mbps – Unlimited, 1Static IP). The Entrée package has a huge demand and is considered as the internet surfers’ initial choice. Office, Office 1IP, Xcel and Xcel 1IP packages have been especially designed to suit the requirements of small and medium sized enterprises. The popularity of Wi-Fi (wireless internet zones) services in home and office environments also has grown tremendously. Customers prefer to access information using their Wi-Fi enabled smartphones, laptops, netbooks and other devices that provides them greater freedom easily. Therefore customers can decide to have a wireless ADSL modem or router at their home or office to create a wireless internet zone at any time if they have an ADSL broadband connection.
SLT Broadband uniquely offers its customers unparalleled services coupled with the unmatched reliability and robustness provided by its superior wireline technology, ADSL/ADSL 2+. With the range of different broadband internet packages on offer, SLT customers can enjoy a host of value added services such as VoIP services, IPTV, Time Shift TV (TSTV), Video on Demand (VoD), e-learning as well as gaming. The company’s IPTV (SLT PeoTV) services are pioneering IP based TV broadcasting services in Sri Lanka.
SLT has continuously carried out its broadband rollout throughout the island to cater to the broadband demand of the company’s valuable consumers. During this year, SLT has expanded and upgraded its broadband infrastructure by reaching areas away from main cities like; Hingurana, Pottuvil, Uhana (in AMPARA), Badalkumbura, Bibila, Mahiyanganaya (in BADULLA), Dummalasooriya, Kalpitiya, Palavi, Udappu (in CHILAW), Beliaththa, Walasmulla, Weeraketiya (in HAMBANTOTA), Chavakachcheri, Kilinochchi, Kopay, Manipai, Shithankarni (in JAFFNA), Bopitiya, Gonagalpura, Megahatenna, Moragahahena (in KALUTARA), Akkareipattu, Thirukkovil (in KALMUNAI), Walawela, Udasgiriya, Pallepola (in MATALE), Hanguranketha, Hatharaliyadda, Galaha, Medawela, Rikilagaskada (in KANDY), Ambanpitiya, Hiriwadunna, Ganethenna, Molagoda, Kotiyakumbura, Randiwela, Undugoda, Uthuwankanda, Uyanwatte (in KEGALLE), Dambadeniya, Digampitiya, Galgamuwa, Mahawa, Melsiripura, Narampola, Bandarakoswatta, Ingaradaula, Kandanegedara, Kobeigane (in KURUNEGALE), Ayagama, Kalawana, Nivitigala, Rakwana (in RATNAPURA), Kanthale, Medirigiriya, Wathumulla, Buttala …....etc..
These has brought about numerous infrastructure developments including laying fibre optic cables, copper network expansion, upgrade exchange capacities, add more switching capacities, copper line quality improvements and ISP bandwidth upgrades among many others.
SLT expanded its fibre optic information superhighway to the Northern Peninsula in Sri Lanka very recently, as part of its continuing network investment to support the growing demand for communication services, following the end of the conflict. Quick deployment of the Broadband infrastructure in the Northern Peninsula has provided the company with great opportunities to serve the newly opened up markets of the Northern and Eastern provinces., This fibre optic cable project connects Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Jaffna along the A9 main road. In addition new telephone exchanges at Mankulam and Mulathivu, located in the Northern part of Sri Lanka, will enhance basic communication facilities and Broadband coverage for customers in the areas.
Read more ...
The company has succeeded in achieving its target for the year 2010 ahead of time, mainly due to the recently concluded island-wide broadband campaign, “SLT Broadband Twenty20 Promotion”.
Mr. P.E. D. A. Silva of PULASTIGAMA (situated in Polonnaruwa District), was the 200,000th customer to be connected with SLT Broadband services. The SLT broadband service was already activated for him by enabling broadband access through the Entrée package.
This attractive broadband promotional campaign was SLT’s response to the huge demand for ADSL broadband services that has arisen from all parts of the country and is also an attempt by the company to popularize broadband services among all Sri Lankans by providing them access to information and entertainment contents whenever they want. During year 2010, a total of 80,000 new customers got connected with SLT Broadband services for High-speed internet and IPTV (PeoTV) services. Customers have benefitted greatly from ADSL broadband due to its ALWAYS ON connection, higher speed, reliability and uninterrupted service provided by wireline with benefits of cost savings and affordability. The ability to make and receive calls simultaneously while browsing the internet are among the great values it offers. Furthermore, through SLT Broadband, customers receive access to multiple services of voice, broadband internet & TV/multimedia and all other benefits through a single wireline connection. SLT started offering IPTV through its broadband platform in year 2008 and has succeeded in covering almost all the provinces in the country.
Customers have the freedom and flexibility to choose from a wide selection of broadband plans at affordable prices to meet their individual needs. Services include downstream speeds of up to 4 Mbps for SLT Broadband internet customers. For customers with a wireline home/business telephone, SLT provides a broadband connection starting at Rs. 500/= per month without a connection fee. SLT Broadband services provides high speed internet access (downstream) through seven different packages: Entrée (512Kbps - Volume based), Home (512Kbps - Unlimited), Xcite (1Mbps - Unlimited), Office (2Mbps - Unlimited), Office 1IP (2Mbps – Unlimited, 1Static IP), Xcel (4Mbps - Unlimited) and Xcel 1IP (4Mbps – Unlimited, 1Static IP). The Entrée package has a huge demand and is considered as the internet surfers’ initial choice. Office, Office 1IP, Xcel and Xcel 1IP packages have been especially designed to suit the requirements of small and medium sized enterprises. The popularity of Wi-Fi (wireless internet zones) services in home and office environments also has grown tremendously. Customers prefer to access information using their Wi-Fi enabled smartphones, laptops, netbooks and other devices that provides them greater freedom easily. Therefore customers can decide to have a wireless ADSL modem or router at their home or office to create a wireless internet zone at any time if they have an ADSL broadband connection.
SLT Broadband uniquely offers its customers unparalleled services coupled with the unmatched reliability and robustness provided by its superior wireline technology, ADSL/ADSL 2+. With the range of different broadband internet packages on offer, SLT customers can enjoy a host of value added services such as VoIP services, IPTV, Time Shift TV (TSTV), Video on Demand (VoD), e-learning as well as gaming. The company’s IPTV (SLT PeoTV) services are pioneering IP based TV broadcasting services in Sri Lanka.
SLT has continuously carried out its broadband rollout throughout the island to cater to the broadband demand of the company’s valuable consumers. During this year, SLT has expanded and upgraded its broadband infrastructure by reaching areas away from main cities like; Hingurana, Pottuvil, Uhana (in AMPARA), Badalkumbura, Bibila, Mahiyanganaya (in BADULLA), Dummalasooriya, Kalpitiya, Palavi, Udappu (in CHILAW), Beliaththa, Walasmulla, Weeraketiya (in HAMBANTOTA), Chavakachcheri, Kilinochchi, Kopay, Manipai, Shithankarni (in JAFFNA), Bopitiya, Gonagalpura, Megahatenna, Moragahahena (in KALUTARA), Akkareipattu, Thirukkovil (in KALMUNAI), Walawela, Udasgiriya, Pallepola (in MATALE), Hanguranketha, Hatharaliyadda, Galaha, Medawela, Rikilagaskada (in KANDY), Ambanpitiya, Hiriwadunna, Ganethenna, Molagoda, Kotiyakumbura, Randiwela, Undugoda, Uthuwankanda, Uyanwatte (in KEGALLE), Dambadeniya, Digampitiya, Galgamuwa, Mahawa, Melsiripura, Narampola, Bandarakoswatta, Ingaradaula, Kandanegedara, Kobeigane (in KURUNEGALE), Ayagama, Kalawana, Nivitigala, Rakwana (in RATNAPURA), Kanthale, Medirigiriya, Wathumulla, Buttala …....etc..
These has brought about numerous infrastructure developments including laying fibre optic cables, copper network expansion, upgrade exchange capacities, add more switching capacities, copper line quality improvements and ISP bandwidth upgrades among many others.
SLT expanded its fibre optic information superhighway to the Northern Peninsula in Sri Lanka very recently, as part of its continuing network investment to support the growing demand for communication services, following the end of the conflict. Quick deployment of the Broadband infrastructure in the Northern Peninsula has provided the company with great opportunities to serve the newly opened up markets of the Northern and Eastern provinces., This fibre optic cable project connects Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Jaffna along the A9 main road. In addition new telephone exchanges at Mankulam and Mulathivu, located in the Northern part of Sri Lanka, will enhance basic communication facilities and Broadband coverage for customers in the areas.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Govt should use mobile phones to tackle poverty: UNCTAD
By Azhar Razak
Governments and policymakers in developing countries should take full advantage of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to combat poverty reduction, a recent research report has highlighted. ‘The Information Economy Report 2010’ prepared by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) highlights that mobile phones will be the best medium to combat poverty, as the penetration rate for this medium of communication is significantly higher than that of other ICTs and is even used by the people at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP).
“A recent study by LIRNEasia of some farmers near Dambulla found that they were able to obtain a premium of 23.4% on the average daily market prices at the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Centre (DDEC) by having access to timely and accurate market price information via their mobile phones,” the senior research manager at the regional policy think tank LIRNEasia, Sriganesh Loganathan, told a recent press conference organised to release the UNCTAD report.
He said that poor people often lack information that is critical for their work, for example, market-prices (such as the service offered by Tradenet in Sri Lanka), income earning opportunities, crop advisory, weather forecasts, agricultural best-practices, health, finance and even information on disaster risk reduction.
“There is an informational dimension to poverty. Lack of access to information increases the vulnerability of the poor. However, the rapid diffusion of mobile phone technology is making it possible for poor people to have access to this information as well as to engage in interactive communication,” Loganathan said.
Meanwhile, Founding Chair and CEO of LIRNEasia Professor Rohan Samarajiva outlined the UNCTAD report that micro-enterprises in low-income countries are rapidly adopting mobile phones as key tools for advancing their commercial activities.
“In more and more low-income countries, it has been found that people at the BOP such as farmers, fishermen and small-time entrepreneurs are using mobile phones to assist their livelihoods, as the technology is now simple and affordable enough,” he said adding that new jobs have arisen catering to local demand for mobile phones and the associated applications and services.
“Many low-income people are selling airtime or mobile money services on the street or in shops as this work can be done by people with few formal skills,” Professor Samarajiva analysed.
Over the past few years, the penetration rate of mobile phones in the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) has surged from 2 to 25 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
In Sri Lanka, it has been estimated that more than 75 percent of households have some kind of phone in them.
“However, during our survey in Sri Lanka we also found that only 50 percent of the time spent on mobile phones is being used for productive purposes whereas in countries like Bangladesh and Philippines it is over 90 percent,” LIRNEasia Senior Research Manager Ayesha Zainudeen said.
Therefore, she suggested that the attitude towards mobile phones need changing in Sri Lanka and that we should encourage the evolvement of trade facilities (through mobiles) such as Cellbazaar in Bangladesh to make productive use of mobiles.
Multiple SIM usage
Meanwhile, Professor Samarajiva commenting on the recent decision taken by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) to limit the number of SIM cards registered under one individual to five, said that the authority should not have placed such a restriction since it curtails consumer choice but should put in place a central database where mobile users can check on how many SIM cards have been registered under their specific names which could increase the overall transparency in the system.
“Pakistan has now put in place such a database and it is now possible for users there to check how many SIM cards are registered under their names,” he said.
He elaborated that during a survey in Pakistan, it was revealed that a person who was using only two SIMs for himself had found that another 90 SIMs were registered falsely under his name when he had checked the database.
“It as an issue for national security as well,” Professor Samarajiva noted.
LIRNEasia launched UNCTAD’s Information Economy Report 2010: ICTs, Enterprises and Poverty Alleviation in Colombo last week. It is learnt that senior researchers from LIRNEasia had also been involved in the preparation of the UNCTAD’s report.
Governments and policymakers in developing countries should take full advantage of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to combat poverty reduction, a recent research report has highlighted. ‘The Information Economy Report 2010’ prepared by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) highlights that mobile phones will be the best medium to combat poverty, as the penetration rate for this medium of communication is significantly higher than that of other ICTs and is even used by the people at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP).
“A recent study by LIRNEasia of some farmers near Dambulla found that they were able to obtain a premium of 23.4% on the average daily market prices at the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Centre (DDEC) by having access to timely and accurate market price information via their mobile phones,” the senior research manager at the regional policy think tank LIRNEasia, Sriganesh Loganathan, told a recent press conference organised to release the UNCTAD report.
He said that poor people often lack information that is critical for their work, for example, market-prices (such as the service offered by Tradenet in Sri Lanka), income earning opportunities, crop advisory, weather forecasts, agricultural best-practices, health, finance and even information on disaster risk reduction.
“There is an informational dimension to poverty. Lack of access to information increases the vulnerability of the poor. However, the rapid diffusion of mobile phone technology is making it possible for poor people to have access to this information as well as to engage in interactive communication,” Loganathan said.
Meanwhile, Founding Chair and CEO of LIRNEasia Professor Rohan Samarajiva outlined the UNCTAD report that micro-enterprises in low-income countries are rapidly adopting mobile phones as key tools for advancing their commercial activities.
“In more and more low-income countries, it has been found that people at the BOP such as farmers, fishermen and small-time entrepreneurs are using mobile phones to assist their livelihoods, as the technology is now simple and affordable enough,” he said adding that new jobs have arisen catering to local demand for mobile phones and the associated applications and services.
“Many low-income people are selling airtime or mobile money services on the street or in shops as this work can be done by people with few formal skills,” Professor Samarajiva analysed.
Over the past few years, the penetration rate of mobile phones in the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) has surged from 2 to 25 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
In Sri Lanka, it has been estimated that more than 75 percent of households have some kind of phone in them.
“However, during our survey in Sri Lanka we also found that only 50 percent of the time spent on mobile phones is being used for productive purposes whereas in countries like Bangladesh and Philippines it is over 90 percent,” LIRNEasia Senior Research Manager Ayesha Zainudeen said.
Therefore, she suggested that the attitude towards mobile phones need changing in Sri Lanka and that we should encourage the evolvement of trade facilities (through mobiles) such as Cellbazaar in Bangladesh to make productive use of mobiles.
Multiple SIM usage
Meanwhile, Professor Samarajiva commenting on the recent decision taken by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) to limit the number of SIM cards registered under one individual to five, said that the authority should not have placed such a restriction since it curtails consumer choice but should put in place a central database where mobile users can check on how many SIM cards have been registered under their specific names which could increase the overall transparency in the system.
“Pakistan has now put in place such a database and it is now possible for users there to check how many SIM cards are registered under their names,” he said.
He elaborated that during a survey in Pakistan, it was revealed that a person who was using only two SIMs for himself had found that another 90 SIMs were registered falsely under his name when he had checked the database.
“It as an issue for national security as well,” Professor Samarajiva noted.
LIRNEasia launched UNCTAD’s Information Economy Report 2010: ICTs, Enterprises and Poverty Alleviation in Colombo last week. It is learnt that senior researchers from LIRNEasia had also been involved in the preparation of the UNCTAD’s report.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Apple launches online shop in China
Apple introduced the Apple Store in China (apple.com.cn), an online shop for Apple products including the iPhone 4 and iPad. Apple's online store in China features free shipping, free personalized engraving on any iPod or iPad, and the ability to custom configure any Mac with just a few clicks. The online Apple Store also offers a wide selection of third-party products and is the only place online to buy the iPod nano RED. The online Apple Store also lets eligible students and faculty members take advantage of special education pricing on Apple products. Also starting today, customers in China can access Apple's App Store in Simplified Chinese, with localized featured apps and charts of the most popular paid and free apps in China. The App Store offers iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users access to a catalog of apps with over 300,000 apps in 20 categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.
India to start MNP testing in Haryana
India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will begin mobile number portability (MNP) testing for the Haryana circle on 8 November and will go live on 25 November, reports the Business Standard. For the rest of the circles, it will be implemented in phases. DoT had given licences to Syniverse Technologies and MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions to implement MNP. In March 2009, the Ministry of Home Affairs revoked the FIPB approval to Telcordia, citing security concerns. DoT has now asked Syniverse to be ready for implementation of MNP across the country, as it may have to withdraw the licence to Telcordia.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Bharti Airtel to launch 3G services this year
Indian communications firm Bharti Airtel will launch its 3G services this year.The company successfully bid for 3G spectrum in thirteen telecom circles across India and is rolling out networks in these geographies. Bharti is also in advanced discussions with other operators to be able to offer roaming and 3G broadband to its entire customer base in India. Bharti will be deploying high speed HSPA networks provided by Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei.
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