Telecom roundup: Nokia’s Internet services, BSNL’s WiMax launch, Virgin to enter India

Nokia to roll out Internet services in India

Nokia India intends to generate revenues primarily from advertisements for this business as against its global revenue model based on user subscriptions.
In effect, there’s enough reason for Indian consumers to cheer since Nokia India will make available a bouquet of internet services free of cost to consumers. This includes “commodity services” like songs, video clips and some mobile games as well. Nokia expect its initiatives will add nearly 10% from the services business to its India revenues over the next 2-3 years.

Read our earlier coverage of Nokia’s Internet platform, Ovi.

BSNL to roll out WiMax services soon

BSNL has received the nod from the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) to release a tender for Wi Max services, a fourth generation(4G) technology, in the country. The tender worth Rs 2,000 crore to provide services to 25,000 villages would be released in a month’s time. Another tender worth Rs2,000 crore again for providing coverage to 70 cities is due in two months’ time.

According to BSNL’s future visions, the corporate network in broadband will grow in 2008, while 2009 will see a convergence of voice with data and widen the broadband network further, and finally 2010 will see a New Generation Network(NGN) that will comprise only Internet Protocol(IP) packets. [source]

VSNL is also planning to roll out it’ WiMax offering by end of this year (source)

Number of CDMA user base increased by 1,94 million in Oct

Tata Teleservices saw a sharp month-on-month rise of 19.4 per cent in its additions with the company adding 711,245 users in October, while Reliance Communications added 1.20 million CMDA mobile subscribers. [source]

TRAI considering putting a cap on number of packages

Presently we have over 5000 packages being offered by the mobile companies. We have received complaints from subscribers who feel that making a choice from among the huge number of packages available is not only a difficult task but also confusing. [source]

Few stats:

India is among four countries in the world with largest telecom subscribers
only six million out of 252 million subscribers have registered for “do not dial”.

MobME sets up Blue Zone kiosk

MobME, a mobile media and entertainment start-up, has rolled out its first Blue Zone kiosk here at Barista at Bay Pride Mall. Blue Zones are interconnected blue-tooth zones where mobile users can switch on blue-tooth to send and receive mobile content such as photos, wall papers, ring tones etc.

After connecting to a Blue Zone, user can send or receive mobile content in a fast and secure manner. The Blue Zone is a multi-purpose kiosk that is based on touch screen technology. Users can use the kiosk to download mobile content, recharge mobile phones and send images and videos to the kiosk. [source]

Read our detailed report on Bluetooth advertising.

Virgin telecom foray details by February

The UK-based Virgin Group is to make an announcement about its telecommunication venture in India within the next two-and-a-half months and would also like to set up a domestic airline, its founder, Sir Richard Branson said on Monday. [source]

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