Mobile operator strategies - 23/05/07

Econet (Zimbabwe) plans to launch 3G pilots by the end of this month. High-speed Internet access will be the first 3G application.

Vodafone launches two new ZTE-manufactured, own-branded, low-end handsets at $25 and $45 targeting emerging markets (in Asia and Africa). It targets to sell 1m of these handsets within one year.

DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank Mobile bet on One-Seg mobile handsets for receiving terrestrial digital broadcasts. They plan to ship a combined 20m One-Seg capable mobile phones in the next 12 months. DoCoMo plans to include One-Seg as a standard feature in all models.

Clearwire has completed the first phase of a mobile WiMAX field trial, and results are in line or exceed the expectations of the WiMAX Forum. “Generally, the speeds that the users are seeing are 2- to 4-Mbit/s.”

Nepal Telecom plans to launch 3G services in the Ring Road area in Kathmandu.

Orange Romania has successfully carried out its first HSUPA tests in Romania.

Warid Telecom (Pakistan) is seeking to sell a minority stake.

In France, MNOs agreed to roll out 10-day mobile portability.

T-Mobile USA will launch the first Windows 6 OS-enabled mobile phone in the market.

Personal (Argentina) has launched a 3G service area in capital Buenos Aires.

Orascom Telecom is seeking to get Qatar's second mobile licence.

Movistar (Belgium) has taken over Luxembourg' s VOXmobile for €80m.

Rumor: three bidders remain for Orange Netherlands; T-Mobile is said as favorite. FT should have proposed to DT to swap Orange NL assets agains DT Ya.com assets in Spain. Is it true?

SK Telecom (S. Korea) is in talks to buy an internet shopping mall in order to bolster its wireless internet business.