Mobile operators strategies - 16/12/07

Vodafone wins the bid for Qatar's second mobile phone license. Vodafone Australia plans to launch national broadband mobile coverage to 95% of Aussies before Xmas 08. Vodafone Essar (India) plans to invest some € 2.8bn over the next two years to expand its network, its coverage and its business.

Vodafone Essar, Bharti and Idea Cellular (all in India) have agreed to set up an independent tower company (Indus Towers) to provide passive infrastructure (from about 70,000 cellular sites) services in India to all operators in India.

Tele2 has received a 3G license in Norway through Mobile Norway affiliates.

Nawras (Oman) has unveiled 3G services in five cities in the country.

Vimpelcom (Russia) is interested in buying SMARTS (another mobile Russian operator) for about $550m. It is confirmed by SMARTS.

Bayan Telecom (Philippines), a fixed wireless operator, will offer mobile services from 05/08.

Tele2 Russia has won 14 additional GSM licenses in Russia and covers now 34 regions with a population of 60m.

Nova (Iceland) launches 3G services.

Orange has launched commercial services in the Central African Republic.

India will add 16 new mobile operators that will operate in some or all of the 23 circles of India.

AIS (Thailand) plans $310m capex on mobile network expansion in 2008.

Turkcell (Turkey) is mulling purchasing majority in Syriatel Mobile.

Chile is considering mobile number portability by 2010.

Mobile TV is going to China: Siano Mobile Silicon, Huaqi and CMBSat will unveil mobile TV based on the home-grown technology CMMB.

Eight operators have expressed interest for 3G licenses in Brazil.

BSNL (India) will launch a new tender for 13m GSM lines by the end of January after NSN and Ericsson declined the order (because of very poor financial conditions).

Exelcomindo and PT Hutchison CP (both in Indonesia) have signed a tower sharing agreement.

Batelco (Bahrain) launches 3G and HSDPA services on Monday Dec. 16.