Mobile Operator strategies - 27/01/08

Onse Telecom (S. Korea) plans to add mobile services to its fixed services and add to increase competition there. It would be the first MVNO in S. Korea.

Telkomsel (Indonesia) plans to raise $316m in 2008 via bonds, notes and loans, and increase its capex to $1.7bn for 2008.

DoCoMo has dissolved its WiMAX partnership with ACCA Wireless (formed in July) after its failure to win WiMAX licenses in Japan. Elsewhere, it has doubled its stake in PLDT (Philippines) to over 20% for $760m.

Pakistan will grant three 3G licenses in 4Q08. Five local MNOs will bid.

PTS, the Swedish telecom regulator, will auction licenses in the in the 2.6 GHz band and in the 1900–1905 MHz band.

O2 UK missed its target to sell 200k iPhones in the first two months after the launch. O2 UK sold only 190K units.

Vodafone plans to spend $6bn over 3 years in India to boost coverage and capacity.

SFR (France) is well ahead of its forecasts on the Illimythics package (unlimited internet usage) subscriptions. It garnered more than double of its 100k forecasts with over 250k users, of which over 50% are new customers.

T-Mobile UK starts selling mobile phones with GPS navigation from Telenav.

                   Tata (India) plans $4.8bn GSM network to catch up with local rivals in India.

Vodafone Italy is launching ad-funded mobile video content

ROK Entertainment has launched its mobile TV services in Turkey.

TOT and AIS (both in Thailand) have made a deal to upgrade their existing networks to 3G.

Vimpelcom (Russia) will invest $1bn in Vietnam to build a GSM network for its subsidiary Gtel Telecom that was granted a GSM license.