MTS MBlaze to Deploy 4G LTE Network in 800MHz Band – Upbeat about Data in India
MTS Sistema India, with 11mn wireless subscribers in India, is down to operations in 9 circles now, but is still sounding upbeat on exploiting its data capabilities (LTE outlook) and focusing more on tier 2/3 cities. These 9 circles represent 75% of their existing revenues and around 60% total marketContinue Reading
Will Internet Companies Cannibalize Mid-End SmartPhone Market ?
The Entry Level SmartPhone / Feature Mobile Phone [Sub $200] market will be under the control of WhiteBox Phone Manufacturers in 2013. The Mid and High end SmartPhone market belonged to Brands such as Samsung, Apple, HTC etc. However, the equation is likely to change as we have already seenContinue Reading
How Internet / Software Companies Survive the Zero Profit Tablet Business ?
For the Holiday Season of 2007, online retailer Amazon released the first version of their eReader Kindle and it was sold-out in under 6 hours. Once the leader sets the trend, everybody [Google, Barnes & Nobel, Baidu, etc] jumps into the new business model of selling high end hardware specsContinue Reading
Indian Mobile 2G /3G /4G Powered by Microwave Backhaul than OFC
Today we’d like to enlighten on the Backhaul Connectivity of Indian Wireless Networks [2G / 3G / 4G-LTE]. For now, read Backhaul as the connectivity between the tower (site) and the inner parts of the network through which the aggregate of all traffic from mobile terminals served by a towerContinue Reading
China Planning to Levy Charges on OTT Apps – WeChat; Should Telcos Follow Reliance Jio Infocomm ?
According to the China Securities Journal, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology – MIIT was considering the imposition of a fee for WeChat, Tencent’s internet-based chat and messaging system. At present, subscribers pay nothing for Over the Top (OTT) services such as WeChat in themselves, although they do payContinue Reading
Reliance Jio Iinfocomm to use RCom’s Inter-City Nationwide Fiber Network
Reliance Jio Infocomm has just crossed the first hurdle by announcing a Rs 1,200 Cr deal with Reliance Communications where the latter will offer its Nationwide Inter-City Optical Fiber Network for Reliance Jio. Reliance Jio will utilize multiple fiber pairs across RCom’s 120,000 Km Inter-City Fiber Network to provide aContinue Reading
Bundle of Uncertainity over Reliance Jio Infocomm’s Voice Services
Reliance Jio Infocomm does not have a Data Only Business Model in India for the next few years. So if 2G Voice is a must, why can’t Reliance do a CSFB arrangement with an existing operator ? It could tie up with existing 2G/3G operators to offer voice calls usingContinue Reading
WhiteBox Mobile Handset Manufacturers Force Brands to Look Above $100 SmartPhone Market
In the Rich Feature Phone Market, most of the Chinese / Taiwanese brands are profitable (razor thin margin). Despite higher ASP driven by smartphone, the vast majority of these brands could actually be loss making. In my view, these brands are making even poorer profitability on smartphone than on featureContinue Reading
Where is the Starting Point for 3G SmartPhone Pricing in Asia ?
Feature Rich 3G SmartPhone pricing is one of the most important parameters for the overall development of the Mobile Data eco-system in the context of Asian Markets ex-Japan. The Smartphone market is price driven and aggressive price cuts have seen increased adoption. Expect smartphone volume in the US$150-300 range toContinue Reading