India is vodafone's 2nd largest country in data traffic, 3G is 30% of data traffic

India is now Vodafone’s second largest business in terms of data traffic. This was disclosed by Vodafone Group CTO Steve Pusey during the company’s earnings conference call last week.

He added that India accounted for around 40 petabytes of the total 85 petabytes data traffic in the AMAP (Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific Region) region in the first half year, doubling year on year (YoY).

Last week, the telco had reported a moderate increase in its data subscriptions, clocking 42.5 million data subscriptions of which 4.5 million were 3G subscriptions. The data revenues however had declined to £111 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2013, down from £123 million in the previous quarter.

Later in the call, Nick Read, Vodafone CEO (Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific Region) said its 3G browsing revenues are up 190% for this quarter and the smartphone penetration of its customer base has increased by 40% since the start of FY14. 3G traffic now accounts for 30% of the total data traffic. ”We see a massive opportunity now in terms of ARPU uplift, and in terms of further growth coming from India for the operators that are willing to put significant investment in data networks, especially in the urban areas.”

- Vodafone plans to setup 27,000 3G sites and extend its outdoor 3G coverage to over 90% of urban areas in India. The company also plans to extend its 3G coverage to 200 new towns in the country. There are also plans to setup 14,000 2G sites and roll out 14,000 km of fibre across 40 Indian cities, which will be extended t0 100 cities later.

- Read noted the top three operators have started to increase their existing market share and currently account for 66% of the revenues for the quarter. “As the smaller players, the more vulnerable players, leave the circles, or the market completely, we are able to grab more of the minutes and more of the customers in a dual SIM environment”.

source: medianama.com

Telkom mobile breaks barriers to internet access

Telkom Mobile is championing internet access for all in South Africa with the launch of the Prepaid SIM Only Internet Starter Pack. This offer provides first time Internet users the opportunity to start their online journey with South Africa's best Mobile Broadband provider. To kick-start the online journey, Telkom Mobile will provide customers with a SIM card and 2.4 GB of data, allocated as 200 MB per month over 12 months for a once off fee of R49.

"The Internet has become a way of life, and it is our goal to make it accessible and affordable to all," says KG Moncho, Executive of Product Development. Moncho believes that the Internet provides a wealth of information and resources that can aid in elevating gaps in education, employment and self-development.

"Many South Africans have unfortunately not been able to access information and resources on the World Wide Web due to the high cost of data, however Telkom Mobile is breaking that barrier by providing high quality and affordable data," he continues.

The SIM only internet starter pack can be used on most devices including tablets, smart phones or it can be inserted in a data modem to be used on a laptop or desktop.

Telkom Mobile will also provide technical support for the first time Internet user. "We understand that starting your online journey can be challenging. That is why we provide customers with a user-guide that gives them information they may need when setting up including how to purchase data bundles, viewing and managing data bundle balances and support contact details," concludes Moncho.

Data allocation is done on the first of every month and will be valid until the end of the current calendar month. In addition, customers can buy additional data bundles once they have depleted their monthly data allocation.

source: www.4-traders.com

Nokia targets low end android competitors with two new asha smartphones

The dual-SIM Asha 502 has the same screen size and camera resolution as the 503, but no 3G, which helps make it $10 cheaper.

When Nokia announced the two phones in October it also added the 500 model to the Asha line-up. That device has a 2.8-inch screen and a 2-megapixel camera. It costs $69 before taxes and subsidies and will start shipping before the end of the year.

The three phones all use an updated version of the user interface Nokia announced on the Asha 501 earlier this year.

Users can swipe on the screen to start the camera; long press to access camera settings, and swipe to switch from the image mode to the video mode or vice versa. A key feature in the Asha user interface is Fastlane, which shows recently accessed contacts, social networks and apps. It can now be personalized by users, who can choose what content they want it to show.