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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Today's News Headlines
* Watchdog opts for hybrid auction in 850, 1800, 2100 MHz - Costa Rica
* Netgate to launch UC tool in Latin American markets this year - Regional, Uruguay
* M-banking gathering momentum - Regional
* Roundup: Global Crossing, SMS, TIM - Regional
* Digicel network now 80% operational - Haiti
* Canitec raises red flag on Telmex, again - Mexico
* Telefónica completes 50% of rural telecoms project - Peru
* Movistar Argentina selects Optimi for 2G, 3G managed optimization services - Argentina
* GlobeNet selects Huawei to deploy next generation optical platform - Regional
* TAM expects to launch inflight mobile telephony in June - Brazil
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* Watchdog opts for hybrid auction in 850, 1800, 2100 MHz - Costa Rica
Mobile spectrum for an upcoming auction in Costa Rica will be spread out over three bands and in three blocks to ensure the same number of new entrants, according to telecoms regulator Sutel.
Each of the three blocks will amount to 60MHz. Two of the blocks will both have two times 15MHz in the 1,800MHz band and two times 15MHz in the 2,100MHz band. The third concession package will consist of two blocks of 5MHz in 850MHz, two times 15MHz in 1,800MHz and two times 10MHz in 2,100.
For greater detail, see end of story.
In a presentation Monday (Jan 18) of various details on the bidding rules, Sutel said each concession license would be granted for an initial period of 15 years and be extendable for a total of 25 years.
The process marks the liberalization of the mobile telephony market, which is one of the requirements of the Central America and Dominican Republic free trade agreement with the US (Cafta-DR). To date, state-owned telco ICE has been the only player in the market.
The program for the concession process is the following:
- February 5: Publication of bidding rules
- March 19: Opening of technical offers
- April 16: Opening of economic offers
- April 20: List of winners sent for signing off by country president.
- May 5: Deadline for presidential signature.
Sutel head George Miley told BNamericas that once the presidential signature has been given to the winners, a 60-day period ensues in which legal appeals can be made. If everything goes according to plan and no objections are made, Sutel would hope to have the contracts legalized by mid-September, Miley said.
Representatives from Telefónica (NYSE: TEF), Cable & Wireless, Tigo/Millicom (Nasdaq: MICC), Digicel and América Móvil (NYSE: AMX) all turned up at the presentation, demonstrating their interest.
The company that showed the greatest interest at the Monday presentation was Cable & Wireless, while Telefónica had the least representatives present, Miley said.
To prequalify, potential bidders need to have at least five years of experience in mobile operations in at least three other countries, with no less than 3mn subscribers in total. Bidders should also have at least US$700mn in annual revenues and not have had concessions withdrawn in other markets.
"They have to meet the technical requirements, have a certain number of subscribers, minimum annual revenue and have experience in this field. We don't want companies with money coming to invest in the country that doesn't have the experience, we want companies with a history in this and transparency," Miley said.
He added that the bidders would have to have experience in building Greenfield operations, not merely acquiring operations of other existing operators.
Concession 1
1,800 MHz (2x15 MHz)
Uplink: 1,755-1,770
Downlink: 1,850-1,865
1.9 / 2.1 GHz (2x15 MHz)
Uplink: 1,950-1,965
Downlink: 2,140-2,155
Concession 2
1,800 MHz (2x15 MHz)
Uplink: 1,770-1,785
Downlink: 1,865-1,880
1.9 / 2.1 GHz (2x15 MHz)
Uplink: 1,965-1,980
Downlink: 2,155-2,170
Concession 3
850 MHz (2x5 MHz)
Uplink: 843.7-849
Downlink: 888.7-894
1,800 MHz (2x15 MHz)
Uplink: 1,740-1,755
Downlink: 1,835-1,850
1.9 / 2.1 GHz (2x10 MHz)
Uplink: 1,940-1,950
Downlink: 2,130-2,140
By Patrick Nixon
Business News Americas
* Netgate to launch UC tool in Latin American markets this year - Regional, Uruguay
Uruguayan ISP Netgate expects to start selling its unified communications (UC) solutions to other markets in Latin America this year, company director Alvaro Lamé told BNamericas.
"Last year we showed the solution in Chile. We're traveling to Peru and Panama this year. During 2010 we expect to continue focusing on foreign markets. We believe that this solution is very solid and we have a good client base in Uruguay," the executive said.
The product - Netgate's Expand suite - is a unified communications management solution for the administration of contact centers and PBX switchboards.
According to the executive, Netgate could sell approximately 20 Expand suites this year. "Our business opportunities with this tool are big outside Uruguay, but this process will take time," he added.
In Uruguay, Netgate currently has approximately 40 clients for this solution, and "this year we expect to attract another 40 clients for this solution in the domestic market," Lamé said.
The Expand solution, which is fully developed by Netgate, was launched mid-2008. The suite has a pricepoint ranging from US$25,000-40,000.
The executive said Netgate is mainly targeting companies within the financial, health and communications segments.
By Juan Pedro Tomás
Business News Americas
* M-banking gathering momentum - Regional
Mobile banking is starting to pick up steam in Latin America with several announcements made over the last week.
On Tuesday (Jan 19), banks in Suriname and Mexico launched new services. Last week, Chilean mobile operator Entel PCS launched a system with the country's second largest bank Banco de Chile.
SURINAME
Suriname's largest bank De Surinaamsche Bank has become the country's first financial institution to deploy an m-banking solution, using technology from MoadBus and Vasco Data Security, according to a statement.
MoadBus is a provider of financial software and services and Vasco provides authentication and e-signature solutions.
The m-banking solution allows bill payment and two-way actionable alerting features. It is supported by an authentication and security mechanism integrated with Vasco's digipass transaction signature.
"Banks have recognized the strength of the mobile platform to offer additional services. Thanks to [the solution dubbed] MBanking, banks can substantially increase their financial services outreach by using a multi-channel approach," Vasco's president and COO Jan Valcke said.
MEXICO
In Mexico, bank BBVA Bancomer launched an m-banking service called Bancomer Móvil, the bank said in a statement.
BBVA Bancomer already has more than 1mn users of its online self service system, which sees 140mn transactions annually and a network of 6,100 ATMs.
In the statement, BBVA Bancomer said it expects to have 80,000 customers for m-banking in the first three months of service and end the year with 500,000.
Besides the typical functionalities such as checking bank balance and transfers, users will be able to pay off their credit cards and make purchases in retail outlets associated with m-banking system Nipper.
Nipper was launched in 2008 by mobile operators Movistar and Iusacell in conjunction with the electronic payments infrastructure fund Fimpe. It is intended to be used for small payments of up to 1,000 pesos (US$79) with payment agreements set up with cinemas, bars and clothes stores.
Fimpe was started in 2005 by a group of banks in a bid to buy and install new credit-debit card terminals to encourage e-payments.
"BBVA Bancomer anticipated the potential for using cell phones for banking five years ago by offering our clients the first system in Mexico of SMS alerts, Alertas Bancomer," the company said.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Roundup: Global Crossing, SMS, TIM - Regional
International IP connectivity provider Global Crossing (Nasdaq: GLBC) is providing Mexican airline AeroMexico with a full suite of data and voice services to support more than 30 of its locations worldwide, the IP company reported in a release without revealing the pricetag.
Under the three-year contract, AeroMexico will use Global Crossing's multi protocol label switching (MPLS) connectivity and dedicated internet access (DIA) to connect 22 US locations and eight international locations, including Brazil, Chile, France, Mexico City, Peru and Spain. The managed IP services are expected to improve the airline's entire operations, including its in-flight scheduling and baggage systems, while Global Crossing's toll-free and long-distance services will support the airline's reservation systems and enhance its call center operations.
Global Crossing won the contract by beating out AeroMexico's incumbent provider of 11 years.
***
Improved SMS plans offered by operators and the fact that Argentina has a mobile penetration that surpasses 100% led to a jump in messaging during the holiday season, measured on December 24-25 and December 31-January 1, local paper La Nación reported.
According to data from Personal, the mobile unit of Telecom Argentina (NYSE: TEO), there were 80% more messages sent during this past holiday season when compared to the year before, with a total 1.48bn SMS sent. Rival operator Movistar, of Spain's Telefónica (NYSE: TEF), tallied up more than 850mn SMS.
As opposed to previous years, there were no significant collapses of the mobile network during the most recent holiday season, according to the paper. However, there were peak times when users had trouble connecting, and message delivery was delayed.
***
Brazilian mobile telephony operator TIM (NYSE: TSU) will sell unlocked mobile devices from February 1 and unlock those devices that are already in use, the company announced on its website.
As such, TIM customers can use their own TIM plan, or insert a SIM card from other operators to make use of their on-net calls.
According to TIM marketing director Rogério Takayanagi, the move is in line with the new positioning of the brand. "We want our clients to stay with us because of the quality of service, the attractiveness of our offers and a service that works, not because of a cellular device or a contract," he said.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Digicel network now 80% operational - Haiti
Irish-owned mobile operator Digicel, which has operations in Haiti, has 80% of its cell sites back on air after suffering network damage in the devastating earthquake that rocked the country last week, Digicel said in a statement.
"Coverage in the provinces continues to be good and in Port au Prince it's improving rapidly," Digicel said, adding that the company has granted customers free credit of US$5 each (totaling US$10mn). International traffic on Monday (Jan 18) showed a 250% increase on normal daily levels.
Digicel continues to send technicians and equipment to Haiti to restore full network strength.
"We're making good progress on returning our network to full strength, with more and more cell sites coming back online and voice calls, text messaging, email and Blackberry Messenger available all across the country," Digicel Group's CEO Colm Delves said.
Digicel launched in Haiti in 2006, and at the end of 2009 had over 2mn customers.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Canitec raises red flag on Telmex, again - Mexico
Mexico's cable operator association Canitec has asked the anti-trust authority CFC to block a potential merger between local mobile giant América Móvil (NYSE: AMX) and fixed line operator Telmex (NYSE: TMX), local press reported.
Canitec's president Alejandro Puente said that CFC "should not be surprised" by the announcement.
América Móvil launched on January 13 a US$21bn offer to take control of Carso, which controls Mexican fixed line incumbent Telmex (NYSE: TMX), and Telmex Internacional (NYSE: TII) through a share swap.
Canitec reportedly said that the CFC cannot turn a blind eye to the potential damage to the market an eventual merger of operations of two "monopolies" would cause. Telmex controls some 90% of the fixed line market and América Móvil over 70% of mobile telephony through its local unit Telcel.
The association warned against the risk of Telmex and Telcel reaching agreements regarding disproportionately low interconnection rates that could distort competition.
For that reason Puente called on the authorities to enforce a special regulatory framework that ensures balanced competition in the market.
Telmex has to date taken issue with new interconnection regulations - dubbed PTFII, imposed by sector watchdog Cofetel - and a mandate for the consolidation of 70 local calling areas (ASLs), which is intended to reduce national long distance calling areas in the country by 50%.
Telmex took legal action after CFC confirmed in July 2009 it has a dominant position in call termination on fixed lines, and so should be subject to special regulation.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Telefónica completes 50% of rural telecoms project - Peru
Peruvian telecoms operator Telefónica del Perú (TdP) has deployed telecommunications services in 1,944 isolated municipalities of the country, benefiting over 800,000 people, the operator said in a statement.
The deployment thus far represents over 50% completion of a rural broadband project for isolated municipalities, which was awarded to the company by the state agency for promoting private investment, ProInversión, in February 2009.
Under this contract, Telefónica expects to deploy high-speed internet, fixed telephony and public telephony in a total of 3,852 municipalities, benefiting 1.7mn people across the country. A total 1,019 municipalities will have access to broadband services, 3,010 will be provided with public telephony while 497 municipalities will have access to fixed telephony.
The country's telecommunications development fund Fitel has invested US$48.8mn so far in the project.
TdP is the local subsidiary of Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica (NYSE:TEF).
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Movistar Argentina selects Optimi for 2G, 3G managed optimization services - Argentina
Argentine mobile telephony operator Movistar has selected Atlanta-based mobile optimization and solutions company Optimi for 2G and 3G managed optimization services, the latter said in a statement.
This contract - for which a price was not reported - covers the entire operator's network in Argentina, and also includes engineering activities such as spectrum re-farming to enable mobile broadband services.
This agreement comes two years after a significant part of Optimi's solutions portfolio was deployed by all the Telefónica Móviles affiliates in Latin America. The agreement also includes an additional set of solutions.
Optimi provides mobile carriers with automated design, optimization and management solutions enabling companies to improve network performance while at the same time reducing Capex and Opex in 2G, 3G and 4G networks.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* GlobeNet selects Huawei to deploy next generation optical platform - Regional
International carrier of carriers GlobeNet, a subsidiary of telecoms operator Oi (NYSE: TNE), has selected Chinese telecoms network solutions provider Huawei to deploy a next generation optical platform, GlobeNet said in a statement.
Under the agreement, for which a pricetag was not reported, Huawei will deploy its next generation dense wavelength division multiplexing (NG-DWDM) optical platform.
The platform will connect GlobeNet's cable landing station, in southern New Jersey, to its point of presence (POP) sites in New York City via two diverse paths. These links allow GlobeNet to offer high availability services from New York to its cable landing sites in Brazil, Venezuela, Bermuda and Florida.
Huawei will provide its OSN 6800 NG-DWDM OTN optical platform hardware and also upgrade the software of GlobeNet's existing iManager T2000 network management system.
The network solution will support 10Gbps, 40Gbps and future 100Gbps wavelengths.
Headquartered in Boca Ratón, GlobeNet provides network transport services for carriers and service providers via a fiber-optic cable system, connecting North and South America.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* TAM expects to launch inflight mobile telephony in June - Brazil
Brazilian airline TAM expects to start offering inflight mobile telephony services in June, local press reported.
TAM had signed an agreement in October 2008 with Swiss company OnAir for the provision of mobile services onboard inflight aircraft. Two aircrafts are now technologically ready to offer the service while two others are being prepared, according to reports.
The airline will be able to launch the service once approved by telecoms regulator Anatel and civil aviation agency Anac.
Anatel is expected to authorize OnAir to operate in the local market and certify the company's equipment.
Through OnAir's services, passengers will be able to stay connected inflight using their own mobile phones or smartphone devices to make and receive phone calls, send and receive emails and text messages, and access the internet.
OnAir provides its services based on SwiftBroadband, the latest high-bandwidth satellite technology from Inmarsat, which offers GSM and GPRS for voice, data and internet.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
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In-deph interview
* Cloud-based communications solutions
Tim Marsden
Chief technologist, CMS division
HP
Regional
http://www.bnamericas.com/interviews/telecommunications/Tim_Marsden_,HP,/170693478
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Main companies covered in today's news
* Banco de Chile S.A.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Banco_de_Chile_S,A,-Banco_de_Chile/170693478
* TIM Participações S.A.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/TIM_Participacoes_S,A,-TIM_Participacoes/170693478
* Global Crossing Ltd.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Global_Crossing_Ltd,-Global_Crossing/170693478
* Orange Dominicana S.A.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Orange_Dominicana_S,A,-Orange_Dominicana/170693478
* France Telecom Group
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/France_Telecom_Group-France_Telecom/170693478
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