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Inmarsat, the leading global mobile satellite communications service provider, recently announced the availability of a data service on its global handheld satellite phone, IsatPhone Pro. The new circuit-switched data capability, offering an effective data rate of up to 20kbps is provided in the firmware upgrade to the handset. In addition to the data capability, the next firmware upgrade for IsatPhone Pro will feature a number of service enhancements. IsatPhone Pro is one of the most innovative phone in its category and have won several awards, gathering highly favourable reviews in every single country in which satellite communications is authorised.
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AFCOMP part of Al-Futtaim group signed an partner agreement with Nokia to distribute mobile phones to key domestic retailers in the UAE. AFCOMP will supply the full range of mobiles phones including the latest feature-rich smartphones such as the Nokia E7, C7 and N8. Distribution agreement follows the earlier partnership agreement between Techserve, an Al-Futtaim group company, and Nokia to act as its Care Centre partner in the UAE. The Care Centre offers holistic solutions to consumers providing not only repair assistance, but also support for Nokia services including the Nokia Ovi Store, Nokia Music Store and, Nokia Mail for Exchange, as also Nokia Messaging.
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Huawei, the leaders in next-generation telecommunication network solutions, showcased its latest innovations in the area of Managed Services (MS) at the fourth Informa annual event “Managed Services for Growth Markets 2011”. The event which was attened by more than 200 professionals and experts representing 20+ regional Telco service providers, leading global telecom vendors, and industry analysts. The Huawei presentation entitled “Going Beyond Traditional Managed Services” provided the audience with a glance at new trends to reduce TCO, yet more importantly the evolution route for next generation Managed Services to support evolving technologies and network convergence with the subscribers’ Quality of Experience as the focal point.
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The number of mobile subscribers in Pakistan reached the 100mn mark in September 2010 and is expected to continue its growth momentum due to the relatively low penetration rate. Fast Market Research expects the subscribers base to grow to the level of 136.078mn in Pakistan by end-2015, representing a penetration rate of 70.3%. Pakistan’s broadband subscriber base reached 1.053mn in October 2010, an increase of 63.5% from the 643,892 in December 2009. While DSL remained the main technology used to access broadband services in the country, alternative wireless solutions WiMAX and EV-DO are catching up fast. The number of DSL users grew by 96.5% from 262,661 in June 2009. By contrast, subscriber figures of WiMAX and EV-DO increased by 246.6% and 708.5% over the same period to reach 306,665 and 181,947 respectively. Read More…

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Taiwanese mobile chipset maker MediaTek has opened its office in Dubai, a move the the company believes will help it to court mobile handset manufacturers in the Middle East and Africa market. The vendor is aiming to capitalise on its already growing business in the Middle East with its semiconductor solutions for wireless communications and digital multimedia solutions. By having a local presence in Dubai, MediaTek will further strengthen the company’s regional partnerships to better serve one of the world’s fastest growing mobile markets. According to the vendor, the strategy for the Middle East is to link start-ups and existing mobile handset manufacturers in the region with its OEM partners in China.

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BMI’s latest update on Ghana’s telecoms market contains revised forecast figures for the country’s mobile telephony and fixed-line markets. Our new mobile forecast includes December 2010 data as published by Ghana’s telecoms regulator, the National Communications Authority (NCA), for YE10 and Q310 market data published by leading mobile network operators, including MTN Ghana, part of South Africa’s MTN Group, and Tigo Ghana, owned by Luxembourg’s Millicom International Cellular. Read More…

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Google launched a new service in Saudi Arabia allowing its users to send SMS service from their Gmail accounts. The new service is the result of a partnership between Google and Saudi Telecom Co (STC). Google demonstrated the service and new products such as localised Arabic versions of YouTube and Maps at its first technology event in Riyadh. Attendees at the two-day G-Day Saudi explored Google’s technologies through a combination of tech talks, breakout sessions and codelabs run by some of Google’s top engineers, product specialists and business managers. Read More…

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STC, the national telecommunications provider in Saudi Arabia, has selected Motive, a leading provider of customer experience management solutions for fixed and mobile broadband services and an Alcatel-Lucent company, to deliver its Network Analyzer – Fiber (NA-F) solution. Motive’s Network Analyzer – Fiber (NA-F) will help STC reduce the complexity and cost of delivering and managing new fiber services such as high-speed Internet and IPTV. The solution also will help improve customer service while reducing customer support handling times and generate new revenue by simplifying processes needed to increase line speeds.
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Huawei the leading next-generation telecommunications network solutions provider, today launched its Ideos X5 smartphone in the Middle East. The Ideos X5 is a high performance, ultra slim, touch-screen smartphone with advanced browsing and high definition video capabilities based on Android 2.2 operating system. Huawei has introduced the availability of its Ideos, U8300 and U8500 smartphones in the region, as well as its Ideos S7 Slim Tablet. The launch of this suite of smart devices positions Huawei to take full advantage of the rapid growth of the smartphone market in the Middle East which is predicted to grow 39% by 2015 (IDC).
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HP today announced the HP Mobile Access Solution, which optimises mobile communications through wireless access points that can support up to 50 percent more mobile devices than existing technology. It claims to be the industry’s first access points that transmit three data streams per wireless radio as opposed to two, enabling the new HP Mobile Access Solution to increase user performance and range on wireless networks. The new technology delivers up to 15 concurrent high-definition video conferencing sessions on the network, while prior 802.11n offerings supported only 10, and 802.11g supported just one.
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Gemalto the leaders in digital security, announced successful rolled out of its LinqUs SIMessenger, an mobile instant messaging solution which enables the users to stay in touch while on the move by that INWI the fastest growing mobile operator in Morocco with nearly 4 million subscribers to its credit. Gemalto’s LinqUs SIMessenger is the world’s first Microsoft-certified UICC-based application, enabling mobile chatting through any handset, that offers an intuitive menu that allows subscribers – using any type of basic or smart handsets – to access their Windows Live Messenger environment with an experience similar to what they get when accessing it from a PC. Its user-friendly interface enables quick and easy navigation, so that users retrieve the messaging service they are familiar with while on the move. It requires no service education, thus guaranteeing high usage.Read More…

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Gemalto the leaders in digital security, announces that NetOne, a leading network operator in Zimbabwe, is deploying Gemalto’s LinqUs solution for Mobile Money Transfer, which comprises of the server, user application, as well as system integration services. The offer, being marketed as the OneWallet service, works on 100% of the handsets and will enable all NetOne subscribers to perform secure and convenient money transfer using their mobile phone. In particular, it provides the unbanked with access to secure banking services.Read More…