Tonethephone

Are O2 and Vodafone really arch rivals?

Rating: The Sunday Times destroys its own premise

Unfortunate juxta positions of our time. The Sunday Times interview with Telefonica's Cesar Alierta and a sub links to Vodafone and O2 to pool networks.

China Mobile to subsidise TD-SCDMA R&D

Rating: It's the chip companies who should benefit

So the FT has broken a story about China Mobile holding 'secret' meetings at the recent MWC and discussed helping out with R&D cost with several of the leading handset vendors, it wants to get TD-SCDMA up to speed.

Truphone puts multi-country roaming on 1 SIM

Rating: No need to carry multiple SIMs or phones

by Tony Dennis

Bringing together its existing expertise in both low cost VoIP calling and cellular roaming, Truphone has launched a new service known as Truphone Local Anywhere. It nukes overseas roaming charges.

Going back to BT for free 0845s

Having discovered my contract with TalkTalk had expired, I've switched my phone supplier back to BT. The reason? Because I will no longer have to pay for 0845 and 0870 numbers.

Aussie Vodafone swallows Aussie 3

by Tony Dennis by Tony Dennis

Vodafone Australia (www.vodafone.com.au) has decided to merge its Aussie operations with those of 3 for the Australian market. The two companies will form a 50:50 JV called VHA. That probably means Vodafone Hutchison Australia but the pair forgot to mention this.

France Telecom wants TeliaSonera for mobile web skills

Rating: More about mobile surfers than African subscribers

It seems that reports which first surfaced in Le Figaro that France Telecom is looking to acquire TeliaSonera are true. What other observers may have got wrong is the motivation behind the move.
Some suggest it is TeliaSonera's interests in emerging markets. I think it has more to do with Google.

TeliaSonera is one of the most innovative operators there is. Which is hardly much of a co-incidence given that the operator covers Nokia's home market in Finland and Ericsson's home market in Sweden. European mobile operators are well aware that the next battleground will take place over the mobile Internet. They don't want to risk a re-run of the fiasco that was WAP.

So where is the main competition going to come from? Easy – the infamous web 2.0 players and Google in particular. Hence I'd argue that a tie up with TeliaSonera wouldn't only just make France Telecom Europe's third largest operator ahead of Deutsche Telekom. It would also acquire the skills and the clout to stand up to Web 2.0 companies.
And I'm cheating here because Gervais Pellissier, CFO with France Telecom actually confirmed my suspicions. He told the FT that, "To compete with actors such as Google, it is better to have many subscribers in countries that use the internet than simply have lots of subscribers in Africa or other developing markets, which are not yet in that business."
That makes sense because it's easier to provide mobile internet services if you already have subscribers who showing willingness to consume such services.
As M:Metrics pointed out the other day, the biggest consumers of mobile media at the moment are in the USA. However, those fondest of using the mobile Net at present are also Apple iPhone users. It's no co-incidence, therefore, that France Telecom through Orange just so happens to have concluded the exclusive deal with Apple for the iPhone in France.
Gaining experience from the advanced Nordic markets would certainly help France Telecom. Which probably explains why the rumours are that the company might try for Telenor if its plans for TeliaSonera are thwarted. Emerging markets – No. Mobile internet experience – Yes.

MTRs cause Vodafone a serious headache

It appears that Nick Delfas' name will be mud with Vodafone after his comments about Mobile Termination Rates caused the company's share price to slide not just once but twice in a week.

Somewhat ironically, comments made recently by 3 UK's Kevin Russell over MTRs might just point to the way out for Vodafone.

Reding hijacks GSMA press conference

Rating: Thinly disguised threats over data roaming

Viviane Reding, the EU´s telecoms commissioner, accidentally highjacked the GSMA´s own press conference here at MWC by giving an impromtu speech on the stairs outside.
A journalist had asked to comment on her attitude towards operators´pricing for SMS and data roaming. The conference´s MC ruled the question as irrelevant and so we all had to tear after Ms Reding when it was all over.

UK turns to TDD for Mobile TV

Rating: Good use for unused spectrum

Social networking and mobile advertising are this year’s themes at MWC, Barcelona. Mobile TV is decidedly passee. Yet two British based operators – Orange and T-Mobile – have just agreed to a new mobile TV pilot in West London.
Significantly, they’ve picked technology based around the unpaired (TDD) 3G frequencises which most operators possess but have do virtually nothing with so far.

MWC: Openwave moves into contextual merchandising

Rating: Mobile operators can play on their existing strengths

I had a very interesting chat with Openwave CEO Robet Vrij at MWC about the direction the company is taking to help its impressive list of established Tier One clients.
The message which came across is that Openwave is determined to help its clientele ‘monetarise’ the many service they already provide to subscribers. Including making money out of email.