Icasa moves on local loop plan

— Candice Jones, TechCentral

Telecommunications industry regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) will publish a discussion document this week in the Government Gazette outlining its thoughts on unbundling Telkom’s local loop, the copper lines that connect homes and businesses to the operator’s network.

Icasa has been working on a document to clarify its position on local-loop unbundling after suggesting Telkom’s copper infrastructure is already available to other players. “The discussion document was created by the committee dealing with local-loop unbundling,” says Icasa spokesman Paseka Maleka.

The authority told TechCentral in January that since Telkom’s local loop is considered an essential facility under the Electronic Communications Act, facilities leasing regulations, published in 2010, already allow rival operators access to it.

Icasa councillor Thabo Makhakhe, who is one of the members of the team tasked with dealing with local-loop unbundling, has said the authority would create a document that clarifies what aspects of the local loop other operators will have access to.

Telkom has slammed Icasa’s proposed use of facilities leasing regulations as a means of unbundling the local loop, saying its understanding of the legal definition of an essential facility is that it “cannot feasibly be substituted”. However, Telkom argues the mobile operators have created a substitute, which it calls the “wireless local loop”.

A complaint by Neotel appears set to be Icasa’s litmus test for using facilities leasing regulations. Neotel wants access to the local loop in terms of the regulations, but Telkom has denied its rival access.

The outcome of the complaint is still unknown, but it could make or break Icasa’s hopes of meeting a deadline set by communications minister Roy Padayachie to have the local loop unbundled by November.

Full Android Market coming to SA

— Staff reporter, TechCentral

The full Android Market, including paid-for applications, is coming to SA and 98 other markets around the world, Google announced at its I/O conference in the US last night.

The market will be available in 26 African countries, including SA, from today, according to Google.

Android is Google’s mobile operating system. The Android Market is a direct rival to Apple’s App Store. Unlike the Apple store, the Android Market will also offer game downloads to SA consumers.

Africans countries to get the full Android Market include SA, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria.

“Consumers from these newly supported countries will have access to over 200 000 free and paid apps in Android Market, which they can access directly from their Android-powered devices,” according to a Google statement.

R149 for 2GB specials: Will they last?

Rudolph Muller

May 29, 2011

1 comment

Cell C, Vodacom and MTN are all offering customers 2GB of data at R149 per month. But for how long will these promotions continue?

When Cell C launched their 21Mbps HSPA+ network and broadband offerings in September 2011 consumers were delighted by the company’s aggressively priced 24GB and 60GB prepaid broadband promotions.

In November last year Cell C complimented their prepaid data offerings with twelve month contract offerings – including a 2GB promotion priced at R149 per month.

Vodacom and MTN responded to Cell C’s promotion recently, also offering consumers 2GB of data and a modem for R149 per month.

Below cost?

The sustainability of these mobile broadband promotions were questioned with many industry players pointing out that these special prices are well below cost.

Vodacom CEO Pieter Uys told MyBroadband that while it is complex to calculate the exact cost of delivering a MB of data over their network, their current 2GB promotional price is definitely below cost.

8ta’s Zoltan Miklos also said at the recent broadband summit that a price of 3c or 5c per MB is simply not sustainable for 8ta, with a price of 10c per MB being bandied around as the floor for sustainable mobile broadband pricing.

Promotions to end?

Vodacom, MTN and Cell C are aggressively marketing their 2GB mobile broadband promotions, but the longevity of the promotions is uncertain.

Vodacom said from the outset that their promotion will only be available for three months: from 1 May to 31 July.

MTN’s promotion was initially advertised as being valid from 1 May to 16 May, but the promotion simply continued after the 16 May deadline and the company is now saying that the offer will be available “while stocks last”.

MTN was contacted to gain clarity about their 2GB promotion, but the company did not respond to requests for information.

Cell C is also promoting their 2GB special as being available “while stocks last,” and the company would not give details about their stock levels and potential end dates.

MyBroadband has also received information that Internet Solutions notified their customers that from the end of May the promotion from Cell C would come to an end. “Stock on hand can still be activated for 3 months after (up to August),” one user reported.

Cell C was asked about this apparent notice from Internet Solutions, but the company did not provide feedback by the time of publication.

MWeb upgrades broadband users

MWeb CEO Rudi Jansen

Two separate announcements on Wednesday morning demonstrate that competitive rivalry continues to intensify in SA’s fixed-line broadband market.

In the first announcement, MWeb has announced it will not charge its customers more for uncapped asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) access as Telkom upgrades users on 512kbit/s lines to 1Mbit/s.

Though Telkom hasn’t provided much detail about the upgrades, many users have reported that their lines have been bumped up to the higher speed in recent weeks.

MWeb CEO Rudi Jansen says Telkom is in the process of upgrading 512kbit/s subscribers to the higher line speed, but he can’t say exactly how far down the track it is. “From what we can see on the network, it is a fair bit that has been upgraded,” Jansen says.

The upgrades mean 1Mbit/s uncapped MWeb ADSL will cost R299/month, or R599/month with Telkom line rental included.

Subscribers that have signed up for MWeb’s 1Mbit/s products in the past month will enjoy a reduction in their subscription from 1 June to the new rates, the company says.

In the second announcement on Wednesday, Vox Telepreneur has said it will offer free bandwidth for new and existing users.

Vox Telepreneur, a unit of Vox Telecom, says it will provide 2GB of free data to subscribers who have their ADSL lines with the company. Those who buy data only will get 1GB/month free.

“We are giving away free data to all our usage-based subscribers, without any contractual obligations, and
regardless of what line speed or data quality they choose,” says Vox Telepreneur’s Brad Gatter.

— Staff reporter, TechCentral

T-Mobile unveils new tiered data plans for smartphones, details throttling speeds

May 23, 2011 — 11:40am ET | By Sue Marek

T-Mobile USA unveiled three new tiered data plans for smartphones, in addition to its existing $30 per month plan that offers 5 GB of data. The operator also said that if customers go over their allotted data cap they will not incur overage charges but instead will have their data speeds throttled down to an EDGE, or 2G, experience of around 100 Kbps or less.

T-Mobile customers with smartphones can now select from the following options:

• $10 for 200 MB per month
• $20 for 2 GB
• $30 for 5 GB
• or $60 for 10 GB

According to a T-Mobile spokeswoman, customers will be notified via a free text message when they exceed their monthly data threshold. At that time, they will have the option to change their data plan to one with more data or continue to use their existing plan with the reduced speeds for the remainder of the month.
In November, T-Mobile took its first steps toward tiered data pricing with the introduction of a 200 MB data plan for $10 per month in addition to its existing $30 plan for unlimited data.
Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) earlier this year said it will introduce tiered data pricing for smartphones sometime this summer. The carrier said it decided to wait to make the move until after it launched the iPhone. Further, Verizon last week said it will offer family plans for data services, though Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo stopped short of providing a launch date for the new plans. Shammo, who disclosed the news to Reuters, said the carrier will introduce the family data plans sometime after it replaces its unlimited smartphone data service with tiered data pricing. He did not provide any further details on the plans.
AT&T, which was the first U.S. operator to move to tiered data pricing, said in March that it had more than 10 million customers on its tiered data price plans. The company charges $15 per month for 200 MB of data and $25 per month for 2 GB of data.
Industry watchers have predicted that wireless carriers will continue to move toward tiered plans as a way to address users' skyrocketing demands for mobile data, driven in large part by touchscreen smartphones.

Neotel ups consumer ante with new phone | TechCentral

— Staff reporter, TechCentral

Neotel is stepping up its focus on the retail consumer market with the launch on Monday of a new handset that, at first glance, looks remarkably like a mobile phone.

The R399 device, made by China’s ZTE, uses Neotel’s “fixed-wireless” code division multiple access (CDMA) network. Though it resembles a cellphone, it offers only limited mobility.

“Unlike other home phones, Neotel’s cordless phone is not restricted by residential parameters and can be used wherever coverage exists within the same geographical calling area,” the company says.

Neotel, controlled by Indian’s Tata Communications, has struggled to make headway in the retail consumer space, signing up just 50 000 subscribers. New CEO Sunil Joshi has promised the company will increase its focus on this segment, predicting it will increase its customer base by 50% in the current financial year, which ends in March 2012.

Neotel is continuing to invest its CDMA network to “deepen and extend” its coverage, according to Joshi. He recently indicated the company would roll out new products “in the near future, both in terms of capacity, throughput and end-user devices”.

The operator has budgeted about R500m for capital expenditure this financial year, some of which will be directed to its consumer offerings.

Neotel’s new, battery-powered phone is available on its NeoConnect Lite voice contracts (either R99/month or R199/month) and its NeoConnect Lite prepaid packages. It offers free off-peak Neotel-to-Neotel calls and rates to other networks that the company claims are the lowest in the industry.

Vodafone launches sub-$130 smartphone

The Vodafone Smart

UK-headquartered cellular network giant Vodafone has launched a self-branded smartphone running Google’s Android 2.2 operating system that costs less than US$130.
The Vodafone Smart is preloaded with Android apps such as Gmail, Google Maps and Google Talk and will offer full access to the Android Market. It has a 2-megapixel camera, 2,8-inch touch screen, 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support.
Vodafone says the product will be launched in all its markets in the next few months and is aimed mainly at prepaid customers.
Germany and Italy will be the first countries to receive the device.
Vodafone group terminals director Patrick Chomet says smartphones account for more than 40% of the handsets Vodafone sells in Europe.
At Vodacom’s annual results presentation in Midrand on Monday, CEO Pieter Uys alluded to cheaper Android smartphones coming to market soon. He said it wouldn’t be long before a sub-$100 smartphone went on sale in SA. Vodafone holds 65% of Vodacom’s equity.
Operators are keen to drive down the cost of smartphones to help increase demand for data on their networks. 

Gadget Web Site - Tablets, take two

16 May 2011 by Arthur Goldstuck | Filed in Goldstuck on Gadgets

The Africa launch of the new Samsung Galaxy tablet range and the South African unveiling of the RIM PlayBook, weeks after the arrival of the Apple iPad 2, finally brings the tablet wars out in the open. ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK discovers a serious iPad rival.

The tablet computer invasion this column has been heralding for most of the year has finally broken through the defensive lines that protect South African consumers from the threat of owning the world’s most up-to-date technology.

It is the moment that computer and laptop vendors have dreaded. In the space of a few weeks, three of the major contendors will have joined battle on the shop shelves.

First came the heir apparent to the computing throne, the Apple iPad 2. So much praise has been heaped on it, it’s a miracle it hasn’t become the focal point of a new religion. Oh, wait…

The truth is, it’s a delightful device. It boasts unparalleled design and performance. But sooner or later, it will cease to be heresy to point out that it is designed to trap users in a world of Apple’s making. Generally, you still need to link it to another device to get the most out of it, and that device still needs to be running Apple’s iTunes.

Where the iPad wins hands-down is on price. The basic model hit the SA shelves at R4400, with the top of the range going for about R7500.

The next entrant, in the past few days, was the PlayBook from Research In Motion, makers of the BlackBerry. Smaller than the iPad, it is also a beautiful device, and one that many will love to own. But it is even more dependent on other devices: to use its online and e-mail functionality, you’re expected to "tether" or link it to a BlackBerry phone.

Having an entrance qualification like that for owning a completely different device is like weighing soldiers down with bricks to ensure they keep their feet on the ground. If you’re a believer, you will be happy to suffer.

Meanwhile, a new champion emerged last week. At a launch event in Nairobi on Wednesday, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 was unveiled. Almost anything the iPad has on offer, the Galaxy promises to equal or better.
The screen size, as the name suggest, is 10.1", crossing the gulf that existed between the iPad and the first Galaxy, a puny 7" contendor. The 10.1’s weight, 595g, and thickness, at 8.6mm, is almost absurd. It takes firm aim at the "lighter, thinner" credentials of the iPad.

And then there is its strategic edge: it incorporates Flash, essential for viewing certain video formats, animations and web sites, whereas Apple expressly blocks it from the iPad; it includes a microSD slot, which allows files like photos, documents and presentations to be copied directly onto the device without a need for adaptors or synchronisation; and it operates as an independent unit, making it the first tablet I’ve seen that could potentially replace a laptop completely.

Samsung have also released a Galaxy 8.9, event thinner and lighter, but that is targeted more directly at the PlayBook. It suggests a war of two formats: one in the laptop replacement arena, and one in the ultra-small, pretending-to-double-as-a-phone market. At both ends, though, the screen is not optimal for some, either too small or too large, depending on the need. However, Samsung also announced its intentions to roll out the device in a range of sizes that would address such unmet needs.

My greatest fear for the Galaxy 10.1 had been that that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations for being a laptop replacement. But after having it in my hands for a few minutes, I feel confident enough to make this statement: there is a new contendor in the tablet war.


* Arthur Goldstuck heads up the World Wide Worx market research organisation and is editor-in-chief of Gadget. You can follow him on Twitter on @art2gee

Telkom’s 8ta to offer per-second billing

— Staff reporter, TechCentral

Telkom’s new mobile operator, 8ta, will introduce per-second billing for prepaid customers from 15 May. Until now, calls were billed per-minute.

“All new prepaid customers will be billed on a per-second structure,” Telkom says.

Calls will be charged at R2,75/minute in peak times and R1,12/minute off-peak, with per-second billing applying from the moment a call is initiated. The rates apply for calls to 8ta customers and users of other mobile networks.

In comparison, MTN charges R2,89/minute, billed per second, to all networks during peak times; MTN’s off-peak rate is R1,19/minute. Vodacom’s basic prepaid charge is R2,58/minute for on-network peak-time calls and R1,12 off-peak. Calls to other networks cost R2,75/minute peak and R1,30 off-peak.

Unlike rival networks, 8ta also provides “free” outgoing minutes to customers receiving incoming calls.

Calls from 8ta to Telkom landline numbers on the new per-second billing plan will cost 65c/minute, also billed per second. This is significantly cheaper than the rates charges by MTN and Vodacom.

8ta prepaid customers on per-minute billing options can switch to the per-second plan. They can also opt for a R1,50/minute all-day rate, billed per minute.

Telkom, which was criticised for charging per-minute instead of per-second rates when it launched 8ta in October last year, is expected to provide details of how well the new mobile network has performed when it publishes its annual financial results next month.

Fraud forces Nashua Mobile to act | TechCentral

— Staff reporter, TechCentral

Reunert-owned Nashua Mobile is disabling international roaming, calling and call-forwarding functionality on all of its customers’ Sim cards in a bid to prevent fraudsters using stolen Sims to run up bills.

The company says the problem is becoming more prevalent and it is seeing an increase in stolen Sims being used for international calling.

“Cellphone subscribers that fall prey to this scam could be saddled with bills of thousands of rand,” the company says in a statement.

Nashua Mobile has contacted all customers that use roaming services and alerted them to the scam. Any customer that has not used roaming, international calling or forwarding over the last year will automatically have the service cut off and be notified by SMS.

Users can have the services reconnected by contacting Nashua.

Customers that have not used the service in the past 6 months will be asked to contact the company so Nashua can make sure they are not using it.

“Nashua Mobile is working closely with the network operators to put further measures in place to curb this sort of fraud,” says the statement.

It says to prevent this kind of fraud on mobile accounts customers must report lost or stolen Sim cards, deactivate roaming when they are not away, remove call forwarding on their phones and make sure that forwarding hasn’t been activated without their knowledge.

Next iPhone Might Have Over-the-Air Updates

The day where you don’t have to plug your iPhone, iPad or iPod into your computer to update its operating system might be close at hand. There’s a report that iOS 5 will be capable of over-the-air updates.

According to 9to5 Mac‘s multiple sources, Apple has been negotiating with Verizon Wireless to provide the over-the-air updates, but the sources wouldn’t comment on whether the same negotiations were taking place with AT&T.

For iOS updates to be delivered over-the-air, Apple will need to make fundamental changes in the way its updates work. For one thing, Apple will need to stop requiring a download of the entire operating system for a simple update.

My take: Today, I updated my iPhone to iOS 4.3.3 (fixing that location tracking problem that caused such an uproar lately), and as it always does, the phone’s data was backed up onto my laptop, and then the entire iOS 4.3.3 was downloaded, all 662.3 MB of it. That’s not going to be easy to do over the air, especially if you’re using 3G or 4G.

Perhaps Apple will let these updates take place only over Wi-Fi connections, as it does for some large app downloads. Even if that’s the case, just for the sake of efficiency it would be a good idea to send incremental updates, similar to the way Microsoft has been updating its operating systems for years, in small pieces as they become available.

This would be a long-awaited and welcome capability — a feature that’s commonplace in the Android operating system. So how much longer must we wait? Of course, Apple’s not saying, but general consensus is that iOS 5 will launch when the iPhone 5 ships, and now the latest iPhone rumor is that it won’t be happening in June or July, as many had hoped. Another recent report said the next iPhone would be shipping in September.

Are you hoping for over-the-air update capability, and do you think it’s on the way?

RIM unveils shiny new BlackBerry 7 OS, only for shiny new BlackBerrys

By Peter Bright

Research In Motion today announced a pair of new smartphones, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930, and a new operating system to run on them: BlackBerry 7 OS. The system software was originally intended as an upgrade to BlackBerry 6 OS which shipped in August last year, and was accordingly designated as version 6.1. However, the changes are so extensive that RIM has bumped the version number—and nixed upgrades for existing users of BlackBerry 6 OS devices.

The handsets are well-specified evolutions of the BlackBerry Bold line. The big change is the screen: both devices sport full VGA (640x480) capacitive touchscreens, a significant upgrade over previous devices with their 480x360 or 480x320 screens. They're thinner—at 10.5 mm, the thinnest BlackBerry smartphones ever—faster, with 1.2 GHz Snapdragon processors, and better-connected, boasting HSPA+ support for so-called 4G networks. The 9900 is a straight GSM/HSPA device; the 9930 is a combination CDMA EV-DO Rev. A/HSPA+ handset. The phones also include new sensors, incorporating both Near Field Communications (NFC) support and a compass.

Software-wise, RIM was touting the further improved browser and BlackBerry Balance. BlackBerry 6 OS provided a substantial upgrade to the browser, ditching RIM's old engine and using WebKit instead. Version 7 has faster JavaScript performance and HTML5 support, including support for the HTML5 video tag.

Balance is a feature designed to allow separation of personal data, including Facebook and Twitter, from corporate data. The phones retain the central manageability that has made BlackBerry so popular in corporations, but also allow personal information, games, and applications to be safely installed and used. The system allows for policies such as selective wiping that destroys corporate data but leaves personal data untouched, and data segregation that prevents corporate data from being sent to personal contacts.

The operating system was originally described as an upgrade to BlackBerry 6 OS, and version 7 is still based on that platform rather than the QNX operating system used in the PlayBook tablet. However, the impact of the new capabilities—in particular the higher screen resolutions and new sensors—has put any upgrade plans to rest.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 will be available from summer, with BlackBerry 7 OS preinstalled, but old devices won't be getting an update to version 7: the screen resolution and touch capabilities are too fundamental to allow upgrades for older devices.

Carriers crack down on wireless tethering app for Android

By Mike Isaac, wired.com

US carriers have started blocking an app that allows Android smartphone users free wireless tethering for other Web-ready devices.

The application, “Wireless Tether for Root Users,” is still available on the Android Market. But if you have a phone that’s on the Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile networks, you won’t be able to download or install it.

Try and access the app from the Android Market, and when prompted to choose which device on which to install it, you’ll only be able to select Sprint-carried devices or WiFi only products.

Wired.com attempted to install the application on a number of devices, and was only able to do so on a Sprint-carried Evo 4G and Galaxy Tab, as well as WiFi-only products. Our Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T devices were unable to receive the app for installation.

A spokesperson from Verizon confirmed the application is not available to Verizon Wireless customers. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

If you’ve rooted your Android phone, using it as an Internet hotspot for your other devices is one of its biggest perks. When nary an Internet-enabled cafe is nearby, apps like Wireless Tether allow you to use your phone’s 4G, 3G or 2G data connection to access the Web from another connected (or “tethered”) device, like your laptop or WiFi-only tablet.

The best part: you bypass the monthly fee that most carriers charge for wireless tethering on devices (the standard monthly charge for wireless tethering across the big four US carriers is $30).

That’s why blocking the application makes sense in terms of a carrier’s bottom line. Missing out on that extra cash while its customers consume its precious bandwidth for free isn’t attractive to carriers.

This sort of interference isn’t anything new. After being fed up with jailbreaking iPhone owners who used similar apps to tether for free, AT&T decided to call their bluff. In March, the company started sending warning messages and then automatically billing customers who were suspected of using unofficial tethering apps. AT&T said it would not charge for the service only if a customer immediately stopped using his or her unofficial tethering app.

To the resourceful Android phone owner, these carrier actions won’t be a huge problem. Although the app won’t be available through the official Android Market, you can go directly to the developers’ site and sideload the program onto your device. And if you’ve rooted your device and have a mod like Cyanogen 7.0 installed, there’s already a wireless tethering option built into the program interface, eliminating the need to download another app.