TeliaSonera increases its ownership in Kcell and prepares for IPO - TeliaSonera

TeliaSonera increases its ownership in Kcell and prepares for IPO - TeliaSonera:

Teliasonera has signed an agreement with Kazakhtelecom to acquire 49 percent of the shares in GSM Kazakhstan LLP, operating under the brand Kcell. The purchase price is USD 1.519 billion. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to be finalized during the first quarter of 2012.

TeliaSonera has further agreed, subject to certain conditions, to sell 25 percent of the shares minus one share in Kcell in an Initial Public Offering (IPO). The IPO is expected to be completed during 2012. Depending on the share price development after the IPO, TeliaSonera may have to make an additional payment to Kazakhtelecom.

Presently, GSM Kazakhstan LLP is owned by Fintur Holdings (51%) and Kazakhtelecom (49%). Fintur Holdings B.V. is owned by TeliaSonera (58.55%) and Turkcell (41.45%). Once both steps of the transaction have been completed, TeliaSonera’s effective ownership in Kcell will be 61,74%.

“This agreement is another step in the execution of our strategy of increasing ownership in core holdings. Through this transaction TeliaSonera increases its ownership in Kcell, a company where we already have management and operational control. Kcell is a clear market leader in Kazakhstan, the largest market in Central Asia, and has shown remarkable growth over the years. The fact that part of the company will be sold in an IPO will make it even more attractive”, said Tero Kivisaari, President, TeliaSonera Eurasia.

TeliaSonera AB discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Swedish Securities Markets Act and/or the Swedish Financial Instrument Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at 8.30 a.m. CET on December 22, 2011.

DOCOMO, KDDI and SOFTBANK Establish Consortium to Promote NFC Services Compatible with Multiple International Standards | Press Center | NTT DOCOMO Global

DOCOMO, KDDI and SOFTBANK Establish Consortium to Promote NFC Services Compatible with Multiple International Standards | Press Center | NTT DOCOMO Global:

TOKYO, JAPAN, December 21, 2011 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC., KDDI CORPORATION and SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp. announced today their establishment of Japan Mobile NFC Consortium to coordinate the adoption of multiple international standards for near field communication (NFC) technologies incorporated in their mobile devices and services.

Japan’s three mobile operators already offer Osaifu- Keitai™ (wallet phone) mobile services based on the contactless-IC smartcard called FeliCa®. Overseas, however, mobile operators and service providers are increasingly adopting Type A and Type B standards to develop growing markets for NFC services. In view of this worldwide trend, the consortium intends to work with mobile industry groups in Japan, including service suppliers and handset manufacturers, to incorporate compatibility with the Type A and B standards in the Japanese mobile ecosystem.

By ensuring compatibility with multiple NFC standards, the consortium aims to:

Free mobile users in Japan, both residents and international travelers, from having to concern themselves about different NFC service standards.

Create an environment in Japan where service providers can offer efficient, low-cost NFC services based on common standards and rules adopted by the three mobile operators.

SingTel launches commercial LTE mobile broadband service - SingTel

SingTel launches commercial LTE mobile broadband service - SingTel:

Singapore, 20 December 2011 - Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) today announced the commercial launch of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband service. Named Broadband on Mobile Prestige 75, it is the first LTE service in Singapore to be available to both consumer and business customers.

The service offers theoretical download speeds of up to 75Mbps and typical download speeds between 3.4Mbps and 12Mbps[1]. It provides mobile Internet access that is more than three times faster than existing 3G-based services, with one-fifth of the network latency[2].

Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, SingTel’s Executive Vice President of Digital Consumer, said: “With the commercial launch of LTE, we usher in a new era of mobile services. Our LTE service will deliver consistent speeds and performance to allow customers to go beyond web surfing and enjoy a wider range of bandwidth-intensive multimedia content on the move like never before. In addition, SingTel is more than just a provider of high-speed connectivity. We offer a range of applications such as cloud storage, video conferencing, music and e-books that maximises the potential of LTE.”

At launch, the service provides outdoor coverage in the central financial district and other areas that experience high data usage such as: Shenton Way, Orchard, City Hall, Marina Bay, River Valley, Tanglin, Newton, Novena, Kallang, Rochor, Outram, Tanjong Pagar, Jurong West, Boon Lay, Bukit Panjang, Bedok and Changi. (Please refer to Annex 1 for a map.) In-building coverage is available in major shopping malls such as Ngee Ann City, Plaza Singapura, Ang Mo Kio Hub, Tampines Mall, West Mall, Parkway Parade and Jurong IMM. Office buildings such as Republic Plaza and Temasek Tower are also covered. The service falls back to SingTel’s 3G-based Premium 21 service when users roam outside the LTE coverage area.

Mr Yuen said that SingTel is progressively expanding its network, which is expected to be able to provide LTE coverage for 80 per cent of mobile data users by the end of 2012.

“The way we dimension the network is crucial in ensuring a high-quality and consistent experience for our customers. This is a premium network service at an affordable price. In addition to offering tremendous value for money, our price plans and data bundles play an important role in encouraging fair usage of network capacity and resources,” he said.

In June, SingTel broke new ground by being the first in Singapore to publish the actual speeds of its 3G services.

“Similarly with LTE, we want our customers to know exactly what speeds they are getting so that they can make better informed choices,” Mr Yuen said.

Broadband on Mobile Prestige 75 will initially be available for USB dongle modems only. It will be enhanced to support LTE-enabled smartphones and tablets when they become more readily available in the market. Existing 21Mbps 3G Broadband on Mobile Premium 21 customers can upgrade to LTE with a top-up of $10 per month.

Vodafone Connects First NBN Trial Customers

Vodafone today announced that it has connected its first customers to the National Broadband Network (NBN) who will now be able to enjoy mobile, pay TV and high speed broadband services. Vodafone is the first new entrant to trial the NBN.

“We are pleased to have connected our first NBN customers and delighted to be providing them with some of the innovation that’s possible with the latest generation of mobile, fixed broadband and TV services,” said Nigel Dews, CEO of Vodafone Hutchison Australia.

Vodafone is trialling innovative TV services with new entrant FetchTV, including High Definition movies on demand and is also the first operator to trial femtocell technology with the Vodafone Expand product through the NBN. Vodafone Expand boosts indoor signal strength for Vodafone 3G mobile devices, providing better call quality and mobile internet access.

The trial is underway in Armidale, NSW, and Vodafone is planning similar trials in Kiama, NSW and Brunswick, Victoria in 2012.