Android Smartphone Shipments Just Shy of 800 Million in 2013:

The smartphone market passed an important milestone in 2013 when worldwide shipments surpassed the 1 billion mark for the first time driven by continued momentum from Android and iOS

According to IDC, Android and iOS accounted for 95.7% of all smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2013 (4Q13), and for 93.8% of all smartphone shipments for the year. This marked a 4.5-point increase from the 91.2% share that the two platforms shared in 4Q12, and a 6.1-point increase from the 87.7% share they had in 2012.

"Clearly, there was strong end-user demand for both Android and iOS products during the quarter and the year," says Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC's Mobile Phone team. "What stands out are the different routes Android and Apple took to meet this demand. Android relied on its long list of OEM partners, a broad and deep collection of devices, and price points that appealed to nearly every market segment. Apple's iOS, on the other hand, relied on nearly the opposite approach: a limited selection of Apple-only devices, whose prices trended higher than most. Despite these differences, both platforms found a warm reception to their respective user experiences and selection of mobile applications."

Bharti Airtel to take 4G to Punjab, plans Rs 4,000 crore investment over 5 years:

Bharti Airtel will invest over Rs 4,000 crore in Punjab in the next five years in order to expand and contribute towards the digital inclusion drive in the state.

The telecom major and the Punjab government on Monday signed an agreement on the sidelines of the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit, under which Airtel will take its high speed 4G LTE services to all towns and villages across the state.

As part of the agreement, the company will lay an additional 10,000 km of optic fiber cables across Punjab and expand its 4G footprints to cover most of the state's population over the next few years. This will provide a major boost to growth of broadband services in rural areas and enable delivery of services such e-governance, e-education and e-health, the statement said.

"Just like the mobile phone connected millions across Punjab, this high speed data connectivity initiative will further empower people with information and services available at the touch of a screen. I am confident that this initiative will make Punjab a model State for rest of the country," Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman and group chief executive officer, Bharti Enterprises, said.

The company hopes the move will provide fillip to the growth of the digital economy in the state and support businesses as well as the government.

Bharti Airtel will also invest in its existing 2G mobile operations, Wire-line & DSL Broadband, DTH services, M-Commerce Services offering in the State. It will also expand its Enterprise Services offerings that provide end-to-end technology solutions to corporates and small and medium entreprises.

Samsung's offer to install 'kill switch' in its smartphones rejected:

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, has proposed installing a built-in anti-theft measure known as a "kill switch" that would render stolen or lost phones inoperable, but the nation's biggest carriers have rejected the idea, according to San Francisco's top prosecutor.

District Attorney George Gascon said Monday that AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless, United States Cellular Corp., Sprint Corp. and T-Mobile US Inc. rebuffed Samsung's proposal to preload its phones with Absolute LoJack anti-theft software as a standard feature.

The wireless industry says a kill switch isn't the answer because it could allow a hacker to disable someone's phone.

Gascon, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and other law enforcement officials have been demanding that manufacturers create kill switches to combat surging smartphone theft across the country.

Almost 1 in 3 U.S. robberies involve phone theft, according to the Federal Co mmunications Commission. Lost and stolen mobile devices - mostly smartphones - cost consumers more than $30 billion last year, according to a study cited by Schneiderman in June.

Samsung officials told the San Francisco district attorney's office in July that carriers were resisting kill switches, and prosecutors have recently reviewed emails between a senior vice president at Samsung and a software developer about the issue. One email in August said Samsung had pre-installed kill switch software in some smartphones ready for shipment, but carriers ordered their removal as a standard feature.

"These emails suggest that the carriers are rejecting a technological solution so they can continue to shake down their customers for billions of dollars in (theft) insurance premiums," Gascon said. "I'm incensed. ... This is a solution that has the potential to end the victimization of their customers."

Samsung said it is cooperating with Gascon, Schneiderman and the carriers on an anti-theft solution but declined to comment specifically about the emails.

Orange Expands Mobile Money Service to Support International Remittances:

Orange is launching an international money transfer service that will allow transfers between Mali, Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire.

At the moment, roughly EUR200 million is moved between those three countries in the form of money transfers each year.

Orange's service allows money to be sent and received from mobile phone accounts so that users no longer need to have cash with them when they travel, and sending cash doesn't have to be done by a third party.

For example, a customer in Cote d'Ivoire can send money directly to friends and family or to suppliers in Mali or Senegal with their Orange Money account. All the sender needs to do is to dial #144# from his or her mobile phone, then enter the Orange telephone number of the recipient and the amount to be sent. The money is immediately available in the recipient's account to make payments, purchases or transfers, or it can be withdrawn at a nearby location from any Orange Money distributor.

If the recipient is not yet an Orange Money customer, they can open an account free of charge.

"In launching Orange Money International Transfer today, several months of work to simplify life for our customers come to fruition. We are proud to be the first operator to offer customers the ability to make international money transfers between mobile phones in this area of Western Africa," says Thierry Millet, Director of the strategic NFC and payment program at Orange.

Orange's goal is to expand this service in Africa to other countries in which the Group is present. Available in 13 countries in Africa and the Middle East, Orange Money has more than 7 million customers today.

Botswana Clamped Down on Fake and Unapproved Mobile Phone Sales:

Botswana's telecoms regulator had warned mobile phone dealers that it is clamping down on the sale of counterfeit and uncertified handsets.

The regulator, BOCRA said that selling so called "fong kong" phones after August 31 could land the dealer with fines of up to P2 million (US$228,000) and/or jail terms of up to 10 years.

The regulator confirmed that it has the powers to penalise distributors of cellphones that do not adhere to its recently published safety and quality standards.

All retailers and distributors will be required to demonstrate the devices' certification with established international standards.

The regulator also advised customers to check that the phones contain a unique IMEI, as cloned serial numbers are often used in counterfeit phones.

By the end of last year, BOCRA estimates the country had 3.1 million mobile phone subscribers -- a population penetration level of 150 percent.

Airtel Zambia Called on to Improve Network Quality:

A Zambian consumer rights organisation has called on Bharti Airtel to improve their network quality following a recent spate of complaints.

The Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) called on Airtel to improve its operations following calls from consumers on the poor services being offered by Airtel.

"As a consumer body, we are disappointed with the poor services which are being offered by Airtel. We have received numerous calls from consumers complaining that they are failing to make calls, calls are being dropped and some are failing to recharge their mobile phone, among others."

"I challenge the mobile phone provider to improve its operation. Airtel is the biggest mobile phone provider in the country but it has failed to satisfy customers' needs," he said.

He also urged the telecoms regulator to step up its efforts to regulate the industry.

For its part, Airtel admitted to congestion problems on the network over the past week or so, but said that these had been resolved.

Zain, SLA Mobile launch direct operator billing platform:

Zain Group has signed an agreement with mobile solutions provider SLA Mobile to provide its subscribers what it claims to be ‘one of the first in the region’ direct operator billing (carrier billing) services. According to a press release, the service will enable Zain’s customers to pay for digital goods from a third-party content or service provider by charging the transaction to their mobile phone monthly bill or using their pre-paid credit. Zain’s Direct Operator Billing service is set to be launched in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, first, followed by Iraq, South Sudan and Sudan.

Zain Group’s CEO Scott Gegenheimer said: ‘Zain is already one of the leading technology innovators with respect to our state-of-the-art mobile broadband networks, and this investment in our networks goes hand-in-hand with our ability to offer services that enhance customer’s digital purchasing experiences.’

Over 800,000 Numbers Ported in Two Years of MNP:

Ghana's telecoms regulator says that the number of mobile phone numbers ported to a different mobile network had exceeded 800,000 in the two years since MNP was launched.

A total of 817,202 successfully completed ports were recorded, representing about 3% of the estimated 27million active mobile line in the country.

The MNP service launched in July 2011, and in the first year a total of 370 thousand numbers were ported, with 447 thousand numbers ported in the second year.

Since the second anniversary, the number of ported numbers has continued to rise, and is expected to exceed one million sometime next month.

The regulator said that around three-quarters of customers who migrate to another network are happy with their new provider, with the rest either moving to a third network, or back to their original provider.