Californian Law Proposes Mandatory Kill-Switch for Stolen Mobile Phones:

California's state government is proposing to require mobile phones sold in the state to come with a mandatory remote kill-switch that could be activated if they are reported as stolen.

The theft of smartphones and other communications devices now accounts for one third of all robberies in the USA, making it the number one property crime in the country. The problem is even more prevalent in some of California's largest cities.

More than half of all robberies in San Francisco involve the theft of a mobile device, a number that goes up to 75 percent in the East Bay city of Oakland. Los Angeles also has a significant smartphone robbery problem, with reported thefts increasing 12 percent in 2012.

If approved, the new legislation, being proposed by Senator Mark Leno and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, will come into effect from the beginning of next year.

Telecel Launches Mobile Money Service in Zimbabwe:

Zimbabwe's Telecel has launched its own mobile money transfer service, branded as Telecash, which it said would allow subscribers to use mobile phones to send money to anyone on any network, pay bills and pay for groceries and other goods and services.

Telecel's chief commercial officer Ashraf El Guindy said the company was coming to the market with a strong product.

"We have associated ourselves with the best in the industry," he said, adding that Telecel's technical partner for Telecash was Obopay and that its banking partners included Afrasia, CBZ and ZimSwitch, which provides links with most of the country's banking institutions.

Nokia Phone Sales in Kenya Fall Falling Imposition of Sales Tax:

Nokia says that its sales in East Africa fell by 20 percent after the Kenyan government imposed sales tax on mobile phones. The tax was introduced last September, which added 20 percent to the cost of mobile phones.

The ICT industry had been zero-rated for VAT since 2009, but now pays a 16% VAT on all imports.

Nokia's East Africa general manager, Bruce Howes confirmed that the new tax had caused a decline in sales for the manufacturer. He added that, as was widely expected, there had been a rise in smuggling of "grey phones" into the country as a result.

"We are working with the respective bodies to try to revert the decision on mobile device taxing because over 50 per cent of market is now on grey market."

Last year, when the tax was proposed, Nokia's EMEA Vice President, Jussi Hinkkanen warned that it would disproportionately hurt the poor who still lacked a mobile phone and would pay a tax that previous middle-class buyers had not been subjected to.

UK Tablet Market Expected to Shrink in 2014:

The UK's tablet market will shrink in 2014, with sales expected to decline from 17 million in 2013 to less than 14 million this year, according to CCS Insight.

The forecast follows two years of explosive growth, fuelled by the easy availability of tablets ranging from premium products to devices costing less than £50. More than 43% of the UK's population now owns a tablet, up from just 6% two years ago, and the number will almost double by 2017. In the next two years however, the market will take a breather from its massive peak, before returning to steeper growth in 2016. By 2017, CCS Insight is forecasting total tablet sales to reach 20 million in the UK.

"It's only natural that we will now see a cooling off in tablet sales for the next couple of years. The next big wave of growth will come in two years when consumers who bought their first tablets in 2012 and 2013 start replacing them. In the meantime we expect people to turn their attention to replacing that old PC and their smartphone." said Marina Koytcheva, director of forecasting at CCS Insight.

Koytcheva said: "Tablets have captured people's imagination in a way that even mobile phones didn't. In just four years, almost half the population of the UK has now got a tablet. It took 14 years for mobile phones to become that popular. Of course, the plunging prices have a lot to do with the success of tablets."

Unregistered SIM Cards Still Able to Make Calls in Uganda:

Ugandan mobile phone users are still able to use unregistered SIM cards, some five months after that was supposed to have been banned.

The networks were supposed to block unregistered SIM cards from the end of last August. However, a local newspaper says that is has seen evidence that the blocking is not fully operational.

According to an investigation by the New Vision newspaper, customers from three of the five mobile networks are able to make voice calls and text messages without registering their details with the networks.

The newspaper did not reveal which three networks were still allowing unauthorised calls to be made.

"We have already finished SIM card registration. If the operators are allowing people to use mobile phones without registering numbers then that is illegal," Godfrey Mutabazi, the UCC executive director told the newspaper.

It had been estimated that around 1.5 million SIM Cards were cut off when the deadline for registration expired on the 31st August 2013.

BSNL May Expand Network Coverage into Naxal Areas by Year-end:

India's state-owned mobile network, BSNL is expected to start expanding its network into terrorist affected areas by the end of this year.

The deployment is dependent on approval from the Telecom Commission, which is expected to be granted later this month.

The rural areas have been poorly served by mobile networks, partly due to economic reasons, but also due to the ongoing terrorist insurgency.

The Naxalites are a Maoist communist group in India, leaders of the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency. The Naxals are considered far-left radical communists, supportive of Maoist political sentiment and ideology. They have a modus-operandi of attacking mobile phone networks and taking down their towers - after claiming that the police use the networks to track their mobile phones.

An official said BSNL has already installed 363 towers and identified another 450 sites for setting up towers.

"BSNL has opened the tender and selected the vendor. The market price for the project has been obtained, which is communicated to the Department of Telecom (DoT). Further decision is to be taken after the approval of the Telecom Commission," an official told PTI.

AT&T Invests in Mobile Device Security Vendor:

Mobile device management provider, OpenPeak says that it has secured an investment from AT&T, although they did not say how much it was worth.

OpenPeak said in a statement that it will use the new capital to accelerate global growth, expand industry partnership and invest in new products.

OpenPeak provides a white-label mobile enterprise management (MEM) system to larger companies that secures information stored within mobile phones.

"This significant investment from one of the world's largest mobile companies is a strong endorsement of our approach, momentum and growth potential," said Dan Gittleman, OpenPeak's CEO. "We are excited for the opportunity to leverage AT&T's unmatched mobility expertise and resources to deliver the next generation of MEM solutions to this large and ever-growing market."

Europe Moves Close to a Single Charger Standard for All Phones:

The European Union has approved the final stage of plans to require a single common phone charger standard for all phones sold in the region, although full compliance could take up to three more years.

The common charger is part of a provisional deal on radio equipment rules struck by politicians and the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of Ministers on Thursday.

"I am especially pleased that we agreed on the introduction of a common charger - although the Council and the Commission were hesitant at first. This will benefit the consumers", said rapporteur Barbara Weiler after the successful outcome of the negotiations with the Council.

The draft directive lays down harmonised rules for placing radio equipment, including cellular telephones, car door openers and modems, on the market. The rules aim to keep pace with the growing number and variety of radio equipment devices and ensure that they do not interfere with each other while respecting essential health and safety requirements.

Common charger

European politicians ensured that the new radio equipment rules will oblige manufacturers to make mobile phones compatible with a common charger. It will simplify the use of radio equipment and reduce unnecessary waste and cost for

Cutting red tape

Customers will also face less paper work when buying radio equipment, because manufactures will be allowed to leave out a separate "book" of declaration of conformity, in favour of a simplified statement on conformity with a web link to a full declaration.

Mobile users form 89 percent of total Internet subscriber base in Q2 2013: TRAI:

Driven by growth in Internet usage through mobile phones, total Internet subscriber base in the country increased by 20.38 percent to reach 198.39 million during the April-June quarter.

"Total number of Internet subscribers including Internet access by mobile device subscribers increased from 164.81 million at the end of March'13 to 198.39 million at the end of June'13, registering a quarterly growth of 20.37 percent," TRAI said in its latest performance indicator report.

The total telecom subscriber base at the end of the quarter was 903.09 million, out of which 873.36 million were mobile subscribers.

Internet usage through mobile phones dominated the total subscriber base with about 89 percent share.

Total number of subscribers who accessed Internet via mobile devices stood at 176.5 million during the quarter ended June 2013.

Telecom major Bharti Airtel led Internet access through mobile phones with 26.16 percent market share, followed by Vodafone - 23.34 percent. Idea Cellular's share was 18.94 percent and Reliance Communications had 16.25 percent market share during the reported quarter.

Shares of rest of the players in mobile segment stood in single digit.

The number of Internet subscribers, excluding mobile Internet users, increased from 21.61 million at the end of March to 21.89 million at the end of June, up 1.3 percent.

Broadband subscribers, excluding mobile devices, grew by 0.98 percent to 15.2 million at the end of June.

Smartphones Have Potential to Bridge Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa:

Ericsson has released its first regional consumer insight report focusing on trends and analysis of the mobile ecosystem in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The report highlights how mobile phones create and promote connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa from the consumer perspective, covering topics regarding smartphones, the internet, financial services, and applications.

The mobile phone, more specifically the smartphone, has the potential to bridge the digital divide by providing universal access and connectivity to a wider scope of citizens, regardless of location or economic status.

Though basic and feature phones still dominate the market, the research estimated that the smartphone will be key to enabling internet usage and an essential device in connecting personal and professional lives, as well as society at large. However, growth in the uptake of smartphones, which are presently seen as expensive, is expected to significantly increase, particularly with the anticipated introduction of a smartphone in the USD 50 price range.

While talking about the report, Shiletsi Makhofane, Head of Marketing, Strategy, Government and Industry Relations, Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa said "Our analysis shows that the entry of low-cost smartphone handsets in the market will allow people from different social classes to benefit from an integrated ecosystem. The smartphone will become key to accessing the internet, which we believe will change the regional status quo and enable a level of connectivity not seen before. Add to this the on-going installation of submarine cables and country/city fiber-optic networks across the continent, and we'll see a significant increase in the potential for connectivity and supporting infrastructure for greater data consumption."

African telecom landscape looks towards high speeds:

A number of factors have contributed to Africa’s increasing adoption of mobile phones for internet use over PCs — cost and lack of ethernet infrastructure for two. The cost of computers versus the lower prices of mobile phones in addition to the lack of physical internet cable implementation has spurred the growth of mobile devices in Africa — a trend that is now of global proportion. But Africa’s mobile scene presents unique challenges, and the recently reported interest in the continent’s digital communications from Mideast and European telcos has spun a larger conversation over the future of the continent’s growth.

MidEast telcos have been developing their presence in North Africa for a while. Etisalat — an Emirates-based telco — took over France’s Vivendi’s stake in Maroc Telecom in July, heightening its presence in West Africa. (Maroc Telecom was also Morocco’s largest operator, according to reports.) And European companies such as Orange have been increasing their investments in various countries to get a foothold in the developing markets. These growing investments from operators have accumulated throughout the year, and made for conversation at AfricaCom 2013 — a telecom conference held in Cape Town, South Africa earlier in November which calls together global technology leaders.

An executive from Gemalto — a digital security company — spoke after the conference and called for operators to take advantage of the unique communications landscape in Africa in order to bypass 3G implementation and escalate quickly to 4G. While attaining high speed wireless seems unlikely in regions that have barely reliable 2G, Sherry Zameer, head of Africa and Middle East telecommunications for the company, described the lack of regulation and restrictive platforms actually make Africa ripe for the buildout of 4G.

4G phones at Rs 6,200 can be reality in 18 months: Broadcom:

Mobile phones based on the latest 4G technology may be available at a price of as low as $100 (around Rs 6,200) in next 18 months, says mobile chipset maker Broadcom.

"Operators in the US are looking to buy 4G mobile phones for $100. They are not there yet but they are heading in that direction ... 18 months time should be reasonable to achieve it," Broadcom Mobile Senior Director (Mobile Platform Solutions) Michael Civiello said.

The 4G technology is nearly five-times faster than its predecessor 3G but handsets that work on this ultra fast service are costly.

The lowest priced 4G phone is available at around Rs 18,000 in India. However, most of such handsets cost above Rs 40,000. On the other hand, 3G phones have seen major price drop to as low as Rs 4,000 in the market.

Civiello said that the $100 4G devices will not come from big Tier I global brands. "It will come from some local brand or no brand company who is not putting any marketing dollar in phone,not putting any promotional campaign etc."

Talking about India, he said the price will depend on volumes and Reliance Jio Infocomm, which is the only company that has 4G spectrum in all telecom circles in the country, can play a key role in driving down the price of devices.

On rationale behind major drop in the price of 4G phones, he said that the initial cost of 4G technology component is high, but after development volumes drive down the cost of these components.

"The volumes are getting to a point where all components manufacturer whether display, battery, radio frequency module are reaching to a volume...if those volumes become better the price will come down," he said.

Kenya: mobile subscriptions up, but voice traffic declines:

Kenya’s regulator says mobile penetration in the country has passed 77 percent, but voice traffic is declining.

In their latest statistics for the communications and postal sector to end June this year, CCK says the level of mobile telephony penetration registered an increase of 2.3 per cent to stand at 77.3 percent (30.5 million subscriptions), up from the previous quarter which recorded a penetration of 75.6 per cent (29.8 million subscriptions). 19.6 million people access the internet mainly through mobile phones, and SMS and instant messaging have contributed to the decline in voice traffic.

Total local mobile traffic declined by 1.1 per cent, recording a total of 7.1 billion minutes compared to 7.18 billion in the previous quarter. The overall mobile voice traffic per subscriber dropped from 81.1minutes recorded in the previous quarter to 78.4 minutes. Conversely, the total number of SMS stood at 4.3 billion up from 4.0 billion posted in the preceding quarter; averaging 47 SMS per subscriber, per month.

Mobile money transfer subscriptions increased from 23.2 million in the previous quarter to 24.8 million in the quarter under review, recording a 6.8 per cent growth, consistent with the positive subscriber growth patterns.

Comparing the Financial Years 2012/13 and 2011/12 the number of mobile money transfer subscriptions rose by 27.3 per cent overall. Similarly, the number of mobile money transfer agents grew significantly to record 88,466 agents during the quarter up from 74,216 registered during the previous quarter, representing a growth of 19.2 per cent. 

Samsung Ghana to open ultramodern brand shop at Osu Mall:

Samsung Ghana says it is set to open an ultramodern Brand Shop at the plush Osu Mall later this month to give customers a world class shopping experience in a luxurious shopping environment this Christmas.

The Brand Shop will give customers the opportunity to purchase Samsung full range of products to meet their needs with product line-up ranging from audio-visual, home appliance, mobile phones and IT products. This premium brand shop will also enhance its service delivery by taking care of the needs of every customer.

Speaking to Biztechafrica in an interview in Accra the Marketing Manager for Consumer Electronics at Samsung Ghana Richard Nunekpeku pointed out that the upcoming ultramodern Brand Shop will Samsung customers the full Samsung premium experience across its digital appliances and smart phones category.

“This will provide the consumer with a stimulating environment in which to discover the full spectrum of Samsung's world-class offerings in one easily-accessible location," Richard added.

According to Mr. Nunekpeku, the store will be manned by fully trained and experienced Samsung staff who will take customers through the whole Samsung experience.

About the location he noted that Osu has become is a major commercial hub in the capital and thus as a brand that cares about its customers, Samsung wanted to provide them with the convenience of shopping in a luxurious and easy-to-access environment closer to them. 

The shop will have a product experience zone with the full range of Samsung Digital Appliances, Smart phones, Tablets, Notes, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Mobile Communications, laptops and other accessories making it the ultimate shopping destination for everyone this Christmas.

Vodafone Institute Survey reveals mobile phones spurring social and economic development:

In India and elsewhere, mobile phones have become an intrinsic part of most people’s lives, connecting them to the rest of the world. A study entitled, ‘Mobile Technologies – The Digital Fabric of our Lives’, reveals how these small devices are economic heavyweights that positively influence social development. Conducted by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IER Cologne) on behalf of the Vodafone Institute for Society and Communications, the study reveals that India’s per capita GDP will grow by US$51 per year between 2010 and 2020 due to rising mobile phone subscriptions.

Over time, the report states that mobile subscriptions’ contribution to India’s GDP per capita growth will be 11.4% (2010-2012), 4.9% (2012-2015) and 2.1% (2015-2020). Mobile devices contribute to economic growth due to their increased use, which has risen sharply.

Econometric analyses were used to verify the correlation between mobile technology penetration and progress in social development. The study indicated that mobile phones support democratic participation, increase gender equality and improve education opportunities, while also making a significant contribution to economic growth.

Economists at IER Cologne calculated the percentage of economic growth that can be attributed to the increase in mobile phone subscriptions. The figure for India was 11.4% of per capita gross domestic product (GDP) between 2010 and 2012. According to the IER Cologne experts’ forecasts, mobile phones will continue to make a significant contribution to economic growth up to 2020

Ericsson Launched 3G and Connect To Learn in Ethiopian Village:

Ericsson had provided the network infrastructure and services to bring voice and data communications to the Millennium Village Project (MVP) in Koraro located in a remote part of northern Ethiopia.

With access to 3G connectivity more than 4,000 students and their teachers at two schools involved in the Connect To Learn initiative will now have access to modern learning and teaching resources through Ericsson's cloud-computing solution. In addition, community health workers in the Millennium Villages will be using mobile phones provided by Sony Mobile and broadband access provided by Ericsson to deliver health care services directly to households to collect health information for improved monitoring.

In Koraro, community health workers use the Open MRS (medical record system) and a smartphone-based health-data management system to collect information and report on malaria and other diseases, the number of births, and the incidence of malnutrition and the health status of pregnant women during household visits. Many of these residents would otherwise have little or no access to the most fundamental aspects of health care services.

In all, Ericsson has provided connectivity to Millennium Villages in 11 countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania Uganda and Liberia.

Samsung Ghana urges e-warranty registration:

Samsung Ghana has called on all customers and users of Samsung phones who have not yet registered their mobile phones on the e-warranty platform to do so, in order to enjoy a 24-month warranty and other exciting services and offers from the electronic giants.

The e-warranty platform also offers customers of all Samsung phones the unique opportunity of checking whether their phones are original. “We at Samsung always seek to provide our customers with real value for their money. The e-warranty service is therefore here to ensure our customers get 24 months warranty while giving them the opportunity to check for the authenticity of their phones,”explained Jaspreet Singh, Business Leader for Handheld Products at Samsung Ghana.