Mobile money is a highly topical - and highly successful - area of interest for the emerging telecom regions. As our report shows, mobile money can function in even the most inhospitable conditions. Michael Schwartz looks at some recent trends which can themselves be adopted by entrants to m-banking...

In the aftermath of January’s devastating earthquake, texting traffic in Haiti has greatly increased. Now one of the country’s leading wireless providers, Voilà, has announced that it will upgrade its Business Support System solution and text messaging capabilities so as to better accommodate this increased volume of traffic...

Global economic downturn has not affected the smartphone market, which is experiencing robust growth...

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at promoting international cooperation on cybersecurity has been signed between the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) and the Malaysia-based International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT)...

Pankaj Agrawal, Associate Director of Analysys Mason, weighs up the options available to operators for sustaining growth in emerging markets...

Kenyan customers of Vodafone are now able to use their mobiles to link to an interest-bearing savings account, as well as buy insurance, with Vodafone’s new money transfer technology, M-PESA...

Türk Telekom subsidiary TTNET, the leading broadband internet service provider in Turkey, has launched a new Web TV service across the country...

Bangladesh is set to extend ICT facilities to its rural populace as part of the government’s ‘Digital Bangladesh’ initiative. Before the year is out, the initiative hopes to provide such facilities to over 2000 unions...

The Philippines’ fastest growing mobile network provider, Digitel Mobile, will invest a further $9 million in mobile backhaul network equipment as part of an ongoing expansion of its 2G and 3G services. The equipment will be provided by Ceragon Networks, a long-time client of Digitel...

Revenue from mobile broadband in the MENA region is likely to quadruple by 2014, according to a new report from Onda Analytics. Although handset-based revenue is expected to be slow, mobile broadband will have a major impact on operators’ financials with over 20 million subscribers in the region forecast by 2014...

Vodafone Egypt’s 24.6 million subscribers are set to benefit from e-recharge services which will allow them to top-up their talk time with any value, anytime and anywhere...

Having accumulated over four years’ experience of operating in the region, the internet and software provider Volantis Systems has opened a new office in Pune, India. The company’s expansion into India reflects the growing opportunities in this market following an increase in mobile internet development throughout the region...

Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, much has been written about the Apple smartphone, its features and its overwhelming success in the market. But, a little known fact is that the original iPhone and its predecessors have created a huge grey market, where iPhones are bought and sold in bulk internationally outside of official distribution channels...

Columbus Communications Inc., a Curacao-based Cable MSO, has recruited Cerillion Technologies to support its operations across several countries, predominantly in the CALA region...

As part of its C-series range, Nokia has released four new low-cost handsets which are being targeted at emerging markets...

Acer has unveiled two new handsets in its beTouch line which are compatible with the Android operating system. The Acer beTouch E120 and beTouch E130 are fully-featured smartphones claimed to be ideal for newcomers to the world of intelligent phones, and offered at an affordable price...

Nokia Siemens Networks and Cisco have joined forces to address an issue increasingly affecting mobile operators across the world – the capacity demands of smart devices...

Expand Networks have announced a new pricing structure for their WAN optimization solution which is designed to mirror service provider revenue models...

Over 15 million mobile phone subscribers in Kenya – over a third of the country’s population - will now be able to access email and online chat regardless of the make and model of their mobile phone...

Ceragon Networks has announced a new product in its FibeAir RFU (Radio Frequency Unit) solutions range...

Nokia Siemens Networks has announced a new base station and antenna combination which is claimed to double GSM network capacity by improving spectrum efficiency and network performance...

Sirma Business Consulting has announced SBC M-Banking, a new mobile banking solution...

Colombia’s mobile broadband market took off last year but speeds are reportedly erratic and rarely reach 1Mb/s - even in the major cities. These are key conclusions from the brand-new Research and Markets report, Colombia - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Forecasts.

Shaka Mobile, which is providing the first prepaid mobile and Mobile Money Transfer service for African immigrants in the US, has signed an agreement with TransferTo to launch a cross-border top-up service.

SevenHills Health City near Mumbai is now India's first paperless hospital, helped by 802.11n Wi-Fi from Ruckus Wireless. The new network will support a wide range of critical-care applications within a three-million square-foot “health city” spanning 17 acres...

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL), which is Pakistan’s largest phone service provider, is planing to expand its network of Internet broadband users to over three million in the next five years. CEO Walid Irshaid took the opportunity of a call for investors to announce his ambitions...

Seldom in history has any invention offered so much to so many in such a short period of time. Mahuya Ghosh, Product Manager of Connectiva Systems, looks at the Mobile Miracle...

Vodafone Qatar has been issued a licence by the Supreme Council of Information and Technology (ictQatar) to operate the country’s second fixed line telephone service. Initially, Vodafone Qatar will start operating at The Pearl-Qatar, after complying with ictQatar’s requirements, including changing its articles of association in the next three months and paying the licence fee of US$27,000...

Uruguay is a regional leader in several key indicators, such as adult literacy, teledensity, and Internet penetration. It was able to weather the global financial crisis better than most other Latin American countries while the downturn had little impact on its telecom market. A new report from companies and markets - Uruguay - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Forecasts - reinforces this optimistic appraisal...

Steve Subar, CEO and President of OK Labs, believes that users should have just one platform to serve all their needs. Virtualisation makes that a reality...

Gulf Bridge International (GBI) and Iran’s TIC have signed an agreement for GBI’s submarine cable to enter Iran. The newly established submarine cable operator and TIC, which is the sole provider of telecoms infrastructure to all private and public operators in Iran, inked the agreement on 21 April. TIC is also the sole responsible party for all international gateways and IP capacity and connectivity services in the country...

To further develop its growth in key vertical markets across Saudi Arabia, Thuraya is aggressively expanding its commercial activities within the oil and gas, government and other sectors in partnership with its national service provider Farhan Commercial Company (FCC). The Saudi service provider has started a marketing campaign to roll out Thuraya’s IP solution and Thuraya XT, described as the world’s toughest satellite phone, in the Saudi Arabian market...

Gilat Satellite Networks will be providing a SkyEdge II broadband satellite communications network to its long-standing customer Astel, one of Kazakhstan's telecoms operators...

Under the heading of its new report Survival Strategies for Fixed-line Telecommunications Operators in Sub-Saharan Africa, Research and Markets is strident in its advice to the fixed-line sector. Michael Schwartz comments...