Telecoms, Mobile Phones, 5G, Satellite Communications etc.

Re: Telecoms Sector

Postby winston » Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:05 am

China's population of web users hits 298 million

China's fast-growing population of internet users has risen to 298 million after passing the United States last year to become the world's largest, a government-sanctioned research group said.

The latest figure is a 41.9 percent increase over the same period last year, the China Internet Network Information Center said in a report.

China's Internet penetration is still low at just 22.6 percent, leaving more room for rapid growth, according to CNNIC. The Pew Internet and American Life Project places US online penetration at 71 percent.

China's Internet use is growing at explosive rates despite government efforts to block access to material deemed subversive or pornographic. Regulators are in the middle of a crackdown on sites accused of carrying sexually explicit material.
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Re: Telecoms Sector

Postby winston » Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:39 am

DJ MARKET TALK: Higher China Telco Capex To Hurt Margins -CS

0853 [Dow Jones] Credit Suisse says capex guidance from China Mobile's (0941.HK) parent for CNY58.8 billion on FY09 TD-SCDMA network buildout exceeds house's forecast for CNY20 billion this year, increases house's mobile-industry capex forecast by 15%. Says higher capex could lead to more aggressive competition, expects mobile industry's EBITDA margin to fall to 41.3% in FY11 vs FY08's 50.3%.

"However, China Mobile's margin should fall more gradually, while Unicom's (0762.HK) and China Telecom's (0728.HK) could deteriorate faster from their handset subsidies." Says China Mobile remains top sector pick, keeps at Outperform, target HK$90.00. Keeps Unicom at Underperform, target HK$11.00. Keeps China Telecom at Neutral, target HK$3.60.

China Mobile closed yesterday down 1.8% at HK$72.20, Unicom down 0.9% at HK$8.42, China Telecom down 2.6% at HK$2.66.
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Re: Telecoms Sector

Postby winston » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:23 am

Mobile giant adds 7m customers

Mainland telecoms giant China Mobile (0941) said yesterday it added 7.07 million new mobile customers during December, while rival China Telecom (0728) continued losing customers.

The additions bring China Mobile's total subscriber base up to 457.25 million.

China Telecom said it lost 2.02 million fixed-line subscribers during December, its largest monthly loss ever. This brought China Telecom's subscriber base down to 208.35 million.

But the company added 700,000 new broadband internet customers during the month, for a new total of 44.27 million.

It lost 60,000 customers for its mobile phone service during the month, dragging its mobile subscriber base to 27.91 million. BENJAMIN SCENT
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Re: Telecoms Sector

Postby winston » Fri Jan 30, 2009 1:27 pm

China Mobile upbeat, looks for cheap buys

China Mobile is still growing despite the recession and plans to buy equipment for its new third-generation network from Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks, its chairman said.

Local telecoms equipment makers Huawei Technologies, ZTE and Datang Telecom will likely get the bulk of orders, Chairman Wang Jianzhou said at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"For the equipment, we think the major suppliers are Datang, Huawei and ZTE, plus some foreign suppliers -- that's Ericsson plus Nokia Siemens Networks,'' Wang said.

China Mobile, the world's largest mobile carrier, recently obtained government approval to operate the nation's homegrown TD-SCDMA technology for its third-generation (3G) network.

REUTERS
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Re: Telecoms Sector

Postby winston » Wed Feb 04, 2009 2:23 pm

DJ MARKET TALK: Some Telecom Gear Makers Up; UOB Likes ZTE, CCS

1142 [Dow Jones] HK-listed 3G equipment plays up, with China Wireless (2369.HK) +13.0% at 39 HK cents, Comba Telecom (2369.HK) +7.0% at HK$2.15; much bigger ZTE (0763.HK), China Communications Services (0522.HK) rising less, up 2%-4%. No apparent newsflow, shares punted higher from time to time on expectations of China telcos increasing equipment spending entering 3G era;

UOB KayHian likes leading equipment makers, telecom-infrastructure service providers such as ZTE, CCS, as they will receive increasing domestic orders in 3G capex cycle, but adds they also face risk of margin pressure due to intense competition.

For sector punt, investors perhaps better served by buying on dips rather than chasing shares higher. Lenovo (0992.HK) +3.3% at HK$1.55, adding to 7.1% rally yesterday, perhaps boosted by Sinocast report yesterday that Lenovo Mobile betting on CDMA cellphones, which could potentially add new revenue source
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Re: Telecoms Sector

Postby winston » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:19 pm

DJ MARKET TALK: Daiwa Cuts China Telecom-Equip Sector To Neutral

1457 [Dow Jones] Daiwa downgrades China's telecom-equipment sector to Neutral from Positive after sector outperforms HSI over past six months. Says expects China's telecom capex to peak in 2009, with chance country's three telecom operators will boost 3G capex low.

Also, tips sector is running out of near-term, event-specific catalysts as major network-equipment, construction 3G contracts targeted for 1H09 awarded already.

Downgrades China Communications Services (0552.HK) to Underperform from Outperform, based on target PER of 13X vs previous 19X after benchmarking vs other China infrastructure stocks, global telecom-infrastructure plays. Downgrades Comba (2342.HK) to Hold from Outperform following 180% share-price rebound over past three months. Keeps ZTE (0763.HK) at Hold as most key network-equipment contracts awarded; also believes ZTE missed guidance for breaking even on FY08 operating cash flow.
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Re: Telecoms Sector

Postby millionairemind » Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:23 pm

Published February 5, 2009

'Triple-play' vital to telco survival: analyst

By WINSTON CHAI

WITH voice revenue thinning, carving out new income streams from additional services has become a matter of life and death for local telecommunications operators.

Failure to do so may result in an operator being engulfed by its traditional rivals as well as new competitors such as Google and Apple, a senior market analyst warns.

'A triple-play is very important for telco survival. Voice services growth is slowing down due to extreme market penetration. Data is the new horizon for telcos,' said Larry Socher, the global head of the network offering practice within Accenture's communications and high-tech operating group.

'If they do not invest properly in these ISP (Internet Service Provider) services, they will become marginalised by competitors such as Google, Apple and others,' he added.

While telcos used to compete solely on voice-related services, the proliferation of broadband has opened the door to new data-centric revenue opportunities ranging from high-speed Internet access packages to IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) offerings. And operators, including those in Singapore, have been quick to jump on the 'triple-play' bandwagon.

'Voice services alone will not lead telcos to a unique market position, nor will it help them grow in the future. Although the growth of data services will probably slow somewhat in the near future, it will still be substantial and outweigh any other growth opportunity within the telecommunications industry,' Mr Socher told BT in a recent interview.

In August 2008, MobileOne, the only local operator without a fixed-line Internet arm, moved into broadband provision by leasing infrastructure from rival StarHub.

Acting CEO Karen Kooi said at M1's recent full- year results briefing that the company is using this as a litmus test to gauge consumer preferences before it moves full-steam ahead into the market segment when Singapore's new fibre-optic Internet highway is completed in 2012. She further hinted that M1 could complete its triple-play portfolio by introducing a television-related service in the near future.

This would put M1 on the same warpath as arch- rivals StarHub and SingTel. The latter debuted its mio TV service in 2007 to complement its ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) broadband offerings and mobile subscription packages.

Since then, SingTel has been aggressively pushing its fledgling Internet television service through tactics ranging from door-to-door sales to discounted bundles. StarHub on the other hand has always relied on its hubbing strategy to cross-sell its mobile, broadband and pay-TV services.

However, offering a product platter may not be enough to whet the modern-day consumer's appetite, another Accenture analyst said.

'It is no longer enough to differentiate by the mix or bundling of products. Increasingly, what matters is the overall experience that a telco provides to its customers. The winner will be the telco who helps its customers fully and easily enjoy its products and services,' according to Ng Kuo Pin, executive partner and the group lead for Accenture's communications and high-tech operating group in Singapore.

'Successful telcos will be those who can offer superior customer service across multiple touch- points within this life cycle, such as interaction with the call centre, seeking information on the Web portal, and getting direct support in the homes,' he said.
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Disclaimer - The author may at times own some of the stocks mentioned in this forum. All discussions are NOT to be construed as buy/sell recommendations. Readers are advised to do their own research and analysis.
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Re: Telecoms Sector

Postby millionairemind » Thu Feb 05, 2009 6:25 pm

February 5, 2009, 6.44 am (Singapore time)

Mobile phone market down 13% on weak demand
WASHINGTON - Mobile phone sales fell by 12.6 per cent to 289 million units in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared with the same quarter a year ago, market research firm IDC said on Wednesday.
Finland's Nokia remained the top mobile phone maker in 2008 on sales of 468.4 million units, a 39.7 per cent market share


For the full year, mobile phone vendors shipped a total of 1.18 billion units worldwide, IDC said, 3.5 per cent more than the 1.14 billion units of 2007.

The company described the double-digit drop in mobile phone shipments in the fourth quarter as an 'unusual downturn,' but said the first half of 2009 would remain 'very challenging.' 'The fourth quarter was the perfect storm of factors to produce this result,' said Ramon Llamas, a senior research analyst with IDC.

'A combination of weak end-user demand, currency volatility, and limited credit availability prevented the market from experiencing the usual seasonal increase in shipments,' he said.

Mr Llamas said IDC expects the first half of 2009 to be 'very challenging as vendors and distributors grapple with clearing inventory.

'Should these conditions persist, the mobile phone market may not recover until later this year, and possibly not until 2010,' he said.

On the bright side, sales of smartphones, which allow users to surf the Internet or send and receive email, grew by 22.5 per cent in 2008 compared with the previous year, IDC said.

'In mature markets, such as North America and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), the converged mobile device segment grew 70.1 per cent and 25 per cent respectively in 2008,' said Ryan Reith, another senior IDC research analyst.

'As long as operators are able to continue to subsidize these devices, and developers continue to enhance applications, then this segment will be a silver lining to an otherwise gloomy market,' he said.

IDC said Finland's Nokia remained the top mobile phone maker in 2008 on sales of 468.4 million units, a 39.7 per cent market share.

South Korea's Samsung was next with sales of 196.7 million units, a market share of 16.7 per cent, followed by another South Korean firm, LG Electronics, with 100.7 million units, an 8.5 per cent share of the market.

US company Motorola was fourth on sales of 100.1 million units, also an 8.5 per cent market share, followed by Sony Ericsson, which shipped 96.6 million units for an 8.2 per cent market share. -- AFP
"If a speculator is correct half of the time, he is hitting a good average. Even being right 3 or 4 times out of 10 should yield a person a fortune if he has the sense to cut his losses quickly on the ventures where he has been wrong" - Bernard Baruch

Disclaimer - The author may at times own some of the stocks mentioned in this forum. All discussions are NOT to be construed as buy/sell recommendations. Readers are advised to do their own research and analysis.
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Re: Telecoms Sector

Postby winston » Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:58 am

Days numbered for phone blocks

TelTech Systems is offering mobile telephone users the power to unmask callers who block their numbers or names from being displayed.

The US-based firm launched a TrapCall service this month with an online posting thanking its development team and declaring ''Get ready for the site to go ballistic.''

To use the service, people register mobile telephone numbers at a TrapCall.com website without having to download software to devices.

Calls from unidentified sources can then be bounced to TelTech computers, which reveal points of origin.

Mobile telephone users can then decide whether to accept the calls.

''All the while the caller hears a normal ring tone, oblivious to the fact that you know exactly who they are,'' TrapCall maintains at its website.

A basic version of TrapCall is available for free.

Premium versions of the service can record mobile telephone calls, transcribe voice messages into text messages, and reveal names and addresses of callers along with their telephone numbers.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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Re: Telecoms Sector

Postby winston » Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:22 pm

PREVIEW-China telcos' Q4 profits to trail Mobile; eyes on 3G

* What: China telcos Q4 results
* When: China Mobile (Mar 19), Telecom (24), Unicom (31)
* China Mobile consensus net up 18 pct; Unicom down pre-items

By Nerilyn Tenorio HONG KONG, March 17 (Reuters) - China Mobile (0941.HK) should post an 18 percent rise in quarterly profit, aided by competitive pricing, with investors watching for 3G network developments to gauge if the carrier can hold a comfortable lead over rivals.

The world's largest mobile carrier by subscribers, and its two smaller rivals, are expected to feel the effects of a global downturn that has rippled through China as it prepares to roll out the long-awaited next generation 3G services this year.

Still, China Mobile's competitive pricing, strong cash flow and broad network coverage are expected to help offset the impact of the economic slowdown. Analysts will be looking for signs of the impact of 3G on
China Mobile, China Telecom (0728.HK) and China Unicom (0762.HK), as each builds out networks after the government's awarding of licenses early this year.

"Fourth-quarter earnings must be weak, people already know that. What they want to see is the magnitude of the losses before they focus on 2009, which is likely to show a different landscape for the competition depending on how 3G turns out," said Marvin Lo, telecom analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research.

While China Mobile's profit could rise, China Telecom and Unicom could see their bottom lines weaken if not for exceptional items, as each faces swelling marketing costs for their new 3G services and tough competition. Both Unicom and China Telecom are also starting to write off billions of dollars of investment in PHS, a low-cost alternative to cellular service that they offered before being given licenses for true mobile services.
The government has said PHS services would now be retired by 2011 [ID:nSHA36836].

Despite the write-offs, market focus will be on 3G in the weeks ahead as companies spell out their strategies for networks that are likely to fuel their growth over coming years. While China Telecom and Unicom received licenses to build networks based on globally accepted standards, their subscriber numbers remain far behind China Mobile, which received a license to build a network based on an unproven home-grown technology known as TD-SCDMA.

"With regulatory risks seemingly subsiding ... we believe a major swing factor for earnings and the share price will be the impact of competition in a post-restructured 3G environment," Macquarie Research said in a recent note. The three state-run telecom carriers will spend 400 billion yuan ($58.5 billion) over the next three years building out their 3G mobile networks.

Shares of China Mobile gained 1.2 percent in the 2008 fourth quarter, beating a 20 percent drop on the Hang Seng Index .HSI. Unicom fell in line with the broad index, and China Telecom lost 7.7 percent.
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