Page 8 - Mobile World Daily - Day One

NEWS
NEWS IN BRIEF...
D-Link launches
smart home in a
box
D-Link has announced the
latest addition to its mydlink
Home range, the Smart
Home HD Starter Kit,
designed to help
homeowners take a hands-on
approach to their security
systems. The kit combines
three of D-Link’s most
popular mydlink Home
products that are built to
easily talk with, and trigger,
one another.
Affirmed Networks
brings Sprint’s
Elfman on board
Affirmed Networks, a network
functions virtualisation (NFV)
solution provider, has
appointed Steve Elfman to its
board of directors. Elfman
retired from Sprint last year,
where he was president of
network operations and
wholesale, and will advise
Affirmed Networks on selling
to mobile operators.
Openwave
Mobility aims to
make data silos
easier to view
Openwave Mobility, which
provides software to manage
and monetise mobile data,
has released a subscriber
data federator (SDF) to act as
an interface between
operators’ data silos. The
SDF, which reads and writes
to existing data, aims to offer
a consolidated view of all
subscriber data.
WIT Software
releases enriched
calling app
WIT Software, a rich and
unified communications
software company, has
released Enriched Calling as
a white-label downloadable
App for iPhone and Android
smartphones. Enriched
Calling enables pre-call, in-
call and post-call capabilities,
such as allowing users to add
a subject for the call, a
location, or a picture.
MEA operators
look to VoIP
Several mobile operators and
new entrants in the Middle
East and Africa are using
second generation VoIP to
increase inter-city and
international voice capacity
and provide higher quality
calls, according to World
Telecom Labs, a VoIP switch
provider.
PAGE 8 Monday 2nd March
2G networks
supporting three- FCC chairman over
quarters of cellular 600MHz auction plans
M2M market
By Matt Ablott
More than three-quarters of
cellular M2M connections
today are running on 2G
networks, according to a new GSMA
Intelligence report - potentially
prolonging the service life of 2G
networks in many markets.
The new report published today,
‘Global cellular M2M technology
forecasts and assumptions’, finds that
77 per cent of cellular M2M
connections worldwide were running
on 2G as of Q4 2014. By 2020, it is
forecast that 2G will still account for 44
per cent of connections, despite the
development of next-generation M2M
applications that will be required to
run on faster 3G/4G networks.
“Many operators are choosing to
keep their 2G networks and
spectrum in place to support those
common M2M applications that
only need to transmit small
amounts of data, such as vehicle
tracking, personal healthcare
devices and smart meters,” said
report author Sylwia Kechiche.
2G is seen as an attractive M2M
platform as 2G modules continue to
decline in price, having decreased
substantially from around $55 a
decade ago to $10 today, on
average, according to the report. By
contrast, 3G M2M modules are
priced at around $40 and 4G M2M
modules at $50. The report notes,
however, that 4G module prices are
LG claims smartwatch first
By Richard Handford
LG yesterday unveiled its latest
devices, of which the most
eye-catching were two new
smartwatches: the LG Watch
Urbane and its sibling the LG Watch
Urbane LTE.
The company is billing the latter
as the first 4G-based smartwatch in
the world, with an array of features
including a walkie talkie capability
and NFC technology that means
the wearer can tap-and-pay using
the watch.
The LTE version of the
smartwatch is based on the
proprietary LG Wearable Platform,
which is partially based on webOS,
whereas the standard Urbane model
uses Android Wear.
LG’s intention is to fashion the
Urbane as an upmarket
wristwatch. The company makes
much of the device’s stainless
steel body and a narrowed bezel
NAB chief warns
By Ken Wieland
declining faster than those of 3G Gordon Smith, president and
modules as the 4G market matures. chief executive of the
National Association of
4G is able to support a range of Broadcasters (NAB), a lobby group
high-bandwidth M2M applications for US broadcasters, spoke out
such as connected cars and digital ahead of his appearance at Mobile
signage. World Congress against the FCC’s
handling of the so-called “incentive”
“When planning to deploy M2M 600MHz auction.
services enterprises and OEMs
need to take a number of factors “In its quest to auction more and
into the account when choosing the more spectrum to the wireless
network connectivity, such as an industry, the FCC is treating
application’s data requirements, broadcasters and their viewers as
longevity, price point, and form mere inconveniences in the
factor,” added Kechiche. process,” he told Mobile World Daily.
“4G only accounts for a small It’s not the first time that NAB has
share of overall M2M connections voiced disquiet about how the FCC
today but will become increasing intends to auction off 600MHz
recognised as an M2M platform as airwaves currently used by
OEMs and enterprises look to ‘future broadcasters to provide TV services.
proof’ their M2M applications.”
In August 2014, NAB filed a
GSMA Intelligence forecasts that lawsuit against the FCC that
total cellular M2M connections will included criticism of the regulator’s
reach one billion globally by 2020, decision to change the methodology
up from 243 million in 2014. used to predict local television
coverage areas and population
Global M2M connections by served. NAB said this “could result
technology generation as % of in significant loss of viewership of
total cellular M2M connections broadcast TV stations after the FCC
Source: GSMA Intelligence ‘repacks’ TV stations into a
shrunken TV band.”
2G 2020
23% 2014
2010
3G 1%
4G 22%
7%
93% 77% 44% Visa, Airtel hope for
payback from new
33% partnership
By Richard Handford
that makes its face more refined. Visa and Bharti Airtel have
The watch also boasts a polished struck a deal that will
metal finish and screwless introduce new digital
design. The watch, which comes payment services to the operator’s
in silver or gold, has a stitched existing money subscribers in seven
leather strap. of the seventeen African markets
where it has a presence.
“We are not competing against
other smartwatches, we are thinking The two firms will introduce the
about creating beautiful timepieces,” services to Gabon, Ghana, Kenya,
said Andy Coughlin, LG’s head of Madagascar, Rwanda, the
mobile for UK and Ireland. Seychelles and Tanzania. Existing
Airtel Money subscribers in these
Other manufacturers are markets will be able to pay in stores
attempting a similar pitch, to make and online in places where Visa is
smartwatches wearable, everyday accepted.
objects rather than consumer
electronic devices. Bharti Airtel has high hopes for
money services. For instance, it
The company was elusive about recently bid for a licence to run a
pricing and market positioning for no-frills payments bank in its home
the Urbane. market of India.
LG also showed off a refresh to its In Africa, it is making inroads,
mid-tier device line, billed as with the Airtel Money service that
“affordable, premium smartphones”. reached a total base of 6.2 million
The four Android newcomers are by the end of December 2014, up
called Magna, Spirit, Leon and Joy. from 2.7 million a year earlier. And
The quartet will be available in both the value of the transactions it
LTE and 3G versions. handled was $2.93 billion, which
MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS DAILY 2015 | www.mobileworldcongress.com
“We have a great relationship with
the FCC staff and commissioners,”
maintained Smith. “Unfortunately, the
chairman [Tom Wheeler] has shown
little interest in ensuring that the
millions of Americans who rely on our
service can keep accessing their local
broadcasters. We want to be a partner
with him and are willing to work
together to resolve the outstanding
issues regarding the auction.”
Smith also expressed concern
that the reverse auction for
broadcasters was far too complex.
“They should be making it easy for
broadcasters to participate and
should not implement rules that
artificially deflate prices,” he said.
The 600MHz auction is now slated
for early 2016, although it was
originally intended for 2014. Smith is
keen for it go ahead, once issues have
been addressed. “We have long
supported the auction because we
believe it can be conducted
successfully, achieving a balance
between freeing up spectrum for
mobile wireless service and continuing
a robust broadcast service,” he said.
Smith is participating in a panel
discussion today – The Seismic
Spectrum Shake-Up – in Hall 4,
starting at 14.00.
represents a 71 per cent increase
over the previous year.
And Airtel wants to grow that
figure further by joining forces with
the likes of Visa. Following the
latest deal, Airtel users will be able
to draw cash from ATMs and make
payments from their Airtel
accounts. For both transactions,
users will need to have an Airtel
Money Visa card. The card is
already available in Kenya and will
be introduced in other markets
early this year.
Airtel Money can also be used for
micro-payments, funds transfers,
purchasing airtime, pre-paid
electricity and internet access.
Using the Airtel money account
eliminates the need to pay bills in
cash.
“For most new subscribers, this
will represent their first payment
account and bring some of the latest
digital payment advancements into
the everyday experiences of Airtel’s
customers,” said Vish Sowani, Visa’s
vice president of MNO
partnerships.