MyAdhan Blog

Link: View Pakistan-West Indies Cricket Series On Etisalat’s Mobile TV

Etisalat announced exciting contests and offers for its cricket loving customers. Customers have an opportunity to win tickets for the upcoming 3 matches ODI series between Pakistan and West Indies, which will be played from November 12 to 16, 2008 at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Etisalat’s Mobile TV subscribers can view the entire series being exclusively broadcasted by Ten Sports, on Etisalat’s Mobile TV, at no additional cost.

Customers can simply send an SMS “CRICKET” to 1110 to participate in a draw to win 2 tickets for any of the matches in the series. Priced at 1 DHS per SMS, each SMS increases the probability to win. Customers can also receive “real time” cricket alerts and score updates by simply sending an SMS “PAKCRIC” to 1110 for just a minimal cost of 2.5 Dhs per week. Etisalat’s MORE Gold, Silver and Platinum customers can simply redeem their reward points to get VIP seats, worth AED 1000.

“Etisalat believes in increasing the reach of its customers and connecting them through sport. Through these simple yet interesting offers, we aim to create a unique experience for our customers, who can now participate, get involved and enjoy the thrill of every game in a convenient and cost-effective way, “said Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat.

The 3-day ODI tournament promises to be an exciting event in which two powerful giants of the cricketing world will be pitted against each other for the Fortune Cup. The matches will be telecast on Ten Sports and will be watched by over half a billion cricket crazy fans across the world.

Link: Iran: SMS Use Regulated

National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) - The mullahs’ regime has imposed new regulations on SMS use in the country according to the Resistance sources inside Iran. In the latest move to regulate its use, the Organization of Communications Regulations has putout new laws imposing restrictions on sending SMS. For a typical cell owner, he has to go through security checks by the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) to receive clearance for using the service. Sending SMS deemed contrary to national security will be punishable by law. Any change of address by the subscriber of the service must be reported promptly to the relevant authorities. It is the security agents who decide which SMS are in breach of national security.

The State Security Forces (SSF) - mullahs’ suppressive police - has random checks in the streets to catch the violators. In a case, a man was arrested on random checks at a bus station in downtown Tehran for having sent a picture of a bus not fit for passenger use on Friday. In October, A number of senior officials of the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance (MCIG), the main body for imposing censorship, have expressed its deep concern over the use of SMS messaging by the Iranian Resistance’s network inside Iran.

Sarami, Vice-president of MCIG’s Center for Development of Information Technology, said: “Mojahedin [the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)] is exploiting country’s communication network to spread their anti-revolutionary SMS messages,” the state-run daily Qods reported on Tuesday, September 30. According to some figures every day over 20 million text messages are received in Iran, the peak hours are between ten in the evening and one in the morning. The SMS has become a tool to exchange messages by opponents of the regime.

The network of the PMOI inside Iran has sent millions of SMS messages across the country making use of it for organizing protests against the regime. In the past the regime’s officials while expressing their concern claimed that such activities by the PMOI’s network were directed from abroad. Davood Zareian, regime’s Minister of Communications told the state-run news agency ILNA on September 24: “the messages have been sent from a foreign SMS center.” But the mullahs’ officials now admit that the Iranian Resistance’s network is using the country’s communication network from inside Iran.

In recent weeks the clerical regime has staged a repressive campaign to counter the activities of the PMOI’s network. On September 13, Tabnak Website belonging to Mohsen Rezaii former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) criticized the regime’s security apparatus for their incompetence in countering the activities of the Resistance’s network. “In Tehran, supporters of the PMOI distributed CDs containing speeches and clips of their activities door to door. Some media have even reported distribution of similar CDs in other cities in Tehran province, including Karaj,” the website added.

This article was originally published by the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

Link: National Bank of Abu Dhabi launches mobile payment service

The National Bank of Abu Dhabi has today rolled out the NBAD Arrow service, an SMS based payment service that allows customers to access their bank accounts via mobile phones to pay, send, and receive money 24 hours a day. Luup, a world leader in the mobile payment industry, powers the NBAD Arrow Mobile Payment service. National Bank of Abu Dhabi account holders are now able to use the NBAD Arrow service to make a wide range of payments and money transfers instantly and securely from their mobile phones. “As the UAE’s number one bank, NBAD keeps up to speed with the latest banking technology to provide customers with a fast, secure, reliable and convenient banking experience,” said Mr. Ahmed Al-Naqbi, Senior Manager, Channels and Electronic Banking Services at NBAD.
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The NBAD Arrow services launched today are the first in an 18-month roll-out plan agreed between NBAD and Luup which will extend to remittances, salary payouts, merchant payments and bill payments. Mr. Thomas Bostrøm Jørgensen, Luup CEO, congratulated NBAD on their latest customer service initiative. “Luup is now building a global Mobile Payment Network by partnering with leading banks and financial institutions around the world, with initial focus on the GCC and South Asia. In the National Bank of Abu Dhabi we have found a partner who shares our core values such as customer-focus and innovation” said Luup CEO. In the first stage of the service roll-out, the Luup system will allow NBAD Arrow service users to make transfers from their NBAD bank account to anyone in the UAE using their mobile phones. If the receiver is also an NBAD Arrow service user, the money goes straight into their bank account, otherwise the amount can be withdrawn from any National Bank of Abu Dhabi ATM within 24 hours by using a code received via SMS. In addition, Arrow users can instantly pay utility bills to Etisalat and other suppliers, as well as donate to charities like the UAE Red Crescent.

“The fact that we are the first bank in the region to roll out the Luup mobile payment system illustrates our progressive mentality in adopting global technologies and services to serve our customers even better. With a successful platform operating in Europe, Luup has the infrastructure, technology and business know-how that matched NBAD.”

“NBAD is a pioneer in the m-payments space because the bank’s senior management realized early on that the existing payment systems lag behind the available technology. National Bank of Abu Dhabi has received many prestigious awards for its innovative products and services. Last month, the bank won ACN Arab Technology Award for Banking & Finance project implementation and CIO of the year and one of the systems the jury especially lauded was our ‘SMS Money Transfer’ service,” he added. National Bank of Abu Dhabi believes that in a world going increasingly mobile, payment mechanisms need to keep pace with people’s lifestyle. Being able to pay bills, transfer money to family or top up mobile credits from anywhere at any time has become a necessity for large sections of society. This is especially true in the Middle East region where mobile phone penetration rates outstrip Internet penetration rates by far. In the UAE, for example, mobile penetration has exceeded 100 percent. Luup’s mobile payment technology therefore provides a platform that is accessible to a huge segment of society.

“In 2003, the Luup group of companies was the first to be granted an e-money license, which we used for our operations in the European Union. Soon, we will be the first to connect customers of multiple banks, and allow them to send money directly from one account to the other using mobile phones. This is a huge advance for the industry, which, until now, has revolved around small-scale, local operations,” Mr. Jørgensen added. Luup’s research and development team continues to push industry boundaries in order to create the most convenient, secure and cost-effective mobile payments service on the market. With this level of commitment from Luup, NBAD is confident that Arrow will enhance its customer satisfaction levels as well as revenue prospects.

Link: Number portability starts in Turkey, operators eye new customers

The number portability practice, which allows customers to keep their mobile phone numbers when switching operators, started in Turkey on Sunday. Number portability starts in Turkey, operators eye new customers. The practice has been widely discussed in the industry as three leading GSM operators in Turkey; Turkcell, Avea and Vodafone, eye new customers who might not have been happy with their current operators.

At subscribers’ side, most mobile users think the system will make prices decline. In practice, number transferring transactions will be finalized in maximum six days. The number portability system, on which was worked nearly six months, takes effect under the regulation prepared by the Telecommunication Board. The board had earlier announced that the necessary database for the implementation was completed on May 9, 2008.

Link: Technical fault hits UAE mobile network

Thousands of people in the UAE were unable to contact Etislat mobile cusotmers on Monday morning due to a technical problem, rival telecom Du confirmed late in the day.

People trying to call Etisalat mobile numbers with the prefix 050 reported continually getting a busy signal. Du said the service disruption was “due to technical issues on [the] Etisalat network”. “Du mobile and fixed customers faced some difficulties in making calls to Etisalat mobile numbers this morning,” the telecom operator said in a statement. “The issue has been resolved and the service is back to normal.” Etisalat was not available for comment when contacted by Arabian Business.

Link: Chinese focus on Pakistani market

China considers Pakistani market a source of great opportunities and its key areas of focus and exploration in Pakistan include oil exploration, trade and investment in refining and services sector, according to official sources here. China is a global driver of economic growth and has undergone massive growth in productivity.

Its increasing linkages with international economy have also led to important transfer of technology, especially in developing countries such as Pakistan and other countries in South Asia. Leading Chinese companies operating in Pakistan include white goods maker Haier, Shenzhen based telecommunications firm ZTE, Shanghai based electronic giant SVA, and a number of motorcycle companies from Chongqing. The demand for Haier’s quality electrical appliances exists all over the world. According to experts, Haier is no longer a simple label; its service and management will lead the modern Chinese economy to create more well-known brands.

Bilateral trade between China and Pakistan was more than $7 billion in 2007, and the two sides have set a target of $15 billion annually by 2011, according to Xinhua news agency. China is the second largest economy in the world with a GDP of over $6.9 trillion (2007), measured on purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. China would grow by more than 11 percent, and India at around nine percent this year, with almost equal rates in 2008, according to Rodrigo Rato, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). During his recent visit to China, Pakistan’s President met chiefs of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China Mobile, Huawei Technology and ZTE Electronics. These leaders vowed to enhance bilateral economic co-operation between industrial and business communities. The two countries will focus on enhancing ‘connectivity’ by developing new communication links including fibre optic links, according to Pakistan-China recent joint statement.

China will launch a telecommunication satellite, ‘PakSat-1R’ for Pakistan in 2011, according to Xinhua report. Pakistan will use this satellite for domestic telecommunication and broadcast services. The contract for this initiative was sealed on October 15, 2008 in the presence of both Presidents from China and Pakistan. CNPC is already carrying out large-scale construction in Pakistan, with over 300 employees working in Pakistan, said the Director General of CNPC, Zhang Xin. Telecommunication is a booming sector in Pakistan, and has immense support from China’s leading telecommunication companies to enhance and improve service in the country. China Mobile has invested $800 million in its first international venture Zong, and plans to expand its project further to expand Zong network in Pakistan.

Huawel Technology is the Number One telecom solution provider and is the only vendor serving all the mainstream telecom operators in Pakistan including PTCL, Ufone, Mobilink, Telenor, Warid, Zong, etc. Also, San Ya Fang has donated equipment valued at one million dollars for establishment of e-government project initiative taken by Pakistan Government. A growing priority for Chinese leaders is scientific and technological modernisation. China’s key areas of interest include microelectronics, telecommunications, computers, automated manufacturing, and energy.

Link: iPhone 3G coming soon to Egypt through Vodafone

Apple’s iPhone 3G will soon be available in Egypt, and Vodafone Egypt is reportedly gearing up to be the first mobile operator to sell the high-tech gadget in the Arab world’s most populous country. Customers nationwide can pre-register online and be notified when the phone arrives to Vodafone Egypt’s stores, according to a telecom source who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Vodafone — the world’s leading international mobile communications group – sealed a deal with Apple in May to bring iPhone 3G to 10 countries where the mobile operator is present. According to news reports, Vodafone now sells the phone in Australia, Italy, New Zealand and Portugal, and it is expected to bring it to Egypt, the Czech Republic, Greece, India, South Africa and Turkey later this year. Up to now Apple has insisted on exclusive agreements with carriers, striking deals with AT&T in the US, O2 in Britain, Orange in France, and Deutsche Telekom in Germany. In exchange for exclusivity, Apple takes a cut of the revenue that wireless operators collect for voice and data services each month, something no other phone maker is believed to get.

iPhone 3G combines all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK.

Link: Egypt: MobiNil records 15% net income rise

Egyptian mobile services MobiNil one of three mobile operators and the largest mobile operator by subscribers, has recorded 15 percent net income rise compared to the same period last year. This means a net income of EGP541 million ($99.05 million) for the three months, ending 30th September 2008. Earnings before tax, interest, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) also rose for the quarter, up 29% to EGP1.273 billion. Subscribers for the Cellco also increased, with MobiNil’s customer base reaching 18.91 million at the end of September, up 38 percent from a year earlier. As part of the MobiNil mission to maintain its position as the leading mobile service provider in Egypt, it has signed an agreement with Network planning company Aircom International to help plan and implement 3G technologies into the operators existing 2G infrastructure.

Under the deal, MobiNil has purchased the UMTS plus HSPA module of Aircom’s ASSET network planning tool, and the agreement will also see Aircom deliver 3G technology courses, training and a range of consultancy services to Cellco. Mobinil has also revealed that it was preparing to take legal action, after Egypt’s telecoms regulator ruled in favor of state-owned landline monopoly Telecom Egypt, following its decision, to alter interconnect prices between fixed and mobile networks. Telecom Egypt had wanted Mobinil to drop the interconnectivity rates to below 0.15 Egyptian pounds ($0.0269) to terminate on Mobinil’s network and 0.10 pounds to terminate on the fixed-line network.

The company has a history of wrangling with the National Telecoms Regulatory Authority (NTRA), In April, the firm said it was delaying payment of a 750 million pound (US135,46) instalment on a 3G licence fee because the NTRA was late in handing over the frequency band for testing. Mobinil, has two main shareholders , Orascom Telecom, , the biggest Arab mobile phone operator by the number of subscribers, (33.1%) and France Telecom (orange) (36.3%) as well as a market share of around 48%, it also competes in a three-way race for market share in Egypt with Vodafone Egypt and Etisalat Egypt.

Link: Kuwait: Zain eyes $3-4 billion for acquisitions

Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Co (Zain) plans to make four to five acquisitions worth up to $4 billion before 2010 with the global credit crisis depressing asset prices for telecom firms, its chief executive said. Zain would seek to expand in Africa and the Middle East by buying majority stakes in companies or acquiring licenses, Saad al-Barrak told the Reuters Middle East Investment Summit being held this week in Kuwait and Dubai. The third-largest Arab telecoms firm — which already operates in 22 countries — is looking at opportunities in South Africa, Rwanda, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Mozambique, Yemen, Syria and even Zimbabwe, a country ravaged by economic chaos and the world’s highest inflation.

“That’s the whole point… Wherever there is danger there is opportunity, so you find us always swirling around danger,” he said, when asked whether Zain could buy a Zimbabwe operator. “In view of the current situation we have $3 to $4 billion in mind over the next 12 months,” Barrak said late on Wednesday, alluding Zain could spend even more as it was keen to enter the “rest” of the Middle East where it was not active yet. Up to $4 billion would be a “worst scenario in light of the credit crisis,” he said. “We have bigger ambitions than that.”

Zain would seek to buy 60 percent of its acquisition targets, but at least 51 percent, and would also consider moves into Asia from 2011 as part of plans to become one of the top 10 telecom operators in the world, Barrak added. “Asia was always on our radar but we were too busy … Still areas of great interest to us are Iran, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand,” he said.

“We are focusing now on our priority in the Middle East and Africa were we want to become the absolute number one,” he said. Zain also planned to spend $2.5 billion in 2009 on general capital expenditures such as upgrading networks or investing, down from $3 billion this year, Barrak said. To finance its growth, Zain would need to borrow $1.5 billion to $2 billion which Barrak is was confident of getting despite the credit crisis, he said. It already raised $4.5 billion through a rights issue in September despite a bourse slide.

Zain has been spending billions of dollars to expand abroad as competition heats up at home where VIVA, an affiliate of Saudi Telecom 7010.SE, is set to start operations by year-end. Zain spent $3.4 billion on buying Celtel in 2005 and led a consortium to win a third Saudi mobile license for $6.1 billion. Barrack said the Saudi operations, which drew over 1 million customers in under two months, would make a profit in three years.

Link: UAE: Du breaks even for first time

Dubai-based telecom firm Du made its first profit ever in the third quarter, a year ahead of plan, with 31.47 million dirhams ($8.57 million) in net income due to growth in subscription numbers. Revenue more than doubled to 1.06 billion dirhams in the three months to Sept. 30 compared with 412.23 million dirhams a year earlier, the firm said in a statement on Sunday. Du, which started operations in February 2007, added 453,000 mobile telephone subscriptions to the existing 2.67 million subscriptions and fixed-line subscriptions grew by 30,000 to reach 248,000 in the same period, it said. Prime Group had forecast that Du would report a net loss of 44.0 million dirhams in the third quarter.

Du’s rival Emirates Telecommunication Corp. (Etisalat) profit grew 19 percent to 2.1 billion dirhams in the third quarter. Telecom firms in the world’s top oil-exporting region have been expanding their operations at home and abroad as the economy grows and the population expands.

But unlike Etisalat, which is snapping up assets in Asia and Africa, Du has not as of yet hinted it was looking at opportunities outside the UAE, where mobile telephone penetration exceeds 150 percent among its 4.5 million people. Du has neared a 30-percent share in the mobile telephone market at the end of September on faster subscription growth, Chief Executive Osman Sultan said last month. The company’s shares have lost 44.13 percent this year to last week’s close, underperforming rival Etisalat, which is down 16.67 percent.