CAT puts 3G plans on hold; TOT told to do same

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Admin

CAT Telecom has suspended its 3G mobile service expansion plan whilst state bodies including the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Ministry of Information Communication Technology (MICT) continue investigations into the legality of the state-owned firm’s wholesale/resale partnership contracts with private sector operator True Corp. CAT’s CEO Kitisak Sriprasert, quoted in a report by local newspaper The Nation, has assured mobile users that the True Move H-branded 3G services provided under the partnership by True’s subsidiary Real Move will be unaffected. However, a story from TelecomAsia, citing Thai language daily Thairath, contradicts this statement by quoting an anonymous member of CAT’s board of directors as saying that, following the MICT’s declaration of the CAT-True contracts as ‘illegal’ in March, CAT will end its cooperation with True Move H, preventing the latter from receiving import permission for new HSPA network equipment, although the cellco would be able to continue operating with existing equipment. The inside source added that CAT’s ‘My’ branded retail 3G service offered over the shared 850MHz network will be ‘cancelled’ in the face of the various legal objections.

CAT’s sister telco TOT has also hit big trouble in its 3G expansion plans. As reported by TelecomAsia, ICT minister Anudith Nakorntap has told the state-owned telco – Thailand’s sole holder of licensed 2100MHz spectrum – to cease its ‘failed’ 3G business plan, which has so far cost around THB16 billion (USD510 million) but resulted in just 200,000 HSPA-based network users since launching at the end of 2009. Anudith declared that fewer than half the planned 5,320 base stations have been rolled out to date, and pointed out that the 3G user base numbered less than one twelfth of the projected target of 2.5 million, while operational costs of the network exceeded revenue by a factor of four. TOT must now come up with a new business plan, working with the MICT, the State Enterprise Planning Office and the Finance Ministry.

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Article Source: http://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2012/05/18/cat-puts-3g-plans-on-hold-tot-told-to-do-same/

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VRE to Discuss WiFi, Cameras at Burke Centre, Platform Extension at Lorton

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Admin

The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Operations Board meets Friday to discuss several issues of specific interest to area riders.

WiFi

VRE has considered adding WiFi to trains for some time, but dropped the plan in January due to cost and reliability of providing uninterrupted service. The board will begin the discussion anew on Friday. The agenda lists four possible technologies, with routers the preferred choice. The issue is listed for discussion only.

Security Cameras

VRE received a grant in 2004 from the Department of Homeland Security for the installation of security cameras at a limited number of VRE stations, which included:

  • L’Enfant Plaza
  • Crystal City
  • Alexandria
  • Franconia Springfield
  • Manassas Park

In 2010, cameras were added to the Manassas station as part of the parking garage project.

In FY 2009, VRE received additional grant funding from the Department of Homeland Security for the next phase of this project. The Operations Board will vote Friday to provide a contract for installation of security cameras at the more heavily used stations at:

“Cameras would be placed on and around train station platforms so that VRE can capture operational and customer activity from the headquarters office. Both VRE personnel and VRE’s security contractor will have real-time access to the system as well as stored information that will be retained for 90 days,” according to agenda item 8-A.

Additional Agenda Items

The board is also set to:

  • Issue a task order for final design of the Lorton Station platform extension project.
  • Execute a task order for the Alexandria King Street Station pedestrian tunnel project.
  • Award a contract(s) for the supply and installation of light emitting diode (LED) lighting at the Franconia/Springfield and Backlick Road VRE stations.

The complete agenda includes additional details on all projects.

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Article Source: http://fairfaxstation.patch.com/articles/vre-to-discuss-wifi-cameras-at-burke-centre-platform-extension-at-lorton

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Nokia’s woes cast doubt over Finnish model

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Admin


By Ritsuko Ando

HELSINKI |
Fri May 18, 2012 6:01am EDT

HELSINKI (Reuters) – Troubles at Finland’s Nokia Oyj (NOK1V.HE) aren’t just bad news for the company, its staff and shareholders. They’re also a warning sign for the small Nordic country’s welfare model.

Just as Nokia’s sure touch with well-designed, consumer-friendly products seems to have deserted it, fears are growing that Finland, whose reputation for innovation rested largely on the handset maker’s success, may be losing its competitive edge.

While Finland remains one of the few triple-A rated countries in the euro zone, its reputation as an egalitarian society with a stellar education system belies worries about a decline in once-mighty export manufacturers and a rapidly ageing population.

For the 5.4 million Finns, the message is stark: prepare for tougher times, later retirement or lower pensions. And for government, the need is to encourage business growth beyond traditional mainstays like forestry while balancing social commitments with economic realities.

On Tuesday Finland reported a second straight monthly current account deficit. For 2011 as a whole, it posted a deficit of 1.3 billion euros ($1.7 billion) due to slower export growth.

“It’s useless to dream of achieving the same levels that we had between the booming years of 2001 and 2007,” said Handelsbanken economist Tuulia Asplund, referring to the years of strong industrial growth.

Economists expect the economy to contract or barely expand this year. Many forecast growth of just 1 or 2 percent in the next few years – not bad compared with some more troubled European economies, but not enough to alleviate strains on the pension system in one of the region’s fastest-ageing societies.

With its baby-boom generation retiring and living longer, and without Norway’s oil or Sweden’s diverse and internationally successful corporate sector, Finland’s welfare model looks particularly vulnerable.

NOKIA RELIANCE HARD TO SHAKE

Nokia’s downfall has hit business activity as well as national pride. At its peak, Nokia accounted for 4 percent of Finnish GDP and supported a

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Article Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/18/us-finland-economy-idUSBRE84H0CS20120518

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Samsung Racks Up 9M Galaxy S III Preorders

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Admin

10 Ways To Get More From Your Android Device
(click image for larger view and for slideshow)

The Samsung Galaxy S III doesn’t go on sale until May 29, but 9 million people have already placed preorders for the device. The orders are flowing in from more than 100 wireless network operators around the world, reported the Korea Economic Daily. Samsung said that its factory is running at full speed, producing up to 5 million units of the device per month.

Samsung didn’t indicate whether or not it will be able to meet the initial demand for the Galaxy S III, but the device is being rolled out in waves to countries around the world and not all at once. The staggered launch should help.

The S III is the most important device of the year for Samsung’s mobile division. It reaches the market more than a year after its predecessor, which was a smash hit worldwide, selling more than 10 million units. The S III will go head-to-head on store shelves with the iPhone 4S and next-gen iPhone, the HTC One X and One S, the Nokia Lumia 900, and other top-tier phones.

[ Google plans to sell Android 5.0 smartphones directly through its Google Play Store. Read about it at Why Google's Nexus Plan Makes Sense. ]

With so many preorders already booked, the device is primed to take the world by storm. Samsung recently become the world’s largest seller of both cellular phones in general and smartphones in particular.

What’s unclear yet is which U.S. wireless network operators will offer the S III. We know it will hit the U.S. with support for U.S. LTE 4G networks, but Samsung has been coy about which ones. Historically, nearly all the wireless network operators in the U.S., including the smaller regional and pre-paid carriers, have offered Samsung’s Galaxy S devices. I would expect this pattern to repeat itself with the S III, which should be available from ATT, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon

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Article Source: http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/smart_phones/240000643

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iOS warning messages hint at 3G support for Apple’s FaceTime

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Admin

By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 03:44 PM EST (12:44 PM PST)

Warnings contained in the latest version of iOS suggest that Apple plans to bring support for 3G wireless data connections to its FaceTime video chat feature.

When a FaceTime call is active over Wi-Fi on an iPhone running iOS 5.1.1, and a user turns off the “Enable 3G” option in the Settings application, the operating system presents users with a warning message: “Disabling 3G may end FaceTime. Are you sure you want to disable 3G?”

The warning was first noticed by Romanian Apple website iDevice, and publicized on Friday by Gizmodo. Despite the warning, FaceTime video calls will continue over Wi-Fi uninterrupted, even after 3G has been turned off or on, which has suggested to some that Apple is planning to bring 3G support to FaceTime.

AppleInsider was able to confirm that the warning message does, in fact, display when the iPhone’s 3G is disabled during a FaceTime call. In addition, iOS also displays another message when a user attempts to turn 3G back on: “Enabling 3G will end your phone call. Are you sure you want to enable 3G?” Neither enabling or disabling 3G interrupted any FaceTime calls.

Apple first introduced FaceTime video chat in 2010 with the launch of the iPhone 4. Since then, it has been brought to the Mac, and the addition of forward-facing cameras to the iPod touch and iPad have also allowed FaceTime with those iOS-based devices.

FaceTime

But since its launch, FaceTime has only been available to use over Wi-Fi. Users who attempt to connect a FaceTime call over 3G are met with an error message telling them the service is not available.

When he introduced FaceTime in 2010, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs explained that the video chat feature was not available over wireless cellular networks at the request of mobile carriers. Jobs said that Apple needed to “work a little bit with the cellular providers” in hopes of offering FaceTime over 3G.

If Apple does enable FaceTime over 3G, it’s possible that some carriers could opt to block or restrict the

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Article Source: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/05/18/ios_warning_messages_hint_at_3g_support_for_apples_facetime.html

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