Jumat, 05 Agustus 2011
Hasil Studi di AS: Pembatasan Kapasitas Layanan 4G tidak bermanfaat
| A new report claims that 4G data caps in the US are a rip-off. Whether that’s true or not, the study does highlight the resistance that cellcos are up against from consumers accustomed to unlimited data usage, and the importance of creating new packages that offer obvious value for money. The study from public-interest group Public Knowledge says that while 4G (which in the US means HSPA+ and Wimax as well as LTE) is great, the data caps imposed by operators like AT&T and Verizon “create a disincentive to use the types of applications that benefit the most from 4G speeds. For most users, money spent to access a capped 4G network is money wasted.” Author Michael Weinberg demonstrates this by showing how quickly a 2GB cap can be used up. For example, a single HD movie or two 45-minute HD TV shows from iTunes would wipe out a 2GB limit before they finished downloading. For streaming video, it would take less than eight hours of viewing time. (NOTE: My own recent experience with LTE in Hong Kong allowed me to burn through a gigabyte of data in the course of an afternoon just watching HD videos on YouTube.) One noteworthy caveat to this can be found in a US study released last month from Consumer Reports, which found that on average, smartphone users consume well under 500MB of data a month. If you look at the median numbers (i.e. the numbers in the middle of the range) it’s even lower – between 48MB and 158MB a month. According to CR, the numbers reflect what cellcos already know – most mobile data traffic is consumed by a small percentage of their user base. And data caps more often than not tend to be set based on those percentages. The Public Knowledge study acknowledges as much, citing June 2011 figures from Nielsen that put average smartphone data consumption at 500MB. But, Weinberg argues, those usage levels are generated by apps and content that work well on 3G.(Source: telecomasia.net 5 Aug 2011) Label: Hasil Studi di AS, Pembatasan Kasitas 4G tidak bermanfaat |
Laba Starhub Singapore naik 34% di Kwartal II Tahun 2011
| Singapore’s second largest carrier StarHub’s profit for Q2 rose 34% year-on-year to S$78 million ($63.97 million). The firm’s ebitda grew 16% to S$164 million for the quarter while ebitda margin as a percentage of service revenue had increased 4.4% from the same period last year. Operating revenue for the quarter stayed stable at S$569 million, almost equivalent to a year ago, despite a greater than 50% reduction for the firm’s sports TV package to S$12. Lower revenue from the firm’s Pay TV segment was counterbalanced by positive showings in the mobile and broadband segments. Revenue from StarHub’s mobile services business for Q2 increased 3% to S$302.5 million year-on-year. The firm saw a 4% increase in post-paid mobile service revenue to S$239.2 million, while revenue from pre-paid mobile services had dropped 3% to S$63.3 million. The mobile services segment added 97,000 customers for the quarter and post-paid ARPU increased S$1 to S$73. The firm’s revenue from its broadband segment increased 3% to S$6 million year-on-year. Customer base for residential broadband had risen 6% to 431,000, although ARPU had dropped by S$3 to S$45 due to triple play promotions and a larger proportion of customers taking up lower priced plans. Revenue from StarHub’s fixed network business rose 2% to S$83.4 million for the quarter, year-on-year. A higher takeup of local voice services and higher interconnection fees from overseas carriers led to a 9% revenue increase for voice services. StarHub saw a 2% increase in the percentage of customers taking up its triple play packages to 16,000. The firm revised its year-on-year growth to be in the single low-digit range. (sumber: telecomasia.net 5 Agustus 2011) Label: Laba StarHub naik 34% |
Menteri Telkom India serukan penghentian "Perang Telpon Seluler"
“Something has to give” is the message emanating out of India about the cut-throat competition in the local mobile market. Telecom minister Kapil Sibal has accused Indian mobile operators of being “at war,” and “trying to destroy each other,” Economic Times reported. Sibal warned in an interview that the industry risks destroying itself if it continues its intense rivalry. He blamed the long-running 2G scandal on in-fighting in the sector, with some operators resorting to questionable means to try to gain a political advantage, but implied that this was not the first time operators have sought such a leg-up on the competition. Sibal is eager to have India's largest mobile operators find common ground before he formulates a new telecom policy, but has had little success. He is under pressure from a cash-strapped government to commence a spectrum auction, but can't do so until the policy is complete. But whatever the motivations for Sibal's warnings, there's no denying that margin squeeze has become a pressing issue in a market where tariffs are now among the lowest in the world. Fortunately, there's hope on the horizon, with incumbent mobile operator Bharti Airtel recently increasing its tariffs by 20% to 25% in some regions. Analysts now expect rivals - particularly smaller operators – to quickly follow suit, giving them a much-needed respite from the squeeze. Tata DoCoMo, the operator largely held as being responsible for the latest battle in the tariff war by introducing one paisa ($0.0002) per second billing, also recently revealed it will double call rates for subscribers after the first year, DNA India said. (sumber: Dylan Bushell-Embing - telecomasia.net, 25 Juli 2011) Label: Menteri Telkom India Kapil Sibal, Serukan Penghentian Perang Seluler |
Laba Bharti Airtel menurun selama 6-Kwartal berurutan, walaupun Revenue naik
Bharti Airtel's net profit fell 27.8% in the June quarter, continuing what is now a six-quarter streak of profit declines. But revenue grew 38.6%. The Indian operator recorded a profit of $272 million, with earnings hit by fees associated with its African acquisitions and 3G investments in India. Profit has now fallen for six straight quarters, Economic Times said. The bottom line fell even as revenue swelled to $3.79 billion, on the strength of a 25% year-on-year growth in mobile subscribers to 221.2 million. While Airtel Africa improved revenue 6% sequentially to $979 million and added 2.1 million new customers, the segment is still generating a loss for the parent. Bharti Airtel also struggled with shrinking margins in its core India and South Asian markets – ARPU fell 12% year-on-year, when measured in rupees. But CEO Sunil Mittal said “efforts in the area of cost efficiencies have helped arrest this margin decline.” The company also recently revealed plans to increase its tariffs by up to 25% in some regions of India. (Sumber telecomasia.net 4 Agustus 2011) Label: Profit Bharti Airtel menurun terus, Revenue masih naik |