Asia's Telecom Industry Sees Significant Growth and Innovations

Strategic Insights -

Asia's telecom industry has witnessed considerable growth and innovations, with several countries experiencing a surge in mobile subscriptions and infrastructure development. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has elected Bangladesh as a council member, while South Korea's KT and Samsung have launched a mobile phone with payment capabilities. India's Tata Teleservices has crossed the 80 million subscribers mark, and Indonesia's Telkom is set to acquire an IT company for USD 111 million. China's telco industry has experienced a 6.8% year-on-year growth, driven by 3G investments, and Huawei is looking to make up for lost business in India. Taiwan's HTC has launched five new Microsoft smartphones, and Japan's Access has licensed smartphone-related patents to Microsoft. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has received USD 5.3 million from service providers for user education, and Tata Communications expects its global operations to turn profitable in two years.

Key Takeaways:

  • Bangladesh has been elected as a council member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for a four-year term.
  • South Korea's KT and Samsung are launching a mobile phone with payment capabilities using near field communication (NFC) technology.
  • India's Tata Teleservices has crossed the 80 million subscribers mark with the addition of 2.14 million new subscribers in September.
  • Indonesia's Telkom is set to acquire an IT company for USD 111 million, which is expected to be concluded in December.
  • China's telco industry has experienced a 6.8% year-on-year growth, driven by 3G investments.
  • Huawei is looking to make up for lost business in India, with the company expecting to secure Indian 3G network deals from Bharti Airtel and others.
  • Taiwan's HTC has launched five new Microsoft smartphones, which will be available in markets in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region.
  • Japan's Access has licensed smartphone-related patents to Microsoft, which is expected to boost the value of its patents in the smartphone market.
  • The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has received USD 5.3 million from service providers for user education.
  • Tata Communications expects its global operations to turn profitable in two years, with the company launching two new cloud services to enhance productivity.

Statistics:

  • India's Tata Teleservices has crossed 80 million subscribers mark.
  • China's telco industry has experienced a 6.8% year-on-year growth in January-August.
  • Huawei is looking to make up for lost business in India, with the company expecting to secure Indian 3G network deals.
  • The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has received USD 5.3 million from service providers for user education.
  • Tata Communications expects its global operations to turn profitable in two years.
  • India's BS Transcomm has lowered the price band of its ongoing initial public offer to Rs 248 to Rs 257 (USD 5.58 to USD 5.78) per share.

Sources:

  • Asia Pulse, "Bangladesh Becomes Intl Telecom Union Council Member" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "S.Korea's KT, Samsung to Launch Cellphone with Pay Capabilities" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "India's Tata Teleservices Crosses 80 Mln Subscribers Mark" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "Indonesia's Telkom to Acquire IT Company for USD 111M" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "China's Telco Industry Considerably Boosted by 3G: Official" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "Goldman Sachs Maintains 'Buy' Recommendation on Taiwan's HTC" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "India's Lava Signs Mobile Content Deal with National Geographic" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "S.Korea Watchdog Receives Apple's iPad Application" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "Microsoft Unveils New Windows Phone 7 in Sydney" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "India's Lava Mobilizes in Content Deal with National Geographic" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "Japan's Access Licenses Smartphone-Related Patents to Microsoft" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "China's Huawei Hopes to Make Up Next Year for Lost Indian Biz" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "TRAI Fund for User Education Gets USD 5.3M from Indian Firms" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "O/S Ops to Turn Profitable in 2 Yrs: India's Tata Comm" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "India's BS Transcomm Lowers IPO Price Band on Low Demand" (October 13, 2010)
  • Asia Pulse, "HTC Unveils Five New Microsoft Smartphones" (October 13, 2010)