Emerging Markets

Apple shares fall 5% on weak forecast

With Apple pointing the finger at fluctuating currency, poor performance in emerging markets and supply issues, its busiest quarter might not be as busy as investors had hoped.

Huawei outlines plan for emerging markets

Connecting the unconnected is a topic which has been quite common over the last week, and it returned at the Global Mobile Broadband Forum during a session with Huawei’s Ming Cao.

Opera launches App Pass to get emerging markets on mobile data

Opera Software has announced the App Pass, which is designed to give mobile subscribers free-of-charge access to selected apps for a set period of time. As a feature of Opera Max, an app designed for mobile data saving and management, the App Pass is targeted at emerging markets to encourage more mobile data usage.

Vendors team with Facebook to drive connectivity in developing world

facebook-bigFacebook has created an initiative—Internet.org—to bring internet connectivity to the poor and underserved, recruiting a number of telecoms industry vendors as partners. But while the new group cites the importance of mobile operators in bringing connectivity to the unconnected, there are none among the founders.

Tunisiana using Facebook to drive mobile data uptake

The Tunisian subsidiary of Qatari operator group Ooredoo, Tunisiana, believes it has found a way to entice users in emerging markets into increasing their reliance on mobile data services. The operator said it saw the popularity of social networking site Facebook on fixed line networks in the country, and devised a tariff to cater to mobile users.

Next billion mobile users to come from developing rural areas

Operators can expect to see the next billion mobile connections to come from rural areas in emerging markets, according to analyst Ovum. The research house said although users in such areas typically do not have access to basic infrastructure or utilities, they are aware of the transformative potential of mobile phones and are eager to invest in a convenient device.

Facebook and Orange team up on dedicated handsets

International mobile operator Orange has announced a collaboration with Facebook on a range of sub-€100 handsets described by Facebook’s head of mobile, Henri Moissinac, as featuring “the best set of integrations so far” of any device the social networking firm has co-developed. Orange said consumers who buy the handsets, which are built by Alcatel, will get “unlimited” access to Facebook as part of their data plan.

Broadband still out of reach for many

Despite falling prices, consumers living in emerging markets are still paying far more for broadband than their mature market counterparts, putting it completely out of reach for the majority of them, according to research firm Ovum.

Emerging market broadband prices stifling growth

Fixed broadband services in emerging markets are more expensive than in mature markets, keeping them beyond the reach of the majority of consumers, according to research house Ovum. The firm studied broadband prices across 19 emerging markets, including South Africa, Nigeria and Colombia, concluding that growth in fixed broadband is being seriously impeded by the high service cost.

Telcos risk losing ground in emerging markets mobile data battle

Mobile operators’ dominant status in the emerging markets mobile content space is set to change due to strong competition from new platforms such as app stores. According to research undertaken by Ovum, operators need to make urgent adjustments to their content strategies if they are to adapt to rapid shifts in the market.

Google satellites to reach orbit in 2013

Google-backed satellite operator O3b Networks, which stands for “the Other 3 billion”, is set to launch services in 2013 after this week securing its final round of funding. The company has raised a total of $1.2bn from a group of investors and banks.

Investing in Africa tip one: Be innovative on pricing

The first in our series of tips for potential investors in the African telecoms market. Here Informa Telecoms & Media reveals that operators that employ a lean, efficient business model will be best-placed to run a profitable operation on low tariffs.

Fixed broadband subs approach 500 mil.

Global fixed broadband subscriptions will reach half a billion in 2010, driven by continued growth in emerging markets, according to figures released by Informa Telecoms & Media on Thursday.

Intelsat puts a new bird in space

Fixed satellite operator Intelsat this week announced the successful launch of its latest bit of kit, the shiny new Intelsat 15 satellite (IS-15), which will replace the ageing 709 satellite.

Connecting the next two billion

Analyst forecasts indicate that around two billion more mobile subscribers will be added to the global market by 2013, with rural customers in emerging markets accounting for a majority of this growth.

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