Visiting the Mobile World Congress (MWC or GSMA) in Barcelona in 2014. BEO can provide VIP, Executive, Chauffeur and Concierge Services of all types. Also Barcelona tours, or Sitges Tours, Barcelona Tourist Guide, Sagrada Familia, Gothic Quarters, Picasso, Gaudi, Flamenco or sample Tapas, Paella, Albondigas, wines and cavas of the region. Try the world famous Camp Nou Experience, visit the F1 Circuit of Catalunya to drive a Ferrari, a Super Car or even be a passenger in a Formula One Car.
Organisers of next month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Spain have
confirmed MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer, Sifiso
Dabengwa as one of the speakers at the event.
John Hoffman, Chief
Executive Officer of GSM Association (GSMA), the organizers of the
event in a statement said the MTN CEO will join an array of expert
speakers who will share their insight on mobile marketing, network
evolution and strategic leadership during the four-day conference
programme.
The event is scheduled for Barcelona, Spain, from February 25-28 under the theme, Explore the New Mobile Horizon.
Dabengwa
is one of the continent’s most prominent ICT executives, and is
credited for driving MTN’s growth into one of the leading mobile network
firms in the emerging markets.
Other keynote speakers and
officials attending include Padmasree Warrior, of Cisco; Mats Granyd,
President and CEO of Tele2 Group; Peggy Johnson, EVP and President,
Global Market Development, Qualcomm; and Keith Weed, CMO of Unilever.
The
GSMA Mobile World Congress is the combination of the world’s largest
exhibition for the mobile industry and a conference featuring prominent
chief executives representing mobile operators, device manufacturers,
technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the globe.
It represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide.
Spanning
more than 220 countries, it unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile
firms as well as more than 230 companies in the broader mobile
ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment
providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment
organizations.
This year, Mobile World Congress offers a truly interactive
experience for exhibitors, vendors, and attendees to participate in an
environment where information and transactions are exchanged through
mobile using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.
Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled mobile phones have a huge
potential to make our lives easier by letting us, with a simple touch,
enable secure access to new transaction and payment services across a
range of sectors and industries. NFC technology has been in existence
for a few years now and it is thought that adoption will increase
noticeably in the next couple of years. Our NFC Experience will create
an opportunity for you try out some of these services first-hand.
As part of the NFC Experience, the GSMA will showcase an integrated
range of mobile NFC services throughout the venue and city of Barcelona.
NFC touch points will be abundant throughout the exhibition, rewarding
those who ‘tap’ with instant access to information and various
incentives. The NFC Experience begins with the following features:
NFC Centre
NFC Experience Zones
Barcelona City NFC locations
Virtual NFC badge – enabling instant onsite access via your handset
NFC-enabled payment terminals
How it Works
Mobile World Congress attendees with NFC-enabled handsets
will be able to take advantage of NFC technology at locations
throughout the venue and city. This will include information points,
discount vouchers, payment capabilities and much more.
The variety of locations and incentives offered to attendees
participating in the NFC Experience will provide a complete appreciation
of Mobile NFC that truly enhances the value attendees already gain from
the Mobile World Congress.
NFC Centre
This dedicated zone in the heart of Congress Square will showcase
NFC-enabled handsets and their capabilities as well as information on
the NFC ecosystem, information loaded NFC smart posters, NFC partner
pods, and a dedicated NFC support function.
The NFC Centre will serve as a centralised location for all vendors
and exhibitors participating in the NFC Experience. This will be one of
the key locations to visit and see the NFC ecosystem demonstrate the
benefits that NFC technology can provide. Adjacent to the NFC Centre in
Congress Square you can visit the GSMA Stand, where the GSMA’s Mobile
NFC Services Programme will showcase themed SIM-based NFC demonstrations.
NFC Experience Zones
More than a dozen NFC Experience Zones will be located along the walkways, entrances, green areas, and exhibition halls of Fira Gran Via.
Comprising a series of linked smart posters, participating attendees to
use their NFC-enabled handsets to access exhibitor directories, venue
information, nearby conveniences, and many other useful services offered
during Mobile World Congress.
NFC-Enabled capabilities in Barcelona
The City of Barcelona, in collaboration with Mobile World Capital, is
enabling key areas for attendees to experience NFC technology in
action. Strategic NFC touch points will be available at the airport, key
hotels, selected restaurants, and central tourist locations. By tapping
NFC tags, attendees will receive discount offers, information
downloads, access to mobile apps, and much more.
By participating in the NFC Experience, attendees will be able to:
Access the venue via their NFC-enabled handset
Pay for refreshments at Mobile World Congress
Download information on the Conference sessions, and keynotes
Access NFC Experience information points
Take a taxi and pay by NFC
Pay for goods in select restaurants and shops
NFC Challenge
GSMA will be holding an NFC Challenge during MWC 2013. The
competition is open to exhibitors in the NFC industry with
commercialised NFC-related apps, products, services and/or solutions.
Submissions will be evaluated by a team of secret judges at the
submitting exhibitor’s stand during the first two days of the Congress.
There is no entry fee and the entry deadline will be mid-February 2013.
Click here to learn more.
It now seems that there is a joint effort between some of the mobile giants, to launch a new open source OS, based smart phone, to take some of the 90% market share from Google Android, Apple IOS and Blackberry. Read on for more information.
In an effort to compete with U.S. tech giants Google and Apple, NTT
Docomo Inc. is jointly developing a new operating system for smartphones
that it hopes to put on the market next year, The Yomiuri Shimbun has
learned.
Docomo, Japan's largest mobile communication company, has joined
with South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. and other firms to develop a
system that will take a larger slice of the smartphone pie.
Google and
Apple hold a 90 percent share of the market.
The ultimate aim is to form a business group that will rival the two U.S. companies.
The OS that Docomo and its partners are developing is named Tizen.
Samsung will probably begin selling the smartphones next year and they
are likely to be released in Japan and other countries at around the
same time, according to sources.
Application software products formatted for Google's Android and
Apple's iPhone devices equipped with iOS have become easier to use.
However, it is difficult for mobile phone service companies to offer
their own services, such as for Docomo's online shopping, or to improve
the safety of personal information for the smartphones equipped with
the OS products developed in the United States.
In contrast, the basic technology information used by Tizen will be
made open to the public and the OS is being developed on the premise
that mobile phone service companies will be able to offer their own
services.
According to Gartner Inc., a U.S. research company, Android held a
global market share of 72.4 percent in OS products for smartphones from
July to September 2012, and iOS held 13.9 percent.
Most apps were developed for the two products.
Besides Docomo, European mobile phone service companies also are
participating in the development of Tizen because they fear the hegemony
of the two U.S. companies in businesses using smartphones, such as
games and music distribution.
Docomo is the only firm among Japan's three major mobile phone service operators that does not sell iPhones.
As a result, the number of subscribers leaving Docomo for other
companies has exceeded the number of new subscribers over the past four
years, as users can retain the same telephone numbers after changing
companies.
In November, the number of canceled Docomo contracts was larger than
that of new contracts for the first time in about five years.
Docomo hopes the smartphone with the Tizen OS will reverse this trend.
Tizen's main developers are Samsung and Intel Corp., a major U.S.
semiconductor products manufacturer. Besides Docomo, Britain's Vodafone
Group PLC, France Telecom, other European mobile phone service
companies, Panasonic Corp. and NEC Corp. are involved in the
development.
The Tizen OS will be an open-source product so users can further develop or improve the software.
The development of apps for the new OS system is expected to be simpler.
Finnish Company Nokia has been in news headlines recently for
extending its Windows-based products and next in line is its forthcoming
Windows RT slate.
Nokia is all set to bring a new Windows RT tablet with features
somewhat similar to the Microsoft’s Surface Model. Nokia Windows RT
tablet runs on an ARM chip and has a 10.1 inch screen. It will also have
a cellular networking and AT&T, one of the major carriers in U.S
will be the first provide the connectivity.
Nokia Windows RT tablet also boasts a special cover similar to that
of Microsoft’s Windows RT tablet. The special cover of Nokia tablet
covers it like an envelope and also has a built-in keyboard, kickstand
and battery. There are two USB ports in the case of Nokia Windows RT
tablet providing it an extra connectivity option.
The price of Nokia Windows RT tablet is indeed as important as it
specifications. Nokia has not yet revealed the price range for this
Windows tablet, but it may soon be revealed with the tablet itself in
February 2013.
This Windows RT tablet from Nokia is planned to be released in
the Mobile World Congress, which is considered as the biggest tech event
in the world.
Summary: 4G mobile will offer super-fast download speeds
when it arrives in the UK. Find out what 4G technologies are being
deployed in the UK, by who and when, and why the UK has lagged behind
the rest of the world on 4G adoption.
Mobile operators have been offering 3G services for nearly a
decade and have continued to refine the technology, squeezing extra
speed out of the existing infrastructure and standards.
Currently, 3G HSPA+ technology can deliver a theoretical download speeds of 42Mbps, but with demand for mobile data (and in particular video) constantly increasing, 3G is beginning to show its age.
That's why there is so much interest in the next wave of wireless —
known collectively as 4G — which hold the promise of even faster
downloads. But while other countries have raced ahead, in the UK
adoption has been slower.
What is 4G?
4G is the next generation of mobile communication standards, picking
up where 3G drops off and delivering higher download and upload speeds.
What is 4G, and when will it arrive in the UK?
There are several technologies competing to become the de facto 4G
standard. The term 4G doesn't actually refer to a particular technology —
rather it's a catch-all term that in the UK is generally used to refer
to Long Term Evolution (LTE).
In other countries, such as the US, different technologies — such as WiMax
— have been deployed to provide higher-capacity data services. In the
UK, WiMax is very rare, with just a few small operators serving specific
towns or cities.
LTE versus WiMax
WiMax uses underlying technology based on Wi-Fi, whereas LTE is based
on the same underlying technology that currently underpins every big UK
mobile operator's 3G network. This is why we will have 4G LTE as the
standard technology rather than WiMax (making the situation considerably
more clear cut for end users in the UK than in the US, where both
technologies have already been widely deployed).
So in the UK, at least, the future of 4G is LTE. And LTE, like every
other data communication standard, operates in a specific frequency or
set of frequencies.
But to add to the complexity, the UK's LTE services operate in a
different band to those in the US, meaning that certain 4G-equipped
devices won't work everywhere in the world.
You can think of the issue with different 4G bands in a similar way
to how you used to have to check whether a phone was dual, tri or
quad-band to see if it would work abroad.
In the UK, LTE services will use the 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz and 2.6GHz bands whereas the new iPad, for example, will only work on 4G networks that use the 700MHz or 2.1GHz frequency bands.
So if you're on a trip to the US anytime soon and are considering
snapping up a new 4G-equipped phone or tablet, be aware that it almost
certainly won't be compatible with the UK's 4G networks.
Why should I care about 4G? Will it really be that fast?
Have you ever been out and about trying to watch a video on YouTube
or stream some music and have it steadfastly refuse to playback without
constant buffering? Yes? Well, that will be a thing of the past with 4G.
The new iPad is not compatible will all types of 4G service. Image credit: CNET News
Of course, that was the promise of 3G but it never quite seemed to be the case.
Where 3G HSPA+ speeds are currently maxing out at around a
theoretical 42Mbps downstream limit, 4G promises to deliver up to
100Mbps for users on the move.
But it's not just for urban hipsters — 4G could also play a role in bridging the rural broadband divide in the UK.
If it's used a replacement for fixed-line broadband, even higher
speeds are possible, depending on reception and how many people are
using the service. In fact, several of the test deployments of 4G
services in the UK have taken place in rural locations such as Cornwall.
It's hard to say exactly how much faster the 4G services will be in
the UK, as current trials are exactly that and are therefore not subject
to true fully laden network conditions. As a rough guide, I've had a
play with two different 4G services so far, and the download speeds
ranged from just below 40Mbps in a moving car and up to 48Mbps when stationary.
When will 4G arrive in the UK?
There is still no definitive launch date from UK operators; but it's not (just) their fault.
The earliest likely date for widespread 4G availability in the UK,
from a range of operators, is the autumn of 2013. The UK was one of the
first countries to hold 3G spectrum auctions in Europe, but it will be
one of the last to hold its 4G auctions.
3G spectrum already owned:
2.1GHz – Vodafone, O2, Everything Everywhere and Three
4G spectrum up for grabs:
800MHz and 2.6GHz
The UK's telecoms regulator Ofcom has been mulling the idea of an
auction of the spectrum needed to run 4G services in the country since
2008. However, due to a range of factors, such as the analogue
television switch-off and the unequal allocation of spectrum currently
used for 2G and 3G services, the process has hit a number of delays.
Considering what's at stake (their future business and current
multi-billion pound investments) it's understandable (but not
necessarily forgivable) that the operators have also been bickering
about the fairest way to run the auction.
Operators cannot begin to offer their services before the spectrum
auction takes place — and the process is not due to begin until the end
of 2012. By the end of this year, Ofcom will have taken applications
from prospective bidders with a view to start the bidding early in 2013.
As a result, big UK operators like O2 and Vodafone are unlikely to be able to use the spectrum for 4G before autumn 2013.
Everything Everywhere's 4G service
However, while the spectrum auction (800MHz and 2.6GHz) is still
scheduled to take place before the end of 2012, Everything Everywhere
has been given permission by Ofcom to re-use its 1800MHz spectrum
currently used for 2G services for 4G services, effectively given the
company a head-start on its rivals.
On 11 September, the first day Everything Everywhere could start 'refarming' the spectrum, the company said it has rebranded itself 'EE' ahead of its 4G LTE services going live.
It also said it has begun trials of its 4G technology in London,
Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham. These cities will be the first places
to offer the service. EE aims to extend the reach to a further 12 cities
(Belfast, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool,
Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield and Southampton) before
Christmas 2012.
While it gave no solid date for the first introduction, chief
executive Olaf Swantee said EE aims to provide 4G coverage for 20
million Britons before the end of 2012, rising to 70 percent of the
country by the end of 2013, and 98 percent by the end of 2014.
Another LTE service
If, for some reason you absolutely have to use 4G sooner, you can —
there is one very limited 4G service being offered already in Southwark,
South London and also in Swindon.
However, the company behind the service — called UK Broadband — is a
bit of an anomaly as it delivering the service using Time-Division
Long-Term Evolution (TD-LTE) in the 3.5GHz frequency.
Unlike 'standard' LTE, Time-Division Long-Term Evolution was
previously thought to be unsuitable for 4G due to the type of spectrum
it operates in (lower-band spectrum tends to perform better at things
like passing through the walls of buildings) but this has since been
reconsidered.
"The UK was one of the first countries to hold 3G spectrum auctions in Europe, but it will be one of the last to hold its 4G auctions"
One stumbling block for TD-LTE is that there are at present very few phones in the UK that support it. There are some Mi-Fi devices that support it, which will let you connect to the hotspot by Wi-Fi like normal, but it's not a very elegant solution.
Everything Everywhere — or EE, as it is now called — has announced a handful of handsets that will work on its forthcoming 4G network, including the Nokia Lumia 920, the Samsung Galaxy S III LTE, and the Apple iPhone 5.
How much will 4G cost in the UK?
Understandably operators aren't keen to start talking pricing when the service is so far away from going live. Mobile contracts are likely to include 4G data usage in the same way
that 3G data is included today. Like any new technology, this will
likely come at a premium initially, but I'd be surprised if it costs
more than — say — £10 more than today's contract deals.
By the time the services are live the companies involved will have
cumulatively spent billions of pounds deploying 4G in the UK. The last
thing they would want is lacklustre uptake of the service and an even
longer period before they can recoup their costs and start making money
off the infrastructure upgrades. To promote widespread usage, dare I say
ubiquity, of the service, they'll make them as cheap as they can to
tempt customers in.
How much telcos could end up charging for 4G data services on the
per-MB level is more difficult to predict, though it would presumably
still have to fall within EU guidelines from the pricing of data at a
wholesale level.
Nokia has talked about cooperation with Microsoft,
Qualcomm and Compal Electronics to resume development of a 10-inch
Windows RT tablet, and is likely to unveil the model at the 2013 Mobile
World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, during February 25-28, according to
Taiwan-based supply chain makers.
Nokia originally
planned to develop a 10-inch Windows RT tablet equipped with Qualcomm's
S4 processor in first-quarter 2012, with Compal to undertake ODM
production and initial shipments of 200,000 units to test the market,
the sources indicated. But because Microsoft later announced Surface,
and the market for Windows 8/RT tablets needed to be proven, Nokia
internally focused on smartphones, and delayed the development of the
10-inch Windows RT tablet, the sources pointed out.
As
the sales performance for Windows RT tablets has so far been short of
expectations, Nokia is evaluating ordered volumes and has not yet
decided on its marketing plans, the sources indicated.
For nearly a decade and a half, Nokia has dominated annual cellphone sales over rivals like Samsung, LG and more recently Apple.
Based
on a new report, Nokia's reign is about to end, as Samsung is expected
to usurp the incumbent champion based on its 2012 performance.
Analytics
company IHS has forecasted Samsung will finish 2012 with a hold on 29
percent of the cellphone market, while Nokia will retain only 24
percent.
In 2011, the companies actually had nearly inverse those
numbers, with Nokia maintaining its control with a 30 percent share
compared to Samsung's 24 percent.
Numbers game
"The
competitive reality of the cellphone market in 2012 was 'live by the
smartphone; die by the smartphone,'" said Wayne Lam, senior analyst for
wireless communications at IHS.
For its part, Samsung definitely delivered on the smartphone front, with devices like the Galaxy S3 leading the charge.
Samsung had squashed the competition during the third quarter, selling 98 million phones (55 million of which were smartphones) on its way to a 22.9 percent share of the market.
Nokia
meanwhile was big in the cellphone market during the third quarter,
moving 82 million devices, though only 7.2 million of those were
smartphones.
Apple has managed to hang onto third place thanks to
pulling in 10 percent of the sales, but the company still has a long way
to go to catch up to either Nokia or Samsung.
Changing of the guard
IHS attributed Nokia's declining performance to the change in direction, as the company is now moving towards Windows Phone 8.
Though smartphones like the Lumia 800 and Lumia 920
did release before the end of 2012, the phones' presence was clearly
not enough to make up the ground lost to Samsung earlier in the year.
Conversely,
the analytics firm points to Samsung's ability to appeal to both the
high-and low-end of the smartphone market as a chief reason for its
success.
Samsung saw its smartphone shipments rise 8 percent from
2011, giving it the greatest growth, and a healthy 28 percent of the
market.
Meanwhile, Nokia saw the biggest dip in its smartphones
shipped, and fell to just 5 percent, which was an 11 percent decrease
over 2011.
Apple was then able to hold onto its second place
position as far as smartphones were concerned, gaining 20 percent of the
total market.
(Dis)honorable mention
HTC and Research in
Motion both barely factored into the equation, with each company holding
onto 5 percent of the smartphone market.
RIM's fortunes may be on the upswing in 2013 however, with the anticipated launch of BlackBerry 10 just a month away.
The
evolution of smartphones in the current market has accelerated quickly,
and it will be interesting to see just how well all these competitors
perform during the upcoming year with a host of new handsets expected to
take over 2013.
Source: http://www.techradar.com, written by Luke Brown
