Category: Business

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Intel to develop WiMAX in Kenya

This is an example of why I believe in WiMAX, and would like to promote it: Internet connectivity for emerging and 3rd world markets.

Intel and Safaricom will join hands in this effort.

A few excerpts:

“The program’s launch in Kenya is the result of an agreement that Intel signed earlier with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Cisco, Microsoft and Kenya’s Ministry of Education (MoE).”

The Kenya ICT Board will deploy the content in more than 300 Pasha Centres throughout Kenya.  The Pasha centres provide a suite of services to the public via computers connected to the internet. 

““Localized content in terms of maths and geography that makes sense to the Kenyan youth is also crucial in fully tapping in the IT explosion that will hit this country once the fibre optic cable is in place,” Mr Barrett said.”

Good Luck Intel!

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Alcatel-Lucent CEO: We will remain in wireless, will have LTE products

A report in RCR Wireless, speculates on the plans of Alcatel Lucent. According to the report Alcatel-Lucent will announce a new plan next week that will “turn around the fortunes” of Alcatel-Lucent.

ALU CEO claims they plan to stay in the mobile telecom business, and will continue to invest in R&D.

I fully support the following excerpt:

“Not doing innovation is like shooting yourself in the head,” he said. “We are not going to cut our lifeline to the future.” Verwaayen refused to be drawn on the outlook for the fourth quarter or 2009 saying “that is for Dec. 12.””

My speculation is “Bye Bye to Mobile WiMAX”, although ALU has many deployments around the world, the Mobile WiMAX market has shrunk significantly and I am not sure there is a room for so many “Vendors”: Samsung, Motorola, ALU and the smaller ones.

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Fujitsu LTE

Fujitsu LTE website shows two LTE webstation, called the BBU and RRU, but does not describe the difference between them. I did not attend CEATEC Japan, but the page shows two photos taken at the event.

If seems like the key differentiator for Fujitsu is the 4×4 MIMO!

It will be interesting to see how Fujitsu will compete with Ericsson, the lead LTE vendor, for the Docomo deployment.

See press releases from both vendors:

1) Docomo Ericsson LTE

2) NSN, Fujitsu Team for Docomo LTE

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KDDI LTE

A press release from this morning details KDDI plan to use Nortel and Hitachi’s joint collaboration for their LTE deployment.

Very interesting news as:
1) KDDI plans to roll-out LTE
2) Nortel and Hitachi join hands in this effort

As you may well know UQ Communications, a KDDI company, will deploy Mobile WiMAX in 2009 using a 2.5GHz spectrum. This report from Unstrung addresses the biggest problem, lack of Spectrum:

“Spectrum holds back Japan’s LTE
But Japanese operators do not yet have the spectrum they need to deploy LTE.

The KDDI spokesman explains that the operator cannot use its existing 3G spectrum in the 2 GHz frequency band for LTE because there is not enough of it. There is spectrum available for LTE at 1.5 GHz, but KDDI, along with DoCoMo and Softbank, is waiting for the Japanese regulator to decide who can use how much of this spectrum, according to the spokesman.

Another LTE spectrum option in the country will be in the 800 MHz band, which will be made available by 2010 as cable operators switch from analog to digital TV transmission.”

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Gibson Dark Fire Guitar

First caught these news at Akihabaranews website.

Gibson will release the Dark Fire Guitar, A Robot Guitar combined with a Digital guitar towards Christmas. Personally, I am more interested in a conventional Les Paul Analogue Guitar.

Why am I writing about this? Because of the Gibson Dark Fire contest :
The rules are simple, write a song about the new guitar, post it in youtube, and the song with most views wins the contest. I LOVE the idea (though it disqualifies me from entering and winning).

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Google 乗換案内 – Travel assistant

I am sure this is old news, but I just bumped into this Google service in Japan, and I love it!

From the Google.co.jp webpage, filed under iroiro (second tab). This screen capture may be handy:
Google Rosen - Travel assistant 乗換案内

Following that you can enter Address or station location and get recommendations on routes for either trains or a car. Now, Yahoo provide a similar (and very good) service for a long time, but what I found helpful is the integration to street view, when car route is selected.

See another screenshotGoogle travel assistant car route :

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Rakuten proxy shopping services

Going through my wife’s emails, we have found a new service from Rakuten.

The Rakuten Proxy shopping Service  looks like a great new service:
Rakuten will act as a proxy, purchasing the desired goods from one of the shops, handling international shipments! The service relies on PayPal, which is a proven platform for such services.

Fees seem a bit expensive, but I believe we will definitely use this service as we often want merchandise from Japan, and do not want to burden our family and friends.

Fees:
1) JPY980 per item ordered as handling charge.
2) 5% (!!!) of total product amount
3) Shipping
4) 5% of international shipping Charge