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Posts Tagged ‘upgrade’

Suzuki Kizashi hybrid to hit US in 2011

Suzuki will bring a hybrid to America in 2011.Based on GM hybrid technology

Suzuki will bring the Kizashi hybrid to North America in 2011, according to reports. The new Suzuki hybrid will be built on a “next generation” hybrid system developed with GM, which probably means that the Kizashi will utilize GM’s upgraded BAS hybrid drive.

A non-hybrid version of the Kizashi is still on track to hit the US, the this year.

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UK: consumers prefer to cut back on dining out than buying broadband, mobile telephony

[Reuters] Britain’s recession-hit consumers would rather cut back on eating out and holidays than give up their broadband, mobile phone and pay-TV services, according to a new report from media regulator Ofcom.

Customers are looking to save money on communications and media deals but are still willing to pay up for services that enhance the experience, such as digital video recorders and mobile broadband.

Britons are shopping around more, signing long-term contracts in exchange for cheaper payments, and bundling services such as TV, phone and telephony, Ofcom’s Communications Market Report said.

“Despite the recession, people are spending more time watching TV, using their mobile phone or accessing the Internet,” said Ofcom partner Peter Phillips.

“Meanwhile, we are becoming more canny about the way we pay for these services (and) as well as getting better deals we are demanding more control.”

In the first quarter of 2009, 46 percent of consumers took a bundle with two or more services from one operator, such as pay TV groups BSkyB and Virgin Media, up from 39 percent a year earlier.

For mobile phones, some 70 percent of users said they would rather retain their existing handset than upgrade if it meant a cheaper deal.

But the report showed that despite the pressure on spending, consumers were still prepared to pay for services that enhanced the experience, such as digital video recorders, high definition television and mobile broadband.

According to the report, more than a quarter of UK homes had a digital video recorder, while consumers with faster broadband access were also catching up on programs via online catch-up sites.

More than 2 million households had access to a high definition service, according to the report, and 17.6 million HD-ready sets, in nearly 9 million households, have been sold in the UK.

Almost 70 percent of homes took broadband by the end of the first quarter of 2009, up from 58 percent a year ago, while more than one in 10 households had access to mobile broadband.

Of those taking mobile broadband, three quarters also had access to fixed-line broadband, showing the two services can complement each other.

While online, some 19 million Internet users visit Facebook, spending an average of nearly 6 hours per month on the site, although those in the 15 to 24 age group were spending less time on social networking sites in general, down from 55 per cent in the first quarter of 2008 to 50 per cent in 2009.

There were 2.6 million Twitter users by May 2009 — up from 0.1 million on the previous year.

Britons willing to pay for enhanced media services

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USA: AT&T reports significant growth in use of its Wi-Fi hotspots in Q2 2009, fueled by smartphones

[PRNewswire] AT&T, which operates the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network with more than 20,000 U.S. hotspots, today reported a significant second-quarter increase in the number of Wi-Fi connections on the AT&T network, fueled by the rising number of customers with Wi-Fi enabled smartphones.

In the second quarter, AT&T handled nearly 15 million Wi-Fi connections on its network — a 41 percent increase over the first quarter. With approximately 25.6 million connections so far in 2009, AT&T Wi-Fi connections this year have already surpassed the 20 million connections seen in all of 2008.

Additionally, the number of customers with Wi-Fi access as part of their AT&T service continues to grow. AT&T broadband connections — which include both wireline broadband and wireless LaptopConnect cards — grew by 209,000 in the second quarter to reach 16.9 million in service. AT&T includes unlimited Wi-Fi access with qualifying AT&T High Speed Internet plans, 3G LaptopConnect plans and with select smartphone plans.

Wi-Fi Connections Increasingly From Smartphones Versus Laptops

In the second quarter, 49 percent of the total connections were made by integrated devices. This is an increase of 41 percent over the first quarter 2009 — a significant shift that tracks with the growth of Wi-Fi enabled devices.

“Our Wi-Fi network is a competitive differentiator for AT&T and a major value for our customers,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We include unlimited Wi-Fi access with the majority of our broadband and smartphone plans, and our customers are clearly taking advantage of it. It’s another reason that twice as many smartphone customers choose AT&T than any other carrier.”

AT&T Investing in Wi-Fi Network

Since the beginning of the year, AT&T quadrupled its Wi-Fi network authentication capacity in preparation for increased sessions, the ongoing rise in consumer demand for Wi-Fi, and to ensure reliable performance on the network.

“Our customers want both speed and mobility,” said Angie Wiskocil, senior vice president, AT&T Wi-Fi Services. “They love the convenience that AT&T Wi-Fi offers, and we continue to enhance our Wi-Fi network, expand our portfolio of Wi-Fi enabled devices and extend our hotspot footprint to offer the best customer experience.”

Also in the second quarter, AT&T made several Wi-Fi enhancements and formed strategic relationships including smartphone-friendly upgrades to the Giants Digital Dugout Wi-Fi portal at AT&T Park in San Francisco, which serve to enhance the fan experience at Giants home games, and a strategic agreement with Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide to provide complimentary Wi-Fi to any customer that visits a store.

AT&T’s Wi-Fi network complements its wired broadband and wireless 3G networks, offering Wi-Fi connectivity in more than 20,000 hotspots in the U.S. — including retail stores, restaurants and airports from coast-to-coast.

Largest Wi-Fi network claim based on non-municipal company and owned and operated hotspots. An 802.11 b/g enabled device required.

AT&T Sees Significant Rise in Wi-Fi Hotspot Connections During Second Quarter
see also A full list of AT&T Wi-Fi locations

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They’re coming! Small hybrid cars, at least from Japan

Are small and compact hybrid cars are a critical piece of the future of the auto industry. Or, are American automakers right to ignore this segment? Is history repeating itself?Will America compete?

When it comes to hybrid cars, it’s still all about the Toyota Prius. Surprisingly, however, after a decade on the market, only Honda has sought to challenge the Prius. American automakers, on the other hand, seem inclined to eventually sell some new, conventional small cars to both compete with the Prius and to help meet tougher CAFE standards.

Still, after decades of small car market domination in America, Japanese automakers again seem to be taking a far more aggressive approach to the small vehicle market. Quite simply, small cars are not enough. Ultra-efficient small cars seem to be Japan’s next focus.

For instance, Toyota’s Yaris and Corolla platforms are already being upgraded for hybrid production, and numerous small and compact hybrids are now inevitable. Likewise, Honda will soon offer hybrid versions of the Fit and the CR-Z.

Small hybrids, priced well under $20,000, will soon hit American shores. Yet, much like the American response to the Prius, American automakers seem to believe this front requires no response.

For decades US automakers have completely misunderstood and underestimated the small car market in America. Is history set to again repeat itself, or is it Honda and Toyota that have misjudged the importance of small hybrids?

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Ghana: Mobile penetration at the end of 2008 was close to 50% and could reach 60% in 2009

[official wire] Ghana ended 2008 with a mobile penetration rate teetering at close to 50%, and nearly 11.8mn mobile subscribers. Penetration broke through the 50% mark in the first quarter of 2009, and we see the market ending the year with 60% penetration. The operators are hoping that 2009 will see 3G take off in Ghana. At the very end of 2008, Zain launched as the fifth operator on the market. It launched as a 2G and 3G operator, making it the first to offer 3G services in the country. It only managed this by a whisker, however, as market leader MTN launched its own 3G network soon afterwards. Coverage of the new services remains fairly minimal, but the operators are working at expanding it, and Vodafone has contracted Huawei to upgrade its own network. 3G could help boost uptake of internet services in Ghana, and will hopefully give the operators a fresh revenue stream, which may be helpful as the increasing levels of competition put some pressure on their ARPUs. April 2008 was the month that Vodafone chose to rebrand One Touch and Ghana Telecom as Vodafone. BMI did wonder if it would wait until its own 3G launch to have a big occasion as a launch pad for the new brand. The decision to push ahead with an earlier rebranding suggests that Vodafone feels it has overcome a lot of the negative press that surrounded its purchase of Ghana Telecom, although there are still some inquiries going on into the details of the deal. Ghana’s fixed-line market is looking fairly healthy, as African fixed-line markets go. Penetration is close to 2%, and Vodafone is apparently investing in extending the Ghana Telecom network. At the same time, the National Communications Authority (NCA) is in the process of issuing national and zonal fixedwireless licences, in an effort to promote competition in the fixed-line sector and reinvigorate the market. In December 2008 the Main One cable company received landing rights to connect its undersea cable to increasing the bandwidth of hungry Ghana. Internet use has been quite slow to take off, and cheaper international bandwidth will certainly be beneficial. However, it may have a more dramatic impact on other areas of the telecoms industry, since all carriers have to pay, one way or another, for international connectivity, and reductions in costs could lead to lower prices, which are often lamented as being too high.

Ghana Ended 2008 With A Mobile Penetration Rate Close To 50%

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