Mobily has selected Ericsson to provide EPC (Electronic Product Code) networks in the western region of Saudi Arabia, boosting the mobile data network router capacity four-fold.

As part of the agreement, Ericsson will upgrade the EPC network with the Evolved Packet Gateway based on the SSR 8000 family to support LTE and prepare the network for Voice over LTE (VoLTE).

As part of the agreement, Ericsson will also provide systems integration, design and managed services, extending the scope of the existing managed services partnership with Mobily, which began in 2005.

To date, Ericsson has been awarded 51 contracts for the SSR 8000 family of Smart Service Routers, which is one of the key components of its 4G IP network vision.

Five consortia have submitted applications to be awarded three mobile virtual network (MVNO) licences in Saudi Arabia. The deadline for the submission of applications closed on May 11 with Axiom Mobile, Virgin Mobile Saudi Consortium, Jawraa Consortium, FirstNet Consortium, and Safari Consortium all having submitted applications within the required time.

Comm. has learnt that Axiom Mobile has applied to be hosted by Zain Saudi Arabia, while Virgin Mobile Saudi Consortium has applied to be hosted by Saudi Telecom (STC), and the remaining three consortia have applied to be hosted by Mobily. Each network operator is permitted to host a single MVNO, so in the case of Mobily two of the three bidding consortia will definitely be unsuccessful.

The Saudi Telecom regulator, CITC, has said it will take up to 12 weeks to deliberate on the applications, with notice of the winners possible ahead of that time.

It is understood that the FirstNet Consortium is backed by the Atheeb Group, while the Safari Consortium is backed by Kingdom Holding.

BlackBerry has announced plans to make its own mobile social network, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), available on Apple and Android smartphones this summer, with support planned for iOS6, and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) at launch.

"For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community," said Andrew Bocking, executive VP, Software Product Management and Ecosystem, at BlackBerry.

Apple iOS and Android users would be able to add their contacts through PIN, email, SMS or QR code scan, regardless of platform. Android users would also be able to connect using a compatible NFC-capable device.

BBM has more than 60 million monthly active customers, with more than 51 million people using BBM an average of 90 minutes per day.

Today, BlackBerry also announced BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow customers to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups they are passionate about. BlackBerry plans to add support for BBM Channels as well as voice and video chatting for iOS and Android later this year, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.

If approved by Apple and Google, the BBM app will be available as a free download.

Zain Kuwait has deployed Nokia Siemens Networks’ (NSN) Customer Experience Management (CEM), ensuring a superior service experience for its mobile broadband customers.

NSN developed and deployed a new Geo Information System (GIS) for Zain Kuwait, displaying network performance related key performance indicators (KPIs) for its customer base located across Kuwait – with the possibility to drill down to district level, block level and even cell ID level. The company also integrated important commercial KPIs into this GIS, which gives Zain Kuwait the unique capability to display and compare network performance KPIs with commercial KPIs within the same CEM solution. As a result, GIS has become a primary input tool for Zain Kuwait’s strategic decisions.

Batelco reported a 17 per cent fall in its first quarter profits as the company was hurt by increased competition in its home market.

Revenues also fell, by nine per cent to BD71.0 million (US$188.3 million). Net profits came in at BD13.4 million (US$35.5 million).

There has however been a further diversification of Group revenues with 42 per cent of revenues and 39 per cent of EBITDA now sourced from markets outside Bahrain, and this trend is continuing with the recent acquisition of Cable & Wireless Communications’ (CWC) Monaco & Islands businesses.

For the period, Batelco grew its subscribers to 7.9 million across its six existing markets, a rise of 15 per cent year-on-year and one per cent quarter-on-quarter. This reflected continued growth in mobile and broadband across key overseas markets. Mobile subscriber numbers grew 13 per cent year-on- year and this increase was largely attributed to customer growth in Jordan and Yemen.

It also reflects the success of on-going efforts in Bahrain to maintain customer loyalty and numbers. Similarly, positive results were also achieved in broadband where customer numbers for the quarter increased by 76 per cent year-on-year.