Mobile Banking for the "Unbanked" in South Africa

Mobile Banking in Kenya

Heaviest Users on Verizon Wireless Network Might be Throttled at Times of Peak Congestion

That's one way to reconcile "unlimited service" plans and very-heavy usage by some consumers.

You may remember the "Negroponte Switch," the notion that broadband services formerly provided "over the air" are moving to fixed network delivery, while narrowband services formerly provided by fixed networks are moving to wireless delivery.

The idea is over a decade old, but still resonates, with the added observation that video and broadband services also are moving to virtually all devices connected to the network.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negroponte_switch for background on the idea.

Still, some of the major business implications are becoming clear enough for some startling new predictions. PRTM, for example, now argues that, over the next decade, mobile networks will become the providers of "universal service," while fixed networks become specialist providers of video and broadband services, much as the Negroponte Switch" a decade ago would have predicted.

There are all sorts of implications. Fixed-line providers are going to have to work hard to ensure a significant role for themselves in the fixed-line broadband ecosystem, since so many broadband-based applications can be delivered "over the top."

:Read more here..

Submarine Cable Refresh Cycle Approaches

With the caveat that "where" a fiber or cable is makes a huge difference, we are approaching a couple-year period where existing cables laid 10 to 12 years ago will reach 50 percent of capacity.

That will be a trigger for laying replacement cables.

If you assume a 20-year useful life for new optical fibers put into service, then irrespective of loading, service providers would have to begin thinking about replacement as a matter of course.

Some suppliers will argue they can enhance the useful life of such fibers. Susan Vandament, XK director of business development, for example, says her firm has tested older fibers and found its gear could boost performance above what one might expect. If that proves to be the case for older cables, submarine cable network providers might squeeze a bit more life out of existing cables.

read more here

SuperBowl Ad Strategy Still Works, Groupon Finds

Produce an ad you are fairly certain to be rejected. Get word of mouth about the rejected ad. Get views. Don't pay $2.5 million to $2.8 million. In this case, Groupon itself says it "rejected" the ad. It's the same concept.

Nexus X Tablet Boot-Up Screen

Not a suggestion you buy a tablet device for the boot-up screen. But it won't hurt, either. And here's a bit more detail on the new Android tablet operating system, "Honeycomb."