Research and Markets: By Early 2010 Mobile Penetration in Singapore Had Passed 140%, With 3G Customers Comprising Some 47% of the Total Mobile Subscriber Base

June 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

DUBLIN–(Business Wire)–
Research and Markets
(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/a8f9eb/singapore_key_st) has
announced the addition of the “Singapore – Key Statistics, Telecom Market and
Regulatory Overviews” report to their offering.

Singapore continues to maintain a strong positive outlook in the country’s
telecommunications sector. The island state has built a competitive telecoms
market over the past three decades, aided by its geographical location and its
excellent infrastructure. It was one of the first countries in the world to have
a fully digital telephone network. In 2009 the World Economic Forum (WEF)
described Singapore as Asia’s most connected country, noting that it was leading
the region in terms of ICT development. By early 2010 mobile penetration had
passed 140%, with 3G customers comprising some 47% of the total mobile
subscriber base. Singapore’s mobile operators were already looking closely at
the Long Term Evolution (LTE) platform for providing faster mobile broadband
Internet access into the future. This report looks at the ways in which the
telecom sector is growing in Singapore and how it has been assisted in its
development by the governments strong commitment to, and its bold action in the
ongoing deregulation of the industry.

Key Topics Covered:

* Synopsis
* Key statistics
* Telecommunications market o Overview of Singapore’s telecom market o
Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015) o Next Generation National Infocomm
Infrastructure (Next Gen NII)
* Regulatory environment o Regulatory authorities Telecommunications Authority
of Singapore (TAS) Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) o Regulatory
developments Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Fine-tuning of access regulations
Service contracts
* Related reports
* Table 1 – Country statistics – 2009
* Table 2 – Telephone network statistics – 2009
* Table 3 – Internet user statistics – 2009
* Table 4 – Broadband statistics – January 2010
* Table 5 – Mobile statistics – January 2010
* Table 6 – National telecommunications authorities
* Table 7 – Fixed-line versus mobile growth – subscribers and penetration – 1998
- 2009
* Exhibit 1 – A snapshot of the Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015) project
* Exhibit 2 – Key regulatory and liberalisation developments – 1997 – 2010

For more information visit

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/a8f9eb/singapore_key_st

Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager,
press@researchandmarkets.com
U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907
Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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Factbox: Who is EMI’s Guy Hands?

June 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Here are some key facts on Hands:

* HANDS AND EMI:

– Hands has become embroiled in an increasingly bitter legal dispute with Citigroup, the U.S. bank, which advised on and provided financing for Terra Firma’s 4 billion pound ($5.83 billion) acquisition of EMI in 2007.

– A U.S. judge has scheduled September 10 for a pretrial conference in Manhattan federal court over Terra Firma’s claim that Citigroup inflated the price of EMI by failing to reveal that the only other remaining bidder had withdrawn from the auction. (EMI rejects the claim).

– EMI posted a 1.56 billion pound ($2.27 billion) full-year loss in February and warned of a likely significant shortfall after its banking covenants were tested at the end of March.

– Terra Firma has asked investors for 360 million pounds ($524.4 million) to help EMI through covenant tests until 2015.

– Some analysts say Hands is beginning to turn EMI around. Cost cutting and investment in new acts seems to be paying off.

LIFE DETAILS:

– Hands was born in August 1959 in Kent and educated at Ravenscroft School, Beckington, and later at the Judd School, Tonbridge. Hands graduated with an MA in politics, philosophy and economics from Mansfield College, Oxford University.

– He began his career in finance in 1982 as a bond trader at Goldman Sachs, where he went on to become head of eurobond trading and later head of the global asset structuring group. Hands left Goldman to join Nomura in 1994.

– As managing director of the Principal Finance Group, a division within Nomura, Hands used his considerable balance sheet skills to snap up everything from trains to pubs.

– Hands spun off PFG from Nomura in 1997; in 2002 PFG became what is now Terra Firma Capital Partners. Terra Firma is, based in Guernsey and Hands moved there in 2009 in protest at Britain’s tax regime, joining a growing colony of British tax exiles living on the island.

– He was elected a global leader of tomorrow at the World Economic Forum in 2000 in recognition of his achievements.

* MAJOR DEALS:

– In 1996 Hands acquired 4,300 British pubs, briefly making him and Nomura the country’s largest pub landlords.

– In the same year, he acquired the assets of British Rail to form Angel Trains, Britain’s largest rolling stock leasing company.

– In 2004, he created Europe’s largest cinema chain through the acquisition and merger of Odeon and UCI. Also in 2004, he created the UK’s largest landfill operator.

– In 2007 came the EMI deal, which may end up defining Hands’s career.

Sources: Reuters/www.efinancialnews.com/www.welovebusiness.co.uk

(Writing by David Cutler; London Editorial Reference Unit)

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INTERVIEW – Thai PM says election possible early next year

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Thai Prime Minsiter Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Sunday that an emergency decree would remain in place for now, but the situation was calm and an election was possible early next year.

Abhisit, in an interview, also said economic growth in the second quarter could exceed 6 percent and full-year growth could be close to 6 percent. He expected no rush by the central bank to raise rates as that would depend on recovery and inflation.

The prime minister said he wanted a quick end to emergency measures, imposed on about a third of the country amid the most violent protests in the country’s modern history between security forces and “red shirt” anti-government protesters.

But they would remain in place for now.

“I think people understand that this is needed to make sure that we can curb some of the remaining activities as far as those who want to use violent means are concerned,” Abhisit told Reuters on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum meeting.

Things were calm, he said, but “feelings could run high”.

“We want to do it as soon as possible,” he said.

“And what we’re waiting now is to make sure that everything’s in place, the police, the governors who’ll be the ones to tell us that they are confident to deal with the situation without added special power granted by the state of emergency.”

An early election, focal point of the protests, could solve problems and lead to reconciliation.

“If we pursue the reconciliation plan, if we get good cooperation, especially from people in the opposition, I think we could look at elections sooner rather than later,” he said.

The mostly poor rural and urban protesters, broadly allied with ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, blame authorities for the violence during which 88 people were killed.

Protesters, camped out in Bangkok for six weeks, had demanded an early election, saying Abhisit had no popular mandate and had come to power illegitimately in a parliamentary vote.

On the economy, Abhisit 12 percent gross domestic product growth in the first quarter had been “very impressive”. Forecasts had been cut back, but he hoped to achieve 6 percent for 2010, exceeding a state planning agency projection of 3.5-4.5 percent.

Interest rates had been kept at a record low of 1.25 percent since April 2009 to help revive the economy and any central bank move to raise them, he said, would depend on annual inflation, which picked up to 3.5 percent in May from April’s 3.0 percent.

“I don’t think they will be in a rush to raise interest rates, but obviously that will depend on how strong a recovery we see and how much upward pressure there is on inflation,” he said.

(Editing by Ron Popeski)

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Sanjay Gupta named WEF’s Young Global Leader

March 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON: Sanjay Gupta, an Indian-American senior executive, has been chosen by the World Economic Forum for its 2010 class of Young Global Leaders.

Gupta, a second-generation Indian-American, is the senior vice president and advisor to the executive chairman of Abraxis BioScience, a leading pharmaceutical and health-care innovator based in the US with offices throughout the world.

Commenting on his selection, Gupta stated: “I am deeply honoured to be a member of the 2010 class of Young Global Leaders (YGL) and I look forward to working with the YGL community around the world to advance a host of innovative and socially-beneficial initiatives.”

“We are delighted that Sanjay has been recognised for his past and ongoing contributions to social progress through his innovative thinking, vision, and leadership,” said Patrick Soon-Shiong, executive chairman of Abraxis BioScience.

“We look forward to supporting his commitment to improving society and the ideals of the Young Global Leaders at the World Economic Forum.”

The honour, bestowed each year by the forum, recognises and acknowledges between 100 and 200 outstanding young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.

Rachel Maddow of MSNBC, tennis player Roger Federer, and the co-founder of Twitter, Evan Williams, are among those selected this year.

Recipients in prior years include the co-founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founder and CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, and television journalist Anderson Cooper.

Prior to joining Abraxis, Gupta served as the director of social enterprise at Intel Corporation. He has also served as the chief financial officer and director of strategy for Dossia, a social-enterprise sponsored by Intel, Wal-Mart, Pitney-Bowes, AT&T, Sanofi-Aventis, Cardinal Health, Vanguard Health, Abraxis BioScience, Applied Materials, and BP America.

Gupta was previously managing director and founder of Realstrategy, a boutique strategy consulting firm based in the US, and was also a partner at Geo Health Partners, an investment partnership which focussed on health care investments domestically and internationally.

Gupta was educated at the University of Oxford, where he earned his MBA and was a member of Merton College. He studied Philosophy at Georgetown University and also studied Bioethics at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics.

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World Toilet Day | World Toilet Day 2009 | World Toilet Day – 19 November | World Toilet Organization | www.worldtoilet.org

November 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

World Toilet Day | World Toilet Day 2009 | World Toilet Day – 19 November | World Toilet Organization | www.worldtoilet.org

19 November is World Toilet Day – a day to celebrate the humble, yet vitally important, toilet and to raise awareness of the global sanitation crisis.

Did you know?

1. 2.5 billion people do not have somewhere safe, private or hygienic to go to the toilet.
2. One gram of faeces can contain 10 million viruses, one million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts and 100 parasite eggs.
3. The simple act of washing hands with soap and water after going to the toilet can reduce diarrhoeal diseases by over 40%.
4. Safe disposal of children’s faeces leads to a reduction of nearly 40% in childhood diarrhoea.

About World Toilet Organization :

World Toilet Organization (WTO) is a global non- profit organization committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide.

WTO is a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur and an Ashoka Global Fellow. WTO was recently appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water Security.

World Toilet Organization Website – http://www.worldtoilet.org/

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WHO to address non-communicable diseases efforts in Millenium Development Goals

July 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Geneva (Switzerland), July 9 (ANI): Non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, cancers, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and common injuries account for the vast majority of all global deaths, but because they are not yet included as priorities in the global development agenda, donors and international organizations have yet to pledge support to help developing countries address these leading health problems.

As the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meets in Geneva this week to focus on global public health commitments, many health and development leaders will call upon the international development community to integrate indicators on non-communicable diseases and injuries into the core Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) monitoring and evaluation system.

To support these efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) today announced the launch of a network of leading organizations and experts from around the world. The network will scale up action to combat non-communicable diseases, strengthen global partnerships and help governments plan and implement measures to reduce the burden of these diseases.

The new Global Non-communicable Disease Network (NCDnet) will unite currently fragmented efforts by bringing the cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes and respiratory communities together with tobacco control, healthy diets, and physical activity advocates.

“Integrating the prevention of non-communicable diseases and injuries into the national and global development agendas is not only achievable but also a priority for developing countries,” said Dr. Ala Alwan, Assistant Director-General Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health, WHO.

“The goals of the new network are to increase focus on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, to increase resource availability and to catalyze effective multi-stakeholder action at global and country levels.”

Strengthened by the support of the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, and leading NGOs such as the World Heart Federation, the International Diabetes Federation and the International Union against Cancer, NCDnet will advocate for action to raise the priority accorded to non-communicable diseases in development work at global and national levels.

“Non-communicable diseases are a serious threat to global well-being,” said Richard Samans, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum.

“They present a growing economic and social challenge for many developed and developing countries.

At the World Economic Forum we are committed to working with WHO, and in collaboration with other international partners, to build an effective Global Non-communicable Disease Network.” (ANI)

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G11 group signs accord to improve economic cooperation

May 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Dead Sea, Jordan – A group of lower-middle-income states, known as the Group of Eleven (G-11), on Saturday signed an agreement to boost economic, trade and cultural cooperation among the member countries.

The signing of the accord took place at the end of a summit meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Conference (WEF) currently in process at the Dead Sea resort.

The bloc, established in 2005 as a Jordanian-led initiative, groups Jordan, Croatia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Honduras, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay and Sri Lanka.

The agreement provides “an institutional framework for the partnership” among the group’s member states, a joint communique issued at the meeting said.

The statement hailed the “progress” made in the dialogue initiated by the G11 presidency with the G8 group in 2007 in Berlin, and urged a continuation of talks between the two groups on more specific areas of cooperation.

The meeting underscored the importance of the implementation of commitments outlined at the G20 summit last month in London in supporting developing economies, to enable them to cope with economic hardships from the global financial crisis and to restore growth and long-term sustainability, the statement said.(dpa)

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Facebook allows MNCs to make profits from 150M members’ private data

February 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Feb 2 (ANI): In a bid to create revenue from Facebook’s 150 million members, the founder of the popular social networking site has created one of the world’s largest market research databases.

With the move, Mark Zuckerberg has finally taken a step to cash-in on Facebook, which was once valued at 15 billion dollars.

Facebook will soon allow multinational companies to selectively target its members in order to research the appeal of new products.

Thus, companies could be posing questions to specially selected members based on such intimate details as whether they are single or married and even whether they are gay or straight.

In the past, Facebook has struggled to make money from advertising.

And the company has now been demonstrating the benefits of its new instant polling tool to some of the most influential business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Randi Zuckerberg, Facebook’s global markets director and sister of founder Mark Zuckerberg, 24, said that multinational companies were impressed by the ability to receive real-time feedback from the site’s millions of users.

“I had tonnes of people saying ‘this could be so incredible for our business’. It takes a very long time to do a focus group, and businesses often don’t have the luxury of time. I think they liked the instant responses,” the Telegraph quoted her as saying.

She added: “Davos is really a key place to launch an instant tool like this. It’s beneficial for everyone to see us as a global community of 150m users. The vast majority are not just college students in the US talking about things in their bedrooms. We are showing how we are a serious and insightful community.”

Facebook stereotyped as a website used by students or schoolchildren, now promotes users as “serious and insightful” adults to advertise its members as a useful demographic for marketers.

According to marketing experts, Facebook’s vast amount of personal information, together with the loyalty of its users, could be worth “untold millions” to companies engaged in market research.

In fact, Facebook has already sold the new polling system, called engagement ads, to CareerBuilder, a global graduate recruitment company, and AT and T, the US telecoms giant, is trialling the system.

A Facebook spokesman said that the company’s advertising department was marketing the new service to thousands of companies worldwide, and was hoping that the polls would go live this spring. (ANI)

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London sees four Pak Prime Ministers in a day

February 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Feb. 1 (ANI): It has been an unusual Saturday for London that witnessed the presence of four Pakistani prime ministers in the British Capital.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Shaukat Aziz held an informal meeting . Nawaz Sharif landed in early afternoon to be with his ailing son while the current PM Yousuf Raza Gilani touched down in London on Saturday evening to change plane and head home after a fruitless few days at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Hussain was quoted by the news as saying that his party would follow the model of parliamentary politics of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) rather than playing a second fiddle to either the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) or reuniting with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

After his meeting with the current Pakistan PM Gilani, Hussain observed that Gilani might outlast President Asif Ali Zardari.

” President Zardari is underestimating the strength of Prime Minister. Gilani has been with us and we know how he works,” Hussain said.

Hussain also met his successor Shaukat Aziz at a lunch at the Jumeirah Carlton Hotel in Knightsbridge, and is believed to have discussed the scene in the political corridors of Islamabad.

While, revealing his plan to meet MQM leader Altaf Hussain early next week, the former prime minister clarified saying, there was no truth to his party forming an alliance with either the PPP or the PML-N.

“These are only rumours. We will stay independent and play the part of a healthy opposition. Some party members support a merger with the PML-N while others prefer the ruling PPP. But I think the best policy is to stay as we are and benefit from benign neutrality in a manner that is enjoyed by the MQM,” said Hussain.

Hussain categorically denied any possibility of meeting Nawaz Sharif in London but added that he feels sorry for Nawaz Sharif’s younger son, Hasan, who is suffering from multiple sclerosis (an illness affecting the nerve cells of the brain and spine that gradually makes it difficult for someone to move, speak or see).

“He is like my son and I feel sorry for him and would pray for his health and complete recovery,” he said while indicating possibility of visiting Sharif’s home only to enquire about Hasan’s health. (ANI)

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London sees four Pak Prime Ministers in a day

February 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Feb. 1 (ANI): It has been an unusual saturday for London that witnessed the presence of four Pakistani prime ministers in in the British Capital.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Shaukat Aziz held an informal meeting . Nawaz Sharif landed in early afternoon to be with his ailing son while the current PM Yousuf Raza Gilani touched down in London on Saturday evening to change plane and head home after a fruitless few days at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Hussain was quoted by the news as saying that his party would follow the model of parliamentary politics of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) rather than playing a second fiddle to either the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) or reuniting with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

After his meeting with the current Pakistan PM Gilani, Hussain observed that Gilani might outlast President Asif Ali Zardari.

” President Zardari is underestimating the strength of Prime Minister. Gilani has been with us and we know how he works,” Hussain said.

Hussain also met his successor Shaukat Aziz at a lunch at the Jumeirah Carlton Hotel in Knightsbridge, and is believed to have discussed the scene in the political corridors of Islamabad.

While, revealing his plan to meet MQM leader Altaf Hussain early next week, the former prime minister clarified saying, there was no truth to his party forming an alliance with either the PPP or the PML-N.

“These are only rumours. We will stay independent and play the part of a healthy opposition. Some party members support a merger with the PML-N while others prefer the ruling PPP. But I think the best policy is to stay as we are and benefit from benign neutrality in a manner that is enjoyed by the MQM,” said Hussain.

Hussain categorically denied any possibility of meeting Nawaz Sharif in London but added that he feels sorry for Nawaz Sharif’s younger son, Hasan, who is suffering from multiple sclerosis (an illness affecting the nerve cells of the brain and spine that gradually makes it difficult for someone to move, speak or see).

“He is like my son and I feel sorry for him and would pray for his health and complete recovery,” he said while indicating possibility of visiting Sharif’s home only to enquire about Hasan’s health. (ANI)

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US drone attacks on Pakistani territory were “counterproductive” : Pak PM

January 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Davos, Jan. 29 (ANI): Pakistan’s Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the US drone attacks on Pakistani territory were “counterproductive” and called for a new approach by Washington.

He explained that each drone attack undermined Pakistan’s policy of trying to build relations with tribes in restive areas and separate them from militants.

Addressing a panel discussion in the World Economic Forum (WEF) here on Thursday, he said that the world community should work for the economic stability in Pakistan. He added that stable Pakistan and Afghanistan are in world’s interest.

The Pakistan Prime Minister reiterated that no one would be allowed to challenge the writ of the state. Responding to a question, Gilani said that drone attacks were undermining the efforts of Pakistani government that it took to bring normalcy in tribal areas.

“To win the war on terror, it is essential to win the hearts and support of the people, without the support of the people, no policy could be successful”, The News quoted Gilani as saying

“When there is a drone attack that unites them again, the tribes and the militants,” he told delegates here during a discussion about Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“This thing is counterproductive for Pakistan and the Pakistan military,” he said.

He said, “Army action is not the only solution. We have to have a new strategy because in the US and in Pakistan, the people have voted for a change.”(ANI)

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Mumbai attacks planned outside Pakistan: Pak investigators

January 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Davos, Jan.29 (ANI): The initial probe report into the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks has revealed that the attacks were not planned inside its territory, if Pakistani authorities are to be believed.

According to the Daily Times, Pakistani investigators have completed the initial investigations based on the Indian dossier, and have found out that the attacks were not masterminded inside Pakistan.

The report has been submitted to the Pakistan Interior Ministry, which is expected to make the details public on January 31st after a high level meeting today, the paper quoted a private television channel, as saying.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Pakistan would release the details of the investigation into the Mumbai attacks ‘very soon’.

“If there is anything substantive, we will certainly share (it) with the world,” Gilani told reporters here.

Gilani is in Davos to attend the four-day World Economic Forum.(ANI)

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