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Tag: SmarTone

  • SmarTone signs pre-5G partnership with Ericsson

    SmarTone signs pre-5G partnership with Ericsson

    Hong Kong’s SmarTone has contracted Ericsson as its sole supplier for core and RAN equipment over the next five years, as part of a partnership aimed at paving the way for 5G deployment.

    The companies plan to conduct early trials and pilot deployments of key pre-5G technologies from this quarter.

    Ericsson will help SmarTone upgrade and expand its network infrastructure and refarm more spectrum for LTE, and will deploy NFV and SDN technologies to improve network performance and efficiency.

    The companies have been working to introduce technologies including LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced Pro to the SmarTone network.

    “SmarTone is pleased to extend our strategic partnership with Ericsson to pave the way for 5G in Hong Kong,” SmarTone CTO Stephen Chau said.

    “[We] will continue to invest in spectrum and pre-5G technologies within the next few years to provide a superior customer experience and to evolve our network into an advanced, dynamic and cloud-based network architecture.”

    He said the deployment will help the company capture future business opportunities from new types of applications including VR and M2M applications such as the IoT.

    SmarTone was established in 1992 and publicly listed in 1996. The company provides voice, mobile and fixed broadband services in Hong Kong and Macau.

  • SmarTone deploying 4G at two new HK rail lines

    SmarTone deploying 4G at two new HK rail lines

    Hong Kong mobile operator SmarTone is extending its 4G coverage to two new MTR rail network extensions.

    The operator announced it has provided full turnkey multi-operator integrated radio systems to the new Kwun Tong Line Extension, covering the Whampoa and Ho Man Tin stations, under contract from MTR Corporation (MTRC).

    By the end of the year SmarTone also plans to extend 4G coverage on all South Island Line (East) stations.

    The mobile systems will incorporate the latest LTE-Advanced technologies including tri-band carrier aggregation.

    “With the extension of our 4G coverage, SmarTone customers enjoy an outstanding mobile experience on the new MTR Kwun Tong Line Extension. We have also been working closely with MTRC to upgrade and expand the capacity of the existing MTR urban lines, which include the high-traffic stations on the Island Line, Kwun Tong Line and Tsuen Wan Line,” SmarTone CEO Stephen Chau said.

    “SmarTone will continue to invest in spectrum and LTE-Advanced Pro / pre-5G technologies within the next few years to provide a superior customer experience and to evolve SmarTone’s network into an advanced, dynamic and cloud-based network architecture.”

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  • SmarTone FY16 profit falls 15%

    SmarTone FY16 profit falls 15%

    Hong Kong’s SmarTone has reported a 15% slump in net profit for the financial year ending in June, as the company felt the brunt of the ongoing maturation of the smartphone market.

    Net profit declined to HK$797 million ($102.7 million), as handset earnings crashed 77% back to historical levels due to the impact of this maturation on the smartphone segment.

    Group total revenue fell 2% to HK$18.36 billion, with service revenue also declining 2% due in part to lower roaming and pre-paid revenue.

    But net of handset subsidy amortization service revenue stayed flat at HK$4.79 billion due to underlying growth in the operator’s local postpaid business.

    Hong Kong customer numbers grew 1% to 1.97 million, with postpaid churn remaining unchanged at 0.9%. Mobile postpaid ARPU meanwhile rose 2% to HK$301.

    While SmarTone noted that the Hong Kong telecoms market remains competitive, the operator expressed optimism about its prospects for the current financial year. SmarTone’s financial report notes that the company is “well-placed to capture industry opportunities and bring value to both customers and shareholders in the long term.”

  • SmarTone launches multi-device Wi-Fi calling

    SmarTone launches multi-device Wi-Fi calling

    Hong Kong’s SmarTone has introduced Wi-Fi calling for multiple devices using equipment provided by Ericsson.

    The new Wi-Fi calling service allows customers to pair up to five personal devices that lack SIM cards – including tablets, computers and smart watches – to enable operator voice calls via Wi-Fi connections.

    Devices can be located across different Wi-Fi access points, and calls can be seamlessly transferred to a user’s smartphones. The service also supports multiple simultaneous calls using the same number.

    Ericsson has adapted its existing Wi-Fi calling offering to support multi-device functionality. The company is offering an end-to-end platform comprising the evolved packet core, IMS, user data management and OSS/BSS.

    “SmarTone has always focused on delivering outstanding experience to our customers. With the trend of more and more customers using multiple devices nowadays, we offer Wi-Fi calling for multi-device service to our customers,” SmarTone CTO Stephen Chau said.

    “We believe the new capability to extend our voice service to devices without a SIM-card is adding genuine convenience to our customers.”

    A recent Ericsson ConsumerLab survey of basic Wi-Fi calling users in the US showed that four in five are very satisfied with the service. Around one in three international smartphone users are aware of the technology, Ericsson said, and of these seven in 10 find the prospect appealing.

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  • SmarTone debuts Flexi-switch for mobile plans

    SmarTone debuts Flexi-switch for mobile plans

    Hong Kong’s SmarTone has unveiled a new brand campaign which includes introducing the ability for customers to change mobile plans during an initial trial period.

    SmarTone’s new Flexi-switch service will allow customers to trial their mobile plan for a three month period, and change their plans in line with their data usage needs once during this trial period.

    Customers will be able to either upgrade or downgrade their plans based on their experiences during those first months.

    Flexi-switch has been introduced as part of SmarTone’s new “We’re for Smiles” campaign, as a component of the TrueCare series of services designed to address customer needs.

    Other newly-introduced TrueCare services are a free service that allows customers to rent powerbanks from SmarTone stores if their smartphones run out of batteries while on the go, a free screen replace service and the anti-cyberattack software service ST Protect.

    “At SmarTone, we have always focused on understanding our customers’ needs in order to provide them with the most relevant services,”  SmarTone head of marketing and sales Josephine Lim commented.

    “From our recent consumer research, we observed that a lot of Hong Kong consumers prefer quality customer service and flexible service plans.”

  • SmarTone launches cyber security suite

    SmarTone launches cyber security suite

    Hong Kong operator SmarTone has launched ST Protect, an anti-cyberattack software with on-device AI and a Machine Learning behavioral engine designed to protect smartphones from known and even unknown threats.

    Cyberattacks have rocketed in recent years. In Hong Kong, there was an 86% increase in the number of security issues related to mobile devices in 2015 compared to the previous year. Globally, more than 87% of the top mobile apps have been hacked.

    Stephen Chau, SmarTone’s interim CEO, said the new product is design to help their customers to “actively combat” mobile security threats.

    “Recently we have observed the increasing trend of mobile threats and cyberattacks around the world as well as in Hong Kong, with WiFi attacks, viruses and malware continuing to become more prevalent,” he noted. “In many cases, these mobile security issues could lead to severe consequences for smartphone users – from financial loss to the exposure of their private data or personal communications to the public, and even ID theft. There is a pressing need for smartphone users to protect their phones.”

    ST Protect is powered by Zimperium, a US-based security and technology company that has invented the world’s first mobile AI intrusion prevention system. It provides continuous and real-time protection to smartphones against the following mobile threats.

    WiFi attacks and hacking, especially Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, no matter whether users are in Hong Kong or overseas: ST Protect alerts users to immediately terminate unsafe WiFi connections if threats are found.

    ST Protect detects and stops abnormal app activities with patented behavioral analytics, and ensures apps only access permitted information. It also offers protection for known and unknown threats and even zero-day attacks. It also alerts users when their smartphone is under attack.

  • SmarTone opens online store for smartphones, accessories

    SmarTone opens online store for smartphones, accessories

    SmarTone has launched a new online store for customers looking to buy smartphones and accessories.

    The store at shop.smartone.com will provide customers with a range of online exclusive offers, including a 12-month screen replacement warranty for smartphones and HK$50 off on accessories for every HK$1,000 smartphone purchase.

    Customers will be able to use the shop to choose their own numbers for prepaid SIMs from a pool of sought after numbers.

    The store will also offer free delivery to commercial addresses in Hong Kong for every order over HK$300.

    As a promotional offer, the company is providing winning customers with up to a HK$1,000 rebate on their orders, for a total pool of store credit worth HK$100,000. The promotion ends on Tuesday.

    SmarTone interim CEO Stephen Chau said the new store is aimed at adapting to the changing demands of Hong Kong consumers.

    “SmarTone has always focused on delivering an outstanding experience to our customers. In recent years, we have observed the trend of Hong Kong consumers shopping online,” he said.

    “To better serve customer needs, our new online store focuses on bringing products from quality brands internationally to customers, and they also enjoy our renowned customer care such as gift wrapping service and 24/7 Web Chat. Leveraging on our omni-channel capability, we aim to provide customers with an enjoyable shopping experience.”