In a regular series, Mobile World Live‘s Asia Editor Joseph Waring provides a regional roundup of news snippets:

88% of Malaysians access internet via mobile
Malaysians now spend almost 60 per cent of their online time accessing social media sites.

The average daily time spent online increased last year to 336 minutes (5 hours and 36 minutes), and the average time on social media was 3 hours and 17 minutes, according to a survey TNS conducted for the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

A total of 64 per cent of Malaysians use social media.

The MCMC reported that 88 per cent of the 20.3 million people with broadband access are mobile broadband subscribers.

The country’s communications and multimedia industry expanded 4.5 per cent last year to MYR53.4 billion ($16.9 billion). Telecoms operators accounted for 85 per cent of that revenue while broadcasting contributed 11 per cent.

Kill-switch bill filed in Manila
A lawmaker in the Philippines has submitted a bill that would require mobile operators to install ‘kill switch’ software that can remotely delete data and disable handsets. The bill, which would cover only postpaid subscribers, was filled by Representative Lorna Velasco, who added that the proposed law would effectively weaken, if not eliminate completely, the black market for stolen mobile phones.

Huawei opens R&D centre in France
China’s Huawei has opened an R&D centre in southern France and has hired 20 engineers. It will add another ten engineers by the end of the year. Located in Sophia Antipolis technology park, 25km southwest of Nice, the facility will focus on smartphone cameras, image signal processors, micro-electronics and software. Huawei has 17 facilities in Europe in eight countries — Britain, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Sweden.

Airtel launches 3G in Chad
Bharti Airtel last week launched 3G services in Chad and now runs 3G networks in most of the 17 African countries it operates in. The company recently obtained a licence in Niger, where it plans to launch 3G this fiscal year. It does not yet have plans to launch 3G services in Nigeria.