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

NBTC sets prepaid registration deadline
Thailand’s telecoms regulator has given prepaid mobile subscribers until the end of July to register and verify their personal information.

Starting next month, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) will fine operators THB80,000 ($2,430) a day if they activate SIM cards without registering the subscriber. Existing prepaid users have a six-month grace period to register, after which time their service will be terminated.

The country has 97 million mobile connections, 86 per cent of which are prepaid, according to GSMA Intelligence.

Huawei opens NFV lab in Xi’an
Huawei has opened a network functions virtualisation (NFV) lab in Xi’an, China, designed to promote the development of multi-vendor integration verification capabilities.

The company said the open innovation centre is dedicated to expanding joint service innovations with partners, and developing an open ecosystem for NFV.

Huawei currently cooperates with more than 20 global operators on joint innovations and project verifications to accelerate NFV transformation.

Telstra uses Matrixx for real-time alerts
Australian operator Telstra has installed a convergent charging system from Matrixx that gives customers real-time mobile data usage alerts.

Scott McGibbony, Telstra’s director of mass market mobility, said the system allows it to protect customers from bill shock as more consumers move to 4G services.

“Mobile data usage alerts from operators in Australia are typically delayed by up to 48 hours, meaning mobile users can receive an alert after they have exceeded their allowance,” the company warned.

Telstra’s customers are now sent real-time SMS alerts when they have used 50 per cent, 85 per cent and 100 per cent of their monthly data allowance.

Matrixx said the charging system has a single, real-time platform that handles rating, balance management and charging across all of Telstra’s access networks, services and payment methods.

SKT partners to reduce bike theft
South Korea’s SK Telecom (SKT) is joining forces with a local maker of bicycles to fit bikes integrated with the operator’s Bluetooth power beacon technology to enable owners to locate them in the case of theft.

The security feature would allow bike owners to narrow down the location to 50 metres using a smartphone app.

SKT also said it is working with the firm, Alton Sports, on healthcare related features.