Bnp Agrin Share Discussion Threads

[car973] 20/1/2005 13:50

Did someone really buy 18 quids worth of AVT at 11.42 today?? they must be one step ahead of you, TB , or perhaps they've got the inside track on the timescale...

By the time the policticians, bureacrats, and facilitators have secured their 'take' (or 'dash' if you've lived in those parts) there isn't going to be anything like the spend on the urban water project suggested in the planning docs. And the metering component is only 1.25% or $1.5 before the wheels have been oiled..much less after.

Must have had a senior moment when I bought into this!

[lord r] 20/1/2005 13:37

TB

On 29.06.03, Ghanaweb reported details of a press conference with Mike Gough and an offical of Ghana Water Co.The official was quoted as saying that " we will endeavor to find the neccessary money to implement the project"

That was 18 months ago!!The cash has now arrived, but at current rate of progress the question is WHEN will this project commence.Any ideas?

[treborbob] 20/1/2005 11:57

You will never guess what? Theres this deal in Ghana,but keep it quiet.

[tommy ten chins] 17/1/2005 20:40

I confess to feeling a bit patronised...

I'm keen to learn having invested for 20 odd years.

[safman] 17/1/2005 11:02

3v1...

saffy

[drewz] 15/1/2005 20:44

Don't worry about it. It's just technobabble jargon which translates as 'the price is looking firm' for those concerned about the minutiae of by-the-minute trading.

[tommy ten chins] 15/1/2005 12:23

I don't understand them either...

[poobah] 14/1/2005 14:26

"L2 4V4 all blue"

Saffy, would you care to explain these codes for the uninitiated, please?

[hughey7] 14/1/2005 13:17

aye
But best to be patient sometimes
h7

[treborbob] 14/1/2005 10:50

And then it went quiet.

[hughey7] 12/1/2005 17:29

well if the monkeys sell for 10p peanuts then i would be happy :-)
h7

[safman] 12/1/2005 09:42

lol...l2 3v1....

saffy..

[stu31] 12/1/2005 02:32

Yes, but what happens when monkeys try to sell the technology?

[safman] 12/1/2005 00:21

Jusy completed a summary... pretty comp..of AVT...what the technology is, what it does.. advtages... blah blah.. surprised but a 50:50...

someoen asked a question..why does AVT focus in on third world countries.. where there is less regulation.. advan/disad..

What is AMR?

Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) generally is regarded as the reading of a utility meter by a means that does not require physical access or visual inspection of the meter. A typical AMR system has several main components: meter, meter interface unit (MIU), a communications network and host computer.

Many communications networks have been used for AMR, including modulated radio frequencies (RF), telephone lines, or the electric power line itself. Depending on the network used, information from the MIU may be retrieved and stored in intermediate nodes or delivered directly to the utility. In the case of an RF network this may be a hand-held receiver, a mobile unit, such as a van, or a node on a fixed network.

Why AMR?
In the past, one of the main drivers for a utility's interest in AMR has been to reduce the cost of performing meter reading. Although cost reduction remains a significant influence in the growth of AMR, the worldwide deregulation of the gas and electric utility markets has accelerated the interest in AMR systems.

Within a deregulated utility environment, customers may have a choice for selecting their energy source provider. As a result, many utilities are becoming more competitive and are moving toward operating in an open market environment, where prices are set on an hourly basis through supply and demand mechanisms.

The implications and implementations of this open market environment often place an additional need on the utility that moves toward AMR beyond their need to improve service and to reduce their operating costs.

AMR offers both utilities and their customer's key tangible benefits.

Benefits of AMR to utilities include:
• Reduced meter reading costs
• Ability to access difficult-to-read meters
• Improved customer service
• Reduced percentage of estimated bills
• Improved meter reader safety
• Implementation of real-time pricing
• Reduced read-to-bill time
• Distribution automation
• Improved fraud detection

AMR Communication Technologies
Radio is a latecomer to AMR technology, but has become the approach most favored by utilities today
Radio based systems have a number of advantages over other technologies for transferring AMR data:
• Utility can own the whole system with no third party carrier requirements
• Simplified installation and operation - no complicated wiring is needed
• Usually, cost competitive when compared to other AMR technologies
Power Line Carrier (PLC)
Telephone Line Reading
Broadband (Fiber/Coax Cable)
Broadband fiber or coax cable links to households may one day provide the potential for large quantities of data (including meter data for utilities) to be sent to and from households
Radio Frequency (RF) Based AMR Systems

A number of factors must be considered when evaluating an RF based AMR system.

These include:
• Licensed or unlicensed frequency spectrum
• One-way or two-way communications
• Mobile or fixed network systems

Licensed or Unlicensed

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates and manages the use of radio frequencies. They have allocated various frequency bands for specific purposes and use. In addition to the allocations, the FCC mandates how much power or signal strength can be used to communicate over these bands in any device.

Typical AMR systems may be either licensed or unlicensed. Generally speaking licensed systems operate over longer distances, but require the user to secure and pay for a license every year. Typical unlicensed systems in the United States operate in the Industrial Scientific, Medical (ISM) bands, with 902-928 MHz being the most popular

Communication Type

One-way

One-way systems, as its name implies communicate normally in one direction only. Typical AMR systems that use one-way have the remote metered device transmit information from the meter location to a central receiver. In some cases, one-way systems might have a "wake-up" that alerts the remote devices to turn on and begin transmitting, in other cases, the end unit transmit all the time.

The cost of a one-way transmission system is normally lower than that of a full two-way system. One-way systems are ideal for applications that require only basic information to be communicated

Two-way

Two-way systems as the name implies permits the communication of information from both the remote meter location to the central receiver, as well as, allowing information to be passed from the central location to the remote

Utility Solutions

The water utility industry is facing increasing pressure to do more with less. Water utilities are being challenged to meet higher public expectations regarding drinking water quality and more stringent Federal regulations, while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction and an efficient operation.

An automated meter reading system can offer the following benefits to water utilities:
• More efficient meter reading
• Improved meter reader safety
• Leak Detection
• Billing accuracy
• Hard-to-Reads
• Eliminate estimated reads

The RAMAR system has the following advantages to utilities:
• Low cost meter reading
• Open interface to a variety of meters and hand-held computers
• Fast data acquisition
• Leading edge technology
• Ease of installation
• License exempt

Benefits at a glance:
• On-Line tamper detecion
• Remote connect/disconnect
• Monitoring of illegal bypass
• Flexible taiffing
• Improved load management
• Dynamic load profiling
• Improved billing accuracy and frequency
• Reduced customer complaints
• Improved Network Monitoring
• open systems architecture
• Increased return on investment

[hughey7] 11/1/2005 17:29

first bout of profit taking.
Hope to increase my holding if she dips again after taking some out myself today.
h7

[opthalmist] 11/1/2005 14:03

MEQ gagging to go up to 3p

[britishbear] 11/1/2005 14:01

good post saffy (the long one).

Interesting - will keep watching carefully

[safman] 11/1/2005 13:51

4v4..

saffy..

[safman] 11/1/2005 13:33

a lot of speculation is based upon the article below...


Business News of Thursday, 6 January 2005

Ghana's rating earns her the biggest World Bank grant ever
Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - Ghana's current credit rating, debt sustainability and attainment of Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) completion point has earned her the biggest grant ever of 103 million dollars from the World Bank.

The amount together with a 12 million dollars and five million dollars from the Government of Ghana and the Nordic Development Fund, respectively, is to be used to start the implementation of the long awaited private sector participation in the delivery of potable water in the country.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on Thursday after signing the grant with the Government, Mr Mats Karlsson, World Bank Country Director said, initially signed as a loan, the amount had to be converted into a grant after a careful reflection on Ghana's achievements in recent times.

Besides, he said, "The country's urgent need for potable water was also considered, but it's important to state that it's not an easy thing to get such a huge grant from the Bank. It is very competitive and a lot of issues come into play".

Mr Karlsson told the Government and the Ghana Water Company that after a long debate, misgivings and concerns, the country was eventually moving forward to implement the private sector participation in the provision of water.

He said there was no doubt that the model was the best for the country and that everything must be done to ensure that the process took off smoothly.

Mr Karlsson said the dynamics to move this country, which is evident in the progressive and success story of Ghana's democracy had been laid, adding: "This is not the time to get into political debates but a time to move forward."

Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Finance and Economic Planning Minister, who signed the grant on behalf of Ghana, said the grant would in no doubt reduce the debt burden of the country.

He said the project objective was to significantly increase access to pipe- borne water system in the urban centres with emphasis on improving access, ensuring affordability and service reliability to the urban poor.

Mr Osafo-Maafo mentioned the key project components as, system expansion and rehabilitation, public/private partnership development, capacity building and severance programme.

"It has been 10 years of consultations during which all stakeholders in the water and related sectors have brainstormed to find and fashion out the best options to these problems.

"Water is life and for this reason, care - indeed extreme care has been exercised to ensure that all ideas and ideologies were taken on board in deciding the way forward, especially the acceptance of private participation in the water delivery," he said.

He said though some may still want the debate to go on, the Government could not afford "the luxury of waiting for more debates on the issue. Staring at us in the face are statistics which are worrying..."

Mr Osafo-Maafo said only 51 per cent of the estimated 20 million Ghanaians had access to potable water and most of the deprived were the urban poor.

"It 's also our commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, by at least cutting in half by 2015, the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and sanitation in this country," he said.

He said in 2003 the Government granted a total debt relief of about 907.73 billion cedis to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) as part of its efforts to improve the financial viability of the Company in order for it to provide better services to the populace.

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Minister of Works and Housing, announced that the selection process of contractors for the project would soon begin and noted that Ghanaian companies were not exempted.

He said there was and had been no intention to discriminate against Ghanaian companies regarding the bidding process for the procurement of a management contractor.

[traders apprentice] 10/1/2005 20:37

Sorry chaps but AVT is clearly a basket case. This is why, the debt, the falling turnover and the trading losses. Take a close look, it doesn't make sense to buy or hold otherwise your portfolio may suffer the same fate. If Fidelity have bought in then buy into Fidelity to hedge. But, I'm always wrong so perhaps I should buy? Can anyone convince me?

TA

[safman] 10/1/2005 19:36

have been watching and adding a few on this one.. not to undermine the risks because there are many.. consequently there is a lot of upside as well... is they can pull off a few contracts...

cheers

saffy..

[hughey7] 10/1/2005 19:08

surprised at how quiet it is
I have a funny feeling some good news is on the way...soon
h7