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Category: Telecom

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Telecom & Telco news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Wanda Partners With Microsoft Accelerator To Empower Digital Transformation

    Wanda Partners With Microsoft Accelerator To Empower Digital Transformation

    Wanda Group, one of the Fortune Global 500 List companies, is tapping into the resources of Microsoft Accelerator to enable the next wave of digital transformation of the retail industry and commercial properties in China.

    For the past four and a half years, Microsoft Beijing Accelerator has accelerated 140 startups in China with alumni in the areas of hybrid cloud, IoT, big data, artificial intelligence, etc. These startups have strong strengths in technology innovation. Combining Wanda Group’s customer resources and Microsoft Accelerator’s alumni, startups will be empowered to do more for digital transformation in China.

    “As an entrepreneur myself, I’ve seen many technology startups face the same challenges. They focus on technology innovation and product development without much customer insight and user data,” said Hanna Lavy, head of Microsoft Global Accelerator Program. “Partners like Wanda Group can provide in-depth business insights and rich customer data to startups. Microsoft Accelerator looks forward to working with Wanda Group to enable startups to transform retail companies and commercial properties into digital businesses.”

    “Wanda Group and Microsoft share the same views on digital technology and business. Cloud computing, big data, IoT and artificial intelligence are the main drivers of the digital transformation of business,” said Jennifer Feng, Deputy GM of IT Center at Wanda Group.” Wanda Group has rich insights and user data as the leader of commercial property and retail business in China and we will partner with Microsoft to bring startups closer to end customers. Microsoft Accelerator will also provide qualified startups to be enlisted as vendors for Wanda Group. ”

    As the world’s largest commercial property enterprise, Wanda Group has opened 189 Wanda Plaza projects in China and plans to open 50 more in 2017. Three years ago, Wanda Group began its fourth business model transformation from commercial property to modern services with the result of forming four sub business groups including Commercial Properties, Cultural Industry Group, Internet Technology Group and Financial Group. Digital transformation is at the core of Wanda Group.

    Wanda Group IT embarked on enabling digital transformation of Wanda Group three years ago. For the past three years, Wanda Group IT has developed Wanda Building Information Modeling(BIM) System and Wanda Intelligent Building Management System in this endeavor with the adoption of Microsoft Azure and HDInsight big data analysis. Wanda BIM system seamlessly integrates the end-to-end information management process from project bidding to delivery for commercial property developers, designers, builders and supervisors.

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  • Bangalore is India’s top home for IoT startups

    Bangalore is India’s top home for IoT startups

    A study by management consulting firm Zinnov has revealed that Bangalore is the prime destination in India for an IoT startup to set up base, as it accounts for 52% of the total IoT startups in India.

    Bangalore is followed by Delhi NCR with 12%, Mumbai 11%, Hyderabad 4%, Chennai 2%, and others together accounting for 19%.

    “A wide availability of talent, thriving ecosystem of investors, access to industry experts and the presence of startup accelerators are contributing to Bangalore’s dominance,” a release from the firm said. The study on the IoT startup ecosystem in India also reveals that over 120 IoT startups were set up in India in the last decade with more than 80% of them being established after 2010.

    Cumulatively, these startups have received more than $169 million in funding since 2006. While indicating that an increasing number of connected devices is expected to propel India’s IoT market, the study titled, IoT Startups in India 2017, also states that the funding activity across use cases for such startups in India indicate a huge growth potential for them in the country.

    “While the initial wave of growth for IoT startups in India was focused on consumer applications, the next wave will be geared towards Industrial IoT,” Zinnov Engagement Manager & Delivery Head (G.A.P) Anand Subramaniam said.

    “In addition, we will also witness a host of partnerships being crafted between GICs in India and the IoT startups in the near term,” Subramaniam added.

    The study said that 67% of the IoT startups in India are in the infrastructure layer, which includes hardware components such as infrastructure sensors, embedded chips, MEMS, actuators, modules, SIM card and system design.

    The applications layer accounts for 52% of the IoT startups in India, the study revealed, stating that the IoT landscape in India is segmented across three categories based on use cases — Industrial IoT, Enterprise IoT, and Consumer IoT. Zinnov’s study also indicated 47% of the IoT startups in India fall under Consumer IoT with popular use cases being wearables, connected vehicles and connected appliances.

    Enterprise IoT is a close second place, with 40% share. In terms of funding, MedTech, security & surveillance and retail sensing have the highest share in the Enterprise IoT segment.

    Industrial IoT accounts for approximately 27% of IoT startups and has received close to $65 million in funding from investors.

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  • Colt optimizes routes between Tokyo, Chicago exchanges

    Colt optimizes routes between Tokyo, Chicago exchanges

    Colt Technology Services has launched newly optimized low-latency network routes linking stock exchanges in Tokyo and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

    The enhancements aim to benefit traders in Chicago who require fast connectivity to Tokyo, or exchange venues in Tokyo that require low-latency connectivity to Chicago.

    Connectivity will be provided through the company’s private Ethernet-based Colt IQ Network. Latency between Tokyo and Chicago is expected to reach a mere 121.07ms between each endpoint after network optimization.

    Exchange venues across the globe will be able to utilize Colt’s ultra-low-latency network that links financial markets in Japan and America. Enterprises in other industries that require leased bandwidth, advanced security, and low-latency Ethernet services are also expected to benefit from these optimizations.

    Bandwidth is selectable from a range of 1Mbps to 10Gbps, and offers optional protection and redundancy.

    Colt has also commenced optimization of other key routes in the Asia-Pacific region.

    The company said its network is configured to be fully redundant, from the infrastructure and backbone to the local loop. Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint, and Multipoint-to-Multipoint topology options are available. Colt’s services are based on MEF9 and MEF14.

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  • Hong Kong cellcos call for clear spectrum roadmap

    Hong Kong cellcos call for clear spectrum roadmap

    Hong Kong’s mobile operators are all calling on the government to develop a clear spectrum roadmap that covers the release and allocation of spectrum for 5G services.

    HKT has called on the government to perform an “urgent and radical overhaul” of its mobile spectrum policies and practices to prepare for the introduction of 5G mobile technology.

    The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) must improve its “archaic mobile spectrum principles and practices,” or the telecoms industry and Hong Kong as a whole will suffer irreparable damage, the operator has argued.

    In a response to the government’s public consultation on the re-assignment of 900-MHz and 1800-MHz mobile spectrum, widely used for mobile services, HKT said a new, forward looking plan for spectrum management is needed to meet the future needs of the industry and Hong Kong society.

    The operator called an earlier attempt by the government to attract new market entrants “an example of the complete failure of its policy.”

    While 21 ViaNet originally bid for 30 MHz of 2.3-GHz spectrum with the stated aim of launching mobile services, the company subsequently decided to use the spectrum for local fixed services, and then reduced its use of the valuable spectrum to only cover certain village houses. HKT said this wasted “valuable mainstream mobile spectrum which is in short supply in Hong Kong.”

    “Hong Kong is facing a severe spectrum deficit and is seriously lagging behind the other developed markets in policy making. The government’s current spectrum rollout plan has failed to set the stage for early adoption of 5G,” HKT group managing director Alex Arena said.

    “Along with the archaic principles and practices adopted by the CA for building access, spectrum charging, and spectrum management, this poses a clear and substantial threat to Hong Kong’s services based economy, consumer satisfaction, our role as a telecommunications hub, our ability to service as a gateway to Mainland China, and our ability to be a creative center.”

    HKT wants the government to provide a clear roadmap for the release of adequate spectrum to the industry, classify mobile operators as utility providers and facilitate their access to buildings and land for cell site installation and manage spectrum in a way that incentivizes investment by industry.

    In addition, HKT is calling for an overhaul of the current spectrum utilization fee (SUF), replacing the current system of charging on a per MHz basis to reflect the large bandwidth that will be required for 5G.

    The operator said in 2016, spectrum costs represented 12.2% of its operating costs, well above OFCA’s calculation of 3-4%.

    “As we move into the information economy, our telecommunications infrastructure is a vital national resource. There is no time to waste. The Government needs to resolve these matters now,” Arena said.

    “HKT, together with the rest of the industry, looks forward to engaging in active dialogue and discussion with the Government about the way forward.”

    In a separate submission, rival SmarTone also called for the development of a clear spectrum roadmap.

    The operator indicated that it supports the adoption of a hybrid approach combining administrative acquisition of spectrum with a market based approach to its release, one of the three options being proposed for the future management of spectrum assets.

    Meanwhile 3 Hong Kong’s submission has asserted that the regulator should be giving existing licensees of 900-MHz and 1800-MHz spectrum a right of first refusal while reallocating the frequency bands.

    The operator argued that taking spectrum away from mobile operators would hinder long-term investment and innovation and risk disrupting customer service continuity. An excessive SUF is the equivalent to a spectrum tax on mobile users and is against the public interest, the submission added.

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  • Nepal’s Smart Telecom secures 4G license

    Nepal’s Smart Telecom secures 4G license

    Nepal’s Smart Telecom has become the market’s third mobile operator to secure a 4G license from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA).

    The regulator has authorized Smart Telecom to launch 4G over its existing 1800-MHz spectrum holdings from July 30.

    The license has been granted based on Nepal’s technology neutral spectrum principle, but has the condition that Smart Telecom must pay all unpaid spectrum, renewal and frequency fees by the July 30 deadline.

    Smart will also be required to submit 4G operation reports to the regulator every three months, the report adds.

    With the approval, three operators have now been cleared to launch 4G services. Nepal Telecom secured a license in October, while Ncell’s application was approved earlier this month.

    Smart Telecom has announced plans to commence its 4G rollout in major cities including Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Pokhara, Birgunj and Bhairahawa. The operator is Nepal’s smallest mobile player by subscribers, with a market share of less than 1%.

    Of the market’s six mobile operators, only United Telecom has also expressed an interest in launching 4G. But the regulator has yet to decide whether to grant a 4G license to the operator.

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  • Huawei, Toshiba to work on NB-IoT for ‘smart factory’

    Huawei, Toshiba to work on NB-IoT for ‘smart factory’

    Huawei has signed a MoU with Toshiba to collaborate on the integration of NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) for the development of “smart factory” solutions.

    The cooperation between Huawei and Toshiba will accelerate the commercial availability of NB-IoT in a diverse range of vertical industries, supporting a range of applications and deployment scenarios as operators are looking ahead towards new business opportunities in vertical industries.

    Both companies will work together to develop enhanced wireless product life cycle management solutions based on NB-IoT technology applied to real-world manufacturing scenarios.

    As a first step, Huawei will work closely with Toshiba by providing the communications technology expertise and help facilitate the integration of NB-IoT technology within Toshiba’s current IoT gateway, with initial testing scheduled to be performed in Huawei’s NB-IoT Open Lab located in Shanghai.

    The next phase will see actual live field tests being performed with expectations from both companies to develop a suite of smart factory solutions based on NB-IoT technology ready for global commercialization.

    With the number of connections in smart factories possibly reaching 100 million by 2020, the integration of NB-IoT within the smart factory will greatly enhance the data collection ability over wider areas in factories worldwide using cellular network connectivity, further improving management efficiency of the manufacturing process, and the ability to enhance product lifecycle management.

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  • Satellites key for 5G

    Satellites key for 5G

    Without next generation satellites, 5G networks will take longer to deploy, lack the necessary coverage and will be more expensive to build, a satellite industry executive told a keynote audience at CommunicAsia2017.

    Dr Ashok Rao, VP of product development at O3b Networks, said that the current generation of GEO, MEO and LEO satellites has a critical role to play in making 5G a reality, and that new networks will be transformative for the satellite business, during his presentation: “The Future of the Global Network.”

    The satellite business, he said, “is not a dinosaur industry for rural and remote communities any more.”

    There had been a “lot of innovation” in the satellite industry, and terrestrial infrastructure alone will not be able to deliver networks which can truly be rated as 5G.

    “A major characteristic of 5G is 99.9% coverage, and that’s where satellite comes in,” said Rao.

    “Traditionally satellite has been used in places which are remote and not well connected, but new use cases in 5G such as autonomous cars require the almost universal coverage which satellite can support.”

    Data hungry users are driving a big uptake in the use of mobile video, and satellites also has a role in delivering this capacity.

    Rao quoted UK research which claims that to deliver 5G in the UK requires an additional 400,000 masts, each about 25 meters high.

    “Britain is not a large geography, so imagine what would be required in larger countries,” he said.

    “But this is not going to happen in the UK, because of the zoning and community issues which would require negotiation.”

    Rao said next generation GEO satellites are significantly more powerful than those launched only ten years ago.

    Satellites launched in 2007 had a capacity of 8Gbps and download speeds of 2 Mbps, while those launched in 2020 will offer 800Gbps and 100 Mbps, respectively.

    “Satellites will enable low cost access to 5G, and reduce the capex burden on operators,” he said.

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  • Ericsson, Microsoft to push IoT globally

    Ericsson, Microsoft to push IoT globally

    Ericsson will further strengthen the global Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem with Microsoft by enabling enterprises to speed up the time it takes to launch mobile network-based IoT services.

    Their collaboration will help simplifying the launch of mobile network-based IoT services for enterprises.

    Ericsson IoT Accelerator allows enterprises to deploy their IoT solutions using Azure, which connects them directly to the ecosystem of mobile operators using the connectivity management service delivered by the Ericsson Device Connection Platform (DCPEricsson will further strengthen the global Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem with Microsoft by enabling enterprises to speed up the time it takes to launch mobile network-based IoT services.

    Their collaboration will help simplifying the launch of mobile network-based IoT services for enterprises.

    Ericsson IoT Accelerator allows enterprises to deploy their IoT solutions using Azure, which connects them directly to the ecosystem of mobile operators using the connectivity management service delivered by the Ericsson Device Connection Platform (DCP), which is part of the Ericsson IoT Accelerator.

    Ericsson IoT Accelerator, a cloud-based, horizontal cross-industry offering comprising platform services and near-product services for telecom operators and selected industries, provides a continuous incremental set of functionality offered as a service to enable agile creation and deployment of solutions for IoT.

    The connectivity management service of the Ericsson IoT Accelerator allows telecom operators to design, launch and evolve managed IoT connectivity offerings towards enterprises requiring cellular connectivity.

    By cooperating with the continuously growing number of other telecom operators connected to Ericsson DCP, telecom operators can address the needs of global enterprises without making one-off investments alone. The platform gives the enterprise a unified service expEricsson will further strengthen the global Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem with Microsoft by enabling enterprises to speed up the time it takes to launch mobile network-based IoT services.

    Their collaboration will help simplifying the launch of mobile network-based IoT services for enterprises.

    Ericsson IoT Accelerator allows enterprises to deploy their IoT solutions using Azure, which connects them directly to the ecosystem of mobile operators using the connectivity management service delivered by the Ericsson Device Connection Platform (DCP), which is part of the Ericsson IoT Accelerator.

    Ericsson IoT Accelerator, a cloud-based, horizontal cross-industry offering comprising platform services and near-product services for telecom operators and selected industries, provides a continuous incremental set of functionality offered as a service to enable agile creation and deployment of solutions for IoT.

    The connectivity management service of the Ericsson IoT Accelerator allows telecom operators to design, launch and evolve managed IoT connectivity offerings towards enterprises requiring cellular connectivity.

    By cooperating with the continuously growing number of other telecom operators connected to Ericsson DCP, telecom operators can address the needs of global enterprises without making one-off investments alone. The platform gives the enterprise a unified service experience for their entire device fleet.

    Also, Landmark chose Ericsson to build communications infrastructure for its intelligent micro grid ecosystem across North America.

    The program includes Ericsson’s Zero Site communications platform, cloud, core and IoT software solutions. Ericsson will provide micro grid management, integrating communications for the industrial IoT with battery storage applications and grid-control software.
    Also, Landmark chose Ericsson to build communications infrastructure for its intelligent micro grid ecosystem across North America.

    The program includes Ericsson’s Zero Site communications platform, cloud, core and IoT software solutions. Ericsson will provide micro grid management, integrating communications for the industrial IoT with battery storage applications and grid-control software.), which is part of the Ericsson IoT Accelerator.

    Ericsson IoT Accelerator, a cloud-based, horizontal cross-industry offering comprising platform services and near-product services for telecom operators and selected industries, provides a continuous incremental set of functionality offered as a service to enable agile creation and deployment of solutions for IoT.

    The connectivity management service of the Ericsson IoT Accelerator allows telecom operators to design, launch and evolve managed IoT connectivity offerings towards enterprises requiring cellular connectivity.

    By cooperating with the continuously growing number of other telecom operators connected to Ericsson DCP, telecom operators can address the needs of global enterprises without making one-off investments alone. The platform gives the enterprise a unified service experience for their entire device fleet.

    Also, Landmark chose Ericsson to build communications infrastructure for its intelligent micro grid ecosystem across North America.

    The program includes Ericsson’s Zero Site communications platform, cloud, core and IoT software solutions. Ericsson will provide micro grid management, integrating communications for the industrial IoT with battery storage applications and grid-control software.

  • Samsung, VMware team up for simpler IoT

    Samsung, VMware team up for simpler IoT

    Samsung Electronics and VMware announced a new collaboration to help simplify Internet of Things (IoT) for both information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) teams by expanding end-to-end IoT solutions for industrial and enterprise customers.

    The companies will showcase the combination of the Samsung Artik Smart IoT platform with VMware Pulse IoT Center, offering a secure, enterprise-grade, end-to-end IoT infrastructure solution that allows IT and OT teams to have complete control of their IoT use cases, from the edge to the cloud.

    In addition, the companies will showcase the integration of the Samsung Artik 530 with Liota (Little IoT Agent), a vendor-neutral open source software development kit developed by VMware, to help enterprise customers with the management, monitoring and securing of their IoT implementation.

    While Samsung Artik Smart IoT platform provides customers with all the upfront IoT hardware and software they need to kick start their IoT developments, VMware will help manage IoT infrastructure from the edge all the way to the cloud.

    The combination will provide an end-to-end solution, including the hardware and software components, security, cloud connectivity, building services, and ability to monitor and manage the products over the product’s lifecycle.

    “Being able to monitor and manage these (IoT) solutions across devices at enterprise scale both on premise and in the cloud is critical for successful rollouts,” said Curtis Sasaki, VP of ecosystems at Samsung Strategy and Innovation Center.

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  • Nokia, Apple bury hatchet in patent dispute

    Nokia, Apple bury hatchet in patent dispute

    It’s an upgrade in the relationship between two companies. Nokia and Apple said Tuesday they were burying the hatchet in a bitter patent dispute with a cooperation agreement and an undisclosed cash payment by the U.S. tech giant to the Finnish group.

    By settling their ongoing intellectual property dispute, the two companies would “move the relationship… from being adversaries in court to business partners,” Nokia’s chief legal officer Maria Varsellona said.

    Following years of clashes, Nokia and Apple originally signed a licensing agreement in 2011.

    But last December, the Finnish group, once the world’s top mobile phone maker, complained that Apple was using Nokia technology in many products without paying for it.

    And it filed lawsuits in Germany and in the United States.

    Concretely, the dispute concerned 32 patents for innovations related to displays, user interface, software, antennae, chipsets and video coding.

    The deal reached on Tuesday would put the two companies’ relationship back on an even keel, with Nokia providing “certain network infrastructure products and services to Apple,” the statement said.

    Apple would “resume carrying Nokia digital health products (formerly under the Withings brand) in Apple retail and online stores, and Apple and Nokia are exploring future collaboration in digital health initiatives,” it continued.

    “Regular summits between top Nokia and Apple executives will ensure that the relationship works effectively and to the benefit of both parties and their customers.”

    Apple’s chief operating officer Jeff Williams said the U.S. giant was “pleased with this resolution of our dispute and we look forward to expanding our business relationship with Nokia.”

    The two sides did not disclose the financial details of the deal.

    But Nokia would receive “additional revenues during the term of the agreement,” the Finnish group said.

    The up-front cash payment would allow Nokia to “provide a comprehensive update of its capital structure optimisation programme,” a restructuring plan launched in late 2015, which may now be lighter thanks to the payment by Apple.

    Nokia’s shares were showing a gain of more than seven percent stake on the Helsinki Stock Exchange at around 10:00 GMT, while the overall market was up by just 0.8 percent.

  • Bonus plan a win-win for customer and operator

    Bonus plan a win-win for customer and operator

    n unnamed customer of new Singapore mobile operator Circles.Life likes the service so much that he has referred over 600 new customers, thus earning himself 100 GB of free data, said Donald Chan the firm’s international director.

    Chan outlined his company’s business model and strategy in a keynote on Day One of CommunicAsia2017 and included details of their data bonus plan-their cornerstone of customer retention.

    He described Circles.Life as Asia’s “first fully digital telco”–from customer acquisition to service delivery. Customers communicate with the company through their iOS-or-Android app, and 95% of queries are resolved via this channel.

    The only aspect of the experience which is not digital is SIM card delivery (via courier) to the customer two days after ordering.

    To drive retention, Circles has a bonus plan where customers who recruit new customers earn 200MB of data. The company maintains a leader board, and the current top rank is held by a customer who has recruited 600 others.

    Circles has no contracts-customers for the post-paid service engage on a month-to-month basis.

    The pricing plan, said Donald Chan, is like “buying a pizza” and deciding on the toppings later.

    The base plan is S$28 per month with 4GB of data, with up to 20GB of extra data for S$20 per month.

    Customers can go into the Circles app and determine settings on voice and data use, alerts and caps.

    Chan said Circles, which uses the M1 network in Singapore, was a “niche player” designed to appeal to “tech-savvy younger consumers who want control and flexibility.”

    He said the company was looking to expand to “three-to-five” other regional markets in the next five years.

    Circle’s proprietary operating system, which is “plug-and-play,” is easy to connect to any other MNO, limiting the cost of starting up in new markets.

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  • ST Electronics launches WISX IoT platform for smart cities

    ST Electronics launches WISX IoT platform for smart cities

    Singapore Technologies Electronics Limited (ST Electronics) announced the launch of its World of IoT – Sense & eXchange (WISX IoT) platform on Day One of CommunicAsia2017.

    The WISX IoT platform is designed to integrate multiple IoT solutions into a common platform that facilitates data exchange and analysis. Developed to support IoT solutions for smart city initiatives worldwide, the platform aims to enhance city services and improve the quality of life for residents. The platform can be used for applications such as integrated estate management.

    The WISX IoT platform leverages ST Electronics’ knowledge in deploying and operating wireless communications networks for automated utility meters and infrastructure, lighting, public safety and environmental solutions and sensors in Singapore as well as global cities. The goal is to provide a multi-domain platform with advanced communications and cross-domain data analytics to benefit residents. The platform optimizes the management of cities by generating actionable insights from the data collected from individual IoT solutions and enables city planners to better understand what matters most to people.

    “Our successful track record in deploying more than 15 million wireless communications nodes worldwide has given us the expertise to develop a platform that seamlessly integrates IoT solutions across different domains,” Ravinder Singh, president, ST Electronics. “The WISX IoT platform will better equip city planners with valuable insights so that they can make informed decisions and improve the operational efficiency of city services.”

    The WISX IoT platform is showcased at the CommunicAsia2017, from 23 to 25 May at Marina Bay Sands, where its capabilities will be demonstrated through an Integrated Smart Estate Management case study. A suite of ST Electronics’ smart solutions comprising indoor and outdoor lighting, automated water and electrical meters, lift monitoring solution, environmental sensors, car parks and security systems is integrated in the platform as part of an overall Smart Estate showcase.

  • AIS projecting 5% revenue growth for 2017

    AIS projecting 5% revenue growth for 2017

    Thailand’s AIS is projecting a 5% increase in revenue and a 44% growth in ebitda this year as a result of strong growth in 4G customers.

    AIS VP of investor relations Nattiya Poapongsakorn as stating that the operator is expecting service revenue for the year of 129 billion baht ($3.75 billion), with the majority expected to come from data services.

    AIS’ total 4G customer base roughly doubled in the past 12 months to reach 12 million by the end of March, which compares to a 3G customer base of 24.6 million and a 2G subscriber base of 4 million.

    AIS aims to increase its revenue market share to 50% this year, up from 48% as of March. She said the operator’s 4G users have an ARPU of 400 baht, compared to just 250 baht overall.

    For the first quarter, AIS reported service revenue of 31.4 billion baht, with data services accounting for 57% of this.

    The operator meanwhile plans to spend around 45 billion baht to expand its networks in 2017, with 40 billion to be spent on mobile networks and the remainder on fiber infrastructure. But the company plans to reduce its handset subsidy budget after incurring subsidy costs of 10 billion baht last financial year.

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  • Minister Ibrahim opens CommunicAsia2017

    Minister Ibrahim opens CommunicAsia2017

    “They say ‘change is the only constant’, but change has never come at a faster rate,” said Ibrahim. “Convergence and disruption are transforming the way we operate. Every so often, we see another Airbnb or Uber come along, up-ending the way our economies function.”

    Global upheaval

    “Across the world, we see greater calls for protectionism,” he said. “I am sure we recognize this reality in our countries. But how do we deal with such upheaval?”

    “We can, of course, try to protect our economies and close them off-take the easier path. But history has shown that those who resist change eventually fall behind and end up playing catch-up.”

    Digital strategies

    “As ministers and policy-makers, we have been looking at the policies to prepare our country, so that we are digitally ready to thrive in the future economy,” said Ibrahim. “The TechSkills Accelerator, or TeSA, we launched last year aims to deepen skills and capabilities. Over 10,000 ICT professionals have gained from TeSA so far.”

    “We will be training another 10,000 public servants in data science to improve capabilities in the public service. We are also reaching out to the small medium enterprises. With the SMEs Go Digital program, we want to help our small businesses scale up and boost productivity through technology.”

    Culture of experimentation

    “We want to encourage a culture of collaborating, sharing and experimenting,” said the Minister. “One way we are doing this is to provide dedicated spaces and tools for people to tinker around with innovative projects, and exchange ideas with others in the community.”

    “The PIXEL Lab at the Jurong Regional Library is one such space. Tools and equipment like 3D printers and micro-controllers are available for anyone who wants to play around with them.”

    Regulation without stifling innovation

    “How do we regulate without stifling innovation? Last year, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, or MAS, launched a regulatory sandbox for financial institutions and FinTech players. The idea is to provide a conducive space where certain regulatory requirements are relaxed for a period of time, to encourage firms to test their solutions. If the experiment fails-and there will be some that do, it does so within a confined space, without major impact on our financial system.”

    “Digital is the future, but the future is not only digital,” said Ibrahim. “I believe analogue will remain for some time in many of our countries. We must look into harnessing the benefits of digital to transform older, analogue processes and sectors. This is one way to ensure a more inclusive and equitable distribution of benefits we gain from technology.”

  • Viu debuts in Thailand

    Viu debuts in Thailand

    Viu has officially launched in Thailand, offering premium Asian content with Thai subtitles, comprising the latest dramas and variety shows from Korea and Japan.

    This brings the service to 15 markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Middle East namely Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

    “The Hallyu which is sweeping across Asia is notable in Thailand and we are pleased to see that Viu has already recorded over 820,000 fans on Viu Thailand Facebook page even months before our launch,” said Janice Lee, managing director of PCCW Media Group.

    “Leading K-communities and die-hard Korean fans in Thailand all eagerly await Viu’s service launch to access our vast library of premium Korean and other Asian content,” said Lee.

    She said Viu research shows that 93% of online population in Thailand have watched videos on the web.

    “We are fully leveraging this surging trend with a two-pronged approach of our services: ad-supported free viewing of their favorite shows and subscription services with express content access and premium features such as unlimited downloads, 1080p HD video quality and ad-free video viewing,” said Lee.

    “As Thailand is one of the most highly Internet penetrated markets with Millennials who are very receptive to online video viewing and digital advertisements, we expect Viu Thailand to mirror the success we have in other Asian markets with healthy growth in subscription and advertising revenue in due course,” she added.