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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.

  • Equinix expands Hong Kong footprint to meet demand

    Equinix expands Hong Kong footprint to meet demand

    Equinix is expanding its Hong Kong footprint to accommodate local interconnection needs and increasing numbers of inbound cloud service providers.

    This latest expansion of Equinix’s Hong Kong footprint adds over 1,400 new cabinets and brings the company’s total investment in the city to over $250 million.

    The expansion in Hong Kong includes 515 new cabinets in HK1 and represents an incremental investment of $16 million and adds 900 new cabinets in HK2 and represents an incremental investment of $39 million. It is the latest in a series of expansions across Asia-Pacific to meet the rising demand for interconnection services, with other recent expansions including Melbourne, Tokyo and Sydney.

    The new development will enable Equinix to support the growing needs of an increasing variety of enterprises – such as FSI and FinTech, e-payments and logistics – to interconnect with cloud and technology providers.

    Equinix’s cloud and IT ecosystem has continued to gain momentum in Hong Kong. Its cloud customer-base has grown significantly since 2014, as local and international internet security and CSPs are increasingly choosing to deploy with Equinix Hong Kong as their initial entry point or hub location for the Asia-Pacific region.

    Major cloud service providers in Equinix Hong Kong now include Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, Microsoft Azure & Office 365 and Google Cloud. According to Cisco, global cloud IP traffic will almost quadruple in over the next 5 years, this expansion will enable Equinix to meet the needs of Hong Kong customers looking to take advantage of this growth.

    One Hong Kong customer taking advantage of Equinix’s increased capability is ClusterTech Limited, which specializes in using cloud, high performance computing and big data technologies to solve challenging technical problems and improve operational efficiency for their customers. The company is in the process of adding more resources within Equinix’s IBX data centers to launch a new solution that will enable environmental engineering companies to run complex simulation applications.

    In addition to supporting the core cloud needs of customers, Equinix is now also in an excellent position to accommodate the growing trend towards multi-cloud convergence and “interconnected commerce” that Equinix experts predict will be a key feature of the IT landscape over the coming year.

    The additional capacity comes online at a time when Equinix is predicting IoT will become a concrete reality – evolving from independent, single-vendor solutions to those that talk to each other and rely on the same data.

    With the Hong Kong expansion, Equinix will relieve the growing pressure on corporate-centric networks by distributing the traffic more broadly, as well as better control the performance of the streaming IoT information for more real-time business and operational insight.

  • Nokia announces major restructuring

    Nokia announces major restructuring

    Nokia has announced a restructuring of its mobile unit into two groups, focused on mobile networks and services respectively, in response to the planned departure of the company’s current mobile networks chief.

    The company said it will establish two units called Mobile Networks and Global Services respectively.

    The company’s current chief innovation and operating officer Mark Rouanne will lead up the mobile networks business group, which will be focused on areas including 4G, 5G, cloud core and small cells.

    The Global Services division will meanwhile be led by Igor Leprince, the current executive vice president of global services.

    These executives are taking over from current head of mobile networks Samih Elhage, who is leaving the company on April 1 but will stay on as an advisor until May 31. In a statement, Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri said Elhage has decided to leave now that the integration with Alcatel-Lucent is mostly complete.

    “From helping lead the transformation at Nokia Siemens Networks and creating a disciplined operating model that remains a competitive advantage, to being one of the driving forces behind the acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent and its fast and successful integration, Samih’s contributions to Nokia have been remarkable,” Suri said.

    “He has been a close friend and advisor through times both good and bad, and I fully support his desire for a change.”

    As part of the restructuring, the position of chief innovation and operating officer (CIOO) will be dissolved and the duties split. Responsibility for operations will be transferred to the newly-created position of group chief operating officer (COO), innovation will be taken over by Nokia’s chief technology officer (CTO) and incubation will be assumed by Nokia’s chief strategy officer.

    The group COO position is going to Monika Maurer, currently the company’s COO for fixed networks, while Marcus Weldon will retain the post of CTO and Kathrin Buvac will remain chief strategy officer.

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  • Vodafone India, Idea to merge into India’s top cellco

    Vodafone India, Idea to merge into India’s top cellco

    India’s second and third ranked mobile operators, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, have revealed plans to merge to create the India’s largest operator by market share.

    The companies have announced that Vodafone will combine its Vodafone India subsidiary with Idea Cellular in a deal worth around $23 billion.

    The combined company will have around nearly 400 million subscribers and is expected to have a revenue market share of around 40%, propelling it ahead of current market leader Bharti Airtel.

    Under the terms of the agreement, Vodafone will take a 45.1% stake in the combined company while the owner of the Idea brand – the Aditya Birla Group – will have about 26%.

    Vodafone will transfer a stake of around 4.9% of the company for around 39 billion rupees ($579 million) as part of this transaction, and there will be a mechanism in place designed to equalise the shareholdings within four to nine years. Until this takes place, the voting rights will be equalised.

    The marger excludes Vodafone’s 42% stake in Indus Towers, the joint venture established between the Bharti Group, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular to manage the operators’ tower infrastructure.

    “The combination of Vodafone India and Idea will create a new champion of Digital India founded with a long-term commitment and vision to bring world-class 4G networks to villages, towns and cities across India,” Vodafone Group CEO Vittorio Colao commented.

    “The combined company will have the scale required to ensure sustainable consumer choice in a competitive market and to expand new technologies – such as mobile money services – that have the potential to transform daily life for every Indian. We look forward to working with the Aditya Birla Group to create value for all stakeholders.”

    Meanwhile fellow Indian operators Reliance Communications (RCom) and Aircel are one step closer to executing their planned merger.

    RCom announced in a regulatory filing that it has secured approval from the Competition Commission of India for the proposed merger, which was announced in September last year.

    The companies have already secured approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India as well as the BSE and NSE stock exchanges, but still requires the go-ahead from the National Company Law Tribunal.

    Under the terms of the planned merger, RCom and Aircel parent Maxis Communications will each hold 50% of the combined company.

  • Thailand’s Mobile LTE gets satellite license

    Thailand’s Mobile LTE gets satellite license

    Thai mobile broadband provider Mobile LTE has secured the nation’s second satellite service provider license, positioning the company to compete against incumbent Thaicom.

    Mobile LTE has received a Type Three Satellite Business License with a 15 year term valid until January 2032. The license covers the operation of satellites and satellite services.

    Mobile LTE CEO Varayuth Yenbamroong said the operator plans to differentiate from Thaicom by focusing on providing services using new technologies that are distinct from those existing in the market.

    “[We] want to launch a satellite onto [the] country’s unused and reservation orbital slots as soon as possible as some slots will expire very soon,” he added.

    “This will help utilizing the existing resources in another way for the benefit of the country in order to promote and support the expansion of communication satellite business to ASEAN and other countries.”

    He said the operator aims to use its satellite business to target people and government agencies in remote areas, in order to improve digital inclusion and further the government’s Digital Thailand initiative.

    But Mobile LTE noted that it will still require approval from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society before launching such services.

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  • AT&T and Akamai extend their global alliance

    AT&T and Akamai extend their global alliance

    Akamai and AT&T have renewed their global alliance, extending it through 2019.

    The agreement will keep Akamai’s CDN and web security services on AT&T’s business solutions menu, including the addition of DDoS capabilities. Akamai will also be able to further extend it’s server footprint out onto AT&T’s edge.

    The partnership between AT&T’s IP network and Akamai’s CDN and cloud networking infrastructure was put in place just over four years ago. AT&T moved its own CDN infrastructure onto Akamai’s platform, and gained access to AT&T’s network. Things seem to have gone pretty well since.

    There was a time not so many years ago that every network out there wanted to have its own CDN infrastructure. It seemed like the two industries were about to merge, but it never fully happened and Akamai is still going strong.

    The fact that CDNs and networks remained separate in most cases was perhaps a sign that the more general cloud opportunity would also not gel that well purely within telecoms walls.

     

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  • Cloudbric opens IDCs in Hong Kong and Vietnam

    Cloudbric opens IDCs in Hong Kong and Vietnam

    Web application firewall (WAF) service provider Cloudbric announced the opening of five internet data centers, including facilities in Hong Kong and Vietnam, in response to the growing, global demand for cloud services.

    The new data centers are located in New Jersey (US), Hong Kong, Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) as well as Amsterdam (the Netherlands)

    Additionally, with Cloudbric’s growing partnership base, the expansion of IDCs means Cloudbric’s customers can benefit from greater WAF infrastructure and experience elite security better than ever.

    Enterprises of all sizes rely on and often expect websites to be up and running without any lapses. Maintaining this uptime depends on strategically placed data centers to handle high-volume requests. As a result, Cloudbric is not only increasing its network capacity through its IDC expansion but also introducing an all-inclusive, fully-managed WAF service to a wide range of IT service and solution providers.

    Regarding Cloudbric’s current partnership model, VP of Product & Technology TJ Jung says “From individuals to small or mid-size businesses and enterprises, we are growing our service to reach all parts of the globe by engaging in partnerships with different solutions providers in the IT industry, and Cloudbric is excited to continue in this endeavor. Partnering with data centers, for example, means Cloudbric can be deployed on their own infrastructures instead of relying on external networks – making the delivery of Cloudbric’s advanced WAF to their clients a seamless process.”

    Utilizing the precise, trusted technology created by Penta Security Systems, Cloudbric’s WAF can intelligently recognize and block both unknown and known web attacks with its logic analysis engine. Through Cloudbric, various service providers can also benefit from quality customer service and a user-friendly, intuitive dashboard and extend it to their own end users. With new IDCs and thus even greater bandwidth, Cloudbric’s ability to withstand cyber attacks such as DDoS attacks is augmented.

    Cloudbric currently has plans to open ten additional IDCs in Q2, specifically in cities across North America, the Middle East, and South America. Cloudbric will continue to appeal to various service providers in its expansion of WAF infrastructure.

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  • Singtel and Globe launch Tustwave MSS in Philippines

    Singtel and Globe launch Tustwave MSS in Philippines

    Singapore’s Singtel is bringing its Trustwave portfolio of managed security services to the Philippines, in collaboration with Globe Telecom.

    Under the collaboration, Globe is providing Trustwave’s services through its advanced security operations center (ASOC) in Manila, a new facility operated by Singtel’s Trustwave subsidiary.

    Globe’s ASOC will combine threat intelligence from Globe with global threat visibility from the global network of nine Trustwave ASOCs.

    The services will be supported by an ecosystem of global cyber security providers including Palo Alto Networks, FireEye and Arbor Networks.

    Singtel acquired a 98% stake in Trustwave for $810 million in a deal announced in 2015. In December that year, Singtel and Globe also signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen Globe’s cyber security capabilities.

    Singtel and its managed security services business unit Trustwave also recently expanded their collaboration with Palo Alto to bring managed security services to multi-national businesses and government agencies, and the new agreement extends Singtel and Trustwave’s partnership.

    “As the leading cyber security services provider in the region, our deep global capabilities allow Trustwave Managed Security Services to monitor, assess and defend our customers’ operations round-the-clock against cyber attacks,” Singtel CEO group enterprise and Trustwave chairman Bill Chang said.

    “The launch of Trustwave Managed Security Services is timely as it complements the Philippine government’s National Cybersecurity Plan 2022.”

    The government’s plan is aimed at safeguarding the Philippines’ critical information structures, as well as governments, businesses of any size and all citizens using the internet.

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  • Smart’s 2016 revenue grows 26% on mobile data growth

    Smart’s 2016 revenue grows 26% on mobile data growth

    The Philippines’ Smart Communications has reported a 26% increase in revenues for 2016 to 25.5 billion pesos ($509 million), in a result attributed to sustained growth in the company’s mobile data business.

    Smart, the wireless subsidiary of incumbent operator PLDT, said mobile data revenues for the year grew a strong 42% to 17 billion pesos.

    During the year, data revenues edged out voice calls and text messages as the operator’s largest wireless revenue source for the first time. Total usage reached 148,000 terabytes, up 49% from 2015.

    “The shift to data and digital services continues to gain momentum. With access to PLDT’s extensive fixed line network, Smart is rolling out the country’s fastest mobile internet network to address the growing demand of our subscribers for data services at home, their schools and offices and while on the go,” PLDT chief revenue officer Eric R. Alberto said.

    To help meet the steep rise in demand for mobile data, Smart has accelerated its rollout of LTE and 3G data networks and is incorporating the use of low-brand frequencies such as 700-MHz. The upgrade has now been completed in Metro Davao and is now underway in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.

    Smart is also adopting LTE-A technology in selected areas, and recently entered a 5G partnership  with Huawei aimed at preparing its network for an evolution to the standard.

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  • CITIC Telecom posts record $109.5m profit for 2016

    CITIC Telecom posts record $109.5m profit for 2016

    Hong Kong-based CITIC Telecom International has reported a record high operating profit of HK$850.1 million ($109.5 million) for 2016, up 6% from the prior year.

    During the year, CITIC Telecom launched its new City Link roaming services supporting data sharing in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, based on a network of more than four million Wi-Fi hotpots in the three markets.

    This launched helped the operator capture a 57% share of Macau’s 4G market, and increase its mobile broadband users by 17%.

    CITIC Telecom also achieved 100% coverage in Macau with its optical network, and completed the acquisition of 340,000 square feet for CITIC Telecom Tower, which once complete will become one of the largest data centers in Hong Kong.

    Internationally, the company commenced the process of acquiring Linx Telecommunications, which serves 14 countries in Europe and Asia. This deal was completed last month.

    The company also recently completed the acquisition of Singapore-based cloud, technology and managed services provider Acclivis Technologies and Solutions, and achieved growth with its data flow trading platform DataMall through a collaboration with China Mobile.

  • Arrow holds IoT innovation showcase in Shenzhen

    Arrow holds IoT innovation showcase in Shenzhen

    Arrow Electronics has held an internet of things (IoT) innovation showcase in Shenzhen aimed at connecting innovative Hong Kong startups with technology companies in China.

    The event attracted 500 attendees from all sections of the IoT ecosystem in Hong Kong and China, providing a platform for IoT businesses in China and Hong Kong to collaborate.

    As well as startups and entrepreneurs, international technology manufacturers, IoT solution providers and system integrators attended.

    Notable attendees included Analog Devices, Cypress, Honeywell, Infineon, Intel, Nexperia, NXP, ON Semiconductor, Qualcomm, and STMicroelectronics.

    Arrow Electronics components president for APAC Simon Yu said that recent research from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University found that entrepreneurship in Hong Kong and Shenzhen has grown 206% and 284% respectively between 2009 and 2016. But innovation in some major areas including the IoT is being held back due to limited engineering expertise and production resources.

    “Arrow has long supported technology innovation in Hong Kong and China,” he said.

    “Our engineering expertise and IoT industry reputation, especially in the greater China area, can definitely assist IoT startups in removing key barriers and connecting them with the ecosystem players on their road to innovation entrepreneurship and social impact.”

    Arrow Electronics last year opened the Arrow Open Lab at Science Park to help support entrepreneurship and innovation in Hong Kong. This week’s event built on that initiative.

  • Chunghwa Telecom Global launches SD-WAN

    Chunghwa Telecom Global launches SD-WAN

    CHT Global (Chunghwa Telecom Global) has launched its SD-WAN services on a global scale to help enterprises transition from traditional static hardware to software-based WAN.

    The company is partnering with VeloCloud Networks, a Cloud-Delivered SD-WAN company, to provide the underlying infrastructure for the service.

    CHT Global has one of the widest international cable line networks in the Pacific and beyond through its undersea submarine cables that direct global voice and data traffic.

    Its leverage in the Asia-Pacific in conjunction with its SD-WAN services will allow customers to ensure reliable wide-area network connections, whether they are DSL, cable, or LTE.

    “CHT Global SD-WAN will minimize the congestion that commonly occurs with traditional broadband Internet that would otherwise interfere with the delivery of time-sensitive applications and lower the QoE for end users,” CHT Global CEO and president Joe Yang said.

    “By pairing up VeloCloud’s technology and knowledge of managed services with CHT Global’s submarine cable network, businesses around the world can increase operational efficiency and maximize performance.”

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  • Globe launches 4CC LTE-A

    Globe launches 4CC LTE-A

    The Philippines’ Globe Telecom announced it has become the first operator in the nation to implement 4-component-carrier aggregation LTE-Advanced using the 2600-MHz band.

    The upgrade effectively doubles LTE capacity in areas covered by the deployment, the company said, and will be capable of generating speeds of up to 400 Mpbs once compatible devices hit the market.

    So far Globe has implemented the upgrade at 110 sites mostly in Metro Manila, including most areas in Makati and certain areas in Quezon City, Marikina, Antipolo, and San Mateo.

    The operator aims to deploy the technology in more than 500 sites this year across more of Metro Manila as well as key areas of North Luzon and South Luzon.

    Globe is using its new 2600-MHz band spectrum allocation acquired through its joint purchase with rival PLDT of conglomerate San Miguel Corporation’s telecommunications assets last year.

    Since acquiring the spectrum, the company has also deployed around 1,200 2600-MHz LTE sites mostly in Visayas and Mindanao.

    “This is the first time that a telco operator in the Philippines is making use of this 4-component carrier spectrum LTE-Advanced technology and we are maximizing the potential of the new spectrum assigned to us for the benefit of our customers,” Globe SVP for program governance Joel Agustin said.

    “This technology milestone significantly improves customer experience as smartphone penetration in the country continues to increase.”

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  • UN calls for “new deal” on mobile broadband

    UN calls for “new deal” on mobile broadband

    The UN Broadband Commission has called for a “New Deal” involving fresh industry collaboration and public-private partnerships to help connect the 5 billion people who lack mobile broadband access.

    At the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development’s 2017 Spring Meeting in Hong Kong yesterday, participants debated the need for a new deal between all broadband stakeholders to work towards full global connectivity and digital transformation.

    Discussions had a particular emphasis on remote and rural areas – especially in the UN’s list of Least Developed Countries – which represent the biggest challenge for the industry.

    The Commission underlined the need to build an ecosystem with government, with all ministries and the private sector working together for more efficient investment and taxation, as well as issues associated with the cost of spectrum auctions in markets with the widest digital divides.

    “Our central conviction is that broadband and ICTs are critical if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” ITU secretary general and Broadband Commission co-vice chair Houlin Zhao said.

    “ICTs underpin vital achievements and modern services in many sectors, and governments and industry must increasingly work together to create the conditions so badly needed to facilitate the growth of broadband for sustainable development.”

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  • Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand subsea cable launches

    Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand subsea cable launches

    A new subsea cable connecting Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand has been launched in Cambodia, adding at least 30Tbps of regional capacity.

    The Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand (MCT) cable system was designed and deployed by Huawei Marine for Cambodia’s EZECOM, Telekom Malaysia and Symphony Communication of Thailand.

    The 1,300km cable system uses 100Gbps technology, and will connect to other submarie cable systems, including the Asia-America Gateway (AAG).

    Speaking at the launch of the system, EZECOM CEO Paul Blanche-Horgan said the launch is the culmination of six years of work. He said the launch of the cable will improve the security of Cambodia’s connection to the internet.

    “With this cable, we are now directly connected POP to POP, which means a much more secure connection for Cambodia. This is of great importance, as [Cambodian deputy prime minister and minister of interior] Samdech Krolahom does understand, for the context of national security as well as certain key sectors like banking.”

    Samdech Krolahom himself said that with the new cable, “Cambodia now has faster, more reliable, more affordable and, most importantly, a more secure internet connection for all.”

  • Nepal Telecom reaches 500,000 4G subscribers

    Nepal Telecom reaches 500,000 4G subscribers

    Nepal Telecom has revealed that its 4G subscriber base has passed 500,000 less than three months after launching the services.

    The operator, currently Nepal’s only 4G provider, announced that it now has over 524,000 subscribers. Nepal Telecom launched 4G services at the start of January, initially in the Kathmandu and Pokhara areas.

    But of the operator’s total 4G subscriber base, only around 67,500 are postpaid, whereas the remainder are prepaid. Nepal Telecom launched prepaid LTE services in February.

    The total 4G base also currently only makes up a small portion of Nepal Telecom’s roughly 8.1 million mobile internet users, the report indicates.

    Nepal Telecom is also currently limited to providing 4G using a mere 5 MHz of 1800-MHz spectrum, capping peak data rates at 32.4Mbps, but is currently seeking more spectrum from the government to offer faster services.

    To mark the occasion of this year’s Holi spring festival in Nepal, the operator has meanwhile introduced new data and SMS offers for subscribers, including 200MB of bonus data for GSMA/CDMA prepaid users on a top up of 200 rupees ($1.88).

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