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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.

  • CIBN picks Irdeto for China DRM

    CIBN picks Irdeto for China DRM

    China International Broadcasting Network (CIBN) has become the first Chinese customer for Irdeto Rights with China DRM Support.

    CIBN is one of the seven broadcasting networks that is licensed to distribute over-the-top (OTT) content in China by The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People’s Republic of China.

    Irdeto will help establish CIBN as a frontrunner for premium content offerings, especially Hollywood content, through OTT distribution. This will also provide studios and content providers with greater confidence to enter the Chinese market.

    “We are delighted to partner with Irdeto to integrate its China DRM solution to our OTT applications and set-top boxes (STBs), which will safeguard premium content on our network and platforms,” said Fu Qiang, deputy general manager of CIBN.

    “We are confident that our collaboration with Irdeto will improve overall viewer experience for our customers and instill greater confidence for the studios and content providers to enter the Chinese market, which will in turn generate revenue growth for our paid OTT offerings,” said Fu.

    By implementing Irdeto Rights with China DRM support, CIBN will be able to get the content protection they need in order to securely stream content to their customers, including premium content such as 4K and UHD.

    The solution also allows CIBN to accelerate the release of content more efficiently, an essential component given the industry is evolving rapidly.

    Operators and content owners will need to continually adapt and evolve with changing times to improve their content offerings and ensure a seamless user experience.

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  • VMware, Taiwan’s III join Broadband Forum

    VMware, Taiwan’s III join Broadband Forum

    VMware, Taiwan’s Institute for Information Industry (III) and the USA’s Methode Electronics have become the latest members of the Broadband Forum.

    The latest additions highlight recent developments within the Broadband Forum to address the constantly changing technological landscape and increase the focus of its work.

    The industry body is also working to collaborate more with open source communities and increase the amount of work it does in the software space.

    VMware, III and Methode Electronics will complement this, with all three companies having backgrounds in virtualization, electronics and R&D.

    The new members are already playing an active part in the Forum, with representatives attending the Forum’s most recent Quarterly Meeting, held in Berlin. Moving forward, they will continue to play a full role in activities and Working Groups.

    III believes its membership will enhance the prosperous development of industries and incubate new industries, as well as promote links between local industries and the rest of the world.

    “Actively participating with an international organization like the Broadband Forum is just the beginning for III,” commented Dr Ko-Yang Wang, director general of the III’s Industry Development Augmentation Division (IDAD).

    “Looking into the future, III fully supports the Forum’s new Broadband 20/20 vision and we are fully confident that its realization will be the next big thing for broadband.”

    The developments in Berlin – including the publication of the landmark Network Enhanced Residential Gateway (NERG) Virtualization Technical Report (TR-317), the first finished project in the Forum’s NFV realm – followed on from the Forum’s Special Meeting in Atlanta, where Service Providers gave their views and visions on how the network needs to develop.

    “We’re delighted to welcome VMware, III and Methode Electronics into the Broadband Forum family,” Broadband Forum CEO Robin Mersh said.

    “Our recent meetings have illustrated our ability to keep up with the rapid pace of change within the industry and work together to create a faster and highly relevant Broadband Forum. Welcoming exciting, progressive new members such as these three companies means that we will continue to be the voice of broadband for the industry.”

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  • Jio extends free services offer to March 31

    Jio extends free services offer to March 31

    Disruptive Indian 4G operator Reliance Jio has extended its free services offer until March 31, and announced it has already achieved 52 million customers.

    The operator has announced a new “Happy New Year” offer involving the supply of free voice, data and Jio apps to both new and existing customers until March 31.

    Existing customers will automatically be signed up to the Happy New Year offer, without having to buy a new SIM.

    But the new offer comes with a daily fair-use limit of 1GB, with broadband speeds shaped if this is exceeded.

    According to the report, only 20% of users of the earlier Welcome Offer free services consumed over 1GB per day, and their heavy usage resulted in network congestion. The earlier offer had a fair-use limit of 4GB per day.

    The new offer has come under scrutiny from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), which is investigating the deal to determine whether it falls afoul of regulatory limits on promotions.

    India only allows telecoms promotional offers to run for three months, but Jio has asserted that it is an entirely new campaign. The company has also argued that it would be unfair to charge customers while the operator is still dealing with congestion issues.

    Jio also revealed it had reached over 52 million customers in 83 days, and has been signing up  600,000 customers per day over this time. Jio soft-launched 4G services for its employees and those of its partners months before the launch to the public, so the company already had a subscriber base.

    This rate of growth makes Jio the fastest growing technology company in the world, according to parent company Reliance Industries’ owner Mukesh Ambani.

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  • HGC launches ibizCloud in Vietnam

    HGC launches ibizCloud in Vietnam

    Hutchison Global Communications (HGC) has launched its ibizCloud cloud infrastructure-as-a-service offering to Vietnam, in collaboration with the market’s fourth biggest operator CMC Telecom.

    Under the partnership, HGC is providing the cloud design and international network connectivity, while CMC Telecom is providing local connectivity and branding.

    The service has been customized to suit the Vietnamese market and to satisfy growing bandwidth demands from local corporations.

    Besides infrastructure-as-a-service, ibizCloud also offers bandwidth-as-a-service and on-demand virtual leased line services, as well as virtualized infrastructure including virtual machines, CPU cores, RAM and storage.

    “We are happy to extend ibizCloud service to Vietnam in collaboration with CMC Telecom. This offers a remarkable business opportunity to provide local and international corporate customers with a highly-secure global cloud service,” HGC president Andrew Kwok said.

    “Creation of a cloud site in Hanoi has further strengthened our position in the Greater Mekong Subregion. It is also another successful example of HGC’s niche market strategy.”

    CMC Telecom CEO Ngo Trong Hieua added that the launch marks an extension of the existing collaboration between the company and HGC, which also involves co-operation on international data and voice services.

    “We look forward to prosperous co-operation with HGC over coming years, as we seek to satisfy rapidly growing demand in the cloud market and affirm our position as one of Vietnam’s leading telecoms service providers,” he said.

  • Telstra shuts down 2G network

    Telstra shuts down 2G network

    A customer of Australia’s Telstra was given the honor of switching off Telstra’s 2G GSM network last week.

    The customer, Oly Gordon, became a viral sensation after posting to Telstra’s Facebook page that he was still operating a Nokia 3315 2G phone after 13 years.

    In response, Telstra last week invited him to flick the switch on its 2G network, and presented him with a brand new Google Pixel smartphone.

    Telstra announced in 2014 that it planned to decommission its obsolete 2G network by the end of this year.

    The operator has since been busy migrating the last of its 2G customers on to 3G or 4G networks, and has spent the last few months mailing replacement phones to the final few holdouts.

    Gordon’s viral post came just in time to coincide with Nokia’s announcement that it has closed the transactions required for HMD Global to produce new Nokia-branded smartphones, tablets and feature phones under an exclusive 10-year licensing deal.

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  • New Zealand’s Spark warned off marketing Gigabit plans

    New Zealand’s Spark warned off marketing Gigabit plans

    New Zealand operator Spark has been cautioned against advertising its high-speed fiber services as “gigabit” plans by competition regulator the Commerce Commission.

    The ISP launched its fastest fiber service yesterday, labeling it “Ultra Fast Fibre MAX” instead of the planned Gigabit name.

    The Commerce Commission held that advertising the service as a Gigabit speed would mislead consumers into expecting speeds of 1,000Mbps, whereas the Spark service will deliver speeds of between 700Mbps and 900Mbps.

    As well as Spark, the Commission also plans to get into contact with other ISPs making similar claims, noting that it has received enough consumer complaints to deem the action necessary.

    The Commission hasn’t made a formal ruling, but said Spark had recognized the concerns the regulator had raised and decided to take action accordingly.

    But the Telecommunications Users Association has criticized the decision as being “pedantic”, noting that other markets advertise similar-speed plans as Gigabit services, and that technical constraints will mean services always fall below their full potential speeds.

  • Nokia closes handset brand licensing deal

    Nokia closes handset brand licensing deal

    Nokia has announced it has completed the transactions that will allow HMD Global to become the new brand licensee for Nokia feature phones, smartphones and tablets.

    HMD Global has secured an exclusive global brand license for a 10-year term. HMD was created by a group of former Nokia employees to revive the Nokia handset brand, and entered the exclusive licensing agreement with Nokia in May.

    The necessary transactions involved HMD, Hon Hai subsidiary FIH Mobile and Microsoft, following the latter’s ill-fated purchase of Nokia’s device business for $7.4 billion in 2013.

    HMD will continue to provide Nokia branded feature phones for emerging markets, and will also produce new Nokia smartphones and tablets for its device portfolio.

    Nokia will receive royalty payments on each sales covering both brand and intellectual property rights.

    “We’ve been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm shown around the world for the return of the Nokia brand to smartphones,” Nokia Technologies interim president Brad Rodrigues said.

    “The HMD Global team has the ambition, talent and resources to bring a new generation of Nokia branded phones to market, and we wish them every success. I’m sure our millions of Nokia fans will be excited to see their new products.”

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  • Huawei, LG U+ achieve 31Gbps peak in 5G tests

    Huawei, LG U+ achieve 31Gbps peak in 5G tests

    Huawei and South Korea’s LG U+ have completed a series of joint 5G tests based on three commercial scenarios – enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low latency communications (uRLLC) and massive machine-type communications (mMTC).

    The various tests achieved a cell peak rate of 31Gbps on high-frequency bandwidth and Massive MIMO, as well as latency under 0.5ms and mMTC single-cell massive connections.

    During the test procedures the two companies also verified key 5G New Radio technologies, including simultaneous use of short transmission time intervals and filtered orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (f-OFDM), as well as sparse-code multiple access (SCMA).

    Huawei and LG U+ signed an agreement in July 2015 to jointly develop 5G technologies. The companies had already opened a joint R&D lab in Seoul dedicated to research into LTE-A and 5G.

    “LG U+ is dedicated to creating new better life for our customers through maximized value and improved experience,” LG U+ VP Kang Jung Ho said.

    “We hope to provide the availability of 5G services for Korean users by 2018, and Huawei’s innovation insights and accumulated expertise will help us in achieving this goal.”

    Huawei VP for wireless networks Gan Bin added that the companies plan to strengthen their 5G collaboration in the future.

  • Viu reaches 4m unique users in 1 year

    Viu reaches 4m unique users in 1 year

    PCCW has announced that its Viu OTT video service has reached 4 million unique users one year after launch.

    Viu is now available in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, offering a range of premium Asian video content.

    Viu’s content library includes Korean content from the top four broadcasters, as well as Japanese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Taiwanese, Hollywood and now Thai content in some markets. The company differentiates with fast local subtitling, and by producing its own entertainment news in collaboration with Korea’s K1 Headlines.

    During the third quarter of 2016, Viu recorded over 218 million views, with users consuming an average of 1.2 hours of content per day or 12 videos per week.

    “As OTT takes root and continues to develop rapidly in Asia, Viu continues to stride forward with the launch of its service in the Philippines, a vibrant market with over 30 million viewers who regularly watch videos online,” PCCW Media Group MD Janice Lee said.

    “We are confident that our Philippine launch will replicate the growth and success we have experienced in the region.”

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  • StarHub launches data roaming to 9 APAC markets

    StarHub launches data roaming to 9 APAC markets

    Singapore’s StarHub has launched a new flat rate multi-destination monthly mobile data roaming plan covering all mobile networks in nine APAC markets.

    The DataTravel plan offers 2GB of data for 30 days when roaming to Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and The Philippines for a flat S$15 ($10.50), or 3GB for S$20.

    While roaming, customers will not need to manually search for specific networks and can instead leave their phones to connect to the strongest available signals.

    “With DataTravel, we are happy to free our customers from the common constraints of overseas data usage, that are cost and accessibility,” StarHub head of product and marketing Wang Li-Na said.

    StarHub will also send SMS notifications before a plan expires and depletes, and customers will be able to top up with additional 2GB or 3GB DataTravel plans. Any unused data will be carried forward for another 30 days when a new plan is activated.

    The operator’s move comes shortly after rival Singtel expanded its ReadyRoam mobile data roaming service to cover multi-destination roaming across 26 countries, including 11 Asian markets.

    In comparison to StarHub, Singtel’s base ReadyRoam service provides 1GB of data for 30 days’ roaming in the 11 Asian markets for S20.

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  • Singapore’s cellcos to adopt Mobile Connect

    Singapore’s cellcos to adopt Mobile Connect

    Singapore’s mobile operators M1, Singtel and StarHub have agreed to adopt the GSMA’s Mobile Connect authentication standard for universal secure mobile-based authentication.

    The three operators are building a unified platform to enable integration with online service providers using a common API.

    Once implemented, the functionality will allow Singapore consumers to create a universal trusted digital identity for access to compatible telecoms, banking, e-commerce, entertainment and travel services.

    For online transactions that require greater levels of security, consumers will also be provided with a unique personal code.

    GSMA research indicates that 87% of consumers leave a website when asked to register, and many face difficulties remembering a growing list of usernames and passwords, with 40% using a forgot password feature monthly.

    Implementing the single sign-on functionality therefore also benefits online service providers, which the research suggests stand to improve page views by 67% and likelihood to purchase by 48%.

    The first online services that support the operators’ new authentication function are expected to launch in the second half of next year.

    The GSMA’s Mobile Connect is currently available in 22 countries, including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

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  • Five apply for Philippines’ new entrant auction

    Five apply for Philippines’ new entrant auction

    Five different companies have reportedly expressed an interest in bidding to become the Philippines’ third operator during next year’s planned new entrant spectrum auction.

    Companies including Philippines TMT company Now Corporation and ISP Converge ICT Solutions have declared their interest in participating. The three other companies have not been named.

    Now Corp secured a CMTS license in 2006, and plans to find a foreign partner for its bid to become the market’s third mobile operator, the report states.

    Both Now Corp and Converge ICT Solutions offer broadband services to corporate clients, with the latter also offering home and SME broadband services.

    Last month, the NBTC announced plans to hold the planned third entrant auctionin mid-2017.

    Spectrum in the 700-MHz, 2500-MHz, 800-MHz and 3500-MHz bands, surrendered as a condition of the $1.5 billion acquisition of San Miguel Corp’s telecoms assets by incumbents Globe and PLDT, will be put on the block.

    But any new entrant to the market will face an uphill battle disrupting the Globe-PLDT duopoly. The report cites Edgardo Cabarios, deputy commissioner of telecoms regulator NTC, as stating that a thrid entrant should invest at least 30 billion pesos ($604.1 million) over the first two years of operation on a nationwide rollout.

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  • Ericsson launches Accelerated Network Build

    Ericsson launches Accelerated Network Build

    Ericsson has launched a new solution the company said will allow operators to cut network build time in half.

    The new Accelerated Network Build process incorporates a series of technical innovations, including a cloud-based toolkit with automation functionality, to streamline the rollout process.

    Pilots with operators in developed and emerging markets indicate that Accelerated Network Build can cut build time by 50%, reduce the number of required site visits by 70% and offer 99% first-time-right delivery, Ericsson said.

    With 5G uptake expected to significantly outpace previous generations, operators will be under pressure to rapidly deploy networks to meet demand. Ericsson’s Mobility Report predicts that there will be over 500 million 5G subscriptions by the end of 2022.

    “”Fast time to revenue and reduced cost is a must have right now – it’s a pain point for operators that needs to be solved with innovation, Technology Business Research executive analyst Michael Sullivan-Trainor said.

    “New technologies are going to make things even more complex and it’s very timely that Ericsson is addressing how to fix the infrastructure deployment model now, both for today and for tomorrow when 5G and the Internet of Things will come.”

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  • Optus offers bonus data for viewing ads

    Optus offers bonus data for viewing ads

    Australia’s second largest mobile operator Optus has introduced a new ad-supported offer allowing customers to be allocated extra data or credit by agreeing to have marketing messages displayed on their device’s lock screen.

    The Singtel subsidiary has announced Optus Xtra, which gives prepaid customers the option to earn 1GB of bonus data on eligible monthly plans or $2 of extra credit on daily plans every 28 days.

    Optus has developed the service in partnership with New Zealand based mobile advertising start-up Postr. The company has developed a technical platform for lock screen advertising and has similar operator partnerships in New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

    As well as static ads, the platform can give customers the option of viewing a video version of the ad or visiting an advertiser’s website. Users can nominate interests across eight categories – beauty, employment, fashion, government and politics, health, money, technology and travel.

    Singtel’s digital marketing subsidiary Amobee manages advertising for the service.

    “Optus Xtra is a mobile advertising solution that puts mobile first and allows advertisers to reach audiences who have opted-in to see ads that are highly relevant to their interests and preferences,” Amobee managing director for Australia and New Zealand Liam Walsh said.

    “The Optus Xtra lock screen format lets brand advertisers target highly engaged audiences, where they are guaranteed a full screen creative canvas and 100% viewability.”

  • Thailand to adopt fingerprint registration for SIMs

    Thailand to adopt fingerprint registration for SIMs

    Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has revealed plans to require all mobile operators to introduce an online fingerprint ID system for prepaid and postpaid mobile SIM registrations.

    The regulator has given a tentative deadline of February for operators to support mandatory fingerprint ID registration.

    NBTC officials told the publication that the system is designed to ensure greater security in mobile banking and reduce the risk of fraud as Thailand continues to transition to a cashless society.

    Around 14 million of Thailand’s 103 million mobile subscribers are already using mobile banking services, according to the report.

    According to the report, while the operators will be required to implement a fingerprint registration system to complement their existing mandatory SIM registration systems, mobile customers will not be required to submit their fingerprints. The fingerprints will be stored on an NBTC database server.

    The fingerprint system was developed by the Engineering Faculty of Kasetsart University, which won a tender to supply the system for 15 million baht ($421,000).

    Operators will be able to deduct the costs of implementing the system from their annual universal service obligation fee, which amounts to around 3.5% of operators’ total revenue.