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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.

  • Mobifone deploys 300Gbps packet-optical backbone

    Mobifone deploys 300Gbps packet-optical backbone

    Vietnam’s second largest mobile operator Mobifone has constructed its fist high-capacity converged packet-optical backbone network using equipment from Ciena.

    The operator has deployed a network spaning more than 1,400km from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. The network currently has a capacity of 300Gbps.

    Mobifone plans to use the network to provide high-speed mobile broadband services to businesses and consumers in more than two dozen provinces.

    “Ciena’s cutting-edge optical platforms enable us to have a state-of-art backbone system. Demand for high-speed fixed and mobile data services, video content and the move to the cloud mean that network services in Vietnam have never been more important,” Mobifone chairman Le Nam Tra said.

    “With Ciena supporting the next evolution of the MobiFone backbone we can provide the scale and reach our consumer and business customers need for regional and international connectivity.”

    MobiFone is currently a state-owned operator but is undergoing a privatization process. The company is seeking an international partner to take up to a 49% stake as part of this process, and international operators including Australia’s Telstra, Norway’s Telenor and Sweden’s Comviq have reportedly expressed an interest in making the investment.

    A recent report  from the Australian Financial Review indicates that Telstra is seen as a good fit as a formerly state-owned operator that has gone through the privatization process.

    Sources told the publication that Telstra met with Vietnamese officials in May to discuss a potential deal.

  • CSL to offer free unlimited data for Pokemon GO

    CSL to offer free unlimited data for Pokemon GO

    Hong Kong’s CSL aims to take advantage of the global buzz around the augmented reality game Pokemon GO by offering free unlimited mobile data for the app as a promotional exercise.

    Once the game launches in Hong Kong, customers of both the CSL and 1O1O mobile brands will be able to use the game without incurring data charges.

    The offer appears to be an attempt to attract or retain customers from the younger segment. In line with this, the offer is applicable to CSL’s student plans, which are tailored for users aged between 11 and 17.

    Mobile customers in Hong Kong will also be able to use the Tap & Go mobile payment service to purchase Pokecoins from Google Play and the Apple App Store.

    “As the leading mobile operator in Hong Kong, we foresee that Pokemon GO popularity would take off once this new sensation is launched in Hong Kong,” CSL chief marketing officer Bruce Lam commented.

    “ And we are making this offer available so our customers can play the game for hours on end without having to worry about mobile data consumption.”

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  • China Telecom said to be interested in Egypt 4G license

    China Telecom said to be interested in Egypt 4G license

    China Telecom has reportedly expressed an interest in expanding into Egypt through the acquisition of a 4G license in the market.

    The operator, along with Saudi Telecom Company, have been in contact with the communications ministry regarding potentially securing licenses in Egypt, a ministry official told.

    But neither operator has yet submitted a formal request, and 4G licenses will only be offered to new entrants if existing players reject the terms of the licenses, the report states.

    Incumbent operators have reportedly been slow to accept the terms offered by the government for 4G licenses. In an example of these terms, Orange’s Egyptian affiliate has been asked to pay 3.54 billion Egyptian pounds ($398.6 million) for a license, and to decide whether to agree by August.

    The fact that international operators are interested in acquiring licenses could increase pressure on the existing entrants to agree to the terms.

    At least some analysts believe that all of Egypt’s existing players will ultimately apply for 4G licenses, which would mean the government would not have sufficient reason to approve the entry of a newcomer. It is therefore uncertain whether China Telecom will be entering the Egyptian market.

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  • GSMA launches Mobile Connect in India

    The GSMA has launched its Mobile Connect authentication service across India, in collaboration with six mobile operators.

    Bharti Airtel, Idea, Aircel, Vodafone India, Tata Teleservices and Telenor India have all started offering Mobile Connect services.

    A range of Indian digital service providers in sectors including commerce, finance and banking, health services, media and entertainment, travel and hospitality and B2B have agreed to make use of the system

    GSMA director general Mats Granryd said the Indian launch marks the culmination of a year-long collaboration with the Indian mobile operators to introduce a single, secure mobile-based authentication system to the market.

    “With Mobile Connect, mobile operators are fulfilling an important role in the digital identity space, giving users control over their own data and enabling Indian consumers, businesses and governments alike to interact and access online services in a convenient, private, and trusted environment,” he said.

    Mobile Connect  employs a user’s unique mobile number and combines it with a unique PIN for more secure use cases to verify and grant online access to services.

    The system is now being implemented by 42 operators in 22 countries worldwide, making it available to nearly 3 billion customers.

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  • Thailand’s TOT and CAT won’t be merged

    Thailand’s ICT minister has insisted that there will not be a merger between the two state-owned operators TOT and CAT even as the companies are under pressure to consolidate their operations.

    Minister Uttama Savanaya has ruled out a merger on the grounds that the organizational structures of the two companies are incompatible.

    But he said the two companies will partly consolidate some of their similar core businesses to help avoid duplication of investment spending.

    Thailand’s State Enterprise Policy Commission has ordered both TOT and CAT to restructure to survive, terminating their unprofitable businesses and focusing on their core operations.

    Both are under pressure now that the nation has moved from a concession model – whereby private operators paid a share of their revenue to the state operators in exchange for use of spectrum assets – to the conventional licensing model.

    The commission has approved in-principal proposals involving consolidating the operators’ transmission, fiber, subsea cable network and internet data center operations.

    But Uttama said that other core areas of the two operators, including fixed broadband, mobility and network rental services, will remain separate.

    He noted that TOT and CAT will need to quickly adjust their organizational and business structures to ensure their survival. TOT has revealed it expects to face an operating loss of 1 billion baht in 2016.

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  • M1 profit falls 7.2% in H1

    M1 profit falls 7.2% in H1

    Singapore’s M1 has reported a 7.2% year-on-year decline in net profit for the six months ended in June, partly as a result of a 44% slump in handset sales.

    The operator reported a net profit of S$83.5 million ($61.8 million), on the back of flat revenue of S$407.3 million.

    While M1 added 14,000 postpaid and 24,000 prepaid customers during the six month period, bringing its total mobile customer base to 1.98 million, total handset sales fell to S$91 million. For the second quarter, handset sales declined by 50% year-on-year to S$36 million.

    Mobile data’s contribution to total revenue increased by 9.1 percentage points to 54%, with average postpaid mobile data usage growing by 100MB year-on-year to 3.3GB.

    On the fixed line front, service revenue grew 26.7% to S$50 million, or 12.3% of service revenue. M1 added 9,000 residential and corporate fiber customers in the first half, bringing its base to 145,000.

    Based on the current economic outlook, M1 announced that it now expects a single-digit decline in net profit for the full year 2016.

    “We are investing in new technologies and capabilities, and building up a portfolio of digital solutions to enhance our service propositions and cater to changing customer needs,” M1 CEO Karen Kooi commented.

    “While expenditure is incurred upfront, meaningful contribution will only be upon achieving scale in service adoption over future years.”

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  • HKBN awarded MVNO license

    HKBN awarded MVNO license

    Hong Kong ISP HKBN has secured a license from telecoms regulator OFCA to offer MVNO services in the market.

    OFCA has granted HKBN an expanded services-based operator license to allow the company to offer mobile services using the infrastructure of established mobile network operators.

    The company has signed an agreement with China Mobile Hong Kong, and is in discussions with two other mobile operators, with the goal of launching mobile services for both residential and corporate customers.

    HKBN said it expects to soft-launch mobile services in as early as August this year to complement its existing fixed line services.

    With the addition of MVNO services the company will be able to introduce quad-play offers combining broadband, fixed line telephone, OTT entertainment and mobile services in the same package.

    “This is a strong move to maximize shareholder value by offering a full suite of fixed and mobile services, leveraging our quickly expanding broadband customer base of over 800,000 households,” HKBN CEO and co-owner William Yeung said.

    “Replicating our success in the fixed broadband market,our mobile service will come with strong value propositions, aiming to delight customers with the best customer experience at highly competitive prices.”

    HKBN recently announced that the majority of the company’s supervisory and management-level employees have now invested in the company under its co-ownership program.

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  • Alibaba introduces IP collaboration platform

    Alibaba introduces IP collaboration platform

    Alibaba Group has launched an online platform designed to streamline IP-related communications between brands and Alibaba.

    The new IP Joint-Force System aims to build greater and more collaborative working relationships with global brands as the company strengthens its efforts against counterfeits and IP infringement.

    “E-commerce has become a way of life for consumers both in China and around the world. As the internet sector continues to evolve, brands and online marketplaces alike face new IP enforcement challenges,” said Jessie Zheng, chief platform governance officer at Alibaba Group.

    With over a billion products listed across Alibaba Group’s marketplaces at any given time, its data analytics and processing technologies enabled the company to proactively remove more than 120 million infringing product listings from its marketplaces in 2015, which it said is eight times the number of counterfeit products removed based on takedown requests from brands.

    Under the new IP Joint-Force System, each participating brand will be assigned a dedicated online portal and Alibaba account manager to enhance collaboration, heighten transparency around IP enforcement efforts, and reinforce mutual understanding and trust.

    The system will also enable Alibaba to directly and efficiently seek information from rights holders regarding suspected counterfeit product listings, which Alibaba, as a third-party marketplace, is unable to authenticate on its own with full certainty.

    Alibaba will then initiate the Good Faith Takedown process and immediately remove the listing without required subsequent correspondence with the brand.

    Alibaba recently held the inaugural Rights Holders Collaboration Summit to engage international brands and the intellectual property enforcement community to enhance collaboration in the collective fight against IP infringement.

    More than 100 domestic Chinese and international brands and trade associations attended the event, including Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Apple, Mars, Hewlett-Packard, the Chinese-British Business Council (CBBC) and the Quality Brand Protection Committee (QBPC), among others.

    “The Rights Holders Collaboration Summit and new IP Joint-Force System are some of the many ways Alibaba is working closely with rights holders in our efforts to eradicate counterfeits both online and offline,” Zheng said.

  • Telenor will sit out of Indian spectrum auction

    Telenor will sit out of Indian spectrum auction

    Telenor Group has revealed it will not participate in India’s upcoming spectrum auction, leading to speculation about the company’s future in the market.

    The company has decided after thorough consideration not to participate in the auction, “as we believe the proposed spectrum prices do not give an acceptable level of return,” Telenor said in its second quarter report.

    “We will continue our efforts to meet customer demands and grow the business based on the current spectrum holding. As we evaluate our options in India, we will be disciplined on capex,” the report states.

    Telenor reported revenue from India of 1.55 billion kronor ($181.9 million) in the second quarter, up 13% from the prior year. But Telenor India also reported a wider loss for the quarter of 132 million kronor, and 3.32 billion kronor for the first half of the year.

    Given that Telenor only operates in six of India’s 22 telecom circles, and exclusively holds 1800-MHz spectrum – limiting its ability to effectively roll out 4G services – Observers had considered additional spectrum to be essential to Telenor India’s ongoing operations.

    With the operator electing to sit out of the auction, some experts are speculating that the company could pull out of the market.

    By contrast, Telenor’s operations in Myanmar are already cashflow positive, the Q2 results show. Telenor Myanmar reported an operating profit of 614 million kronor, on the back of 3% higher revenue of 1.49 billion kronor.

    Telenor Myanmar added 1.4 million new mobile subscriptions during the quarter, taking its total base to 16.9 million. But ARPU in local currency decreased by 8% due to promotional spending and increased penetration in rural areas.

  • Telkom launches 1Gbps broadband for enterprises

    Telkom launches 1Gbps broadband for enterprises

    Indonesia’s PT Telkom has launched a new line of high-speed broadband services for enterprise customers offering speeds of up to 1Gbps.

    The operator’s new Smart Office Pro services are designed to meet business customers’ requirements for high-speed broadband in the digital age.

    The company is offering a 1Gbps package bundled with up to 1,000 minutes of free voice calls, IPTV and bundled services including storage, hosting and managed services.

    At a press conference announcing the new offers, Telkom director enterprise and business services Muhammad Awaluddin said the service aims to help customers benefit from increased efficiency, flexibility, stability, sustainability ad continuity.

    He added that the launch is in line with the operator’s commitment to building a digital society in Indonesia, which itself also aligns with the government’s vision of transforming the nation into a digital economy.

  • Philippines’ new ICT chief orders spectrum audit

    Philippines’ new ICT chief orders spectrum audit

    The chief of the new Philippines Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has ordered the inventory of used and unused telecoms spectra.

    In his first public speaking engagement and media interview since assumption into office on July 1, DICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima said frequency is a scarce public resource and the patrimony of the nation.

    “I do not want public telephone entities to be warehousing frequencies, meaning getting assigned frequencies from the government, storing it without using it but using it for speculative purposes,” he said.

    He clarified that this act is contrary to the Philippine Constitution and a public service law which states that frequency must be assigned only to those who can make it effective and efficient use of it.

    “If they (telecommunications companies) have not used these frequencies within a reasonable time as stated in the position of giving or assigning to them the frequency, we better start revoking these frequencies because it ought to be assigned to telcos that can effectively and efficiently utilize them,” he added.

    The DICT Chief, however, gave assurances that due process will be observed if the department will resort to revocation of spectrum licenses or permits if some telcos are found to have not used them within the prescribed period.

    “We will hear them out,” he said, further clarifying that what telcos pay for is only the use of the frequency. “They do not become owners of these frequencies because they can never be owned under the Philippine Constitution.”

    The issue stemmed from the recent co-purchase of the telco business of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) by the country’s two dominant carriers – PLDT and Globe Telecom, which the government’s antitrust body, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) now wants investigated.

    Salalima said frequency is crucial to the operations of telecommunications companies in servicing the public.

    “This is the reason why to my mind, PLDT and Globe have to purchase control of the holding company of SMC so that at least they can have part of the frequency (not the entirety) needed for them to further improve the service,” he said.

    He clarified though that he is leaving it to the PCC to decide on the issue of whether the telco buyout deal is in the best interest of the public. His concern is the efficient use of spectrum, especially in light of the need to improve internet connection speed in the country and public services.

    Newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte has given local telecommunications players one year to shape up telco services and internet speed or ship out.

    The DICT, which was given the mandate to make policies and plans in regard to telco services and the country’s ICT infrastructure, is still in the transition period. It is currently awaiting the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the law that created the new department only last May.

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  • Telstra acquires MSC Mobility

    Telstra acquires MSC Mobility

    Telstra has acquired local enterprise mobility solutions provider and decade-long channel partner MSC Mobility (MSC), in a move to bolster its enterprise mobility offerings.

    MSC provides mobile device management and provisioning services for large organizations, including providing devices and support to end users, and professional services, including strategy consulting and mobility solutions design.

    The company’s core capability is its enterprise mobility management platform, which incorporates mobile device management software such as Airwatch and MobileIron.

    The platform has already been rolled out and delivered device management services for “a large number of the telco’s enterprise customers”, Telstra said in a statement.

    Telstra did not disclose the value of the deal. The acquisition, which will be completed within coming weeks, will enable Telstra to manage the end-to-end enterprise mobility lifecycle, including valuable reporting and analytics that help customers drive better business outcomes, the telco noted.

    Telstra executive director of global products Michelle Bendschneider said that the deal is a key step in the incumbent’s focus on enterprise mobility, which has been prioritized as a fundamental part of Telstra’s growth strategy.

    “This acquisition is an investment capturing the fastest growing segment of the enterprise mobility market: managing the supply of apps, content and mobile services to enterprises,” the executive said.

    “To achieve our growth aspirations in enterprise mobility, we need to develop our customer relationships from a holistic mobility view, rather than just what sits on their device or tablet.”

    Bendschneider added that MSC’s established processes and platform can be expanded to host and support the service in Asia, Europe and the US.

    The acquisition of MSC is Telstra’s latest buy in weeks, after it acquired Microsoft partner Readify earlier this month to boost its cloud offerings for enterprises.

    In February, Telstra also made a strategic investment in Chinese cloud storage service provider, Qiniu, through its investment arm, Telstra Ventures, a month after it acquired another Microsoft partner, Kloud.

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  • AIS to offer family safety services

    AIS to offer family safety services

    Thai operetor AIS has awarded a contract to Gemalto covering the company’s LinqUs Mobile Protection solution.

    Gemalto will provide integrated sophisticated safety-checking features for digitally connected consumers, allowing mobile users to seek real-time location information and online protection for their loved ones.

    AIS expects to use the capability to enhance customer engagement by offering services aimed at keeping subscribers safe and connected to their families. Gemalto will also provide support services to AIS.

    Gemalto partners with iMobileMagic, a provider of cloud based family location and protection products, to offer a service which will allow users to receive real-time notifications when their kids, elderly or other relatives arrive, leave, or stray away from designated areas.

    Families can expect to be able to instantly locate their loved ones or send panic alerts during emergencies. Parents will have the additional ability to put restrictions on their children’s device usage.

    This cloud-connected mobile application, which runs on a wide range of devices and wearables, can help AIS customers to stay close to their families and even pets, in a simple and cost-effective way.

    “Safety and security are the key issues on everyone’s mind these days, and Gemalto’s LinqUs Mobile Protection solution allows us to meet the rapidly changing needs of our society, with lower cost of ownership,” said Titipong Khiewpaisal, SVP for consumer marketing and sales at AIS.

    “It is easy to deploy, scalable, and even available on wearables, making it easy for our customers to stay up to date with the status of their family members, anytime and anywhere,” he said.

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  • VimpelCom to invest $1b in Pakisan over five years

    VimpelCom to invest $1b in Pakisan over five years

    Global telecoms group VimpelCom has announced plans to invest $1 billion in its Pakistani operations over the next five years.

    The company plans to roll out what it says will be one of the largest and most ambitious IT infrastructures in the industry for its Mobilink and Warid operations.

    With the new systems the company aims to ensure faster rollout of new products and services, particularly in areas including mobile entertainment, communications, the IoT and mobile financial services.

    Mobilink recently completed a merger with Warid to create Pakistan’s largest mobile operator with over 50 million customers.

    The merger was announced  in November last year, won regulatory approval in May and closed at the start of this month.

    At a press conference announcing the investment plans Mobilink CEO Jean-Yves Charlier said with the merger 38 million Mobilink customers will be provided with 4G while 12 million Warid customers will be provided with 3G.

    He also said around 1,500 joint Mobilink-Warid franchise shops will be opened nationwide. The operator has also made a commitment to the government to roll out services to remote areas.

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  • Axiata details major organizational revamp

    Axiata details major organizational revamp

    Malaysia’s Axiata group has announced a major organizational and management shake-up across its group of companies, with the reshuffling or appointment of multiple new top executives.

    The company has embarked on a transformation as part of its strategy of executing its succession plan and strengthening its ability to manage an entity that has grown to more than twice its size since its inception.

    As part of the restructuring, Axiata has established a new unit to oversee its Southeast Asia operations. The current CEO of domestic mobile subsidiary Celcom Axiata, Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, has been selected to take responsibility for all Southeast Asia operations.

    Axiata recently set up a similar unit to manage the operator’s South Asia operations and appointed Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, currently CEO of Sri Lanka’s Dialog Axiata, as regional CEO for South Asia.

    Celcom itself will meanwhile undertake an organizational refresh which will involve the establishment of a new executive committee, including the appointment of six new key senior positions.

    Axiata Group CEO and Celcom chairman Jamaludin Ibrahim will chair this committee.

    Former Robi Axiata CEO Michael Kuehner will meanwhile become the new CEO of Celcom starting in September.

    He will be assisted by two new deputy CEOs – Azwan Khan Osman Khan and Mohamed Adlan Ahmad Tajudin, who have been promoted from within the group.

    Celcom has also appointed a neew CFO – Jennifer Wong – a new chief human capital officer (CHCO) – Azmi Ujang – and a new chief transformation and digital officer – Azmi Ujang.

    Finally, Axiata Group has also named the planned successor for Wijayasuriya. Supun Weerasinghe will take over as Dialog’s CEO at the start of next year.  Weerasinghe is currently CEO of Robi Axiata, and will himself be replaced in this role by Robi COO Mahtab Uddin Ahmed.