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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.

  • The future of direct carrier billing and carrier-OTT partnerships

    The future of direct carrier billing and carrier-OTT partnerships

    Increased smartphone penetration and a rise in demand for over-the-top (OTT) content have driven the growth of the global direct carrier billing (DCB) market. Valued at US$29.8 billion in 2019, the global DCB market is estimated to reach US$70 billion by 2025, fuelled by a surge in video and audio streaming, as well as consumers’ preference for seamless, secure, and accessible payment modes.

    Linked directly to consumers’ mobile phone bills, consumers can enjoy fuss-free transactions in the absence of a bank account or credit card with DCB. This is in contrast with credit card payments that require consumers to input their credit card number and name. In comparison, a simpler checkout process results in lower abandonment rates and higher conversion rates for merchants. This payment method is also more secure as personal information is not being shared.On top of offering convenience, DCB presents unprecedented opportunities for carriers to tap into Asia-Pacific’s (APAC) unbanked population – totaling more than 1 billion. In Southeast Asia, where financial inclusion is particularly low, about 75% of the population does not have access to formal banking services.

    A flurry of lockdowns and stay-at-home measures have resulted in the rise in video and audio streaming in the past year. According to The Trade Desk, 180 million consumers stream 8 billion hours of over-the-top (OTT) content per month in Southeast Asia, making its OTT market one of the fastest-growing in APAC.

    By 2025, Media Partners Asia predicts that video-on-demand subscriptions will reach 417 million in the APAC region, up from 269 million in 2019. Of which, China will account for 65% of the total subscriptions.

    This trend in increased streaming is expected to persist in a post-pandemic environment driven by more affordable subscriptions, quicker download speeds and a growing DCB market, which in turn spurs more partnerships between carriers and OTT providers.

    Carriers have an advantage in delivering content with a billing mechanism already in place. This gives consumers an added incentive to subscribe to services by OTT providers such as Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify, bundled into carrier subscriptions so that consumers can have all their content needs met by a single source in a single bill. According to Ovum, carrier billing is also the most popular method of revenue sharing in such partnerships.

    For carriers, it means providing added value and better brand positioning in a competitive landscape. For OTT media providers, it means higher conversion rates. The result is win-win as both parties achieve the benefits of increased user acquisition, retention and essentially, revenue.

    Apart from OTT giants like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime, APAC has a diverse market that includes regional and even local OTT providers. In South Korea, for instance, home-grown Wavve is the leading OTT media provider. This is followed by Netflix. When LG UPlus entered into an exclusive deal with Netflix in 2018, its subscriptions for its IPTV grew by 20%. More recently, it was reported that LG UPlus is now exploring a partnership with Disney+, which has amassed more than 100 million global subscribers just 16 months after its launch. SK Telecom, on the other hand, is reportedly signing a partnership with Apple TV+.

    In India, one of the fastest-growing markets for OTT content in the world estimated to reach US$5 billion by 2023, partnerships are highly coveted to court a burgeoning smartphone population. Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing also noted that India has the cheapest average cost of mobile data in the world, at Rs 6.7 (US$0.09) per gigabyte. According to Ovum, about 56% of Indian consumers are already paying for more than one online video service, with the pay-per-use model being more well-received as compared to monthly subscriptions. To attract more consumers, OTT providers are turning to subscription video on demand or advertising video on demand. Amazon’s miniTV is one such provider that offers its content free.

    Moving forward, the onus is on carriers and OTT providers to better curate content suited for the respective markets and attract consumers consumption. This is on top of overcoming challenges such as integrating seamless back-end systems and ensuring that streamed content is high quality without comprising on profit margins.

  • Axiata expands network leadership with commercial Open RAN across Asia

    Axiata expands network leadership with commercial Open RAN across Asia

    Axiata Group Berhad (“Axiata” or “the Group”) has embarked on an ambitious network transformation program, leveraging Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN) as a key technology for mobile networks designed to narrow the digital divide and enhance rural connectivity across Asia.

    Eyeing large-scale commercial deployments by year-end, the Group has successfully conducted Open RAN commercial field pilots in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka through strategic partnerships with leading global network solutions providers Mavenir and Parallel Wireless and supported by Infosys as systems integrator (SI).

    Through its strategic partnership with Mavenir, the industry’s end-to-end network software provider, Axiata has deployed the MAWair Open vRAN solution including all G Open RAN, Packet Core and Mobile Network applications at selected sites, in Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. To simulate non-ideal backhaul conditions, especially for rural areas, the sites selected are connected with non-ideal backhaul (microwave links), and in some cases satellite, making this the first satellite backhaul powered Open vRAN sites in the world.

    During the testing phase, Axiata was also able to achieve the first live commercial service integration of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP)’s Evenstar 4G Radio through Mavenir’s MAVair O-RAN based solution for Open RAN. Axiata is a participant of the TIP initiative in which a global community of companies and organizations are working together to accelerate the development and deployment of open, disaggregated, and standards-based technology solutions that deliver high quality, low-cost connectivity.

    Axiata’s commercial pilot also encompassed a collaboration with Parallel Wireless, the US-based Open RAN company delivering all G, cloud-native Open RAN solutions. Axiata successfully demonstrated commercial deployment of 2G and 4G Open RAN connectivity within its network in Sri Lanka which is operated by Dialog Axiata.

    Parallel Wireless’s solutions enabled 2G and 4G technology to be installed on the same radio units, with baseband deployed on a x86 commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) platform, and all other applications deployed on Axiata’s OpenStack cloud infrastructure. The field trials now elevated to commercial availability, included 3-Sector, 4-Sector and 6-Sector sites, and demonstrated high-quality network performance.

    End user experience was demonstrated to be seamless and, in some cases, superior in terms of mobile broadband experience including next generation voice services. Commercial deployment encompassed rural, sub-urban and urban environments.

    The paradigm shift in telco networks towards Open RAN requires system integration capabilities to bring together the ecosystem of disaggregated components using standardized open interfaces on general-purpose hardware and ensuring interoperability in a carrier grade environment. Axiata was supported by Infosys in executing multi-faceted system integrations required to demonstrate the comprehensive coverage of Open RAN configuration options.

    Thomas Hundt, Axiata’s Group Executive Vice President – Technology said, “Open RAN is the future for mobile networks, and it will be critical for 4G expansions as well as the 5G evolution that Axiata’s markets will soon embrace. Aligning with our vision to become The Next Generation Digital Champion, the benefits from open networks will enable Axiata to better serve rising connectivity needs across the region, especially in rural and underserved areas, whilst ensuring sustainable value creation for our stakeholders.”

    “Together with our partners Mavenir, Parallel Networks and Infosys, and in line with the global connectivity push under the Telecom Infrastructure Project, Axiata is committed towards embracing fully automated infrastructure to boost the open network’s ecosystem in Asia. Our successful trials in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia prove that Open RAN solutions enable greater operational and cost efficiencies using advanced technologies, whilst also meeting the needs of our digital inclusion efforts across the region. We look forward to taking the next step towards commercialization in our pursuit of catalyzing game-changing advancements across emerging Asia,” he said.

    Pardeep Kohli, Mavenir President and CEO said, “Mavenir is delighted to work with Axiata on their radio network transformation initiative and to achieve excellent results in the live everyday environment, proving the extreme flexibility of Open vRAN. The collaboration will transform existing networks into a dynamic, agile and cloud-native based platform where Mavenir and Axiata will build the Networks of the Future.”

    Keith Johnson, President of Parallel Wireless said, “We are honored to partner with Axiata, replacing their incumbent vendors equipment with our leading-edge Open RAN Solution to enable 2G and 4G broadband services in Sri Lanka and other Axiata subsidiaries. We are thrilled that the trials are successful, and we look forward to the commercial deployments in 2021.”

    Anand Swaminathan, EVP & Global Industry Leader, Communications, Media & Technology Infosys said, “Open RAN is transforming the wireless architecture and is enabling Telecom operators to be more competitive and innovative, while providing them flexibility in RAN component suppliers’ ecosystem. The successful completion of the field trial on live network was a major milestone for accelerating the scaled deployment of virtual and Open RAN networks. Infosys is excited to be the SI partner to Axiata in this transformational journey and is committed to stand together to achieve many more milestones in the near future.”

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  • Singapore to increase ICT spending to accelerate Government digitalisation

    Singapore to increase ICT spending to accelerate Government digitalisation

    Singapore’s Government Technology Agency (GovTech) will spend up to an estimated S$3.8 billion on info-communications technology (ICT) procurement this year, an almost 10 percent increase from FY20’s procurement value of S$3.5 billion.

    This spending will go towards transforming government digital services used by both citizens and businesses and re-engineering government digital infrastructure to support modern application development. It will build on the momentum generated by past years’ investments and serve to lock in the digitalization gains brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will be able to participate in close to 83 percent of the total potential procurement opportunities.Transforming government digital services for the future

    An estimated S$2.7 billion (70 percent out of S$3.8 billion) will be spent on 250 projects to transform, integrate and streamline digital services across different sectors to create a more digitally empowered nation.

    Of the S$2.7 billion expected to be spent on digital application services, 44 percent will be developed on the cloud in FY21. Developing applications on the cloud increases agility and innovation, resulting in faster delivery of new public services for citizens and businesses. In addition, leveraging on cloud infrastructure increases resiliency and scalability, leading to better performance during periods of high demand. To date, the government has close to 600 systems on cloud and is on track to have 70 per cent of eligible systems on the cloud by FY2023.

    Number of Artificial Intelligence projects to increase

    Over S$500 million (13 percent out of S$3.8 billion) will be spent to accelerate the adoption and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the public sector. AI can help the Government to deliver better services, make better decisions based on data-driven insights, and optimise operations to increase productivity. To support government agencies in deploying AI, GovTech has built various central platforms to support common use cases in the area of video analytics, natural language processing, fraud analytics and personalization to help agencies reduce the cost of onboarding AI solutions. The central platforms also enable agencies to access common features and enjoy lower cost of management, maintenance and updating of systems.

    More projects for SMEs to participate in Govt ICT procurement

    The increase in ICT procurement spending will create more opportunities for SMEs, with more than 80 percent of ICT contracts to be made available through streamlined procurement methods. These procurement methods will improve SMEs’ access to Government ICT procurement opportunities. For instance, the government has incorporated dynamic contracting in bulk tenders to allow new suppliers and requirements to be introduced throughout a contract period. Barriers of entry for SMEs are also lowered as government agencies put out more cloud-based services and smaller system projects that allow suppliers with a lower financial grading to bid.

    Mr Kok Ping Soon, Chief Executive, GovTech, said: “We are heartened by the results of the G2C and G2B annual survey on Government Digital Services, which are an affirmation of the Government’s commitment to invest heavily in ICT and digital transformation. Providing more opportunities for SMEs to take on government projects is also important, as SMEs have always been the lifeblood of Singapore, and form a key pillar of our Smart Nation efforts. GovTech will continue to innovate to provide seamless and easy-to-use services and improve the resilience and security of our digital platforms for citizens, businesses and public officers.”

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  • Huawei’s 7th Cyber Security and Privacy Protection Transparency Center opens its doors in China

    Huawei’s 7th Cyber Security and Privacy Protection Transparency Center opens its doors in China

    Huawei has opened its 7th and largest Global Cyber Security and Privacy Protection Transparency Center in Dongguan, China, with representatives from GSMA, SUSE, the British Standards Institution, and regulators from the UAE and Indonesia speaking at the opening ceremony. During the opening ceremony, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, head of cybersecurity, UAE, delivered a keynote on the importance of cyber cooperation for a resilient and vibrant digital future.

    Along with the opening of the new center, Huawei also released its Product Cyber Security Baseline, marking the first time the company has made its product security baseline framework and management practices available to the industry as a whole. These actions are part of the company’s broader efforts to engage with customers, suppliers, standards organizations, and other stakeholders to jointly strengthen cybersecurity across the industry.

    “Cybersecurity is more important than ever,” said Ken Hu, Huawei’s rotating chairman, at the opening of the Dongguan center. “As an industry, we need to work together, share best practices, and build our collective capabilities in governance, standards, technology, and verification. We need to give both the general public and regulators a reason to trust in the security of the products and services they use on a daily basis. Together, we can strike the right balance between security and development in an increasingly digital world.”

    Over the past few years, industry digitalization and new technologies like 5G and AI have made cyberspace more complex than ever, compounded by the fact that people have been spending a greater portion of their lives online throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These trends have led to a rise in new cybersecurity risks.

    During his speech, Hu also emphasized the importance of cybersecurity and shared responsibility to Huawei. Huawei has been committed to cooperative cybersecurity as early as 2000. There are now more than 3,000 cybersecurity R&D personnel in Huawei. Moreover, Huawei’s annual R&D investment in cybersecurity and privacy protection accounts for about 5% of its total R&D expenses.

    Huawei opened the new Global Cyber Security and Privacy Protection Transparency Center in Dongguan to address these issues, providing a platform for industry stakeholders to share expertise in cyber governance and work on technical solutions together. The center is designed to demonstrate solutions and share experience, facilitate communication and joint innovation, and support security testing and verification. It will be open to regulators, independent third-party testing organizations, and standards organizations, as well as Huawei customers, partners, and suppliers.

    H.E. Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, head of cybersecurity, UAE, said, “A public-private partnership will be critical to build collaboration among private, public and government entities so as to establish a globally trusted digital oasis in the UAE.”

    To further a unified approach to cybersecurity in the telecoms industry, organizations like GSMA and 3GPP have also been working with industry stakeholders to promote NESAS Security Assurance Specifications and independent certifications. These baselines have seen wide acceptance in the industry, and will play an important role in the development and verification of secure networks.

    Mats Granryd, director general of GSMA, spoke at the opening of Huawei’s new center. “The delivery of existing and new services in the 5G era will rely heavily on the connectivity provided by mobile networks and will fundamentally depend on the underlying technology being secure and trusted,” he said. “Initiatives such as the GSMA 5G Cybersecurity Knowledge Base, designed to help stakeholders understand and mitigate network risks, and NESAS, an industry-wide security assurance framework, are designed to facilitate improvements in network equipment security levels across the sector.”

    Hu also highlighted the importance of knowledge sharing. At the event, Huawei also released its Product Cyber Security Baseline, the culmination of over a decade of experience in product security management, incorporating a broad range of external regulations, technical standards, and regulatory requirements. The Baseline, together with Huawei’s other governance mechanisms, helps ensure the quality, security, and trustworthiness of the company’s products. Over the years, Huawei has built over 1,500 networks that connect more than three billion people across 170 countries and regions. None of these networks have ever experienced a major security incident.

    Hu emphasized that the more knowledge and best practices we share, the more effectively we can strengthen cybersecurity as a community.

    According to Huawei, the baseline covers 15 categories, 54 requirements, and 112 specific implementation instructions and interpretations, ensuring the high-quality, security, and trustworthiness of Huawei products. It includes 4 categories of legal compliance requirements (prevention of backdoors, prevention of malware and malicious behaviors, protection of user privacy and protection of communication freedom) and 11 categories of security and functional assurance requirements (including secure coding, compilation, sensitive data protection, encryption, secure boot, integrity protection, and lifecycle management).

    “This is the first time we’ve shared our security baseline framework with the entire industry, not just core suppliers,” said Sean Yang, director of Huawei’s Global Cyber Security and Privacy Protection Office. “We want to invite all stakeholders, including customers, regulators, standards organizations, technology providers, and testing organizations, to join us in discussing and working on cybersecurity baselines. Together, we can continuously improve product security across the industry.”

    At present, the industry still lacks a standards-based, coordinated approach, especially when it comes to governance, technical capabilities, certification, and collaboration.

    “Cybersecurity risk is a shared responsibility,” concluded Ken Hu in his opening remarks. “Governments, standards organizations, and technology providers need to work closely together to develop a unified understanding of cybersecurity challenges. This must be an international effort. We need to set shared goals, align responsibilities, and work together to build a trustworthy digital environment that meets the challenges of today and tomorrow.”

    Two years ago, Huawei opened a similar center in Brussels, with others located in the UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the UAE.

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  • Inmarsat and Skylo collaborate on world’s first commercial narrowband IoT over satellite solution

    Inmarsat and Skylo collaborate on world’s first commercial narrowband IoT over satellite solution

    Inmarsat will provide Skylo, a satellite-based narrow-band (NB) IoT solution company the satellite capacity backbone to deliver its IoT solutions for connecting machines and sensors.

    The agreement pairs Inmarsat’s exceptionally reliable global satellite network with a complete, easy-to-use IoT solution that provides even the most remotely located application users with real-time, actionable insights; helping improve efficiencies, increase profits, improve sustainability, and save lives.

    The solution is available now in India through a partnership with in-country partner BSNL and expansion plans will be announced later this year.

    “The most effective IoT solutions require a truly resilient and flexible network that can scale as demand grows,” said Rajeev Suri, Inmarsat Chief Executive Officer.

    “Inmarsat’s industry-leading L-band network provides a unique capability for enabling the billions of connected IoT devices in India and across the world that are being deployed at an extraordinary speed.  We are delighted to work with Skylo to provide the IoT fabric that matches their ambition.”

    “Skylo makes simple, reliable IoT connectivity available to everyone at disruptively affordable rates,” commented Skylo CEO and co-founder Parth Trivedi.

    “Even more attractive than a sharp increase in adoption due to low barrier-to-entry is deploying critical new business capabilities as machine data becomes readily available and accessible. Our global IoT connectivity fabric makes way for thousands of life-changing applications — from managing vaccine efficacy during delivery to advancing precision farming, to provide early warnings in the event of natural disasters. We look forward to expanding globally and making our platform available to small and large enterprises, companies deploying new sensors, systems integrators, distributors, Governments and OEMs.”

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  • ZTE provides wireless coverage to the second highest peak in the world

    ZTE provides wireless coverage to the second highest peak in the world

    ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the mobile internet, together with a local operator in Pakistan, has built a base station and completed several kilometers of wireless coverage around the station at the K2 base camp for the world’s second-highest peak on the border between China and Pakistan, with the aim of building a strong communication network for climbers.

    The altitude of K2, the second-highest peak in the world after Mount Qomolangma, is 8611 meters. It’s about 200 kilometers from the villages at the foot of the mountain in northern Pakistan to the K2 base camp. On the way to the K2 base camp, the mountain is steep and the environment is harsh. Compared with Mount Qomolangma, its difficulty and risk for climbers are higher and more challenging. It is one of the most popular peaks that climbers hope to conquer. However, there was no signal coverage along the K2 before April 2020, so it was very difficult for climbers to communicate in case of an emergency. The death rate of the climbers, who trek toward the K2’s summit, is as high as 25%.

    In order to fill the signal gap along the climbing route of K2, ZTE assisted the local operator in completing the construction and provisioning of the base station at the K2 base camp with an altitude of 5100 meters before the peak climbing season in 2021, so as to provide 24×7 stable network services for climbers in the area.

    The signal strength, speed rate, effective coverage distance, and other technical indicators of the base station have reached the desired level, providing stable and high-speed communication experiences for climbers, and effectively guaranteeing high-quality communication and timely information transmission for climbers.

    Since the establishment, the base station has provided communication services for hundreds of climbers. ZTE and the local operator will continue to work together to ensure the communication quality of the station, so as to protect the life security of climbers in this harsh environment.

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  • Nokia and Optus deploys Australia’s first integrated antenna

    Nokia and Optus deploys Australia’s first integrated antenna

    Nokia announced the deployment of Australia’s first Interleaved Passive Active Antenna (IPAA) in collaboration with Optus. Together, Nokia and Optus deployed the first IPAA in Yeerongpilly, Brisbane. The solution helps ease site-related challenges which accelerate the introduction of 5G services across the country.

    As operators look to rollout 5G, finding space on existing towers and rooftops for new massive MIMO active antenna equipment poses a significant deployment challenge for operators. Long delays in acquiring permission for site upgrades; the potential strengthening of the supporting structures and potentially higher rental payments to landlords, can in combination seriously delay operators, such as Optus, in getting 5G services to their customers.

    Nokia’s IPAA solution was developed in collaboration with CommScope. It will allow Optus and other operators to upgrade existing sites to 5G by simply replacing their existing antennas with a similar-sized unit that supports all legacy technologies as well as 5G massive MIMO active antenna, all in a single compact solution. By utilizing this solution, Optus can overcome many deployment challenges that can typically hinder the introduction of 5G.

    Lambo Kanagaratnam, Managing Director of Networks at Optus, said: “We’re committed to keeping our customers connected and at the forefront of 5G. By partnering with global technology leaders like Nokia, we continue to bring the best global innovations to our customers. The introduction of the IPAA into our network infrastructure will help us speed up the deployment of our 5G network by addressing space and structural capacity constraints.”

    Rob Joyce, Chief Technology Officer of Australia and New Zealand at Nokia, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Optus to bring our unique IPAA solution into play in the Australian market. The IPAA is an advanced technical solution to tackle the problems of finding space on towers and rooftops for 5G upgrades. Operators can now simply replace an existing antenna with Nokia’s IPAA solution to upgrade the site and at the same time, introduce 5G; it couldn’t be simpler.”

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  • Nokia chosen by Allo for gigabit fiber network in Malaysia

    Nokia chosen by Allo for gigabit fiber network in Malaysia

    Nokia announced that it has been chosen by Allo, an Information and Communications Technology service provider in Malaysia, to deploy a gigabit fiber network in the states of Melaka, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, and East Coast of Malaysia.

    The deployment, which includes Nokia’s Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) solution and Access Management System, will be completed by end of Q2 2021 covering nearly 150,000 home passes. When completed, the end-users will be able to enjoy a high-speed broadband network and applications that require high capacity. The future-ready fiber network will enable Allo to increase its revenue as it will be able to support new use cases like smart cities, smart poles, edge automation, 5G backhaul, and enterprise services.

    Nokia’s solution will enable Allo to better manage bandwidth in line with the requirement for different services. The fiber network will support the convergence of more services and users on the same infrastructure, allowing Allo to bring down operating expenses and enhance revenue.

    With the new network, Allo will be able to acquire relevant insights into network utilization as the network grows and new technology enablers are added. Nokia’s solution will also help Allo benefit from network simplification and easier management of the network.

    Rodzi Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer at Allo, said: “We are pleased to partner with Nokia to bring the next generation of fiber services to our enterprise and residential users. By utilizing Nokia’s expertise, we will be able to accelerate the rollout of fiber services over the next two years. This enables us to offer high-speed broadband to a greater number of people in keeping with the vision of Malaysia’s fiberization initiative. Together Allo and Nokia will continue working towards the ultimate goal of improving broadband connectivity in Malaysia.”

    Stuart Hendry, Head of Enterprise for Asia Pacific and Japan at Nokia, said: “We are excited to work with Allo on this crucial initiative for the rollout of the next-generation fiber services. Our field-proven solutions will help Allo support the growing demand for bandwidth and provide network flexibility. Nokia’s solution will enable Allo to bring down costs and offer new and exciting services to its customers. The initiative will help build a future-ready network capable of meeting the ever-growing data demand.”

    In addition to the GPON roll-out, Allo is also conducting field trials with Nokia’s next-generation XGS-PON products which could be deployed where the network requires even greater bandwidth, up to 10Gbps symmetrical.

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  • Huawei aims to “lead the world” in software

    Huawei aims to “lead the world” in software

    Chinese tech giant Huawei said it would launch a long-awaited new operating system for smartphones next week, part of an all-out push into the software industry aimed at weathering US sanctions and taking on Google’s Android.

    Huawei tipped the June 2 launch of its HarmonyOS platform in a short teaser on social media, just as an internal memo came to light in which company founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei outlined plans to go big in software.

    The 76-year-old assured staff that “in the software domain, the US will have very little control over our future development, and we have much autonomy.” Huawei’s founder and CEO emphasized that “objectively speaking, the only domain in which we can extend our roots deep is software”

    Huawei’s plans are the latest signs of a radical transformation at the Shenzhen-based company, which is moving quickly into new product lines seen as less vulnerable to US pressure and a re-focus on its core domestic market.

    Huawei had already announced in April that it would work with Chinese automakers to develop intelligent vehicles after earlier unveiling moves into enterprise and cloud computing.

    Saying “the best defense is a good offense”, Ren outlined an ambitious plan to develop software that “embraces the world”.

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  • Inmarsat joins effort for telecommunications and navigation systems for lunar missions

    Inmarsat joins effort for telecommunications and navigation systems for lunar missions

    Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, will be a key member of a new consortium led by Telespazio to study the development of a satellite navigation and communications network that supports future missions to the Moon. Funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), this project will explore creating a single system that would serve all lunar missions, drastically reducing the cost of each trip that would no longer need its own infrastructure to be developed. The system would provide connectivity and navigation to both crewed and uncrewed missions.

    Project Moonlight is ESA’s program to explore, with industry, how to develop telecommunications and navigation systems to support future planned lunar missions. An industry consortium will study how a future Lunar Communications and Navigation Satellite (LCNS) constellation could work. This study will research demand from potential users and build a business case for future development of the system. The study will also provide a technical concept for the LCNS that fits within this overall business case.

    Within the consortium, Inmarsat will be responsible for researching and collating the requirements from potential users of the system, in both the public and private sectors, who have lunar ambitions. In addition, Inmarsat will design the LCNS ground segment.

    “Providing communication and navigation capabilities around the Moon is a major challenge, both technically and commercially,” said Yasrine Ibnyahya, Senior Director, Advanced Concepts and Technologies at Inmarsat. “But I strongly believe that the expertise and assets from Inmarsat and our partners can solve this challenge in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Communications and navigation are both core capabilities of Inmarsat’s Earth operations in orbit and on the ground, so it is only natural that we expand our reach and leverage our know-how beyond our planet to the Moon.

    “This lunar project is only the first step to unlock future opportunities. It can become the hub to facilitate human space exploration, further technology developments and perhaps access to new resources.”

    Because missions could rely on this dedicated telecommunications and navigation service, they would also be lighter. This would create space to allow more scientific instruments or other cargo to be carried.

    Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: “People all over the world will be hugely excited by the upcoming missions to the Moon – and I’m proud that it is UK space companies who are leading the way in making these become a reality. Britain’s expertise in navigation and telecommunications is second to none and this first of its kind commercial service – spearheaded by some of the UK’s most innovative businesses – demonstrates our ambition for the UK to become a world- leading space nation.”

    An accurate and reliable telecommunications and navigation service would also enable missions to land anywhere on the Moon. Rovers and other lunar installations could be operated from Earth. Radio astronomers could set up observatories on the far side of the Moon.

    Nick Shave, Vice President of Strategic Programmes for Inmarsat Global Government, said: “Project Moonlight opens up multiple possibilities to accelerate and diversify lunar exploration. It’s not inconceivable that, alongside vital operational uses, this satellite network could also provide a critical welfare service, such as allowing astronauts to relax by sending WhatsApp messages home from the Moon or even catching up on Netflix in orbit. The Inmarsat team is very excited to get to work engaging with potential users of the system, to use their insights and our expertise to deliver a strong recommendation to ESA so that this once in a lifetime opportunity can be delivered for all humankind.”

    ESA has awarded funding to the consortium to cover the next stage of project development over 17 months and industry has also contributed to the project.

    Large mission integrator Telespazio is the prime for this project with TAS the nominated satellite manufacturer.

    Inmarsat participated in the initial phase 0 of this project in 2018 and 2019, performing a preliminary feasibility analysis of a Lunar Communication and Navigation System with ESA and partners. The company is now involved in the deeper analysis as part of the Moonlight initiative.

    Upon completion of this 17 month study phase, ESA will then review the study to inform how to implement the next stage, including satellite and ground segment procurement, in late 2022.

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  • The role of telecoms in a growing big data analytics market

    The role of telecoms in a growing big data analytics market

    In today’s data-driven world, more organizations are investing in big data analytics to improve business performance and build business resiliency as the world experiences unprecedented digitalization.

    According to IDC, big data and analytics (BDA) spending in the Asia-Pacific region, has been on the rise. In 2020, revenue for BDA solutions reached US$22.6 billion, representing a growth of 12% from the preceding year. IDC predicts that this revenue will grow with a five-year CAGR of 15.6% for the period from 2019 to 2024.

    Banking is the top vertical leading the overall BDA market, followed by the telecommunications sector, where big data analytics has been applied to predictive customer churn analysis, for instance.

    Since telecom operators handle billions of records every day, the use of big data converts raw data into meaningful insights that are valuable to enterprises and the government.

    In the region, China accounts for the largest share of the BDA solutions market, driven by banking and state and local government. Even Chinese factories have turned to big data to focus on the domestic market when exports were disrupted last year. When overseas demand dropped and China was at the height of the pandemic, factories turned to e-commerce giants like Alibaba and JD.com to track consumer behaviors. Within just three months, Alibaba successfully helped 300,000 Chinese export factories to focus on local consumers.

    To secure tech supremacy, China is investing heavily in emerging innovations. Last month, China’s state media announced a US$3 billion plan to build a supercomputing center to analyze data obtained from space by the end of the year. The center will provide big data services for industries such as the aerospace and marine sectors as early as next year.

    Taking cues from the central government, companies are also investing in big data. Last month, tech giant Tencent and venture capital firm Sequoia China led a US$25 million funding round in a Chinese big data startup to capitalize on global digitalization efforts.

    In Malaysia, where big data analysis is still in its early stages, IDC has forecasted that the BDA market will grow from US$1.1 billion in 2021 to US$1.9 billion in 2025. In this research commissioned by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), findings show that the services sector will dominate the BDA market, contributing 64% of total spending, followed by banking and telecommunications, with both contributing to a third.

    Malaysia has plans to become a regional data hub leader, with capabilities such as big data, IoT and AI. Last month, Microsoft announced that it is establishing its first data center in Malaysia’s Greater Kuala Lumpur area. Estimated to cost US$1 billion, this investment is expected to create 19,000 jobs and generate US$4.6 billion in revenue for Malaysia.

    New revenue sources across sectors
    Amid big data growth and advances in big data analytics, global telecom operators are well-positioned to take advantage to compete. Apart from transforming customer experiences within to reduce customer churn and improve operational efficiency, the telecommunications industry is in a unique position to mine the sheer volume of data for other sectors as data becomes a key differentiator to stand out among the competition.

    Insights into big data present telecom operators’ monetization opportunities when offered to organizations across increasing industries that are recognizing its perks. Such industries include logistics and shipping, as well as the retail industry.

    In the logistics industry, for instance, historic data and pattern analysis that take into consideration seasons and cycles can be used for predictive analytics. Insights from data can be used to predict future volumes, route planning using real-time analytics on weather and traffic conditions for route optimization, and more efficient dispatch of transportation vehicles to prevent delays. Predictive analysis also enables robotic systems to scale inventory management in warehouses as needed. Essentially, big data analytics offers visibility and transparency throughout the supply chain so that firms can better respond to immediate real-time information for smoother operations.

    Big data also promotes client segmentation and target marketing to attract and retain existing clients in the retail sector. For example, telecom operators can run analytics on consumer data that are sought after by retailers to enhance existing targeted marketing campaigns. More specifically, behavior analytics carried out by telecom operators can help retailers connect with their buyers both online and offline and decide if it is worthwhile opening a store or franchise in a particular precinct.

    Given that the telecommunications industry is inextricably linked to organizations in today’s digital age, data-driven insights are an important driver for the continued relevance and prosperity of organizations across diverse sectors. The onus is on telecommunications operators to tap on this growth area.

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  • Growth plateaued for global telecommunications market in 2020

    Growth plateaued for global telecommunications market in 2020

    Worldwide Telecommunications Services and Pay TV Services revenues totaled $1.53 trillion in 2020, representing flat year-over-year growth, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Semiannual Telecom Services Tracker.

    Services revenue for the Asia-Pacific region totaled at $482 billion in 2020, equalling the amount in 2019. IDC expects worldwide spending to increase by 0.7% in 2021 reaching a total of $1.54 trillion.

    The COVID-19 pandemic was unquestionably the most important factor influencing the telco market in 2020. In the first six months of the year, the pandemic brought a notable decline to the market in the form of decreased subscriber numbers and lower services spending. This was caused by the strict lockdowns imposed by governments as well as the widespread pessimism and anxiety that forced people to cut spending on nonessential products and services. In the second half of the year, the demand recovered, fueled by economic stimulus measures and the progress in vaccine development. The renewed optimism helped the global and regional markets to cover the losses recorded in the first half of the year and come close to equaling the prior year’s results.

    Although the revenue outcome in 2020 was neutral, the pandemic drastically changed the trends that have shaped the global telco market for a long time. Consumer fixed data services have suddenly become the most important type of connectivity, enabling home-bound people to work and entertain. Business fixed data services have temporarily lost momentum due to the migration of traffic to the consumer segment, but most of these connections were preserved as they were protected by long-term contracts. Fixed voice services saw a slight increase in dropout rates because some companies within the small business segments went bankrupt and more residential clients gave up their connections for cost-cutting purposes. Mobile services spending also declined slightly due to slower renewal of contract agreements, reduction of out-of-bundle spending, and a sharp decrease in roaming revenues due to travel restrictions. In the Pay TV segment, the migration from traditional Pay TV to Over the Top (OTT) services accelerated during the COVID-19 crisis, driven by increased consumption of video content and new OTT service launches.

    IDC believes that connectivity will become an even more critical asset for households and businesses after the pandemic, as some of the habits adopted during the crisis (remote working, collaboration, online media consumption) are expected to become part of everyday life. The migration toward FttP access is expected to accelerate in most of the country markets, while the business fixed data market will recover in the longer term as the economic recovery drives increased investments in the cloudification of enterprise business activities. Revenue growth in the mobile services space will be buoyed to a degree by 5G adoption, which will invite users to deploy more advanced data capabilities and uptake the content and services dependent on high-speed data connectivity.

    The global telco market was put to a serious test in 2020 and it successfully passed. IDC believes that the lessons learned last year will help the industry to secure stable growth in the coming period. “The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the resilience and value of the telecoms industry,” said Chris Barnard, vice president, European Infrastructure and Telecoms. “New ways of working will persist beyond the pandemic, shaping future revenue opportunities, while the network-centricity of consumers will drive bandwidth requirements in that segment as well.”

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  • Starhub reports $30.5 million net profit in 1Q2021

    Starhub reports $30.5 million net profit in 1Q2021

    StarHub announced its business performance update for the quarter ended 31 March 2021. Total revenue for 1Q2021 was $487.1 million, service EBITDA was $115.4 million while net profit attributable to shareholders (“Net Profit”) was $30.5 million.

    Total revenue declined 3.8% in 1Q2021 compared to the equivalent period a year ago due mainly to COVID-19 impact. Service EBITDA declined 8.2% lower year-on-year to $115.4 million in tandem with lower revenues, offset by lower operating expenses and higher other income. net profit for the quarter declined 24.0% YoY.

    StarHub’s balance sheet remains healthy with 1Q2021 free cash flow of $97.4 million and a lower net debt to EBITDA ratio of 1.29x as at 31 March 2021 compared to 1.41x as at 31 December 2020.

    Commenting on the results, StarHub’s Chief Executive, Nikhil Eapen, said, “While the first quarter of 2021 remains challenging with ongoing travel restrictions and headwinds from the global pandemic, we remained focused on our strategic and transformation objectives.”

    “We are pleased to see stabilization on a quarter-on-quarter basis for our Pay-TV and Broadband segments, while competition remained intense in the Mobile segment. Strategically, we remain focused on driving differentiation with rich content and entertainment experiences delivered over our superior network to bring unique value to customers. This has resulted in growth over the last quarter for our 5G Mobile+ plans and enhanced OTT content offerings.”

    “Our Enterprise business has observed increased business activity in 1Q2021 as deferred projects in 2020 are re-committed for 2021 and beyond. Concurrently, we continue to position for growth in the areas of 5G, IoT, and Cloud with the launch of our 5G IoT partnership with Software AG during the quarter and our award of the Microsoft Gold certification that will bolster our capabilities to offer innovative digital solutions to customers.”

    “Meanwhile, we continue to execute on our cost transformation program, optimizing discretionary operating expenditures, driving greater internal efficiencies, and evolving our business models. The 5G standalone network rollout that commenced in 4Q2020, as well as our multi-year IT and Digital Transformation program that started in 3Q2020 are both progressing well. We actively seek opportunities to capitalize on these investments and build an agile digital platform to secure StarHub’s sustainable growth and competitiveness.”

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  • eSIM and its impact in an hyperconnected world

    eSIM and its impact in an hyperconnected world

    Powered by 5G, eSIM or embedded subscriber identity module is a rising technology that is threatening to replace traditional SIM cards. With 5G revolutionizing connectivity, eSIM emerges as a seamless way to harness greater connectivity between a future of billions of IoT devices. Instead of relying on physical SIM cards, eSIM is the embedded alternative that uses remote SIM provisioning (RSP) to download a user’s profile onto a device, to provide users full control of connectivity management and the ability to switch networks as desired.

    Last year, eSIM adoption grew in the wake of the pandemic. In the coming years, this trend will continue to persist. According to recent findings from Juniper Research, the number of eSIMs embedded in connected devices will more than double from 1.2 billion this year to 3.4 billion in 2025. Of which, 94% of global eSIM installations in 2025 can be attributed to the consumer sector.

    In the consumer market, eSIM is deployed in tablets, smartphones, laptops, and wearables. Some smartphones from Apple, Google, Huawei, and Samsung are already supporting eSIM, though they continue to allow for physical SIM. Last year, Motorola released the world’s first eSIM-only smartphone.

    With IoT on the rise, connectivity is one of the important considerations when developing future-proof tech solutions. Across industries, automotive is one of the areas that fuel eSIM deployment. For instance, Tesla’s electric vehicles use eSIM to power in-car connectivity. Juniper Research predicts that other industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing, and logistics industries will also experience a hike in eSIM adoption to power connectivity, with eSIM installations growing from 28 million to 116 million by 2025.

    For many, it is becoming clear that eSIM is the future for IoT connectivity as it offers a level of flexibility not provided by traditional SIM. Since all IoT subscriptions and connectivity can be carried out through a single embedded source, this significantly simplifies SIM management for as many devices across geographies. For enterprises or governments, eSIMs can also be used for asset tracking, with each IoT device being remotely and automatically provisioned to an optimal carrier profile.

    For consumers, eSIM is the seamless management of subscriptions whereby they no longer need multiple SIM cards for different connections. In this pandemic, eSIM offers the advantage of subscribing to a connectivity service without having to physically purchase a SIM.

    For MVNOs, tech giants, and device manufacturers, eSIM is the ideal avenue to generate new revenue streams. For device manufacturers, for instance, it means the ability to create smaller products without a SIM card and an opportunity to optimize supply chain processes.

    Of course, more entrants into the mobile market is unsettling for network operators that fear disruption and stiffer competition in addition to having to build costly cellphone towers to support 5G networks. At the same time, telecom operators cannot ignore the fact that future IoT devices will be better served with eSIMs. With brands like Apple and Google, which have massive followings offering eSIM, operators are pressured to catch onto the eSIM fad to avoid being displaced.

    According to GSMA, about 175 mobile operators launched eSIM for smartphones across 69 countries by the end of last year. Amongst these operators, Vodafone Group leads in eSIM roll-out.

    In Asia, Singtel and China Unicom launched an eSIM network swap service last December to allow devices equipped with China Unicom eSIM to automatically switch profiles to Singtel’s in Singapore. In India, the three largest telecom operators Airtel, Jio, and Vi have started to offer eSIM functionality for supported devices. For operators, eSIM roll-out achieves customer churn, creating opportunities for up-selling and cross-selling services and packages.

    To stay ahead, Tata Communications is going beyond connectivity to expand competency in mobility and IoT. Last October, Tata Communications partnered with Micron for a cloud-based eSIM business. In December, the company acquired a majority equity stake in a France-headquartered eSIM technology provider. The acquisition was motivated by enterprises’ heavy reliance on mobile devices to operate and access data in the cloud and an upward trend in machine-to-machine (M2M) connections worldwide.

    According to Ecosystem, Asia-Pacific is poised to lead in IoT by 2023. With connectivity becoming more pervasive in our everyday lives, there is no doubt that eSIM will play a pivotal role in ushering in a new era in consumer and enterprise applications.

  • One day we might use wireless 5G signals to provide power to electronic devices

    One day we might use wireless 5G signals to provide power to electronic devices

    We know that mmWave 5G spectrum delivers the fastest download data speed despite some drawbacks; these signals do not travel far, nor are they able to easily penetrate buildings. But what they can do is create energy that one day could replace batteries and other sources of power.

    Researchers at Georgia Tech have created a concept wireless power grid that runs on 5G mmWave frequencies. This is done via the use of a sticker-type device that captures the electromagnetic energy created by 5G base stations. Currently, this energy is being used to transfer data.

    Manos Tentzeris, Ph.D. is a professor of flexible electronics at Georgia Tech and he led the schools’ research team which created a specialized lens to capture the power generated by mmWave 5G signals. The Rotman lens “rectenna” is a small device that collects the energy sent out by 5G wireless networks. But one thing that is characteristic to 5G signals makes it perfect for powering an electricity grid and that is the ability to focus power.

    Georgia Tech alum Jimmy Hester is serving as a senior lab advisor to the group working on this development. Hester says that 5G base stations operate at high frequencies allowing them to “focalize power.” In other words, “What we’re talking about is more of an intentional energization of the devices, themselves, by focalizing the beam towards the device in order to turn it on and power it.”

    The key to this whole project is the Rotman lens, a flexible lens that helps collects energy from multiple directions. It is the same technology used in military surveillance systems that can identify targets in various directions without having to move the antennas. Aline Eid, a Ph.D. student and senior researcher says, “The same way the lens in your camera collects all of the light waves from any direction and combines it to one point…to create an image, that’s exactly how this lens works. The lens is like a tarantula … because a tarantula has six eyes, and our system can also look in six different directions.”

    With the Rotman lens, the field of view for the energy collecting “sticker” device increases from a 20-degree “pencil beam” to 120 degrees. This makes it easier to collect mmWave energy in the 28GHz band. Eid states that if you placed a sticker device on a drone, you would be able to collect energy from 5G base stations all over a city.

    Still, this system is in its early days and right now the rectenna stickers can collect only 6 microwatts of energy, enough to power up small IoT devices from a range of 180 meters (590.55 feet) away. In lab tests, the device has been able to collect 21 times that amount.

    Tentzeris says that his team is looking for funding and is especially interested in working with wireless carriers. This way the wireless providers can place the stickers throughout cities at the same time that they’re building out their 5G networks. Manos adds, “In the beginning of the 2000s, companies moved from voice to data. Now, using this technology, they can add power to data/communication as well.”

    Looking at the future, the rectenna sticker could end up embedded inside a wearable or stitched into clothing. As far as the financial aspects of producing the stickers is concerned, Tentzeris states that each unit costs only a few cents which means that money might not prevent this from becoming a legitimate method for delivering power.

    The Georgia Tech professor says, “Scalability was very important, you’re talking about billions of devices. You could have a great prototype working in the lab, but when somebody asks, ‘Can everybody use it?’ you need to be able to say yes.”

    Perhaps someday in the future, 5G signals will provide your phone with the power it needs to run all day-every day in addition to the connectivity these signals deliver.

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