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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.

  • Apple reportedly has plans to bypass carriers and deliver data itself to the iPhone

    Apple reportedly has plans to bypass carriers and deliver data itself to the iPhone

    In five years, Apple iPhone and iPad users might be able to receive online content on their phone directly via satellite and bypass their wireless carrier. According to Bloomberg, the company has a secret team involving 12 engineers currently working on such a project. Sources cited by Bloomberg caution that the project is in its early stages and could still be dropped. But with company CEO Tim Cook taking an interest in the project, it is clear that satellite delivery of online content is high on Apple’s to-do list.

    Besides using satellites to beam the internet directly to iPhone units, Apple could be looking into the use of satellite technology to provide iPhone owners with improved navigation and mapping capabilities. It is unclear whether the company plans on developing its own satellites, which would be a rather costly endeavor, or will use the equipment on the ground to send data obtained by a satellite and send it to iPhones and iPads.

    The project might not be limited to Apple’s mobile devices and could actually be a workaround allowing Apple to become a wireless operator. This would allow the company to take on the carriers worldwide. While this was something that the late Steve Jobs was hoping to accomplish, back in 2016 Tim Cook said that the company didn’t have the expertise on a network level. But using satellites might be a different story. However, this won’t be easy. “The lessons of prior failures like Iridium, Globalstar and Teledesic are that it’s really hard to find a viable business plan for multibillion-dollar satellite communications projects,” said satellite expert Tim Farrar, a principal at TMF associates. But Apple must feel confident that it can turn a buck with this technology. Apple isn’t the only tech company looking at the sky; Amazon plans on deploying more than 3,000 satellites that will first be sent into space in 2021. In a regulatory filing, Amazon said that it hoped to connect “tens of millions of unserved and underserved consumers and businesses in the United States and around the globe.”

    Some have noticed that Apple is looking for software and hardware engineers that have worked on designing components for communications equipment. Pair that with recent hires made by Apple of people with experience in the aerospace and wireless data delivery industries and it all starts to become a little clearer. The team working on the project is led by aerospace engineers Michael Trela and John Fenwick. The pair worked on a satellite imaging firm that was eventually sold to Google five years ago and they ended up running Google’s satellite and spacecraft operations before leaving for Apple in 2017. After spending 18 months examining whether Apple could benefit from satellite technology, the team has started work on making this a reality. Both Trela and Fenwick report to Apple’s iPhone engineering group.

    Apple’s work on the use of satellites to deliver content to mobile devices is one of several special projects that the company is reportedly working on. Virtual reality and augmented reality headsets are said to be in the works with launches expected in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Bloomberg also mentions that Apple continues to work on technology for the Apple Watch that will allow the timepiece to provide non-invasive blood glucose readings for diabetics. This is a project that we have mentioned from time-to-time. And the company is also planning to design its own modem chips which will allow it to replace Qualcomm. Even though Apple spent $1 billion to purchase Intel’s smartphone modem business earlier this year, it will still be several years before an Apple-designed modem chip is found inside the iPhone.

  • Samsung smartphones market share dips to annual low in Vietnam

    Samsung smartphones market share dips to annual low in Vietnam

    Samsung smartphones’ market share slipped 2.3 percentage points to 38.45 percent in October, the first time it has dipped below 40 percent this year.

    The South Korean brand sold over 500,000 smartphones in October, an increase of 20 percent compared to the previous month, according to a report by market research firm GfK.

    But total sales of smartphones in Vietnam surged 28 percent month-on-month in October to nearly 1.37 million units, resulting in a drop in Samsung’s market share, the report said.

    A focus on high value products was also a reason Samsung lost market share in October, a representative of cellphoneS, a leading smartphone retailer in Vietnam, told VnExpress.

    In October

    With 38.44 percent market share in October, Samsung still led the Vietnam market, followed by Chinese brands OPPO and Xiaomi with 25.2 percent and 10.2 percent respectively.

    China’s Realme had dislodged Apple from its fourth position in September, gaining 6.2 percent of the market share. Apple slipped a notch to fifth place with 6.1 percent. Industry insiders said Vietnamese consumers waiting for the latest iPhone model, which was released in November, was the main reason for the falling sales in October.

    Strong sales in the first quarter of 2019 allowed Samsung to retain its leading position in terms of market share in the first 10 months this year, accounting for over 43 percent of total sales. Samsung’s market share had peaked at over 50 percent in March, two times higher than second-placed Chinese brand OPPO, according to the GfK report.

    The report said the market could see major shifts in the last two months of 2019, with Apple having released its three new Iphone 11 models, new products from Xiaomi, Realme, and Chinese phone-maker Vivo entering the market and retailers simultaneously launching discounts for year-end promotional events like the Singles Day (November 11), Black Friday, Christmas and the New Year.

  • 5G tops list of top 10 technology trends for 2020

    5G tops list of top 10 technology trends for 2020

    Juniper Research has revealed its top 10 technology trends for 2020, with 5G data network the standout.

    Other trends involve brands Huawei, Google and Netflix with the list rounded out by a strong warning for consumers.

    Juniper Research’s top 10 technology trends for 2020 are:

    1. 5G – Last-mile fibre rollouts will be replaced by 5G connectivity.
    2. OTT TV – Over-the-top television services will prompt advertising services to develop a functional attribution ecosystem to preserve marketing message channels for brand clients.
    3. Mobility as a Service – Open data in transportation will start to drive MaaS beyond Europe.
    4. Games – Subscription models will flourish in the games market, but ‘live’ elements will diminish in popularity.
    5. Netflix will have to seek out new sources of revenue growth as competition increases.
    6. Google will expand its Rich Communications Services in Europe.
    7. Google will leverage its newly acquired Fitbit division’s health credentials to mount a challenge to Apple Watch.
    8. Huawei’s ban will expand, resulting in uneven growth of the 5G network internationally.
    9. Robotics – Consumer robots will launch via subscription models.
    10. Voice Assistants – Security concerns will come to a head bringing trouble for smart-homes devices.

    Juniper says with the first commercial launches of 5G networks occurring this year, next year –  2020 – will be the one in which 5G connectivity starts to replace costly rollouts of fibre networks in remote areas.

    “We anticipate that the high bandwidth and throughput of 5G networks will provide a highly appealing and cost-effective alternative to the rollout of fibre,” said a Juniper spokesperson.

    Meanwhile, number two in Juniper’s top 10 technology trends for 2020 – the launch of new OTT (Over-the-Top) TV services will experience launches of functional advertising attribution systems that will align advertising closer to the wider digital advertising ecosystem.

    Juniper also believes that open-data initiatives will provide the perfect platform to expand the presence of MaaS (Mobility-as-a-Service) deployments outside of Europe.

    “We predict that increasing transparency between stakeholders will create new levels of efficiency for services launches in regions such as North America and Asia Pacific over 2020.”

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  • China forces new mobile network subscribers to provide facial scans

    China forces new mobile network subscribers to provide facial scans

    A controversial law which forces new mobile subscribers in China to first provide scans of their face has now been implemented.

    To sign up for a new plan, Chinese consumers will still need their national ID card but will now also be forced to supply facial scans. First announced in September, Beijing says it’s taking the step to “protect the legitimate rights and interest of citizens in cyberspace.”

    The measure is designed to reduce fraud. However, privacy campaigners believe it’s also part of Beijing’s desire to ensure no-one is truly anonymous online.

    Being able to link digital identities to real-world individuals helps to silence dissenters. At a time when protestors in Hong Kong are facing brutality for expressing their view that Beijing has infringed on the country’s autonomy, the new measures have naturally raised further concerns.

    Another fear is how the collected facial scans are being used after verification. Strict data laws in many Western countries require explicit consent as to how data is stored and used, but such laws are practically nonexistent in China.

    Facial scans may be used to further train national facial recognition algorithms that have already been used for oppressive purposes.

    China uses a robust facial recognition system in Xinjiang, a Muslim-dominated region. Geofencing is used in tandem with facial recognition to alert the authorities if targets venture beyond a 300-meter safe zone.

    Beijing maintains the system in Xinjiang is vital to tackle numerous incidents of violence and unrest, which it links to Islamic extremists. However, Human Rights Watch has condemned the policies as a “violation of international human rights norms.”

    China boasts the world’s largest surveillance network with around 170 million security cameras and plans to install a further 400 million over the next three years.

    In a bid to quickly understand this massive resource and provide actionable insights, Beijing is turning to AI.

    The world’s most valuable AI startup, SenseTime, is a Chinese firm that provides technology for the government’s surveillance network.

    SenseTime’s Viper system aims to process and analyze over 100,000 simultaneous real-time streams from traffic cameras, ATMs, and more, to automatically tag and keep track of individuals.

    It’s unclear whether SenseTime will have direct access to facial scans collected by the Chinese government, but it seems likely scans will be used by the authorities to find those it deems a threat.

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  • South Korea boasts of hitting almost four million 5G subscribers

    South Korea boasts of hitting almost four million 5G subscribers

    The Ministry of Science and ICT in South Korea reports the country is close to hitting the milestone of four million 5G subscribers.

    While it’s often debated whether South Korea or the US was first to launch a commercially available 5G network, both countries were among the first.

    This leadership makes South Korea closely watched by industry observers for how their 5G rollout is progressing, including the pace of adoption.

    5G adoption is happening fast in South Korea. As of October, the ministry reports that 5G networks across the country had 3.98 million subscribers.

    In September, the ministry says 516,000 more people subscribed to 5G services. In fact, a minimum of half a million new 5G subscribers have been added every month since networks launched in April.

    If that pace continued throughout October and November, it’s likely the four million 5G subscribers milestone has already been exceeded. While Christmas in South Korea isn’t as present-oriented as in the West, the holiday may also provide some further uptick in adoption in December.

    To date, the highest rise in subscribers was in August when Samsung launched its Galaxy Note 10 5G smartphone.

    SK Telecom has the most 5G subscribers with 1.77 million, followed by KT’s 1.21 million and LG Uplus’ 1 million.

    Traffic growth has also been substantial. In October, the ministry notes a total of 105,000 terabytes of traffic was recorded on 5G networks. Users consumed an average of 28 gigabytes of data that month.

    In a bid to handle the exploding amount of traffic, South Korea plans to double 5G spectrum allocation by 2026.

    While 5G networks in South Korea are currently not standalone and use 3.5GHz spectrum, the country plans to develop standalone 2.8GHz spectrums early next year.

  • Russia seeks to replace Wikipedia as it accelerates ‘sovereign internet’ plans

    Russia seeks to replace Wikipedia as it accelerates ‘sovereign internet’ plans

    Russia is reportedly seeking to replace Wikipedia with a state-run online encyclopedia as it accelerates plans for a “sovereign internet”.

    According to a Reuters report, Russia plans to spend around $30 million setting up the Wikipedia replacement and creating a department to keep it stocked with manipulated verified content.

    Russian president Vladimir Putin is said to believe that Wikipedia contains misinformation. Given Putin’s background as a foreign intelligence officer in the KGB, and the alleged disinformation campaigns spread by Russia’s infamous “troll farms,” it’s likely he knows a thing or two about the subject.

    Being a community-driven resource, Wikipedia has certainly found itself hosting misinformation from the amusing to the dangerous. Of course, rights campaigners are concerned it’s just an excuse to control what information Russian citizens can access – especially given Russia already has a history on this issue.

    Back in 2015, Roscomnadzor – the branch of the Russian government which polices media and the internet – ordered ISPs to block Wikipedia. The offending article was about charas, a form of marijuana. Roscomnadzor claimed the page constitutes instructions on how to make the drug.

    That same year, Russia blocked the entirety of Reddit over a post about hallucinogenic mushrooms.

    Russia is once again clamping down on web access in the country and even intends to create a “sovereign internet” that can still function cut off from the outside world if needed.

    Russia was going to temporarily unplug from the global internet as part of an experiment to ensure that the nation can still function without it.

    Russia’s fear is that – due to organizations that maintain the international DNS system is based around the world, but none in Russia itself – the nation could be disconnected from the web in an extreme scenario.

    A draft law called the Digital Economy National Program would require Russian ISPs to ensure they’re able to operate if foreign powers isolate the country.

    The second experiment in Russia tasked ISPs with redirecting traffic to government routing points to filter and censor it similar to China’s so-called Great Firewall. It’s likely this approach that will be used by Russia to redirect Wikipedia traffic to the state-run alternative.

    While there’s been relative physical peace between Russia and other world powers for decades, cyberwarfare has been ongoing and increased in recent years amid high-profile attacks on critical infrastructure linked to Russian state hackers and the aforementioned disinformation campaigns.

    International coalitions such as NATO have threatened Russia over allegations of cyberattacks and political interference. NATO allies are drawing up cyber warfare principles for more robust future responses to attacks.

    NATO has even said a cyberattack may trigger Article 5 which stipulates an attack on one member is seen as an attack on all, and commits to a joint response. To date, it’s only been triggered once following the September 11th terrorist attacks in the US.

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  • Optus claims making world’s first 5G data call using 2300MHz spectrum

    Optus claims making world’s first 5G data call using 2300MHz spectrum

    Australian telecommunication company Optus is claiming that it has made the world’s first 5G data call by making use of a 2300MHz spectrum.

    Optus conducted the test in Sydney with Ericsson kit. According to the company, it is the only Australian telecommunications firm with shares in the 2300MHz and 3500MHz spectrum bands.

    Optus network managing director Dennis Wong said: “With its lowest frequency, the 2300MHz spectrum band, in the future, will finally offer our customers even higher speeds, as well as provide greater depth of coverage that will allow even more customers to benefit from 5G services.” Optus was looking to activate its 2300MHz spectrum “sometime” in 2020, Wong added.

    In its latest Mobility Report, published last month, Ericsson predicted that global 5G subscriptions will exceed 2.6 billion within the next six years. By this time, 5G will cover 65% of the world. The firm also believes that total mobile subscriptions, including to previous generation networks, will reach 8.9bn from 8bn over the next six years. The current average monthly data-traffic-per-smartphone is expected to increase from around 7.2GB today to 24GB in the same timeframe. Over a quarter of the worldwide subscriptions will be 5G by 2025 and will account for around 45% of global mobile data traffic.

    A Deloitte survey published last week argued that two in three consumers are more likely to buy a new phone once 5G-compatible devices are available. The survey also found that 16% of consumers who are using smartphones said that 5G capabilities will be the most crucial factor when they choose their next phone. While 26% chose display quality as their top preference, 22% opted for brand.

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  • Qualcomm unveils world’s biggest fingerprint sensor for smartphones

    Qualcomm unveils world’s biggest fingerprint sensor for smartphones

    Qualcomm was the first company to introduce an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, the 3D Sonic Sensor, the same piece of technology that’s now embedded under Samsung Galaxy S10’s stunning display.

    Fast forward one year and the US company announced an upgrade to its last year ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, the 3D Sonic Max, which promises to accurately scan a fingerprint in three dimensions.

    Unlike the first iteration that only allows users to scan one fingerprint, the 3D Sonic Max lets you scan two fingerprints at the same time. 3D Sonic Max, the latest version of Qualcomm’s ultrasonic fingerprint sensor offers a recognition area that is 17x larger than the previous generation, allowing for increased security via simultaneous two-finger authentication, increased speed and ease of use.

    This makes the 3D Sonic Max the world’s largest fingerprint sensor and also the first in the world to enable two-finger authentication. On top of that, 3D Sonic Max promises to deliver 1::1,000,000 rather than 1::50,000, which should prevent fingerprint spoofing and inaccurate results. Qualcomm also claims that its new fingerprint sensor is faster than the previous generation, but doesn’t say by how much.

    We have yet to learn which handset makers will implement Qualcomm’s new fingerprint sensor into their phones, but it looks like Samsung might be one of its clients.

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  • Nokia will reveal its plans for 5G phones

    Nokia will reveal its plans for 5G phones

    A little more than a week ago, Nokia first teased that it will be launching its next smartphone on the 5th of December. Of course, no details were given — whether it would be a flagship or not is left to speculation. Luckily, we have a new leak that lets us speculate at will!

    Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas has tweeted out that he will be getting up on stage at the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit — the event where Qualcomm will talk about its future chips. According to Mr. Sarvikas, we will also get to learn about Nokia’s plans for 5G phones. The exact date when this would happen is Tuesday, December 3rd.

    So, Nokia is talking about its 5G plans on the 3rd and launching a new phone almost immediately, on the 5th of December. Could the latter actually be Nokia’s first 5G-equipped flagship?

    We’d wager chances are thin. Earlier rumors suggest that Nokia is, indeed, planning to release a value-priced 5G top-tier phone, but that’ll happen at MWC 2020. Heads up, though — that’s actually happening in late February, so it won’t be a long wait. The Qualcomm conference on the 3rd of December might at least reveal if this is really happening.

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  • Axiata’s Q3 EBITDA jumps 29% on 3.5% revenue growth

    Axiata’s Q3 EBITDA jumps 29% on 3.5% revenue growth

    Axiata Group posted revenue of MYR 6.2 billion for the third quarter of 2019 (3Q19), which represents an increase of 3.5 percent year-on-year. EBITDA jumped 29 percent to MYR 2.8 billion, boosted by revenue growth as well as the group’s cost reduction initiatives which resulted in MYR 816 million in savings. Profit after tax jumped 33.5 percent to MYR 247.6 million for the quarter as a result of better topline, the company said. However, profit after tax and minority interest (PATAMI) fell 9.4 percent to MYR 119.7 million due to the absence of M1’s contribution following its disposal, as well as higher taxes in Bangladesh.

    Amid a highly competitive market in Malaysia, Celcom’s free cash flow rose 15.3 percent to MYR 674 million year-to-date, supported by EBITDA growth of 3.9 percent. PATAMI rose 7.9 percent to MYR 562 million. Celcom’s combined postpaid and prepaid revenue rose 0.6 percent, while mobile service revenue dropped 4.1 percent impacted by the decline in wholesale revenue. Blended ARPU improved by MYR 1 compared to the preceding quarter to MYR 52 in the third quarter of 2019. Celcom’s 4G population coverage rose to 93 percent, and its 4G LTE-A coverage reached 81 percent compared to 90 percent and 78 percent, respectively, in September 2018.

    Parent company Axiata also reported that its Indonesian unit XL’s turnaround in the period was led by its data-focused strategy continuing to deliver results as market share rose 0.6 percentage points to 18.3 percent, returning to profit with PATAMI at IDR 498 billion. Revenue grew 10.6 percent year-to-date driven by strong data growth of 30.4 percent. XL’s free cash flow surged 50.9 percent to IDR 1.8 trillion, on the back of cost efficiencies fueling 19.4 percent jump in EBITDA. XL says it captured 88 percent of 55.5 million total subscribers from 53.9 million in the third quarter of 2018. In support of its data strategy, XL’s 4G service is now available in 410 cities across Indonesia.

    Sri Lanka unit Dialog saw its revenue expand 8.1 percent year-to-date due to continued growth momentum across its TV (+16.6%), fixed (+8.7%) and mobile (+0.4%) businesses. Free cash flow grew 39.5 percent to SLR 19.2 billion buoyed by higher EBITDA and calibrated network rollout. Its PATAMI rose by 12.5 percent to SLR 8.3 billion YTD.

    Philippines subsidiary Smart delivered double-digit growth across all metrics with revenue, EBITDA and PATAMI up by 11.4 percent, 14.5 percent, and 14.3 percent, respectively, and FCF by over 200 percent.

    Despite new Bangladesh taxes, Robi returned to profit with PATAMI at BDT 1.6 billion. Revenue reaches BDT 19 billion in the three months ended 30 September 2019, as ARPU rose to BDT 125.

    With international long-distance revenue dropping 10.5 percent year-to-date, Ncell’s core mobile revenue declined 3.5 percent as a result of intense competition by internet service providers and Business Support System migration. Although PATAMI slipped 3.6 percent, PATAMI margin remained stable at 31 percent. Free cash flow fell 42.8 percent due to calibrated network rollout.

    In this year’s third quarter, edotco posted double-digit growth across all financial metrics. Revenue grew by 19 percent year-to-date, with positive contributions across its major footprints. The tower company recorded adjusted EBITDA growth of 26.7 percent, with 3.2 percentage points improvement in (adjusted) EBITDA margin driven by enhanced billing against lower maintenance costs in 2019. The improvement in EBITDA led to a 4-fold increase in free cash flow year-to-date, as well as growth in PATAMI of 10.4 percent year-to-date.

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  • Huawei powers AI technology in Singapore with opening of ground-breaking AI lab

    Huawei powers AI technology in Singapore with opening of ground-breaking AI lab

    “In response to the Singapore government’s call for industry transformation, Huawei is extending its 5G, Cloud and AI capabilities to local government agencies, SMEs, and Institutes of Higher Learning, to help accelerate Singapore’s 5G application and nation-wide intelligent transformation,” said Nicholas Ma, Chief Executive of Huawei International.

    Globally acknowledged to be the next big leap in mobile and wireless communications, 5G technology is widely touted to enable the development of new business models and advanced applications, fostering business innovation and spurring economic growth. Communities, businesses, and industries are expected to benefit from the transformative impact that 5G enables.

    Singapore has earmarked S$40 million to build an open, inclusive 5G ecosystem, where the funds will be used to support 5G tech trials for enterprise use, create new open testbeds and for R&D in areas like cybersecurity for the next-generation mobile network, across six strategic clusters.

    Huawei is launching its AI lab on the back of Singapore’s National AI Strategy announced on 13 November, which maps out how Singapore will develop and use AI to transform the economy and improve people’s lives.

    Through this lab, Huawei aims to nurture a flourishing local AI ecosystem with its 5G, Cloud and Intelligent Computing capabilities, enabling Singapore’s industry players, with a focus on local SMEs, to boost Singapore’s AI capabilities towards its smart future, and the digital economy. Huawei is also launching its talent, innovation, and Singapore-China bridging programs through this lab.

    In line with the three programs, the lab includes trainings and workshops opportunities for hands-on practice, with testing and integration facilities, and serves as an open and advanced platform to industry players for ecosystem development and industry collaboration.

    “At Huawei, we believe that AI and its solutions should be accessible to everyone, and that the convergence of AI, Cloud, and 5G, lays the foundation of the technology ecosystem for the digital economy of the future,” said Neo Teck Guan, Chief Marketing Officer of Huawei Cloud Asia Pacific Region.

    The lab launch program includes artificial intelligence case studies by Huawei key customers DIGI and Ulearning, as well as the signing of five memoranda of understandings (MoU), between Huawei and several local institutions and companies across various industries – Nanyang Polytechnic; MI Robotic, Navinfo Datatech, OTSAW and Neolix Technologies; Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC) and Shanghai Enfon Robotics Co; and local Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (ARVR) companies, Hiverlab and Hellohold – to solidify Huawei’s commitment in supporting 5G deployment and enablement towards industry transformation in Singapore.

    The program also paired with a 5G technology panel discussion joined by a few of Huawei’s partners – MI Robotic and the National University of Singapore (NUS), and PSA Singapore and Capitaland – to discuss 5G capabilities and solutions and how they will change industries and businesses, followed by an immersive technology workshop using the lab’s facilities.

    This launch marks another step towards Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative and its potential of becoming a 5G hub for the region and the world.

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  • Inmarsat, Bourbon partnership leads the way towards maritime digitisation

    Inmarsat, Bourbon partnership leads the way towards maritime digitisation

    The deal represents a breakthrough offshore contract for Fleet Xpress, which is already installed on some 7,000 vessels – mainly seagoing merchant ships.

     “This contract is substantial in its own right and underlines that Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress solution offers the same compelling business case on vessel efficiency and crew welfare for the energy sector as it does in the merchant shipping arena,” says Eric Griffin, VP Offshore Energy, Inmarsat Maritime. “Commercial shipping is using Fleet Xpress as its pathway to maritime digitalization; now, the value of joining that journey is being acknowledged by one of the leading marine offshore Service Providers in the world.”

    Well-known for high-performance vessels and operational excellence of its services, Bourbon’s response to prolonged lower oil prices has emerged as the action plan ‘#BOURBONINMOTION’. The plan includes the Smart Shipping Programme, structured around a new vessel operational model, onshore support and a remote support center, which seeks to leverage digital and connectivity tools to reduce fleet operating costs. Set for completion by 2021, the program envisages deployment on 133 ‘smart’ vessels.

    According to Bourbon Corporation Chief Executive Officer Gaël Bodénès, “The time has come for operational intelligence: connected vessels, use of predictive maintenance, shore-based control centers, rationalization of tasks, etc. Automation of onboard systems is already a reality for our seafarers and we must all innovate at speed to invent our business model and our professions of tomorrow.”

    Eric Griffin of Inmarsat also stresses that flexibility had been an essential ingredient in securing the Bourbon deal. “The service provider could raise or lower bandwidth usage as necessary, or even suspend it on a planned basis without penalty,” he says.

    “An important aspect of Fleet Xpress is that third-party charterers could run their own Fleet Xpress services via a dedicated ‘pipe’ without interrupting the primary bandwidth being provided to an OSV. Customers chartering OSVs can, therefore, manage their own ‘smart’ vessel performance with full flexibility, using existing terminals and hardware onboard.”

    All vessels covered in the agreement will feature advanced 3-axis stabilized antennas from Cobham, specifically developed for and approved by Inmarsat for the Global Xpress satellite network.

    Among the first of Bourbon’s fleet to migrate to Fleet Xpress will be a group of high-end subsea vessels whose data consumption and management needs are ready for IoT-based solutions. These vessels also feature dual satellite terminals with high-powered amplifiers for additional redundancy. The Bourbon vessels will take advantage of bandwidth, stability and reliability, in the first instance to step up the use of video conferencing. Real-time video feeds are also expected to feature in ROV operations, with digitalization ultimately expected to touch every aspect of vessel management.

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  • ZTE, China Telecom and China Unicom join forces to consolidate 5G network verification

    ZTE, China Telecom and China Unicom join forces to consolidate 5G network verification

    The verification, based on the real 5G commercial network environment, covers the basic functions of network selection and anchor carrier triggering, network management functions of rights management and northbound interface in the DT environment, as well as multi-dimensional deep network sharing capability verification, such as multi-vendor, multi-operator mobility.

    The co-build co-share mode is capable of providing the broadband multi-operator 5G services on the same 5G base station, and reasonably allocating spectrum resources based on user requirements and service requirements. It fully demonstrates the system’s stability and outstanding performance, as well as its complete capacity for large-scale commercial use.

    In addition, compared with the original construction strategy that each operator builds its own 5G networks, 5G co-build co-share sites across operators will effectively save investment in 5G networks. By promoting the sharing of infrastructure between operators, the co-build co-share mode can help operators build 5G networks with lower costs and more effective methods.

    On September 9, 2019, China Telecom and China Unicom signed the 5G network co-build co-share framework cooperation agreement. As a strategic partner of China Telecom and China Unicom, ZTE fully supports its network construction and service operation. ZTE has innovatively proposed a flexible ultra-broadband spectrum application solution to support the co-build co-share mode, which helps reduce infrastructure construction costs, thereby further realizing the economic and social value of 5G.

    In the future, ZTE will continue to partner with China Telecom and China Unicom to explore the applications of new 5G technologies in commercial networks, improve network quality, build more high-quality 4/5G networks, in a bid to provide users with better services.

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  • Nokia partners with Spark to bring 5G technology to New Zealand

    Nokia partners with Spark to bring 5G technology to New Zealand

    As one of the radio access network (RAN) equipment suppliers for Spark’s 5G upgrade, Nokia will deploy its AirScale RAN solution at more than 200 sites, allowing Spark to target both consumers and enterprises with new services and offers. Nokia will also deploy other products and services from across its end-to-end portfolio including digital design and deployment services.

    Spark New Zealand and Nokia have a long-standing relationship, which crosses multiple domains, including IP, optical and wireless. This new commercial 5G partnership marks the next chapter of the relationship between Spark and Nokia, providing New Zealanders with the technology that enables them to benefit from the fast-evolving digital world economy and applications.

    The agreement follows the launch earlier this year of New Zealand’s first 5G trial customer service. The trial, which took place in Alexandra, South Island, used the latest Nokia radio equipment to offer select business and consumer customers the opportunity to experience high-speed wireless broadband delivered by 5G. Nokia is currently working with Spark to deploy 5G capability to an additional 5 sites before the Christmas period.

    This Spark agreement demonstrates Nokia’s solid 5G momentum, which now reaches 50 commercial 5G contracts globally, including most early adopters. Nokia is currently powering 16 live networks globally.

    Rajesh Singh, General Manager of Value Management at Spark New Zealand, said, “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Nokia in building our 5G network across New Zealand. The local teams have collaborated extensively on a 5G solution that delivers on the outcomes we want to drive in 5G, not just in the RAN, but also in the end-to-end network.”

    Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said, “I am thrilled to see Nokia 5G equipment chosen to power 5G initially in Spark’s heartland areas. We are committed to keeping New Zealanders at the cutting edge of technology and are confident they will benefit from Nokia’s global reach, expertise and agility.

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  • US gives green light to ‘several’ firms to sell to Huawei

    US gives green light to ‘several’ firms to sell to Huawei

    A Commerce Department spokesman said the agency had granted “narrow licenses to authorize limited and specific activities which do not pose a significant risk to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.”

    The administration earlier this week said it had extended for another 90 days the full implementation of the sanctions as part of an effort to make a transition easier for Huawei’s US partners. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said any exemptions from the ban would be allowed only for older wireless systems and not for 5G networks, which have raised a range of security concerns in Washington.

    President Donald Trump in May effectively barred Huawei from American communications networks after Washington found the company had violated US sanctions on Iran and attempted to block a subsequent investigation.

    The latest 90-day extension “will allow carriers to continue to service customers in some of the most remote areas of the United States who would otherwise be left in the dark,” Ross said in a statement. “The department will continue to rigorously monitor sensitive technology exports to ensure that our innovations are not harnessed by those who would threaten our national security.”

    Huawei said Monday the decision did nothing to alter the company’s view that Washington has treated it unfairly and called on the Trump administration to remove Huawei from a foreign technology blacklist.

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