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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.

  • Automated frequency coordination at tipping point

    Automated frequency coordination at tipping point

    Automated spectrum management databases and algorithms are an important public policy tool for meeting surging demand for low-cost high speed wireless broadband connectivity, according to a new report from the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA).

    The report argues that automated frequency coordination (AFC) is critical to allowing more efficient shared use of underutilized spectrum bands, while protecting incumbent services from interference.

    The DSA, which includes members including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Cisco and Hong Kong’s Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), released the report yesterday at an event co-sponsored by the Congressional Spectrum Caucus in the US.

    It argues that automated spectrum management systems have reached a tipping point for adoption worldwide, and that these systems will greatly extend the supply of wireless connectivity in markets that adopt them.

    AFC also has the potential to lower transaction costs and help national regulatory authorities meet the growing and very diverse spectrum needs of both industries and individuals.

    The US FCC is considering the use of AFC systems to manage spectrum capacity across several bands for licensed and unlicensed use. The EU and the UK are also conducting consultations over adopting AFC systems for shared spectrum access.

    “At a time when regulators are under increased pressure to meet wireless connectivity demands, AFC is critical to enable more efficient shared use of underutilized frequency bands while protecting incumbent services from interference,” DSA board chairman Paul Garnett said.

    “Automated spectrum databases are now a proven means of achieving large-scale, low-cost, and virtually real-time access to communications capacity that would otherwise go unused.”

    Other members of the DSA include HPE’s Aruba Networks, Broadcom, Ruckus Wireless, the IEEE and the Taiwan Institute for Information Industry.

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  • 5G will power outdoor robots in the future, but not now

    5G will power outdoor robots in the future, but not now

    Low latency and cloud intelligence are the two main features of 5G that will significantly change the deployment of mission critical and business critical robots, particularly those deployed outdoors. ABI Research argues that the commercialization of a 5G network is expected to usher in the significant growth of commercial robotics.

    Shipments of 5G robots are expected to reach 570,000 by 2027, largely deployed in mission critical and business critical settings. Outdoor applications that will be enabled by 5G connectivity include public safety and first responders, critical asset inspection, last mile delivery and transportation, precision agriculture, field extraction, and haulage.

    Traditionally, high-speed broadband connectivity is only available to robotics systems in indoor environments via Wi-Fi and broadband fiber. Therefore, existing outdoor commercial and industrial robots are often fully autonomous devices with onboard intelligence. With 5G, robots’ capabilities will be upgraded.

    “Existing onboard capabilities, such as object and people detection, path planning, and optimization can be shifted to the cloud to benefit from a larger set of data lake,” said Lian Jye Su, Principal Analyst at ABI Research.

    “At the same time, robotics systems will have access to capabilities that could not be previously hosted on existing systems. At present, remote control appears to be the focus, with Toyota’s T-HR3 and Naver’s AMBITEX, but the real game-changers will be conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) and swarm intelligence. 5G’s low latency will enable robotics vendors to augment the onboard intelligence or even move parts of it to the cloud to introduce new capabilities to existing robotics hardware. Enterprise users will be able to connect their fleet of outdoor robots to the cloud and enjoy the performance, scalability, and flexibility of the cloud-based intelligence.”

    In order to enable 5G capabilities, robotics vendors must work closely with connectivity and chipset vendors in their design and prototyping phase to maximize the benefits of ubiquitous connectivity. Qualcomm has recently launched the Robotics RB3 Platform, powered by its Snapdragon 845 SoC with future 5G upgradability and Inseego has partnered with CloudMinds to provide 5G connectivity to the XR-1 Cloud Robot.

    By integrating LTE and 5G connectivity from the onset, robotics vendors can provide a clear roadmap in terms of future upgrades. The clear connectivity roadmap will provide the industry guidance on the future capabilities that cellular connectivity can enable.

    This includes multi-access edge computing that provides computing, networking, and caching at the network edge and wide area machine-to-machine communication that facilitates situational awareness and information exchange between mobile robots, cloud platforms and surrounding infrastructure.

    “In the long run, 5G will become the de facto connectivity method for outdoor robots. As a global standard, 5G enjoys economies of scale. This brings down the total cost of ownership of 5G networks and the price of 5G modem chipsets, allowing robotics developers to integrate 5G connectivity with ease,” Su concluded.

  • Globe opens its first Esports Center

    Globe opens its first Esports Center

    The Philippines’ Globe Telecom has announced the launch of its first Esports Center, aimed at supporting various local esports communities.

    The Esports Center at Play Nation in the UP Town Center in Quezon City will offer various initiatives including esports competitions, as well as support helping gamers create live streaming content and interact with other members of different esports communities.

    Globe SVP and head of content business group Nikko Acosta said the facility will help Globe’s Games and Esports division achieve one of its key goals of strengthening support for esports in the Philippines in cooperation with various fan communities.

    “We want to bring together different communities of popular games like Arena of Valor, Rules of Survival, League of Legends, and Tekken – among others – in one venue to upgrade their knowledge and gauge their skill levels with others through peer learning of new strategies and techniques,” he said.

    “We are positioning esports as a real sport, to make a gamer into a real athlete harnessing both physical and mental attributes by playing it right,” Acosta added, mentioning the company’s #PlayItRight advocacy campaign, which seeks to emphasize the importance of discipline, nutrition, physical wellness, and cognitive development in esports.

  • Airtel, TTSL could be hit with $2.15b bill over merger

    Airtel, TTSL could be hit with $2.15b bill over merger

    India’s Bharti Airtel and Tata Teleservices may need to pay nearly 150 billion rupees ($2.15 billion) in spectrum charges to the government to clinch approval for their planned merger.

    The Department of Telecom is preparing to issue the demand as a condition for granting approval for the merger, unnamed DoT officials told.

    The expected bills will cover unpaid license fees, spectrum usage charges and a one-time spectrum reallocation charge. It will include a 120 billion rupee charge for Bharti Airtel and a 28 billion rupee charge for Tata Teleservices.

    DoT approval is the last remaining major hurdle that the companies will need to clear to approve of the merger, which was announced in 2017. The deal has already been signed off on by the National Company Law Tribunal.

    According to the report, license fees, which will be based on adjusted gross revenue, may further add to the cost.

    But the department is already expecting the operators to appeal the one time spectrum charges with the Telecom Disputes Settlements and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

    The operators may also potentially seek to block DoT’s efforts to demand spectrum usage charges based on the legal uncertainty over the definition of an operator’s adjusted gross revenue, against which annual license fees are calculated.

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  • Jazz contracts Nokia for 4G network expansion

    Jazz contracts Nokia for 4G network expansion

    Pakistan’s Jazz has contracted Nokia to expand the operator’s 4G network capacity and coverage.

    Under the five-year agreement, Nokia will provide its radio solutions for Jazz’s network in the central and southern Punjab province as well as the Sindh and Baluchistan provinces.

    The rollout area will cover densely populated cities including Faisalabad, Multan, Bhawalpur, Rahimyar Khan and Sukkur, allowing Jazz to provide improved services for customers.

    The deployment will include Nokia AirScale base stations for expanded 4G coverage and Massive MIMO technology for enhanced capacity and speed.

    “Expanding 4G coverage across all cities and towns in Pakistan is one of the key strategic pillars of Jazz to fuel the consumption of broadband services,” Jazz chief technology and information officer Khalid Shehzad said.

    “Nokia’s advanced equipment coupled with its commitment to provide quality professional services will ensure that our subscribers enjoy superior service experience. It will help us maintain our growth momentum and attract new subscribers.”

  • Vodafone Idea doubles 4G speeds in Mumbai

    Vodafone Idea doubles 4G speeds in Mumbai

    India’s Vodafone Idea has announced it has doubled 4G download speeds in the Mumbai metro area as part of a major network modernization program in the city.

    The operator is deploying new technologies in the metro area including Massive MIMO, small cells and more TD-LTE cell sites, and has so far deployed more than 5,000 such sites across several regions.

    As part of the network upgrade, Vodafone Idea has also installed over 1,900 pieces of dedicated indoor coverage equipment at high rises and commercial buildings.

    Vodafone Idea’s capacity and coverage in Mumbai has also benefited from 4G spectrum refarming conducted as part of the network consolidation between the former Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, which combined to become Vodafone Idea last year in a $23 billion merger.

    “I am happy to announce that ‘Mumbai just got two times faster’ which means that our customers will now experience two times the download speeds on the 4G network,” Vodafone Idea business head Sunil Tolani said.

    This is based on statistics from Valu Connex Telecom Services indicating that average download speeds in Mumbai have improved by 2.16 times compared to prior to the modernization program.

    “We will be utilizing multiple [advertising] media like OOH [out-of home], radio and digital to reach out to our audience and hope they will enjoy the benefits of our focused network initiatives in Mumbai,” Tolani concluded.

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  • Ericsson to supply gear for XL Axiata’s 5G transport network

    Ericsson to supply gear for XL Axiata’s 5G transport network

    Indonesia’s XL Axiata has awarded Ericsson a contract to contribute to the deployment of the operator’s planned 5G ready transport network. Under the expanded partnership, Ericsson will provide 5G ready routers for the rollout over the next three years, commencing in the second quarter. Ericsson will provide its Router 6000 for all sites selected to be modernized under the contract. The router is optimized for 10G/100G connectivity, as well as the low latency, high accuracy internal clock and IPsec security capabilities required in 5G backhaul networks.

    “We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Ericsson with state of the art transmission equipment,” XL Axiata director Yessie D Yosetya said.

    “We believe this will increase our network capacity performance and also beneficial for our customers to deliver a good user experience. This is one of our initiatives into the 5G era.”

    XL Axiata announced during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that it has partnered with Huawei to construct Southeast Asia’s first 5G-ready simplified transport network covering all of Indonesia.

    Huawei is providing its Optical Networking 2.0 solution to help the operator simplify network architecture and build a simplified transport network.

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  • MWC2019 was a “reality check” for telcos

    MWC2019 was a “reality check” for telcos

    MWC 2019 demonstrated the mobile industry knows it needs to change and without that change and a massive recalibration of its fundamental business model and modus operandi, it will become obfuscated, according to ABI Research.

    “MWC 2019 could best be characterized as displaying an anxiety borne from an industry suffering from a combination of split personality disorder and ADHD,” wrote Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at ABI Research, in the firm’s post-conference whitepaper: A Reality Check from Mobile World Congress 2019.

    One half of the industry encompasses an emerging band of technology companies that are addressing some pressing industry-centric issues with real-world solutions based on direct vertical market customer need.

    “The other half of the industry is made up of a carrier community that is moving at the same pace as the Titanic attempting to turn and avoid the iceberg. Too slow and too late,” added Carlaw.

    ABI Research had seven analysts at MWC 2019, which was held in Barcelona, Spain, between Feb. 25-28, 2019. The analysts focused on the following compelling transformative technologies:

    • 5G & Mobile Network Infrastructure
    • Digital Security
    • M2M, IoT & IoE
    • Smart Cities & Smart Spaces
    • Smart Mobility and Automotive
    • Smartphones and Wearables

    Some of the analysts’ conclusions about 5G and mobile network infrastructure from the whitepaper include:

    • Mobile Service Providers (MSPs) are becoming more rational in discussing what 5G can and cannot do. And, are realizing that 5G will be a slow affair.
    • Telcos and their partners will first use 5G to target the consumer market as that is the area where telcos have the know-how, reach, and experience.
    • Private LTE is slowly getting momentum in a market where 5G takes all the headlines. MSPs and network vendors already have well-tested and reliable technologies that can be used to deliver solutions in the enterprise space.
    • A new trend is emerging in the convergence of MSPs and cloud giants as the two categories need each other. This is part of the wider discussion around edge computing, network cloudification, and the role of 5G in creating new applications and supporting the growth of vertical markets.
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  • CTG, Global Switch, Daily-Tech open Singapore data center

    CTG, Global Switch, Daily-Tech open Singapore data center

    China Telecom Global, Chinese data center infrastructure developer and operator Daily-Tech and the UK-based Global Switch have jointly open a data center in Singapore’s Woodlands district as part of their three-way partnership.

    The S$280 million ($206.4 million) Global Switch Singapore Woodlands data center spans 25,000 square meters and has been constructed to operate to Tier III+ standards.

    The Singapore data center is the second to be built under the three-way partnership after the HK$5 billion data center in Tseung Kwan O that opened in December 2017.

    The Singapore Woodlands data center is designed to a power usage efficiency of just 1.34, making it the most power efficient data center available to customers in Singapore. The data center services are powered by 30MVA of utility power supply capacity and backed by a 24/7 networks operations center.

    The data center will connect to China Telecom Global’s network of subsea and terrestrial cables as well as other data centers around the world. It is Global Switch’s 12th data center globally.

    “This is a milestone entry into the Southeast Asian countries’ market for Daily-Tech through our strategic business partnership,” Daily-Tech chairman Li Qiang said.

    “Customers in the region – particularly those looking to expand through China’s Belt and Road projects, will now find more convenient connections and access to well-managed services to support their business growth. This partnership offers customers commitment, a track record in servicing and bespoke services, and best practice management.”

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  • Google Fi, the next carrier?

    Google Fi, the next carrier?

    If you are satisfied with your current phone but would prefer to switch carriers, hybrid MVNO Google Fi has a deal for you. First, some explanation. Google Fi uses two million Wi-Fi hot spots to bring you service. When you are out of Wi-Fi range, your phone checks to see which of the three 4G LTE networks that Fi supports (T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular) has the strongest signal at the moment, and connects you to it. Doing this allows Google to keep Fi’s prices down.

    Now, let’s talk about the free month of service that Google Fi is offering to those bringing their compatible phone and number to the MVNO from another wireless provider. The offer is available from now through March 24th, and a list of supported handsets can be found here. You must sign up for a full service plan (not just data) and the phone must remain activated on Fi for 30 consecutive days.

    A week after activating your phone on Fi, you will get an email confirming the credit, which will show up on the following invoice. The credit that Google gives you will cover “a single subscriber’s unlimited talk and text, data usage, and taxes and fees for one month.” The offer is limited to one per person, or six per group plan and requires Google Payments and Google Fi accounts.

    Something else to consider, is that you cannot change your phone while in the aforementioned 30-day period. One Fi subscriber had problems with the Samsung Galaxy phone he moved over to the MVNO and could not dial out about 90% of the time. He bought a Fi compatible LG handset, and while it worked without a hitch, Fi denied him the free month.

    Google Fi costs $20/month for unlimited domestic talk and text for one person ($15 additional for each added subscriber up to a total of six), unlimited international texts, and access to cellular coverage in over 200+ countries. High-speed data costs $10/GB each month, but once you hit 6GB, the rest of the month is free. This means that for an individual, the monthly bill cannot exceed $80 (before taxes and fees) or $205 for a family of four. But there is a catch. Once you consume more than 15GB of data in one month, your data speed is throttled until the next billing cycle begins. Or, you can decide to continue receiving high-speed data by paying $10/GB for any amount of high-speed data you use over 15GB in the same month.

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  • APAC mobile advertising market booming

    APAC mobile advertising market booming

    The Asia Pacific region is leading in mobile ad request with a growth of 44%. This is almost twice the average growth of the Americas and EMEA regions, both of which are pegged at 23%.

    This was the conclusion of the Global Trends in Mobile Advertising H2 2018 report by Smaato, which offers programmatic insights designed to help publishers and advertisers with their decision-making on ads.

    Among others, the report investigated in-app growth, advertising spending, mobile video and advertising fraud.

    The mobile ad market is healthy, according to Smaato, with significant growth across all key advertising metrics, including ad request volume and eCPMs. Demand and supply both increased year-over-year, as advertisers direct more money into mobile advertising.

    In the APAC, India stood out from the pack with a 425% growth in mobile ad requests. This was more than twice the growth rate of the fastest growing markets in EMEA and the Americas, which were led by Spain at 152% and the USA at 170% respectively.

    Smaato says India’s meteoric ad request growth is characteristic of an emerging mobile market in which the number of mobile device owners, their time spent on mobile, and overall app downloads all rise quickly.

    When it comes to the top countries for eCPM growth, Singapore (154%), Japan (125%), Australia (111%), Hong Kong (99%) and Indonesia (96%) topped the charts. As comparison, eCPMs increased in the United States by 79% and in Canada by 70%, while Switzerland (92%) and the United Kingdoms (66%) topped the chart in the EMEA.

    “The impressive ad request and eCPM growth in APAC are driven by app developers finding new ways to better monetize their content even as consumers are spending more time on apps. Advertisers from all verticals are realizing that apps are where consumers are — and they are directing more funds into this channel,” Smaato APAC managing director Alex Khan said.

    “With app usage increasing across the region, there will also be more monetization opportunities for mobile publishers.”

    The full report can be downloaded here (free registration).

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  • Singtel to invest a further $536m in Bharti Airtel

    Singtel to invest a further $536m in Bharti Airtel

    Singtel Group has revealed plans to subscribe to Bharti Airtel’s 250 billion rupee ($3.57 billion) right issue, taking up its full entitlement for its direct stake of 15%.

    Airtel will take up 170 million new shares at an issue price of 220 rupees per share for a total of 37.5 billion rupees ($535.7 million).

    Airtel major shareholder Bharti Group has also committed to taking its full entitlement under the issue, while fellow major shareholder Bharti Telecom has renounced part of its entitlement in favor of Singapore sovereign investment fund GIC Singapore, which will invest around 50 billion rupees.

    The major shareholders and GIC have together committed a total of 67% of the rights issue. The renunciation to GIC will take Singtel’s effective interest in Airtel to 35.2%, with the operator maintaining its position as Airtel’s largest shareholder.

    “Our participation in this rights offering with our partners and a leading investor such as GIC reflects our long-standing commitment to Airtel and the confidence in the future of the Indian market,” Singtel International CEO Arthur Lang said.

    “Airtel has performed well despite business headwinds and is consolidating its position in a more sustainable market. Our partnership with Airtel spans some two decades and we continue to take a long-term view of India, having recently invested in Bharti Telecom and Airtel Africa.”

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  • India has world’s cheapest mobile data

    India has world’s cheapest mobile data

    India is the cheapest country in the world for mobile data, while 10 of the top 20 cheapest countries are in continental Asia, according to analysis from broadband price comparison site cable.co.uk.

    Analysis of mobile data plans in the 230 countries with mobile broadband availability found that Indian operators offer an average price per 1GB of data of $0.26 – well below the global average of $8.53.

    The analysis also shows that Asian countries made up half of the top 20 cheapest markets in the world, with the average price of 1GB of data being well over $1 in Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

    Malaysia ($1.18 per 1GB), Indonesia ($1.21), Bhutan ($1.25), Iran ($1.28) and Vietnam ($1.31) also made the top 20 list, and only three Asian countries are more expensive than the global average – Taiwan ($9.49), China ($9.89), and South Korea ($15.12).

    The analysis did not include countries in the Oceania/Pacific region. Australia is by far the cheapest country in the region with average prices of $2.47 per 1GB. The most expensive market in the region is Samoa at $30.09.

    “Many of the cheapest countries in which to buy mobile data fall roughly into one of two categories,” Cable.co.uk consumer telecoms analyst Dan Howdle said.

    “Some have excellent mobile and fixed broadband infrastructure and so providers are able to offer large amounts of data, which brings down the price per gigabyte. Others with less advanced broadband networks are heavily reliant on mobile data and the economy dictates that prices must be low, as that’s what people can afford.”

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  • VinaPhone launches eSIM technology in Vietnam

    VinaPhone launches eSIM technology in Vietnam

    Vietnam has today officially become the 25th nation in the world to launch eSIM technology.

    VinaPhone, the mobile subsidiary of state-owned operator VNPT, has held the official mass market launch of eSIM technology, Vietnamese state news agency SGGP reported.

    VinaPhone has already distributed nearly 5,000 eSIM preorders to customers.

    The company is also offering customers the ability to change to an eSIM by entering their EMEI and a one-time password, and then scanning a QR code sent from the system, and has revealed it received more than 7,000 eSIM registration requests in less than a month.

    VinaPhone deputy general director Nguyen Truong Giang told the publication the operator is now developing applications designed specifically to be integrated into eSIMs and introduce more features and utilities for users.

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  • China Telecom chief moves to China Mobile

    China Telecom chief moves to China Mobile

    China Telecom announced that Yang Jie (pictured) has resigned from his role as chairman of parent company China Telecom Corporation, and has been re-designated as chairman of China Mobile Communications Group.

    Yang has also resigned from his positions as executive director, chairman and CEO of Hong Kong-listed China Telecom Limited, due to the change in work arrangement, according to a company announcement released last week [pdf].

    He replaces Shang Bing, who is stepping down as chairman of China Mobile upon reaching retirement age.

    Shang, a former vice minister of the telecom watchdog, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), was appointed the chairman of China Mobile in September 2015 when the Beijing government reshuffled the heads of the country’s three state-owned telecom carriers.

    In a statement, China Mobile acknowledged Shang’s outstanding contributions to the company with “the highest regard and deepest gratitude”.

    The changes take effect on March 4, 2019.

    Yang was chairman and CEO of China Telecom since May 2016 and previously served as the company’s president and COO. China Telecom hasn’t yet made any announcement on Yang’s replacement at the company.

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