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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.

  • Ooredoo demonstrates 5G aerial taxi

    Ooredoo demonstrates 5G aerial taxi

    Qatar-based Ooredoo has acted to showcase the power of 5G to enable smart city applications with a trial of the world’s first self-driving 5G connected autonomous aerial taxi.

    During an event at The Pearl artificial island in Doha, Ooredoo also showcased technologies including a 5G experience bus to allow visitors to experience the potential of 5G while commuting and a 5G house boat.

    The 5G connected aerial taxi is a large drone-like vehicle large enough to transport two people to a destination up to 20 minutes away at speeds of 130km/h. The autonomous vehicle runs on Ooredoo’s commercially-ready 5G network.

    Meanwhile Ooredoo’s 5G bus experience provided passengers with the ability to browse the internet with 5G speeds of up to 2.6Gbps while in transit.

    Finally the 5G house boat was equipped with 8K VR streaming gaming technology to demonstrate 5G’s potential to usher in the future of entertainment.

    “The Ooredoo 5G roll-out is growing daily, but as our customers cannot yet access the speeds and benefits of our ongoing investment, we wanted to demonstrate the true power of 5G and showcase what our technology will do for Qatar in the near future and in the years to come,” Ooredoo CEO Waleed Al Sayed said.

    “Ooredoo is leading global Internet of Things innovation thanks to our world-class 5G networks and we are the clear partner for Qatar’s growing Smart City technological needs. Thanks to our Supernet network and IoT solutions, Qatar will soon be able to offer the futuristic experiments shown today to everyone connected to Ooredoo 5G.”

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  • Myanmar Net taps Ruckus Networks for carrier-grade Wi-Fi

    Myanmar Net taps Ruckus Networks for carrier-grade Wi-Fi

    Myanmar’s largest pure-play ISP Myanmar Net contracted Ruckus Networks to deploy a carrier-grade Wi-Fi network across all major townships in Yangon and Mandalay.

    Through the deployment, Myanmar Net is offering consumers and businesses internet access at speeds of up to 62Mbps and prices competitive with the mobile operators’ existing data plans.

    Ruckus Networks provided Wi-Fi access points that use its smart antenna system with 180-degree and 120-degee antenna patterns to provide wider coverage and more stable connectivity.

    Allen Miu, CTO of Myanmar Net parent company Frontiir, said the company was facing a number of unique challenges with the deployment, associated with Myanmar’s extreme weather, power fluctuations from the nation’s old and unstable power grid and high population density.

    “Besides AP density, the high population density is also a challenge as we anticipate huge demand for our services due to the very affordable prices we offer. One of the key initial concerns we had was whether Wi-Fi technology could hold up to the growth and demands on our network,” he said.

    “Being the first in Myanmar to deploy a wireless network for the general populace is no easy feat, and we are only able to make this a reality with Ruckus’ engineering expertise and knowledge.”

  • Telstra previews “cell on wings” for emergency coverage

    Telstra previews “cell on wings” for emergency coverage

    Telstra has previewed new drone swarm and mobile “cell on wings” technology designed to provide mobile connectivity and search and rescue functionality in natural disasters and other emergency situations.

    The company has developed a mobile small cell mounted on a drone to temporarily boost mobile network coverage in a local area.

    As well as providing critical communications capabilities, the mounted small cell can ensure Telstra’s mobile network is capable of supporting the use of drones in emergency situations.

    The new drone swarm is meanwhile a group of drones flying in formation and controlled by a single pilot, designed to use computer vision to map an area affected by fires or floods.

    It uses computer vision capability to help identify specific objects, such as people in need of rescuing, and assess the overall scale of damage over a large area.

    “In the future, 5G will allow operators using this type of technology to run missions end-to-end with an extensive data uplink capability,” Telstra CTO Håkan Eriksson said in a blog post.

    “This would mean being able to stream large sets of live data (such as high resolution video) back to operators in real time, and back to the server for even more intelligent decision making.”

    Telstra has already been using drones to inspect the damage to its network in the wake of natural disasters and assist with the repair process.

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  • Japan’s TOKAI taps into Telstra’s global network

    Japan’s TOKAI taps into Telstra’s global network

    Japanese fixed line operator TOKAI Communications has contracted Australia-based Telstra to provide connectivity to help pursue an international expansion.

    TOKAI Communications has arranged to use the Telstra Programmable Network (TPN) to access Telstra’s networks.

    The Japanese operator will also to tap into Telstra’s subsea cable infrastructure spanning 230 countries and territories, as well as its Ethernet Private Line services, to directly connect TOKAI’s business locations on point-to-point subsea cables linking Singapore and Tokyo.

    According to the companies, the partnership will give TOKAI Communications the capability to compete in new markets and to connect customers to new overseas opportunities.

    “Telstra developed TPN to empower enterprises to meet the challenges of the future, embrace digital transformation and to quickly respond to changing market and customer demands,” Telstra head of international Oliver Camplin-Warner said.

    “With TPN, employees at TOKAI Communications will operate on a single, integrated and intelligent platform that provides flexible and dynamic access to Telstra’s high bandwidth, low latency and secure networks that allow the enterprise adapt faster to changing demands.”

  • Huawei says US ban would delay 5G deployment

    Huawei says US ban would delay 5G deployment

    China’s Huawei is now arguing that US regulators should allow the company to sell its equipment to US telecom companies because not doing so could “ultimately delay 5G deployment.”

    The argument is contained in Huawei’s latest filing with the FCC, detailing a series of meetings between top US Huawei executives, including Tom Dowding, SVP of the company’s US wireless business, and FCC officials including Kris Anne Monteith, chief of the agency’s Wireline Competition Bureau.

    “Huawei’s lack of presence in the US would raise prices, harm competition, hinder innovation, and ultimately delay 5G deployment,” the company summarized in a filing to the FCC.

    “Huawei’s entry into the US market provided much-needed competition,” argued Huawei’s Dowding in the filing. “As a result of the lack of competition, equipment prices in the US market in general tend to be about 20-30% higher than they are in other developed regions, for example in Europe. However, various studies have shown that the United States’ telecommunication infrastructure is falling behind those in other developed countries … In [Speedtest’s] 2018 rankings, the US ranked #44 for mobile network speed and #9 for fixed broadband. A 2016 report shows the mobile network speed of United States is about 2/3 of China’s.”

    Huawei’s filing stands as opposition to an attempt by the FCC to block sales of its equipment to US telecom operators that receive government funding. The FCC embarked on a proposal to tacitly block any network operator—big and small—from using Universal Service Funds to purchase equipment from companies that may pose a security threat. That proceeding at the FCC is widely seen as an attempt by the US government to block Chinese network equipment vendors Huawei from competing in the market.

    Critics of Huawei argue that, if the Chinese company sells its equipment to US telecom companies, that would open a backdoor into US networks for Chinese espionage. Huawei, for its part, has strenuously argued against that notion.

    “A blacklist on certain equipment vendors does not address the reality that cybersecurity risks arise from various points of vulnerabilities in an international supply chain,” Huawei wrote in its filing. “In response to a staff question as to the FCC’s role in securing US telecommunications equipment, Huawei emphasized that the global and complex nature of the telecommunications supply chain necessitates a comprehensive security framework to protect against threats. This framework should be developed as part of an inter-agency effort involving government entities with the authority and expertise to consider security issues. Huawei has been active in promoting cybersecurity both internally and alongside government bodies, and welcomes the opportunity to continue contributing to the development and promulgation of security standards and best practices.”

    Importantly, Huawei has noted that roughly half a dozen rural wireless network operators—including United TelCom and SI Wireless—have come out in support of Huawei.

    Huawei’s use of 5G as leverage in its argument is particularly noteworthy considering officials from the FCC and the wireless industry have been warning that China could embark on significant 5G deployments, and would thus beat the United States in the “race to 5G.” Now Huawei, a major Chinese company, is urging officials to allow it to sell its equipment in the United States so that the nation can more quickly build out 5G networks.

    Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint have all announced 5G deployments, using equipment from the likes of Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung.

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  • PLDT taps Amdocs for IT infrastructure automation

    PLDT taps Amdocs for IT infrastructure automation

    The Philippines’ PLDT has contracted Amdocs to transform its IT infrastructure under an expanded six-year service agreement.

    The new contract builds on a seven year master transformation agreement that will see Amdocs modernize PLDT’s IT applications and help introduce new digital technologies.

    Under the new deal, Amdocs will consolidate, modernize and manage the IT infrastructure of both PLDT and wireless subsidiary Smart.

    Amdocs plans to provide the operators with automation capabilities enabling the self-healing of errors and systems. PLDT and Smart plan to use operation automation to prepare for a journey to the cloud while reducing their operational costs.

    “Our successful collaboration with Amdocs gets stronger as we continue our digital journey,” PLDT president and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

    “This agreement will further boost our efforts to enhance customer experience and engagement. With Amdocs running and automating our IT operations, we will be better equipped to quickly launch innovative products and services to deliver a compelling digital experience to our customers.”

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  • Smart taps Samsung for VoWiFi service launch

    Smart taps Samsung for VoWiFi service launch

    PLDT’s mobile subsidiary Smart Communications has teamed up with Samsung for the launch of its voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) service.

    Smart said the service will initially available to selected subscribers by October after Samsung releases its latest firmware over-the-air update.

    Smart customers can make VoWiFi calls using Samsung smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy S9 and S9+, Note 8, and Note 9 via any WiFi connection like Smart WiFi and PLDT Home WiFi.

    VoWiFi, also known as WiFi calling, lets customers make and receive calls and text messages over a WiFi connection using their smartphone’s native dialer, without having to install a third-party app.

    Smart said WiFi calling will also be available soon to other select Samsung devices.

    Earlier this month, Smart made its first successful VoWiFi call over a live network in Cebu, in partnership with its technology partners Huawei and Samsung.

    Mario G. Tamayo, PLDT-Smart senior vice president for network planning and engineering, said the call is the first of its kind outside metro Manila, and “a key part of PLDT and Smart’s integrated efforts to continuously improve and evolve our voice services.”

    Last year, Smart also made the country’s first voice over LTE (VoLTE) mobile call, which uses LTE or 4G to conduct calls.

    Smart is also deploying carrier-grade Smart WiFi in high-traffic public places across the country, such as transportation hubs like MRT-3 and LRT-1 stations, major airports, bus terminals and seaports across the country, as well as in schools, government buildings, hospitals, malls and entertainment centers.

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  • Softbank tests NIDD technology for IoT services

    Softbank tests NIDD technology for IoT services

    SoftBank said it has been using NIDD (non-IP data delivery) technology to allow its IoT services to bypass the internet.

    The Japanese operator announced recently that it has succeeded in completing what it claims is the world’s first connection test in a commercial environment for NIDD, which has been newly defined in the 3GPP for NB-IoT.

    Softbank said NIDD enables users to transmit data to IoT devices without allocating an IP address, which reduces the risk of a malicious attack targeting an IoT device, making it possible to build a highly secure IoT network.

    By eliminating such data as header information additionally required in conventional data communications, the company added, the electric power needed for communication is reduced and a broader area can be covered.

    Also, by enabling connection on a closed network with IoT platforms provided by service providers and with external application servers, Softbank said it will enable operator to build a highly secure network from end to end.

    Currently Softbank is providing IoT services using NB-IoT and LTE Cat-M1 technologies, for which an IP address is allocated.

    The company said it aims to introduce and commercialize NIDD technology for devices tailored to various businesses and fields, such as crime prevention, social infrastructure and agriculture, making full use of its distinctive features of high security, low power consumption, and high area coverage.

    A handful of companies – including Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Qualcomm, DK Corporation, Affirmed Networks and SB Cloud – are supporting the company’s NIDD experiment in Japan and will work together with Softbank toward further development of the IoT market.

    “We expect that NIDD technology to reduce communication load for IoT devices and enables to accelerate utilization in IoT field especially for those who had difficulty in conventional conditions,” said Akira Sakakibara, CTO at Microsoft Japan.

    “As NIDD technology corresponds to open standards, it can easily connect to Microsoft Azure IoT platform and enable to implement data management, view and AI features. SoftBank and Microsoft Japan will continuously contribute to accelerate IoT technology utilization in every industry.”

    Tadashi Okazaki, head of solution architect at Amazon Web Services Japan, said security for IoT devices is strongly in demand as IoT popularity is growing.

    “With the implementation of NIDD technology which securely connects AWS IoT platform and peripheral device, we expect to accelerate the popularization of IoT technology,” he said.

    “Low power consumption is one of the characteristic of NIDD technology. Therefore, we hope to solve the long discussed controversy of IoT devices’ high power consumption.”

  • NEC completes construction of SACS cable

    NEC completes construction of SACS cable

    Japanese vendor NEC has announced it has completed the construction of the first subsea cable crossing the south Atlantic ocean for Angola Cables.

    The South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) has been deployed and is now ready for commercial service. The cable system spans between Angola with Brazil, connecting the African continent to Latin America directly for the first time.

    The system uses a four fiber pair configuration to deliver an initial design capacity of 40Tbps. In Angola, it will land at the existing Sangano cable landing station, while in Brazil it will land in a newly constructed data center constructed for SACS and another cable system connecting Brazil with the US.

    SACS was partly funded through a loan provided by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation to Angola state-owned development bank the Banco de Desenvolvimento de Angola.

    “NEC is honored to have been selected as a partner for SACS, the world’s first optical submarine cable system crossing the South Atlantic, directly connecting two Portuguese speaking nations of Angola and Brazil,” NEC GM for submarine networks Toru Kawauchi said in a statement issued on Monday.

    “Yesterday, all communication between the two continents had to go up north and cross the North Atlantic. From today, this new cable will bring information at the speed of light, improving the connectivity between the two nations and two continents.”

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  • Astro Malaysia Q2 earnings fall 93%

    Astro Malaysia Q2 earnings fall 93%

    Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd’s net profit for the second quarter ended July 31 fell 93% to RM16.58 million from RM246.34 million a year ago due to an increase in FIFA World Cup content, merchandise sales and higher net finance costs.

    The decrease in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) was mainly due to higher content costs from FIFA World Cup and merchandise sales, while higher net finance cost was mainly due to unfavourable unrealised forex movement arising from unhedged finance lease liabilities and vendor financing and increase in interest expenses from borrowings.

    Revenue for the quarter of RM1.42 billion was marginally lower by 0.2% mainly due to a decrease in subscription and advertising revenue.

    For the six months period, net profit plunged 57% to RM191.31 million from RM442.17 million mainly a year ago due to decrease in ebitda and increase in net finance costs.

    Revenue for the current period of RM2.73 billion was lower by 0.7% against corresponding period of RM2.75 billion, mainly due to a decrease in subscription and advertising revenue.

    The board of directors declared a second interim single-tier dividend of 2.5 sen per ordinary share in respect of the financial year ending Jan 31, 2019 amounting to RM130.35 million.

    Astro chairman Tun Zaki Azmi said Astro continues to be cash generative, cost disciplined and proactive in its capital management whilst navigating through a challenging market and competitive media environment.

    Astro CEO Henry Tan said it experienced increased content costs for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In addition, financial results were affected by the reduced need to advertise during the tax holiday period from June 1 to Aug 31, 2018 and the depreciating ringgit.

    Nevertheless, it continues to have stable revenues across TV and radio with diversification from digital platforms, e-commerce, licensing income and theatrical sales.

    “Going forward, we expect the group’s second half performance to improve and we will remain focused on key business drivers. Astro is committed to improving customer experience beginning with a new interface for premium customers on TV and Astro GO allowing for a seamless viewing experience across all screens and the introduction of 4K Ultra HD offerings,” said Tan.

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  • Axiata Malaysia evaluating options on stake in M1

    Axiata Malaysia evaluating options on stake in M1

    Axiata Group Bhd, which is evaluating its options on a possible buyout offer by two of M1 Ltd’s major shareholders Keppel Corp Ltd (KCL) and Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), is hoping for accurate future value for its 28.7% interest in M1.

    News reports in Singapore cited that both companies are planning to launch a general offer for shares they do not own in M1. The deal is expected to fetch a market value of S$1.51 billion (RM4.6 billion).

    KCL and SPH hold 19.3% and 13.5% stake in M1, respectively.

    In a statement released today, Axiata said any transaction involving M1 stake should reflect its accurate future value as well as incorporate acceptable control premium based on market norms and precedent transactions of similar nature.

    Axiata said the group is currently reviewing its position in view of a possible transaction to be further announced by KCL and SPH on its M1 shares.

    “The company is already in discussion with a financial institution to act as its adviser to review various options available to Axiata with the sole objective that the company continues to vigorously protect and enhance shareholders’ value of both Axiata and M1, the latter via its board representation.”

    “The financial institution will also advise the company once KCL and SPH officially announce their proposed transaction,” it added.

    Axiata’s share price gained 19 sen or 4.2% to close at RM4.75 today with 3.02 million shares changing hands.

  • Viettel Global to list 2.24 billion plus shares

    Viettel Global to list 2.24 billion plus shares

    More than 2.24 billion Viettel Global shares will make their debut on Hanoi’s unlisted public company market, UPCoM, on Tuesday.

    The shares of Viettel Global Investment Joint Stock Company, with the sticker VGI, will be traded on the UPCoM at a floor price of VND15,000 ($0.65) per unit.

    Viettel Global will become the largest firm on the UPCoM with market capitalization of VND33.6 trillion ($1.44 billion).

    Established in late 2007 with chartered capital of VND960 billion ($41.18 million) as a unit of Viettel Group, Viettel Global covers the military group’s overseas investments.

    Viettel Group holds 98.68 percent of the stake in Viettel Global.

    At a general meeting in June, shareholders of Viettel Global approved a plan to increase its chartered capital to VND30.4 trillion ($1.3 billion).

    In 2017, Viettel Global served nearly 40 million international customers, a growth of 13 percent from the previous year.

    To date, Viettel Global makes profits in eight of the ten markets that it operates in. The eight markets are Cambodia, Laos, Timor Leste, Mozambique, Burundi, Haiti, Peru, and Cameroon. It entered Tanzania two years ago and Myanmar just this month.

    Viettel Global plans to enter several new markets, mainly in ASEAN.

    For this year, the company targets increasing its subscriber numbers by 10-15 per cent, bringing the cumulative population of its markets to 400 – 500 million and rank among the top 10 global telecom companies.

    Viettel Global announced consolidated revenues of over VND19 trillion ($810 million) for 2017, an increase of 24 per cent year-on-year, and a net profit of VND27 billion ($1.16 million).

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  • Axiata’s share price dip after edotco cancels Pakistan deal

    Axiata’s share price dip after edotco cancels Pakistan deal

    Axiata Group Bhd’s share price fell as much as 11 sen this morning after its subsidiary edotco Group Sdn Bhd canceled a US$940 million deal in Pakistan.

    The stock fell as much as 11 sen to a low of RM4.50 this morning from its last adjusted closing price of RM4.61. At 11.06am, the stock fell 1.3% or 6 sen to RM4.55 with 584,700 shares traded.

    Trading in Axiata’s securities was halted for an hour from 9am earlier before resuming at 10am.

    On Monday, edotco said it will not go ahead with the acquisition of 13,000 towers from Pakistan Mobile Communications Ltd, which would have made it the eight largest independent tower company globally.

    The US$940 million (RM3.9 billion) deal, which was in the works for more than a year, was terminated due to the non-fulfilment of a number of conditions within the timeframe stipulated under the sale and purchase agreement.

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  • SK Telecom cranks up speed of WiFi by four times

    SK Telecom cranks up speed of WiFi by four times

    SK Telecom said Monday it commercialized a next-generation WiFi service that is four times faster than existing services at key areas with dense traffic, including COEX in southern Seoul.

    The new technology offers a maximum of 4.8 gigabits per second (Gbps) data speeds, which is about four times faster than the WiFi service commercialized in 2013, according to the mobile carrier.

    The new “T WiFi AX” uses four antennas to transmit and receive radio waves and works on 160 megahertz bandwidth, twice as large as the bandwidth used by the existing WiFi services, according to SK Telecom. Broader bandwidth translates to faster data speeds just as eight-lane highways are better at relieving traffic congestion than four-lane highways. The bandwidth is spread across 2.4 gigahertz and 5 gigahertz bands.

    The mobile carrier also cooperated with fixed-line service operator SK Broadband to offer network stability even in crowded areas.

    Currently, SK Telecom has the new WiFi service operating in busy areas like COEX in Samseong-dong and U-Square, a large bus terminal in Gwangju. The mobile carrier said it will keep expanding services for nationwide coverage.

    Customers, however, will not be feel a dramatic increase in data speeds with their existing smartphones, according to the mobile carrier.

    “The WiFi service is built on a 802.11.ax standard set by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers but smartphones in the market do not carry chips that meet that standard yet,” a spokesperson from SK Telecom said. “Phones released next year will carry chips that let users experience 1.2 Gbps data speeds.”

    According to data from SK Telecom, the maximum data speeds for smartphones on WiFi connections until now was 866 megabits per second, and the speeds will continue to increase following upgrades in smartphone hardware.

    The mobile carrier developed the technology last October. After test operations in various traffic scenarios, its technology and network equipment was approved for deployment by the Ministry of Science and ICT last month.

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  • Celcom Axiata’s Sabah customers to enjoy 100Mbps internet speed

    Celcom Axiata’s Sabah customers to enjoy 100Mbps internet speed

    Celcom Axiata Bhd will be gradually upgrading the internet speed of its existing Celcom Home Fibre customers in Sabah to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) until the end of September 2018 at lower prices or no cost at all.

    From Sept 16 onwards, in conjunction with Malaysia Day, the Celcom Home Fibre™ and Celcom Business Fibre™ plans will be available with internet speeds of up to 100Mbps at half the price.

    This is in line with the government’s call for nationwide high-speed broadband accessibility at affordable prices.

    Customers who are currently subscribed to the Home Fibre™120 package will see the speed of their internet increase by 10 times to 100Mbps at no extra cost.

    As for customers who are subscribed to Home Fibre™ 150 and 180 at 20Mbps and 40Mbps packages respectively, they will be automatically upgraded to internet speeds at a reduced price of only RM120 per month.

    For business owners, Celcom Business Fibre™ Gold Supreme offers unlimited high-speed fibre internet with speeds up to 100Mbps at only RM130 per month, while Celcom Business Fibre™ Gold offers unlimited high-speed fibre internet speeds up to 40Mbps at RM90 per month.

    The Celcom Business Fibre™ also comes together with free installation, a free dect phone and a free wireless router.

    “Celcom is making broadband services more affordable by reducing its Celcom Home Fibre™ and Celcom Business Fibre™ prices by half, while offering more than double the speed for internet, said Celcom’s CEO Mohamad Idham Nawawi in a statement.

    We will continuously work towards expanding our fibre technology and high-speed broadband internet access for businesses and communities in both urban and rural areas, further upholding the government’s agenda for nationwide broadband penetration,” he added.

    He noted that every Malaysian should have the opportunity to be digitally adept and have access to high-speed internet without being burdened financially.

    Celcom’s advanced broadband fibre service for homes and businesses has been enhanced in Sabah to deliver more than double the speed of high-speed internet fibre connection service at affordable prices.

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