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Tag: #internet

  • INDIGO cable system ready for use

    INDIGO cable system ready for use

    The new INDIGO subsea cable linking Singapore, Indonesia and Australia has completed commissioning and is ready for use.

    The INDIGO consortium – consisting of Google, Indonesia’s Indosat Ooredoo, Singtel, and Australia’s SubPartners and Telstra – are now able to leverage the new cable system to enable capacity increases on demand.

    The 9,200km INDIGO cable system can support a capacity of up to 36Tbps. It consists of the 4,600km INDIGO West cable between Singapore in Indonesia and Perth on the west coast of Australia with a branching unit to Jakarta, and the 4,600km INDIGO Central cable between Perth and Sydney on the east coast of Australia.

    INDIGO uses new spectrum sharing technology which will allow consortium members to each independently manage capacity on the cable.

    Alcatel Submarine Networks built the new cable system under an agreement reached with the consortium members in April 2017.

    “The development of the INDIGO cable system strengthens the link between our Australian network and the fast-growing South East Asian markets and will deliver our customers faster connectivity and dramatically improved reliability,” Telstra head of international Oliver Camplin-Warner said.

    Bandwidth demand between Asia and Australia is predicted to reach 75Tbps by 2025, TeleGeography predicts.

    “As South East Asia and Australia become increasingly interconnected, a high-speed and robust connectivity infrastructure plays a critical role in catalyzing the development of digital economies across the regions,” Singtel VP of carrier services Ooi Seng Keat said.

    “The completion of INDIGO will accelerate the roll-out of next-generation technologies that rely on low latency and high-bandwidth connectivity such as high-definition video, autonomous vehicles, Internet of Things and robotics applications.”

    As well as its domestic operations in Singapore, Singtel is the 100% owner of major Australian operator Optus.

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  • HMD Global expands enterprise recommended portfolio

    HMD Global expands enterprise recommended portfolio

    HMD Global, licensee for the Nokia smartphone brand, has received Android Enterprise Recommended certification to three new devices in its portfolio.

    The three new devices include the Nokia 9 PureView, the recently announced smartphone with a five-camera array, as well as the Nokia 4.2 and 3.2 devices.

    HMD Global now has 14 Nokia branded devices that have received Android Enterprise Recommended Certification – more than any other smartphone brand.

    More than 50 organizations worldwide – including SAP, contacting and manufacturing company Ineco and industrial design company Mukava – have already deployed devices within this portfolio.

    Google’s Android Enterprise Recommended certification program requires devices to meet an elevated set of hardware, software, security update, user experience and other specifications. It is designed to act as a benchmark for the user experience in a variety of enterprise use cases.

    HMD Global said its recent market research found that 98% of enterprises within the European companies covered by the study use the Android Enterprise Recommended program to influence their choice of devices.

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  • Privacy browser Tor is now available on Android

    Privacy browser Tor is now available on Android

    With online privacy becoming an increasingly rare luxury these days, most all browsers offer some sort of “incognito” mode that’s supposed to help bypass various “surveillance” methods employed on the web. The demand for online anonymity has spawned a whole new breed of privacy-focused browsers that promise to offer better security and cover your traces in a more efficient manner than incognito modes. Among those, the Tor browser is the most popular (and infamous) choice for people looking to really erase their online presence.

    Connecting to the Tor network was possible in the past on Android, by using apps like Orbot and Orfox, but the release of the Tor browser on the Google Play Store eliminates the need of such workarounds. The browser has been in beta for close to a year now, but it’s finally ready for prime time.

    If you’re not familiar with Tor, here’s a simplified explanation. Instead of connecting directly to a website, like a regular browser would, Tor channels your request through a network of encrypted computers all around the globe, called “nodes,” before reaching your desired destination. This way, your identity and IP address remain hidden. Not to mention that this can also help when trying to view content that is blocked on a per-region basis, like music videos on YouTube for example.

    The Tor browser is based on Firefox, so its interface should be immediately recognizable to Firefox users. The browser is now available on Android, but an iOS may never see the light of day, according to the Tor Project. This is due to “restrictions by Apple,” though the blog post doesn’t go over any of them in detail.

  • SES Networks to provide connectivity luxury cruise ships

    SES Networks to provide connectivity luxury cruise ships

    SES Networks has won a deal to provide high-speed satellite broadband services for a fleet of luxury cruise ships in the Asian market.

    The Luxembourg-based satellite operator has signed a contract to provide its Signature Cruise Solution to Dream Cruises, a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s Genting Cruise Lines.

    Dream Cruises will use the connectivity solution for its cruise ship fleet, consisting of the World Dream, Genting Dream and newly-launched Explorer Dream.

    The solution has already been implemented onboard World Dream and Explorer Dream, and will be introduced on Genting Dream in September.

    It uses SES Networks’ O3b constellation of medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites, with backup from its geostationary fleet for added network resilience, as well as a suite of managed services.

    “Today’s cruise passengers demand excellent connectivity even when they are traveling on the high seas,” Dream Cruises president Thatcher Brown said.

    “As part of our efforts to provide our guests with the best possible services and amenities on board our ships, we partnered with SES Networks because of their high-speed capability to deliver a terrestrial broadband-like internet experience in some of the most challenging of conditions.”

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  • 2 in 3 cellcos plan to deploy 5G within 18 months

    2 in 3 cellcos plan to deploy 5G within 18 months

    Mobile service providers anticipate significant new revenue opportunities from the coming deployment of high-speed 5G networks and a host of new IoT-driven use cases

    According to a new survey fielded by the Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network, in partnership with A10 networks, but they also believe much-improved security will be essential to realizing that potential.

    The new study report, “Securing the Future of a Smart World,” demonstrates that carriers are moving decisively toward 5G commercialization and that security is a top concern.

    • 67% will deploy their first commercial 5G networks within 18 months and another 20% within two years
    • 94% expect growth in network traffic, connected devices and mission-critical IoT use cases to significantly increase security and reliability concerns for 5G networks
    • 79% say 5G is a consideration in current security investments

    “Mobile carriers anticipate significant revenue opportunities and exciting new use cases as they move forward with their 5G deployments. However, the industry also recognizes that 5G will dramatically raise the stakes for ensuring the security and reliability of these networks,” said Gunter Reiss, vice president of A10 Networks.

    “New mission-critical applications like autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and remote patient monitoring will make network reliability vital to the safety and security of people and businesses. Meanwhile, dramatic increases in traffic rates and connected devices will significantly expand the attack surface and scale for cybercriminals.”

    Operators still have a significant amount of work ahead to fortify their networks for the coming of 5G. For example, while more than 80% of mobile operator respondents say they will need to upgrade Gi/SGi firewalls at the core of their networks, only 11% have completed the implementation of new Gi/SGi firewalls.

    Realizing the potential of full-scale 5G networks requires major investments by carriers—and payback on that spend is a crucial issue for the telecommunications industry. Operators see significant opportunities to increase revenues and innovate new business models.

    The top-three benefits derived from 5G

    • 67% – Overall growth in the mobile market
    • 59% – Better customer service and satisfaction
    • 43% – The creation of new 5G-enabled business models

    Top drivers for 5G

    • 61% – Smart cities
    • 48% – Industrial automation and smart manufacturing
    • 39% – High-speed connectivity
    • 35% – Connected vehicles
    • 37% – Fixed wireless

    Assessing 5G security needs

    Chief among security concerns are core network security and DDoS protection.

    • 63% – Advanced DDoS protection the most important security capability needed for 5G networks.
    • 98% of respondents said core network security was either very important (72%) or important (26%) in 5G build-outs.
    • 79% have or will upgrade their Gi/SGi firewalls
    • 73% have or will upgrade their GTP firewall

    “Operators overwhelmingly understand the importance of upgrading security in a more connected and smart world,” continued Reiss.

    “Now it’s time to take decisive action. Carriers need to move ahead aggressively with their plans to upgrade legacy DDoS protection and consolidate security services at the core and edge of their networks to address the growing concerns. A10 Networks 5G security solutions including Gi/SGi firewall, GTP firewall and AI-based DDoS protection enable operators to secure and scale their networks now and protect against the massive cyber threat coming with 5G.”

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  • Verizon Media unveils Hong Kong expansion plans

    Verizon Media unveils Hong Kong expansion plans

    Verizon Media has announced an aggressive expansion program for Hong Kong for the next 180 days and the year ahead, including the expansion of its Yahoo Studio in the market.

    The studio will be equipped with audio-visual production equipment for creating HD videos with virtual settings and advanced motion capture capabilities to deliver broadcaster grade production.

    The studio produces Yahoo TV live programs including celebrity talk shows and Engadget Updates.

    “The new studio can unleash video creativity, enabling us to produce more live programs, HD videos with 3D virtual settings, and e-commerce shows,” said Lorraine Cheung, head of audience at Verizon Media. Live programs include finance, tech, lifestyle, and entertainment programs.

    Cheung said the company will unveil its first virtual character this July. The virtual character will not only be a Yahoo KOL but also a co-host of Yahoo’s homegrown TV programs. “The character aims to enhance overall user experience via more fun interaction, turning media into a two-way conversation.”

    In addition, Verizon Media is bringing its new Yahoo Rewards membership program to Hong Kong. The program will allow users to earn points with their daily online engagement such as polling, following groups, e-shopping, and content consumption on Yahoo App.

    The company plans to roll out a Good Deeds Good Life campaign to the app, which will allow users to earn points by engaging in social causes that benefit the community.

    Verizon Media recently unveiled a first-of-its-kind virtual reality advertising offering for demand-side platform users, which aims to help advertisers seamlessly extend existing display and video assets into VR environments.

    “We see huge potential in AR and VR technology on improving engagement of ad and branded content. Our focus is to introduce the technology and facilitate the market adoption.” Verizon Media Hong Kong senior director for APAC ad creative technology Roger Li said.

    Verizon Media, a division of Verizon, was renamed from Oath in 2019. “The purpose of Verizon Media is to transform how people stay informed and entertained, communicate, and transact,” said Rico Chan, managing director of Verizon Media Hong Kong, Japan and INSEA. “The company’s priorities include growing our member-centric ecosystem, building brands B2B customers love and trust, as well as videofy our brands and platforms.”

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  • ViewQwest to offer services over TM’s HSBB network

    ViewQwest to offer services over TM’s HSBB network

    Singapore-based fiber operator ViewQwest is expanding its footprint in Malaysia through a new partnership with Telekom Malaysia.

    ViewQwest, which currently has its own fiber network in parts of the Klang Valley and Johor, plans to use Telekom Malaysia’s HSBB network to significantly enhance its availability.

    Through the network reselling agreement, ViewQwest will offer services anywhere Telekom Malaysia offers its Unifi fiber service.

    According to the report, ViewQwest plans to introduce new broadband plans under the agreement in June or July. Speed and pricing will depend on available bandwidth and last mile infrastructure.

    The company will bundle Mesh WiFi products to new subscribers to ensure optimal Wi-Fi experiences, as well as value-added services including a geoblock circumventing Freedom DNS service.

    ViewQwest has revealed it is open to pursuing more joint ventures, acquisitions or network sharing partnerships aimed at allowing it to continue expanding in Malaysia.

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  • SES Networks restores connectivity to PNG

    SES Networks restores connectivity to PNG

    SES Networks announced it worked with PNG DataCo to restore mobile and broadband services in Papua New Guinea following an outage caused by a major 7.2 magnitude earthquake.

    The earthquake near the town of Bulolo caused damage to critical terrestrial and subsea transmission nodes between Port Moresby and Madang.

    SES Networks’ contingency teams worked with DataCo to deliver an extra 1.5Gbps of bandwidth to ease network congestion on the operator’s damaged link. This additional bandwidth was made available within hours of receiving a request.

    “Together with DataCo, we are glad that connectivity has been restored swiftly to enable communications and critical disaster recovery services in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake,” SES Networks VP of global fixed data sales Imran Malik Khan said.

    “We recognize the importance of communications services in the event of natural disasters to facilitate quicker information transfer between families and communities, as well as to coordinate recovery and search-and-rescue operations. Our thoughts are with the affected communities, and we offer our well wishes.”

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  • Japan bans handset-mobile service bundles

    Japan bans handset-mobile service bundles

    The Japanese government has passed a new bill aimed at reducing mobile prices for consumers and stimulating competition in the mobile market. The new bill includes provisions banning operators from offering bundled device and mobile plans under a single price package.

    The new law, which is due to take effect as early as the third quarter, is aimed at addressing a practice that consumers and lawmakers have complained make it difficult to compare prices between operators.

    Incumbent operators NTT Docomo, SoftBank and KDDI have been under pressure to reduce their mobile charges to help alleviate the financial pressure on consumers. As part of its efforts, the government has been seeking to address the issue of mobile operators offering device subsidies in exchange for relatively high prices for mobile services.

    Responding to this pressure, Docomo last month introduced a simplified fee structure that it says will have the effect of reducing mobile rates by up to 40%, and its rivals are considering following suit.

    The amended legislation also introduces new penalties for companies using misleading sales tactics, as well as a new registration requirement for handset retailers for regulatory purposes.

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  • HyalRoute to invest up to $2b in Philippines fiber project

    HyalRoute to invest up to $2b in Philippines fiber project

    Singapore-based shared fiber network provider HyalRoute has signed an agreement with the Philippines’ Department of ICT to invest up to $2 billion expanding to the market.

    The company’s subsidiary Philippine Fiber Optic Cable Network (PFCON) signed a memorandum of understanding with the department committing to deploy the network in various phases between 2019 and 2028.

    The DICT has, in turn, agreed to provide assistance in providing the required permits and licenses, and to closely coordinate with PFCON on the implementation of the project.

    HyalRoute was established with the goal of creating the first region-wide, independent shared fiber network platform in emerging Asia. The company currently provides domestic fiber solutions in Myanmar and Cambodia.

    DICT acting secretary Eliseo M. Rio Jr said the planned deployment will support the government’s own telecommunications ambitions.

    “There is a need for more fiber optic cables in this country, thus this partnership will greatly improve our telecommunication services. We can now have cable networks that anybody can use and this jives with our National Broadband Plan,” he said.

    The deployment will also support the DICT’s Free Public Wi-Fi initiative by allowing its expansion to unserved and underserved areas of the country, Rio added.

  • HyalRoute to invest up to $2b in Philippines fiber project

    HyalRoute to invest up to $2b in Philippines fiber project

    Singapore-based shared fiber network provider HyalRoute has signed an agreement with the Philippines’ Department of ICT to invest up to $2 billion expanding to the market.

    The company’s subsidiary Philippine Fiber Optic Cable Network (PFCON) signed a memorandum of understanding with the department committing to deploy the network in various phases between 2019 and 2028.

    The DICT has in turn agreed to provide assistance in providing the required permits and licenses, and to closely coordinate with PFCON on the implementation of the project.

    HyalRoute was established with the goal of creating the first region-wide, independent shared fiber network platform in emerging Asia. The company currently provides domestic fiber solutions in Myanmar and Cambodia.

    DICT acting secretary Eliseo M. Rio Jr said the planned deployment will support the government’s own telecommunications ambitions.

    “There is a need for more fiber optic cables in this country, thus this partnership will greatly improve our telecommunication services. We can now have cable networks that anybody can use and this jives with our National Broadband Plan,” he said.

    The deployment will also support the DICT’s Free Public Wi-Fi initiative by allowing its expansion to unserved and underserved areas of the country, Rio added.

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  • Roadmap reveals the Transition for an Android browser will Happen

    Roadmap reveals the Transition for an Android browser will Happen

    Back last summer, we told you that Mozilla is working on a new Android browser called Fenix. The app will eventually replace Firefox for Android and a support document posted by Mozilla offers something of a roadmap for this transition. After the Firefox browser app for Android receives Firefox68 in July, future updates will only carry security patches and bug fixes. The Firefox browser will be moved to the Extended Support Release (ESR) branch where Mozilla can manage engineering, testing, and release builds until Firefox reaches EOL (End-of-life) status.
    As we said, the Fenix browser will replace Firefox, but not until Mozilla is sure that Fenix has reached “migration readiness status.” So Firefox will continue to be kept secure and supported until Mozilla is sure that its new browser is ready to receive the migration of Firefox users. Based on the timeline created by the not for profit developer, Firefox will be kept alive until sometime next year.
    The timeline for Firefox, calls for an update to version 67 on May 14th, 2019 followed by the Firefox68 update to be disseminated on July 9th. After being moved to the ESR branch, the browser app will be updated in September, October, and December (again, these updates are for security and bug fixes only). As soon as Fenix is ready to receive those using the legacy version of Firefox, support for the latter will come to an end.
    Fenix was built from scratch; it will feature a brand new UI. Like Samsung’s OneUI interface, the most used elements will be found on the bottom of the screen. Swiping up on the display will show more available actions, and once you’re finished browsing on Fenix, open tabs are saved in a bundle called “sessions.” When the browser is in use, active tabs can be manually saved in sessions.
    Mozilla once said that “Fenix is not your parent’s Android browser.” We won’t know how accurate that statement is until the app is ready for prime time next year.
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  • SK Broadband agrees to merge with t-broad

    SK Broadband agrees to merge with t-broad

    South Korea’s SK Telecom has arranged to merge its fixed broadband subsidiary SK Broadband with the nation’s second largest cable TV operator t-broad to help both companies weather rapid changes in the pay TV market.

    Under the proposed merger, which still requires government approval, SK Telecom would take a 74.4% stake in the combined company.

    Meanwhile t-broad’s parent company Taekwang Industrial would take a 16.8% stake in the company, with the remaining held by financial investors, treasury stock and others.

    The merger ratio has been set at 75:25 based on corporate valuation analysis, the companies said. The two companies have also attracted additional investment of 400 billion won from financial investor MiraeAssetDaewoo.

    As of June 2018, t-broad had around 3.14 million subscribers. Adding SK Broadband’s IPTV subscriber base of 4.54 million recorded at the same period, the combined entity would become a media company with around 8 million subscribers.

    But the two companies could face difficulty securing competition regulatory approval for the merger due to this figure.

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  • SP Telecom to build alternative fiber network in Singapore

    SP Telecom to build alternative fiber network in Singapore

    Singapore-based telecommunications joint venture SP Telecom has engaged PCCW Solutions as a consultancy partner to help design and deploy the company’s planned alternative fiber network.

    The company has provided details of its plans to build an alternative to Singapore’s next-generation national broadband network (NG-NBN).

    SP Telecom, a joint venture between ST Engineering and Singapore Power Group, is deploying its network alongside the power lines operated by SP Group to create a separate fiber infrastructure to the NG-NBN.

    SP Telecom’s network will serve as the only rival to the NG-NBN common network infrastructure, offering route diversity and redundancy for enterprise customers.

    The alternative data fiber network will utilize SDN-NFV capabilities in a bid to allow users greater control, visibility and scalability of their network assets, as well as built-in cybersecurity capabilities.

    These capabilities will allow for the deployment of network functions as a service on demand without the need for costly hardware investment.

    SP Telecom plans to offer services including access to an IoT-as-a-Service platform, edge cloud resources, and bandwidth provision on demand.

    “An increasing number of businesses rely on their communications systems for mission-critical applications. They can no longer afford any downtime that can cause major problems and significant losses in terms of costs, productivity and reputation,” SP Telecom CEO Titus Yong said.

    “As SP Telecom forges forward towards providing an advanced solution that supports Smart City developments, we are confident that the consultancy partnership with PCCW Solutions will enable our plans of becoming an advanced network provider to meet fast-evolving digital needs globally.”

  • Server-side update brings new look to Google Search

    Server-side update brings new look to Google Search

    Google has made a number of changes to the cards it serves up for certain search results. The headers are now pastel, and the cards feature new tabs that can provide more information about the subject. Categories ranging from the weather to sports, celebrities, and even food ingredients have these new cards. For example, the weather card has a smaller illustration but includes the temperature graph and the precipitation chances for the next day right at the bottom. Athletes have new cards with a stat tab that allows users to see how a player performed in recent games.

    Looking for a movie to see? Ask Google Search to show you movies in your city and you’ll see a list of films. Switch to the performance times tabs to see when and where the movies are playing near you. Search for a specific movie or television show and a new tab called People also search for will show sub-tabs containing related titles. Similarly, when you search for a book title, you can now hit a tab marked get book to purchase it, and more by author to see other books written by the same person.

    If you look up the name of a fictional character, the new Google Search result cards show more details. One of the new tabs will show you the name of the actor who portrayed this character in the movies or on television and the name of the television show and movies that the character appeared in.

    The update containing these changes are being pushed out to Android users via a server-side update, and there is a possibility that your phone has also received it.

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