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Tag: telco

  • NTT DOCOMO and NEC Test Energy Efficiency of AWS Graviton2 for 5G SA Core

    NTT DOCOMO and NEC Test Energy Efficiency of AWS Graviton2 for 5G SA Core

    NTT DOCOMO and NEC Corporation announced the completion of a trial to test the energy efficiency and high performance of AWS Graviton2 processors across key elements of the 5G core network (5GC). The trial demonstrated an average of a 72% reduction in power consumption against incumbent x86 processors using NEC’s 5GC software running on AWS Graviton2. The trial tested performance within a 5GC hybrid cloud environment leveraging AWS Graviton2 and DOCOMO’s on-premises Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) infrastructure.

    These results support the future realization of a hybrid cloud environment for telecommunication networks, which enables mobile operators to provide enhanced disaster-resilient networks to customers.

    AWS Graviton2 processors deliver a major leap in performance and help reduce the carbon footprint of IT workloads through energy efficiency. Traditionally, many telecommunication workloads need to reside on edge infrastructure, which have power and real estate constraints. AWS Graviton2 offers efficiency with very low cost, low power and a low hardware footprint. In this proof of concept, the use of Graviton2 reduced power consumption of 5GC by 72% on average.

    Following the completion of this first phase, the companies will now conduct a second phase trial to test the 5GC network function on AWS Outposts equipped with Graviton2 processors on DOCOMO’s premises.

    “We are delighted to announce that we achieved a significant reduction of power consumption of 5GC thanks to NEC’s advanced, cloud-native 5GC software and AWS’s innovative and highly efficient Graviton2,” said Naoki Tani, executive vice president, chief technology officer and executive general manager of the R&D innovation division of NTT DOCOMO. “We will continue collaborating on the PoC with NEC and AWS for future delivery of environmentally friendly and disaster-resilient 5G network service to our customers.”

    “The significant power reduction achieved through this trial indicates a big step forward in commercializing environmentally friendly, sustainable, next-generation mobile infrastructure. NEC will continue adopting cutting-edge, low-power technologies, such as Graviton2, for its UPF and vRAN domains. We aim to further contribute to building a sustainable society through provision of sustainable virtual networks and the realization of next-generation, low-power mobile infrastructure,” said Atsuo Kawamura, executive vice president, NEC.

    “Like many industries, telecommunications companies want to be able to ensure sustainability operations while maintaining the high-performance and quality of service their customers need and expect,” noted Adolfo Hernandez, vice president and general manager, telecom industry business unit at AWS. “AWS is committed to building a sustainable business for our customers and the planet and is thrilled to see the power savings Graviton2 delivers in telecommunications. We look forward to continuing to work with NTT DOCOMO and NEC to further expand the use of cloud and AWS technologies to advance sustainability and resiliency goals.”

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  • Yonyou Rolls Out the Next-Gen Cloud ERP

    Yonyou Rolls Out the Next-Gen Cloud ERP

    With more and more organizations realizing the benefits of digital transformation, enterprise management software solutions and cloud service providers, Yonyou is also quickly expanding its digital ecosystem amid increasing business partnerships within various public and private sectors.

    Telecom Review Asia interviews Bowen Guo, general manager, Overseas Business Unit of Yonyou Network Technology Co., Ltd. and Yonyou (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. on the vital role of high-quality and secure cloud services to maximize its business capabilities, especially amid its global expansion.

    Yonyou has been recognized by Gartner as one of the global top 10 ERP providers and is ranked by the International Data Corporation as the largest enterprise management software provider in China. Yonyou has over 230 branches and 10,000 ecosystem partners worldwide, providing best practices for cross-border enterprises.

    And to further strengthen its capabilities, the company is leveraging cloud-native technology. Yonyou sees the need for strong technical support and high global accessibility, such as what Huawei Cloud delivers.

    Secure and High-Quality Cloud Technologies

    As the largest B2B SaaS vendor in China, Yonyou is quickly building up a thriving digital ecosystem, prompting the need for more secure and high-quality services. And to provide secure technologies and support, the company continues to partner with Huawei Cloud for its strong technical support and high global accessibility.

    Guo stresses that the Huawei Cloud focuses on the IaaS and PaaS layers, while Yonyou focuses on the SaaS layer. And Huawei cloud mostly deals with the bottom layer or underlying technologies, thereby delivering high-quality services to Yonyou to help them serve their customers.

    As Guo explains, “Huawei cloud mainly focuses on the IaaS and PaaS layers. IaaS means the infrastructure, and I think Huawei is a leading player in providing a wide range of cloud infrastructure. It offers diversified infrastructure products, including cloud infrastructures, databases, middleware and security technologies. I think they can provide all-rounded businesses and technologies in these domains, and Huawei plans to develop the operating systems further. Thus, I believe that is also one of their advantages with the all-rounded infrastructure of Huawei cloud. Yonyou is actually growing with Huawei cloud.”

    As the ecosystem partner of Huawei, Yonyou is also maximizing the resources shared by Huawei Cloud, including customer resources and partner resources, as well as technological advantages in this domain.

    Yonyou’s New Product Lines 

    Yonyou has also launched its latest business innovation platform, the Yonyou BIP, or business innovation platform. The company boasts that this is its next-gen cloud ERP product for overseas users.

    Yonyou BIP is the company’s new generation cloud product platform. BIP consists of two business lines: the first one is YonBIP, which mainly aims at larger-sized customers; and the second is YonSuite, which primarily serves small and medium-sized customers. With these new product offerings, the company is working with Huawei to provide personalized and customized services to its customers.

    “So Yonyou BIP is our new generation cloud product platform. It follows the 1+3+X architecture. 1 indicates the technological platform, and 3 indicates the application in 3 domains, including human resources, financial services and supply chain. And X actually indicates our ecosystem, and it includes more than 10,000 ecosystem partners who work together with Yonyou to provide services to customers,” Guo.

    Guo stresses that their latest product developments allow for the acceleration of digital transformation of their partners and customers.

    Furthermore, Yonyou has also built a new data center in Singapore to support the business development of Yonyou BIP and help the company respond to some issues or challenges in Southeast Asia.

    Guo explains, “And now, we can provide better, localized cloud services to serve our customer segments in this region better. And then, we can better link or work with our ISV partners. These ISV partners can provide better-localized services. So, in addition to globalization, we must focus on localization. So, with the joint collaboration with the ISV partners, we can better comply with the local accounting rules or the human resources policies like the labor laws in the regions.”

    With 11 certifications from worldwide security authorities such as ISO 27001, EAL3+ and CSA STAR, Yonyou has largely enhanced data security and strengthened data storage capability by data deployment overseas. And Yonyou says that this, with the help of Huawei Cloud, will deliver reliable and secure cloud service to global customers.

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  • Huawei Unveils Upgraded Intelligent Cloud-Network to Drive Digital Innovation

    Huawei Unveils Upgraded Intelligent Cloud-Network to Drive Digital Innovation

    At the summit entitled “Huawei Intelligent Cloud-Network, Leading Digital Innovation,” Huawei unveiled the upgraded capabilities of its Intelligent Cloud-Network Solution. Held during HUAWEI CONNECT 2022 Bangkok, the summit highlighted its capabilities covering three major scenarios — CloudFabric, CloudWAN and CloudCampus — which were created in an effort to meet customers’ changing requirements.

    Huawei also unveiled several new data communication products, such as the industry’s first Wi-Fi 7 AP, AirEngine 8771-X1T; the 400G-ready next-generation campus core switch, CloudEngine S16700; and the 4-in-1 universal-service intelligent router, NetEngine 8000 M4.

    As digital transformation advances, enterprise services pose a set of new requirements on data communication networks. First, massive numbers of IoT connections demand ultra-broadband and ubiquitous connectivity. Second, enterprise branch services are gradually moving to the cloud, requiring networks to provide flexible deployment and fast cloudification capabilities. Third, new services need to be rolled out on a large scale and services need frequent adjustments, requiring networks to be agile, secure, and efficient. Finally, video conferencing is becoming commonplace, meaning that networks have to provide deterministic experience assurance.

    Vice President of Huawei’s Data Communication Product Line, Sun Liang, noted that Huawei Datacom had developed the Intelligent Cloud-Network Solution through continuous innovation to address the preceding challenges. This solution provides key capabilities such as ultimate access experience, ultra-fast cloud access by branches, deterministic experience and efficient and simplified deployment.

    Liu Jianning, president of Huawei’s Global Enterprise Network Marketing & Solutions Sales Department, also released the “Wireless Intelligent Network Architecture White Paper.” Liu noted that one of the most important changes to campus networks is fully wireless.

    The future adoption of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 poses new requirements on network bandwidth, architecture and O&M. To meet these new requirements, Huawei proposes the next-generation campus network architecture — wireless intelligent network architecture. This apparatus has seven unique features: fully-wireless, hyper-converged, ultra-broadband, simplified, low-carbon, secure and intelligent.

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  • DITO and ZTE Launch Super Core Data Center in Philippines

    DITO and ZTE Launch Super Core Data Center in Philippines

    DITO Telecommunity, one of the major telecommunications corporations in the Philippines, has launched the DITO Super Core Data Center in Batangas, Philippines, powered by ZTE.

    The data center complies with the Tier III design standard and will become the first center in the Philippines to pass such standard certification. The DITO Super Core Data Center is designed to further improve local digital infrastructure and enhance data services.

    The design of the data center focuses on the security of network transmission through resiliency against natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes. The facilities also pay more attention to the growing concern of the telecommunications industry on energy efficiency and environmental protection in such design and operations.

    As the major partner of DITO Telecommunity in this project, ZTE has shared its rich end-to-end expertise, from analyzing local process specifications in the early stages of the project, consultation on construction solutions, to the design of solutions, and project delivery, ensuring the smooth and timely turnover of the data center.

    ZTE’s iDCIM intelligent management system has been adopted in the building’s equipment management to improve the operation efficiency of the data center and achieve green energy savings. The system manages operation parameters of the data center in real-time to provide data support for efficient energy saving and O&M.

    Compared to the traditional data center featuring multiple interfaces, complex procedures and a long construction period, the DITO Super Core Data Center employs ZTE’s micro-module solution, which is modular and standardized. Multiple modules can be installed in parallel, enabling the delivery time to be shortened by 60%.

    “We can regard the DITO Super Core Data Center as the heart of the body. Only a safe and healthy beating heart can support the business. The data center adopts the advanced and innovative technology in the industry. Through its multiple-level protections, the data center is truly reliable ,” said Wan Min, president of ZTE Philippines. “It will also become the first Uptime Tier-III data center in the Philippines. By adhering to energy conservation and emission reduction, it has achieved a lower PUE with an intelligent energy management system, which is efficient and environmentally friendly.”

    The launch of the DITO Super Core Data Center further solidifies the commitment of DITO Telecommunity to providing world-class telecommunication services for Filipinos, thus boosting the digital transformation of the Philippines.

  • Celcom Partners With Allo to Boost Connectivity Solutions

    Celcom Partners With Allo to Boost Connectivity Solutions

    Celcom has announced that it has signed a partnership deal with Allo aimed at improving telco-related services and connectivity solutions.

    Among the areas that they seek to focus on are fiberization, network resiliency, connectivity, information and communications technology (ICT), internet of things (IoT), 5G and smart solutions.

    In a statement, Celcom said the partnership will enable a faster fiber infrastructure rollout by Allo while facilitating the rapid deployment of high-speed broadband in targeted industrial areas, network base stations and fiberization of Celcom-selected sites.

    The collaboration between Malaysia’s major telecom provider and Allo, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), will also seek to speed up the progress of smart cities through digital connectivity by both parties.

    “The development of a good digital ecosystem requires the cooperation between various sectors, including public and private sectors, towards achieving the nation’s aspirations that have been outlined in the government’s plans for the benefit of the people. Today’s initiative should be continued because the cooperation between companies will of course bring results that have high impacts to the people and the nation,” said Dato Sri Haji Mohammad Mentek.

    TNB President and CEO Dato’ Indera Ir. Baharin Din said TNB, through Allo, is fully committed to undertaking efforts that benefit the nation’s economic recovery and supports the Government’s initiatives to make lives better and brighter for Malaysians.

    “By leveraging on over 25,000km of TNB’s fiber optic infrastructure, Allo has peninsula-wide coverage to support a rapid and cost-effective deployment of high-speed broadband connectivity services. We believe the digital economy sector is crucial to the future development of Malaysia’s economy by supporting the growth of the nation’s GDP. Our role as the catalyst for the nation’s economy is closely related to the implementation of a modern, reliable, and extensive connectivity network as underlined in the MoU between Allo and Celcom today. Through a reliable connectivity ecosystem that is offered by Allo and Celcom, it can be a driving force for comprehensive value creation across the industry, the development of smart cities, and the ability to transform the socio-economic landscape in Malaysia,” he said.

    Commenting on the collaboration, Datuk Idham Nawawi, chief executive officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad said that Celcom and Allo’s strategic partnership will leverage the strengths of both organizations towards the acceleration of digitalization across Malaysian Homes and Enterprises as well as      significantly boost network operational efficiency.

    “The opportunity to provide high quality and affordable fibre connectivity to homes across the nation is immense, and through this partnership, both parties can play a much larger role and make significant impacts towards digitising Malaysian societies. The strength of Celcom with the widest mobile network and the potential reach of Allo’s fibre via TNB’s infrastructure opens this partnership to a world of new opportunities,” Idham said.

    The collaboration is also expected to boost efforts from Allo and Celcom to drive connectivity and digitalization across industries with technology solutions and services such as ICT cybersecurity solutions, cloud, data centers and managed services, as well as IoT smart city solutions.

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  • Huawei Launches Tech Seminar to Inspire Next-Gen Leaders

    Huawei Launches Tech Seminar to Inspire Next-Gen Leaders

    Leading global ICT provider, Huawei today hosts the 11th edition of the Seeds for the Future Program in Singapore. For the first time in conjunction with the program, Huawei also debuted the Tech to Build Your Career seminar at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), which participants learn about the future of tech careers and foster entrepreneurship.

    The seminar is a key component of the Seeds for the Future Accelerator camp starting from August 29 to September 2 in Singapore. Seeds for the Future is the global flagship CSR project run by Huawei since 2008. Aiming to inspire the next generation of leaders through technological innovation and cross-cultural exchange, the program has attracted over 12,000 students from 137 countries and regions to attend over the last 14 years. As of 2022, Huawei has trained a total of 203 participants in Singapore under the Seeds for the Future Program.

    Huawei Asia Pacific Seeds for the Future Program 2022 was first kicked off in Bangkok on August 19. During the 9-day digital boot camp, 120 outstanding students from 16 countries across the Asia-Pacific region enjoyed a cross-cultural digital journey in Thailand. 33 out of 120 were selected for the Acceleration Camp. During their stay in Singapore, they will be guided by entrepreneurial leaders from various tech sectors, which will inspire them to consider the practicability and realization of their ideas.

    “As part of Huawei’s Seeds for the Future Program, the Tech to Build Your Career seminar will connect the next-gen leaders from other ASEAN countries with top talents in Singapore and bring together great minds across the ecosystem to discuss, share and inspire ideas of innovation,” said Charles Cheng, managing director of Huawei International, “We believe that our collective effort will contribute to a more sustainable and progressive Singapore, and help the nation build a world-class talent pool in the long-term.”

    The Tech to Build Your Career seminar began with opening remarks from Prof. Low Hong Yee, head of pillar – designate, associate professor & director of the Digital Manufacturing and Design Centre, SUTD. In her speech, she identified potential opportunities and risks that the new era posed, while addressing how the students could prepare for the upcoming challenges and bring their ideas from ideation to realization.

    Culminated by a panel discussion, the session covered an array of topics, from entrepreneurship in the digital future to community creation in the digital era. It brought together a group of distinguished home-grown entrepreneurs including Zack Yang, chief operating officer and co-founder of FOMO Pay, Elroy Cheo, co-founder of ARC Community and Vivian Lim, co-founder and CEO of The Idea Co, lead curator and license holder for TEDx Singapore.

    The panelists shared their personal experiences on finding the right career path for themselves and how technology has played an important role in their self-discovery journey, regardless of future developments and application of blockchain technology or tech-enhanced community building. They also provided future outlooks into what the technology industry would look like and provided industry insights on which fields they predict will be suitable for young talents to pursue.

    The seminar closed with Tech4Good presentations, where participants were invited to present their solutions and ideas. Tech4Good is a competition designed to help young adults learn about the latest trends in digitalization and explore how digital technologies can address common social issues. Upon completion of the presentations, participants were given additional feedback and suggestions on how to strengthen their ideas.

    The winning team of the Huawei Asia Pacific Seeds for the Future Tech4Good Competition will be announced at the Awards Ceremony of its Seeds for the Future Accelerator Camp in September. The winning team, as one of the top 10 finalists, will continue their journey for Huawei Seeds for the Future Tech4Good Global Competition next January.

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  • India’s Reliance to develop new smartphone with Google in $25 billion 5G push

    India’s Reliance to develop new smartphone with Google in $25 billion 5G push

    India’s telecom leader Reliance said on Monday it is working with Alphabet’s Google to launch a budget 5G smartphone as it laid out a $25 billion plan for introducing the next-generation wireless services within two months.

    Speaking at the company’s annual general meeting, Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani said Jio’s 5G network will be the world’s largest, launching in main cities including New Delhi and Mumbai before being expanded across India by December next year.

    Ambani, one of India’s richest men, said only that the phone being developed with Google would be “ultra-affordable”. The cheapest 5G phones retail for around $150 currently in India, where around 700 million people don’t have a smartphone.

    “To take the 5G mass market, a sub-$100 phone is imperative and Jio is rightly positioned to bring 5G to the masses,” said Neil Shah, vice president of research at Counterpoint.

    5G data speeds in India are expected to be about 10 times faster than those of 4G, with the network seen as vital for emerging technologies like self-driving cars and artificial intelligence.

    Reliance’s 5G plans throw down the gauntlet to rivals Bharti Airtel and Vodafone-Idea in the world’s second biggest mobile market. Shares in Airtel and Vodafone closed down 1.3% and 3.3% respectively in a weak Mumbai market where Reliance also slipped 0.78%.

    Jio, India’s biggest mobile carrier with more than 420 million customers, snapped up airwaves worth $11 billion in a $19 billion 5G spectrum auction earlier this month.

    The aggressive 5G strategy builds on Jio’s playbook of disrupting India’s telecoms market having sparked a price war in 2016 when it launched cheap 4G data plans and free voice services, and later a 4G smartphone costing just $81, again in partnership with Google.

    With a market value of $220 billion, Ambani’s business empire spans telecoms, retail, oil-and-gas and new energy.

    He said he was among those mentoring his children on a daily basis as they begin to take the reins at the company, with Akash and Isha assuming leadership roles in Jio digital and in retail respectively, and Anant joining the new energy business.

    Akash, 30, was also named chairman of the board of Reliance’s telecom unit in June.

    Ambani senior added that he would provide an update next year on IPO plans for Reliance’s digital and retail units, which raised around $22 billion from global investors such as KKR & Co Inc and Silver Lake in 2020.

    Reliance also announced the long-awaited integration of its grocery shopping app JioMart with investor-partner Meta Platform Inc’s WhatsApp, allowing users to shop via the messaging app.

    Separately, Isha Ambani said Reliance will launch a new consumer goods company this year, without giving details.

    Reuters exclusively reported in May that Reliance has plans to acquire dozens of grocery and non-food brands to build a $6.5 billion business to challenge foreign giants like Unilever

  • India’s 5G to Rollout by October 12

    India’s 5G to Rollout by October 12

    India is expected to roll out 5G services by October 12, according to Ashwini Vaishnaw, union communication, electronics and information technology minister.

    Vaishnaw revealed that 5G prices will be reasonable for users and that 5G services will be scaled up after launch to reach more parts of the country in the coming two to three years, with a focus on delivering 5G connectivity to both urban and rural areas.

    India has entered its final stage of rolling out 5G services, with the government having issued spectrum allocation letters to telecom operators in preparation for the impending 5G rollout

    During the initial phase of rollout, 5G will reach 13 cities, namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune.

    Separately, PM Modi said during the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2022 that India is preparing to launch 6G by the end of the decade – which will be a boost to sectors such as gaming and entertainment.

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  • Axiata Teams Up With Versa Networks To Deliver SASE Technology To Enterprises

    Axiata Teams Up With Versa Networks To Deliver SASE Technology To Enterprises

    Axiata Group Berhad announced it was teaming up with Versa Networks to provide Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technology for rapidly digitalizing Asian enterprises.

    Under this agreement, Axiata Enterprise – the Group’s B2B unit – will collaborate with Axiata’s operating companies, Celcom in Malaysia and XL Axiata in Indonesia, to launch a wide variety of Versa SASE solutions covering Networking, Security and Cloud Access integration for enterprise customers in these markets.

    This latest partnership complements the expansion of Axiata’s existing enterprise offerings in areas of Managed Connectivity, Smart Services, Cloud and Cyber Security.

    In a statement, Axiata Enterprise’s CEO, Gopi Kurup, said, “Enterprises embarking on their digital transformation want to become more flexible, efficient and location-independent, as they embrace to new ways of working. With increasing connectivity, integration and security are critical to ensure uninterrupted business access. The Versa SASE innovation integrates security, networking, SD-WAN      and analytics to deliver scalable, secure and reliable enterprise-wide networking and security. This is done via adoption of a cloud-type gateway which can efficiently distribute and seamlessly offload between the private office network and the Internet to access other cloud services.”

    Versa SASE delivers tightly integrated services via the cloud, on-premises or a blended combination of both. This solution will be complementary to Managed Connectivity solutions offered by Celcom in Malaysia and XL Axiata in Indonesia.

    “This partnership with Versa Networks further cements Axiata Enterprise’s proposition to empower organisations across the region seeking to raise their digitalisation game. Our combined strengths in technology, capabilities and reach across emerging Asia markets positions us as the right transformation partner to Enterprises that are looking to adopt cloud-based applications and data to accelerate in the post-pandemic recovery phase,” Gopi said.

    Versa Networks’ vice president meanwhile also lauds this partnership.

    “Axiata, one of the leading telecommunications groups in Asia, continuously provides world-class communication services based on the most advanced technology available,” noted Tony Fallows, vice president, Versa Networks. “Versa is excited to be working with Axiata to expand Versa SASE further into the ASEAN and South Asia markets. Axiata, Celcom and XL Axiata will soon be able to deliver Versa’s industry-leading fully integrated and feature-complete SASE to support digitalisation in the regional markets.”

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  • India Offers Free 5G Test Bed to Startups and MSMEs

    India Offers Free 5G Test Bed to Startups and MSMEs

    With an objective to boost the 5G ecosystem within India and to achieve the objectives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives, the Government of India has decided to offer the use of Indigenous 5G Test Bed free of cost to the Indian government-recognized start-ups and MSMEs for the next six months up to January 2023.

    It will be available at a very nominal rate to all other stakeholders. The Department of Telecommunications, Government of India has strongly urged all 5G stakeholders – i.e. industry, academia, service providers, R&D institutions, government bodies and equipment manufacturers – to utilize the 5G testbed facilities and expertise to test and facilitate the speedy development and deployment of their products in the network.

    In keeping sight of India’s specific requirements and to take lead in 5G deployment, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) approved a financial grant for the multi-institute collaborative project to set up an “Indigenous 5G Test Bed” in India in March 2018 with a total cost of Rs 224 crore.  The eight collaborating institutes in the project are IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER) and Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT).

    The Indigenous 5G Test Bed was dedicated to the nation by the Hon. Prime Minster Shri. Narendra Modi on 17 May 2022.

    The end-to-end test bed is compliant with the global 3GPP standard and the ORAN standard.  Indigenous 5G Test Bed provides an open 5G test bed that enables R&D teams of Indian academia and industry to validate their products, prototypes and algorithms, and demonstrate various services. Further, it provides complete access for research teams to work on novel concepts/ideas holding potential for standardization in India and on a global scale. It provides the facilities of 5G networks for experimenting and demonstrating applications/use cases of importance to Indian society like rural broadband, smart city applications and intelligent transport system (ITS) and will provide help to Indian operators to better understand the working of 5G technologies and plan their future networks.

    The development of this Indigenous Test Bed is a key milestone for India’s becoming self-reliant in the 5G technology domain and pushing towards 5G Aatmanirbhar Bharat. This test bed is providing the indigenous capability for testing and validation of 5G products being developed and manufactured by Indian start-ups, MSME, R&D, academia and industry users. This has resulted in huge cost efficiency and reduced design time, due to which, Indian 5G products are likely to become more market competitive globally.

    The development of this test bed has also resulted in the development of many 5G technologies/IPs that are available for technology transfer to Industry players which will facilitate for Industry players the smooth and speedy deployment of 5G in India.

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  • Globe Gains Approval to Sell 7,000 Towers

    Globe Gains Approval to Sell 7,000 Towers

    Globe announced that it received board approval to sell over 7,000 towers in what is to be the largest ever tower sale and leaseback deal in the Philippines.

    In a company disclosure, Globe said the tower assets offered for sale are comprised of 79% ground-based towers and 21% rooftop towers. The sale has been grouped into three distinct portfolios assigned to three different tower companies representing local and international groups.

    Globe said it expects to raise a significant amount of capital over the next few quarters by executing these transactions. Of the total proceeds, approximately 75% will be used to fund capital expenditures      to support ongoing network expansion and sustain industry-leading network consistency and reliability scores. The balance of 25% will be earmarked to cover 2023 debt servicing requirements.

    Globe said that this will significantly improve the overall health of its balance sheet and provide sufficient flexibility to properly compete in a dynamic market as well as further expand its digital ecosystem.

    As the biggest milestone of this initiative, Globe signed two sale and leaseback agreements for two portfolios consisting of 5,709 telecom towers and related passive telecom infrastructure for over 71 billion pesos.

    The first portfolio being sold consists of 2,180 telecom towers in Luzon, which will be acquired by MIESCOR Infrastructure Development Corp. (MIDC) for a total consideration of 26 billion pesos and be leased back to Globe for an initial period of 15 years. The first close for this portfolio is targeted      within the 3rd quarter of the year, with subsequent closings happening as and when closing conditions are met.  MIDC is a joint venture between investment firm Stonepeak and the country’s largest electric distribution utility company, Meralco.

    The second portfolio consisting of 3,529 towers will be sold to Frontier Tower Associates Philippines Inc. for 45 billion pesos and also leased back over an initial period of 15 years. The first closing target for this portfolio is set for the late third quarter, with subsequent closings happening as and when closing conditions are met.

    Globe is also in advanced discussions with one other tower company for the potential sale and leaseback of an additional ~1,350 telecom towers and related passive telecom infrastructure. This last portfolio is comprised of towers located in the Visayas and Mindanao islands. Globe expects to sign the sale and leaseback agreement with this tower company within the third quarter, with the first closing happening within the 4th quarter of the year.

    “These expanded long-term relationships with the tower companies show Globe’s commitment to help improve the Philippines’ internet condition, as well as our desire to have as many Filipinos enjoy the benefits of having access to reliable internet. We also believe that through these monetization efforts, Globe will be able to further improve overall operational efficiency, allowing us to serve our customers better, and supporting our goal of enabling the digital lives of Filipinos,” said Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO.

    “We are very pleased with this landmark deal with Globe that marks a critical milestone in MIDC’s strategy to enter digital infrastructure space, which plays a pivotal role in driving economic growth and social well-being through digital inclusion. This also gives momentum to pursue more opportunities that will help us achieve our aspiration to become a trusted telco tower operator in the Philippines and eventually, a market leader in the digital infrastructure business,” MIDC Chairman, Ray Espinosa stated.

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  • IFC Provides $70 Million for Shared Mobile Infrastructure Project in Philippines

    IFC Provides $70 Million for Shared Mobile Infrastructure Project in Philippines

    The International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced that it is providing $70 million to fund a shared mobile infrastructure project in the Philippines.

    In a press release, the organization said it is collaborating with Renewable Energy Infrastructure (CREI) Phils Inc. to help address the digital gap in the country through tower-sharing.

    The $70 million financing package consists of a $25.5 million loan from IFC and the provision of a facility worth $44.5 million.

    IFC’s investment will allow CREI Phils, a newly formed tower company in the Philippines, to fund the construction of over 600 w towers by next year. For the first time in the country’s history, these towers will be shared on an open-access basis. Aside from creating a competitive market for tower colocations, the loan will help increase mobile network capacity, allowing operators to expand high-speed mobile networks (4G and 5G) across the country, offering better services at more affordable rates.

    According to the 2020 Global Digital Overview, the number of internet users in the Philippines has more than tripled from 23 million (2010) to 73 million (2020). Yet, the quality of mobile connectivity is inadequate given its pervasive network congestion. The country ranks 95th out of 142 countries for mobile internet download speed. Further, the number of mobile subscribers per tower – a measure of network congestion – is more than double the regional average. According to market estimates, to fill the gap, the Philippines would need a significant number of new towers built in the next seven to eight years to support the government’s network capacity requirements.

    “We are thrilled to be working alongside IFC in supporting the government of the Philippines’ development of its mobile infrastructure sector,” stated Kadri Hakim, CEO of CREI. “Despite the challenging market conditions triggered by the pandemic, IFC’s long-term funding will allow us to meet our ambitions of expanding our digital infrastructure portfolio in the Philippines. Our management team’s extensive knowhow gained through 15 years of telecoms operations across South-East Asia and Africa combined with IFC’s deep knowledge of the country’s telecoms regulatory regime and its experience as an investor in tower companies, will enable us to effectively develop and grow our operations in the country.”

    The company’s entry into the Philippines telecoms market brings robust expertise in the design, construction and operation of towers, as well as the provision of efficient energy solutions that help displace and reduce the use of diesel fuel on towers connected to the grid. In line with the nation’s climate goals, this project will lead to significant greenhouse-gas (GHG) savings. IFC will also assist the company align its environmental and social practices with IFC’s performance standards.

    “Digital connectivity is more important than ever for businesses and people to thrive,” said Jean-Marc Arbogast, IFC Country Manager for the Philippines. “By supporting the entry of a new company, IFC’s investment will contribute to a strong independent tower market in the Philippines, increasing competition, creating jobs, spurring economic growth and help cut emissions.”

  • ZTE’s CEO Xu Ziyang Awarded at the GSMA’s Asia Mobile Awards

    ZTE’s CEO Xu Ziyang Awarded at the GSMA’s Asia Mobile Awards

    ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the mobile internet, has announced that its CEO Xu Ziyang has been awarded the Outstanding Contribution to the Asia Mobile Industry Award at the GSMA’s Asia Mobile Awards (The AMOs) 2022, held in Hong Kong. The award recognizes Mr. Xu Ziyang’s outstanding leadership in guiding ZTE to continuously promote industrial innovation, increase cross-industry cooperation and boost the development of the global mobile industry.Mobile communication technology has become the key driving force in the booming digital economy for enriching people’s lives, accelerating the digital transformation of industries and promoting economic growth. In order to cope with the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic with innovative ICT technologies as well as facilitate the digitalization and low carbonization of the industry for the healthy development of the economy, ZTE has carried out in-depth cooperation in digital infrastructure construction, digital industry development and more with its global partners. To date, ZTE has entered into cooperation with more than 110 operators worldwide on 5G, while working with over 500 partners to jointly explore more than 100 innovative 5G application scenarios in 15 industries.

    Moving forward, with a focus on the construction of ICT infrastructure, ZTE will keep working with the whole industry to expand the application scenarios of digitalization in order to build a green digital and intelligent world, and contribute to the sustainable development of the global mobile communications industry and society.

    The GSMA’s Asia Mobile Awards are the Asia Region’s leading stage for excellence, innovation, and achievement. As the highest honor in the Asia Mobile Awards, the Outstanding Contribution to the Asia Mobile Industry Award recognizes sustained or extraordinary contributions by individuals, organizations or collaborative achievements that advance the value and benefits of mobile communications for people, businesses and societies in Asia.

     

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  • Singtel to Invest Additional US$100 million into Innovative Tech

    Singtel to Invest Additional US$100 million into Innovative Tech

    Singtel plans to invest a further $100 million into Singtel Innov8, its corporate venture arm, raising its total capital commitment to $350 million. One of the earliest corporate venture capital firms in Southeast Asia, Innov8 invests in start-ups that align with Singtel Group businesses in the areas of 5G, artificial Intelligence, the digital economy, sustainability, cybersecurity and emerging technologies. It operates on an evergreen fund model, re-investing returns from portfolio exits into new investments. With the capital injection, Innov8 will further expand its portfolio of investments in Southeast Asia, the United States, China, Israel and Australia.

    “This capital infusion is meant for identifying and growing innovative start-ups with new technologies and capabilities that are synergistic and in lockstep with Singtel’s strategic reset to drive greater improvements in our core operations, accelerate our new growth engines, and place us at the forefront of new and fast-evolving areas,” said Yuen Kuan Moon, Group Chief Executive Officer of Singtel and Chairman of Singtel Innov8. “As we sharpen our business focus, we will recycle our assets and capital into selected growth areas, reshaping our portfolio to better serve our stakeholders and build momentum for the longer term.”

    Edgar Hardless, Chief Executive Officer, Singtel Innov8 added, “Singtel Innov8 is empowered to move quickly to capture investment opportunities in the fast-paced venture market. Our mandate is flexible, allowing us to invest in both early and growth stage companies. We believe in backing founders to execute on their vision and support the company’s growth through partnerships with the Singtel Group. Innov8 facilitates access to businesses units across the Group’s footprint, evangelises innovative technologies within the Group, and supports partnerships with the business units. This additional funding and our proven approach will help drive further investment deal flow and greater collaboration with the start-up ecosystem, unlocking more value for both the Group and our portfolio companies.”

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  • Elevating Customer Experience in the Telecom Sector

    Elevating Customer Experience in the Telecom Sector

    Communication service providers (CSPs) understand the value of elevating customer experience and digital engagements to stand out from competition. This shift to an increased focus on digital customer experiences is essential to CSPs’ transformational journeys.

    Customer experience is a critical aspect in every service business and a main differentiator in a competitive telecom landscape. Instead of merely being focused on upgrading network capabilities, CSPs are increasingly challenged to prioritize intuitive, seamless designs that simplify customer engagement in order to provide what they want and need. For instance, a single mobile app can serve as a  one-stop platform for myriad services, even billing.

    As CSPs reinvent their relationships with customers, cloud capabilities and features such as virtual assistants or chatbots are also becoming commonplace to streamline customer service processes. Looking ahead, customer experiences can be enhanced with augmented reality to support user functions across markets.

    In a report specific to the Indian market, KPMG cited that improving customer experiences can help companies, including telcos, raise their valuation by 125% to 400%. Enhanced customer experience is key to building long-term customer relationships and creating sustained value to help companies grow.

    Personalization Key to Evolving Customer Experiences

    Personalization in services is important in elevating customer experiences. Big data and analytics are instrumental in creating tailored and specific experiences based on the characteristics of customers. They provide useful metrics that allow operators to track customer satisfaction and more.

    Round-the-clock and consistent, reliable services add value to an omnichannel customer journey that facilitates meaningful touch points. Building from past behaviours and patterns, customer engagement is advanced to a new level that allows customers to access a multitude of services across multiple channels whenever desired, ensuring that an end-to-end experience is created for customers.

    Multi-Faceted service assurance is key, as customers expect more from their voice, text and mobile services. With pay TV growing, operators need to have a unified view of customers wants and needs, leveraging real time analytics to achieve relevant breakthroughs.

    In order to capture more subscribers, billing and payment is another area to target improvements. In one such example, countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines have implemented staggered mobile data plans so that subscribers who tend to spend in small amounts are not bound by long-term data plans. This includes giving postpaid pay-as-you-go subscribers the option to switch to volume-based plans should their data limit be exceeded, or a “pay-to-boost” option where needed.

    SaaS to Gain Competitive Advantage

    Traditional legacy models are giving way to engagement-centric SaaS models for customer engagement functions as one way to achieve scalability and quicker . Another benefit is lower set cost and increased IT cost savings, estimated by Analysys Mason to amount to as much as approximately 25% IT cost savings over the course of five years. The value of the global SaaS market for OSS and BSS is estimated to be at $10.7 billion by 2023, representing a 29.5% compound annual growth rate since 2018.

    As CSPs continue to digitally transform, SaaS spending has been growing. In 2019, SaaS accounted for 5% of CSP’s operational expenditure. This figure is expected to reach at least 11% by 2023.

    In Singapore, Circle Global recently completed the acquisition of the mobile virtual network enabler (MVNE) business, a US-based cloud software, communications platform company. With this strategic move, Circle Global aims to expand its SaaS and 5G capabilities.

    Service providers are also capturing growth opportunities in this market, as they roll out more SaaS in their service portfolios targeting CSPs that will need to update processes in the 5G era. As a cloud-first strategy takes root in the industry, CSPs step forward with a suite of easy-to-adopt solutions to take customer experience to the next level.

    Since “one” makes a “w” sound, the article is “a”

    Not sure about this: “turnaround” is a more natural process of services or fulfillment whereas “turnabout” is a more sudden move in a different direction. A turnaround is smoother and a turnabout is a sudden reaction

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