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Tag: telco

  • Vietnam to begin 6G technology research and development

    Vietnam to begin 6G technology research and development

    Vietnam will start researching 6G wireless networks in 2022, says Information and Communications Minister Nguyen Manh Hung. Addressing a 2021 telecom review conference last weekend, Hung said Vietnam’s telecom industry should “be in the top group in terms of deploying 5G and developing 6G networks in the world.”

    He said Vietnam will carry out 6G research this year alongside nationwide deployment of the 5G network. According to the ministry Department of Telecommunications, a steering committee for 6G research development has been formed. Vietnam is one of the world’s first ten countries to set up this committee.

    Hung also set a target of 6G frequencies being licensed by 2028 before moving on to its commercial rollout.

    “Telecom networks must quickly transition to cloud-based and software-based architectures, so that the network becomes intelligent and flexible, and can be software-configured into numerous specialized sub-networks. Open RAN will be used as a technology for 5G, 6G development,” he said.

    Vietnamese companies should target to successfully research and manufacture 5G and 6G equipment, transmission equipment, and terminal equipment, he added.

    A representative of the department said that Vietnam will commercialize 5G this year and aim to have 25 percent of the population using the technology by 2025. He said 4G services currently cover 99.8 percent of the country.

    Three major telecom providers VNPT, MobiFone, and Viettel have been commercially trialing 5G services in 16 provinces and cities.

    6G technology is the next step after 5G that is being researched in a few countries including the U.S. and China.

    In theory, 6G could reach speeds of one terabit per second, it has been reported.

    The 6G network is expected to lay the groundwork for an “intelligent era” in which AI and robots become commonplace. However, no technical standards or frequencies for 6G have been agreed upon as yet.

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  • Maxis to power Ranhill’s voice and cloud connectivity

    Maxis to power Ranhill’s voice and cloud connectivity

    Maxis has been selected by integrated water supply company Ranhill SAJ Sdn Bhd (Ranhill) as their voice and cloud connectivity provider. Maxis will leverage its extensive portfolio of converged solution offerings and capabilities to support Ranhill’s digitalization journey focusing on greater operational efficiency and customer service excellence.

    With its industry-leading next-generation enterprise-grade network, Maxis will be connecting 77 of Ranhill’s sites across Johor including their headquarters and water treatment plants through its SD-WAN. Higher bandwidth and a resilient network will also enhance Ranhill’s workforce management capabilities with the latest applications. They will then have real-time visibility of their data and be able to make decisions to increase the productivity and efficiency of their 2,000 employees.

    “We are pleased to be selected by Ranhill as their connectivity, voice, and cloud solutions provider. Through our unique capabilities and experience, we are able to offer Ranhill a fully managed service portfolio from onboarding right up to 24/7 support with greater cost-effectiveness and flexibility.  As their partner, we want to ensure that their connectivity needs are met so that they can operate efficiently and have the peace of mind of being well prepared for their digital transformation journey and to Always Be Ahead in a changing world,” said Paul McManus, chief enterprise business officer, Maxis.

    “Selecting Maxis as our service provider and partner is an integral step to realizing our vision of becoming a world-class water utility company. By connecting all our sites with the latest technology from Maxis, we will be better equipped to support the people of Johor through efficient management of quality water supply. We now have the necessary infrastructure and platform to unlock the benefits of digitalization as part of our ongoing effort to further enhance customer experience,” said Nor Ifuan Md Nor, chief executive officer, Ranhill SAJ.

    Maxis’ managed SD-WAN services runs on Cisco Meraki technology, and enables operational tasks such as configuration, management, and maintenance to be significantly simplified. There are significant benefits of SD-WAN as enterprises look to become more agile through automation and intelligence. They will have access to a converged connectivity solution that is flexible, scalable, and cost-effective. The built-in security in SD-WAN also enables end-to-end secure communications and the implementation of security policies across the network.

    “Connectivity has always been important but even more so today, as more customers are using multi-cloud environments, and this continues to increase. Together with Maxis, Cisco is proud to be providing Ranhill with secure and optimized access to business-critical resources. This partnership speaks volumes on how we are able to come together to deliver a solution to Ranhill that will allow secure and optimal access to workloads.

    Through this collaboration, customers can securely connect to the cloud with the signature simplicity they have come to expect from Cisco Meraki,” said Vicki Batka, vice president of Asia Pacific, Japan & China partner sales, Cisco.

    Future Opportunities in the Pipeline

    In addition to boosting Ranhill’s fixed and wireless connectivity, Maxis is also able to address their voice communications needs. Prior to this deployment, Ranhill had various challenges in getting high quality voice services, particularly at their rural sites. With Maxis’ voice solutions now extended to the underserved areas of Ranhill, their customers and employees gain access to seamless voice services.

    Maxis and Ranhill are also exploring collaboration in the future for initiatives related to Internet of Things (IoT), cloud services, and cybersecurity. This will be part of Ranhill’s next phase of digitalisation in their organisation.

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  • China Mobile shares rise marginally in Shanghai debut

    China Mobile shares rise marginally in Shanghai debut

    China Mobile Ltd shares debuted on the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Wednesday, soaring to 63 yuan, 9.4% higher than the offer price of 57.58 yuan in early trading, before closing at about 0.52% higher at 57.88 yuan.

    The carrier’s Shanghai shares traded more than 40% higher compared to its Hong Kong-listed shares, which closed 3.33% higher on the same day, boosted by an earlier announcement to buy back up to 2.05 billion shares worth about US$13 billion.

    Raising US$7.64 billion, China Mobile’s public share offering is also China’s largest in a decade.

    China Mobile’s homecoming listing is closely watched. In May 2020, China Mobile exited the New York Stock Exchange when it was added to a growing list of Chinese companies blacklisted by the US. China Telecom and China Unicom were also ousted from the US exchange.

    China Mobile said that proceeds from the offering will be used to expand 5G capabilities, cloud infrastructure, and intelligent ecosystems.

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  • Higher telecommunications towers to counter Malaysia flood

    Higher telecommunications towers to counter Malaysia flood

    Minister Annuar Musa had commissioned the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to undertake the task of raising telecommunications towers to ensure that towers do not have equipment at the ground level for areas susceptible to flooding.

    This would ensure that towers are intact even when water levels rise to 10 feet so that residents trapped on the rooftops of their houses can call for help.

    Last week, Musa said that more than 800 telecommunications towers had been affected nationwide, of which more than half had been repaired. While some took a faster quicker to repair, others required a longer time as submerged equipment needed replacement.

    Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang were severely affected by the floods. Telekom Malaysia (TM) resorted to shutting down the power supply and network equipment as a precautionary measure in some of these areas. TM set aside RM13 million to replace free, damaged customer premise equipment (CPE) and network components, on top of providing a 2-week waiver on subscription from customer bills amounting to approximately RM5 billion.

    Meanwhile, Celcom is offering free replacement of damaged broadband equipment for both fiber and wireless broadband services. The free replacement is available until the end of January.

    Maxis has also stepped up on relief efforts, mobilizing teams to mitigate network disruptions, as well as sending food boxes and SIM packs to flood relief centers. In addition, support is provided to dealers whose stores had been affected so that operations can resume earlier.

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  • China’s telecom sector grows 8.1%

    China’s telecom sector grows 8.1%

    China’s telecom sector recorded a strong 8.1% year-on-year growth in the first 11 months of this year.

    According to official figures released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the combined industrial revenue grew by over RMB 1.35 trillion. This represents a decline of 0.1 percentage points for the period from January to October.

    The number of 5G mobile subscribers has reached 497 million by the end of November, representing an increment of 298 million from the end of last year. Of which, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom added over 35 million 5G mobile subscribers in November alone.

    The world’s largest operator in term of subscribers, China Mobile has added a total of 209.38 million 5G subscribers since the start of 2021.

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  • Trace Media International now officially an ITU associate

    Trace Media International now officially an ITU associate

    Trace Media International, mother company for Telecom Review Group, a leading global media platform for the ICT industry, achieved a major milestone by joining the International Telecommunication Union, (ITU) as a prestigious ITU-T associate.

    Toni Eid, CEO of Trace Media International and founder of Telecom Review Group has received the special certification from Dr. Chaesub Lee, director of ITU telecommunication standardization bureau (TSB) as esteemed member of ITU-T during the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) CxO meeting hosted by Telecom Review, in collaboration with du on December 7.

    The participating organizations were:

    In Dubai: APTelecom; Benya Group; Catronic Enterprise; CommScope; du; Etisalat; Huawei Technologies; Nokia Bell Labs; Ookla; Organisation Arabe des TIC; Rohde & Schwarz; Sofrecom (Orange); Telecom Review; Trace Media; umlaut; Zenaciti.

    Online: AT&T; Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS); Autonomous Drivers Alliance (ADA); China Telecom; Cisco Systems; Citibeats; Ericsson; Fujitsu; Futurewei; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; IBM; Insikt Intelligence; JSC “Kryptonite”; Juniper Networks; NBN Co; Nokia; Orange; pureLiFi; SAMA PARTNERS; Samsung Electronics; Sumitomo Electric Industries., Spark NZ; TDRA UAE; Telecommunication Technology Committee (TTC) Japan; Telecommunication Industry Association (TIA) ; Tunisie Télécom; Türk Telekom; ZTE Corporation.

    The membership opens up a whole lot of opportunities for the company to grow its global reach in the ICT sector. As a member, Trace Media can engage in real-time standardization updates and stay ahead of technological trends. It can participate in driving new standards and setting agendas for new technologies by participating in ITU-T Study Groups. ITU’s internationally recognized standards help new companies enter new markets as ITU-T Recommendations have the approval of 193 governments. Members get the exposure to increase their brand awareness through participating in ITU events in front of a large international audience; these events being an excellent platform for networking and gaining new customers.

    The inclusion as an ITU member greatly strengthens Trace Media and Telecom Review Group’s influence and reputation as the biggest platform in bringing the ICT industry leaders together through its up-to-date printed and digital magazines, monthly virtual webinars, and annual Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit.

    Currently, 900 companies are now ITU members and various study groups are now conducting relevant studies on traditional telecom, machine learning, AI, financial services, and eSports, among others.

    ITU membership has three sectors – Radiocommunication (ITU-R); Telecommunication Standardization (ITU-T); and Telecommunication Development (ITU-D). Each sector offers its unique features and activities. Companies or organizations can become a member of one or more sectors of ITU and may join as a sector member or associate.

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  • China’s telecom sector grows 8.1%

    China’s telecom sector grows 8.1%

    China’s telecom sector recorded a strong 8.1% year-on-year growth in the first 11 months of this year.

    According to official figures released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the combined industrial revenue grew by over RMB 1.35 trillion. This represents a decline of 0.1 percentage points for the period from January to October.

    The number of 5G mobile subscribers has reached 497 million by the end of November, representing an increment of 298 million from the end of last year. Of which, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom added over 35 million 5G mobile subscribers in November alone.

    The world’s largest operator in term of subscribers, China Mobile has added a total of 209.38 million 5G subscribers since the start of 2021.

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  • Viettel to get new chairman

    Viettel to get new chairman

    Colonel Tao Duc Thang is set to take over as chairman and CEO of military-owned telecom giant Viettel from Le Dang Dung, who retires on December 31.

    Thang, 48, who has been the deputy CEO since 2015, has an M.A. in electronics and communications and worked for Hanoi Phone Company and Hanoi Post before joining Viettel in 2005.

    He has held several key positions since, including as CEO and chairman of Viettel Global, which manages the company’s overseas businesses.

    Viettel, the country’s largest telecom company with operations in nine countries in Southeast Asia and Africa, reported pre-tax profits of VND19.9 trillion ($867.2 million) for the first half of 2021, a year-on-year increase of 3.1 percent.

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  • T-Mobile introduces a more secure way for authorizing SIM changes

    T-Mobile introduces a more secure way for authorizing SIM changes

    In an internal notice sent to its stores, as reported by the T-Mo Report, T-Mobile informs its employees of a new, more secure method of authorizing SIM changes. The customer will now be required to provide SMS verification when requesting SIM changes, such as transferring a number to a new SIM. The alternative is the change to be verified by two employees using their credentials.

    T-Mobile’s new measure against unauthorized SIM changes may come in response to the new requirement proposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC proposed that service providers identify the customer before beginning a port-out to another carrier and notify customers immediately when a SIM change or port request occurs.

    The new T-Mobile measure is a step forward in solving the problem of unauthorized SIM changes because T-Mobile defenses against attackers have been breached more than once.

    Over these few years, T-Mobile clients have become victims of constant SIM swap scams and port-out attacks. As attackers utilized the stolen phone numbers from the SIM swaps to receive two-factor authentication SMS codes, many clients lost a lot of money due to these scams, including cryptocurrency.

    In August, T-Mobile became a victim of a data breach. The hack affected over 54 million people. Customer names, driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers, and device identification numbers were all leaked.

    The new SIM change procedure was implemented on December 14th and is now in effect.

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  • Creating value with private 5G networks to transform industries

    Creating value with private 5G networks to transform industries

    Private 5G networks are on the rise as transformative applications support digitalization and IoT. Telecom Review Asia Pacific speaks to Wang Quan, vice president of ZTE Corporation, to find out how private 5G networks provide operators with new opportunities as 5G brings strong impetus for transformation across industries.

    How do private 5G networks add value to operators and transform industries?

    The concept of private networks is not exclusive to 5G. In the 2G, 3G, and 4G eras, industries with special requirements on network security and stability, such as railways, airports, power and oil already rely on customized private networks to power secure and robust connectivity. However, traditional private networks have their limitations – they are unable to support massive connectivity and can only be used to complement mainstream public networks. Increasingly, traditional private networks can no longer support the demands of real-time and remote operations in the intelligent era where man-machine interconnectedness grows.

    With the maturity of 5G technology and the dawn of Industrial 4.0, more enterprises are now embracing digital and intelligent transformation. To address future demands, enterprises that depend on traditional private networks are now exploring new network technologies.

    The need for deterministic networks in vertical industries with high demands on latency, reliability, and security makes private 5G networks the best choice going forward. For example, in extreme work environments such as mines, UHD videos, high bandwidth, and ultra-low latency are requirements to remotely control excavators and other industrial devices in real-time. In smart factories, a large number of sensors are connected to networks to carry out real-time automation and monitoring to execute safe processes.

    Across many industries, intelligent networks demand deterministic networks with low latency and low jitter. In these scenarios, private 5G networks are capable of providing customized SLA guarantees for a wide range of customized industrial applications, therein presenting enormous opportunities for operators to realize private 5G as a service to tap on new economic growth points.

    Can you tell us about the benefits of ZTE’s private 5G networks?

    As a key provider of integrated communications and information solutions, ZTE has always been at the forefront of private 5G networks innovations and applications.

    ZTE provides an all scenario private 5G network covering RAN, core network, transmission, industrial gateway and other end-to-end products. For example, ZTE’s dedicated industrial core network, industry 5GC (i5GC), integrates and optimizes more than 10 key network functions of the 5G core network, requiring just one server to complete the deployment of an entire network. This brings ease to deployment, especially in underserved areas with limited resources.

    In addition, ZTE’s iCube all-in-one cloud network solution supports customer-centric 5G industry private networks and edge cloud services. The solution offers agility and scalability as voice, BBU, OLT, MEC and industry applications can be loaded on-demand to provide customers with highly-customized integrated private industry cloud network services.

    ZTE’s private 5G network solution encompasses private network consultation, planning, design, customization, integration, installation, and deployment. This new “Private 5G as a Service” business model supports operators in rapidly customizing private 5G networks for industries.

    ZTE has also built Openlab, a center for innovation, to flexibly construct customized end-to-end private 5G networks and provide an incubation environment for 5G application innovation. Together with operators and industry partners, ZTE can incubate innovative solutions. To date, ZTE has joined hands with more than 500 partners to explore innovative 5G application scenarios across verticals including smart manufacturing, power grid, port, mining, healthcare, education, and agriculture. ZTE will continue to work with global operators and industry partners to fast-track industrial developments.

    Can you share with us ZTE’s latest innovations in cloud infrastructure? 

    Cloud platforms manage and shield underlying hardware through the hypervisor virtualization layer to provide services such as VMs, containers, and bare metals to achieve resource sharing. However, having the hypervisor virtualization layer deployed on the server results in server performance loss and serious security risks.

    ZTE’s new-generation cloud infrastructure addresses these concerns by uploading the management control module and hypervisor virtualization layer of the cloud platform from the server to the NEO cloud card. Only the lightweight hypervisor resides on the server, hence reducing the CPU load of the server to achieve zero performance loss. At the same time, the NEO card is pre-integrated with the hypervisor virtualization layer, such that users can conveniently deploy the layer to ensure ease of use.

    Suited for use with general servers, the ZTE NEO card enables server cloudification to be easily achieved by merely inserting the card into the server to power the widespread use of the private and public clouds.

    Network functions virtualization (NFV) has evolved from dedicated hardware to general hardware. The most important feature of NFV is that it provides unified operating resources for upper layer virtualized network functions. However, general hardware such as x86 does not meet large bandwidth and low latency requirements – found lacking in terms of data forwarding efficiency and data-parallel processing.

    As such, hardware acceleration is critical to improving network performance in the 5G network. Through hardware acceleration, the system can accelerate the decoupling between hardware and servers to achieve resource pooling and improve network resource utilization.

    There are two decoupling approaches for hardware acceleration – software and hardware decoupling for standardized hardware acceleration cards, as well as software and hardware decoupling for dedicated NE functions. To achieve unified management of NFV heterogeneous acceleration hardware, the ETSI has formulated the software framework standard of unified management for NFV acceleration hardware, while OpenStack provides a general hardware acceleration management framework.

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  • 5G: Enabling more than just connectivity

    5G: Enabling more than just connectivity

    5G, in many ways, is still in its infancy. The good news is that it is growing and evolving quickly. Much has been said (and written) about the theoretical benefits of 5G: High speeds, low latency and massive connection density. But, not many organizations understand what 5G actually means for their industrial environments. Many organizations—while intrigued by the possibilities of incorporating 5G into their operational and customer-facing processes—often lack the resources to experiment and invest in a long-drawn cycle of “unproven” innovation.

    Hence, it is important for organizations to work with suitable partners. They have the foresight and resources to further flesh out various 5G proof of concepts and understand how these concepts mesh with the organization’s broader digital transformation agenda.

    IDC has identified a few 5G use cases that will have maximum impact across verticals:

    Process automation and robotics
    5G addresses the challenges of today’s static manufacturing lines, increasing machines’ mobility. This reduces the time required to service the machines and allows them to be reconfigured on the fly. In addition to supporting such automation and robotics use cases on public networks through network slicing, the 5G network’s ultra-low latency will allow robotic controls to be processed at the edge, creating further opportunities to improve machine coordination and reduce costs.

    Cloud gaming
    5G and multi-access edge computing is going to further accelerate the adoption of mobile cloud-streamed gaming (CSG) services. When users are mobile and on a cellular network, their experiences often vary to a much greater extent today. This relative network unreliability puts mobile CSG services at a significant disadvantage versus wired/Wi-Fi services. The gaming market is set to explode as network operators bring more 5G mid-band spectrum online in the next few years.

    Autonomous vehicles
    The pathway to increased guided and vehicle autonomy will be largely built on the promise of 5G delivering Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Level 4 full self-driving vehicles, as well as accelerating SAE Levels 1 and 2 vehicle growth over the next five years. 5G-based cellular vehicle to everything (C-V2X) will significantly enhance all types of vehicular communication. 5G’s ultra-low latency and network slicing characteristics, together with edge cloud, will enable innovative applications, resulting in safer and more cost-effective transportation.

    Video analytics and surveillance
    Wireless has been somewhat problematic for applications such as video surveillance due to network capacity, reliability and security issues. IDC believes that 5G will propel wireless video surveillance to become a dominant force over the next five years. An increasing number of applications such as wireless perimeter control, aerial drones and home security systems will increase demand for wireless technology that can support high-resolution video securely. 5G along with edge compute will ensure secure and timely ingestion and processing of video feeds to help organizations make data-driven decisions in real-time.

    Immersive experiences
    5G provides organizations with exactly what is needed of networks to transform B2B2C consumer experiences by satisfying the appetite for immersive entertainment, gaming and broadcast experiences. In addition to mobile augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) being used by field and repair technicians who operate far from a central office, there is a considerable opportunity for entertainment venues and sports arenas to provide a 360-degree VR experience at large-scale events such as sports meets and music concerts. Current network generations lack the throughput and capacity required to deliver high-definition content, but 5G, along with edge deployments, allows for ultra-low latency and processing times that are required to deliver a real-time and enhanced immersive experience.

    Industry 4.0 is acknowledged as a transformative series of initiatives around how we make and distribute goods. 5G is poised to have a significant impact across verticals such as manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, media and smart cities. IDC believes that a large number of organisations will boost spending on 5G in 2021-22. Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) regional Internet of Things use case spend across manufacturing, resources and infrastructure is forecast to hit US$295 billion in 2025. With such investments in play, organisations should look out for a service provider—with a platform-based approach to 5G, a broad partner ecosystem and a proven track record of helping organisations on their digital transformation journeys—to evaluate potential 5G use cases and get started early to gain a significant edge over their competitors.

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  • TPG Telecom triples 5G coverage

    TPG Telecom triples 5G coverage

    TPG Telecom has reached over 85 percent 5G population coverage in ten of Australia’s largest cities and regions as it delivers a smarter 5G network faster following last year’s merger.

    Capable of delivering speeds of more than 400Mbps, 5G coverage is available in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Wollongong, and NSW Central Coast.

    The milestone has been achieved with the launch of the company’s 5G standalone core, which connects devices directly to 5G without the need for a 4G connection, supercharging its 700MHz spectrum holdings.

    TPG Telecom Chief Executive Officer Iñaki Berroeta said the 5G standalone core is a game-changer for the company and its mobile and home internet customers.

    “This is truly a pivotal moment for TPG Telecom and sets us up to deliver 5G’s full potential,” Mr Berroeta said. “The upgraded core network has amplified our 700 MHz spectrum, tripling our 5G coverage and giving us greater reach across suburbs and in densely populated areas. This will give us a competitive boost going forward, with our 5G coverage on par or ahead of other mobile networks in many areas. It not only means more coverage in more places for mobile customers, it also significantly increases our 5G fixed wireless footprint.”

    “Two in three Australians are now covered by our 5G where they work and live, and with the first major device due to be upgraded to work with standalone 5G in just a few weeks, the new coverage is ready.”

    Mr Berroeta said the 5G standalone core was a multi-year project as part of the company’s 5G network roadmap.

    “This puts us firmly on the 5G map, and the project completion is a testament to our network team who skillfully navigated challenges including lockdowns and the 5G vendor restrictions,” he said.

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  • Huawei committed to being preferred partner for digital transformation in APAC

    Huawei committed to being preferred partner for digital transformation in APAC

    Huawei’s first flagship event for Asia-Pacific (APAC) region ICT industry – Huawei Connect 2021 – Asia Pacific launched on Friday, themed “Dive into Digital in Asia-Pacific”, explores how digital technology can better integrate with business scenarios and industry know-how to address critical business challenges, and how stakeholders can work together more effectively to foster an open industry ecosystem and drive shared success.

    This event has featured three keynotes and opening remarks with around 15 CXOs from government and commercial sectors across APAC like Sunseap Group, KBank, University Malaya, Union Bank, Toyota Astra, Bank Central Asia (BCA), UCARS, and government guests to share their vision and experience on digital transformation in APAC.

    In Jeffery Liu, the President of Huawei Asia-Pacific keynote, he spoke that digital transformation is more real and urgent than ever. Huawei will leverage innovative ICT technologies to help customers accelerate digital transformation. In Asia Pacific, Huawei will focus on the 4 areas: Cloud services, Low-carbon development, Innovative digital infrastructure, building partner ecosystem, and training digital talents. Huawei is committed to be the preferred partner for digital transformation in the region”

    Jeffery said, “In Asia Pacific, HUAWEI CLOUD operates in 7 Availability Zones and has local service teams in over 10 countries. Huawei combines digital and electronic technologies to develop innovative digital power services by using energy as efficiently as possible, and minimizing the carbon footprint of ICT infrastructure by leveraging clean power generation, electric transportation, and smart energy storage, supporting our customers to save energy and protect the environment. Every year Huawei invests over 10% of revenue into R&D, delivers value to the industry and society through innovation, and helps our customers go digital with innovative and reliable products and solutions. In the next five years, we will continue to train over 100 thousand ICT professionals in Asia-Pacific to strengthen the talent root for digital transformation.”

    In the sharing session of Digital Leadership, Professor Alex Siow from NUS shared on how emerging digital technologies have changed various industries, and how these technologies will evolve along with the effects of the pandemic. “Digital leadership is the strategic use of a company’s digital assets to achieve business goals and digital leaders shall explore how technology can be used to help their business become much more responsive to the needs of their customers and the ever-changing business requirements. Digital leaders must lead the way in digital transformation and help the customers more digital and more agile for the adoption of rapid acceleration of technological changes,” said Professor Alex Siow.

    The event is honored to invite key companies like PSA Corporation Ltd, Sunway Berhad Malaysia, Integrated Health Information System (IHIS) Singapore, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and Prof. Dr. De Crème from NUS to participate in the open panel discussion, shared their thoughts on thriving as a digital enterprise and to help the industry leaders approach business transformation from a different perspective.

    During the panel discussion, Ho Vee Leung, Head of Infocomm Technology & Data from PSA shared the benefits of technology, like how 5G, which is capable of large bandwidth and low latency wireless transmission, enables real-time control of mobile equipment in the open port environment, and how Intelligent IoT technology has enabled energy consumption within the terminals to be better managed and optimized, balancing peak and trough demand and reducing the risk of power-related disruptions.

    Alan Goh, Assistant Chief Executive of IHIS also shared how IHIS utilized technology to create value in the healthcare industry. Alan shared the example of the vaccination program in Singapore and how they integrated technology to enable real-time updates of the vaccination process.

    Kevin Khoo, CIO from Sunway Berhad Malaysia shared his rich experience in managing a large conglomerate in the digital transformation journey and the importance of close partnership with vendor.

    Glen Francis, CTO of SPH mentioned that leadership and stakeholder alignment is important especially when building new technology tool or platforms in the organization and communication is an important part in overcoming the challenges of the digital transformation journey.

    At the discussion, Nicholas Ma, the President Huawei Asia Pacific Enterprise BG pointed out that Digital transformations is not a plug-and play strategy revealing immediate results. Two areas are essentially important for digital transformation, one is the organization and the other is technology. To tackle the skills issue and improve organizational agility, Huawei will continue to invest in digital talents cultivation and work closely with partners to provide more scenario-based solutions in their digital transformation journey.

    “As new technologies like Cloud, and AI continue to be mature, the application of digital technologies is expanding beyond the office and into production systems of the industries, which will change or improve productivity. Together with our partners, we take the time to truly make the best use of our leading technologies and solution, to understand our customers’ businesses, particularly the challenges they are facing, and then develop tailored solutions to support them. To do this, we have built 13 Open Labs around the world to support joint innovation, in Asia Pacific, we have OpenLabs in Singapore and Thailand.” further shared by Nicholas Ma.

    Brandon Wu, CTO of Huawei Asia Pacific Enterprise BG mentioned that Huawei plans to provide enterprises with a consistent experience while using cloud-native applications that are not constrained by geographical, cross-cloud, or traffic limitations. Huawei is also leveraging ICT innovations for energy saving and sustainability, by introducing green sites, improving data center network efficiency, and binging green connectivity by extending more optical connections to home and campus networks, to further reduce power consumption.

    Brandon Wu also elaborated latest innovations that Huawei will bring to the market：

    Huawei OptiXsense Solution and a product model EF3000 which is able to measure the vibration of the laser, to sense the environment changes of the object under monitoring, to significantly reduce the false alarms.

    Digital Offices, powered by intelligent “Office Twins” – Wi-Fi 6e AP and HUAWEI IdeaHub. They will supercharge your meeting room experiences and office productivity with ubiquitous gigabit and seamless collaboration.

    The industry’s first deterministic IP network solution, which supports multi-hop networking of tens of thousands of nodes, so it can deliver deterministic IP network performance, making lights-out digital factories a reality.

    Hybrid Optical transmission network (OTN), by combining both the technology advantages between PON and OTN together, Huawei introduced H-OTN for the first time to the market, the packet loss can now be minimized and the reliability can reach five 9s for mission-critical services.

    OceanStor Pacific, the industry’s first distributed storage for High-Performance Data Analytics (HPDA). This solution breaks the silos of data processing between big data, AI, high-performance computing, and streamlines multiple storage capabilities into one single device, with adaptive data flow for large and small size IOs.

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  • Ooredoo Group and CK Hutchison poised for US$6 billion telecom merger

    Ooredoo Group and CK Hutchison poised for US$6 billion telecom merger

    Ooredoo and CK Hutchison announced the signing of definitive transaction agreements for the proposed merger of their respective telecommunications businesses in Indonesia, PT Indosat Tbk (Indosat Ooredoo) and PT Hutchison 3 Indonesia (H3I). The merged company will be named PT Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison Tbk (Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison).

    The merger of Indosat Ooredoo and H3I will bring together two highly complementary businesses to create a larger, commercially stronger and more competitive world-class digital telecoms and internet company, well placed to deliver more value for all shareholders, customers and for Indonesia.

    Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison will be well-positioned to accelerate Indonesia’s economic growth and transformation into a digital society. It will be the second-largest mobile telecoms company in the country, with an estimated annual revenue of approximately US$3 billion.

    The combined company will have the scale, financial strength, and expertise to compete more effectively. Combining the highly complementary assets and products of Indosat Ooredoo and H3I will drive innovation and network improvements that will enable the delivery of outstanding digital services, as well as a broader product offering, to customers across Indonesia.

    Indosat Ooredoo and H3I own highly complementary infrastructure and the combination of these assets will also enable the merged company to benefit from cost and CAPEX synergies and provide accretive returns to all stakeholders. Annual run-rate pre-tax synergies of approximately US$300-400mm are expected to be realized over 3-5 years.

    In addition, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison will be able to leverage the experience and expertise of Ooredoo Group and CK Hutchison in networks, technologies, products and services, and benefit from their multinational operations spanning major markets in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia Pacific. The merged company will also benefit from their combined strength and economies of scale in functions such as procurement.

    Following the merger, the Indonesian mobile market is expected to retain a healthy level of competition, attractive to long-term investment across the industry.

    Ooredoo Group currently has a controlling 65.0% shareholding in Indosat Ooredoo through Ooredoo Asia, a wholly-owned holding company. The merger of Indosat and H3I will result in CK Hutchison receiving newly issued shares in Indosat Ooredoo amounting to 21.8% and PT Tiga Telekomunikasi Indonesia amounting to 10.8% of the merged Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison business.

    Concurrent with the merger, CK Hutchison will acquire a 50% shareholding in Ooredoo Asia by exchanging its 21.8% shareholdings in Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison for a 33.3% stake in Ooredoo Asia, and will acquire an additional 16.7% stake from Ooredoo Group for a cash consideration of US$387 million. Following the above transactions, the parties will each own 50.0% of Ooredoo Asia, to be renamed Ooredoo Hutchison Asia, which will retain a controlling 65.6% ownership stake in the merged company.

    Upon closing of the transactions, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison will be jointly controlled by Ooredoo Group and CK Hutchison. It will remain listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange, with the Government of Indonesia retaining a 9.6% shareholding, PT Tiga Telekomunikasi Indonesia holding a 10.8% shareholding, and other public shareholders holding approximately 14.0%.

    Subject to necessary Indosat Ooredoo shareholder approvals, the parties have agreed to nominate Vikram Sinha as CEO and Nicky Lee as CFO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison. Ahmad Al-Neama will remain President Director and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo and Cliff Woo will remain as CEO of H3I until completion of the merger. Upon completion, Ahmad Al-Neama and Cliff Woo will join the Board of Commissioners of the merged company, subject to the necessary Indosat Ooredoo approvals.

    The parties are committed to prioritizing employee welfare during the integration process in adherence with applicable laws and aligned with future business growth opportunities. The combined company is expected to create exciting growth opportunities for employees, as part of a larger, financially stronger, more competitive and innovative technology company.

    Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Managing Director of Ooredoo Group, said: “This agreement is a significant step towards our shared vision of creating outstanding value for our customers and shareholders by bringing together two of Indonesia’s leading telecoms brands to create a stronger number two player in Indonesia, backed by two highly committed partners in Ooredoo Group and CK Hutchison. With this agreement in place, we can now turn our attention to closing the transaction and then working closely with CK Hutchison to leverage the combined expertise of our respective global telecoms groups to build a world-class digital telco for Indonesia.

    This merged company will deliver significant value and benefits for all stakeholders including Indosat Ooredoo and Ooredoo Group shareholders, for customers, employees and Indonesia. Through economies of scale and the realization of synergies between these highly complementary businesses, the merged company will be well placed to deliver a higher return on investment for all shareholders and build on the outstanding growth momentum already achieved by Indosat Ooredoo. Importantly, the merger will create a company with the strength and scale to accelerate Indonesia’s digital transformation and improve network performance and customer experience across the country.

    Canning Fok, Group Co-Managing Director of CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, said: “This is a great opportunity to create a stronger and more innovative telco player in Indonesia and will be an accretive transaction for shareholders and other stakeholders alike. Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison will have a critical mass that will enable it to drive network expansion and improvements that will support the Government’s digital agenda and benefit customers and Indonesia as a whole.”

    “With greater scale, expanded spectrum, and a more efficient cost structure, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison will also be better positioned to extend the rollout of its network and enhance service quality and speed. CK Hutchison invests in and operates telecom businesses in 12 markets around the world, many of which have successfully rolled out 5G networks, and we look forward to expanding innovative 5G services in Indonesia when the time is right.”

    H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Thani Al Thani, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Ooredoo Group, concluded: “This merger is a landmark deal for Asia and for Ooredoo Group. It furthers our strategy to drive more value from our portfolio and accelerate digitalization across our global footprint. I look forward to a long and successful partnership with CK Hutchison and to working together to build Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison into a digital champion for Indonesia.”

    Completion of the transaction will be subject to the approval of Ooredoo Group, CK Hutchison, Indosat Ooredoo shareholders, regulatory approvals and other customary terms and conditions. Assuming all approvals are received, the proposed combination is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

    JP Morgan is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Ooredoo Group. Goldman Sachs & Co. and HSBC are acting as joint financial advisors to CK Hutchison. Barclays is acting as financial advisor to Indosat Ooredoo.

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  • Australia opens application for low band 5G spectrum auction

    Australia opens application for low band 5G spectrum auction

    The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has opened applications for the upcoming 2021 auction of 5G spectrum in the 850/900 MHz band.

    Low band spectrum forms the backbone of 5G connectivity in Australia. Spectrum in the sub‑1 GHz bands can carry signals across longer distances and is essential to the deployment of wide-area networks, such as mobile services and fixed wireless internet.

    ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the allocation of 5G-optimised spectrum in the 850/900 MHz band will support new and existing operators to better deliver services across regional, rural and remote areas of Australia, as well as to major population centres.

    “The spectrum available in this auction will facilitate a wide range of new services that will benefit businesses and consumers across Australia,” Ms O’Loughlin said.

    The ACMA will auction 70 MHz of paired spectrum in the 850/900 MHz band across all of Australia. The application period runs from 1 September 2021 to 21 September 2021 with the spectrum auction scheduled to commence in late November/early December 2021.

    “We encourage all interested parties to apply during this window so they can participate in the auction in late 2021,” Ms O’Loughlin said.

    The spectrum auction is an opportunity for interested parties to bid for spectrum that will accommodate the deployment of 5G services in Australia.

    The ACMA has prepared an applicant information package (AIP) for interested parties, which provides a detailed auction guide, information on the spectrum available and starting prices.

    The auction forms part of the Australian Government’s plan to make 2021 the   Year of 5G. The ACMA auctioned high-band spectrum in the 26 GHz band in April this year for a total revenue of $647 million.