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Tag: telco

  • ZTE launches Big Video offering for telcos

    ZTE launches Big Video offering for telcos

    ZTE launched a new Big Video Premium OTT solution for operators at last week’s TV Connect 2017.

    The new solution is designed to help operators cut costs and shorten time to market with OTT video offerings, while ensuring end-users have a quality video experience.

    It incorporates technologies including multicast adaptive bit rate, cloud DVR and low latency technologies to provide video segmentation, aggregation and optimization capabilities.

    The solution also supports just-in-time packaging (JITP), which packages and transmits content only upon subscriber request, so only one copy needs to be stored to cut down on storage, as well as and multi-digital rights management technology to reduce investment on terminal DRM licenses.

    Operators will be able to adopt multiple potential business models to maximize profit-earning opportunities.

    ZTE said it has to date deployed a big video ecosystem comprising more than 90 commercial offices with a total system capacity of 80 million and more than 100 CDN commercial offices with a total concurrency throughput over 100Tbps.

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  • AirAsia to start Vietnamese carrier

    AirAsia to start Vietnamese carrier

    AirAsia, the low-cost carrier headed by Malaysian tycoon Tony Fernandes, plans to start a Vietnamese carrier in a local partnership, as cheap fares and rising incomes fuel a travel surge in the South-east Asian nation.

    The region’s largest budget airline will partner Gumin, Hai Au Aviation Joint Stock and businessman Tran Trong Kien for the venture, which is expected to start flying early next year, AirAsia said.

    Gumin will own about 70 per cent of the new venture, with AirAsia holding the rest.

    Vietnam is the latest country to woo Mr Fernandes, who is seeking to build a pan-Asian budget airline, as the 28 per cent growth in passenger traffic was triple the pace in other South-east Asian nations. The fifth-biggest market in the region has seen domestic traffic double since 2013, and the middle-class will comprise close to a quarter of its population by 2010, AirAsia said.

    AirAsia has over the years established affiliates in Indonesia, Thailand, India and Japan, and is betting on a low-cost, long-haul model for global travel via its AirAsia X unit. It has ordered hundreds of planes from Airbus, and is selling a plane- leasing unit to raise more cash.

    Vietnam will continue to see a double-digit gain in passenger numbers in the next decade, said ACB Securities in December.

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  • Indian cellcos told to re-verify all customers

    Indian cellcos told to re-verify all customers

    The Indian government has instructed the nation’s mobile operators to re-verify all their mobile subscribers with a system that uses biometric authentication by next February.

    All existing subscribers will need to be re-verified using the Aadhaar-based system, which includes a unique identifying number and biometric data.

    Both prepaid and postpaid subscribers will need to be registered under the new system, and all licensees will need to inform existing subscribers about the requirement through advertisements in print and electronic media as well as SMS.

    The new requirement stems from a Supreme Court order in February that requires operators to complete the verification system for existing subscribers within one year.

    Operators plan to use and share a common device ecosystem for the verification process and will work on mechanisms to limit public inconvenience.

    But the Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI), the peak body for India’s GSM operators, has complained that the re-verification exercise will cost 10 billion rupees in infrastructure and training costs, and these expenses will need to be borne by operators.

    COAI also indicated it may need to seek an extension from regulator Trai if its members are not able to complete the process of re-verifying millions of subscribers within a year.

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  • Singapore operators to switch off 2G from Sunday

    Singapore operators to switch off 2G from Sunday

    Singapore’s mobile operators will commence the process of switching off their 2G networks on Sunday as part of a scheduled sunsetting of the aging networking technology.

    Operators M1, Singtel and StarHub plan to conduct the switch-off in stages, and complete the process by April 18Singapore’s mobile operators will commence the process of switching off their 2G networks on Sunday as part of a scheduled sunsetting of the aging networking technology.

    Operators M1, Singtel and StarHub plan to conduct the switch-off in stages, and complete the process by April 18.

    As part of an agreement with regulator the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), operators are giving 2G users the ability to retain their numbers and subscription plans on 3G and 4G networks at no additional cost or requirement to re-contract.

    The IMDA has urged the nation’s remaining 2G-only users to switch to a 3G or 4G handset by this time.

    The regulator is holding information sessions for seniors wishing to learn how to use smartphones as part of the transition process, and has also worked with the operators to ensure that handset models costing below S$50 ($36) are available for the holdouts.

    The IMDA banned the sale of all 2G-only devices from January as part of the switch-off process, which is aimed at allowing 2G spectrum to be re-allocated for advanced mobile services.

    Singtel’s wholly-owned Australian subsidiary Optus is meanwhile following its parent in switching off 2G. Optus announced it will commence a staggered shutdown process from April 3, starting in the states of the Northern Territory and Western Australia..

    As part of an agreement with regulator the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), operators are giving 2G users the ability to retain their numbers and subscription plans on 3G and 4G networks at no additional cost or requirement to re-contract.

    The IMDA has urged the nation’s remaining 2G-only users to switch to a 3G or 4G handset by this time.

    The regulator is holding information sessions for seniors wishing to learn how to use smartphones as part of the transition process, and has also worked with the operators to ensure that handset models costing below S$50 ($36) are available for the holdouts.

    The IMDA banned the sale of all 2G-only devices from January as part of the switch-off process, which is aimed at allowing 2G spectrum to be re-allocated for advanced mobile services.

    Singtel’s wholly-owned Australian subsidiary Optus is meanwhile following its parent in switching off 2G. Optus announced it will commence a staggered shutdown process from April 3, starting in the states of the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

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  • Cellcos to spend $250m on pre-standards 5G networks by year-end

    Cellcos to spend $250m on pre-standards 5G networks by year-end

    Mobile operators will spend more than $250 million on pre-standards 5G network rollouts by the end of 2017, according to SNS Research’s latest report.

    Despite the lack of sufficient LTE coverage in parts of the world, mobile operators and vendors have already embarked on R&D initiatives to develop 5G, the next evolution in mobile networks.

    5G is expected to provide a single network environment to deliver not only existing mobile broadband and IoT services, but also new innovations such as self-driving cars, cloud robotics, 3D holographic telepresence and remote surgery with haptic feedback.

    In fact, many mobile operators are betting on 5G to diversify their revenue streams, as conventional voice and data service ARPUs decline globally.

    At present, the 3GPP and other SDOs (Standards Development Organizations) are engaged in defining the first phase of 5G specifications. However, pre-standards 5G network rollouts are already underway, most notably in the United States and South Korea, as mobile operators rush to be the first to offer 5G services.

    Although 2020 has conventionally been regarded as the headline date for 5G commercialization, the very first standardized deployments of the technology are expected to be commercialized as early as 2019 with the 3GPP’s initial 5G specifications set to be implementation-ready by March 2018.

    Between 2019 and 2025, SNS Research expects the 5G network infrastructure market to aggressively grow a CAGR of nearly 70%, eventually accounting for $28 billion in annual spending by the end of 2025.

    These infrastructure investments will be complemented by annual shipments of up to 520 million 5G-capable devices.

  • Globe launches 4CC LTE-A

    Globe launches 4CC LTE-A

    The Philippines’ Globe Telecom announced it has become the first operator in the nation to implement 4-component-carrier aggregation LTE-Advanced using the 2600-MHz band.

    The upgrade effectively doubles LTE capacity in areas covered by the deployment, the company said, and will be capable of generating speeds of up to 400 Mpbs once compatible devices hit the market.

    So far Globe has implemented the upgrade at 110 sites mostly in Metro Manila, including most areas in Makati and certain areas in Quezon City, Marikina, Antipolo, and San Mateo.

    The operator aims to deploy the technology in more than 500 sites this year across more of Metro Manila as well as key areas of North Luzon and South Luzon.

    Globe is using its new 2600-MHz band spectrum allocation acquired through its joint purchase with rival PLDT of conglomerate San Miguel Corporation’s telecommunications assets last year.

    Since acquiring the spectrum, the company has also deployed around 1,200 2600-MHz LTE sites mostly in Visayas and Mindanao.

    “This is the first time that a telco operator in the Philippines is making use of this 4-component carrier spectrum LTE-Advanced technology and we are maximizing the potential of the new spectrum assigned to us for the benefit of our customers,” Globe SVP for program governance Joel Agustin said.

    “This technology milestone significantly improves customer experience as smartphone penetration in the country continues to increase.”

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  • Indian telcos to start their 5G journeys this year

    Indian telcos to start their 5G journeys this year

    India’s plan of utilizing 5G technology to keep up with the rest of the world may soon become a reality.

    Indian operators will start the process of upgrading to 5G technology from this year. According to Huawei India CEO Jay Chen, 5G technology in present form can deliver up to 1Gbps download speed.

    “I can tell you Massive MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology (part of 5G technology) will go to India this year. We have had discussions with leading telecoms operators who are interested and right now it is only available with Huawei for commercial deployment,” Chen said in an interview. Wide-scale commercial deployment of 5G is expected to start in India in the next three years.

    Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal had earlier said that the MIMO technology available with Huawei and ZTE can increase current capability of spectrum by up to 8 times at an additional cost of only about 20%.

    Chen said that 5G standards are expected to be firmed up next year when wide scale commercial deployment of 5G will begin.

    “We have already deployed 4.5G networks in 13 circles across India which with minor upgrades can be transformed to 5G. With 4G subscriber base in India increasing, the download speed will reduce for which operators will need to begin start 4.5G services,” said Chen.

    5G will bring advanced technology which will change the way network coverage is provided to subscribers.

    “At present, subscribers runs to connect with the network. We are ready with pilots for multi MIMO technology that will follow subscribers. Dedicated spectrum frequency (beam forming) will connect with device of the subscribers and follow them wherever they go,” explained Chen.

    He added that the Indian industry is improving significantly with consolidation in the sector and end of spectrum shortage which provides good opportunity for telecoms equipment companies.

    “Earlier their was spectrum scarcity in India. There were 13 operators who were involved in tariff war. Since last year we have not seen operators complaining about spectrum scarcity. Availability of spectrum gives them opportunity to deploy latest technologies like 5G. With Huawei we see this a very positive move. Our growth has also improved in India in last two years,” Chen said.

    He said that Indian operators are now moving in the direction where they can catch up with rest of the world.

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  • 25 operators are already testing 5G

    25 operators are already testing 5G

    Despite 5G standardization not being expected until 2020, 25 mobile operators have already commenced lab testing 5G technologies, according to industry data from network testing company Viavi.

    Of the 25 operators testing 5G, 12 have progressed to field testing, the company said. An additional four operators have announced plans for 5G trials but have not yet commenced them.

    Five operators have achieved data speeds of at least 35 Gbps in 5G trials, including Optus, M1 and StarHub.

    To date, Etisalat has the speed record at 36Gbps, Viavi said, with Ooredoo close behind at 35.46Gbps. All operators conducting 5G trials have reported data transmission speeds of at least 2Gbps.

    Viavi’s data also show that operators are testing 5G across a wide range of bands, ranging from sub 3-GHz up to 86-GHz.

    The most commonly trialed bandwidth among operators that have disclosed their test spectrum is currently 28-GHz – with eight operators using it – followed by 15-GHz, which is being used by seven operators.

    Among equipment suppliers, five major vendors have announced an involvement in 5G trials – Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, Samsung and ZTE. Many operators are working with multiple vendors on their trials, with KT including all five equipment providers.

    “The pace of 5G development is already beyond the expectations of many observers,” Viavi CTO Sameh Yamany commented.

    “Now, as the technical delivery of data is starting to coalesce, it is time to think ahead to how future 5G networks can manage the disparate requirements of high data rates, very low latency applications and large-scale IoT services while maintaining QoS.”

    He said network slicing, involving the automation and programming of multiple cloud-based functions within a virtualized network, will be important to achieving these goals.

    “Service providers and their partners will require solutions that are virtualized from one end of the network to the other and have automated and correlated intelligence across each network slice for monitoring, optimization and service assurance.”

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  • Ericsson launches telco security automation tool

    Ericsson launches telco security automation tool

    Ericsson has launched a new telecoms security product designed to enable automated security orchestration across multiple ICT domains.

    The Ericsson Security Manager supports out-of-the-box security for telco cloud operations, physical and virtual networks and digital support solutions, as well as enterprise networking applications.

    It is designed to provide real-time, contextual security management using a customizable, adaptive policy engine.

    The new product will comprise part of the Ericsson Digital Support System, and will enable customers to set and enforce security policies to protect important assets. It supports continuous monitoring of threats, vulnerabilities and compliance with the capability for automated remediation

    “In today’s ICT landscape, security is of the utmost importance for organizations across all domains,” Ericsson head of IT and cloud products Anders Lindblad said.

    “Ericsson Security Manager leverages our leadership and expertise across a wide array of ICT domains to bring to the market an innovative, adaptive and contextual security automation solution for telecom networks as well as cloud, IoT and enterprises.”

    Ericsson plans to showcase the new suite at Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona later this month.

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  • NBTC plans to allocate 380 MHz more mobile spectrum

    NBTC plans to allocate 380 MHz more mobile spectrum

    Thailand’s telecoms regulator NBTC plans to release 380 MHz of additional spectrum to the industry to set the stage for 5G and accommodate burgeoning demand for mobile data and IoT services.

    The regulator is aiming to auction 180 MHz of 2600-MHz spectrum this year as part of this process, citing NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith.

    According to the plan, this will be followed by auctions of 90 MHz of 1800-MHz spectrum and 20 MHz of 850-MHz spectrum by March 2018, then 90 MHz of 700-MHz spectrum by 2020.

    While to date up to 420 MHz of bandwidth has been allocated for mobile use, Takorn said this will not be sufficient to keep pace with rapid developments in network technology and online service innovation, let alone the eventual deployment of 5G and the new use cases it will bring.

    The planned auctions will bring the total bandwidth allocated for telecoms use up to 800 MHz, significantly higher than the 700 MHz recommended by the ITU, the report notes.

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  • Nokia launches a digital assistant for telcos

    Nokia launches a digital assistant for telcos

    Nokia has announced the launch of MIKA, the first digital assistant customized for the telecommunications industry.

    MIKA (multi-purpose intuitive knowledge assistant) is designed to provide voice-activated access to information for telecoms engineers, to reduce the time needed to find essential information needed to maintain complex multi-technology network environments.

    MIKA is powered by the Nokia AVA cognitive services platform, and provides access to the AVA knowledge library of best practice gathered from Nokia’s network projecs around the world.

    The platform combines augmented intelligence with automated machine learning based on Bell Labs learning algorithms.

    “Finding the right information is a daily challenge for telco engineers tasked with boosting network quality,” Nokia head of global services Igor Leprince said.

    “MIKA taps into the power of the Nokia AVA platform to provide quick and accurate answers, avoiding time wasted on fruitless searches. MIKA is customized to support the specific needs of telecoms, and can deliver recommendations based on experience from networks around the world.”

    Nokia also introduced a new predictive repair service, which will enable operators to reduce costs by predicting hardware failures and recommending replacements up to 14 days in advance. The vendor said the service can achieve up to 95% accuracy.

    Predictive repair will be available to operators using Nokia’s 3G and 4G equipment.

  • Indosat Ooredoo ready to launch 4.5G technology

    Indosat Ooredoo ready to launch 4.5G technology

    PT Indosat Ooredoo is ready to launch its 4.5G technology in 2017 that is two times faster than its 4G predecessor, said a company spokesman.

    “We have been developing the 4.5G technology since 2012 and we are ready to launch this year, starting with the introduction of new technological infrastructures such as modernized BTS (Base Transceiver Station) in several regions,” according to its Group Head of Network Strategy and Solution, Yune Marketatmo, on Wednesday.

    Singapore and Malaysia are already ahead of Indonesia in launching the 4.5G technology, along with some European and Middle Eastern countries.

    Marketatmo also noted that in order to prepare for its introduction, the company has been working to place 4.5G data centers in several areas around Java since 2016, while the headquarters will be in Jakarta.

    “The data centers will be built in strategic locations close to customers so they can communicate easily and take advantage of this new technology,” he added.

    Marketatmo further explained that existing customers who are currently using 4G would be automatically upgraded to 4.5G. This will also apply to mobile devices that are compatible with the 4.5G technology.

    Indosat Ooredoo currently has 81.6 million customers and the company saw an increase of their data usage by 114.2 percent compared to previous years.

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  • Viettel-led consortium gets Myanmar telecoms license

    Viettel-led consortium gets Myanmar telecoms license

    Myanmar has formally awarded its fourth and final nationwide telecoms license to a joint venture consisting of Vietnamese military-run operator Viettel and local ICT companies.

    The consortium has been awarded a 15-year license to offer nationwide services in a move sure to heat up competition in the burgeoning market.

    The joint venture will be named Myanmar National Tele & Communications, and will compete against existing operators Telenor Myanmar, Ooredoo Myanmar and the joint venture between Myanmar Post and Telecom and Japan’s KDDI.

    Viettel was selected as the foreign partner for the new telecoms consortium in March last year, but the license has only now been allocated.

    Under the terms of the consortium agreement, Viettel will hold a 49% stake, while local companies Myanmar National Telecom Holding Public and Star High Public Company will own 23% and 28% respectively. Viettel has committing to investing around $1.5 billion in Myanmar’s telecoms sector.

    The report cites Myanmar’s Minister for Transport and Communications Thant Sin Maung as stating that the new operator “will help advance telecommunication in townships, rural mountain towns and will contribute to improving transportation, healthcare and education necessary for the people living in rural areas.”

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  • Indian telcos square off over interconnection rates

    Indian telcos square off over interconnection rates

    Indian operators Bharti Airtel and Vodafone are squaring off with Reliance Jio Infocomm and Tata Teleservices in court over regulator Trai’s recent decision to fix interconnection rates.

    Trai recently set interconnection rates at zero for landline to wireless calls and 14 paise ($0.002) per minute for wireless to wireless calls. Airtel and Vodafone subsequently filed a court challenge to this decision.

    Now Reliance Jio and Tata Teleservices have filed court briefs opposing this legal challenge, The Telegraph India reported.

    Incumbent operators Airtel and Vodafone are opposing the order on the grounds that it unfairly penalises larger players. In Vodafone’s court filing in November, the operator said the regulations are illegal, arbitrary and beyond the functions of Trai to implement.

    The operators have also argued that the order is unfair because they should be compensated for rival operators using their infrastructure. Airtel is meanwhile calling on Trai to fix termination rates on a cost-based and work-done basis.

    Reliance Jio is a disruptive newcomer to the market, currently offering services for free as a promotional offer to lure customers from rival networks, while Tata Teleservices is one of the market’s smaller operators.

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  • Nepal Telecom launches 4G services

    Nepal Telecom launches 4G services

    State-owned operator Nepal Telecom has launched 4G services over the 1800-MHz band in the Kathmandu and Pokhara areas. The operator has upgraded 308 base stations in the Kathmandu area and 25 in Pokhara to support 4G services.

    Currently Nepal Telecom is only able to provide 4G using 5 MHz of 1800-MHz spectrum, limiting peak data speeds to 32.4Mbps. But the operator has asked regulator NTA for another 5 MHz, which will allow a speed increase to 100 Mbps.

    According to the report, the company is currently providing 4G data services at 3G rates – a base rate of 1 rupee ($0.0091) per megabyte – but plans to reduce the tariff shortly.

    The network is at present only available for Nepal Telecom’s GSM postpaid customers. The operator is also yet to make a deal with Apple to allow the use of iOS devices on its 4G network

    Nepal Telecom secured a 4G operating license in October, after the NTA approved the operator’s 4G application the previous month. The operator plans to progressively roll out 4G nationwide.

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