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  • Mongolia to Take Digital Development to a New Level

    Mongolia to Take Digital Development to a New Level

    At Asia Tech Singapore 2022, HE Bolor-Erdene Battsengel, State Secretary, Ministry of Digital Development and Communications, Mongolia, took to the stage to share her views on the changing roles of women in tech with fellow guest panellists.

    Digital governance is a key agenda for many countries. What have been some initiatives rolled out?

    Mongolia aims to build a digital nation. In this context, a number of basic system and structural changes have been made. For example, to accelerate digital transformation, the former agency named Communication and Information Technology Authority was reorganized this year into the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications. E-Mongolia platform has successfully launched an integrated e-government system. The E-Mongolia academy has also been established to further develop, improve and maintain the E-Mongolia System. The fundamental laws of digital governance, such as the Law on Public Information, the Law on Digital Signatures, the Law on the Personal Data Protection, and the Law on Cyber ​​Security, have also been approved by the Parliament of Mongolia.

    Mongolia implemented the e-Mongolia platform a couple of years ago to digitalize public services. Can you tell us about the progress of this initiative and how this has impacted the lives of Mongolians?

    We first introduced the E-Mongolia system on 1 October 2020. The main achievement is that today, it has become a large system that includes 656 services from 61 government organizations. In total, more than 12 million services have been provided online through this system. The system currently has 1.3 million users. That means one-third of the adult population uses the E-Mongolia platform. A total of 656 most demanded public services can be obtained from this system, from applying for a driver’s license to applying for a passport. Features such as offering services based on customer behavior have recently been added.

    Mongolia is a vast and one of the least densely populated countries in the world. Can you tell us how this has been a challenge for 5G adoption and what is the 5G journey like so far?

    Our country has approved a policy to introduce 5G networks in 2020. In 2021, 5G pilot tests were successfully conducted twice. This year, the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications and the Communications Regulatory Commission are preparing the spectrum management for the introduction of 5G in Mongolia. In addition, mobile operators are preparing to invest in 5G. It has also successfully completed a 5G readiness assessment with the support of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

    Our country has a large territory and a sparsely populated region. This situation poses the biggest challenge when building a 5G network. In other words, the investment for establishing a 5G network will require a lot. In addition, 5G requires more robust fiber optic infrastructure. The next big challenge is a small, but highly competitive market. For instance, Mongolia has more than 3 million citizens served by 5 mobile operators.

    What are some plans in the pipeline for the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications of Mongolia?

    As I mentioned, our country aims to become a digital nation. The government has announced that information technology is one of the priorities of the economy. The Ministry of Development was implemented within the government, and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Innovation and Digital Development was established. Our ministry has also approved a digital nation strategy. The strategy has six sub-objectives: digital infrastructure, e-governance, cybersecurity, digital literacy and inclusion, innovation and production, and national development accelerator.

    As I have said before, we have passed laws to accelerate the nation’s digital development to a new level. Emphasis will be placed on the implementation of these laws and the approval of compliance regulations.

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  • Global Enterprise WLAN Continues Strong Momentum

    Global Enterprise WLAN Continues Strong Momentum

    The enterprise segment of the worldwide wireless local area network (WLAN) market continued its strong growth in the first quarter of 2022 (1Q22) with revenues increasing 17.1% year over year to $1.95 billion, according to results published by the International Data Corporation (IDC).

    The 17.1% annualized growth builds on the enterprise WLAN market growing 20.4% in 2021 compared to 2020. Growth in the enterprise WLAN market continues to be driven by the latest Wi-Fi standard, known as Wi-Fi 6 or 802.11ax. Wi-Fi 6 access points made up 70.3% of the revenues in the Dependent Access Point (AP) segment and accounted for 59.3% of unit shipments within the segment. Wi-Fi 5 products, also known as 802.11ac, made up the remaining balance of Dependent AP sales.The consumer segment of the WLAN market declined 3.6% in 1Q22 with the quarter’s unit shipments declining 2.2% on an annualized basis. Adoption of Wi-Fi 6 continues in the consumer segment of the WLAN market too: In 1Q22, Wi-Fi 6 made up 31.4% of the market’s revenues, up from 28.2% in the fourth quarter of 2021.

    “In the first quarter of 2022, enterprises around the globe continued to invest in WLAN technology as a key component of their network and digital transformations. Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi 6 standard continues to be a significant driver of growth in the enterprise WLAN market as enterprises deploy in the newest Wi-Fi technology,” said Brandon Butler, Research Manager, Network Infrastructure at IDC. “After a rocky macroeconomic environment over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the enterprise WLAN market continues to be resilient as organizations invest in wireless connectivity.”

    From a geographic perspective, the enterprise WLAN market grew across most regions of the world. Growth was particularly strong in Asia/Pacific, where the market in the People’s Republic of China grew 55.6% year over year in 1Q22. In the broader Asia/Pacific region (excluding Japan and China) (APeJC), the market increased 22.3% in the first quarter; Japan’s market declined 4.8% in 1Q22.

    The enterprise WLAN market in the US rose 8.8% year over year in 1Q22. Canada’s market declined 2.5%, while the market in Latin America rose 27.6% in the quarter. In Western Europe the market grew 20.6% in 1Q22; in Central and Eastern Europe the market grew 2.1% in the quarter and in the Middle East & Africa, the enterprise WLAN market rose 19.5% year over year. At the country level, Germany was the largest market in Western Europe, making up 21.2% of the region’s revenues. In Germany, the market grew 37.6% year over year in the first quarter, propelling growth for the broader Western European region.

     

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  • India Targets to Roll Out 6G by 2030

    India Targets to Roll Out 6G by 2030

    At an event celebrating the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) 25th anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country is on track to roll out domestically developed 6G by the end of the decade.

    Currently, India’s 5G developments are still underway. Modi noted that connectivity will determine the pace of India’s growth, making it important for the country to pursue modernization at every level.He called for accelerated 5G network deployments to boost the Indian economy, which is projected to add $450 billion to the country.

    “5G technology will bring positive change in the governance of the country, ease of living and ease of doing business,” Modi stressed. “It will boost growth in agriculture, health, education, infrastructure and logistics.”

    At the same time, Modi announced the country’s first 5G testbeds, which would enable start-ups and industry players to test and validate their products locally and reduce dependence on foreign facilities.

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had recommended a base price for upcoming spectrum auctions. According to sources, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is likely to move the 5G spectrum auction proposal to the Union Cabinet for approval next week.

     

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  • ZTE COO Xie Junshi: Digitalization is the key to greater societal resilience

    ZTE COO Xie Junshi: Digitalization is the key to greater societal resilience

    At the post MWC22 sharing session recently organized by the GSMA, Xie Junshi, EVP and COO of ZTE, explored several exciting new trends in scenario-based 5G applications, mobile technologies, and industry development in an increasingly digitalized world.

    Xie noted that digitalization in the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) era is continuously strengthening the “immune system” of our society, playing an irreplaceable role in tackling not only the current pandemic but also long-term public health issues such as ageing populations while promoting sustainable development. With digitalizationaccelerating around the world, both the technology and market are changing disruptively, creating more innovations and greater potential. To maintain a competitive edge, CSPs are pursuing the transformation to DSPs. Focusing on scenarios and value creation, ZTE aims to work jointly with all partners to build a digital and intelligent ecosystem.

    Below are the highlights of Xie’s sharing:

    Accelerating global digitalization is boosting the society’s immune system

    Digitalization is the key to greater societal resilience in the post-pandemic era. Whether in telecommuting, online collaboration, or digital factories, digitalization provides support for our lives and helps guarantee the health of the entire economy. Digitalization is also playing a pivotal role in tackling VUCA and population aging while promoting green, low-carbon, and sustainable development.

    Driven by scenario and value, both the market and technology are changing disruptively. The diverse range of exhibitors and fascinating content at MWC 2022 highlight the evolution from mobile Internet to IoE and AIoE, marked by ubiquitous 5G connectivity, AI advancement, cloud-network convergence, and new technologies. Today, without a doubt, global digitalization is accelerating, creating more technological innovations and greater market potential. To maintain a competitive edge, CSPs are pursuing the transformation to DSPs.

    In every industrial revolution, higher efficiency has always been the most critical factor. This current revolution of digitalization is no exception. At MWC 2022, most of the digital innovations presented by exhibitors, including ZTE, focus on higher efficiency. For instance, ZTE shared innovations for simplified infrastructure, efficient and intelligent operations, as well as agile innovations for achieving growth in the second curve of digital services. ZTE has also adopted scenario-based approaches to realize the ultimate experience and efficiency, promoting sustainable development and future technological advancements.

    Sustainable development is the key goal of enterprises, while the key to promoting 5G application in the to-B field lies in three aspects

    For 5G networks, consumers look forward to a better experience, while enterprises look for lower costs, higher efficiency, and business growth. So far, in the to-B field, 5G technology has been widely applied to verticals. For example, to assist or replace manpower, 5G-powered automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are used in flexible production lines, 8K machine vision for more efficient quality inspection, and unmanned or remotely controlled machines to assist in operations.

    To facilitate greater breakthroughs in the to-B field, however, it is important to achieve collaboration with operators and enterprises where every party stands to benefit. Together, there are three aspects to work on: creating and sustaining competitive differentiation, developing effective business models to speed up value creation, and exploring the path to mass customization.

    Competitive differentiation means that ZTE can provide unique and optimal solutions, and hence stand out from the competition. When delivering 5G solutions for verticals, it is important to determine whether 5G technology is indispensable, or whether the 5G-powered solutions have unparalleled advantages over others. This is how competitive differentiation can be sustained.

    As for speeding up value creation in the early stage of 5G application, it is important to focus on customers’ pain points and distinctive needs in fragmented scenarios. On this basis, ZTE can explore more scenarios in different fields, so as to accelerate the development of 5G application in the to-B field.

    To achieve higher profitability, mass customization is the optimal choice. This is why ZTE aims to build underlying capabilities of digital infrastructure and component-based cloud capabilities. Through flexible orchestration of such capabilities, agile innovation can be implemented, meeting the requirements of different applications in various scenarios. In addition, this allows ZTE to continue to build successful experience across different scenarios and consolidate a strong digital foundation, to enable rapid iteration and continuous evolution.

    Evolving consumer expectations drive 5G application in the to-C field, and joint efforts are required for building the infrastructure and ecosystem

    The rapid development of the mobile Internet is driven by evolving consumer expectations and improving human capabilities. The same will be true for the application of 5G in the to-C field. For example, consumer demands boost the development of applications that can provide real-time, immersive, and interactive audio-visual experience, such as UHD videos, AR and VR applications, and cloud gaming. This has been a trend in countries with wide 5G network coverage, including China and South Korea. With 5G technology, we can now watch live sport events with a panoramic view, freely zoom in or out, and switch between different camera positions. In this way, consumers can stay at home and enjoy personalized and immersive experiences in real time. In order to make the much talked-about metaverse a reality, we need to enhance network capabilities, computing power, and storage capabilities, for which 5G technology plays a vital role.

    To promote 5G applications in the to-C field, wide and deep network coverage is of great importance. More specifically, we need optimal, cost-effective 5G solutions that can guarantee continuous and intensive network coverage both outdoors and indoors, even on high-speed trains, airplanes, and ships. ZTE has already made many innovations in the to-C fields. In addition, easy-to-use and cost-effective terminals, together with different kinds of content services, will help give rise to improved applications in a stronger and healthier ecosystem.

    ZTE is committed to building a “1+2+3” digital ecosystem.

    The next major chapter of 5G development will start with the arrival of 5G-Advanced. While 3GPP Releases 15, 16, and 17 represent the first phase of 5G standards, 5G-Advanced marks the start of the second. Following up on 5G commercial deployment and empowerment of verticals worldwide, 5G-Advanced focuses on better user experience and more industry applications.

    In December 2021, together with its industry partners, 3GPP approved a work package for its Release 18, marking the start of 5G-Advanced evolution. The work package includes 28 study or work items in a variety of scenarios, including eMBB, real-time interactive new media, network intelligence, IoT featuring high-precision positioning and low power consumption, IIoT, integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), fused location, and satellite-cellular network integration. These efforts will bring us brand new capabilities, applications, and experiences. Toward 5G-Advanced, ZTE will continuously work with industry partners to promote technological innovation and industrial transformation.

    To gain a firm foothold in this process of network evolution, ZTE is always committed to building a “1+2+3″ digital ecosystem, looking to address key pain points and create greater value for customers.

    So what exactly is ”1+2+3”?

    “1” refers to a solid foundation consisting of chipsets, algorithms, and architectures. ZTE continuously strengthens its foundation to gain momentum for growth.

    “2” refers to intelligence and security, which are crucial to 5G networks and business.

    “3” refers to capability, performance, and efficiency, which should be continuously improved through innovations and are key to the prosperity of 5G.

    With the evolution to 5G-Advanced, ZTE will work with industry partners and advance technological innovations to reinvent a digital world.

    China’s 5G development will make greater contributions to global industries and markets.

    As of January 2022, a total of 1.425 million 5G base stations have been built in China, making 5G networks available in over 98% of counties and 80% of towns. Mobile 5G connections now exceed 518 million. More crucially, over 10,000 innovative 5G use cases have been created, which span the fields of manufacturing, health care, education and transportation.

    In the 5G era, China has been an active contributor in many aspects:

    • The moderately advanced pace of network construction in China has boosted the growth of the 5G industry.
    • China has continued exploring and promoting large-scale 5G application, consolidating the foundation of the entire industry.
    • China actively pushes forward the co-building and sharing of networks for higher resource efficiency.

    China has a wide range of wireless scenarios and a sound foundation provided by its digital economy, and is witnessing the growth of huge potential in consumer markets and various industries. With the moderately advanced pace of 5G network construction, excellent network coverage and guaranteed performance, China’s unique environment is set to produce a range of more applications and continuous innovation, and contribute to global industries and markets.

    Video link to Xie’s sharing at MWC22 :

    https://res-www.zte.com.cn/MediaFiles/4/F/4/%7B4F48E19C-7979-4844-861C-99C0759DA7F4%7D202204151635.mp4

     

  • Mobile money industry reached record $1 trillion in 2021

    Mobile money industry reached record $1 trillion in 2021

    Mobile money adoption and use saw continued growth in 2021, processing a record $1 trillion annually, according to the GSMA’s 10th annual “State of the industry report on mobile money”.

    The industry enjoyed a substantial increase in the number of registered accounts, up 18% since 2020 to reach 1.35 billion globally. The volume of person-to-person transactions were up to more than 1.5 million every hour. The report reveals that one of the most significant drivers of growth was merchant payments, which almost doubled year on year. It also highlights how mobile money continues to act as a core pillar of financial and economic inclusion, particularly for women.

    Providing significant growth in merchant payments

    Mobile money diversified its value proposition beyond person-to-person transfers and cash-in/cash-out transactions in 2021. It is now playing an important role in the daily lives of people and businesses, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The growth of ecosystem transactions such as merchant payments, international remittances, bill payments and bulk disbursements, together with interoperable transactions, are accounting for a more significant share of the global mobile money transaction mix.

    Merchant payments were instrumental in the growth of the mobile money industry in 2021. The value of merchant payments almost doubled, reaching an average of $5.5 billion in transactions per month. Providers are demonstrating that they can attract businesses to their platform with better incentives, such as efficient remote onboarding processes. For example, since Safaricom’s M-PESA began allowing companies to register for an account online in Kenya, more than 18% of new merchants are self-onboarding.

    “2021 was the year mobile money started to really diversify to B2B services. Beyond traditional person-to-person transactions, such as transferring money to family or friends, the industry is now central in helping small businesses operate more efficiently, and serve their customers better” said Max Cuvellier, head of mobile for development, GSMA.

    Increasing financial inclusion for women

    Mobile money has also been a driving force for financial inclusion for the world’s most vulnerable, particularly women. Mobile money is empowering women to take more control over their finances and purchase goods that they urgently need. Additionally, 44% of  providers responding to the GSMA Global Adoption Survey now offer credit, savings or insurance products, creating opportunities for underserved individuals to invest in their livelihoods and futures.

    With the gender gap in mobile money account ownership raging from 7% in Kenya to 71% in Pakistan – there remain some barriers to vulnerable people benefitting from mobile money. Owning a mobile phone is an obvious pre-requisite to using mobile money, and women across LMIC’s are 7% less likely than men to own a mobile phone. Overall, 143 million fewer women own a mobile than men. Additional barriers to mobile money access include a lack of awareness of mobile money and a deficit in perceived relevance, knowledge and skills.

    While some progress has been made, the report makes clear that more must be done to address the mobile money gender gap across LMICs. Concerted action is required from policymakers, the private sector, donors and other stakeholders to learn from success stories, address the issue and ensure that existing gender inequalities are not further entrenched, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Mobile money enables access to humanitarian aid, utilities and agricultural solutions

    As highlighted in the report, in 2022, the number of people needing humanitarian assistance is predicted to soar to 274 million. Mobile money is expected to play an increasingly important role in both donations – where it makes delivery systems more efficient and transparent for humanitarian actors and donors – and the receipt of aid.

    The UN Refugee Agency sent $700 million in cash and value assistance (CVA) to 8.5 million recipients in 100 countries in 2020. They have set up digital payment programmes in 47 countries,15 of which use mobile money. In many humanitarian settings, the digitisation of CVA via mobile money has the potential to promote agency and dignity, and foster financial inclusion.

    Mobile money also helps to enable access to basic utility services and agricultural solutions in LMICs. And to ensure this work continues, the mobile industry and humanitarian sector must keep working together to advance inclusive digital and financial inclusion even further for those who need it most.

  • Huawei reports record-high net profit, solid growth in digital power, cloud and carrier businesses

    Huawei reports record-high net profit, solid growth in digital power, cloud and carrier businesses

    Huawei’s net profit recorded an all-time high in 2021, increasing 75.9% year-on-year to reach 113.7 billion yuan. However, revenue declined by 28.6% from the preceding year, totaling 636.8 billion yuan. The company’s R&D expenditure reached 142.7 billion yuan, accounting for 22.4% of total revenue, and the highest R&D amount the tech giant recorded in the past decade.

    Despite a decline in revenue, Huawei reported an increased cash flow totaling 59.7 billion yuan, while the liability ratio dropped to 57.8%.

    Speaking at Huawei’s 2021 annual report press conference, Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer noted that Huawei has a sound financial standing, where higher profitability and operating cash flow can be attributed to improved management and product portfolios.

    “The value of a company is not reflected in its financial performance, especially for a high-tech company like Huawei. Future-oriented, long-term investments can better reflect the real value of a company,” said Meng. “The real value of Huawei lies in the capabilities of the teams and platforms built with our long-term R&D investments. They are key to Huawei’s long-term sustainability and competitiveness.”

    In 2021, Huawei’s carrier business generated 281.5 billion yuan in revenue, accounting for 44.2% of total revenue. Of which, more than half of its carrier business took place outside of China. Notable growth in Huawei’s carrier business can be attributed to 5G networks deployed for carriers in 13 countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia.

    In terms of industrial 5G applications, Huawei has signed more than 3,000 commercial contracts, with many large-scale commercial deployments across industries including manufacturing, mining, steel, port, chemical, cement, power grid, and healthcare. Leveraging its simplified site solution, renewable energy, and intelligent technologies, Huawei has helped carriers in more than 100 countries, including the Netherlands, Indonesia, Poland, and the UAE, deploy green sites.

    “Major trends such as digitalization, intelligence and carbon neutrality are the directions that will define our ongoing development,” said Guo Ping, Huawei’s rotating chairman. Citing Huawei’s recent wins for its innovative products and solutions at the MWC Barcelona, Guo added that Huawei’s digital innovations are recognized by carriers and industry peers.

    Owing to accelerated digital and intelligent transformation across industries, Huawei’s enterprise business also witnessed rapid growth. Revenue for enterprise business reached 102.4 billion yuan, accounting for 16.1% of total revenue. Specifically, new businesses including cloud services, digital power, and intelligent automotive components experienced robust growth of more than 30% in 2021.

    According to Gartner’s report on the global IaaS public cloud services market in 2020, Huawei ascended to the second spot in China, and successfully ranked 5 among the top global IaaS vendors ­– therein becoming the fastest-growing of all major vendors in Asia Pacifc and globally.

    At present, Huawei cloud spans 61 availability zones within 27 geographical regions, covering more than 170 countries. A platform used widely by both the public and private sectors, Huawei cloud reaches more than 2.3 million developers, 14,000 consulting partners, and 6,000  technological partners, serving over 4,500 cloud products in the market.

    As one of the most populous and diverse regions in the world, Asia Pacific presents huge prospects for digital transformation and digital economy growth. With more countries embracing digitalization as a national agenda, Jun Zhang, director of Huawei Asia Pacific public relations reiterated Huawei’s ambition to ramp up on delivering connectivity and intelligence, and advancing low carbon and digital inclusion initiatives.

    Addressing Huawei’s commitments to the region, Jun noted that a key priority is expanding network coverage to bridge the region’s digital divide. For instance, Huawei has deployed a new system in the Philippines, leveraging mobile devices and AI to protect rainforests from illegal logging and animal poaching. In the high-altitude and isolated Papua region, Huawei has also successfully delivered 4G connectivity to a million residents.

    In terms of providing low carbon solutions, Huawei Digital Power has helped customers in the region reduce up to 17 million tons of carbon emissions. In Singapore, for instance, Huawei supported Sunseap Group with industry-leading solar inverters to build one of the world’s largest offshore floating farms.

    To address an ICT talent shortage, Huawei will invest $50 million over the next five years to train 500,000 ICT talent in the region. In Malaysia, Huawei will establish the Women’s Leadership Foundation (WLF) to impart skills in business analytics, AI, big data and blockchain to 2,500 women. In the next three years, Huawei will also commit about $100 million to its Spark program to grow the region’s start-up ecosystem.

    Recognizing that innovation is key to maintaining Huawei’s competitiveness, about 10% to 20% of total revenue goes into R&D each year. In the past decade, Huawei has since amassed over 845 billion yuan in R&D investments. To date, Huawei has built three research centers and five labs and innovation centers in the region.

    “We will keep investing heavily in R&D to stimulate innovation and cultivate Asia Pacific talents to continuously provide the most advanced and high-quality products and services for our clients,” Jun said. “We will continue to deliver industry-leading 5G solutions and work with our customers to build high-quality 5G networks.”

    Especially in Southeast Asia, where digital economies have been forecasted in the e-Conomy SDEA 2021 report to reach $1 trillion by 2030, Guo expressed that Huawei will invest heavily in technologies including 5G, AI, cloud, deepening cooperation with more governments and stakeholders to accelerate countries’ digital transformation journeys.

    Elaborating on Huawei’s partnership with Indonesia, the largest economy in ASEAN, Guo said, “In spite of the ongoing pandemic, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan took the time to visit Huawei in person at the end of last year. During our meeting, we discussed areas in which Huawei can work with Indonesia, like ICT infrastructure and digital transformation, particularly 5G, cloud infrastructure, and the construction of its new capital city.”

    Elsewhere, Huawei has invested approximately $15 million to develop a 5G ecosystem innovation center in Thailand. More notably, Huawei jointly launched Thailand’s Siriraj World Class 5G Smart Hospital, ASEAN’s first 5G smart hospital. This year, Huawei and Siriraj Hospital will establish a joint innovation lab to incubate over 30 innovative 5G applications.

    Huawei will channel investments in three key areas, namely system architecture, architecture optimization and software performance improvement, and theoretical exploration. Establishing a highly trustworthy and reliable supply chain is also important in today’s challenging climate.

    For its global carriers and enterprise customers, Huawei will work toward building green, simplified, and intelligent ICT infrastructure and facilitate digital transformation in all industries. ICT technologies will be integrated across industry scenarios to meet differentiated customer requirements.

    Moving forward, Guo stressed that “Huawei will advance its journey of digitalization, intelligent transformation, and low carbon.

  • China Telecom reports record double-digit growth in 2021

    China Telecom reports record double-digit growth in 2021

    China Telecom’s “Cloudification and digital transformation” strategy has paid off. In 2021, China Telecom’s net profit reached RMB25,948 million, representing an increase of 24.5% year-on-year. Operating revenues amounted to RMB439.6 billion, growing by 11.7% over the preceding year.

    In 2021, the company implemented its “Cloudification and digital transformation” strategy, developed integrated intelligent information services with a customer-oriented approach, and built core sci-tech innovation capabilities and the new information infrastructure. The company also established industrial and capital ecologies featuring strong alliances and open cooperation, while carrying out system and mechanism reforms, achieving new results in high-quality development.

    China Telecom continued to enhance its 5G coverage and network quality, innovated e-surfing cloud handset device ecology, enriched the 5G application and privilege portfolio, and launched 5G cloud packages. The company optimized the service experience for users through ultimate convergence, facilitated the upgrade of individuals’ demands for emerging information consumption, continued to unleash the new round of data traffic benefits, and propelled the scale and value enhancement of its mobile subscribers.

    In 2021, mobile communication service revenues reached RMB184.2 billion, representing an increase of 4.9% from the previous year. The total number of subscribers reached 372 million, with subscribers’ net addition maintaining the industry-leading position for four consecutive years. Meanwhile, the penetration rate of 5G package subscribers reached 50.4%, maintaining the industry-leading position.

    Combining cloud, security, 5G, data, and intelligence, China Telecom developed scene-based integrated intelligent solutions and proactively empowered the transformation and upgrades of traditional industries. In 2021, revenue from industrial digitalization reached RMB98.9 billion, representing year-on-year growth of 19.4%.

    On 20 August 2021, the company successfully listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, leveraging wider financing channels to expand ecological cooperation and implement more flexible incentive measures.

    Chairman Ke noted that China Telecom has had a promising start under the “14th Five-Year Plan” in 2021. In 2022, the company will seize opportunities arising from the development of the digital economy, putting all efforts into promoting high-quality development and jointly creating a new pattern for the information and communications industry.

  • Malaysia confirms utilizing SWN model for 5G implementation

    Malaysia confirms utilizing SWN model for 5G implementation

    The Malaysian government is sticking to its plan of deploying 5G through a single wholesale network (SWN). In a joint statement from the ministries of finance and communications and multimedia, up to 70% equity in the wholly state-owned 5G company, Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), will be available to telcos.

    Malaysian finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz emphasized that the maintenance of the SWN model is the government’s firm stance on policy continuity. “The implementation of 5G will drive the country’s socio-economic transformation and this is estimated to contribute RM 659 billion to the value of GDP until 2030,” Aziz explained.

    The finalized decision has come in contrast to the concerns among wireless carriers that a single, shared 5G network could hamper digital competitiveness. Nonetheless, the government will retain a 30% equity stake in DNB while the majority of the stakes are intended for operators. It is worthy to note that this special-purpose vehicle company was established in early March 2021 to drive 5G infrastructure development in Malaysia.

    Accessing DNB’s 5G network is estimated to cost less than what major local telecom operators such as Celcom Axiata, Digi, Maxis, and U Mobile have incurred during 4G rollouts. In line with this, DNB has offered free 5G services to service providers until March 31 as part of its commercial trial. Aiming to achieve 80% coverage of populated areas by 2024, the trial is bound to be extended until June 30 to allow more operators to sign up.

    Access to high-quality 5G services would accelerate the recovery of the post-pandemic Malaysian economy. Moreover, “the SWN model will help bridge the urban-rural digital divide to enable all Malaysians to enjoy high-quality 5G services and be widely available to them through telecommunications companies,” said Malaysian communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa.

    In retrospect, the Malaysian government refused the prior recommendation of having a dual wholesale network (DWN) model and selected Ericsson to develop the country’s 5G network infrastructure.

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  • Singtel launches industry’s first all-in-one platform for enterprise 5G edge computing and cloud services

    Singtel launches industry’s first all-in-one platform for enterprise 5G edge computing and cloud services

    Singtel expands its offering for the enterprise market with the launch of Paragon, a revolutionary platform that aggregates networks, edge computing, public cloud, and applications ecosystems to accelerate enterprises’ digital transformation.

    Offering an all-in-one solution for digital transformation, Paragon seamlessly aggregates and manages low-latency networks and edge cloud resources, allowing enterprises to tap on Singtel’s 5G network to securely deploy applications across the edge at Singtel MEC and a public cloud of choice. Through a single interface, enterprises can activate network slices on demand, deploy mission-critical applications on Singtel MEC and access a robust ecosystem of partner applications.

    This significantly reduces the complexity and time needed to adopt 5G MEC and low-latency applications and services, giving enterprises the agility, flexibility, and scalability needed to transform operations and adapt to new business models in a digital economy.

    “Many enterprises are undergoing rapid digitalization while exploring and developing tailored 5G solutions for deployment in their industries. We understand the challenges and complexities that they face in managing the various networks, edge cloud applications, and services with the required cyber security, resiliency, and demanding service assurances required, cost-effectively. Paragon was conceived, developed, and delivered to help enterprises meet these needs through a single platform,” said Bill Chang, chief executive officer, group enterprise, Singtel.

    One-stop digital transformation platform and strong 5G MEC ecosystem

    Developed in-house, Paragon empowers enterprises to adopt Singtel’s 5G network to deploy their edge computing applications and services independently, securely, and within minutes. These capabilities are bundled on the platform to provide enterprises a unified experience, delivering always-on connectivity and low latency with high bandwidth throughout to support industry 5G use cases including advanced logistics and manufacturing, smart transportation, and real-time fleet management and monitoring.

    Network 5G slices can be created almost instantly, autonomously, and as many times as needed. A network slice can be utilized only when needed for an intended duration to ensure cost optimization. Since enterprises pay only for what they use, Paragon reduces the operational and costs overhead otherwise incurred by businesses.

    For enterprises, the benefits are a shorter innovation curve and time-to-market, as well as better performance and faster decision-making at the edge, critical for use cases including autonomous systems like robotics, drones, and vehicles, immersive, video-rich experiences and powerful real-time edge AI use cases. Already, Paragon is being deployed for testbeds in the public sector. For instance, 5G trial uses cases are underway at Singapore’s Sentosa to bring the about built environment and tourism transformations.

    Through the Paragon Marketplace, which operates as an app store, Singtel’s ecosystem of partners can integrate their offerings through a robust industry-standard application programming interface (API) to rapidly build and deploy their solutions on the platform. As such, existing cloud-based 4G applications can migrate to 5G with ease. On the other end, end customers can easily source and adopt applications that solve their business challenges.

    Plans are in the pipeline to scale Paragon regionally and globally with other telcos. Partners on board Paragon can extend their solutions to multiple markets. Through the Singtel Partner Programme, Singtel aims to co-create and test more innovative solutions, driving wider 5G adoption across markets to bring forward a 5G future.

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  • Ooredoo Group Returns to Mobile World Congress 2022 as Telecoms Industry Continues Progress in Post-Pandemic New Normal

    Ooredoo Group Returns to Mobile World Congress 2022 as Telecoms Industry Continues Progress in Post-Pandemic New Normal

    Ooredoo, one of the world’s leading providers of ICT and a 5G pioneer, is to return to Mobile World Congress 2022 as the event resumes at the end of February.

    The key themes for this year’s event are 5G Connect, Advancing AI, Cloud Net, FinTech, Internet of Everything and Tech Horizon. In line with these themes, Ooredoo will update the industry on the many exciting developments it has been working on since the last edition of MWC, and will share exciting news of its latest partnerships, products and solutions.

    One such partnership is with FIFA, with Ooredoo Qatar being selected by the sports giant and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy to provide a global network connecting Doha with various points of presence in Europe and Asia. The telco leader will explain how it is to build a dedicated multi-100Gig network that will offer broadcasters the quality and resiliency required for broadcast-grade video production, with media rights licensees being offered optimised resilient media solutions.

    Ooredoo Qatar will also share details of a groundbreaking solution, developed in partnership with technology giants Ericsson and Nokia, that will revolutionise connectivity for customers in the oil and gas industry. Having identified that such customers needed to replace older technology with a solution that facilitated connectivity in remote, challenging locations such as those offshore, Ooredoo and its partners developed a dedicated LTE network that would provide high-availability voice and data services to support oil and gas applications and operations in such remote locations beyond the normal fixed and mobile network footprint.

    In addition, the company will update the telecoms industry on its exciting venture into eSports, sharing details on its own eSports brand, Ooredoo Nation – Gamers’ Land. Recent developments include the launch of gaming Add-ons for postpaid plans; the launch of Channel 0, a dedicated gaming channel on Ooredoo tv; the latest Ooredoo Arena tournaments; and the signing of a partnership with Dell Technologies to provide sponsorship that will contribute to the eSports scene in Qatar and the region.

    Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Managing Director and CEO, Ooredoo Group, said: “We are delighted to once again be participating in Mobile World Congress, the most important international event in our industry. As a pioneer in 5G, with a strategic commitment to investment in innovation and technology, we have several exciting developments to announce at the event, in line with the key themes. We look forward to sharing our experience and expertise, and to discovering news from our peers and the industry.”

  • Fourth radio interface technology added to 5G standards

    Fourth radio interface technology added to 5G standards

    Members of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have approved the fourth technology as part of ongoing standards development for 5G mobile services.

    Known as “DECT 5G-SRIT”, the new technology supports a range of uses, from wireless telephony and audio streaming to the industrial Internet of Things (IoT) applications, particularly in smart cities. It was added in the first revision to ITU’s key recommendation IMT-2020, which broadly encompasses fifth-generation, or 5G, networks, services, and devices.

    This ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) Recommendation – providing a set of global technical 5G standards – reflects continual consultation and discussion among governments, companies, regulators, and other stakeholders dealing with radiocommunication worldwide.

    Along with fostering connectivity across borders, ITU promotes the global rollout of 5G as a key driver to achieve the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

    “New and emerging technologies like 5G will be essential to build an inclusive, sustainable future for all people, communities, and countries,” said ITU’s secretary-general, Houlin Zhao. “Under the ongoing International Mobile Telecommunications or IMT program, our diverse global membership continues its long-standing contribution to advance broadband mobile communications, furthering our mission to leave no one behind in connecting the world.”

    ITU – the United Nations agency entrusted with coordinating radio-frequency spectrum worldwide – has published the specifications for the new technology as RecommendationITU-R M.2150-1.

    The technology is designed to provide a slim but strong technical foundation for wireless applications deployed in a range of use cases, from cordless telephony to audio streaming, and from professional audio applications to the industrial Internet of Things (IoT) applications, such as building automation and monitoring.
    The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) laid the essential groundwork jointly with the DECT Forum, a worldwide association of the digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT) or wireless technology industry.

    ITU’s radiocommunication director, Mario Maniewicz, said: “The highly collaborative process involves substantial input from and coordination with the ITU Member States, equipment manufacturers, network operators, standards development organizations, and the academic community. ITU provides a unique global framework to discuss the capabilities of new radio technologies.”

    Andreas Zipp, chairman of the DECT Forum, welcomed the addition of the new technology to IMT-2020. “Inclusion as part of ITU’s global 5G standards affirms the significance of this technology moving forward,” he said

    Other candidate radio interface technologies underwent the international mobile telecommunication (IMT) evaluation process over the past year, although only one qualified to be added at this stage.

    The revised IMT-2020 recommendation now includes the new standard, which European standards developers recognized could support 5G uptake everywhere.
    “The ETSI DECT standard received IMT-2000 approval more than twenty years ago,” noted ETSI’s chief technical officer, Adrian Scrase. “5G therefore presented an ideal opportunity to develop this new, non-cellular, radio standard, which is particularly suited for smart meters, Industry 4.0, building management systems, logistics and smart cities.”

    Based on the requirements set out in ITU’s evaluation process, the radio interface technology demonstrates worldwide compatibility in terms of operation, equipment, and roaming. Italso addresses the ultra-reliable low latency (URLLC) capability stipulated by IMT-2020 – the underlying global coordination framework for so-called 5G services.

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  • ZTE and China Mobile launch SPN intelligent fault diagnosis system

    ZTE and China Mobile launch SPN intelligent fault diagnosis system

    ZTE Corporation and the Liaoning branch of China Mobile have verified the rule/policy-based SPN intelligent fault diagnosis system on the intelligent management, control and analysis platform ZENIC ONE (UME) and deployed it across Liaoning province in China.

    4GThe system, jointly developed by ZTE and China Mobile, orchestrates the policies for the diagnosis flow through innovative flexible programming of fault diagnosis rules. Thereby, the intelligent management and control system can quickly respond to and meet the requirements of O&M staff to implement minute-level fault location.

    In traditional PTN/SPN network operation, it is difficult to develop alarm-relativeness rules, so the location of substantial faults depends on the experience of senior O&M engineers. The diagnosis usually takes several hours with low efficiency. ZTE has found a new way of fault diagnosis to flexibly orchestrate diagnosis rules and policies in accordance with service scenarios to improve the efficiency of fault diagnosis and location.

    Based on the cloud native and microservice architecture of the ZENIC ONE (UME), ZTE integrates the SPN intelligent fault diagnosis system onto the ZENIC ONE (UME) as an independent tool. This system uses the knowledge graph to build the diagnosis rules and develop the diagnosis process through a series of atomized diagnosis rules, which can be independently programmed by Drools. At the same time, the system adopts the jBPM workflow graphs and flexibly orchestrate rules and policies for different service scenarios, thereby enabling one-touch fast fault diagnosis and location of 4G and 5G base stations backhaul services.

    ZTE and China Mobile have verified the fault diagnosis function of the system in 4G and 5G base station backhaul service interruption and packet loss scenarios on the existing network in Liaoning province. The faults are successfully located through backtracking and review of faults history. The fault location time is shortened from hours to minutes, and the graphical diagnosis policies and flows are completed by one touch. The system significantly reduces the O&M difficulty in existing network and highly improves the O&M efficiency.

    Moving forward, ZTE and China Mobile will continue using AI technologies to promote system self-learning and enrich application scenarios such as mobile apps. On this basis, both parties will further implement closed-loop management from fault diagnosis to automatic service recovery, and push autonomous networks to evolve its service guarantee capability from L2 to L3.

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  • Telenor sale could endanger Myanmar activists

    Telenor sale could endanger Myanmar activists

    The sale of Telenor’s Myanmar subsidiary could place the personal data of its 18 million customers in the junta’s hands. As Telenor finalizes the sale of its Myanmar business to a military-linked group, concerns have been raised that sensitive data will be infringed and that families of activists in hiding will be put in harm’s way.

    According to sources, the sale will be completed by 15 February. Last July, Telenor announced that its Myanmar subsidiary would be sold to Lebanon’s financial firm, M1 Group. Military-linked Shwe Byain Phyu was later known to be a co-investor in the sale approved by the junta.

    Justice for Myanmar has since urged the Norwegian government to intervene in the sale. There had been reports that the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC), ruled by the junta, had made more than 200 requests to Telenor for information including records of calls, over the past year.

    Telenor has since said that customers in Myanmar are handled by Telenor Myanmar and that Norwegian or EU data protection regulations do not apply to its subsidiary.

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  • Singtel partners with Microsoft their first public MEC solution in Asia

    Singtel partners with Microsoft their first public MEC solution in Asia

    Singtel will launch the first Microsoft Azure Edge Zones integrated with Singtel’s 5G network, delivering multi-access edge compute (MEC) for enterprises in Asia. The solution combines the speed, hyperconnectivity, and high bandwidth of Singtel’s 5G network with Microsoft Azure services, enabling developers to deploy and manage mission-critical applications that require high throughput and low latency. It will boost business capabilities in areas such as metaverse-based real-time simulations, and live video analytics in a multi-tenant environment. Customers will be able to use their existing Azure subscriptions.

    Bill Chang, chief executive officer, group enterprise at Singtel said, “This collaboration is a key milestone for edge computing in Asia. We’re always looking for ways to support enterprises in leveraging the potential of 5G for digital transformation to drive innovation for the benefit of consumers, business users and entire industries. This solution enables enterprises to streamline the integration of 5G and MEC into business operations, facilitate the development of new solutions, and scale and transform their business.”

    In addition to running low-latency applications at the edge using Singtel’s 5G network, the solution has the potential to transform operations in sectors such as public safety, urban planning, healthcare, banking, civil service, transportation and logistics. It also offers public sector customers high security and better performance for end-users, enabling new intelligent edge scenarios.

    Customers can leverage these capabilities, only paying for the amount of compute and storage they use for the duration which they use it, replicating the cloud consumption model at the network edge and saving on additional operational overhead.

    Dr. Yousef Khalidi, corporate vice president Azure for operators, Microsoft said, “With Azure for operators, Singtel empowers its customers to unlock business value at the network edge. The integration of Azure compute services with Singtel’s 5G network will enable enterprises and developers to provide low-latency applications across industries such as public sector and healthcare.”

    The solution will be publicly available in the second half of 2022 for Azure customers in Singapore through the Azure portal to rapidly develop, test and deploy 5G applications such as autonomous guided vehicles, drones, robotics and virtual, augmented or mixed reality, at the edge of Singtel’s 5G network. Government agencies and enterprises of all sizes that have built their business applications and operations on Microsoft Azure’s plug-and-play cloud computing service can conveniently leverage the benefits of 5G and MEC as well.

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  • CITIC Telecom CPC appoints new CEO

    CITIC Telecom CPC appoints new CEO

    CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited (CITIC Telecom CPC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited, announced that Brook Wong, vice president of CITIC Telecom has been appointed to the additional role of chief executive officer of CITIC Telecom CPC effective 1st February, 2022, succeeding Esmond Li who has decided to retire and step down from CEO of CITIC Telecom CPC after over 20 years of service in the Group.

    “Wong has long been a visionary in telecommunications, applying his tremendous insight, depth of experience, and passion for technology to the cause of creating the innovative and intelligent future,” said Frank Cai, vice chairman of CITIC Telecom CPC. “We are delighted to welcome Wong to CITIC Telecom CPC, and I’m confident that he will lead the team to continue pursuing our motto ‘Innovation Never Stops’ and to win in this fast-changing, dynamic industry. I believe that all of us will benefit from his leadership and expertise.”Wong is the vice president of CITIC Telecom, overseeing China market since 2008. He has extensive leadership experience working with various telecommunications companies. An expert in developing and executing strategies for the Greater China market. His ability to see the big picture, from crucial market development to macro strategic perspectives, will be invaluable to CITIC Telecom CPC’s customers.

    “I am honored and truly proud to be appointed to lead CITIC Telecom CPC. Under all the former managements’ leadership and accomplishments, together with its innovation, technology, and talents, it lays a solid foundation for a leading DICT service partner around the globe. We are committed to delivering the most innovative and intelligent solutions to propel the ICT industry forward,” said Wong. “Over the 14 years I have worked at CITIC Telecom, I have seen the many ways in which our people, product, and service create a rapidly growing and innovative company. I look forward to working closely with the management and the team, to continue promoting our company culture of ‘unity, collaboration, tolerance and caring’, to lead and accelerate CITIC Telecom CPC to be ‘best-in-class global-local intelligent DICT service partner”, to foster customer-oriented corporate culture, create a win-win situation with our partners, and strive for new heights.”

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