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Tag: telecom

  • ZTE reveals innovative 5G devices at MWC 2021

    ZTE reveals innovative 5G devices at MWC 2021

    ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise, and consumer technology solutions for the mobile internet, today has revealed its next-generation 5G Indoor CPE MC8020, and shared its plans for the next under-display camera smartphone at Mobile World Congress 2021. Also, ZTE’s much-awaited devices can be seen at Mobile World Congress from 28 June through 1 July 2021 at 3F30, Hall 3, FIRA GRAN VIA.

    ZTE is integrating its capabilities and expertise across handsets, mobile broadband, terminal chipset modules, and peripheral products to create a smarter 5G ecosystem. A variety of 5G products will be applied into four major application scenarios, specifically health, travel, education and entertainment.

    During Mobile World Congress, attendees can experience the connected 5G ecosystem through products on display, including the ZTE 5G Portable CPE MU5001, ZTE 5G Indoor CPE MC8020, ZTE Watch GT, ZTE LiveBuds and more.

    ZTE is globally recognized for industry-leading 5G terminal devices and technical innovations such as its flagship smartphone ZTE Axon Series.

    The newly launched ZTE Axon 30 Ultra ushers in the next era of mobile imaging technology with its Trinity Camera System, consisting of three 64MP cameras and an 8MP periscope zoom camera. Its high-powered system leverages the triple cameras to achieve new possibilities, such as capturing simultaneous shots for narrative-level storytelling, taking full-focus photos from long, medium, and close-up distance with one click.

    Soon, ZTE will unveil the second-generation under-display camera smartphone, marking another breakthrough in under-display technologies that aims to enhance the display experience.

    The third-generation ZTE 5G Indoor CPE MC8020 supports both 5G SA and NSA modes, as well as Sub-6GHz and mmWave spectrum bands. Featuring the exclusive zlink Boost technology, the device enables dual-path convergence of 5G and wired broadband, allowing dual gigabit access.

    Additionally, the ZTE 5G Indoor CPE MC8020 employs the latest Wi-Fi 6 AX5400 access technology, delivering 200 percent faster access speed than that of the previous generation. The four-way omnidirectional high-gain antenna provides a high-speed 5G network for up to 128 Wi-Fi users simultaneously.

    Since the official appointment of Ni Fei as the new CEO of ZTE Mobile Devices, ZTE has gathered customer and industry insights to address pain points and ride big industry trends, accelerating the rollouts of innovative and highly-recognized products.

    ZTE also integrated its three major smartphone brands, ZTE, Nubia and RedMagic. The integration brought the Nubia Z30 back to market with its heritage of innovation. Furthermore, in partnership with Tencent, ZTE has rolled out the new RedMagic 6, one of the most powerful gaming smartphones in the market.

    ZTE has been investing in its brand with an eye set on next generation and the use of 5G. Most recently, ZTE has collaborated with the Director Zhang Yimou to produce high-quality television spots and appointed the famed Liu Haocun as ZTE’s new brand ambassador.

    ZTE plans to strengthen its direct-to-consumer relationships through offline retail sites. The company is stepping up construction of offline channels with plans to build 5,000 retail sites by the end of 2021. ZTE has completed construction of 3,000 ones to date. Shoppers can visit ZTE’s first 5G experience store in Shenzhen this summer.

    In Q1 2021 , ZTE’s consumer business has achieved year-on-year revenue growth of more than 60% largely driven by the integration of brand, product, and channel – a reply to ZTE’s strategic return to the terminal market.

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  • Rakuten Mobile partners Cisco to advance network for 5G and IoT services

    Rakuten Mobile partners Cisco to advance network for 5G and IoT services

    Cisco and Rakuten Mobile, Inc. today announced a major milestone for Rakuten Mobile’s network infrastructure in support of efforts to build a better, more inclusive internet for the future.

    Rakuten Mobile operates the world first’s fully cloud-native mobile network. It launched 4G service in Japan in April 2020, and launched 5G non-standalone (NSA) services in September 2020 in record time. With four million subscribers today, Rakuten Mobile continues to advance and scale its network to support new demands driven by the growth of remote and mobile workers.

    With the implementation of Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6) and Cisco Routed Optical Networking, Rakuten Mobile plans to expand its capabilities to support enterprise customers with 5G and IoT services. To support its future 5G SA services with network slicing capabilities, Rakuten Mobile will introduce SRv6 micro-segments, an extension to the SRv6 network programming model that is key to addressing multi-domain 5G deployments across its network. Cisco Customer Experience (CX) will plan and implement the overall architecture and design.

    Transitioning to SRv6 will help Rakuten Mobile increase network resiliency and support a wider range of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that are foundational for upcoming 5G and IoT services. With Cisco Routed Optical Networking, Rakuten Mobile can consolidate coherent pluggable optics into a router, making the entire network more automated to deploy services faster (from 100 days down to 40), reduce power consumption by nearly 30 percent, and increase profitability through high-quality services at a competitive price.

    “Reimagining mobile networking is at the very heart of Rakuten Mobile’s strategy, and our decision to go full-speed ahead on SRv6 and Cisco Routed Optical Networking demonstrates our effort to take advantage of technology innovation at every layer of the stack,” said Tareq Amin, Chief Technology Officer, Rakuten Mobile. “We knew that Cisco would walk in lock-step with us as we worked through each phase needed to implement this new technology and align it to our business goals.”

    “Cisco and Rakuten Mobile are on a path to profoundly change the way network infrastructure is built, in order to connect as many people as possible to quality internet services,” said Jonathan Davidson, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Mass-Scale Infrastructure Group, Cisco. “Rakuten Mobile continues to mark important milestones to take its network to the next-level, and together we are showcasing the blueprint for the internet for the future to support our world of wireless and cloud- powered experiences.”

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  • The role of telecoms in a growing big data analytics market

    The role of telecoms in a growing big data analytics market

    In today’s data-driven world, more organizations are investing in big data analytics to improve business performance and build business resiliency as the world experiences unprecedented digitalization.

    According to IDC, big data and analytics (BDA) spending in the Asia-Pacific region, has been on the rise. In 2020, revenue for BDA solutions reached US$22.6 billion, representing a growth of 12% from the preceding year. IDC predicts that this revenue will grow with a five-year CAGR of 15.6% for the period from 2019 to 2024.

    Banking is the top vertical leading the overall BDA market, followed by the telecommunications sector, where big data analytics has been applied to predictive customer churn analysis, for instance.

    Since telecom operators handle billions of records every day, the use of big data converts raw data into meaningful insights that are valuable to enterprises and the government.

    In the region, China accounts for the largest share of the BDA solutions market, driven by banking and state and local government. Even Chinese factories have turned to big data to focus on the domestic market when exports were disrupted last year. When overseas demand dropped and China was at the height of the pandemic, factories turned to e-commerce giants like Alibaba and JD.com to track consumer behaviors. Within just three months, Alibaba successfully helped 300,000 Chinese export factories to focus on local consumers.

    To secure tech supremacy, China is investing heavily in emerging innovations. Last month, China’s state media announced a US$3 billion plan to build a supercomputing center to analyze data obtained from space by the end of the year. The center will provide big data services for industries such as the aerospace and marine sectors as early as next year.

    Taking cues from the central government, companies are also investing in big data. Last month, tech giant Tencent and venture capital firm Sequoia China led a US$25 million funding round in a Chinese big data startup to capitalize on global digitalization efforts.

    In Malaysia, where big data analysis is still in its early stages, IDC has forecasted that the BDA market will grow from US$1.1 billion in 2021 to US$1.9 billion in 2025. In this research commissioned by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), findings show that the services sector will dominate the BDA market, contributing 64% of total spending, followed by banking and telecommunications, with both contributing to a third.

    Malaysia has plans to become a regional data hub leader, with capabilities such as big data, IoT and AI. Last month, Microsoft announced that it is establishing its first data center in Malaysia’s Greater Kuala Lumpur area. Estimated to cost US$1 billion, this investment is expected to create 19,000 jobs and generate US$4.6 billion in revenue for Malaysia.

    New revenue sources across sectors
    Amid big data growth and advances in big data analytics, global telecom operators are well-positioned to take advantage to compete. Apart from transforming customer experiences within to reduce customer churn and improve operational efficiency, the telecommunications industry is in a unique position to mine the sheer volume of data for other sectors as data becomes a key differentiator to stand out among competition.

    Insights into big data present telecom operators monetization opportunities when offered to organizations across increasing industries that are recognizing its perks. Such industries include logistics and shipping, as well as the retail industry.

    In the logistics industry, for instance, historic data and pattern analysis that take into consideration seasons and cycles can be used for predictive analytics. Insights from data can be used to predict future volumes, route planning using real-time analytics on weather and traffic conditions for route optimization, and more efficient dispatch of transportation vehicles to prevent delays. Predictive analysis also enables robotic systems to scale inventory management in warehouses as needed. Essentially, big data analytics offers visibility and transparency throughout the supply chain so that firms can better respond to immediate real-time information for smoother operations.

    Big data also promotes client segmentation and target marketing to attract and retain existing clients in the retail sector. For example, telecom operators can run analytics on consumer data that are sought after by retailers to enhance existing targeted marketing campaigns. More specifically, behavior analytics carried out by telecom operators can help retailers connect with their buyers both online and offline and decide if it is worthwhile opening a store or franchise in a particular precinct.

    Given that the telecommunications industry is inextricably linked to organizations in today’s digital age, data-driven insights are an important driver for the continued relevance and prosperity of organizations across diverse sectors. The onus is on telecommunications operators to tap on this growth area.

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  • Inmarsat joins effort for telecommunications and navigation systems for lunar missions

    Inmarsat joins effort for telecommunications and navigation systems for lunar missions

    Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, will be a key member of a new consortium led by Telespazio to study the development of a satellite navigation and communications network that supports future missions to the Moon. Funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), this project will explore creating a single system that would serve all lunar missions, drastically reducing the cost of each trip that would no longer need its own infrastructure to be developed. The system would provide connectivity and navigation to both crewed and uncrewed missions.

    Project Moonlight is ESA’s program to explore, with industry, how to develop telecommunications and navigation systems to support future planned lunar missions. An industry consortium will study how a future Lunar Communications and Navigation Satellite (LCNS) constellation could work. This study will research demand from potential users and build a business case for future development of the system. The study will also provide a technical concept for the LCNS that fits within this overall business case.

    Within the consortium, Inmarsat will be responsible for researching and collating the requirements from potential users of the system, in both the public and private sectors, who have lunar ambitions. In addition, Inmarsat will design the LCNS ground segment.

    “Providing communication and navigation capabilities around the Moon is a major challenge, both technically and commercially,” said Yasrine Ibnyahya, Senior Director, Advanced Concepts and Technologies at Inmarsat. “But I strongly believe that the expertise and assets from Inmarsat and our partners can solve this challenge in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Communications and navigation are both core capabilities of Inmarsat’s Earth operations in orbit and on the ground, so it is only natural that we expand our reach and leverage our know-how beyond our planet to the Moon.

    “This lunar project is only the first step to unlock future opportunities. It can become the hub to facilitate human space exploration, further technology developments and perhaps access to new resources.”

    Because missions could rely on this dedicated telecommunications and navigation service, they would also be lighter. This would create space to allow more scientific instruments or other cargo to be carried.

    Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: “People all over the world will be hugely excited by the upcoming missions to the Moon – and I’m proud that it is UK space companies who are leading the way in making these become a reality. Britain’s expertise in navigation and telecommunications is second to none and this first of its kind commercial service – spearheaded by some of the UK’s most innovative businesses – demonstrates our ambition for the UK to become a world- leading space nation.”

    An accurate and reliable telecommunications and navigation service would also enable missions to land anywhere on the Moon. Rovers and other lunar installations could be operated from Earth. Radio astronomers could set up observatories on the far side of the Moon.

    Nick Shave, Vice President of Strategic Programmes for Inmarsat Global Government, said: “Project Moonlight opens up multiple possibilities to accelerate and diversify lunar exploration. It’s not inconceivable that, alongside vital operational uses, this satellite network could also provide a critical welfare service, such as allowing astronauts to relax by sending WhatsApp messages home from the Moon or even catching up on Netflix in orbit. The Inmarsat team is very excited to get to work engaging with potential users of the system, to use their insights and our expertise to deliver a strong recommendation to ESA so that this once in a lifetime opportunity can be delivered for all humankind.”

    ESA has awarded funding to the consortium to cover the next stage of project development over 17 months and industry has also contributed to the project.

    Large mission integrator Telespazio is the prime for this project with TAS the nominated satellite manufacturer.

    Inmarsat participated in the initial phase 0 of this project in 2018 and 2019, performing a preliminary feasibility analysis of a Lunar Communication and Navigation System with ESA and partners. The company is now involved in the deeper analysis as part of the Moonlight initiative.

    Upon completion of this 17 month study phase, ESA will then review the study to inform how to implement the next stage, including satellite and ground segment procurement, in late 2022.

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  • The role of telecoms in a growing big data analytics market

    The role of telecoms in a growing big data analytics market

    In today’s data-driven world, more organizations are investing in big data analytics to improve business performance and build business resiliency as the world experiences unprecedented digitalization.

    According to IDC, big data and analytics (BDA) spending in the Asia-Pacific region, has been on the rise. In 2020, revenue for BDA solutions reached US$22.6 billion, representing a growth of 12% from the preceding year. IDC predicts that this revenue will grow with a five-year CAGR of 15.6% for the period from 2019 to 2024.

    Banking is the top vertical leading the overall BDA market, followed by the telecommunications sector, where big data analytics has been applied to predictive customer churn analysis, for instance.

    Since telecom operators handle billions of records every day, the use of big data converts raw data into meaningful insights that are valuable to enterprises and the government.

    In the region, China accounts for the largest share of the BDA solutions market, driven by banking and state and local government. Even Chinese factories have turned to big data to focus on the domestic market when exports were disrupted last year. When overseas demand dropped and China was at the height of the pandemic, factories turned to e-commerce giants like Alibaba and JD.com to track consumer behaviors. Within just three months, Alibaba successfully helped 300,000 Chinese export factories to focus on local consumers.

    To secure tech supremacy, China is investing heavily in emerging innovations. Last month, China’s state media announced a US$3 billion plan to build a supercomputing center to analyze data obtained from space by the end of the year. The center will provide big data services for industries such as the aerospace and marine sectors as early as next year.

    Taking cues from the central government, companies are also investing in big data. Last month, tech giant Tencent and venture capital firm Sequoia China led a US$25 million funding round in a Chinese big data startup to capitalize on global digitalization efforts.

    In Malaysia, where big data analysis is still in its early stages, IDC has forecasted that the BDA market will grow from US$1.1 billion in 2021 to US$1.9 billion in 2025. In this research commissioned by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), findings show that the services sector will dominate the BDA market, contributing 64% of total spending, followed by banking and telecommunications, with both contributing to a third.

    Malaysia has plans to become a regional data hub leader, with capabilities such as big data, IoT and AI. Last month, Microsoft announced that it is establishing its first data center in Malaysia’s Greater Kuala Lumpur area. Estimated to cost US$1 billion, this investment is expected to create 19,000 jobs and generate US$4.6 billion in revenue for Malaysia.

    New revenue sources across sectors
    Amid big data growth and advances in big data analytics, global telecom operators are well-positioned to take advantage to compete. Apart from transforming customer experiences within to reduce customer churn and improve operational efficiency, the telecommunications industry is in a unique position to mine the sheer volume of data for other sectors as data becomes a key differentiator to stand out among the competition.

    Insights into big data present telecom operators’ monetization opportunities when offered to organizations across increasing industries that are recognizing its perks. Such industries include logistics and shipping, as well as the retail industry.

    In the logistics industry, for instance, historic data and pattern analysis that take into consideration seasons and cycles can be used for predictive analytics. Insights from data can be used to predict future volumes, route planning using real-time analytics on weather and traffic conditions for route optimization, and more efficient dispatch of transportation vehicles to prevent delays. Predictive analysis also enables robotic systems to scale inventory management in warehouses as needed. Essentially, big data analytics offers visibility and transparency throughout the supply chain so that firms can better respond to immediate real-time information for smoother operations.

    Big data also promotes client segmentation and target marketing to attract and retain existing clients in the retail sector. For example, telecom operators can run analytics on consumer data that are sought after by retailers to enhance existing targeted marketing campaigns. More specifically, behavior analytics carried out by telecom operators can help retailers connect with their buyers both online and offline and decide if it is worthwhile opening a store or franchise in a particular precinct.

    Given that the telecommunications industry is inextricably linked to organizations in today’s digital age, data-driven insights are an important driver for the continued relevance and prosperity of organizations across diverse sectors. The onus is on telecommunications operators to tap on this growth area.

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  • Growth plateaued for global telecommunications market in 2020

    Growth plateaued for global telecommunications market in 2020

    Worldwide Telecommunications Services and Pay TV Services revenues totaled $1.53 trillion in 2020, representing flat year-over-year growth, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Semiannual Telecom Services Tracker.

    Services revenue for the Asia-Pacific region totaled at $482 billion in 2020, equalling the amount in 2019. IDC expects worldwide spending to increase by 0.7% in 2021 reaching a total of $1.54 trillion.

    The COVID-19 pandemic was unquestionably the most important factor influencing the telco market in 2020. In the first six months of the year, the pandemic brought a notable decline to the market in the form of decreased subscriber numbers and lower services spending. This was caused by the strict lockdowns imposed by governments as well as the widespread pessimism and anxiety that forced people to cut spending on nonessential products and services. In the second half of the year, the demand recovered, fueled by economic stimulus measures and the progress in vaccine development. The renewed optimism helped the global and regional markets to cover the losses recorded in the first half of the year and come close to equaling the prior year’s results.

    Although the revenue outcome in 2020 was neutral, the pandemic drastically changed the trends that have shaped the global telco market for a long time. Consumer fixed data services have suddenly become the most important type of connectivity, enabling home-bound people to work and entertain. Business fixed data services have temporarily lost momentum due to the migration of traffic to the consumer segment, but most of these connections were preserved as they were protected by long-term contracts. Fixed voice services saw a slight increase in dropout rates because some companies within the small business segments went bankrupt and more residential clients gave up their connections for cost-cutting purposes. Mobile services spending also declined slightly due to slower renewal of contract agreements, reduction of out-of-bundle spending, and a sharp decrease in roaming revenues due to travel restrictions. In the Pay TV segment, the migration from traditional Pay TV to Over the Top (OTT) services accelerated during the COVID-19 crisis, driven by increased consumption of video content and new OTT service launches.

    IDC believes that connectivity will become an even more critical asset for households and businesses after the pandemic, as some of the habits adopted during the crisis (remote working, collaboration, online media consumption) are expected to become part of everyday life. The migration toward FttP access is expected to accelerate in most of the country markets, while the business fixed data market will recover in the longer term as the economic recovery drives increased investments in the cloudification of enterprise business activities. Revenue growth in the mobile services space will be buoyed to a degree by 5G adoption, which will invite users to deploy more advanced data capabilities and uptake the content and services dependent on high-speed data connectivity.

    The global telco market was put to a serious test in 2020 and it successfully passed. IDC believes that the lessons learned last year will help the industry to secure stable growth in the coming period. “The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the resilience and value of the telecoms industry,” said Chris Barnard, vice president, European Infrastructure and Telecoms. “New ways of working will persist beyond the pandemic, shaping future revenue opportunities, while the network-centricity of consumers will drive bandwidth requirements in that segment as well.”

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  • eSIM and its impact in an hyperconnected world

    eSIM and its impact in an hyperconnected world

    Powered by 5G, eSIM or embedded subscriber identity module is a rising technology that is threatening to replace traditional SIM cards. With 5G revolutionizing connectivity, eSIM emerges as a seamless way to harness greater connectivity between a future of billions of IoT devices. Instead of relying on physical SIM cards, eSIM is the embedded alternative that uses remote SIM provisioning (RSP) to download a user’s profile onto a device, to provide users full control of connectivity management and the ability to switch networks as desired.

    Last year, eSIM adoption grew in the wake of the pandemic. In the coming years, this trend will continue to persist. According to recent findings from Juniper Research, the number of eSIMs embedded in connected devices will more than double from 1.2 billion this year to 3.4 billion in 2025. Of which, 94% of global eSIM installations in 2025 can be attributed to the consumer sector.

    In the consumer market, eSIM is deployed in tablets, smartphones, laptops, and wearables. Some smartphones from Apple, Google, Huawei, and Samsung are already supporting eSIM, though they continue to allow for physical SIM. Last year, Motorola released the world’s first eSIM-only smartphone.

    With IoT on the rise, connectivity is one of the important considerations when developing future-proof tech solutions. Across industries, automotive is one of the areas that fuel eSIM deployment. For instance, Tesla’s electric vehicles use eSIM to power in-car connectivity. Juniper Research predicts that other industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing, and logistics industries will also experience a hike in eSIM adoption to power connectivity, with eSIM installations growing from 28 million to 116 million by 2025.

    For many, it is becoming clear that eSIM is the future for IoT connectivity as it offers a level of flexibility not provided by traditional SIM. Since all IoT subscriptions and connectivity can be carried out through a single embedded source, this significantly simplifies SIM management for as many devices across geographies. For enterprises or governments, eSIMs can also be used for asset tracking, with each IoT device being remotely and automatically provisioned to an optimal carrier profile.

    For consumers, eSIM is the seamless management of subscriptions whereby they no longer need multiple SIM cards for different connections. In this pandemic, eSIM offers the advantage of subscribing to a connectivity service without having to physically purchase a SIM.

    For MVNOs, tech giants, and device manufacturers, eSIM is the ideal avenue to generate new revenue streams. For device manufacturers, for instance, it means the ability to create smaller products without a SIM card and an opportunity to optimize supply chain processes.

    Of course, more entrants into the mobile market is unsettling for network operators that fear disruption and stiffer competition in addition to having to build costly cellphone towers to support 5G networks. At the same time, telecom operators cannot ignore the fact that future IoT devices will be better served with eSIMs. With brands like Apple and Google, which have massive followings offering eSIM, operators are pressured to catch onto the eSIM fad to avoid being displaced.

    According to GSMA, about 175 mobile operators launched eSIM for smartphones across 69 countries by the end of last year. Amongst these operators, Vodafone Group leads in eSIM roll-out.

    In Asia, Singtel and China Unicom launched an eSIM network swap service last December to allow devices equipped with China Unicom eSIM to automatically switch profiles to Singtel’s in Singapore. In India, the three largest telecom operators Airtel, Jio, and Vi have started to offer eSIM functionality for supported devices. For operators, eSIM roll-out achieves customer churn, creating opportunities for up-selling and cross-selling services and packages.

    To stay ahead, Tata Communications is going beyond connectivity to expand competency in mobility and IoT. Last October, Tata Communications partnered with Micron for a cloud-based eSIM business. In December, the company acquired a majority equity stake in a France-headquartered eSIM technology provider. The acquisition was motivated by enterprises’ heavy reliance on mobile devices to operate and access data in the cloud and an upward trend in machine-to-machine (M2M) connections worldwide.

    According to Ecosystem, Asia-Pacific is poised to lead in IoT by 2023. With connectivity becoming more pervasive in our everyday lives, there is no doubt that eSIM will play a pivotal role in ushering in a new era in consumer and enterprise applications.

  • One day we might use wireless 5G signals to provide power to electronic devices

    One day we might use wireless 5G signals to provide power to electronic devices

    We know that mmWave 5G spectrum delivers the fastest download data speed despite some drawbacks; these signals do not travel far, nor are they able to easily penetrate buildings. But what they can do is create energy that one day could replace batteries and other sources of power.

    Researchers at Georgia Tech have created a concept wireless power grid that runs on 5G mmWave frequencies. This is done via the use of a sticker-type device that captures the electromagnetic energy created by 5G base stations. Currently, this energy is being used to transfer data.

    Manos Tentzeris, Ph.D. is a professor of flexible electronics at Georgia Tech and he led the schools’ research team which created a specialized lens to capture the power generated by mmWave 5G signals. The Rotman lens “rectenna” is a small device that collects the energy sent out by 5G wireless networks. But one thing that is characteristic to 5G signals makes it perfect for powering an electricity grid and that is the ability to focus power.

    Georgia Tech alum Jimmy Hester is serving as a senior lab advisor to the group working on this development. Hester says that 5G base stations operate at high frequencies allowing them to “focalize power.” In other words, “What we’re talking about is more of an intentional energization of the devices, themselves, by focalizing the beam towards the device in order to turn it on and power it.”

    The key to this whole project is the Rotman lens, a flexible lens that helps collects energy from multiple directions. It is the same technology used in military surveillance systems that can identify targets in various directions without having to move the antennas. Aline Eid, a Ph.D. student and senior researcher says, “The same way the lens in your camera collects all of the light waves from any direction and combines it to one point…to create an image, that’s exactly how this lens works. The lens is like a tarantula … because a tarantula has six eyes, and our system can also look in six different directions.”

    With the Rotman lens, the field of view for the energy collecting “sticker” device increases from a 20-degree “pencil beam” to 120 degrees. This makes it easier to collect mmWave energy in the 28GHz band. Eid states that if you placed a sticker device on a drone, you would be able to collect energy from 5G base stations all over a city.

    Still, this system is in its early days and right now the rectenna stickers can collect only 6 microwatts of energy, enough to power up small IoT devices from a range of 180 meters (590.55 feet) away. In lab tests, the device has been able to collect 21 times that amount.

    Tentzeris says that his team is looking for funding and is especially interested in working with wireless carriers. This way the wireless providers can place the stickers throughout cities at the same time that they’re building out their 5G networks. Manos adds, “In the beginning of the 2000s, companies moved from voice to data. Now, using this technology, they can add power to data/communication as well.”

    Looking at the future, the rectenna sticker could end up embedded inside a wearable or stitched into clothing. As far as the financial aspects of producing the stickers is concerned, Tentzeris states that each unit costs only a few cents which means that money might not prevent this from becoming a legitimate method for delivering power.

    The Georgia Tech professor says, “Scalability was very important, you’re talking about billions of devices. You could have a great prototype working in the lab, but when somebody asks, ‘Can everybody use it?’ you need to be able to say yes.”

    Perhaps someday in the future, 5G signals will provide your phone with the power it needs to run all day-every day in addition to the connectivity these signals deliver.

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  • India’s mobile data service revenue to record 14.7% CAGR over next five years

    India’s mobile data service revenue to record 14.7% CAGR over next five years

    Mobile data service revenue in India is expected to rise from US$6.3bn in 2020 to US$12.5bn in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.7% driven by the continued rise in smartphone subscriptions and the subsequent surge in mobile data consumption, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s India Mobile Broadband Forecast reveals that mobile Internet subscription penetration will increase from an estimated 47.3% in 2020 to 81.4% by the end of 2025 owing to heavy investment in telecom network development across remote areas in the country.

    The average monthly data usage is forecast to increase from 9.2 GB in 2020 to about 14.7 GB in 2025 accelerated by the increase in the consumption of bandwidth-heavy services like mobile video and social media on the mobile networks.

    Kantipudi Pradeepthi, Research Analyst of Telecoms Market Data & Intelligence at GlobalData, comments: “4G will remain the leading technology in terms of subscriptions in India through the forecast period while 2G will see its subscription share fall from 36.5% in 2020 to 3.5% by year-end 2025. Moreover, Airtel & Vodafone Idea plan to shut down 3G services and use the infrastructure to improve 4G connectivity.

    “Reliance Jio led the mobile services market in India in terms of mobile subscriptions in 2020, followed by Airtel and Vodafone Idea. Reliance Jio will retain its leading position through 2025, driven by its continuous expansion of 4G network and promotional discount offers.”

  • ZTE records more than RMB 45 billion in patented technology value

    ZTE records more than RMB 45 billion in patented technology value

    ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, has been included among major participants and setters of the global 5G standards for leading the world in 5G technology, patents, standards, industries, and terminals, according to the latest report “Challenges and Prospects for China’s Telecommunications Industry and Intellectual Property Market” by established investment management company Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

    According to the report, ZTE has also been ranked in the first tier of global patent layout in recognition of its contribution to the research and standard settings of the global 5G technology. To date, ZTE’s patented technology value has exceeded RMB 45 billion.

    Committed to creating value for customers through the accumulation of high-quality patents and aimed to be a “digital economy road builder”

    With the advent of the digital economy era, a new generation of mobile information technology like 5G, has developed into a key driving force for the digital transformation and upgrading of the entire society. Enhancing independent technological innovation and strengthening the cultivation and layout of high-quality patents are playing an important role in the development of China’s enterprises. As a major contributor to the global 5G standards, ZTE insists on building its stronger core competence and continues to research and develop in key technologies and basic sciences. The company has invested more than RMB 10 billion on a yearly basis in the R&D over the past years. In 2020, its R&D spending reached RMB 14.8 billion, accounting for 14.6% of its operating revenue.

    As 5G technology becomes mature and gains increasing popularity, major global manufacturers are building their core competitiveness in the iterative patent layout. ZTE has launched a high-quality patent layout in many 5G-related fields. The company constantly strengthens its innovative R&D capabilities to maintain its competitive advantages in the domestic and international markets. Furthermore, by virtue of its global strategic layout,the company continues to bring its customers innovative products and high-quality services, and is committed to creating value for its customers as a “digital economy road builder”.

    ZTE, backed up with its high R&D spending and continuous technology accumulation, has filed over 80,000 global patent applications by March 2021, and accumulated more than 38,000 granted patents globally, including 4,270 chip patent applications and more than 1,800 granted patents. According to the latest report “Who is leading the 5G patent race?” published in February by IPlytics, ZTE has been included global top 3 for its sustainable leadership in 5G declared Standard-Essential Patents(SEP) to ETSI.

    Efficient operation strategies effectively driving the conversion of innovation achievements, boosting high-quality growth of the intangible assets

    With the significant improvement of the innovation and creation capabilities, ZTE has been constantly strengthening the utilization of intellectual property (IP). In addition to reinforcing the cultivation and layout of high-value patents, ZTE proactively promotes the application, conversion and implementation of patents under highly efficient operation strategies. On the one hand, it makes efforts to increase the alignment of patent applications and technology R&D with market demand, while continuously improving the quality of patent applications. On the other hand, with the establishment of a management system across the entire IP life cycle, IP management is performed in all workflows including R&D, marketing, procurement, production design and sales and so on. In this way, a well-conceived and efficient patent protection network is built to promote the high-quality growth of the commercial value of the company’s intangible assets.

    “As one of China’s high-tech companies in global competition, ZTE is fully aware of the value and significance of independent R&D and technological innovation. The company has maintained powerful investment in R&D for decades and has accumulated a large number of innovative technological achievements,” said Hu Yi, Vice President and Head of the Intellectual Property Department at ZTE Corporation. “Some of these achievements have been transformed into high-tech products to help ZTE expand overseas markets like Europe and North America, and some of them have developed into intangible assets including intellectual properties, such as patents.”

    “With the progress of the times and the development of the industries, ZTE actively seeks how to further explore and leverage the value of intangible assets. The company reaches patent cross-licensing with mainstream companies in the telecoms industry, thereby achieving rapid iteration of new technologies and products through commercial interactions and promoting telecoms industry technologies to further impact vertical industries.”

    “Besides, we collect reasonable R&D investment through transfers, licensing, and other management methods to build a closed-loop of sustainable development of “Innovation – Operation – Re-innovation”. In the past few years, ZTE’s intellectual property income has grown steadily, which has brought cash benefits to the company and will continue to create predictable benefits. It is estimated that our intellectual properties will bring nearly RMB 4.5-6 billion revenue to the company during the period from 2021 to 2025.” added Mr Hu Yi.

    As the best practitioner of global innovation and intellectual property commercial value, ZTE has always regarded intellectual property as the core strategy for enterprise development. Moving forwards, ZTE will continue to improve its core competence by enhancing the quality of intellectual property creation, and the efficiency of utilization and management of IP. While achieving a good balance between technological innovation investment and intellectual property return, ZTE will join forces with all partners to promote high-quality development of the IP ecosystem, and empower the digital and intelligent transformation and upgrading of society.

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  • China is home to world’s largest 5G network

    China is home to world’s largest 5G network

    With 260 million 5G mobile connections, China boasts the world’s largest 5G mobile network, according to Liu Liehong, vice minister of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in a press conference this week.

    As of the end of February, China reported having 792,000 5G base stations, with 5G SA networks covering all prefecture-level cities, while 5G terminal connections reached 260 million.

    This year, China is planning to build more than 600,000 5G base stations to broaden the country’s 5G coverage and strengthen its digital competitiveness. 5G is viewed to be critical to the advancement of tech innovations and accelerating industry digitalization to boost the nation’s industrial capacity.

    In the country’s fourth session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) held in early March, China emphasized on building up tech reliance through national policies and R&D spending.

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  • Nokia chosen by Chunghwa Telecom to expand 5G network in Taiwan

    Nokia chosen by Chunghwa Telecom to expand 5G network in Taiwan

    Nokia has announced that it has been chosen by Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) to expand the operator’s 5G network in Taiwan. The deal aims to support CHT’s objective of achieving 80 percent population coverage as well as boost 5G subscriptions to over 20 percent of its current subscriber base. The expansion will leverage products from Nokia’s AirScale portfolio to deliver enhanced connectivity for people and businesses in the southern and central areas of the country.

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  • Australia More Telecom acquires Powercom Pacific

    Australia More Telecom acquires Powercom Pacific

    More Telecom announced its acquisition of national internet and phone provider, Powercom Pacific, substantially increasing the company’s SME customer base. More Telecom is one of Australia’s most successful and longest-running NBN providers with a sister retail business, Tangerine Telecom.

    Powercom Pacific owns several brands including Powercom, Montimedia and QTelecom and all customers will be migrating to More Telecom.

    All Powercor Pacific staff will be moving with the business and maintain ongoing employment with More.

    More Telecom General Manager, Andrew Branson, said the acquisition strengthens the More business which is expanding in both customer numbers and product offers.

    “The More business consistently seeks exciting expansion opportunities and with Powercom, we identified a business with complementary cultural and business models.

    “The Powercom customer base consists of long term, loyal, small business owners who want excellent service and we are confident we can deliver on this front,” said Branson.

    More Telecom has also expanded its SME reach via the launch of other business services such as More Payments and More Bookkeeping.

    More Telecom has also invested in building a strong business offering a full white label solution to other telcos and IT firms and has become Australia’s top white label NBN provider.

    The More Telecom and Tangerine Telecom business model works on a B2B/B2C business model delivering more efficiency and faster speeds due to the balanced bandwidth loading between the business peak hours during the day and the consumer peak hours during the evening.

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  • Nepal to debut Internet and telecom services on international airlines

    Nepal to debut Internet and telecom services on international airlines

    The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), an autonomous telecommunications regulatory body, together with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has approved international airlines to use Nepal’s Internet and telecom services for its passengers.

    Airlines would need to apply to NTA, on top of obtaining permission from the International Civil Aviation  Organisation to tap into internet and telecom services above 10,000 feet in Nepal.

    Nepal is the latest country in South Asia to allow such services to passengers, following the footsteps of India and Afghanistan. Last September, Vistara was India’s first airline to offer in-flight Wi-Fi Internet connectivity onboard international flights.

  • Nokia demonstrates record Optus’ 5G mmWave capabilities

    Nokia demonstrates record Optus’ 5G mmWave capabilities

    Nokia and Optus announced that they achieved a record-breaking aggregate site throughput of 10 Gbps during a downlink speed demonstration using 800 MHz of millimeter Wave (mmWave) spectrum at a live 5G site in Brisbane. Powered by Nokia AirScale Radio, the site demonstrates the huge potential of 5G as it is introduced across future spectrum bands. Once deployed, the speed and a capacity boost from the 5G mmWave layer will unleash lightning-fast speeds for consumers and enterprises alike to support a range of new low-latency, high-bandwidth services.

    The recent demonstration showcased the capabilities of Nokia’s 5G mmWave technology and the benefits of adding it on top of an existing 5G/4G site. The demonstration showed how Nokia’s 5G mmWave technology delivers on the promise of super-fast data rates by boosting the site capacity to 10 Gbps and beyond.

    Nokia’s 5G mmWave technology will allow Optus to focus on scalability, automation, and performance by supporting services that utilize the full capability of 5G. Leveraging Nokia’s solutions, Optus can also harness 5G mmWave to serve the enterprise market and explore new use cases in healthcare, mining, port operations, and smart manufacturing, among other industries.

    The decision to select this mixed commercial and industrial area of Brisbane was made keeping these new use cases in mind as they sought to showcase the many real-world benefits of mmWave to the enterprise; thereby gaining early insights into this new exciting technology before wider rollout in the future.

    This achievement further strengthens the long-standing and collaborative partnership between Nokia and Optus. In early 2019, Optus became the first operator globally to deploy Nokia’s FastMile 5G indoor gateway in a live 5G network. Recently, the two companies also successfully launched 5G services at the Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia.

    Lambo Kanagaratnam, Managing Director of Networks at Optus, said: “We’re committed to keeping Australia connected and at the forefront of 5G. By partnering with global technology leaders like Nokia, we’ve taken an exciting step towards unlocking the massive potential that 5G mmWave will bring to the consumers, enterprises and industries in Australia. Reaching 10 Gbps per site is a crucial step in our 5G development and validates the progress we’ve made with the technology together with Nokia.”

    Anna Wills, Head of Oceania at Nokia, said: “This is another milestone in the development of 5G services and demonstrates the confidence operators have in our 5G solutions. Today’s achievement with Optus shows the potential of mmWave deployments, particularly at a time when connectivity and capacity are so crucial. We’re proud of our long-standing relationship with Optus and the great strides we continue to make together in this new era of connectivity.”