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Tag: telecom

  • Once again, ZTE is in trouble with the U.S.

    Once again, ZTE is in trouble with the U.S.

    Before Huawei was banned from its U.S. supply chain last May, fellow Chinese manufacturer ZTE was blocked from its state-side supply chain in 2018. While Huawei was able to thrive despite its placement on the U.S. Commerce Department’s entity list, ZTE almost went out of business. Surprisingly, a tweet from President Donald Trump set the wheels in motion for a settlement that ultimately saved the company.
    But ZTE is once again in the Trump administration’s crosshairs. The smartphone and networking equipment manufacturer is being investigated for allegedly bribing foreign officials to help its global operations. The Justice Department has not revealed any information about the investigation. In 2016, the Commerce Department fined ZTE $1.19 billion for selling goods and services to Iran and North Korea despite U.S. trade sanctions against both countries.
    As part of the punishment, ZTE was banned from its U.S. supply chain for seven years; the Commerce Department suspended the ban as long as the manufacturer was following all of the penalties placed on it by the U.S. government. But once the Trump administration realized that ZTE was paying bonuses to some employees in violation of that agreement, the supply chain ban was initiated in April 2018 running through March 2025.
    Unlike Huawei, which rode a wave of Chinese patriotism and still managed to deliver approximately 240 million handsets last year (second behind Samsung and ahead of Apple), ZTE does not design its own chips and did not prepare for a ban as Huawei had done by stockpiling chips. ZTE, which was the fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer in the U.S. prior to the 2018 ban, was running into trouble. But out of nowhere, President Trump disseminated a tweet expressing concern for the jobs being lost in China because of the supply chain ban. Trump wrote that he had instructed the Commerce Department to reach a deal with ZTE. Weeks later, a deal was made. ZTE paid the U.S. $1 billion and put $400 million into an escrow account in case it committed any illegal acts in the future (like the new charges). The Chinese manufacturer also agreed to overhaul its Board of Directors and replace its executive team. A compliance team from the U.S. was placed inside the company.
    ZTE was never able to regain its position as a top smartphone vendor in the states. Motorola took over its spot as the fourth most popular brand in the U.S. and that continues. The U.S. still considers ZTE to be a national security threat. Back in November, the FCC voted to block the Universal Service Fund (USF) from purchasing networking equipment from ZTE and Huawei. The $8.5 billion fund is managed by the regulatory agency and is funded through a fee tacked on to consumers’ wireless bills. The USF is charged with helping rural carriers provide internet service to rural Americans. Many of these operators used Huawei and ZTE gear for their 3G and 4G networks.
    The FCC and the U.S. government want these rural operators to remove any Huawei and ZTE equipment that is embedded in their networks. The FCC has already estimated that this will cost nearly $2 billion to accomplish over a two-year period. Congress has approved a resolution offering rural carriers $1 billion to remove this gear from their networks. Both Huawei and ZTE are considered national security threats because of their ties to the communist Chinese government. U.S. lawmakers are concerned that the two companies place backdoors in their equipment that gather intelligence and send it to Beijing. ZTE and Huawei have repeatedly denied these allegations.
  • Huawei lawsuit against ‘unconstitutional’ ban in the US is thrown out

    Huawei lawsuit against ‘unconstitutional’ ban in the US is thrown out

    A judge has ruled against a lawsuit filed by Huawei in the US relating to a ban on government personnel using the company’s devices.

    Huawei filed the lawsuit on the basis that the ban was “unconstitutional” back in 2018. Since then, Huawei has faced increased US-led scrutiny globally over claims the company is controlled by Beijing – an allegation the company denies.

    US District Court Judge Amos Mazzant ruled that Congress has the right to ban federal agencies from using equipment manufactured by specific firms.

    In a 57-page ruling on Tuesday, Mazzant wrote: “Contracting with the federal government is a privilege, not a constitutionally guaranteed right—at least not as far as this court is aware.”

    Huawei is now considering its options and said in a statement the “approach taken by the US Government in the 2019 NDAA provides a false sense of protection while undermining Huawei’s constitutional rights.”

    Earlier this month, the Department of Justice charged Huawei and its subsidiaries with racketeering and conspiracy to steal trade secrets.

    Last week, a bipartisan US delegation voiced their concerns about Huawei during this year’s Munich Security Conference.

    Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that Huawei, and other firms backed by Beijing, are “trojan horses for Chinese intelligence”. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said China is conducting a “nefarious strategy” through companies like Huawei.

    From the other side of the House, Republican Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the use of Chinese telecoms equipment would be “choosing autocracy over democracy” and “putting the state police in the pocket of every consumer in these countries”.

    February is typically a great month for those in telecoms as it’s a time when everyone convenes at MWC in Barcelona to show off their latest technologies, make deals, and celebrate the industry. Of course, this year’s MWC has been canceled over fears about the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

    The best recent news for Huawei arrived last month when the UK government announced it will be allowing the company to have a “limited role” in national 5G networks following a comprehensive security review.

    Huawei will be hoping for fewer months like February for the rest of 2020.

  • Shocking AGR debts could spell doom for Vodafone Idea

    Shocking AGR debts could spell doom for Vodafone Idea

    Following a Supreme Court ruling made last week, India’s Vodafone Idea could be facing potential bankruptcy for failing to pay billions in outstanding government fees in the next few days.

    Vodafone Idea, the brainchild of a collaboration between Britain’s Vodafone Group Plc and India’s Idea Cellular has been hit the hardest by the court’s order that telcos would need to clear their AGR fees; a ruling made last October which resulted in unpaid debts for operators going back a few years.

    Vodafone Idea has stated that it is unable to pay the $3.9 billion owed but is assessing the amount and is hoping for a timeline extension to keep their business afloat.

    Additionally, the multi-billion-dollar debt incurred by the telco could put a dampener on India’s economy and reputation as an investment hub for multinationals, unless business continuation was secured.

    The company announced, “As disclosed in the company’s financial statements for the quarter ending December 31, 2019, the company’s ability to continue as a going the concern is essentially dependent on a positive outcome of the application for modification of the Supplementary Order.”

    An anonymous spokesperson for Vodafone Idea said, “”They have been beaten down by the environment here. We’re sending investors a very negative signal – it says the trust factor between the government and the industry doesn’t exist.”

    Since news of the ailing telco broke, analysts have already begun to predict the growth of Bharti Airtel’s and Reliance Jio’s opex and capex levels if Vodafone Idea were to shut down permanently.

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  • Huawei Lawyers Accuse U.S. for Overlooking HSBC Misconduct

    Huawei Lawyers Accuse U.S. for Overlooking HSBC Misconduct

    Huawei’s legal representatives claim that U.S. authorities had knowledge of the bank’s violations against Iran sanctions but chose not to pursue the matter.

    In exchange, HSBC allegedly cooperated to support the American federal prosecutor’s case against the Chinese telecom tech giant.

    The government agreed to overlook HSBC’s continued misconduct, electing not to punish the bank, prosecute its executives or even extend the monitorship,» according to a report citing a letter filed by Huawei’s lawyers. «[In return], HSBC agreed to cooperate with the government’s efforts to depict Huawei as the mastermind of HSBC’s sanctions violations and supply witnesses to the government’s stalled investigation of Huawei.»

    This is the latest development in the legal battle involving allegations against Huawei of bank fraud and Iran sanction violations with more charges coming later this month. In an indictment unsealed last year, Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou – currently fighting extradition from Canada to the U.S. – was accused of defrauding banks by misrepresenting the smartphone maker’s relationship with Skycom Tech Co Ltd, a suspected front company in Iran.

    The timing couldn’t be worse for HSBC’s interim chief executive Noel Quinn who is not only fighting to regain shareholder confidence after 2019 profits plummeted but also for his job, as the bank has yet to name a permanent chief.

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  • Apple’s chip supplier sees strong demand for 5G phones

    Apple’s chip supplier sees strong demand for 5G phones

    Despite the current coronavirus pandemic, trade wars, and uncertain economic times ahead, the world’s largest independent foundry sees strong growth in the near future. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is sinking billions more into its chip manufacturing business. Last week, the firm’s board of directors announced that it was going to budget $6.74 billion to build more fabrication facilities and increase its production capacity.
    Last month, the company said that it planned on spending between $14 billion and $15 billion for capital expenditures this year up from the $10 billion-$11 billion it spent last year. The 2020 spending includes $2.5 billion for its 5nm process chips and $1.5 billion for its 7nm chips. Let’s back up a bit. What TSMC does is manufacture chips for companies that design their own components but don’t have the facilities to actually produce them. That includes some of your giant tech companies like Apple, Qualcomm, Huawei, and others. Last week, TSMC said that the coronavirus has not led to any reduction in orders from its customers.
    The process node refers to the number of transistors that can fit into a dense area like the inside of an integrated circuit. The lower the number, the larger the number of transistors inside a chip. That is important because as more transistors are placed inside an IC, the more powerful and energy-efficient it is. For example, Apple’s current A13 Bionic SoC containing 8.5 billion transistors is manufactured using TSMC’s enhanced 7nm process.
    Starting in the middle of this year, the company will begin producing 5nm chips and the Apple A14 Bionic will reportedly be packed with 15 billion transistors making it more powerful and energy-efficient than the A13 Bionic. This means that Apple could have a huge performance lead over most Android phones when it releases the 2020 iPhone models later this year. That’s because the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform, the chip that will power most flagship Android phones in 2020, is manufactured by TSMC using its 7nm process node. The only Android phones that could match the 2020 iPhone’s performance this year could be the Huawei Mate 40 line. That’s because Huawei’s 5nm flagship chipset is due to roll off of TSMC’s assembly line later this year.
    Speaking of the A13 Bionic, Apple recently said to increase the production of the chip due to higher than expected demand for the iPhone 11 series. Additionally, the upcoming iPhone 9, due to be introduced next month, will employ the A13 Bionic chip. Reliable TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple could sell as many as 30 million iPhone 9 units this year and each one will be powered by the A13 Bionic chip. With a price rumored to start at $399 and up, the iPhone 9 will look just like the iPhone 8 but will sport the more powerful chip and include a 50% hike in memory from 2GB to 3GB of RAM.
    As for the A14 Bionic, TSMC sees strong demand for the new 5G iPhone models that will be powered by this SoC. The latest rumor has Apple releasing four iPhone models this year including the iPhone 12 (5.4-inch screen, dual cameras), iPhone 12 Plus (6.1-inch screen, dual cameras), iPhone 12 Pro (6.1-inch screen, triple cameras) and the iPhone 12 Pro Max (6.7-inch screen, triple cameras). All four will be equipped with the TSMC built Snapdragon X55 5G modem chip which supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G spectrum. That means the new iPhones will be compatible with the 5G signals disseminated by all four major U.S. wireless carriers.
    Last year, the semiconductor industry had its worst year since the dot com collapse of 2001 with revenue declining 12% on an annual basis to $412 billion. But TSMC’s decision to throw billions into new production facilities indicates that at least one of the industry’s leading firms is confident that the business is turning around.
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  • Viettel used fake accounts to discredit rivals

    Viettel used fake accounts to discredit rivals

    Facebook has removed a network of accounts and pages linked to Vietnamese telecom giant Viettel for allegedly using disinformation tactics to discredit rivals.

    The social network behemoth said Wednesday it had removed 13 accounts and 10 pages linked to Vietnam’s biggest telecom provider Viettel and its Myanmar venture Mytel for “violating” its “policy against coordinated inauthentic behavior”.

    The move marks the first time Facebook has taken action against businesses for directly using disinformation against competitors.

    Facebook said the individuals behind the network used fake accounts to manage pages posing as independent telecom consumer news hubs. They posed as customers to criticize their rivals, it stated in a release.

    “The page admins and account owners typically shared content in English and Burmese about alleged business failures and planned market exit of some service providers in Myanmar and their alleged fraudulent activity against their customers.”

    The world’s largest social media platform also noted that although the people behind these activities, which originated from Myanmar and Vietnam, attempted to conceal their identities and coordination, its investigation found links to Mytel in Myanmar and Viettel in Vietnam.

    Viettel owns a 49 percent stake in Mytel.

    The controversial pages have around 256,600 followers, and admins have paid around $1.15 million for ads on Facebook in U.S. dollars and Vietnamese dong, it added.

    Military-run Viettel said in a statement Friday that as a company with a presence in 11 countries, it always complies with the laws and business ethics in each market.

    The company is verifying the allegation and is willing to cooperate with Facebook. It will punish anyone guilty of misconduct, Viettel said.

    The company added it supports Facebook’s efforts to clean up the social network environment and expects the latter to function in a cooperative manner to avoid making unilateral allegations.

    Viettel’s revenue last year rose 7.5 percent year-on-year to $251 trillion ($10.78 billion), accounting for 50 percent of Vietnam’s telecom revenues. The company eyes to commercially launch 5G services in June using its own equipment.

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  • Vodafone is the latest partner to bail from Facebook’s Libra project

    Vodafone is the latest partner to bail from Facebook’s Libra project

    Facebook’s digital currency initiative Libra continues to fall apart as British telco Vodafone becomes the latest partner to bail from the project.

    In a statement, Vodafone said: “Vodafone Group has decided to withdraw from the Libra Association. We have said from the outset that Vodafone’s desire is to make a genuine contribution to extending financial inclusion.

    “We remain fully committed to that goal and feel that we can make the most contribution by focusing our efforts on M-Pesa. We will continue to monitor the development of the Libra Association and do not rule out the possibility of future cooperation.”

    Digital currencies are beginning to gain traction following the success of Bitcoin. The king of cryptocurrencies is quickly becoming a modern store of value but it’s looking unlikely to be adopted by many average consumers for daily purchases.

    Part of the reason for the lack of day-to-day use of Bitcoin is its slow transaction times and poor scalability. Advancements, particularly off-chain “layer two” solutions like Lightning Network, are helping to fix these problems but at the cost of decentralization and security.

    Behind most digital currencies is a blockchain. The so-called “trilemma” with blockchains is that, in order to achieve scalability, you must sacrifice decentralization or security. Bitcoin is seen as a reliable store of value because it’s secure and its decentralization properties also make it appealing in a world of global uncertainties, censorship, and currency manipulation.

    Your average consumer only cares that a transaction is fast and cheap while also adequately secure, especially when dealing with predominantly smaller transactions like buying a coffee. Currencies like Ripple are criticized by cryptocurrency enthusiasts as being “centralized” but they fulfill the needs of your typical person.

    Facebook’s Libra intends to be a centralized currency along the lines of Ripple. Taking advantage of Facebook’s massive global userbase, Libra could potentially scale very quickly.

    Many partners initially jumped on the Libra project including Visa, PayPal, Mastercard, and eBay. Not long after Facebook released its whitepaper for Libra did it come under intense regulatory scrutiny. All the aforementioned partners decided to leave the project.

    Several central banks are looking to issue their own digital currencies for their advantages like fast international payments and lower fees. And, of course, they’ll persuade most people to adopt centralized alternatives to cryptocurrencies.

    China looks set to be the first major country to issue its own digital currency. The country already uses mobile payments extensively, with the ability to pay for pretty much everything through apps such as WeChat and Alipay. If China goes ahead with a digital yuan, you can bet the US won’t be far behind with a digital dollar.

    On Tuesday, the Bank of England announced it too is exploring central digital currencies alongside the Bank of Canada, Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, the Sveriges Riksbank, and the Swiss National Bank.

    While digital currencies are pretty much inevitable, Libra is looking more uncertain by the day.

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  • Viettel soars in global valuable brand ranking

    Viettel soars in global valuable brand ranking

    Vietnam’s largest telecommunication service provider Viettel has climbed 126 positions to be ranked 355th most valuable brand in the world in 2020.

    Currently valued at VND134.9 trillion ($5.8 billion), up 34 percent compared to 2019, Viettel was placed 102nd in Asia, and 7th in Southeast Asia, according to Brand Finance, a London-based branded business valuation consultancy.

    The company saw its consolidated revenues increase by 7.4 percent in 2019 over 2018, and it currently occupies 53 percent of Vietnam’s mobile network market.

    Viettel successfully operated 5G phone calls on self-developed equipment on January 17, and is expected to commercially launch 5G services this June. It plans to expand its operations both within Vietnam as well as in 10 foreign markets.

    There are just 36 telecom companies in the 2020 listing of the world’s top 500 brands by value. Most of the  36 branks saw their values fall. Over the past five years, the combined value of all telecom brands in the Brand Finance Global 500 listing has fallen slightly, reaching $558.4 billion in 2020, compared to $567.7 billion in 2015.

    The Brand Finance Global 500 list covers 10 sectors in 29 markets, using a sample size of 50,000 adults over 18 years old. For the latest ranking, surveys were conducted online from September to December 2019.

  • Australian telco undertakes crucial restructuring of senior management

    Australian telco undertakes crucial restructuring of senior management

    Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) has carried out a major overhaul of its senior management, with two of its top executives resigning just a few days before the Federal Court’s ruling on its halted merger with TPG Telecom.

    Vodafone stated that both Kevin Millroy and Ben McIntosh, CTO and CCO of the company respectively, were already planning to depart the company this month, citing mutual decisions.

    Millroy will be replaced by Barry Kezik who has been part of the network team for almost a decade, while Ana Bordeianu will take over McIntosh’s responsibilities.

    Vodafone CEO Inaki Berroeta stated, “It’s going to be an exciting year for Vodafone and our customers with the launch of 5G and continuing to drive competition in the market at every opportunity.”

    He added, “Kevin and Ben have been key players in one of the most successful turnarounds in Australian corporate history, and they are handing over to extremely capable leaders, so I wish them both all the best for the future.”

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  • Starhub, Amazon Prime strike new membership deal for subscribers

    Starhub, Amazon Prime strike new membership deal for subscribers

    StarHub has become the first info-communications company in Singapore to offer Amazon Prime membership to its entire mobile customer base, including no-contract SIM Only and prepaid customers.

    StarHub is home to more than 40 unique channels, amassing diverse entertainment programming of over 160 ‘live’ and on-demand channels in total. In collaboration with Amazon following the launch of its Singapore marketplace Amazon.sg, StarHub now enables its mobile customers to enjoy the full range of Amazon Prime membership benefits, from fast, free delivery on millions of items on Amazon.sg and Prime Now, to unlimited streaming of Amazon Original series, popular movies and hit TV shows on Prime Video, as well as access to free games and in-game loot on Twitch Prime. The Amazon Prime membership is available at S$2.99 per month.

    “We are reaffirming our #HelloChange commitment in 2020 to deliver to customers the best experience and transparent offers without a contract,” said Johan Buse, Chief of Consumer Business Group, StarHub. “Offering innovative digital lifestyle services with best-in-class businesses enhances our customers’ experience, and we are delighted to announce this collaboration with Amazon Singapore. First, to offer Amazon Prime membership for all StarHub Mobile customers, we enable them to enjoy the best of Amazon’s shopping and entertainment options on Singapore’s fastest mobile network.”

    “We are pleased to collaborate with StarHub to offer Amazon Prime membership to more people in Singapore,” said Henry Low, Country Manager, Amazon Singapore. “We welcome StarHub customers to experience the many benefits of Amazon Prime, including exclusive shopping deals on items they love most on Amazon.sg and Prime Now, free and fast delivery on millions of products, unlimited streaming of movies and TV series on Prime Video, and a wide selection of free games on Twitch Prime.”

    All StarHub Mobile customers will enjoy a three-month Amazon Prime membership on StarHub when they get a new #HelloChange two-year or no-contract SIM Only plan. Existing customers can also enjoy the same offer by renewing their two-year plans or upgrading to the abovementioned plans.

    After the renewal or sign-up is complete, customers can simply activate their Amazon Prime membership through the My StarHub app. Following the three-month period, the Amazon Prime membership is available at $2.99 per month, which will be charged to their StarHub Mobile bill.

    Additionally, StarHub also launched a new prepaid data plan with Amazon Prime. The data plan is called ‘600MB with Amazon Prime’ and offers prepaid customers four weeks of Amazon Prime membership and 600MB of data for $6.

    These customers can conveniently extend their Amazon Prime membership by buying the same data plan through the StarHub Prepaid app. Customers who need more data can add on other plans, from as low as $3 for 1GB to options that offer free data usage on Sundays.

    Amazon Prime members in Singapore can enjoy three main benefits as part of their membership; shopping and delivery, entertainment and gaming. For shopping and delivery, members will enjoy a free one-day local delivery with no minimum purchase on Amazon.sg’s domestic Prime eligible selection, free international delivery on millions of eligible items from Amazon US on Amazon.sg for orders over S$60, free two-hour delivery for tens of thousands of items, including groceries and household essentials on Prime Now, for orders above S$40 and 30 minutes early access to Prime eligible lightning deals and exclusive access to special shopping deals and events before other customers.

    In terms of entertainment, Amazon Prime members can stream or download Amazon Originals, popular movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime Video, including critically acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Originals such as Carnival Row, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Good Omens, Mirzapur, Made in Heaven, Inside Edge and more. There is also a range of content for the whole family including Pete the Cat, Just Add Magic, and Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny. Prime Video is available via the Prime Video app on select smart TVs, mobile devices, tablets, game consoles, Apple TV, Chromecast, or online at PrimeVideo.com. In the Prime Video app, users can download all episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video also offers exclusive X-Ray functionality. Powered by IMDb, X-Ray uses authoritative data that gives users instant access to cast photos, bios and filmographies, and soundtrack info related to your TV shows and movies while you watch, right on the screen.

    Lastly, a selection of free games every month, exclusive in-game loot, and a free channel subscription on Twitch.tv will also be offered in the membership.

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  • ZTE commissions 5G networks in Chinese hospital amid coronavirus outbreak

    ZTE commissions 5G networks in Chinese hospital amid coronavirus outbreak

    ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, today announced that it has assisted China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and China Tower deploy telecommunications networks, including 5G networks, in Dabie Mountain Medical Center in Huanggang, to cope with the outbreak of new coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan.

    On January 25th, ZTE’s technical personnel performed an on-site investigation and developed a solution. On January 26th, ZTE retrieved devices from operator warehouses and local ZTE warehouse. Some devices were in short supply and sent from ZTE headquarters in Shenzhen. ZTE actively coordinated with the local government to apply for a pass for goods transfer from Wuhan. All the devices arrived at the operators’ offices in Huanggang before 12 am on January 26th. The devices were commissioned on January 27th and put into use together with the hospital.ZTE assisted operators in commissioning wireless macro-station equipment, wireless indoor coverage equipment, and IPTV networks, and achieved good cell phone signal coverage and TV signal transmission in the building, thereby fully meeting the requirements of medical staff for communication, video transmission, and radio and TV broadcasting.The Huanggang Municipal Government of Hubei Province has decided to transform the unfinished Dabie Mountain Medical Center into a hospital and set up more than 1,000 beds to treat fever patients in a centralized manner. The hospital will be built within 48 hours and put into use on January 27.

    Huanggang City is adjacent to Wuhan, but its medical conditions and resources are far inferior to that of Wuhan. The epidemic control situation in Huanggang is very serious. Moreover, the medical center is in a remote location. To ensure smooth information transmission, the telecommunication networks need to be built immediately.

    ZTE will continue to pay close attention to the epidemic situation, respond to the temporary construction requirements of communications networks in various places in real-time, and make every effort in the production, distribution, construction, and commissioning, to ensure smooth communication in responsible areas and help contain the new coronavirus pneumonia as soon as possible.

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  • Verizon’s 5G network goes live in three more cities

    Verizon’s 5G network goes live in three more cities

    Verizon’s 5G network covered 31 cities in the United States until recently but starting today, three more cities will benefit from Verizon’s 5G mobility service. The carrier announced its 5G network is now live in three more cities: Little Rock, Kansas City, and Cincinnati.

    Just like every other city on the list, these three won’t feature full 5G network coverage. If you live in one of these cities, here is where you should be able to take advantage of 5G blazing-fast data speeds.

    • Little Rock: parts of Midtown, University District, Birchwood, Otter Creek and near landmarks such as UAMS College of Medicine, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Rock Creek Square Plaza Shopping Center, and Outlets of Little Rock.
    • Kansas City: parts of Downtown, Midtown-Westport, Plaza Midtown, Olathe and near landmarks such as The Garment District, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Rockhurst University as well as inside and around the professional football stadium.
    • Cincinnati: parts of Downtown, Mt. Adams, West End, Evanston, Walnut Hills, Corryville, Clifton, Price Hill, Over-The-Rhine, Mt Auburn, Avondale, Newport (KY), Dayton (KY), Bellevue (KY) near landmarks such as Great American Ballpark, Duke Energy Convention Center, Serpentine Wall, City Hall, Xavier University, Cincinnati Zoo, Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati Christian University and Newport Waterfront (KY).

    Besides the three cities included in today’s announcement, Verizon’s 5G network is live in parts of Cleveland, Columbus, Hampton Roads, Charlotte, Greensboro, Grand Rapids, Miami, Salt Lake City, Spokane, Hoboken, Memphis, Des Moines, Los Angeles, Boston, Houston, Sioux Falls, Dallas, Omaha, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Providence, St. Paul, Atlanta, Detroit, Indianapolis, Washington DC, Phoenix, Boise, Panama City, and New York City.

  • Telenor Group welcomes new leadership for Asian divisions

    Telenor Group welcomes new leadership for Asian divisions

    Sharad Mehrotra, CEO of Telenor Myanmar, has been appointed the new CEO of dtac, Telenor Group’s mobile operator in Thailand. He replaces Alexandra Reich, who is seeking new leadership opportunities. Hans Martin Hoegh Henrichsen, currently Chief Corporate Affairs Officer in Telenor Myanmar, will become acting CEO after Mehrotra. Grameenphone’s Deputy CEO and CMO, Yasir Azman has been appointed the new CEO of the Bangladeshi operation, with current CEO Michael Foley relocating to Africa, where his family is based.

    “After leading our Thai mobile operator through a challenging transition including new spectrum and network rollout and a renewed focus on customer satisfaction and distribution excellence, Alexandra Reich has delivered solid results according to the back-to-growth strategy outlined in dtac’s Capital Markets Day in June 2019. We are grateful to Reich for her willingness to step in and support dtac in the very important transformational phase, and we wish her all the best in her next leadership role. With Reich seeking new opportunities, we are pleased that Sharad Mehrotra will join dtac and bring valuable insights and knowledge to Thailand from Myanmar and India, where he has managed a strong commercial turnaround,” says Sigve Brekke, President and CEO of Telenor Group.

    “I am also pleased Yasir Azman has accepted the challenge to lead our operations in Bangladesh. While also serving as deputy CEO, he has run one of our best performing sales and distribution organizations in Telenor Group. Having risen through the ranks, it’s extra special to welcome Azman as the first home-grown CEO of Grameenphone. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Michael Foley for leading the company through an impressive digital transformation as well as his valuable contributions also in Pakistan and Bulgaria,” adds Brekke.

    The changes are effective as of 1st February 2020.

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  • Vietnam eyes 5G equipment sale to US

    Vietnam eyes 5G equipment sale to US

    Vietnam hopes to sell locally-made 5G equipment to the U.S. as it prepares the commercial launch of the telecom technology this year.

    Information and Communications Minister Nguyen Manh Hung proposed to a delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives Monday that they initiate discussions of 5G technical standards to see if made-in-Vietnam equipment could enter the U.S. market.

    Vietnam plans to commence commercial operations of 5G this year, becoming among the first countries in ASEAN to do so, he said.

    The minister had set the stage for launching the new telecommunications technology by making the first 5G phone call on January 17, using equipment manufactured by Vietnamese telecom giant Viettel.

    The military-run Viettel is set to become the sixth firm in the world to launch its own 5G equipment after Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, Samsung, and ZTE.

    Viettel plans to commercially launch 5G services this June. It has been testing and installing equipment since last year.

    Hung, a former Viettel CEO, has been pushing 5G research in Vietnam since taking over as communications minister towards the end of 2018. He asked local firms to produce their own equipment so that Vietnam is among the first countries in the world to launch 5G technology.

    The number of 5G subscriptions in Vietnam could hit 6.3 million by 2025 or 6 percent of total mobile subscriptions, technology conglomerate Cisco has forecast.

    In ASEAN, Singapore is expected to lead the way in launching 5G in 2020, followed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand, according to U.S. consulting firm AT Kearney.

    5G is said to offer speeds 100 times faster than 4G and support new applications like remote medical procedures and autonomous driving.

  • ZTE acquires significant chunk of NFV network equipment

    ZTE acquires significant chunk of NFV network equipment

    Moreover, in this bidding, ZTE has also won the bidding for the user plane in Shandong, Anhui, Fujian, Yunnan and other 12 provinces in China, demonstrating ZTE’s leading position in the fields of NFV cloudification and the next-generation core network.

    The phase-1 project of China Mobile’s NFV network includes six parts: PS network VNFs of eight regions and 31 provinces, IMS network VNFs, virtual-layer software, distributed storage, MANO, and system integration. This purchase marks the beginning of the large-scale construction of the NFV cloud network of China Mobile, the world’s largest operator.

    As a technology leader and provider of cloudified products and solutions, ZTE has partnered with China Mobile to build a secure, reliable, mature, and stable end-to-end cloudified network, by means of four years and five stages of pilot and verification in NFV field.

    Furthermore, ZTE’s NFV infrastructure TECS, Ceph-based carrier-grade distributed and unified storage platform CloveStorage, carrier-grade server operation system CGSL, 2/3/4/5G fully integrated cloud core network Common Core and the AI-based automatic O&M management system CloudStudio have also been put into commercial use in global operators’ networks and government & enterprise networks, laying solid foundation for 5G commercialization and vertical industry applications.