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Tag: telecom

  • Huawei profit grows 25.1% Last Year

    Huawei profit grows 25.1% Last Year

    Huawei has reported a solid 25.1% increase in net profit for 2018 despite the continuing political challenges the vendor has been facing in the US and other markets.

    The Chinese vendor reported a net profit for the year of 59.3 billion yuan ($8.83 billion), on the back of a 19.5% increase in revenue to 721.2 billion yuan.

    Sales in the vendors’ core carrier business declined slightly to 294 billion yuan, but consumer business revenue surged 45.1% from 2017 to reach 348.9 billion yuan as Huawei carved out a higher share of the global smartphone market.

    Enterprise revenue also grew 23.8% to 74.4 billion yuan, due to demand for the company’s cloud, big data, AI and IoT solutions.

    Commenting on the results, Huawei rotating chairman Guo Ping appeared confident that the company can weather the impact of decisions by regulators in markets including the US, Australia and New Zealand  to restrict the vendor from providing equipment to segments of their respective markets over national security concerns.

    “Through heavy, consistent investment in 5G innovation, alongside large-scale commercial deployment, Huawei is committed to building the world’s best network connections,” he said.

    “Throughout this process, Huawei will continue to strictly comply with all relevant standards to build secure, trustworthy, and high-quality products. As we work towards this goal, we have been explicitly clear: Cyber security and user privacy protection are at the absolute top of our agenda.”

    He added that the company is “confident that the companies that choose to work with Huawei will be the most competitive in the 5G era, and countries that choose to work with Huawei will gain an advantage for the next wave of growth in the digital economy.”

  • China Mobile Hong Kong holds 5G experience showcase

    China Mobile Hong Kong holds 5G experience showcase

    China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK) and property company Sino Group have jointly held what they are calling Hong Kong’s first in-mall 5G experience showcase at the Olympian City 2 mall.

    The Future is Now 5G Experience Showcase, which was held over four days ending yesterday, comprised six experience zones intended to introduce ad demonstrate 5G technology.

    These zones were based around concepts including autonomous vehicles, smart glasses and a machine that purports to be unbeatable at janken (also known as rock paper scissors) by using 5G leased lines and a sensory system to detect gestures as they are thrown.

    Other zones highlight the speed improvement between 4G and 5G, the potential of 5G technology in smart city development and a start-up exhibition based on IoT technology.

    “Out of Hong Kong’s many mobile carriers, CMHK is the first network provider to receive the 5G trial permit, and has succeeded in engineering Hong Kong’s first end-to-end 5G network testing as well as the first Commercial Equipment Field-Testing of 28GHz 5G base stations,” CMHK chairman Dr Li Feng said.

    “In the future, CMHK will continue to adhere to the concept of ‘4G changes lives, 5G changes society’ by presenting “5G+ Project” in three agendas: firstly, to complement the existing 4G network with 5G infrastructure; to promote 5G with new networking technology; and develop more comprehensive 5G ecosystems to maximize the value of 5G.’

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  • Tower market to grow at 4.56% CAGR from 2019-24

    Tower market to grow at 4.56% CAGR from 2019-24

    The global telecom tower market is on track to grow at a CAGR of over 4.56% between 2019 and 2024, according to Research and Markets.

    In a new report, the research firm stated that tower sharing has become one of the major growth drivers for the telecom industry as the tower leasing concept takes hold.

    This leasing concept has enable mobile operators to invest heavily in developing their infrastructure in rural areas, which is in turn bringing in new revenues to tower operators.

    Major market trends include expected significant growth in demand for lattice telecom towers, designed to manage heavy loads making them suitable for central communication hubs and backbone sites in disaster-prone areas.

    The primary purpose of a lattice tower is to support more than one antenna for communication purposes.

    The report also notes that the telecom tower market is currently highly competitive, with several major players dominating the market in terms of total share. These include India’s Bharti Infratel, China Tower – the joint venture established to operate the towers of China’s big three mobile operators, Helios Towers Africa and American Tower Corporation (ATC).

  • Dominic Barton joins Singtel board

    Dominic Barton joins Singtel board

    Singtel has appointed Dominic Barton (pictured) as an independent director with immediate effect, the Singaporean telco announced Monday.

    Barton is currently global managing partner emeritus of McKinsey & Company. Prior to that he was global managing partner of McKinsey until July 2018, a role he held for nine years. He has also served as chair of the board of Canadian mining company Teck Resources since October, 2018.

    “Dominic brings rich expertise and insights from across a broad swathe of industries, having advised clients in banking, consumer goods, tech and industrials over three decades of consulting,” said Singtel chairman Simon Israel said. “The diversity of his experience will be invaluable as Singtel’s digital transformation takes the group into businesses and partnerships that cut across multiple industries.”

    The Singtel Board now comprises 12 directors: Simon Israel (chairman), Chua Sock Koong (Group CEO), Gautam Banerjee, Dominic Barton, Bobby Chin Yoke Choong, Venky Ganesan, Bradley Horowitz, Gail Kelly, Low Check Kian, Peter Mason, Christina Ong, and Teo Swee Lian.

    HKBN names Elinor Shiu marketing chief for residential services

    Elinor Shiu, CMO, Residential Services, HKBN Group

    HKBN Group has named Elinor Shiu (pictured) as chief marketing officer, residential services.

    In her new role, Shiu will lead the marketing strategies and operations of the group’s residential market business. She has also joined the group’s management committee, overseeing HKBN’s continued growth with six other senior executives, according to a company announcement.

    Shui has extensive experience in marketing management and business operations. She has held several senior positions across the group’s residential and enterprise solutions business before becoming head of marketing in 2018.

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  • SK Telecom streams AR dragon in Korean stadium

    SK Telecom streams AR dragon in Korean stadium

    SK Telecom has announced it has used augmented reality to simulate a fire-breathing dragon at a sports stadium as part of its ongoing development of new 5G-powered services.

    Using augmented reality technology, the large fire-breathing wyvern was streamed flying around the SK Happy Dream Park during the opening day of the Korea Baseball Organization.

    The dragon was streamed both to the LED baseball scoreboard installed at the stadium and via sports broadcasting channels for fans watching the game on TV and smartphones.

    To achieve large scale augmented reality streaming, SK Telecom used its self-developed augmented and virtual reality technologies including the eSpace and T real Platform solutions.

    The demonstration arose from SK Telecom’s focus on the development of 5G-based services to support its commercial network, which launched in December last year. Augmented and virtual reality are a key area of focus for the company.

  • ZTE swings back to black in Q1

    ZTE swings back to black in Q1

    ZTE expects to have swung back to profit in the first quarter, after reporting an annual loss in 2018 as a result of the temporary ban on its import of components from US vendors.

    The Chinese vendor estimates a net profit for the first quarter of 800 million yuan ($118.9 million) to 1.2 billion yuan, which compares to a profit of 1.69 billion yuan in the first quarter of 2018.

    The first quarter results are nevertheless an improvement on the 6.98 billion yuan ($1.04 billion) loss the company recorded for the full year 2018.

    ZTE blamed its performance on the impact of the ban on the import of components from US companies imposed by the US government due to ZTE allegedly violating US sanctions on Iran by conspiring to sell equipment with US components in the market, as well as the $1 billion settlement agreement ZTE reached to have this ban overturned.

    Revenue for the year  meanwhile fell 21.4% to 85.51 billion yuan despite signs of recovery in ZTE’s major businesses of wireless networks, wireline networks and mobile devices.

    ZET has meanwhile announced it has been intensifying its investment in 5G research and development.

    The company has so far submitted more than 7,000 5G standard proposals and 3,000 5G patent applications to international organizations, and has declared over 1,200 standards of 5G standard-essential patents to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

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  • Thailand delays 700-MHz auction

    Thailand delays 700-MHz auction

    Thai telecom regulator NBTC has postponed plans to hold a 700-MHz auction for at least three months due to delays establishing details of the auction terms.

    The regulator no longer expects to be able to hold the 700-MHz auction in May as originally planned, citing comments from the NBTC’s secretary-general.

    Instead the earliest timeline for the auction date may be August or September, as related conditions of the auction, including the reserve price, will not be concluded until May.

    Other terms which still need to be established including the process for recalling 700-MHz spectrum to be auctioned and the compensation regime for companies affected by the recall. The regulator needs at least three months to complete related procedures.

    According to the report, the delay is also aimed at giving operators more time to arrange bank guarantees.

    The NBTC plans to push on with the auction regardless of the official outcome 2019 Thai general elections –  Thailand’s first general election since the 2014 coup – which was held on Sunday.

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  • Docomo trials drone-based tower inspection in Indonesia

    Docomo trials drone-based tower inspection in Indonesia

    Japan’s NTT Docomo and Indonesian tower provider PT Solusi Tunas Pratama (STP) have commenced a trial in Indonesia involving the use of drones to inspect telecom towers.

    During the pilot of the Docomo sky for Tower Inspection service, the companies will use drones to photograph base stations and telecom towers and transmit the information to a command center in real time.

    The system is based on an operational drone-based tower inspection system developed by Docomo for use in its own network across Japan. It is designed to support the Docomo sky ground control station app for assistance in inspection tasks and remotely piloting the drones.

    For the trial, Docomo will provide its cloud-based platform for operational support and data analysis for faster and more accurate tower inspections.

    According to the companies, the trial service is well suited to markets including Indonesia, where rapid urban development is resulting in the construction of tall buildings and transport infrastructure that can interfere with radio propagation from telecom towers.

    The two companies hope to test the technology in other locations and facilities before launching a full-scale commercial service later in the first half of the year.

  • SP Telecom offers direct connection to Google Cloud

    SP Telecom offers direct connection to Google Cloud

    SP Telecom, a joint venture between ST Engineering and Singapore Power group, has become the first network service provider in Singapore to announce support for Google Cloud Partner Interconnect.

    With the agreement SP Telecom, a fiber network provider which builds its network using the passive infrastructure of Singapore’s national power grid, will allow customers to connect to Google Cloud Platform globally.

    The connectivity will be enabled by SP Telecom’s Cloud Interconnection Service to enable direct connectivity to Google Cloud, while taking advantage of SP Telecom’s network infrastructure.

    SP Telecom will provide direct connectivity from customers’ facility to Google Cloud’s points of presence at the Equinix SG3 or Global Switch Singapore data centers.

    SP Telecom VP of product management and business line IT Tan Choon Chai said SP Telecom’s network infrastructure being built on diverse paths that run along the Singapore power grid provides  a reduced risk of network interruption from a power outage or active equipment failure.

    “Today’s rapidly digitizing environment has called for businesses to turn to cloud platforms to support their business needs. SP Telecom is pleased to partner with Google Cloud to bring more flexible and convenient connectivity options to help enhance business operations,” he said.

    “Coupled with our in-built network diversity capabilities, customers can be assured of a network infrastructure which provides resilient network connectivity capable of withstanding risks of network interruption.”

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  • Singtel targets Millennials with all-digital mobile plan

    Singtel targets Millennials with all-digital mobile plan

    Singtel has announced the launch of an all-digital mobile service plan targeted at technology-savvy Millennial customers.

    The new product, GOMO Mobile, offers functionality including immediate online sign up and same-day SIM card delivery, 24/7 live chat for customer service inquiries and a dedicated customer care app.

    The S$20 GOMO Mobile plan includes 20GB of data, 200 minutes of talktime and 200 SMS. The no-contract plan is based on a 30-day payment cycle, and additional allocations can be instantly purchased using a debit or credit card.

    As part of its strategy of targeting Millennials, Singtel is also offering lifestyle rewards such as discounts at selected hipster restaurants and cafes, and plans to expand these rewards to include ride hailing, entertainment events and activities and travel promotions.

    Singtel is also offering a GOMO Travel SIM that provides 3GB of data for 10 days across eight overseas destinations – Australia, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines.

  • 211 operators globally investing in 5G

    211 operators globally investing in 5G

    At least 211 operators across 87 countries are investing in 5G, according to statistics compiled by consultancy company Hadden Telecoms.

    Operators investing in 5G are at a variety of stages, ranging from network deployments, to technology testing, demonstrations and pilot trials.

    To date, 15 operators have commercially launched 5G services, including Telstra and Optus in Australia, which are offering fixed wireless 5G services on the 3.6-GHz band. Vodafone Australia and the market’s national broadband network operator NBN Co are also investing in 5G.

    South Korea’s KT, LG U+ and SK Telecom meanwhile switched on their 3.5-GHz 5G networks last year, initially for enterprise customers only, and are planning to simultaneously launch commercial services for consumers shortly.

    The list of operators investing in 5G in Asia Pacific also includes China’s big three operators China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, Hong Kong’s 3 Hong Kong, China Mobile Hong Kong, HKT and SmarTone, and India’s Bharti Airtel, BSNL and Reliance Jio Infocomm.

    In Japan, KDDI, NTT Docomo, Rakuten Mobile and Softbank are spending heavily on 5G, while Malaysia’s Celcom, DiGi, Maxis, Telekom Malaysia and U Mobile and the Philippines’ Globe and PLDT are also trialing the technology.

    Singapore’s M1, Singtel and StarHub, Sri Lanka’s Dialog Axiata and Mobitel, Taiwan’s APT, Chunghwa Telecom, Far EasTone and Taiwan Mobile, Thailand’s AIS, Dtac, TOT and TrueMove and Vietnam’s Viettel are also at various stages of 5G development.

    “Operators globally are preparing for the large-scale introduction of 5G, the first services have launched, and the devices ecosystem is rapidly building and poised for the imminent scale availability of a range of smartphone models,” Hadden Telecoms director Alan Hadden said.

    “Dozens more operators are expected to launch their respective 5G services in the coming 12 months.”

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  • Telstra awarded 131 cell sites under Black Spot program

    Telstra awarded 131 cell sites under Black Spot program

    Australia’s Telstra has announced it has been awarded 131 sites as part of the fourth round of the government’s Mobile Black Spot program.

    The operator will deploy a mixture of new mobile base stations and small cells at the 131 locations, and will contribute $23.3 million of the $55.6 million co-investment required to fund the new sites, with the remainder coming from the federal and state governments.

    The new sites will include 49 in New South Wales, 23 in Western Australia, 22 in Victoria, 19 in South Australia, and 18 in Queensland.

    Telstra said it has so far deployed more than 550 new mobile base stations across regional and rural Australia as part of the Mobile Black Spot program.

    Meanwhile the operator expects to have spent a total of around A$8 billion ($5.66 billion) in total mobile investment over the five years ending in June, with nearly A$3 billion of this spent in rural areas.

    “Our investments will help towns and communities relying on mobile connected devices more than ever before,” Telstra CEO Andy Penn said.

    “The partnerships we have formed with Governments at all levels are providing connectivity and services to many areas of Australia where it was otherwise uneconomical to do so.”

    He said Telstra’s mobile network now spans nearly 10,000 base stations covering more than 2.5 million square kilometers.

    The announcement came shortly after the government revealed it has allocated a further A$160 million for the Mobile Black Spot program, which has now been extended to a further two rounds.

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  • Huawei, ZTE consider local manufacturing in India

    Huawei, ZTE consider local manufacturing in India

    Both Huawei and ZTE are evaluating plans to establish local manufacturing facilities in India to avoid the 20% tariff imposed on the import of telecommunications equipment.

    ZTE is carefully evaluating the feasibility of local manufacturing in India, including of mobile devices, the company’s president of global sales Xiao Ming told.

    If the government offers enough incentives to support a cost advantage, ZTE would love to shift many of its manufacturing factories in India.

    Meanwhile Huawei is progressing a plan to resume Indian manufacturing of telecom equipment and enterprise products, the report states.

    Huawei ceased production from its Indian facilities last year due in part to low demand, but the company is evaluating establishing a new plant for its carrier business and enterprise as a result of the tariffs.

    Meanwhile Ericsson, which already has manufacturing facilities in India, plans to expand these capabilities to commence exports of locally-manufactured equipment to more countries.

    Nokia also manufactures equipment in India, and has developed a local supply chain for components to minimize the 10% duty on imports of components to be manufactured locally.

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  • South Korea’s SK Group to buy $1 bln stake in Vingroup

    South Korea’s SK Group to buy $1 bln stake in Vingroup

    South Korean conglomerate SK Group plans to acquire a $1 billion stake in Vietnam’s largest private  conglomerate Vingroup. SK plans to make the investment as early as next month, it said. Vingroup recently sought its shareholders’ vote on a plan to raise at least VND25 trillion ($1.08 billion) through a private placement to five foreign investors.

    It plans to sell the shares at a minimum price of VND100,000 ($4.32) and stipulate a lockup period of one year, during which time the shares cannot be resold by the buyers.

    It plans to use VND10 trillion ($432.34 million) of the proceeds to restructure its debts, VND6 trillion ($259.41 million) to invest in its auto company VinFast, technology firm VinTech and smartphone maker Vinsmart.

    Vingroup is Vietnam’s largest listed company by market capitalization and is worth VND377 trillion ($16.23 billion).

    Last September SK Group acquired a 9.5 percent stake in Vietnam’s diversified business Masan Group for $470 million.

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  • China Mobile reports $17.6b profit for 2018

    China Mobile reports $17.6b profit for 2018

    China Mobile has reported a 3.1% increase in net profit for 2018 to 117.78 billion yuan ($17.58 billion) as the company focused on reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency.

    Operating revenue declined 0.5% in reported terms to 736.82 billion yuan, but grew 1.7% after 2017’s results were recalculated using the new IFRS revenue standard..

    Telecommunications service revenue fell a reported 0.4% but grew 3.7% in comparable terms to 670.9 billion yuan.

    The operator’s net profit was also aided by the listing of the company’s tower division China Tower in August last year.

    China Mobile reported a 4.3% increase in its total customer base for the year to 925 million, of which 713 million are 4G customers – a 9.7% increase from 2017. But mobile ARPU fell 8% to 53.1 yuan as a result of strong competition.

    Meanwhile total wireline broadband subscribers increased by 39% to 157 million, of which 147 million were household broadband customers. Household broadband blended ARPU grew 3.2% to 34.4 yuan.

    “2018 was a challenging year for telecommunications operators. Competition amongst peers changed in characteristics as products and services have become homogenized while cross-sector challenges have intensified. The value of traditional telecommunications business rapidly diminished, coupled with multiple challenges from a complex and rapidly-changing policy environment,” China Mobile chairman Yang Jie said.

    “In order to counter market competition, overcome the major obstacles in the ongoing reforms and enhance management, we continued to encourage everyone across the Company to take the ‘Big Connectivity’ strategy even further and implement the integrated development of the “four growth engines”.”

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