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Tag: telecom

  • 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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  • Softbank, Chunghwa Telecom partner on AI, IoT

    Softbank, Chunghwa Telecom partner on AI, IoT

    Taiwanese incumbent carrier Chunghwa Telecom has signed an MoU with Japan’s Softbank for collaboration on artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT.

    In a statement, the companies said the technological and commercial cooperation aims to develop use cases for future smart cities in Taiwan.

    It will also involve ST Solutions Taiwan Co. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Corp.

    The pair said they plan to leverage their insights and experiences from the collaboration in AI, IoT and related fields.

    The collaboration will initially focus on such areas as global IoT platforms, smart infrastructure, smart agriculture as well as utilization of high-accuracy location data and big data.

    The partnership with Softbank is Chunghwa Telecom’s latest push in IoT.

    In February, the Taiwanese operator inked a deal with Ericsson to use the Swedish vendor’s IoT Accelerator platform to develop IoT services for its enterprise customers.

    Max Chen, president of mobile business group, at Chunghwa Telecom, was quoted as saying in the statement that the partnership with Ericsson will boost its capabilities in machine learning and IoT operations.

    “As Taiwan’s industry is mainly export-driven, Chunghwa Telecom’s IoT innovation drive will help local industries to expand their international IoT business horizon,” Chen said.

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  • 5G to account for 57% of China tech spend in 2019

    5G to account for 57% of China tech spend in 2019

    Spending on 5G will account for the majority of China’s technology spending in 2019 as the nation continues to spend heavily to ensure it leads the global race to implement the mobile technology, Forrester Research predicts.

    China will spend a total of $256 billion on technology goods and services this year, with 5G spending to account for 57% of this, the research firm said in a new report.

    The nation is best positioned to win the global race to implement 5G after having outspent the US in this area by around $24 billion since 2015.

    Meanwhile China and Japan are set to dominate technology spending in Asia-Pacific, collectively accounting for 60% of the total market. India will be third with anticipated spending of $70 million, Forrester said.

    India, China and the US will also see the strongest growth amid a slowing global technology market. Total growth in spending is expected to slow to 4.5% in 2019, and to 3.8% in 2020.

    The report also found that Asia-Pacific still lags the US and Europe in terms of cloud adoption, because the infrastructure in most Asia-Pacific markets is not mature enough to support cloud solutions.

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  • Inmarsat receives $3.3b buyout bid

    Inmarsat receives $3.3b buyout bid

    Satellite operator Inmarsat is in talks to be acquired by a consortium of private equity investors in a deal worth $3.3 billion.

    UK-based Inmarsat is still negotiating with the consortium members over the possible takeover and a binding offer has not yet been received. But the preliminary offer involves cash payment of $7.21 per share.

    The consortium, which includes Apax Partners, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board and Warburg Pincus International, has until April 16 to submit a binding offer or decline to make one.

    The $3.3 billion offer price is only marginally higher than the price offered by US-based satellite provider EchoStar during its takeover bid for Inmarsat in July last year, which was then worth $3.25 billion.

    At the time, Inmarsat’s board rejected the offer on the ground that it “very significantly undervalued Inmarsat and its standalone prospects.”

    But Bloomberg notes that Inmarsat’s share price has been barely changed over the intervening time – until the price was lifted by takeover speculation – and UK-based stocks have been struggling recently due to public investors’ concerns over Brexit. The publication attributes these factors to Inmarsat’s decision to come to the negotiating table this time.

    The deal values Inmarsat at around $6 billion, and represents a 34% premium on the company’s average share price over the past three months.

  • RCom chief spared jail over debt to Ericsson

    RCom chief spared jail over debt to Ericsson

    Reliance Communications (RCom) has terminated a deal to sell its telecom assets to Reliance Jio Infocomm after failing to receive regulatory approval.

    But RCom’s founder Anil Ambani has been granted a last-minute reprieve from being imprisoned for failing to meet the company’s court-ordered repayment obligations to major creditor Ericsson after support from his older brother and founder of Reliance Jio Mukesh.

    In a stock exchange filing, RCom blamed its decision to terminate its asset sale plan to factors including a failure to receive the required permissions from the Department of Telecom.

    RCom also has not received notice of consent or objection from more than 40 of its foreign an Indian lenders regarding the proposed sale, despite holding over 45 meetings over a 15 month period, the company said.

    RCom has also decided to attempt fast track resolution of its overall debt through the National Company Law Tribunal, and the Tribunal has restrained the company from selling or transferring ay assets while the case is ongoing.

    But due to last minute intervention from Mukesh Ambani, RCom revealed in a second statement that the company has managed to make the required 5.5 billion rupee ($80.1 million) payment to Ericsson before the deadline for him to be jailed.

    Ambani was last month found to be in contempt of court over a failure to make the 5.5 billion rupee payment RCom had promised to make to Ericsson in September. He was given four weeks to make the payment or face being jailed for three months.

    “My sincere and heartfelt thanks to my respected elder brother, Mukesh, and Nita, for standing by me during these trying times, and demonstrating the importance of staying true to our strong family values by extending this timely support,” Anil Ambani said in a statement.

    “I and my family are grateful we have moved beyond the past, and are deeply grateful and touched with this gesture.”

    Ambani was referring to the fallout the two brothers had over the inheritance of Reliance Industries from their father Dhirubhai Ambani following his death in 2002. The brothers have since reconciled.

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  • Mislatel postpones launch date to early 2021

    Mislatel postpones launch date to early 2021

    The Philippines’ Mislatel has postponed the expected start date of its commercial operations to early 2021 as a result of delays receiving a key certificate that will allow it to operate.

    Mislatel, the joint venture established and selected to become the Philippines’ third operator, has moved the start date from its initial target of late 2020.

    Mislatel is jointly owned by China Telecom and local businesses owned by tycoon Dennis Uy.

    The company is still waiting on the issuance of a certificate of public convenience, but the Department of ICT is still waiting on a ratified Congressional resolution on the validity of Mislatel’s operating franchise before this certificate can be issued.

    If the certificate is still not issued this month as anticipated, the commencement date could potentially be delayed further.

    Last month the Senate approved a change in ownership of the franchise Mislatel intends to operate under to the consortium, in order to circumvent issues surrounding the validity of the franchise as a result of former non-compliance with its terms.

    The franchise, which had been held by a company owned by Uy that was also known as Mislatel, had required the commencement of operators within a year of its issuance. This requirement had not been fulfilled, leading to concerns that the franchise was null and void. The Mislatel consortium had also failed to notify the government about a change in ownership of the franchise.

    But the Senate overwhelmingly voted for a resolution to approve the change of ownership to maintain the validity of the franchise.

  • Telenor Pakistan, is celebrating its 14th anniversary with a renewed commitment to empowering Pakistan

    Telenor Pakistan, is celebrating its 14th anniversary with a renewed commitment to empowering Pakistan

    Pakistan’s leading telecom and digital services provider, Telenor Pakistan, is celebrating its 14th anniversary with a renewed commitment to empowering Pakistan. Since the beginning of its commercial operations in 2005, the company has emerged as the second largest cellular operator in the country with 44 million strong and growing customer base and 28% share in the Pakistani telecom market. Telenor Pakistan has also become the leader of ICT-powered digital transformation in the country.

    Telenor Pakistan’s journey comprises many industry first initiatives and benchmarks including the country’s first and foremost mobile banking service, Easypaisa, best-in-class data and broadband services, multiple-award winning digital solutions for agriculture and civic rights, Voice Over LTE (VoLTE) enabled network, and the industry’s first and only 4.5G service, to name a few. The company recently established its new headquarters in Islamabad that is built to induce innovation and creativity into solutions for the customers. Since its inception, Telenor Pakistan has taken a frontrunner position in building and developing a digital ecosystem in Pakistan and is a key enabler of the country’s national digital agenda.

    Throughout its operations, Telenor Pakistan has ensured that its purpose of ‘connecting people to what matters most to them’ is fully integrated to its products and services along with ways of doing business. Keeping sustainability a priority in all business processes and policies, Telenor Pakistan’s solutions are enabling socioeconomic growth and development in the country which is reflective of the company’s commitment towards giving more power to its customers through innovative digital connectivity.

    “Since the beginning, Telenor Pakistan has been a strong proponent of technology being the answer to socioeconomic challenges,” said Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor Pakistan. “We have always been on the lookout for new ways to extend the benefits of technology not only to our customers, but to millions of Pakistanis who are yet to be digitally and financially included. With proliferation of mobile phones, we realized there’s no better way to empower them than leveraging the strong tele-density in the Pakistani market. That is when our digital interventions to empower our society shifted gears and today we lead the industry with disruptive solutions in agriculture, civic rights, IoT, emerging solutions in entertainment, and more. This is only the start of an exciting journey ahead,” he added.

    During the past 14 years, Telenor Pakistan has powered the country’s digital ecosystem using a multilateral approach that includes continuous increase in network footprint, innovative products & services, and making connectivity affordable. Besides ensuring best-in-class services and expanding our network to underserved and unserved areas, Telenor Pakistan’s portfolio of affordable data devices and services is enabling accelerated digital uptake in the country. Initiatives like Telenor Velocity, Youth Forum (TYF) and Ignite encourage a sustainable entrepreneurial mindset across the country and within Telenor Pakistan.

    Telenor Pakistan has made substantial contributions in the form of investment in the country that include over $3.5 billion in spectrum and infrastructure, over $2.5 billion in the national exchequer, and over $70 million in the new Islamabad HQ. Telenor Pakistan’s impact on the society has also been significant with over 1,600 direct jobs, enablement of the wider economy, and measures for sustainability in the supply chain. The impact that the company’s digital interventions are making in areas like financial services, agriculture, and ensuring easy access of civic rights through digital birth registration is redefining sustainability and setting new standards.

    “We thank Pakistan and millions of Pakistanis for choosing us as their preferred telecom and digital solutions provider,” said Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor Pakistan. “On our 14th anniversary, we pledge to continue serving Pakistan by supporting our national inclusion agenda, being a gateway to the latest technological innovations and creative solutions to meet our customers’ needs, and giving them more reasons to love Telenor. We are here to stay and our commitment to empowering Pakistan only gets stronger with each passing year. With continued support from the government and our cherished customers, we are on the road to achieving greater milestones in the coming times.”

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