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Tag: telecom

  • RCom to stop offering 2G voice in eight circles

    RCom to stop offering 2G voice in eight circles

    Struggling Indian operator Reliance Communications will stop offering 2G voice services in eight circles from December as a cost saving measure.

    Telecoms regulator Trai has issued a direction stating that RCom plans to discontinue 2G GSM services in eight telecoms circles after the closure of the merger between RCom and Sistema Shyam Teleservices (SSTL), providing only 4G data services.

    RCom also plans to use the merger to upgrade its network from CDMA to LTE using the 800-MHz band in nine circles including Delhi.

    Trai has requested that all operator honor any porting requests from existing RCom customers and directed RCom not to deny any such requests from its own subscribers until the end of the year.

    RCom has been reconsidering its operations after failing to clinch a proposed merger with Aircel due to regulatory uncertainty and the objections of some creditors.

    The operator is grappling with debt of around 450 billion rupees ($6.95 billion) and had been hoping that the merger could help it reduce this burden.

    The RCom-SSTL share swap merger by contrast was approved last month. RCom will acquire around 2 million new customers, as well as 30 MHz of 800-MHz spectrum in eight of India’s 22 telecoms circles including Delhi.

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  • TrueMove aims for 33% market share

    TrueMove aims for 33% market share

    Thai operator TrueMove aims to increase its share of the mobile market to 33% next year, as the second-ranked operator takes aim at market leader AIS.

    The operator plans to invest in data capacity and introduce innovative new services and products to meet its expansion goals, the Bangkok Post reported.

    TrueMove currently has a market share of around 29% and a revenue market share of about 26%, which compares to 44.8% and 48.6% respectively for for AIS.

    In an interview, True Corp co-president for commercial management Vichaow Rakphongphairoj expects the arrival of 5G and the IoT to increase the penetration rate for mobile numbers and SIMs from the current 140% to up to 1,000%.

    While the operator will need to expand its spectrum holdings to develop the capacity to launch new services, Vichaow told the publication it is too early to say whether TrueMove will join the planned 5G auction for 1800-MHz and 850-MHz spectrum planned for next June. The operator’s participation will depend on the final conditions for the auction and the results of the operator’s feasibility study.

    True Move currently holds the highest amount of bandwidth among Thai mobile operators with 55MHz spread out across the 850-MHz, 900-MHz, 1800-MHz and 2100-MHz bands.

  • Zong upgrades backbone network to 100G

    Zong upgrades backbone network to 100G

    China Mobile’s Pakistani subsidiary Zong has upgraded its backbone network with 100Gbps technology to accommodate demand from its growing customer base.

    The operator has expanded its backbone capacity by over 10 times compared to its previous 10Gbps backhaul network.

    Zong launched 4G services in 2014 and currently operates the country’s largest 4G network with around 10,500 cell sites nationwide. The company currently has a more than 70% share of the 4G market.

    The operator is expanding its OTN backbone network to ensure ample capacity for its 4G subscribers and to future proof the network for later core network upgrades.

    “We are extremely excited to have successfully implemented this upgrade in record time, without any outages or downtimes on our network,” Zong head of corporate affairs and strategy Maham Dard said.

    “Zong 4G is the only cellular operator that remains committed to investing in nothing less than the cutting edge, continuously employing some of the most advanced technology available. I am confident that, this enhancement to our network infrastructure will contribute greatly to quality of service and end-user experience for many years to come.”

  • Honeywell’s enterprise tablet provides real-time connectivity, fast data capture capabilities

    Honeywell’s enterprise tablet provides real-time connectivity, fast data capture capabilities

    Honeywell’s new enterprise-ready tablet, the ScanPal™ EDA70, provides workers with real-time connectivity for business-critical applications and efficient data capture capabilities. The lightweight, rugged tablet is built on the Android 7 (Nougat) platform and is ideal for scan-intensive workflows such as customer engagement and on-demand delivery. The device keeps mobile workers always connected to crucial information to place orders, check stock, look up order status or scan items as they are removed for delivery.

    “Our customers and their mobile workers need a truly mobile office with reliable access to communication and information,” said Raj Singh, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions. “We designed the EDA70 for the connected mobile worker, who needs to facilitate large file transfers, use video streaming and gain remote access to business applications quickly to manage a wide variety of tasks. The large screen allows workers to view more data, such as inventory stock or schematics, and the rugged casing protects the unit from accidental drops and falls that would damage consumer-grade tablets.”

    The ScanPal EDA70 features:

    • A fast processor;
    • 1D/2D barcode scanning;
    • A built-in camera;
    • A vivid 7-inch Corning Gorilla Glass display readable in bright light;
    • Ample battery life to power through a full shift and beyond.

    The ScanPal EDA70’s design also features a sleek exterior and modern, all-touch interface for a contemporary appearance in customer-facing applications, as well as multiple input modes to save valuable time and minimise data entry errors. Honeywell also offers a full suite of accessories for the device, including desktop charging/docking systems and battery charging base.

    Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions provides products, software and connected solutions that improve productivity, workplace safety and asset performance for customers across the globe.

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  • NBN Co to deploy G.fast from 2018

    NBN Co to deploy G.fast from 2018

    Australia’s NBN Co, the state-owned company building the national broadband network, has revealed it will deploy the G.fast copper acceleration technology on its network from 2018.

    The company will adopt G.fast for the fibre-to-the-building and fibre-to-the-curb components of its networks to provide an upgrade path for these users to ultra-fast speeds.

    G.fast and the more advanced XG FAST can accelerate the speeds of VDSL lines to fibre-like speeds. XG FAST can deliver speeds of up to 1Gbps depending on the condition and length of the copper last mile.

    NBN Co said its trials of the technology in 2015 achieved speeds of 600Mbps over a 20 year old stretch of 100 meter coper cabling. But the average age of a copper connection in Australia is 35 years.

    “Adding G.fast to the toolkit for the FTTC and FTTB networks will allow us to deliver ultra-fast services faster and more cost effectively than if we had to deliver them on a full FTTP connection,” NBN Co chief strategy officer JB Rousselot said.

    The NBN project as envisioned by the previous labor government would have delivered FTTP connections to 93% of Australian premises, with fixed wireless and satellite technologies reaching the remaining 7%. But this plan was controversially scrapped by the current government in favor of a multi-technology mix of FTTP, FTTN, FTTC, HFC, fixed wireless and satellite.

    “Our FTTP and HFC end-users already have the technology to support Gigabit services and adding G.fast over FTTC provides the upgrade path for our FTTN end users to ultimately receive Gigabit speeds too,” Rousselot continued.

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  • SKT unveils Wi-Fi tech with 5G speeds

    SKT unveils Wi-Fi tech with 5G speeds

    SK Telecom has unveiled a self-developed Wi-Fi technology capable of delivering speeds of up to 4.8Gbps.

    The Wi-Fi technology and access point  is based on the new IEEE 802.11ax standard. It can deliver speeds nearly four times faster than the 1.3Gbps achievable with 802.11ac gigabit Wi-Fi

    The technology uses four antennas to transmit data over 160 MHz of bandwidth – twice that of 802.11ac, operating in both the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz frequency bands.

    In addition, the Wi-Fi technology supports orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFMDA), multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) and dynamic sensitivity control (DSC) technology to improve the efficiency of the network.

    SK Telecom plans to start deploying access points for the next generation Wi-Fi next year, concentrating on high traffic density areas. Handsets with chipsets compatible with 802.11ax will be able to benefit from the technology.

    The operator has constructed a Wi-Fi testbed within its R&D center in Bundang to test performance of the technology in various deployment scenarios, and is working on upgrading access points to be commercially deployable by the end of 2017.

    SK Telecom SVP and head of network R&D Park Jin-hyo said the next-generation Wi-Fi technology is expected to be an important complement to 5G networks.

    “By introducing the technology for the next generation Wi-Fi that can deliver as fast as 5G technology, we at SK Telecom have successfully laid foundation to offer better mobile services,” he said.

    “We are thrilled to work on the preparation on commercializing the technology and continue to innovate our capabilities to provide differentiated services to our customers.”

  • GTT deploys new low latency routes

    GTT deploys new low latency routes

    Yesterday, GTT Communications announced a series of new low latency routes around the globe, and simultaneously launched a new time  synchronization service.

    The new low latency routes include Hong Kong to Tokyo, Hong Kong to Singapore, Mumbai to Singapore, New York City-Mexico City and Johannesburg to London. They bring the company’s total low-latency portfolio to more than 60 routes connecting over 130 financial exchanges.

    Meanwhile GTT’s time synchronization service aims to give financial customers a single source of time across their global trading footprints.

    This answers the question of what one gets when one combine’s Hibernia Networks’ financial business and transatlantic cable with the international network relationships that GTT acquired with the earlier deal for the Inteliquent/Tinet backbone.

    GTT’s more recent M&A moves have been in the US with the acquisition of Global Capacity and pending purchase of Transbeam. However, I wonder whether the next targets might come from overseas.

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  • Star Telecom expands retail to underserved markets

    Star Telecom expands retail to underserved markets

    Filipino tech company Star Telecom Alliance Resources, the group behind Starmobile, is expanding its retail distribution to include sari-sari stores and loading stations.

    For its initial phase, just launched, Starmobile feature phones have been made available in more than 20 sari-sari stores and loading stations in Metro Manila, Cagayan De Oro and Zamboanga. This business strategy extends the company’s sales touchpoints beyond branded stores and kiosks, multi-brand vendors, its own online shop, partner e-commerce websites, and even convenience stores.

    With more than a million sari-sari stores in neighborhoods all over the Philippines, the move will enable the company to penetrate underserved markets, especially in the provinces. It also aligns with Starmobile’s objective of democratizing technology, says sales and marketing head Gerardo Balderrama.

    Prizes are being offered for customers as part of the company’s STAR-Tagal campaign.

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  • Tata Tele informs govt of shutdown plans

    Tata Tele informs govt of shutdown plans

    India’s Tata Group has reportedly informally notified the government of plans to shut down its wireless business Tata Teleservices after 21 years in operation.

    Tata Group executives have been meeting with Department of Telecom and other government officials to discuss ways of surrendering or selling off the struggling Tata Teleservices’ spectrum assets.

    According to the report, which cites unnamed sources, the operator will have 60 days to complete the wind-down process once it formally begins. The company will need to give customers 30 days’ notice of its intent to shut down.

    Tata Teleservices was launched in 1996 as a landline company, but moved into mobile services in 2008 under a partnership with Japan’s NTT DoCoMo.

    After DoCoMo decided to enter the loss-making JV in 2014 the company pursued a sale to larger rivals Bharti Airtel and Vodafone, but these talks fell through, prompting parent company Tata Group to consider shutting down the operations instead.

    On the record, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran would not confirm whether a shut down will take place, but said he will have to make a “tough call” surrounding the future of the venture.

    If it takes place, the closure will affect around 5,000 Tata Teleservices employees nationwide.

  • BT unveils new SD-WAN service for large enterprises

    BT unveils new SD-WAN service for large enterprises

    BT has launched BT Agile Connect, a new software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) service that aimed at helping large enterprises with their digital transformation.

    The new service, powered by technologies from BT and Nuage Networks, uses software-defined networking (SDN) to determine the most effective route for traffic across a customer’s wide area network.

    According to BT, Agile Connect will give large enterprises greater control and insights over their infrastructure and traffic flows, allowing much faster and simpler set up of new sites with reduced network complexity and lower costs.

    Customers are able to prioritize applications or manage use of access services via an interactive portal. They also gain an improved visibility of application performance. Changes are implemented centrally without the need for expensive local technical support, the UK operator said.

    The new SD-WAN product runs on BT’s global wholesale network infrastructure, with Agile Connect equipment currently live within the networks of several large global organizations.  BT is now rolling the product out for new and existing customers as part of its Dynamic Network Services program.

    Agile Connect includes a BT pre-built controller infrastructure hosted on the internet and on BT’s multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network. It also uses BT pre-built MPLS Internet gateways to offer simple cloud-based connectivity between internet-connected and MPLS-connected sites.

    “Together, these features save customers from having to undertake time-consuming and costly design, delivery and on-going maintenance of controllers, interconnection gateways, security and monitoring systems critical to the performance of a SD-WAN,” BT said.

    Agile Connect is delivered as a single box located on the edge of their network, with further services added as additional devices. In the future, Agile Connect will support virtual network functions (VNFs), with new services deployed virtually to the Agile Connect device, removing the need to install multiple boxes, BT said.

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  • RCom-Aircel merger deal collapses

    RCom-Aircel merger deal collapses

    India’s Reliance Communications (RCom) has called off a planned merger of its wireless business with rival Aircel as a result of regulatory uncertainty and opposition from some creditors.

    RCom had been planning to merge its wireless business with Aircel to create a 50:50 joint venture with Aircel parent company Maxis, in a deal aimed at reducing its debt burden by around $3 billion.

    But the company announced on Sunday that its merger agreement with Aircel has now “lapsed by mutual consent” due to “legal uncertainties” and “interventions by vested interests” – referring to creditors to the company.

    RCom will now have to pursue alternative methods of reducing its substantial debt burden of around 450 billion rupees ($6.8 billion).

    LiveMint reports that the operator now plans a fire sale of assets ranging from spectrum to real estate as part of a plan to reduce its debt by around 250 billion rupees. This will partly involve adopting a 4G focus to allow it to monitize its existing 2G and 3G spectrum.

    RCom is also planning to sell its tower business and had been seeking to fetch around 110 billion rupees from the sale, but this will need to be revised now that Aircel’s tenancies will no longer be included in the deal.

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  • Startups challenge telecoms status quo as 5G rises

    Startups challenge telecoms status quo as 5G rises

    The rise of 5G is promising to shake up the status quo in the mobile equipment industry by presenting opportunities for startups to grab market share away from the incumbent vendors, according to ABI Research.

    In a new report, the research firm identified 15 startups exhibiting strong potential to play a role in operators’ 5G transformation through innovative products and services.

    Operators are facing the need to address key network performance and traffic management issues ahead of the standardization and launch of 5G in 2019-2020, the report states.

    Technology trends including SDN and NFV for mobile networks, the evolution of the mobile edge and self-organizing network solutions will also lay the groundwork for 5G. Other enabling technologies include the use of big data analytics to enhance network performance.

    Startups such as Athonet, CellWize, CellMining, AirHop Communications, Core Network Dynamics, Blue Danube and Vasona Networks are developing innovative solutions in these areas and are poised to challenge the long-established telecoms industry status quo.

    “Traditionally operators have deployed a handful of infrastructure vendors in their networks, especially in the core network…The end-to-end digital transformation toward virtualized and software defined networks is creating the opportunity for operators to open their highly proprietary networks and vendor ecosystem to include innovative startups,” ABI Research senior analyst Prayerna Raina said.

    “The telco start-ups we have profiled are challenging the incumbents in every way. From the flexibility of the solution to value-added services and a strong R&D focus, these companies are not just innovative, but also reflect an understanding of telco operators’ operational models as well as revenue and network performance challenges.”

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  • Vietnam’s incumbent cellcos testing MNP

    Vietnam’s incumbent cellcos testing MNP

    Vietnam’s three largest mobile operators have started testing mobile number portability ahead of its planned implementation in the nation by the end of the year.

    Viettel, VinaPhone and MobiFone are conducting preparations for the introduction of MNP as part of a communications ministry edict to introduce the capability.

    The ministry approved the MNP project in 2013, and the plan calls for its introduction this year in order to benefit consumers and stimulate competitiveness in the mobile market.

    A mobile switching center has now been established to facilitate number porting and Vietnam’s Authority of Telecommunications plans to introduce a detailed implementation plan early next month.

    According to ministerial guidelines, only mobile subscribers with numbers activated for at least 90 days will be able to port their numbers to other networks.

    Vietnam has around 126.5 million mobile customers, so the MNP facilities that are introduced may need to be able to manage large volumes of switching requests.

  • BT opens cyber security R&D hub in Sydney

    BT opens cyber security R&D hub in Sydney

    BT and the New South Wales government in Australia have announced the opening of a new global cyber security research and development hub in Sydney.

    The hub is an expansion of BT’s existing security operations center (SOC) in the city and will create up to 172 new highly skilled jobs over five years.

    The hub is BT’s first cyber security R&D facility outside of the United Kingdom and will employ highly qualified cyber security specialists.

    The areas of expertise in the new hub will include cyber security, machine learning, data science analytics and visualization, big data engineering, cloud computing, data networking, and the full life cycle of software engineering. The center will also offer job opportunities for 38 graduates with relevant degrees.

    The expanded operations center and R&D hub is part of BT’s global network of 14 Security Operations Centers, providing cyber security service for global customers in 180 countries around the world. BT is recognised by industry analysts as one of the world’s leaders in managed security services on a global level as well as in the Asia Pacific region specifically.

    Security solutions developed and supported out of the Sydney hub will be deployed for customers locally and globally. The hub will also host cyber security systems integration and services teams as well as BT’s newly created role of chief global engineer for cyber product development.

    Minister for Innovation Matt Kean said the NSW Government-backed Jobs for NSW would provide an A$1.67 million ($1.33 million) grant to BT.

    “This cutting edge operation will help keep Australia’s best cyber security talent here in NSW while nurturing our next generation of specialists to ensure we remain a regional leader in this fast growing industry.

    “As well as creating 172 jobs, including 38 jobs for skilled graduates over the next five years, BT will also make an A$2 million investment in capital infrastructure and a further multi-million dollar investment to employ cyber security specialists at the hub.”

    Mark Hughes, CEO BT Security, said: “We are thrilled at this exciting new opportunity to tap into local cyber security skills. Never before has cyber security been more important and we see potential for growth in New South Wales, Australia and further afield. The hub will be a cornerstone of our global cyber security capabilities and help us stay ahead in this fast moving space.”

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  • Tata Teleservices may be wound down

    Tata Teleservices may be wound down

    Indian conglomerate Tata Group is reportedly considering winding down its struggling mobile operation Tata Teleservices after failing to find a potential buyer.

    Cciting unnamed sources, Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran is evaluating suspending its telecoms operations to tackle the operator’s mounting debt.

    If the operations are wound down, Tata Group may need to take financial losses due to Tata Teleservices’ total debt of around 340 billion rupees ($5.3 billion), and lenders may need to take a haircut on the value of their debt owed, according to the report.

    But according to the report, a closure can only happen once these lenders agree to a loan recast program

    Tata Teleservices still has around 45 million customers for a 4% share of the total market. But the operator has been seeking a sale or merger ever since joint venture partner NTT DoCoMo decided to pull out of its 26% shareholding, exercising its option to require Tata Group to buy back DoCoMo’s stake in the venture

    The company has held discussions with Airtel, Vodafone and even newcomer and Reliance Jio, but no deal has eventuated, leaving dissolving the company the most viable option.

    A nominee of Tata Sons’ largest shareholder has also recently suggested that Tata Teleservices file for bankruptcy.

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