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January 17, 2020
18:35
Microsoft taps T-Mobile to test connected PCs
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Microsoft prepared to launch a new connected PC pilot programme next month, teaming with T-Mobile US to provide internet access to students in rural and underserved areas of the country. The company said the programme will offer participating schools the chance to test two newly announced Windows 10 PCs, JP.IK's Turn T101 and the Positivo Wise N1212S, both of which are expected become available later this year. T-Mobile will provide SIM cards and free 4G service to power the devices. In a statement, Microsoft noted the goal of the pilot is to “learn how these new devices and alliances could reshape the education landscape and reduce the broadband gap”. T-Mobile previously announced plans to offer home broadband and hotspot access [1] to 10 million households with school-aged children, to help close a so-called homework gap if its proposed merger with Sprint is approved. A 2018 study by Pew Research Center found 17 per cent of US teens said they were often or sometimes unable to complete homework assignments due to a lack of reliable broadband connectivity at home. [1] [https:]
17:43
Xiaomi settles future of Poco sub-brand
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Chinese smartphone vendor Xiaomi announced the spin off of its Poco smartphone sub-brand into a separate business, rebutting speculation in 2019 it was preparing to axe the range. Xiaomi VP Manu Jain revealed the move in a tweet, noting the first device from the brand, the Pocophone F1, had proven "incredibly popular". Excited to share: #POCO [1] will now be an independent brand! What started as a sub-brand within Xiaomi, has grown into its own identity. POCO F1 was an incredibly popular phone. We feel the time is right to let POCO operate on its own. Join me in wishing @IndiaPOCO [2] all the best. — Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) January 17, 2020 [3] The announcement lays to rest speculation the smartphone range could be ditched, [4] which arose following the departure of Poco project manager Jai Mani in July 2019. Xiaomi established the brand [5] to buck the trend of slowing innovation and rising prices in smartphones. It released Pocophone F1 in August 2018, first in the Indian market for INR20,999 ($295) in base spec with 6GB of RAM and 64GB storage, before expanding availability [6] to more than 60 markets globally. In January 2019, Xiaomi spun off its Redmi sub-brand [7] to focus on global expansion. Months later, the company also unveiled its CC range [8] of smartphones, targeting younger user with a focus on design and camera capabilities. [1] [https:] [2] [https:] [3] [https:] [4] [https:] [5] [https:] [6] [https:] [7] [https:] [8] [https:]
17:07
Des politiciens américains veulent financer une riposte à Huawei
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Un groupe de sénateurs américains veut faire voter un nouveau texte qui permettrait à Washington d’injecter plus d’un milliard de dollars dans le développement de matériel occidental afin de lutter contre la domination perçue d’Huawei sur le marché 5G. Dans un communiqué, le sénateur Mark Warner, un des parrains de la proposition, souligne les objectifs principaux du texte intitulé Strategic Allied Telecommunications Act (SATA), affirmant que le pays doit « réaffirmer le leadership américain et occidental en encourageant une concurrence avec Huawei qui capitalise sur les avantages des logiciels développés aux États-Unis. » Les sénateurs affirment qu’Huawei a été « richement subventionné par le gouvernement chinois », ce qui a aidé l’équipementier à devenir un leader commercial du secteur 5G. Le SATA propose que la Federal Communication Commission, le régulateur américain, provisionne au moins 750 millions de dollars, soit 5 % des revenus annuels tirés de la vente de spectre aux enchères, pour créer un fonds de R&D, appuyant des technologies logicielles de type O-RAN (Open-Radio Access Network) basées des architectures ouvertes. Le SATA permettrait en outre de mobiliser 500 millions de dollars sur 10 ans afin de travailler avec des partenaires étrangers pour « accélérer l’adoption à l’échelle mondiale d’équipements sûrs et dignes de confiance ». Parmi les autres propositions figure un plan de transition qui permettrait aux opérateurs d’acquérir de nouveaux équipements compatibles O-RAN, étendrait l’influence américaine dans la définition de standards internationaux et offrirait de nouveaux débouchés aux équipementiers en favorisant l’harmonisation des nouvelles allocations de spectre avec des partenaires partout où cela serait possible. « Chaque mois d’inaction des États-Unis contribue à faire d’Huawei le fournisseur mondial de 5G le moins cher, le plus réactif et le plus présent, tandis qu’entreprises et travailleurs américains et occidentaux perdent parts de marché et emplois, assure Mark Warner. Il est impératif que le Congrès relève les défis complexes de sécurité et de compétitivité posés par les sociétés de télécommunications chinoises. »
16:08
Ant Financial IPO rumours resurface
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Alipay parent Ant Financial began consulting financial services companies on a potential IPO, Financial Times (FT) reported, a move which would see the company revisit plans postponed in 2018. The company, one of the two dominant mobile payment companies in China, is said to be in talks with both Credit Suisse and China International Capital Corporation over a dual listing in Hong Kong and the mainland. An IPO of Ant Financial has long been mooted, with rumours throughout 2018 [1] predicting the process would take place that year. However, an FT report at the time reported the flotation had been delayed due to concerns about the company’s profitability and worries it may run into regulatory issues. Should it take place, the listing is expected to be one of the biggest for a company based in Asia. It previously raised capital through a number of domestic and international funding rounds, with the latest securing $14 billion in June 2018. In addition to running Alipay, the company offers a range of credit and financial services in its home market, along with a range of related investments in markets outside of China, including India-based mobile wallet company Paytm [2]. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
13:43
Mobile Mix: Huawei apps push hots up
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This week Kavit pays a visit to Huawei’s first developer conference in the UK, as the company attempted to prove to the world that it can cope without Android by pushing its credentials as the world’s third largest mobile ecosystem. Meanwhile Michael has the news, as the O-RAN hype continues to ramp.
13:11
Microsoft pours $1B into carbon-curbing tech
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Microsoft committed to remove all of the carbon generated in its history by 2050, and to invest $1 billion into a new climate fund to develop carbon reduction, capture and removal technologies. In a blog, president Brad Smith outlined a set of goals to reduce the company's carbon footprint, including a pledge to become carbon negative by 2030. As part of its programme, Smith said Microsoft will shift to 100 per cent renewable energy in the next five years. The company also vowed to reduce its carbon emissions by more than half and switch its global operations vehicle fleet to electric by 2030. By 2050, Smith explained, Microsoft plans to remove all the carbon emitted since its foundation in 1975, through negative emission technologies potentially including forestation, removing carbon from soil, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, and direct air capture. From July, Microsoft will require its business divisions to pay an internal carbon fee for indirect emissions produced from its supply and value chains. Over the next four years, the company's Climate Innovation Fund will invest $1 billion into new technologies for reducing and removing carbon from the environment. “We understand that this is just a fraction of the investment needed, but our hope is that it spurs more governments and companies to invest in new ways as well”, Smith commented. He added the company will continue investing in carbon monitoring and modelling projects through its AI for Earth programme. Smith described the company’s plan to reduce its carbon footprint as a “moonshot” for Microsoft. “And it will need to become a moonshot for the world”, he stated.
12:58
EU pushes Apple to ditch Lightning cable
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European Union (EU) authorities added to Apple's woes by threatening to outlaw its lightning cables, piling pressure on the vendor at a time of increased scrutiny of iPhone encryption [1] by US authorities. Members of the European Parliament called for the European Commission to enforce use of a single universal charger for all mobile devices. This is to reduce electronic waste and increase convenience for consumers. The EU estimated old mobile phone chargers generate around 51,000 metric tonnes of electronic waste per year. A vote will be held on the proposal, with a date yet to be determined. Apple said the regulation would stifle innovation and be disruptive to customers, BBC News reported. Currently there are three charging cables adopted by mobile phone manufacturers: microUSB, USB-C and Apple's Lightning cables. Apple ditched the Lightning connector for USB-C on the iPad Pro released in late 2018, making it likely the manufacturer would adopt the port or push wireless charging if forced to ditch its cable from other products, BBC News stated. [1] [https:]
12:28
Telenor rumoured to be in fresh Axiata talks
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Telenor opened early stage talks with Axiata Group’s largest shareholder on the potential acquisition of a minority stake in the Malaysia-based operator group, Bloomberg reported, reigniting the possibility of a wide-reaching tie-up between the two. The news publication’s sources claimed Telenor was in talks with Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad on a number of options related to Axiata, months after discussions [1] on a merger between Axiata and Telenor collapsed. Potential arrangements include buying part of Khazanah Nasional Berhad's 37 per cent stake in Axiata, or specific deals related to individual countries or infrastructure assets. In September 2019 [2] Axiata and Telenor mutually agreed to end talks over a potential merger of their businesses in Asia, having first announced the proposed tie-up in May. The original plan would have involved the companies combinng their operations in the area, with Telenor taking a majority stake. On announcing the abandonment of the original proposal, Telenor said it did not rule out a future transaction related to Axiata. Earlier this week Telenor announced a revamp of its management team [3] in three of its Asian units, as it aims to refocus its operation in the region. [1] [https:] [2] [https:] [3] [https:]
9:07
NYC opens door for 5G expansion
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US operators appeared set to gain access to potentially thousands of new sites for 5G in one of the country’s largest markets, after regulators in New York City authorised ten infrastructure providers to install kit on city-owned traffic and street lights. The agreements with companies including Crown Castle, ExteNet Systems, Transit Wireless and ZenFi Networks also include the option to mount 4G and 5G equipment on bus shelters, public toilets and information kiosks. The deals cover a ten year period. Previous deals focused on 3G and 4G deployments resulted in installations on nearly 6,000 poles, city officials said. The news comes as operators continue to spar with municipalities and utility companies across the country over small cell siting. Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai recently highlighted the issue [1] as a key roadblock to widespread 5G deployments. US operators are particularly reliant on small cells for 5G deployments due to the country’s focus on mmWave spectrum, which offers massive capacity, but has an extremely limited reach. Industry group CTIA previously tipped the number of US small cells to skyrocket from around 86,000 in 2018 to more than 800,000 by 2026 as operators densify their networks for 5G. [1] [https:]
8:47
FCC commissioner slams WRC-19 opposition
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A member of the Federal Communications Commission blasted perceived efforts by other governments to stymie US interests at the ITU’s recent World Radiocommuncation Conference [1] (WRC-19), arguing the country should consider creating an alternative coalition of nations to set mobile priorities going forward. Commissioner Michael O’Rielly (pictured) acknowledged the US achieved some of its objectives [2] at WRC-19, but told a Senate committee “it was very evident that certain foreign delegations were sent with clear directions to oppose the United States and other forward-thinking nations”. He added the conduct “went far beyond normal negotiation strategy” and appeared to be motivated by geopolitical purposes. O’Rielly said the behaviour raised questions about the value of future conferences, but suggested nations at the forefront of mobile development could form a new “G7-like organisation” to ensure continued progress on shared objectives. “We should not let ourselves be obstructed by rogue nations that have little interest in global wireless development or are willing to undermine progress for purposes of a larger self-interested agenda…Near-global harmonisation could be achieved through agreement of the largest, leading wireless nations of the world”. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
8:26
Optus tests Ericsson DSS tech
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Optus, the second largest operator in Australia, employed Ericsson spectrum sharing technology to simultaneously make a 5G video call while streaming video content on a 4G device connected to the same spectrum. In a statement, the operator said the test demonstrates the benefits of dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) which, rather than dedicating spectrum to a single technology, allows it to be used at the same time for both 4G and 5G. An international video call between Optus’s 5G network and Singtel’s pilot 5G network in Singapore was made with a pre-commercial Oppo device equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 modem. At the same time, video was streamed to a 4G device. Optus said its network was able to assign spectrum resources on both 4G and 5G, switching between them in milliseconds to support the different service demands from both users. Kent Wu, head of access network planning and quality at Optus, said DSS will enable it to efficiently manage its spectrum assets to address the needs of existing 4G customers, while also helping widen its 5G coverage and unlock “new video experience services on 5G”. “Spectrum sharing is an important next step in our strategy to focus on video experience for our customers and this will play a key role in enabling us to deliver an incredible 4K ultra-HD live streaming sports and 4K SVOD entertainment content experience.”
8:10
Taiwan 5G auction raises $4.6B
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All five mobile operators in Taiwan spent a total of TWD138 billion ($4.6 billion) securing 5G spectrum, with the protracted sale registering as the third-priciest auction for the technology in the world, Taipei Times reported, citing figures from the regulator. Taiwan's government forecast the sale to generate about TWD44 billion. The price per 10MHz block of 3.5GHz spectrum reached TWD5.075 billion, which the National Communications Commission (NCC) said was a world record. The auction started on 10 December and ended yesterday (16 January) after 261 rounds. On offer was 270MHz in the 3.5GHz band, 2,500MHz of 28GHz airwaves and 20MHz in the 1.8GHz band. Market leader Chunghwa Telecom paid TWD45.7 billion for 90MHz in the 3.5GHz band and TWD618 million for 600MHz of 28GHz spectrum. It plans to launch 5G services in July, the newspaper wrote. Far EasTone acquired 80MHz of 3.5GHz spectrum for TWD40.6 billion and 400MHz in the 28GHz band for TWD412 million, while Taiwan Mobile spent TWD30.4 billion on 60MHz in the 3.5GHz band and TWD206 million for 200MHz of 28GHz airwaves. Taiwan Star Telecom secured 40MHz in the 3.5GHz band for TWD19.7 billion. Asia Pacific Telecom, the smallest operator with a 7 per cent market share by subscribers, pulled out of the 3.5GHz sale after initially bidding, but paid TWD412 million for 40MHz of 28GHz spectrum. It said it would look to cooperate with other operators. The NCC introduced regulations requiring operators to share 5G spectrum with rivals. Only 1,600MHz of the 28GHz spectrum was sold.
January 16, 2020
18:31
Veon mulls Armenia exit
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Veon revealed it entered into discussions regarding a sale of its Armenian unit to rival Ucom, a move the latter stated would boost efforts to transform itself into a digital company. While noting talks are underway, in a statement Veon emphasised the discussions may not result in a sale. The company operates its service in the country under the Beeline brand. Ucom said in its own statement a potential transaction would lead to more services for customers and improve its infrastructure: “As the global mobile market is transformed from voice services to data service providers, and the Armenian mobile market is no exception to global trends, Ucom is constantly transforming into a digital company, aiming to provide a wider range of services to maximise its network coverage and quality”. The Armenian unit is one of Veon’s smaller arms. It also has operations in Russia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Algeria, Georgia and Bangladesh Veon reported its combined subscriber base [1] as 211.7 million at end Q3 2019. [1] [https:]
15:41
Orange expands money service into Jordan
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Orange launched its mobile money service in Jordan, as it continues to progress a group-wide plan to increase the scope and scale of its financial services play. In a statement, the company confirmed it received a licence from the country’s central bank late in 2019 and would operate the product through Petra Mobile Payment Services Company. Continuing to grow its financial services footprint in the MEA region is one of the key initiatives set out by Orange CEO Stephane Richard [1] as part of its Engage2025 strategy, alongside expanding Orange Bank in Europe. Jordan is the operator's 18th mobile money launch in MEA, with all but one using its core brand. Although Orange Money is still available in Niger, the company quit the mobile market there in November 2019 [2]. In its Q3 2019 results, the operator estimated Orange Money had 44 million registered users in MEA, with a third classified as active. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
14:38
Mobile focus skyrockets company valuation
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Companies with mobile as a core element of their business had a combined valuation of $544 billion in 2019, some 6.5-times higher than those without, fresh research by App Annie showed. In its State of Mobile 2020 report, the research company noted the three largest IPOs in 2019 were by companies with a mobile-heavy business model, namely Alibaba Group, Prosus and Uber. The figures indicate the role of mobile would be essential to succeeding with customers in 2020 and beyond, the company stated. In 2019 global app downloads grew to 204 billion, up 6 per cent year-on-year, with Facebook titles dominating [1] the top-five. “While download growth has continued, in mature markets like the US, Japan and Korea, it is starting to level off. In fact, the greatest contribution to the number of downloads over the past year has come from emerging markets including India, Brazil and Indonesia”, App Annie’s MD for EMEA Paul Barnes told Mobile World Live. Barnes described mobile as integral across nearly every vertical, including business, banking, productivity, dating and travel. In 2019 alone, users spent $120 billion on apps, with games comprising 72 per cent of all app store spending. The analyst company expected to see 215 billion app downloads in 2020, while mobile advertising spend is projected to reach $240 billion. “The streaming wars will continue to heat up and consumers will decide where they spend their 674 billion hours on mobile. We also expect both consumer and ad spend to top $380 billion globally”, Barnes commented. [1] [https:]
13:43
Apple acquires AI start-up for $200M
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Apple acquired a US-based AI technology start-up in what appears to be its latest bid to boost device performance and privacy, Bloomberg reported. The company reportedly agreed a $200 million purchase price for Xnor.ai, which specialises in building tools enabling AI algorithms to be run on devices rather than the cloud or remote data centres. Through this process, user information is safer and device processing is improved, Bloomberg stated. Xnor.ai was founded in 2016 and raised around $14.6 million in funding to date, building a staff of around 70, US news outlet GeekWire reported. The deal follows previous acquisitions by Apple to bolster its AI capabilities. In December 2019 it agreed a deal to acquire UK-based AI image processing company Spectral Edge [1], a move expected to relate to improving picture quality. In 2016, it acquired another AI start-up, Turi, for a reported $200 million. Apple declined to confirm the latest deal: in a statement to Bloomberg the company said only that it buys smaller companies "from time-to-time". [1] [https:]
13:26
Telenor changes the guard in Asia
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Telenor Group announced top-level management changes at three of its subsidiaries in Asia, effective from 1 February, in an aim to continue efforts to boost its presence in the region. The CEO of Telenor Myanmar, Sharad Mehrotra, was appointed head of dtac, the company’s operation in Thailand, replacing Alexandra Reich who is stepping down after less than two years [1] in the role. In a statement, Telenor president and CEO Sigve Brekke expressed gratitude for Reich’s support of dtac during a transformational phase [2], which included overseeing “new spectrum and network rollout, and a renewed focus on customer satisfaction and distribution excellence”. Brekke said Mehrotra would bring “valuable insights and knowledge to Thailand from Myanmar and India, where he has managed a strong commercial turnaround”. Telenor Myanmar will be led by current chief corporate affairs officer Hans Martin Hoegh Henrichsen. The group also announced a change in its Bangladeshi business Grameenphone, with current chief Michael Foley to relocate to Africa and be replaced by current deputy CEO and CMO Yasir Azman. Brekke welcomed Azman’s decision to accept “the challenge to lead our operations in Bangladesh” as he had run one of the "best performing sales and distribution organisations in Telenor Group”. The executive thanked Foley for “leading the company through an impressive digital transformation”. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
13:04
O2 makes O-RAN move
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Telefonica’s O2 UK struck partnerships with a number of companies to help it deploy O-RAN technology, a move designed to improve network coverage across the country. In a statement, O2 said it was opening up its RAN to non-traditional partners Mavenir, Dense Air, Wavemobile and Real Wireless to exploit the possibilities of O-RAN, as it expects commercial deployments of the technology to pick up pace over the next 18 months to 24 months. Telefonica is a big advocate of O-RAN [1] and was one of the first members of the O-RAN Alliance, an industry consortium formed to foster open network architecture and standardised interfaces. Fellow European operator Vodafone Group is also heavily pushing O-RAN, with plans to hold a tender regarding deployment across its entire European footprint [2]. O2 outlined how some of its partners will help it introduce O-RAN, a technology it believes will “help it define mobile network economics”. With Mavenir, O2 said it will work to enhance coverage and capacity in high-density environments in London, with a specific focus on improving connectivity in stadiums and shopping centres. The partnership with Dense Air covers deploying O-RAN in 4G and 5G networks in a rural village. Wavemobile touted an active O-RAN network on several sites across the UK which carry mobile traffic for O2 customers, with the set-up due to be expanded to harder-to-reach locations in the future. O2 CTO Brendan O’Reilly said O-RAN “represents a really exciting opportunity”. “By opening up our radio access network to smaller vendors, and as we look towards wider adoption of 5G, O-RAN will be part of the solution to bring the latest connectivity to more people around the country.” [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
12:31
Ericsson throws weight behind eSIM
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Ericsson unveiled an automated eSIM remote provisioning manager, a move it promoted as a response to anticipated growth in consumer demand for devices employing the technology. In a statement, Ericsson said development of its fully-automated eSIM product would allow remote provisioning of user profiles and device management in a more flexible way than available using traditional technology. It added the move was a response to demand for the use of eSIM highlighted in consumer surveys and analyst reports illustrating user benefits. Citing an Ovum forecast released earlier this month, Ericsson said 5 per cent of all smartphones would be compatible with the standard by the end of this year, with the figure expected to grow to 20 per cent by the end of 2024. Ericsson said the technology benefits consumers and device makers, while operators can manage user profiles more flexibly to improve customer experience. The launch is the latest industry backing for the technology, which is tipped to play a huge role in the future of the smartphone, IoT and wearables sectors. In 2019, GSMA Intelligence noted significant momentum for the technology in China [1], with other markets expected to follow. [1] [https:]
10:30
AI-enabled intelligent 5G network operations and maintenance
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PARTNER CONTENT: A new round of scientific, technological and industrial innovation is sweeping the world. The digital economy has become a vital engine for sustainable economic growth. As a key enabling technology and infrastructure in the digital economy era, 5G networks provides ultra-high bandwidth, ultra-low latency and massive connections, which will help pave the path to the Internet of Everything and lay the foundation for the digital transformation of the global economy and society. 5G will accelerate operators' transformation from the pipe economy to the platform economy, not only connecting people but connecting almost everything. It will help operators cope with the ever-changing business environment and promote the expansion of a digital society. The introduction of new 5G technology architecture and service diversity bring about two challenges to the network's operations and maintenance (O&M): 5G services on 5G come with different QoS requirements and differentiated service assurance, which places new requirements on O&M tools, processes and capabilities, as well as new challenges to traditional O&M modes. The introduction of new architectures and technologies greatly increases the difficulty of 5G network O&M. The co-existence of 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G multi-mode network elements has caused a structural dilemma in the telecoms industry: namely increasing opex due to growing network scale. This subsequently poses challenges to O&M efficiency and operators’ overall costs. 5G network O&M faces complex structural problems and challenges, which cannot be addressed by traditional O&M methods. The telecoms industry is in urgent need of automated intelligent network O&M. In the face of this, and after years of innovation and research, Huawei launched the Intelligent 5G Operation Solution. Featuring all-online capabilities, full automation and intelligence, the solution aims to promote 5G intelligent O&M which helps operators handle new challenges in network O&M. Based on the unified O&M capability of Huawei's intelligent O&M platform, the solution provides centralised monitoring, fault root cause analysis, performance data analysis, automatic O&M and closed-loop control to effectively address operators' challenges, improve fault handling efficiency and reduce O&M costs. In the early stages of 5G network O&M, the Intelligent 5G Operation Solution focuses on the construction of basic 5G network assurance capabilities, implements basic network visualisation, supports fault demarcation and quickly implements fault self-diagnosis. With increasing the number of service models and fault data, the risk prediction and prevention capabilities of the solution will be enhanced to gradually achieve highly autonomous networks. Intelligent 5G Operation Solution [1] In terms of fault diagnosis, the Intelligent 5G Operation Solution supports automatic demarcation and locating of typical 5G network faults. The solution implements automated service assurance and builds an intelligent 5G fault management mode by introducing AI training to improve a network's self-healing capability. Making use of the vendor’s intelligent O&M platform, the solution monitors 5G service data in real time and establishes a fault prediction model for 5G devices running on the network. It can identify service risks and faults in advance, improve network risk prediction and prevention capabilities, and shorten the fault recovery duration. The 5G Intelligent Operation Solution implements end-to-end visualisation of network slice monitoring and detects SLA deterioration of network slices in minutes. Based on the AI-trained prediction model and Huawei's experience in handling typical B2B service SLA problems, the intelligent solution can automatically diagnose slice SLA problems. In 2019, Huawei and China Unicom benchmarked the industry's best practices, applied AI technology into the industry and was the first to deploy an intelligent 5G O&M platform in Guangdong province. After six months, the operator's 5G networks are now capable of quick fault identification, demarcation and recovery. With the help of Huawei, the operator has improved both 5G network quality and O&M efficiency. In the future, the two parties will continue to cooperate in building intelligent O&M capabilities with the vision of an automated 5G network. With the increasing spread of commercial 5G networks and the use of AI in network operations, the solution enhanced the capacity of our intelligent operation solution AUTIN (an operations consulting and software-as-a-service offering) which will continue to help operators improve operation quality and efficiency and achieve 5G service innovation and success. Huawei is ready to cooperate with global operators to actively invest in 5G innovation. Together, we can achieve autonomous networks and build a fully connected, intelligent world. by Fred Zhao, Director of Assurance & Managed Services, Huawei [1] [https:]
7:30
ZTE prepares share issue to fund R&D
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ZTE laid out plans to raise CNY11.5 billion ($1.7 billion) in a private share placement to fund continued R&D and increase its working capital. The vendor said it will issue about 381 million A shares, which are denominated in renminbi and traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, to ten independent institutional investors in China at CNY30.21 a share. Shares sold are subject to a lock-in period of 12 months from the date of listing. In a statement, ZTE said the fundraising will enable it to maintain its "high level of investment in research and development, ensure its technological competitive edge and develop its main products and businesses with core advantages”. For the first nine months of 2019, its R&D spending totalled CNY9.36 billion, or 14.6 per cent of operating revenue. It expects the investment in 2020 o remain at roughly the same level.
7:24
India operators select vendors for 5G trials
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The three major mobile operators in India and state-run BSNL applied to the Department of Telecommunications to conduct 5G trials, with Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel opting to use Huawei gear in the tests, The Economic Times reported. Reliance Jio, with a 35 per cent market share by subscribers, is sticking with its existing supplier Samsung, which deployed its 4G network. Second- and third-ranked Vodafone Idea and Airtel will also team with Ericsson, Nokia and ZTE, while BSNL will work only with ZTE, the newspaper stated. In early January, the government gave the green light for all equipment suppliers [1], including Huawei, to participate in the trials. The country faced continued US pressure [2] to ban Huawei's kit. In June 2019, the Indian government set up a committee to review Huawei’s network security and previously expressed reluctance to allow the vendor to deploy its 5G gear, due to fears over back-doors which could allow the Chinese government to spy on users. India plans to hold 5G spectrum auctions by the end of Q1. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
January 15, 2020
21:24
Top operators team to tackle 5G interoperability
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A coalition of operators including Verizon and Vodafone Group set out to develop interoperable 5G specifications, in a bid to ensure future applications function consistently across the globe. Working as part of the newly formed 5G Future Forum, Verizon, Vodafone, America Movil, KT, Rogers Communications and Telstra also committed to share best practices for technology deployment and create marketplaces to boost developer and consumer access to 5G products. Verizon chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg in a statement noted 5G will be a “key enabler of the next global industrial revolution,” deeming it "critical that technology partners around the world unite to create the most seamless global experience for our customers”. Daniel Hajj, CEO of America Movil, added the collaboration “will create a common platform to enable a global ecosystem of applications to exploit 5G at its full potential". The group highlighted machine learning; AR and VR; connected cars; smart cities; and industrial and other IoT applications as use cases which might benefit from its work. A Verizon representative told Mobile World Live the collaboration is similar to one it undertook with the 5G Technology Forum in 2015, which sought to define parameters for 5G radio specifications [1] in advance of 3GPP standards. [1] [https:]
18:45
Huawei courts UK app developers in Google battle
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Huawei insisted the development of its Mobile Services unit represents an evolution not a reaction to external factors and disruption, as the company unveiled a £20 million investment plan at its first app developer conference in the UK. The vendor, which was banned from accessing Google’s Android apps [1] and services by the US, held numerous app developer conferences [2] over the past year across Europe, as it looks to raise awareness and developer interest in its Mobile Services app store and Harmony OS [3]. Bringing the event to London, Andreas Zimmer, the Huawei Consumer Business Group executive covering European ecosystem and software strategy, said there had been an acceleration of its developer push to address the problem posed by the Android ban, with a significant amount of engineering resources being allocated. However, he was adamant the company had been working on the platform for a long time. “Our cross-device identification service was launched back in 2016. Our app store was launched in 2017, so that was way before any external influences or disruption happened. We are now continuing this journey, this development." Zimmer was responding to comments made on a panel at the event by Peter Hinssen, founder of nexxworks (a Huawei partner), who said “we probably wouldn’t be in this room if the geopolitics hadn’t escalated as it did last year”. UK commitment At the event, the company outlined a £20 million investment to support developers from the UK and Republic of Ireland looking to work with Huawei Mobile Services and join its App Gallery. In addition, the company said it had, as of today (15 January), made 24 mobile SDKs available, giving developers the capability to integrate their apps into the Huawei ecosystem. Anson Zhang, MD of the Consumer Business Group at Huawei UK (pictured) said the investment affirmed its commitment to UK and Irish developers. [4]Huawei said it was on course to become the third-largest mobile ecosystem globally, behind Google and Apple (see picture left, click to enlarge). It claimed to have 4 million users in the UK alone, and 600 million active users across 170 countries, which includes 68 million in Europe. In total, it is working with 1.3 million developers. [1] [https:] [2] [https:] [3] [https:] [4] [https:]
18:20
Rogers begins 5G march
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Rogers Communications kicked off a multi-year 5G rollout, pressing ahead with network deployments in four Canadian cities while it waits for compatible devices to hit the market. Initial targets include the downtown areas of Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, with plans to cover more than 20 additional markets by end-2020. Next generation service will be offered to customers on the operator's unlimited tariffs [1], when compatible devices become available later this year. In a statement, Rogers Communications president and CEO Joe Natale hailed 5G as "the biggest technological evolution since the launch of wireless in Canada" and claimed the operator will be the "first to bring this innovative technology to consumers and businesses". The network will run on 2.5GHz spectrum to start, though it plans to incorporate 600MHz later this year [2] to extend the reach and bolster in-building coverage. Future deployments will also include 3.5GHz and dynamic spectrum sharing, the latter of which will allow other frequencies to be shared between 4G and 5G, it added. Ericsson is supplying technology and equipment for the project. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
17:37
Omio goes global with North American entry
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Travel app maker Omio launched its service in the US and Canada, the first move in a plan to expand its trip planning and ticketing services beyond Europe to the rest of the world. The Germany-based start-up said it will initially offer ticketing for more than 23,000 train and bus routes, along with flights across the US and Canada, with plans to broaden its catalogue over the course of this year. It struck partnership deals with transport companies including Amtrak, Via Rail Canada, Delta Airlines and United Airlines. Users of the app and desktop version of Omio will be able to compare prices, schedules, duration and other variables for travel in the two countries. The company stated 10 per cent of its customer base were people from the US and Canada travelling in Europe. At end-October 2019 its average monthly user base was 27 million and its app had 18 million downloads. Naren Shaam, CEO and founder of Omio, described the US and Canada as “great markets for a product like Omio, which enables millions of people to compare prices across different transportation options and plan their travel easily with a single product”. Omio was rebranded from its original name GoEuro in February 2019 to aid its expansion beyond Europe. In October 2019 it acquired the travel planning engine Rome2rio, which offered a search service covering transport options across 10 million locations globally. The company in 2016 revealed it had secured additional funding of $70 million to fund its European expansion, a move which brought its total backing [1] to more than $145 million at that point. [1] [https:]
15:36
Le marché mondial des semi-conducteurs subit un sérieux repli
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Une étude du cabinet d’étude Gartner montre que l’industrie mondiale des semi-conducteurs a enregistré un sérieux déclin en 2019 avec un CA de seulement 418,3 milliards de dollars, soit 11,9 % de moins qu’en 2018. Le marché de la mémoire, qui représentait l’an passé 26,7 % du CA mondial du secteur, a été le plus affecté, avec un recul considérable de 31,5 % d’une année sur l’autre. Gartner attribue ce revers à la surproduction et à une baisse des prix de la DRAM et des mémoires flash NAND. Selon Gartner, Intel est redevenu n°1 en termes de CA, délogeant Samsung Electronics, qui occupait depuis deux ans la première marche du podium. Le CA d’Intel n’a baissé que de 0,7 % à 65 milliards, légère baisse que Gartner attribue à un ralentissement sur le marché des serveurs compensée par la vente des activités modem pour smartphone à Apple. Samsung Electronics a subi pour sa part de plein fouet la débâcle des mémoires. Le CA lié à cette activité, soit 82 % du total, a dévissé de 34 %. Le fabricant sud-coréen a cependant noté une hausse des tarifs bénéfique au 4e trimestre. Gartner note que le marché des flash NAND a commencé à se stabiliser en juillet 2019. Il devrait continuer à récupérer cette année grâce au plébiscite des SSD et à la progression attendue des smartphones 5G. Ces bonnes notes laissent augurer une année 2020 plus faste pour le secteur et une récupération du CA, prédit l’analyste américain.
15:35
Le marché du smartphone d’occasion prospère
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Selon le cabinet d’analyse américain IDC, 206,7 millions de smartphones d’occasion ont été écoulés dans le monde en 2019, contre 175,8 millions en 2018, alors que les ventes de nouveaux appareils stagnent. Et cette demande croissante pour les téléphones de seconde main n’est pas prête à faiblir. La progression est liée à une demande croissante de smartphones à petit prix. Or, IDC note que les fabricants ont du mal à « produire de nouveaux modèles qui combinent de nouvelles fonctions désirables avec un prix considéré comme raisonnable ». Les chiffres d’IDC montrent de fait que les ventes de nouveaux smartphones ont stagné avec 358,3 millions d’unités écoulées au 3e trimestre 2019, soit une croissance de seulement 0,8 % d’une année sur l’autre. Ce qui éclipse tout de même le total attendu sur le marché de l’occasion. IDC prédit en effet que si le marché de l’occasion va continuer à grossir, il n’atteindra que 332,9 millions d’unités en 2023. Récemment IDC a par ailleurs expliqué que la demande d’appareils 5G va faire redémarrer le marché du neuf en 2020.
15:33
Apple réfute les critiques de Washington quant à l’accès aux données sur iPhone
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Apple dément les affirmations de William Barr, patron du Department of Justice américain, selon lesquelles la firme à la pomme aurait traîné les pieds dans le cadre d’une enquête sur un meurtre. Au contraire, Apple jure avoir fourni sans réticences toutes les informations réclamées par la police. Dans un communiqué, Apple assure avoir offert des réponses complètes et ponctuelles, parfois « en quelques heures », aux demandes portant sur des informations potentiellement contenues dans les deux iPhones du meurtrier. Apple affirme avoir donné « de nombreux Go d’informations » liées aux demandes des enquêteurs, y compris des données en back-up sur iCloud, des informations sur le compte privé du détenteur et des données relatives à des transactions. « Dans tous les cas, nous avons offert toutes les informations à notre disposition », estime Apple. Apple ne révèle pas cependant si ses ingénieurs ont procédé au déverrouillage des appareils, ou s’ils en ont été capables, un des points critiques dans les accusations portées par William Barr. Mais la firme de Cupertino signale que ses équipes se sont récemment entretenues avec le FBI afin de fournir une « assistance technique additionnelle » dont le caractère n’a pas été précisé. Apple profite enfin de l’occasion pour réitérer sa position intransigeante en matière de défense de l’encryptage, affirmant que les voies d’accès réclamées par la police « pourraient également être exploitées par ceux qui menacent notre sécurité nationale et la sécurité des données de nos clients ».
15:32
Le régulateur belge gèle le rapprochement entre Proximus et Orange
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L’Autorité belge de la concurrence (ABC) a décidé de bloquer jusqu’à la mi-mars la joint venture de réseau projetée par Proximus et Orange Belgique. Le régulateur veut se donner le temps d’examiner les objections soulevées par Telenet, concurrent des deux opérateurs. La décision de l’ABC met donc en veille jusqu’au 16 mars l’application de l’accord passé en juillet 2019 entre Proximus et Orange Belgique. Dans un communiqué, le régulateur explique qu’il s’agit pour lui d’évaluer « un impact potentiel sur la concurrence ». La décision de l’autorité belge bloque le transfert de personnel entre les deux opérateurs partenaires, mais n’aura pas de conséquences sur les propositions relatives à l’acquisition d’équipements réseau. Reste que l’accord entre Proximus et Orange devra être également examiné par l’Institut belge des services postaux et des télécommunications (IBPT). Dans un communiqué, le groupe Telenet se déclare « satisfait de la décision de l’ABC d’imposer une mesure provisoire à l’encontre de Orange Belgique et de Proximus, mais insiste sur le fait que l’ABC et l’IBPT doivent continuer à examiner l’affaire de manière approfondie et en tenant compte des objections déjà émises par Telenet, des inquiétudes formulées par l’IBPT pendant la procédure devant l’ABC et de la position de la Commission européenne dans d’autres affaires similaires. » Proximus et Orange Belgique prévoient de construire outre-Quiévrain un réseau mobile partagé à égalité, avec pour but d’améliorer la couverture du pays et d’accélérer le déploiement de la 5G. En novembre 2019, Proximus a affirmé que la direction de Telenet s’était retirée des discussion autour d’un réseau partagé, avant de déposer une plainte relative à un impact potentiel sur la concurrence.
13:52
Intelligence Brief: What were the hot topics of CES 2020?
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CES 2020 is over. In the six days I was in Las Vegas I was lucky to see a great many things from across the IoT landscape and the broader tech ecosystem. I walked more than 100km (I’m sure this isn’t a record but it felt like it should be at times), and now I’m back it’s time to reflect on what mattered, what the key themes were and where the industry is heading…all from an IoT perspective naturally. IoT is happening. I discussed some of the key assumptions behind connection growth recently in this blog [1]. We expect consumer IoT connections to almost double between 2018 and 2025, to 11.4 billion, and forecast the smart home will be the largest and fastest-growing consumer IoT segment. GSMA Intelligence’s definition of smart home covers appliances including fridges and washing machines; infrastructure, for example routers, extenders and other networking devices; security products; and energy monitoring devices including smart plugs, lighting, air conditioning and thermostats. But not everyone has smart or connected devices in their home. Reasons differ as to why this is but the top three responses from our Consumer Insights Survey are they don’t see any benefit in using them; think devices are too expensive; and privacy and security concerns, which is understandable in the current climate (see chart, below, click to enlarge). [2]Integration and compatibility challenges come lower in terms of importance, but as this question was addressed at non-users it is possibly not a surprise. We would reasonably expect these to have featured more highly had we sampled existing users (as anyone who has found themselves shouting at an awkwardly stubborn voice assistant will testify). During our GSMA Intelligence seminar at CES, Do your customers know what IoT is? we discussed all things IoT: how enterprises transform their operations, how operators and vendors are planning their connected device strategies and work together. Challenges pertaining to IoT adoption remain, across both enterprise and consumer segments, but we all agree IoT offers a sizeable opportunity. Russell Gyurek, director of the IoT CTO Group at Cisco, who participated in the IoT ecosystem panel said it is clear “that while IoT has become a mainstream topic across a number of sectors and verticals, end user concerns are hampering adoption in some areas, namely, perceived value in association to cost, security and privacy, and implementation complexity.” “Cisco is actively engaged across the market ecosystem to resolve these issues and drive the realisation of IoT value.” There was a clear recognition across the panel participants that ecosystem collaboration is key to realising IoT value. So what are my key takeaways from this year’s show? Coming together to simplify the smart home Once again we saw a vast array of connected consumer products being announced, from pillows to panties! Whether or not these represent realistic use cases which create value is up for debate. This year certain smart home devices were omnipresent and very much support our view on how the market is developing. I saw a plethora of security/surveillance cameras scattered throughout the show, with smart lighting (bulbs, light strips and switches) and smart door locks not far behind. Hundreds of manufacturers are competing using dedicated applications, platforms and various connectivity protocols. While smart speakers have been trying to address integration concerns, creating ecosystems around virtual assistants (such as Amazon’s Alexa) has led to a largely bifurcated market depending on your choice of voice assistant and the lack of true interoperability has stubbornly remained. This is a widely recognised issue, though, and initiatives around standardisation and security (Connected Home over IP and Open Connectivity Foundation) echoed throughout the show. This signposts that major manufacturers are coming together to work on standards under the shared belief that devices should come with privacy and security built in from day one, but also be able to seamlessly integrate with each other. This will deliver clear benefits to consumers and developers alike. It also addresses some of the abovementioned consumer barriers and concerns. With big tech now focusing on interoperability within the home, an interesting challenge to telecoms operators is whether or not they can use this to their advantage and deliver services OTT in what could prove to be an interesting role reversal. More robots The cuteness factor in robotics prevailed: LOVOT (the huggable robot); Samsung’s Ballie (robot that rolls around the house); and Charmin’s RollBot (toilet paper delivery bot) all captured attention at CES. However, in addition to those companion robots more enterprise oriented use cases were displayed: highlights included Guardian XO’s exoskeleton to aid humans lift heavy loads and Omron’s cobots which help power factory automation. Health matters… even more The focus in 2019 on wearables and sleep was extended this year to include medical sensors for home diagnostics and monitoring to measure blood glucose, fertility, arrhythmia, blood oxygen and, in some cases even communicate with health professionals. We see this category growing in the future as increasing proportions of the society use medically prescribed devices to manage chronic diseases. 2020 is also the first year that sex tech officially made it onto the show floor - possibly an attempt to right the wrongs of the prior running. Vehicles, present and future Ever popular, next generation vehicle technology took over an entire hall again this year hosting concept cars and flying taxis. In addition to the usual suspects, players not typically associated with auto tech such as Panasonic, Sony and LG Electronics also showcased how their technology will feature in the cars we will all be darting around in soon. Data and AI An omnipresent topic at events these days, and growing in importance as more and more devices are being connected. After all, IoT is all about data and the value it generates. Vendors are looking to create services and experiences: cases in point are LG Electronics’ vision of “everywhere is home” and Samsung announcing this as the “age of experience”. Both these highlighted the importance of AI in creating personalised experiences to make our lives more convenient. LG Electronics president and CTO I.P. Park noted extensive cross-device collaboration will be necessary to enable AI systems of the future, with collective intelligence imperative to expanding capabilities beyond simple automation to achieving AI’s Level 4: reasoning. AI also derives value beyond the consumer realm; Omron displayed FORPHEUS, AI-equipped robotic table tennis tutor capable of emotional intelligence to motivate the player. John Deere showed how it leverages AI to power its See and Spray technology to differentiate between weeds and crops. It is worth noting, though, that 95 per cent of the AI compute required is on-board. As this becomes the norm for industries such as farming, the case for edge compute could really start to make sense. IoT is not just about devices being connected, it is about the benefits it delivers to end-users, be it consumer or enterprise. CES 2020 proved that the industry has started to move in the right direction. – Sylwia Kechiche – principal analyst, IoT – GSMA Intelligence The editorial views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and will not necessarily reflect the views of the GSMA, its Members or Associate Members. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
13:14
Microsoft fixes Windows 10 spoofing flaw
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Microsoft patched a major bug in its Windows 10 operating system after the US National Security Agency (NSA) revealed the flaw, which could have enabled hackers to create software which appeared to be from legitimate sources. The technology giant said in a statement there was no evidence the vulnerability was exploited, and it was capable of detecting and blocking any attempts to do so. In a related statement, the NSA explained the flaw could have been "exploited to undermine Public Key Infrastructure", a set of mechanisms web users "rely on in a wide variety of ways". In this case, the agency said attackers could have forged certificates enabling them to "gain the trust of users or services on vulnerable systems, and leverage that trust to compromise them", albeit only under "certain conditions". Around 900 million devices including desktop and laptop PCs, smartphones [1] and the Xbox One games console run the Windows 10 operating system or variants thereof. Microsoft senior director Jeff Jones said a security update was released on 14 January and “customers who have already applied the update, or have automatic updates enabled, are already protected”. The NSA urged Windows 10 users to immediately install the latest Microsoft patches, warning “the consequences of not patching the vulnerability are severe and widespread. Remote exploitation tools will likely be made quickly and widely available”. [1] [https:]
12:50
US politicians seek billions to challenge Huawei
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A group of US senators introduced a new bill proposing the government injects more than $1 billion into developing western 5G equipment, in a bid to challenge Huawei’s perceived dominance of the technology. In a statement Senator Mark Warner, a co-sponsor of the bill, outlined the key aims of the proposed Utilising Strategic Allied Telecommunications Act, as the nation looks to “reassert US and western leadership by encouraging competition with Huawei that capitalises on US software advantages”. Senators claimed Huawei was “heavily subsidised by the Chinese government”, which had helped it become a commercial 5G leader. Trusted and secure The act proposed US regulator the Federal Communication Commission establish a fund to the tune of at least $750 million, or up to 5 per cent of annual spectrum auction proceeds, to create an O-RAN R&D fund, spurring a move towards open-architecture, software-based technologies. In addition, it wants a pot of $500 million, available for ten years, to work with overseas partners, to “accelerate the adoption of trusted and secure equipment globally”. Other proposals include a transition plan for operators for the purchasing of new equipment compatible with O-RAN, increased US influence in establishing international standards, and expanding market opportunities for suppliers through the harmonisation of new commercial spectrum allocations with partners where possible. “Every month that the US does nothing, Huawei stands poised to become the cheapest, fastest, most ubiquitous global provider of 5G, while US and western companies and workers lose out on market share and jobs,” said Warner. “It is imperative that Congress address the complex security and competitiveness challenges that Chinese-directed telecommunications companies pose.”
11:50
OTE resumes Telekom Romania sale talks
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Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban met with Telekom Romania representatives to resume discussions on selling OTE Group’s stake in the operator, local media outlet Romania Insider reported. The meeting was also attended by the minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications, Lucian Bode, and Ionel Danca, head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. German incumbent Deutsche Telekom indirectly owns 54 per cent of Telekom Romania’s fixed operation and almost 70 per cent of its mobile unit through OTE Group. The group reportedly initiated talks in January 2019 to sell its controlling stake [1] in the Romanian operator to investors led by Bulgarian businessman Spas Roussev. Deutsche Telekom agreed to sell its fixed operations in the country to Orange, sources told Romania Insider. Bode told news outlet HotNews.ro a sale of Telekom Romania was of strategic interest for the country. [1] [https:]
10:33
Jiangsu Mobile pushes automation to prepare for 5G
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PARTNER CONTENT: Chen Ying, chief engineer of the network department at China Mobile (Jiangsu), outlined the operator’s roadmap for streamlining operations and maintenance tasks to prepare for the 5G era with increased network scale and complexity. Mobile World Live: What prompted the move to transform China Mobile’s operations and maintenance (O&M) in Jiangsu province? Chen Ying: There are two main factors. The first is workload driven. The expected increase in the number of users and business traffic will boost network maintenance work. This problem needs to be solved by improving the efficiency of operation and maintenance. The second aspect is driven by new technologies. The evolution of 5G network architecture to cloudification requires operation and maintenance personnel to deploy and maintain network services through resource orchestration. What are your main objectives? What is your timeframe? The goal of China Mobile Jiangsu is to increase the level of automation and intelligence in network operations by comprehensively using various technical methods so that the machines can do more repetitive and basic work, while maintaining operational expenditure and improving operational efficiency. Our goal is to double the automation rate of network O&M within three to five years. What specific areas are you focused on in the beginning? Network O&M involves many aspects, covering different areas such as mobile broadband, fixed broadband, NFV and 5G network operations. Our intelligent operation transformation started with the less mature automation areas of O&M. For example, wireless network resources allocation, transmission maintenance and checking of trouble tickets for fault alarm handling. What benefits will the move bring in terms of reducing costs, improving efficiency and enhancing quality? Intelligent operation transformation can reduce costs, improve efficiency and enhance quality. For example, part of wireless network resources can now be dynamically allocated throughout the entire province using software. Why did you select Huawei as a partner – what can it deliver that other vendors are not able to? The main consideration is that Huawei has rich experience in telecoms networks. The company has the largest market share of ICT operation and maintenance services in the global market and manages hundreds of networks. Currently, thousands of dev-ops and a large number of partners have launched more than 1,000 O&M applications on Huawei’s Operation Web Services (OWS) platform to continuously enrich the capabilities. How will the platform allow you to evolve towards an intelligent O&M model? Huawei’s OWS is a cloud-based operation platform, offering four modules: perception, analysis, decision-making and execution. It implements unified data service, automation as well as open orchestration capabilities. In addition, the platform can separate design and running status, and achieve layered decoupling and on-demand deployment to enable agile transformation. Why is having a next-generation OSS architecture in place so important? The main direction of future telecoms network evolution is the cloudification of the network architecture. In the new cloudified network era, the next-generation OSS is a must to enable better control, operation and maintenance of networks. For example, the OSS is essential to support the functions such as control, allocation, self-healing and scaling of cloud network elements. Besides, the requirements, application, allocation, installation, configuration and start-up of the resource pool of the next-generation network will be managed by the OSS. Can you explain how the open platform, using specific models and algorithms, can be programmed to enable operators to transform their O&M activities? Huawei’s OWS uses a microservice architecture to decouple capabilities for the future OSS architecture. It is able to implement full-stack network monitoring and automatic and intelligent operation through a unified platform and breaks down O&M information silos caused by traditional siloed OSS. It also supports visualised orchestration of multiple service scenarios, and flexible multi-vendor integration and interconnection. What are the key capabilities in terms of troubleshooting and predicting interruptions? The OWS platform implements automatic rule deployment and intelligent application in the fields of fault management, change management and preventive maintenance to realise automatic alarm correlation compression, automatic fault diagnosis and recovery, and work-order automation. In addition, the platform uses machines to replace repetitive tasks done by humans, achieving operation acceleration and improving the standardisation and quality of operations. How are you preparing for a future-oriented 5G era? In the 5G era, the network scale will become very large and complex. Efficient and agile intelligent operation mode is critical. Automation and intelligence are significant for improving 5G service quality and to facilitate O&M personnel skill-set transformation. For example, service provisioning and recovery and end-user service quality awareness can be realised with more intelligence embedded in O&M systems. What are the main responsibilities and mission of Jiangsu Mobile for China Mobile’s 5G network construction, operation and maintenance? China Mobile began to implement the 5G+ plan in 2019. Jiangsu Mobile assumed the construction of the 5G core network. As a pilot province of China Mobile, we have cooperated with Huawei to incubate and implement the 5G intelligent operation solution, promote personnel capability transformation and contribute to a culture of innovation.
9:38
RCom bidders bet big on asset acquisitions
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Reliance Communications (RCom), which exited the Indian mobile market in 2017, received bids totalling INR250 billion ($3.5 billion) for its defunct mobile operation during a meeting of its creditors. It received an INR47 billion bid from Reliance Jio for the tower and fibre assets of Reliance Infratel, while UV Asset Reconstruction Company offered about INR160 billion for spectrum, real estate, and enterprise and data centre businesses held by RCom and its subsidiaries, The Economic Times (ET) reported. The asset sale is not the troubled operator’s first attempt to offload its mobile assets. A long-planned spectrum trading agreement [1] between RCom and Jio was rejected [2] by the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) in late 2018 on the grounds it went against guidelines. After failing to sell assets required to settle debts of about INR465 billion, RCom started insolvency proceedings [3] in February 2019. ET said if the latest deals are finalised, RCom’s lenders would recover 75 per cent of the total outstanding debt. [1] [https:] [2] [https:] [3] [https:]
9:04
Verizon pushes privacy-heavy search engine
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Verizon Media sought to capitalise on consumer concerns around privacy, launching a new search engine it claimed won’t track, store or share data with advertisers. In a statement, the company said its new OneSearch engine can offer localised search results by inferring a user’s location through their IP address, in the same way as other services. However, Verizon Media noted a user’s IP address, search query and device details are immediately moved to separate servers after a search is complete to ensure privacy. Addresses are deleted after four days, it added. OneSearch also offers an advanced mode, which encrypts search terms and sets search result links to expire after an hour. Though it is advert-supported, Verizon Media stated these will be based on keywords instead of browsing history, and the platform would not profile users or employ tracking cookies. The lack of personalisation based on search habits means all users will see the same “unbiased” search results, it added. Michael Albers, head of consumer product, said OneSearch allows consumers to “search the internet with increased confidence". OneSearch joins a number of other privacy-oriented options, including search engine Duck Duck Go and the anti-tracking Tor Browser [1]. The search engine is available in North America on desktop and mobile browsers, with iOS and Android apps due later this month. [1] [https:]
7:40
LG teams with Cerence on connected car platform
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LG Electronics and Cerence, an automotive software company, agreed to jointly develop a pre-packaged in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system for OEMs and tier-one automakers to create a more convenient in-car experience using voice commands. The companies plan to integrate Cerence’s voice assistant with LG Electronic’s Linux-powered IVI platform webOS Auto, to reduce time to market and improve the user experience inside vehicles by delivering voice controls and rich content to connected cars, the South Korean vendor said in a statement. It added the goal is to give drivers and passengers more control over car functions, navigation and multimedia content. I.P. Park, president and CTO of LG Electronics (pictured, left), said it will continue to evolve webOS Auto by offering a wider range of AI-powered experiences for manufacturers and customers. Sanjay Dhawan, CEO of Cerence (pictured, right), said the new offering will support innovation by automakers and tier-one suppliers to "deliver a state-of-the-art in-car experience unlike any other".
January 14, 2020
19:09
Global semiconductor market takes a hit
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The global semiconductor industry experienced a double-digit decline in revenue during 2019, as weak performance in the memory market affected many of the top vendors, data from research company Gartner showed. Global revenue of $418.3 billion was 11.9 per cent lower than in 2018. Memory chips represented 26.7 per cent of the total, though revenue fell 31.5 per cent year-on-year. Gartner attributed this to oversupply and lower prices in the DRAM and NAND flash markets. Gartner stated Intel topped to tables in terms of revenue, displacing Samsung Electronics after two consecutive years at the head of the list. Intel's revenue was down a marginal 0.7 per cent to $65 million, which the research company attributed to a slowdown in the server market, constrained CPU supply and the completion of the sale of its smartphone modem business to Apple [1]. Samsung Electronics was hit by the decline in the memory market. Revenue from its memory business, which accounted for 82 per cent of its total semiconductor sales, was down 34 per cent. The vendor recently noted an improving trend in memory chip prices [2] during Q4 2019. Gartner noted the NAND flash market began to stabilise in July 2019 and expected its recovery to continue this year on the back of "strong demand from solid-state drive (SSD) adoption and the ramp up of 5G smartphones”. The company also predicted overall semiconductor revenue to improve in 2020. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
18:30
Used smartphone market prospers as new sales wane
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Analyst company IDC predicted global shipments of second-hand smartphones in 2019 would total 206.7 million units, up from 175.8 million in 2018, as sales of new devices stagnate. Research manager Anthony Scarsella noted the used smartphone market continues to rise and “shows no signs of slowing down across all parts of the globe”. The growth was attributed to an increased demand for smartphones with affordable price points. The company noted manufacturers struggled “to produce new models that strike a balance between desirable new features and a price that is seen as reasonable”. IDC's figures show shipments of new smartphones in Q3 2019 stagnated, growing 0.8 per cent year-on-year to 358.3 million units, albeit this is still far in excess of the company's full-year expectation for second-hand devices. The company predicted the used market will grow to 332.9 million units by 2023, with a CAGR of 13.6 per cent. Recently IDC tipped demand for 5G devices to spur a recovery [1] in new smartphone shipments in 2020. In its latest statement, it noted this should boost the used market as customers’ trade in their 4G devices for 5G models. [1] [https:]
18:10
Apple blasts DoJ criticism over iPhone access
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Apple rejected claims from US Attorney General William Barr it failed to adequately assist a recent murder investigation [1], arguing it worked diligently to provide as much information to police as possible. In a statement to multiple media outlets, the company insisted it offered “timely, thorough” answers to police requests for information from the alleged shooter’s two iPhones, often responding "within hours". It added it turned over “many gigabytes of information” related to the queries, including iCloud backups, account information and transaction data, adding “in every instance we responded with all of the information that we had”. The company did not address whether it had, or would be able to, unlock the devices, a key complaint cited by Barr. However, it noted its engineering teams recently held a call with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to provide unspecified “additional technical assistance”. Apple took the opportunity to reiterate its stance on the need for strong encryption, stating backdoor access channels favoured by police “can also be exploited by those who threaten our national security and the data security of our customers”. [1] [https:]
16:55
Malaysia pushes mobile payments with free funds
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Malaysia’s finance minister launched an initiative to promote the use of digital payments by giving qualifying citizens free cash credited to accounts registered with either GrabPay, Boost or Touch ‘n Go mobile wallets. At a press conference, Lim Guan Eng said the policy, named e-Tunai Rakyat, would give every adult with an annual income of less than MYR100,000 ($24,548) access to MYR30 of credit in one of the three selected mobile wallets. Claims for the money can be made by qualifying citizens from tomorrow (15 January). Newspaper Malay Mail estimates 15 million people will be eligible to claim the funds, which are being distributed as part of a wider initiative to encourage the use of traceable digital payments and reduce the volume of transactions made with physical cash. The publication added the country’s inland revenue department would vet claims to check individuals meet the wage criteria. Those successful will have until 14 March to spend the money.
December 12, 2019
9:55
AT&T refocuses cost-reduction targets
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AT&T COO John Stankey (pictured) detailed a plan to expand a cost-cutting campaign, highlighting a shift in focus from network operations to staffing and corporate expenses. At an investor conference, Stankey noted the operator had reduced annual network operation costs by between 6 per cent and 8 per cent each year over the past five. In 2020, it aims to shed a further 4 per cent (roughly $1.5 billion) from its expenditure by streamlining other areas of its business. It will intially focus on slashing staffing costs, with Stankey targeting moves early in 2020. He stated nothing is "off the table" in a review which will also cover benefits, management structure, distribution strategies, call centre operations and its fixed line products. The move comes as AT&T faces pressure from activist investor Elliott Management [1] to reduce costs and divest non-core assets. In a statement, AT&T noted it will continue to drop non-core assets in 2020 to help pay down debt, with sales potentially including its regional sports networks, property and towers. [1] [https:]
9:43
Verizon Media begins fresh round of job cuts
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Verizon prepared for another round of layoffs in its Media division, as it moved to address continued losses at the unit. CNN reported around 150 employees will go across several teams. A representative told the news agency the move is part of a continued campaign to restructure the business around areas it believes it can "differentiate" and swiftly expand. The representative added it is investing in premium content, e-commerce and building user communities. Verizon Media revenue fell 2 per cent year-on-year to $1.8 billion in Q3. While this marked its fifth consecutive quarter of decline, the company noted in its earnings statement revenue trends were improving, with gains in "native and mobile advertising" offset by declines in the desktop sector. The division shed nearly 800 employees in January [1], after Verizon slashed the value of the business by $4.6 billion at the end of 2018. Another 200 employees were transferred to Wordpress parent Automattic when it purchased blogging website Tumblr [2] from the operator in August. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
8:58
US errs towards public C-Band sale
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A US government committee tipped the scales in favour of a public auction of C-Band spectrum, advancing a measure which would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to sell at least 280MHz by end-2020. Legislation cleared by the Senate Commerce Committee must still be approved by both chambers of Congress, but bolsters the position of FCC chairman Ajit Pai, who last month called for a public sale [1] of the spectrum in the 3.7GHz to 4.2GHz range. The proposed legislation would allocate at least 50 per cent of the gross proceeds of the sale to the US Treasury, with 10 per cent reserved to fund rural broadband deployments. The remaining 40 or so per cent would be available to compensate satellite service providers currently using the band. In a statement, the C-Band Alliance applauded the vote as a “good step,” adding it would continue to advocate for an auction plan which acknowledges its members "legal rights and their significant investments over decades in the operating C-band ecosystem”. The group had also pushed for a private sale of the spectrum, proposing a plan [2] it said would deliver "billions of dollars" to the government while also offering adequate compensation to satellite companies. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
8:38
Vodafone Idea denies holding asset sale talks
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Vodafone Idea denied reports it was discussing the sale of fibre and data centre assets with investment companies as part of efforts to meet revised government tax demands. In a statement, the operator shot down stories regarding discussions with Brookfield Asset Management and Edelweiss Group, noting any decision by its board would be swiftly disclosed to the stock exchange. India’s second-largest operator by subscribers faces charges of INR400 billion ($5.7 billion) following a Supreme Court ruling [1]over the definition of adjusted gross revenue. The operator last month announced it intends to raise funds from its fibre-optic and data centre businesses. Kumar Mangalam Birla, the company’s chairman, last week warned the operator would shut down if it doesn’t get government relief [2] from the fees. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
8:24
Australia moves to clamp down on digital platforms
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Australia's government accepted key recommendations by the nation's consumer watchdog regarding implementing reforms to boost transparancy and protections around the privacy and use of people's data. The government tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) with overseeing the development of a new code which will address the power imbalance between platforms and media companies, and to probe the digital advertising tech supply chain, with a focus on digital display ads. In 2018, the ACCC proposed a new regulatory body be given the authority to monitor [1] Google and Facebook’s digital platforms to determine the impact their dominance has on the online search and advertising markets. Responding to the government's decision, ACCC chair Rod Sims said Australia will be one of the first countries in the world to develop a comprehensive roadmap for broad reforms relating to digital platforms, noting Google and Facebook have grown to have “almost unfettered market power” with significant impacts on consumers that must be addressed. The agency said it will continue its work in digital platform markets through the establishment of a permanent Digital Platforms Branch, which will enable consistent scrutiny of the platforms. Also afoot are steps to ensure consumers are adequately informed about how their data is collected and to provide them with greater control over how it is used. [1] [https:]
December 11, 2019
18:28
Disney mobile video app off to solid start
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Video streaming service Disney+ racked up 22 million downloads globally in its first month of availability, with $20 million-worth of revenue generated from in-app purchases, data from analytics company Apptopia showed. Available in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands on 12 November, the bulk of downloads (85 per cent) have come from US users. The app topped App Store and Google Play download tables in the country every day since launch, Apptopia said. In the week to 10 December, daily active user numbers averaged 9.5 million, again with a US-heavy focus (84 per cent). However, Apptopia noted Disney+ had little impact on downloads of competing video services including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Now in the US. Users did, though, spend more time in the app than Amazon's offering. Apptopia predicted Disney will make further gains once Netflix loses the rights to Marvel content, and also due to Disney's "massive international mobile footprint"
17:18
Visa signs multi-market Africa wallet deal
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Visa hailed a partnership with digital financial technology company MFS Africa which will allow the payments giant to supply secure credentials to mobile money users across several markets in Africa. In a statement, Visa said the deal significantly expanded its reach into the continent and enhanced its ability to “open up commerce in the region”. As a result of the agreement, users of mobile money services provided by companies signed-up to MFS Africa’s hub will be able to generate a secure Visa virtual card number. This can then be used for commercial transactions and remittances. MFS Africa’s payments hub connects 180 million mobile wallets on the continent. Its partners include the mobile money arms of Vodafone Group, Orange, Airtel Africa, Safaricom and MTN Group. Visa EVP and chief product officer Jack Forestell said the partnership was important because “Africa is adopting a mobile-led, digital payments ecosystem and with Visa looking to accelerate the distribution of payment credentials and expand the acceptance space for digital payments.” MFS Africa CEO Dare Okoudjou added the company would now work closely Visa, describing it as a “invaluable partner to support us in the next stage of our expansion”.
16:38
Orange Bank adds Google Pay integration
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Orange inked a deal with financial technology company Wirecard to add Google Pay contactless payments to its French mobile banking app. The integration allows customers with Android smartphones to download an enhanced version of the Orange Bank app and use it to make NFC-based payments in physical retailers through Google Pay. In a statement, Orange said it expected 200,000 of its banking customers to activate the service. Orange Bank customers using iPhones can already make contactless payments through their accounts by linking to Apple Pay. Citing figures from market research company eMarketer, Orange noted in France almost 16 per cent of smartphone users used their phone to pay for goods in retail stores at least once every six months. Orange Bank deputy CEO Stephane Vallois said: “Every Orange Bank customer with a NFC smartphone can now benefit from the advantages of cashless payment, a use they greatly appreciate along with checking their balance in real time and sending money by SMS”.
14:14
DoJ to rule on Google move for Fitbit
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The US Department of Justice (DoJ) reportedly won a scuffle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over which would scrutinise Google's bid to acquire fitness tracker maker Fitbit [1], as concern mounts over the privacy implications of the deal. Moves by Google are typically reviewed by the FTC, but the DoJ took the reins because it is already investigating other alleged anti-competitive conduct by the company, The New York Post reported. Reuters reported consumer watchdog groups including Public Citizen and Centre for Digital Democracy had urged regulators to block the deal because it would give Google more data on Americans: CCS Insight recently estimated Fitbit's daily active user numbers [2] at 27 million. The deal comes at a time of broad scrutiny [3] of the way technology companies handle sensitive user data. If completed, the acquisition will catapult Google to being the fifth-largest wearables vendor, placing it well to compete against Apple, Huawei and Samsung. IDC’s recent Q3 wearables figures [4] showed Fitbit shipped 3.5 million units, largely flat year-on-year. [1] [https:] [2] [https:] [3] [https:] [4] [https:]
13:32
Airtel seeks Malawi IPO
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Airtel Africa detailed plans to list its Malawi business on the country's stock exchange, as the operator moved to capitalise on growth in the market. Charles Kamoto, MD of Airtel Malawi, stated the planned IPO would enable citizens to "share in the growth of the company”, which had become "ingrained in the fabric of the country”. The indicative price range and the number of shares to be offered will be determined in due course, the company stated. Its proposal will be subject to authorities’ approval. Current regulations require the company to own at least 20 per cent of the business. The company engaged Standard Bank (Malawi) to act as its lead adviser, Airtel Africa said in a related statement. Airtel Africa operates in 14 countries across the continent. Parent Bharti Airtel intiated moves to list the business [1] on the London Stock Exchange in June, aiming to raise $750 million. The Malawi business claims to be the leading provider of mobile money services in the country, with Airtel Money deployed in 2011, and also operates 2G, 3G, 4G and fixed broadband communications services. [1] [https:]
13:11
FCC puts more mmWave spectrum up for sale
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Bids in the latest US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auction of mmWave spectrum surpassed $700 million on the opening day, as companies competed for allocations in the upper 37GHz, 39GHz, and 47GHz bands. During the sale, the third for mmWave in the space of a year, 3400MHz will go under the hammer. In a statement, FCC chairman Ajit Pai said: “Auctioning the 39GHz and upper 37GHz bands together presents a critical opportunity for 5G deployment as it represents the largest amount of contiguous spectrum available in the mmWave bands.” The sale follows two auctions in H1 [1]. The first covered licences in the 28GHz band and raised $702 million. The second, for allocations in the 24GHz band [2], made $2 billion. While mmWave allocations are still attracting huge bids, the FCC is facing calls [3] to accelerate distribution of mid-band spectrum, which is seen as vital to propagating 5G services over wider areas. The FCC plans to hold auctions for spectrum within the mid-band range during 2020. Its 3.5GHz auction is slated for 25 June, with a sale in the 3.7GHz to 4.2GHz band to follow. [1] [https:] [2] [https:] [3] [https:]
12:23
Telefonica picks Huawei for German 5G
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Telefonica Deutschland outlined plans to increase investments in its network over the next two years, to expand its LTE footprint and rapidly deploy 5G, with Huawei named as a supplier. In a statement, the German operator said it selected Huawei and Nokia as 5G RAN suppliers, ahead of a commercial launch in 2020. It opted to partner with two vendors “to create diversity" in the network and "avoid dependencies on one supplier”. Telefonica's decision comes despite continued uncertainty about whether the German government will block Huawei from participating in 5G rollouts. The operator said the work of both vendors would be "subject to the successful safety certification of the technology and the companies according to the legal provisions in Germany”. Last week, Reuters reported Deutsche Telekom had halted [1] further 5G deals as it awaits an official government stance on Huawei. Network strategy Telefonica Deutschland said it wants to significantly accelerate growth between 2020 and 2022, targeting at least a 5 per cent rise in sales and increased profitability which will, in turn, be pumped into network expansion. To help, its board proposed a dividend cut to €0.17 per share, from €0.27 per share in 2018. The company said it currently invests around €1 billion a year, most of which goes into its network. Between 2020 and 2022, it intends to invest around 17 per cent to 18 per cent of revenue into a nationwide LTE expansion and 5G deployment. Telefonica plans to launch 5G in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and Frankfurt during Q1 2020. By 2022, it hopes to cover 30 cities and a total of 16 million people. Commenting on the plans, CEO Markus Haas said 5G was ushering in “a growth phase” for the company. [1] [https:]
10:45
Vodafone chief slams Huawei exclusions
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Vodafone Group CEO Nick Read (pictured, right) argued scrutiny of Huawei was holding back European technology development, which would ultimately result in jobs migrating away from the continent. Speaking at a Vodafone 5G event in Brussels attended by members of the European Parliament and Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri (pictured, centre), Read noted the US had little to lose by excluding Huawei because the vendor's kit is not deployed "in any large scale in any of their networks", while its domestic market of China "is of a scale of itself". As a result, Europe is "the only region that’s severely held back" by scrutiny of the vendor. In January, Vodafone paused the installation of Huawei equipment [1] in its core network due to what Read said at the time was "noise" around the vendor's security credentials. At the event in Brussels, Read warned European technology jobs would be lost if companies aren't allowed to take a vendor agnostic approach to 5G. “This is competitive. We have to strengthen our ICT and digital capabilities to enable our fantastic leading manufacturing and research and development base”. “We have to enable in this window of opportunity to compete against the US and China, or the moment goes. Then, in the end jobs and the opportunities will move to the US and China. "Let’s make sure we don’t hold back 5G. This is enabling Industry 4.0 and if we want to compete against China and the US we need a range of diverse technology." [1] [https:]
9:55
Facebook, Apple face US encryption ultimatum
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US politicians warned Facebook and Apple would face legislation compelling them to offer ways for police to access encrypted devices and data if they don't develop such methods themselves. During a congressional hearing, Senator Lindsey Graham reiterated claims encryption offers a “safe haven” for criminal activity and expressed frustration the issue had not yet been addressed. "This time next year, if we haven’t found a way that you can live with, we will impose our will on you,” he said. The threat comes more than a year after US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand governments warned of potential action on the issue. During the hearing, New York district attorney Cyrus Vance argued encryption had made it harder for police to retrieve information from mobile devices during investigations, noting the proportion of “locked” Apple devices had risen from 60 per cent in 2014 to 82 per cent in 2019. He said tech companies had damaged the justice system with legislation "ensuring lawful access" the only solution. But Erik Neuenschwander, director of user privacy at Apple, noted enabling access for police would also make it easier "for the bad guys to break in”, while Facebook Messenger product management director for privacy and integrity Jay Sullivan noted non-domestic companies would offer encryption services if US players do not.
9:36
Vodafone NZ turns on 5G in major cities
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Vodafone New Zealand switched on 5G in parts of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, offering existing customers the faster service at no additional cost. Jason Paris, CEO, hailed the "beginning of a new technology era for New Zealand", noting four out of five consumers "say mobile connectivity is important to the economy". Vodafone's network provides the "next platform for New Zealand innovators to create awesome new applications or businesses”. The operator said it plans to expand the network from an initial 100 sites to more than 1,500 across the country "over the coming few years", by upgrading them using Nokia kit. Customers can upgrade to a 5G plan for free until 30 June 2020, after which an add-on will be available for NZD10 ($6.53) per connection, per month. Tony Baird, technology director, said it is using 3.5GHz spectrum to launch 5G and, with its current spectrum holdings customers will see an increase of up to ten-times the data rate over 4G. He added to reach 1Gb/s it will need approximately 100MHz of 3.5GHz spectrum, so it will continue to work with the government on the early allocation and auction processes. Rival Spark launched a limited service in late September and recently expanded coverage [1] in South Island towns and communities. [1] [https:]
9:14
Mobile ID services tipped for huge unbanked impact
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A study identified India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan and the Philippines as markets with the largest potential uptick in GDP offered by creating credit scores and financial identities for unbanked populations. The report from Oxford Economics, commissioned by financial technology company Juvo, estimated global GDP could be boosted by $250 billion if schemes to create financial identities for largely unbanked populations are adopted. Projects to establish these identities often use mobile technology and data derived from operators to create credit profiles and risk assessments. Oxford Economics’ The YES Economy: Giving the world financial identity study identified Mexico as the country with the greatest potential for increased GDP from introducing such schemes, with an annual boost of $31 billion. This was followed by Indonesia and the Philippines, each tipped for a $17 billion rise. Commenting on the results, Juvo CEO Steve Polsky said: “Establishing financial identities through mobile network operators could have profound implications for governments, financial institutions, and for the millions of unbanked and underbanked individuals around the world.” GSMA global head of identity Richard Cockle added: “The customer relationships held by operators have the potential to create a unique financial identity for mobile phone users. Financial identity as a service presents a profound opportunity for mobile operators, financial services providers and merchants to create digital identities that unlock essential services.”
8:58
Samsung dominates nascent 5G smartphone market
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Samsung more than doubled 5G smartphone shipments in Q3, accounting for three-quarters of the worldwide market, data from IHS Markit showed. The South Korean smartphone giant, which offers five 5G models, accounted for 74 per cent of the 4.3 million units shipped in Q3. Samsung's shipments of 3.2 million compared with 1.5 million in Q2, when it held an 83 per cent share. Gerrit Schneemann, senior analyst for smartphones at IHS Markit, said the vendor capitalised on its home-field advantage in the fast-developing South Korean market to rapidly ramp shipments. It also moved quickly to fill out its 5G smartphone line, giving it the largest portfolio of any brand. The Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G was the leading 5G model in Q3, with 1.6 million units shipped. LG and Vivo each shipped about 400,000, followed by Huawei, Oppo and Xiaomi on around 100,0000 apiece. ASPs fell 14 per cent sequentially to $994: the company noted price range is becoming more diverse, with some vendors targeting a $600 upper limit while others push beyond this. The average 5G smartphone price was more than three-times higher than the $309 typical cost of a non-5G device in Q3. IHS Markit expects 5G smartphone shipments to hit 13.5 million by the year end, with a significant acceleration in 2020 to 253 million.
8:41
Now Telecom lines up tower sharing partners
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Now Telecom moved a step closer towards its goal of becoming the Philippines’ fourth major telecoms operator after forging tower sharing deals with Aboitiz InfraCapital and Frontier Tower Associates Management. In a statement, the operator said it agreed to discuss and negotiate the leasing of build-to-suit sites, towers and passive telecoms infrastructure with the tower companies. Aboitiz InfraCapital and Frontier Tower Associates Management were among 11 tower companies which signed MoUs [1] with the Department of Information and Communications Technology as part of a policy involving common and shared passive infrastructure. Rodolfo Pantoja, Now Telecom president, said it welcomes the government initiative to foster tower sharing because it reduces deployment costs, while accelerating network rollouts since “difficult or costly-to-acquire sites become feasible as the cost is shared among operators”. The operator aims to deploy a standalone 5G network. In late October, it entered into a strategic partnership with SK Telecom [2] covering technical planning, network design and 5G core network training. The South Korean operator also agreed to share its technical knowledge, and experience around home broadband and enterprise applications. Earlier this year, market leader Globe Telecom also signed tower sharing agreements with Aboitiz InfraCapital and Frontier Tower Associates Management, adding to deals with ISOC Infrastructure and edotco [3]. [1] [https:] [2] [https:] [3] [https:]
8:17
T-Mobile still open to merger case deal
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Mike Sievert, current COO and future CEO of T-Mobile US, told investors the operator could still agree a settlement with 14 attorney generals suing to block its proposed Sprint merger, despite being confident of winning a court battle. At an investor conference, Sievert said the operator “felt very good" about the opening day of the trial [1] and believes "we’ve got a fantastic case”. While T-Mobile is confident of winning, Sievert said there is "potential for settlement right up until the verdict" adding the operator thinks "there are plenty of reasons why that might make sense”. T-Mobile already reached deals with four attorney generals [2] previously involved in the legal case. “What’s interesting about this is that although we’re adversaries in a case, when you really get through it and look at the things that they say they want, they’re the same things we want. And that does give us some comfort in the fact that discussions would make sense.” He added the judge deciding the case made clear arguments are to be concluded no later than 23 December, with a verdict expected in the following weeks. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
December 10, 2019
18:23
US officials blast TikTok for stalling on China talks
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Social media app company TikTok faced fresh criticism after CEO Alex Zhu delayed meetings with US politicians meant to quell fears the app is subject to Chinese government influence. Zhu was set to meet with two of TikTok's biggest critics, Senators Marsha Blackburn and Josh Hawley, this week to address concerns related to censorship and privacy of US users on the platform stemming from TikTok's China connection. While the company is headquartered in the US, parent ByteDance is based in China. In a statement to The Washington Post, TikTok said it had "no higher priority than ensuring" politicians questions were tackled "fully and transparently" but added Zhu’s meetings would be postponed until after the festive period, claiming this would result in more meaningful talks. Blackburn and Hawley questioned the explanation in Twitter posts, with the latter suggesting TikTok received a “call from Beijing” about the planned meetings. TikTok previously insisted it is not influenced by any overseas government [1], and noted data from US users is stored within the country, with none of the information subject to Chinese law. [1] [https:]
17:46
Intelligence Brief: What is hot and not in IoT?
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Our new IoT connections forecast to end-2025 is coming out soon. The top line figures haven’t changed much (our 2018 prediction was 25.2 billion connections by the end of the period versus 24.6 billion in the 2019 edition). But it would be a mistake to think of this as just another forecast refresh (see chart, below, click to enlarge). [1] Alongside a multitude of analyst hours spent updating assumptions, each year we crunch the IoT adoption data coming from our demand-side surveys covering 36,000 consumers and nearly 2,800 enterprises. But before I share some of the key learnings/differences, there is one very important question: what is IoT? This might seem like a strange question to kick things off with. But let me explain why it is so super important to clarify. From an IoT analyst’s vantage point, it is easy to assume that everyone knows what IoT is. That is not the case. We recently asked IoT decision makers a simple question: do you think the following are, or are not, examples of IoT? The same share of respondents think neither a connected laptop or a vehicle telematics solution counts as IoT (25 per cent). Some are clearly right. Some are clearly wrong. In either case, it’s evident there is a lot of confusion out there. So, why do we care? Reason 1: If we define any device that connects to the internet as IoT, the term itself becomes meaningless when applied so broadly. And, therefore not a true measure of the development of the various categories of IoT which are distinct from existing connected devices such as laptops and smartphones. Reason 2: This offers us an opportunity to define IoT and to educate the ecosystem. With that goal in mind, we are running a seminar at CES 2020 “Do your customers know what IoT is?". We will discuss how consumers buy new devices, how enterprises transform their operations, and how operators and vendors are planning their connected device strategies. If you want to come and join us just register here [2] or if you would like to have a meeting book some time [3] with our team. Reason 3: my boss Peter Jarich wrote a rather lengthy blog [4] about it. Back to the point of IoT forecasts. So, what has or hasn’t changed in the world of IoT? The rise of enterprise That hasn’t changed. We still forecast the enterprise segment will be the principal driver of future IoT deployments. By 2025, we predict 11.3 billion IoT connections (54 per cent of the total) will come from the enterprise sector. Slightly lower than previously, accounting for slower adoption of IoT in smart buildings (still the largest segment). We see smart manufacturing as the fastest-growing segment, across not only enterprise but also all IoT segments, driven by Industry 4.0 initiatives and manufacturers deploying IoT to automate production, streamline operations and increase productivity. Digital transformation This term is surely embedding itself as a way to describe what we used to call IoT. Our survey shows one-in-six enterprises are in fact deploying IoT as part of wider transformational agendas. While, for sure, there are vertical/industry specific dynamics in place, many enterprise journeys are quite similar. Enterprises of all sizes deploy IoT solutions to: a) connect assets; b) collect data; c) analyse (make use of data); and d) improve their business (processes, products et cetera), then go through this virtuous cycle again and again. The primary goal is to increase productivity, achieve cost savings/process efficiency and, through better insights, to offer tailored products/services. This hasn’t changed. APAC in the lead Overall, Asia Pacific will account for 47 per cent of all IoT connections by 2025 (compared with 44 per cent previously forecast), on the back of stronger than previously expected adoption of IoT among enterprises. China leads the way, for example, it accounts for over half of all smart electricity meters, with 554 million installed in 2018. Connected devices part of everyday life A growing number of consumer IoT devices have connectivity built in by default. It is very hard to buy a TV that isn’t smart, or any other consumer electronic device for that matter. However, when it comes to consumer electronics, we have observed device consolidation due to the popularity of streaming. Net consumer electronics as a category is still growing, but within it personal and home entertainment are declining. Wrists as prime real estate The smartwatch and wrist-worn fitness tracker categories are merging, for example Apple Watch can offer much of the functionality of a Fitbit. There could be even more developments with Google’s recent move to acquire Fitbit [5], leading to the Android proposition for smartwatches. For now, we have revised down our forecast for fitness trackers. Not as many smart vehicles New car sales are slowing down: this influences the installed base of those which will come with connectivity either embedded or brought in. Some of the promising use cases such as usage-based insurance, thus, are still limited to a few markets and smartphone-based alternatives limit the growth potential. Similarly, we see a disappearance of personal navigation devices. Still, we forecast 1.1 billion, which is sizeable. Similar barriers and challenges Asking those consumers who don’t have any smart/connected devices in their home gives some clear reasons on the rationale. The top three reasons: don’t see any benefits in using them (therefore value); too expensive (cost); and privacy concerns. The top three challenges for enterprises which haven’t deployed IoT: cost of implementation; lack of in-house skills; and security and data privacy concerns. So two-out-of-three are pretty much the same: the key takeaway is cost and security matters. A lot. These are just some of the top-level findings from our latest report. As always the IoT market is fast moving and we are keeping a close eye on market developments. - Sylwia Kechiche - principal analyst, IoT - GSMA Intelligence The editorial views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and will not necessarily reflect the views of the GSMA, its Members or Associate Members. [1] [https:] [2] [https:] [3] [click.email.gsma.com] [4] [https:] [5] [https:]
17:18
Xiaomi readies low cost 5G smartphone
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Xiaomi unveiled the first 5G smartphone from its Redmi brand, pitching the unit as an affordable point of entry to the next-generation technology. The Redmi K30 5G is scheduled to go on sale in China from late January 2020 with prices starting at CNY1,999 ($284), which the vendor stated would make it one of the “most price worthy 5G offerings” on the market. It is powered by the Qualcomm 765G processor and works on NSA and SA variants of 5G technology. The K30 Series is also available in a 4G variant (prices starting at CNY1,599), with both devices featuring a 120Hz screen refresh rate; 64MP camera; 6.67-inch, 20:9-ratio screen; and 91 per cent screen-to-body ratio. Redmi K30 5G becomes Xiaomi’s latest 5G smartphone launch, following Mi 9 Pro [1] and Mi Mix 3 5G, which launched in September and February respectively. In October, Xiaomi CEO and founder Lei Jun pledged to launch more than ten 5G smartphones in 2020, [2] with a focus on ensuring it deploys compatible devices across all price tiers. Alongside the Redmi K30 5G, Xiaomi also unveiled the RedmiBook 13 laptop PC; Redmi AI Speaker Play; and a new router, the Redmi AC2100. These are due to go on sale on 12 December through Xiaomi’s official channels in China. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
13:35
Loon cleared for take-off in Uganda
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Alphabet subsidiary Loon inked a deal with Uganda’s Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) to begin flights over the country, allowing it to supply connectivity services in hard-to-reach areas and potential disaster zones. At a media event in capital city Kampala, UCAA director general David Kakuba signed the agreement with Loon head of government relations Anna Prouse. Following the announcement, newspaper Daily Monitor reported Loon would engage with telecommunications companies on the logistics of supplying connectivity to distant parts of the country and zones prone to natural disasters. The agreement follows a number of test flights of Loon's high altitude ballons, which act as floating mobile towers, in Uganda and neighbouring countries [1]. Loon service was deployed as a direct response to natural disasters in the Americas in 2017, following flooding in Peru and in hurricane-hit Puerto Rico. Last month Telefonica signed a deal [2] with Loon to use its balloons to extend its reach in rural areas of Peru, with launch scheduled for early 2020. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
13:19
Oppo makes move beyond smartphones
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Chinese manufacturer Oppo teased a new line of smart products set to launch in the first quarter of 2020 and outlined plans to spend CNY50 billion ($7.1 billion) on R&D over the next three years, as it expands its reach beyond its core smartphone offering. In a statement released at its innovation day in Shenzhen, Oppo said it will launch a line of smartwatches, headphones, a 5G home router and AR glasses. Details of the new devices were, however, slim, beyond the target launch timing. The smartwatch will be the company’s first and Oppo also said it plans to launch a number of IoT smart home products. Commenting on the plans, Oppo founder and CEO Tony Chen said: “Oppo has been more than just a phone maker from the outset. In fact, smartphones have simply been a gateway for Oppo to deliver a diverse portfolio of technological services.” The goal of the planned R&D investment is to "build a technology leadership”. Oppo said it will develop core technologies in hardware, software and systems, along with 5G, 6G, AI, AR, big data and “other frontier technologies”.
12:44
Pivotal T-Mobile, Sprint court case commences
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A US court began hearing evidence in a long-awaited case brought by 14 attorney generals, which could derail the proposed big money merger of Sprint and T-Mobile US. The legal action is being brought by representatives from 13 states and the District of Columbia, led by New York State attorney general Letitia James and her California counterpart Xavier Becerra. During the first day of the case at a federal court in Manhattan, executives from Sprint and T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom (DT) were called to give evidence. LightShed Partners analyst Walter Piecyk, who was regularly tweeting from day one of the hearing, stated the target is to conclude the trial on 20 December. The attorney generals are attempting to prove the merger would have a negative impact on competition, while Sprint, T-Mobile US and their parent companies maintain the deal would be beneficial for consumers. A number of concessions and promises have already been offered in an attempt to woo detractors [1]. In the weeks running up to the case [2], and following a number of vows by outgoing T-Mobile US CEO John Legere, four states dropped out of the legal action. The $26 billion deal was announced in April 2018 [3] and was originally due to be completed by the end of H1 2019. The Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice [4] have already passed the deal, the latter following a promise to divest assets to Dish Network. [1] [https:] [2] [https:] [3] [https:] [4] [https:]
11:52
Nokia postpones Daimler court case
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Nokia paused legal action against German auto company Daimler as it looks to resolve an ongoing row over patent licensing fees through mediation, Reuters reported. Speaking to the news agency, Nokia representative Mark Durrant said it had chosen to suspend a court hearing due to be held today (10 December) in Germany, as it hopes constructive negotiation would be the best way to resolve the matter [1]. “We trust that Daimler and its tier-one suppliers will now engage in these meaningful efforts to reach settlement. There is more to gain for all if we work together,” he said. The decision to halt legal proceedings was somewhat expected after Nokia said last week [2] it was working to end disputes with several companies in the automotive industry, in a bid to stave off a European Commission (EC) investigation. Along with Daimler, Nokia is seeking patent fees from automotive components suppliers Bury Technologies, [3] Valeo, Continental and software company Gemalto. The companies complained to the EC about Nokia's demands. Daimler launched its own lawsuit against Nokia in retaliation and was cool on Nokia’s move to ease tensions, stating it has a different legal opinion on how to licence telecoms patents in the automotive industry. However, Nokia’s decision to postpone the court battle was favourably received by EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who told Reuters a "mutual understanding" would be welcome. [1] [https:] [2] [https:] [3] [https:]
11:12
Qualcomm introduce la 5G en procesadores de gama baja
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QUALCOMM SNAPDRAGON TECH SUMMIT 2019, HAWÁI: Qualcomm ha presentado su nuevo procesador Snapdragon 865 para dispositivos emblemáticos y ha anunciado dos nuevos chips 5G de la serie 7 que, según la propia firma, introducirán en el mercado de masas las capacidades propias de la nueva generación tecnológica. Si bien aún no ha publicado las especificaciones detalladas, Qualcomm explica que el Snapdragon 865 está equipado con el motor de IA de quinta generación de la empresa y alcanza los 15 billones de operaciones por segundo. También habilita capacidades avanzadas de cámara, como la captura de vídeo 8K y el uso de captadores de hasta 200 megapíxeles. El Snapdragon 765 de gama más baja, y su variante para juegos Snapdragon 765G, contarán con el mismo motor de IA y alcanzarán velocidades de descarga de hasta 3,7 Gbps. El Snapdragon 865 se combinará con el módem 5G X55 de Qualcomm, y los chips de la serie 7 con el módem X52. Alex Katouzian, vicepresidente sénior y director general de la división de tecnología móvil de Qualcomm, afirma que la 5G llegará a la plataforma de la serie 6 de la empresa durante el segundo semestre de 2020. Fabricantes Cristiano Amon, presidente de Qualcomm, ha pronosticado que “2020 es el año en el que la 5G cobrará escala”. De hecho, varios fabricantes de smartphones, como Motorola, Xiaomi, Oppo y HMD Global, han desfilado por el escenario para anunciar futuros modelos basados en la nueva gama de chips Snapdragon. Xiaomi utilizará la potencia del Snapdragon 865 en el smartphone Mi 10, uno de los más de diez dispositivos 5G que Lin Bin, presidente de la firma china, ha anunciado para 2020. Oppo también optará por el 865 en sus próximos dispositivos emblemáticos, mientras que Motorola y HMD Global han anunciado teléfonos con chips de la serie 7, previstos para 2020. Juho Sarvikas, director de producto de HMD Global, señala que el Snapdragon 765 permitirá a su empresa atender a un segmento clave del mercado, ya que “no todo el mundo está dispuesto a pagar más de 1.000 dólares (más de 900 euros) por su primer smartphone 5G”. Qualcomm ha financiado el desplazamiento hasta el acto. El artículo informa con imparcialidad sobre el mismo.
11:10
Canalys pronostica que la tecnología china triunfará en la guerra comercial
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CANALYS CHANNELS FORUM, TAIPÉI: Steve Brazier (en la foto), director ejecutivo de Canalys, pronostica que las empresas chinas se harán con el liderazgo mundial en cinco sectores tecnológicos importantes en un plazo de tres años y señala que la guerra comercial con Estados Unidos ha estimulado la innovación en la República Popular. El analista ha señalado la IA, las ciudades inteligentes, la 5G, la computación a exaescala y las microfinanzas como las áreas clave. Señala que ciertas firmas chinas ya son líderes en algunos de dichos sectores, pero añade que “en Occidente, la mayoría subestima los avances de China en numerosas áreas tecnológicas”. Explica que China ha cobrado fuerza en innovación y que el verdadero impacto de dicho fenómeno se sentirá dentro de tres o cuatro años. Así, por ejemplo, Huawei ha conseguido que sus smartphones y estaciones base no dependan tanto de los componentes estadounidenses. Pero Brazier se pregunta si las empresas de otros países serán capaces de situarse en terreno neutral, o si se verán obligadas a tomar partido. Mayor flexibilidad El analista señala que vivimos en un mundo cada vez más inestable a causa del aumento de los conflictos políticos y de los problemas derivados del cambio climático. Entiende que, como consecuencia, “los líderes empresariales tendrán que ser cada vez más flexibles” y las certidumbres del pasado ya no se podrán sostener. “La flexibilidad y la capacidad de reaccionar ante los cambios se están convirtiendo en el requisito número uno del negocio. Hay que reaccionar al cambio y ser ágil.” Explica que las empresas, sobre todo las grandes, tienen que esforzarse por desarrollar negocios sostenibles y respetuosos con el medio ambiente. Canalys pronostica que el número de dispositivos conectados (desde smartphones hasta cámaras y robots) casi se duplicará desde los 16.700 millones de 2018 hasta los 32.300 millones estimados para 2023. Dichos dispositivos generarán un enorme volumen de datos, que según Brazier habrá que gestionar, almacenar y salvaguardar mediante procedimientos de recuperación en caso de desastre. El uso de la IA se ha generalizado en 2019, pero el directivo afirma que las grandes esperanzas que se habían depositado en ella no se han hecho realidad. En cambio, sí se emplea en niveles más sencillos, como chatbots, traducción y transcripción de voz a texto. Recomienda el uso de la IA para ampliar las capacidades de los seres humanos, puesto que al proporcionar rápidamente información puede incrementar la productividad.
11:08
Grandes operadoras adoptan la computación en el borde de Amazon en sus redes 5G
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Verizon, Vodafone Group, SK Telecom y KDDI son las primeras operadoras que se han aliado con Amazon Web Services (AWS) para desarrollar servicios de computación en el borde en redes 5G, con el objetivo de potenciar las aplicaciones de baja latencia. Amazon ha presentado en su congreso AWS re:Invent (celebrado la semana pasada en Las Vegas) una nueva plataforma de computación en la nube denominada AWS Wavelength, de cuyo despliegue se encargarán las operadoras con las que está asociada, y que “ofrece a los desarrolladores la capacidad de crear aplicaciones que sirvan al usuario final con latencias de menos de 10 milisegundos mediante la 5G”. La propia Amazon explica que la plataforma “incrusta” los servicios de computación y almacenamiento en el borde de las redes 5G, con lo que se vuelven posibles los casos de uso que exigen una latencia ultra baja, como pueden ser el aprendizaje automático, el equipamiento industrial autónomo, los coches y ciudades inteligentes, Internet de las Cosas, la realidad aumentada y la realidad virtual. La alianza con Verizon Hans Vestberg (en la foto), presidente y consejero delegado de Verizon, ha revelado que su firma ya llevaba 18 meses colaborando con Amazon y que la operadora se encuentra lista para desplegar AWS Wavelength en su plataforma 5G Edge. Las dos empresas están llevando a cabo pruebas piloto de la plataforma con un grupo selecto de clientes, como por ejemplo la editora de juegos Bethesda Softworks y la Liga Nacional de Fútbol estadounidense (NFL). Vestberg afirma que la cooperación ayudará a “ofrecer todo el potencial de los servicios 5G a los clientes” y a desarrollar “nuevas categorías de aplicaciones y experiencias de red en la nube, mediante procedimientos que por ahora ni siquiera podemos imaginar”. Sus rivales Microsoft y AT&T anunciaron una colaboración similar a principios de este año, para desarrollar la computación en el borde con 5G sobre la plataforma en nube Azure. AWS añade que Vodafone, SK Telecom y KDDI están trabajando para lanzar AWS Wavelength respectivamente en Europa, Corea del Sur y Japón a lo largo de 2020, y que otros socios de alcance global se incorporarán dentro de poco.
11:06
Canalys augura una edad de oro del smartphone
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CANALYS CHANNELS FORUM, TAIPÉI: Canalys prevé para 2020 un repunte del mercado de smartphones con el que empezaría una nueva fase de tres años de crecimiento, a medida que la 5G, las pantallas plegables y unos chips más rápidos impulsen la demanda de los consumidores. Rushabh Doshi (en la foto), director de investigación sobre tecnología móvil, considera que Asia-Pacífico será el mercado que mejor se comportará a lo largo de 2020, sobre todo debido a la demanda creciente de smartphones 5G en China, donde las operadoras están llevando a cabo ambiciosos despliegues de dicha tecnología. Corea del Sur, Japón, Australia y Nueva Zelanda también impulsarán el crecimiento en 5G. Señala el Motorola Razr y los dispositivos plegables de Samsung y Huawei como ejemplo de los niveles de innovación que se están alcanzando. Aparte de los chips más rápidos, entiende que los smartphones 5G contarán con pantallas más grandes y mayor capacidad de almacenamiento, que podría llegar a 16 gigabytes en los modelos básicos. Como los consumidores pagarán más por la primera ola de dispositivos 5G, prevé que los precios medios de venta suban al principio, pero piensa que caerán con mayor rapidez que los de la 4G, porque ahora los fabricantes están mejor conectados a la cadena de aprovisionamiento y dispuestos a bajar precios para llegar a un público más amplio. Doshi piensa que el uso de smartphones por las empresas se incrementará a medida que las aplicaciones crezcan y se vuelvan más robustas, y espera que dichos dispositivos reemplacen en muchos contextos al ordenador personal. Asia-Pacífico La venta de smartphones en la región de Asia-Pacífico ha registrado una caída interanual del 2,8% en el tercer trimestre hasta quedarse en 549 millones de unidades, debido a los malos resultados de Huawei y Apple. Huawei ha vivido su peor año en la región después de un ascenso de cinco años, debido a las tensiones comerciales entre Estados Unidos y China, y a la inclusión de la empresa en una lista negra que comporta sanciones comerciales en este último país. El analista entiende que Apple se halla en mala situación en China porque va a la zaga en innovación y, aún más importante, porque la guerra comercial con Estados Unidos ha comportado que los consumidores chinos se decanten por los productos locales. Doshi explica que el mercado chino se ha visto afectado por la prolongación de los ciclos de renovación y ha experimentado descensos durante los últimos tres años.
November 18, 2019
21:57
Google Maps tests follow feature for local guides
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Google announced plans to trial a new feature for Maps which will allow users to follow posts from so-called local guides, in an apparent effort to make it easier to find relevant recommendations. Like Yelp, the company’s Local Guides programme relies on reviews of restaurants, shops and other local outlets from ordinary people. Google said the new Maps feature will allow users to quickly access recent reviews from their favourite local guides in the app’s For You tab. It added the idea is to inspire users with “ideas of things to do and places to go” as they search for new experiences. The company said it already has 120 million active local guides in 24,000 cities across the globe and will soon launch a pilot of features in nine of those: Bangkok, Delhi, London, Mexico City, New York, Osaka, San Francisco, São Paulo and Tokyo.
20:16
US makes Huawei trade extension official
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The US Department of Commerce (DoC) cemented another 90-day reprieve for Huawei, allowing it to continue trading with domestic companies through mid-February. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said in a statement the move will enable operators "to continue to service customers in some of the most remote areas of the United States who would otherwise be left in the dark”. He added the DoC will continue to “rigorously monitor sensitive technology exports to ensure that our innovations are not harnessed by those who would threaten our national security.” The extension marks the third such delay in implementing trade restrictions announced in May [1], which would block Huawei from buying components from US companies. The second reprieve was set to expire Monday (18 November). The new extension runs through 16 February 2020. Other government agencies, however, continue to move forward with separate blockade efforts. This week the US Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote on a measure which would designate Huawei and fellow Chinese vendor ZTE as national security threats and ban the use of government funds to buy their equipment [2]. [1] [https:] [2] [https:]
20:09
FCC chief calls for public C-Band auction
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US Federal Communications (FCC) Commission chairman Ajit Pai outlined plans to hold a public auction of spectrum between 3.7GHz and 4.2GHz (C-Band), despite concerns a government-run process could delay the arrival of critical mid-band airwaves to market. A total of 280MHz of spectrum from 3.7GHz to 3.98GHz would be on offer, with an additional 200MHz from 4GHz to 4.2GHz preserved for incumbent satellite services. The FCC recently faced political pressure to hold a public auction despite repeated offers from a group of satellite service providers known as the C-Band Alliance (CBA) to hold a private sale as soon as Q1 2020 [1]. Senior FCC officials said on a call with journalists CBA was ultimately unable to demonstrate it would be able to conduct a fair and transparent auction, pointing to concerns about price transparency and smaller players' ability to compete in a private sale. Worries The FCC is expected to vote on the proposed plan early next year, with the goal of commencing the sale before the end of 2020, the officials said. However, telecom analysts at LightShed Partners expressed doubts about that timeline, arguing in a research note the decision to hold a public sale is “likely to complicate and materially delay the availability of spectrum that has been globally identified as a primary 5G spectrum band”. Specifically, they noted it took a “material amount of time” for the FCC to gain support and develop the auction process for its 2017 sale of 600MHz spectrum, which required it to relocate and compensate incumbent licensees as it would likely have to do in the C-Band. [1] [https:]

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