TELECOM – THIS WEEK (2139)
1.????Huawei head cautions on 6G hype
Huawei rotating chairman Eric Xu advised against focusing on?6G targets in the early stages of its development, to ensure it is not dismissed as yet another overhyped technology. Xu explained there is a risk of repeating past mistakes in terms of creating unrealistic expectations for the latest technology, citing the hype cycle which accompanied 5G and resulting in negative attention. The executive noted?“we run the risk of 6G being politicised as well”.
He stated the industry needs a favourable environment to stay focused on the R&D and define the standards. “This will enable the technology to progress enough to move forward from about 2030.” He noted it will take a number of years to make up for the loss of revenue from its handset division, which was hit by US sanctions.
2.????Etisalat settles valuation dispute with Pakistan’s government
Pakistan’s government has settled a long-running spat with Etisalat that arose following the UAE-based group’s purchase of a minority stake in PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited). The dispute relates to the valuation of various properties that were set to become part of PTCL following its privatization in 2006. Etisalat agreed at the time to pay the balance in installments across the next five years, on the basis that over 3000 properties would be folded into PTCL. However, when it became apparent that the government had failed to implement part of this agreement, Etisalat refused to pay the remaining balance.
The finance ministry has proposed a mutually agreed process overseen by “internationally renowned evaluation companies”. Etisalat’s CEO has reportedly agreed to this proposal, which could see the evaluation completed within “a couple of months”.
3.????After US agreement on fraud charges, Huawei CFO reaches homeland China finally
Huawei?chief financial officer (CFO)?Meng?Wanzhou flew home to China on Friday after reaching an agreement with the United States prosecutors to end the bank fraud case against her, relieving a point of tension between the two countries. The case infuriated China and strained relations with the US and Canada. On Friday the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said it had reached a deferred prosecution agreement.
4.????Two Canadians released from prison after Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou resolves US charges
Two Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor?detained in China on spying charges were released from prison and flown out of the country on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, just after a top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies reached a deal with the US Justice Department over fraud charges and flew to China.
The frenetic chain of events involving the global powers brought an abrupt end to legal and geopolitical wrangling that for the past three years has roiled relations between Washington, Beijing and Ottawa. The three-way deal enabled China and Canada to each bring home their own detained citizens while the US wrapped up a criminal case against a prominent tech executive that for months had been mired in an extradition fight.
5.????Ericsson to support Malaysia’s digital transformation through nationwide 5G deployment
Malaysia and its economy are poised to benefit from a 10-year 5G partnership between Ericsson and Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) to drive the nationwide deployment of the next-generation wireless cellular technology in Malaysia. 5G’s speed, low-latency, and large-data-handling capabilities will digitally transform the nation, while creating a 5G ecosystem that will power innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and automation across a range of enterprise, industry and multi-sector Internet of Things (IoT) use cases. By utilizing the capabilities of 5G and accelerating the deployment of Malaysia’s nationwide 5G network and ecosystem, DNB will provide access and services to mobile service providers and others licensed by the regulators, to enable a world-class 5G experience and make Industry 4.0 a reality in Malaysia.
Ericsson’s participation in the national 5G project will see direct and indirect socio-economic contributions in areas such as job creation, partnership with Bumiputera and other local contractors and ecosystem players, and knowledge and capacity building in Malaysia.
6.????U.S. to open program to replace Huawei equipment in U.S networks
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Monday said it would open a $1.9 billion program to reimburse mostly rural U.S. telecom carriers for removing network equipment made by Chinese companies deemed national security threats like Huawei and ZTE Corp.
7.????MTS and Ericsson launch Russia's first commercial 5G-ready Private network for gold producer Polymetal
Mobile TeleSystems PJSC, Russia’s largest mobile operator and a leading provider of media and digital services, announces the completion of construction and launch of operations of?Russia's first commercial 5G-ready Private network for Polymetal?International plc, one of the world's largest producers of gold and silver, at the Nezhdaninskoye gold deposit in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).?The network is built on Ericsson Dedicated Networks?solution.
Within the project, MTS deployed a wireless network for Yuzhno-Verkhoyansk Mining Company JSC, affiliated with Polymetal. The network supports integrated mining dispatching systems, positioning, remote and automated control of various objects, including excavators, drilling rigs, measuring devices, monitoring systems for remote equipment and video monitoring.
领英推荐
8.????US is actually paying telecom providers to remove Huawei 5G infrastructure
Huawei still seems to be under a cloud of suspicion in the US as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said it would be reimbursing rural US telecom carriers that are using networking equipment made by the Chinese company. Now according to?Reuters, the FCC is opening up a US$1.9 billion?reimbursement program?for rural telecom companies. The aid would have rural carriers remove and replace the equipment, which can be costly.
9.????America Movil, Liberty Latin America plan joint venture
Mexican telecoms firm?America Movil, controlled by the family of billionaire Carlos Slim, said Wednesday it would combine its Chilean operations with?Liberty Latin America?in a joint venture, lifting their shares as markets saw hints of 5G progress. The transaction combines the complementary operations of?Claro Chile, the Chilean subsidiary of America Movil, and VTR, Liberty Latin America's provider of high-speed products like broadband and?Pay TV, the companies said in a joint statement. The joint venture "will enable significant investment for fixed fibre footprint expansion and to be at the forefront of 5G mobile delivery," it said.
10.?China Mobile and Huawei Win 5G Core Leadership Award at the 5G World Summit
At the 2021 5G World Summit, hosted by Informa Tech, China Mobile and Huawei received the 5G Core Leadership award by Omdia, a world-renowned technology consulting firm. This award represents recognition of their outstanding achievements in 5G core network standards development, technology innovation, and commercial use practices, which have set a benchmark for global 5G construction and development.
11.?Ericsson?signs $2 billion sustainability-linked credit facility
Ericsson?has signed a USD 2 billion sustainability-linked revolving credit facility, renewing an undrawn USD 2 billion credit facility signed in 2013. The telecom network maker said today that the transaction underlines the confidence in Ericsson’s financial and sustainable performance and the facility is backed by a group of leading global and regional banks. The renewed facility has a clear link to Ericsson’s sustainability work for a better world and its interest margin will be linked to two of Ericsson’s sustainability KPIs. The first KPI is tied to carbon neutrality in Ericsson’s own operations by 2030 and the second connects with suppliers setting 1.5 C° aligned climate targets.
12.?IoT Has Not Lived Up To The Hype: Sunil David, AT&T (India)
Along with AI and machine learning, the Internet of Things has quickly emerged as one of the most prominent technologies and an integral part of Industry 4.0, saysSunil David, the regional director (IoT) at AT&T (India).?According to him, IoT’s potential has still not been explored fully. There is a lot of work that needs to be done from the IoT solutions providers, industry bodies, etc. to come together and constantly advocate the importance of the positive business impact that IoT technology can generate and how it can lead to better business outcomes – be it reducing costs, increasing revenue, or better customer experience, etc.?
13.?5G critical to India’s digital transformation: Mavenir global chief
US-based Mavenir, a telecom software provider, is eyeing OpenRAN or open radio-access network as a disrupter in telecom space as it brings a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and leveraging its inherent strengths for the fifth generation (5G) networks worldwide.?According to him, 5G is critical to India’s digital transformation thrust as it will empower communication service providers (CSPs) to move beyond a subscriber-driven business model and re-invent themselves as digital service providers (DSPs) for driving innovation, safety and productivity across industries and enterprises to drive Industry 4.0 use cases. The Indian telecom industry has understood the benefits the 5G would bring about and we can expect some limited 5G rollouts to start towards early 2022.