NEW DELHI, INDIA: Some 150 cities in India would have wireless broadband through WiMAX technology in just 90 days once the 20 MHz spectrum is allotted at the base reserve price of 250 million dollars (Rs. 1,010 crores) to four operators in each circle.
Each operator could serve 15 to 20 million subscribers with good quality service. But much would depend upon early implementation of the proposed auction of the spectrum for the service.
This perspective emerged at the WiMAX India 2009 conference being organized by Bharat Exhibitions. “India is ready for broadband experience” said C.S. Rao, chairman of WiMAX Forum India. “Wireless is the key to broadband” he said recalling the projection in the President’s address to Parliament setting 100 million subscriber target for broadband by 2014 and 20 million by 2012. The fact of India having a social demographics of over 600 million young people underlined the need for rapid roll out of broadband in the country, Rao pointed out.
Despite this national vision for broadband penetration, why the ground level progress so slow was, asked several telecom experts participating in the day long discussion. Telecom experts contrasted the huge push in cellular phone subscription to 14 million per month in June with the total users of a mere 6 million in broadband.
“Against over 40 percent penetration of cellphone at 450 million, Internet penetration is just 0.6 percent” regretted Naresh Ajwani, secretary, Internet Service Providers Association of India. “Roll out the bidding for spectrum. The delay is stopping India from developing” he said.
On the issue of poor broadband penetration despite huge WiMAX potential, Bharti Airtel group CTO Jagbir Singh found that price points “are not good and scalability is an issue.” He and several other experts who participated called for early conducting of the spectrum auction to get the WiMAX based broadband penetration roll out fast.
Jagbir Singh also expressed concern over backhaul costs that have become “a huge issue”. Several other speakers agreed with him on the backhaul issue, especially the problems being faced by service providers in getting right of way permissions from local authorities. “RoW cost should be near zero if rural broadband is to be affordable”, he added.
“Backhaul cost is killing us” revealed Mallikarjuna Rao, Head technology and network planning Aircel, adding that government intervention was needed to bring down the high costs of carrying and Internet bandwidth if broadband were to be available at affordable price.
On how operators and government could work together to reduce total costs to improve affordability for rural customers, A. Sethuraman, executive director of Huawei, a leading global telecom equipment company, listed several factors like smaller footprints, natural cooling, advanced technologies to save energy, could reduce the huge operational costs.
Converged platforms putting together optic fibre and microwave and use of multiple technologies in the same equipment were some of the available options. User end costs were also going down with many PCs and laptops now becoming WiMAX embedded. “New innovations in terminals combining WiFi and WiMAX” were also coming up he disclosed.
Sethuraman, Executive director, Huawei Telecommunication India also disclosed that a new technology by his company “CSR initiative” for rural India was available especially useful in connectivity in education.
WiMAX Forum has over 500 members. It sees India as a large market. IIT-Delhi hosts a WiMAX applications laboratory. That technology and equipment for commercial operation of WiMAX was already available, was underlined in the presentation that Motorola India country head for home and networks mobility business, Subhendu Mohanty gave at the conference.
He found great [prospects for future broadband penetration in the rising sales of PCs and laptops. Notebook growth has crossed 114 per cent last year. Worldwide 133 million broadband subscribers were expected by 2012 of which 70 per cent would use mobile WiMAX devices. “WiMAX is here, LTE would be available by next year” he revealed. LTE is a high speed wireless on GSM platform for cellphone services, faster than 3G. “WiMAX is a step towards LTE”, he said.
As many as 25 applications on WiMAX were already available. Low cost chipsets “critical for India” roll out of WiMAX were being provided by his company. He claimed “total cost advantage’ in using WiMAX for broadband expansion.
Calling for a “faster auction” of 3G and WiMAX spectrum, Neeraj Sonker, vice-president, Tata Communications defined the challenge in wireless broadband was to make business plan viable at an average revenue per user of four to five dollars per month. The equipment and technology must be looked at “differently” for India operations to make WiMAX affordable. The roll out should be such as to enable seamless transfer from WiMAX to EVDO(the cellular platform for triple play connectivity).
Through wireless broadband it was now becoming possible for housewives to work from home for providing many services notably as call centre operators, Sonker said listing several new openings that WiMAX was offering to broader user audience.
There should be 27.5 million WiMAX users by 2012, according to Bharat Exhibition Managing Director Sasidharan, organizers of the conference.
Showing posts with label Huawei. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Huawei. Show all posts
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Optical transport equipment market grew 11 percent in Q2-09
REDWOOD CITY, USA: According to a newly published report by Dell’Oro Group, the trusted source for market information about the networking and telecom industries, the worldwide optical market grew 11 percent quarter-over-quarter (Q/Q) in the second quarter this year.
The Asia Pacific region contributed most of this sequential growth and was the largest region contributing nearly 40 percent of the worldwide revenues in the quarter.
“An 11 percent growth following a near historic sequential decline in the first quarter of the year gives me confidence that the worst may be over for the optical equipment market,” said Jimmy Yu, Director of Optical Transport research at Dell’Oro Group.
“My only reservation is that, although each region experienced slight growth, the growth was predominantly driven by Asia Pacific which grew nearly 25 percent sequentially. Additionally, I estimate that it was revenue from China that contributed almost all of this region’s growth, so a good deal of the optical market’s recovery is dependent on China’s continued strength as the other regions recover,” Yu added.
Huawei and ZTE benefited from the optical sales growth in China, increasing their worldwide market shares.
The Asia Pacific region contributed most of this sequential growth and was the largest region contributing nearly 40 percent of the worldwide revenues in the quarter.
“An 11 percent growth following a near historic sequential decline in the first quarter of the year gives me confidence that the worst may be over for the optical equipment market,” said Jimmy Yu, Director of Optical Transport research at Dell’Oro Group.
“My only reservation is that, although each region experienced slight growth, the growth was predominantly driven by Asia Pacific which grew nearly 25 percent sequentially. Additionally, I estimate that it was revenue from China that contributed almost all of this region’s growth, so a good deal of the optical market’s recovery is dependent on China’s continued strength as the other regions recover,” Yu added.
Huawei and ZTE benefited from the optical sales growth in China, increasing their worldwide market shares.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
North American DSL and CMTS shipments recover
UK: Ovum today announced its preliminary quarterly results for global 2Q09 DSL and CMTS port shipments.
“Continuing demand for downstream capacity contributed to strong growth in downstream CMTS port shipments in North America. We estimate that for the first time ever, more than half of ports shipped were downstream ports,” said Ovum Analyst Kamalini Ganguly. “Arris topped the CMTS market in volume for the first time.
2Q09 highlights
* DSLAM shipments’ increase versus 1Q09 = 10 percent
* DSLAM shipments’ decline versus 2Q08 = 19 percent
* CMTS shipments’ decline versus 1Q09 = 6 percent
* CMTS shipments’ decline versus 2Q08 = 39 percent
Alcatel-Lucent, which shipped 5.8 million DSL ports in 2Q09, remained in first place in the DSL market on a rolling 4Q volume basis with 32 percent share, followed by Huawei (28 percent), ZTE (16 percent), Nokia Siemens Networks (5 percent), Ericsson (5 percent), and UTStarcom (3 percent).
All the regions saw double-digit sequential growth in DSL shipments, with the exception of South and Central America. In the CMTS market, Cisco dropped to 50 percent rolling 4Q market share in terms of ports shipped, followed by Arris whose share jumped to 35 percent and Motorola whose share grew to 13 percent. Downstream ports contributed to more than 50 percent of CMTS ports shipped for the first time.
“Continuing demand for downstream capacity contributed to strong growth in downstream CMTS port shipments in North America. We estimate that for the first time ever, more than half of ports shipped were downstream ports,” said Ovum Analyst Kamalini Ganguly. “Arris topped the CMTS market in volume for the first time.
2Q09 highlights
* DSLAM shipments’ increase versus 1Q09 = 10 percent
* DSLAM shipments’ decline versus 2Q08 = 19 percent
* CMTS shipments’ decline versus 1Q09 = 6 percent
* CMTS shipments’ decline versus 2Q08 = 39 percent
Alcatel-Lucent, which shipped 5.8 million DSL ports in 2Q09, remained in first place in the DSL market on a rolling 4Q volume basis with 32 percent share, followed by Huawei (28 percent), ZTE (16 percent), Nokia Siemens Networks (5 percent), Ericsson (5 percent), and UTStarcom (3 percent).
All the regions saw double-digit sequential growth in DSL shipments, with the exception of South and Central America. In the CMTS market, Cisco dropped to 50 percent rolling 4Q market share in terms of ports shipped, followed by Arris whose share jumped to 35 percent and Motorola whose share grew to 13 percent. Downstream ports contributed to more than 50 percent of CMTS ports shipped for the first time.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Seasonality and weak economies lower mobile phone demand in Q1’09
AUSTIN, USA: While mobile phone display shipments in developed nations such as the US, Europe and Japan slipped in Q1’09 due to seasonality and the weak economy, this segment is expected to improve through 2009 due to relatively strong demand for smart phones, video capabilities and the growing China mobile phone market.
According to the DisplaySearch Q2’09 Quarterly Mobile Phone Shipment and Forecast Report, total mobile phone display shipments fell 11 percent Q/Q and 19 percent Y/Y in Q1’09 to 263 million units, but are forecast to increase to 306 million units in Q2’09 and 360 million units in Q3’09, respectively.
“Growth in mobile phone display shipments will be driven by demand from major mobile phone manufacturers such as Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and Motorola, as well as Chinese brands including Huawei, ZTE as well as Tianyu and white box manufacturers,” noted Hiroshi Hayase, DisplaySearch’s Director of Small/Medium Display Research. “In addition, the availability of low cost mobile phones in these regions will also contribute to the anticipated growth for this segment.”
More than 20 percent of mobile phone displays were shipped to Chinese brands and white box manufacturers, who are mainly in China. White boxes are un-branded mobile phones designed to be similar to popular designs by top-tier brands such as Nokia, Samsung and Apple.
Produced in China-based manufacturing facilities, these ‘knock-offs’ are sold at significantly lower price points. The total amount of mobile phone displays shipped for the China market is expected to exceed display shipment amount for Samsung Telecom. As a result, the demand for mobile phone displays will increase.
The number of mobile phone shipments reached 276.1 million in Q1’09. Nokia retained its top position with 31.7 percent share, up slightly from 31.2 percent in Q1’09. The #2 and #3 brands were Samsung and LG. Motorola continued a long-term share decline.
Emerging China mobile phone brands including Huawei, ZTE and Tianyu increased their share of mobile phone displays purchased by 1.5-2 percent, increasing their mobile phone rankings.
Table 1: Q1’09 Mobile Phone Brand Market Share
Source: DisplaySearch Q2’09 Quarterly Mobile Phone Shipment and Forecast Report
Other key findings from DisplaySearch’s latest mobile phone display research include the following:
* MSTN LCD for mobile phones dropped to 12.9 million in Q1’09 from 22.1 million in Q4’08, primarily due to the adoption of white box commodity models and eroding TFT LCD prices in emerging markets. For example, Nokia’s entry-level 1200 model uses MSTN. Passive matrix LCDs (MSTN, CSTN and STN) are expected to drop from 448 million in 2008 to 369 million in 2009.
* Although total mobile phone display shipments are expected to drop from 2008 to 2009, the growing demand for video capabilities in mobile phones has boosted the outlook for TFT-LCD and OLED displays for this segment, and is expected to increase from 955 million units shipped in 2008, to 1.03 billion units in 2009.
* Nokia increased its purchase of nHD displays (360 × 640) to 4.0 million in Q1’09 from 1.1 million in Q4’08. nHD displays enable digital TV and video on mobile phones.
* Samsung Mobile Display (SMD), which manufactures small/medium LCDs and OLEDs, began production and led in both shipments and revenues for mobile phone FPD shipments—overtaking Sharp in revenues and Wintek in shipments.
According to the DisplaySearch Q2’09 Quarterly Mobile Phone Shipment and Forecast Report, total mobile phone display shipments fell 11 percent Q/Q and 19 percent Y/Y in Q1’09 to 263 million units, but are forecast to increase to 306 million units in Q2’09 and 360 million units in Q3’09, respectively.
“Growth in mobile phone display shipments will be driven by demand from major mobile phone manufacturers such as Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and Motorola, as well as Chinese brands including Huawei, ZTE as well as Tianyu and white box manufacturers,” noted Hiroshi Hayase, DisplaySearch’s Director of Small/Medium Display Research. “In addition, the availability of low cost mobile phones in these regions will also contribute to the anticipated growth for this segment.”
More than 20 percent of mobile phone displays were shipped to Chinese brands and white box manufacturers, who are mainly in China. White boxes are un-branded mobile phones designed to be similar to popular designs by top-tier brands such as Nokia, Samsung and Apple.
Produced in China-based manufacturing facilities, these ‘knock-offs’ are sold at significantly lower price points. The total amount of mobile phone displays shipped for the China market is expected to exceed display shipment amount for Samsung Telecom. As a result, the demand for mobile phone displays will increase.
The number of mobile phone shipments reached 276.1 million in Q1’09. Nokia retained its top position with 31.7 percent share, up slightly from 31.2 percent in Q1’09. The #2 and #3 brands were Samsung and LG. Motorola continued a long-term share decline.
Emerging China mobile phone brands including Huawei, ZTE and Tianyu increased their share of mobile phone displays purchased by 1.5-2 percent, increasing their mobile phone rankings.
Table 1: Q1’09 Mobile Phone Brand Market Share
Source: DisplaySearch Q2’09 Quarterly Mobile Phone Shipment and Forecast ReportOther key findings from DisplaySearch’s latest mobile phone display research include the following:
* MSTN LCD for mobile phones dropped to 12.9 million in Q1’09 from 22.1 million in Q4’08, primarily due to the adoption of white box commodity models and eroding TFT LCD prices in emerging markets. For example, Nokia’s entry-level 1200 model uses MSTN. Passive matrix LCDs (MSTN, CSTN and STN) are expected to drop from 448 million in 2008 to 369 million in 2009.
* Although total mobile phone display shipments are expected to drop from 2008 to 2009, the growing demand for video capabilities in mobile phones has boosted the outlook for TFT-LCD and OLED displays for this segment, and is expected to increase from 955 million units shipped in 2008, to 1.03 billion units in 2009.
* Nokia increased its purchase of nHD displays (360 × 640) to 4.0 million in Q1’09 from 1.1 million in Q4’08. nHD displays enable digital TV and video on mobile phones.
* Samsung Mobile Display (SMD), which manufactures small/medium LCDs and OLEDs, began production and led in both shipments and revenues for mobile phone FPD shipments—overtaking Sharp in revenues and Wintek in shipments.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Hopes of upturn in 2Q09 telecom financial deal flow despite unfriendly public markets
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: According to a new study from Ovum, the global analyst and consulting company, telecom sector financial deal activity in 2Q09 reflects a modest, but tangible, increase in confidence among the major players: carriers, vendors, their financial and legal advisors, and the investment institutions looking for reasons to pull their money off the sidelines.
Based on Ovum’s report, titled Financial Deals Industry Insight -– Telecommunications (2Q09 edition), public stock offerings remain nearly nonexistent even as market volatility lowers, and venture capital (VC) investments in telecom continue in similar volumes but at a much lower average deal size: from $13.0M per deal in 2Q08, the 2Q08 average was $9.8M.
However, the private placement market -– issuance of debt securities for fundraising –- has actually picked up nicely as public markets have fallen: 19 deals in 2Q09, in line with the quarterly average since 4Q07 –- but the total deal value increased again, nearly double 1Q09 to $18.0B, up from $3.6B in 2Q08.
One significant deal as of yet unclosed –- South Africa-based MTN’s pending merger with Indian carrier Bharti Airtel (partly funded by a separate private placement deal) –- does sway the average upwards, but there were three other closed deals above $1B in 2Q09: Qtel, Crown Castle, and Cricket/Leap.
Matt Walker, Ovum principal analyst and author of the report, noted that there is also promising news from the world of mergers and acquisitions: “We are starting to see more big, complex deals; these often entail long negotiation cycles and carry regulatory uncertainties. In late 2008 the financial market’s volatility killed interest in such transactions.”
For 1H09 overall, M&A deal count in telecom was 315, down significantly from the 391 deals announced or closed in 1H08. But total deal value for 2Q09 was roughly $35B, or twice the average seen in the previous three quarters.
Watching the announced but not yet closed deals will also help gauge market stability, especially MTN-Bharti, but also Verizon’s sales of select assets to (in separate deals) Frontier and AT&T; Greece’s sale of a 5 percent stake in OTE to DT; and Russia-based Rostelecom’s sale of a 40 percent stake in itself to two separate investment entities.
In addition, Walker noted that governments and deep-pocketed vendors are helping to close the gap as public markets remain tough. Governments are doing this by directly funding broadband infrastructure buildouts, licensing new wireless spectrum at favourable terms, subsidizing private sector R&D (e.g. at the European Investment Bank), and lending money in special cases, as when Export Development Canada offered NSN $300M for its initial bid on Nortel’s CDMA and LTE assets.
As for vendors, Cisco is one example: it is using its Cisco Capital unit to leverage its notoriously rich cash horde -- over $33B of cash and short-term investments on the balance sheet -- to offer financing to customers and channel partners. In 1H-FY09, it was responsible for $2.1B in lease and long-term loan arrangements.
In addition, Chinese vendors ZTE and Huawei both have billions of dollars in either explicit or implicit credit lines with various Chinese banks: the China Development Bank, the Export-Import Bank, and the Bank of China.
Walker said: “This subsidized financing helps these Chinese vendors’ carrier customers expand more easily and quickly, which also facilitates deal activity (e.g. cross-border M&As to grow wireless footprint).”
On net, Walker concluded that, while the outlook remains cloudy, steps taken in 2Q09 by vendors, governments, and private financiers to compensate for weakness in the macroeconomy and public equity markets bode well for the remainder of the year in telecom.
Based on Ovum’s report, titled Financial Deals Industry Insight -– Telecommunications (2Q09 edition), public stock offerings remain nearly nonexistent even as market volatility lowers, and venture capital (VC) investments in telecom continue in similar volumes but at a much lower average deal size: from $13.0M per deal in 2Q08, the 2Q08 average was $9.8M.
However, the private placement market -– issuance of debt securities for fundraising –- has actually picked up nicely as public markets have fallen: 19 deals in 2Q09, in line with the quarterly average since 4Q07 –- but the total deal value increased again, nearly double 1Q09 to $18.0B, up from $3.6B in 2Q08.
One significant deal as of yet unclosed –- South Africa-based MTN’s pending merger with Indian carrier Bharti Airtel (partly funded by a separate private placement deal) –- does sway the average upwards, but there were three other closed deals above $1B in 2Q09: Qtel, Crown Castle, and Cricket/Leap.
Matt Walker, Ovum principal analyst and author of the report, noted that there is also promising news from the world of mergers and acquisitions: “We are starting to see more big, complex deals; these often entail long negotiation cycles and carry regulatory uncertainties. In late 2008 the financial market’s volatility killed interest in such transactions.”
For 1H09 overall, M&A deal count in telecom was 315, down significantly from the 391 deals announced or closed in 1H08. But total deal value for 2Q09 was roughly $35B, or twice the average seen in the previous three quarters.
Watching the announced but not yet closed deals will also help gauge market stability, especially MTN-Bharti, but also Verizon’s sales of select assets to (in separate deals) Frontier and AT&T; Greece’s sale of a 5 percent stake in OTE to DT; and Russia-based Rostelecom’s sale of a 40 percent stake in itself to two separate investment entities.
In addition, Walker noted that governments and deep-pocketed vendors are helping to close the gap as public markets remain tough. Governments are doing this by directly funding broadband infrastructure buildouts, licensing new wireless spectrum at favourable terms, subsidizing private sector R&D (e.g. at the European Investment Bank), and lending money in special cases, as when Export Development Canada offered NSN $300M for its initial bid on Nortel’s CDMA and LTE assets.
As for vendors, Cisco is one example: it is using its Cisco Capital unit to leverage its notoriously rich cash horde -- over $33B of cash and short-term investments on the balance sheet -- to offer financing to customers and channel partners. In 1H-FY09, it was responsible for $2.1B in lease and long-term loan arrangements.
In addition, Chinese vendors ZTE and Huawei both have billions of dollars in either explicit or implicit credit lines with various Chinese banks: the China Development Bank, the Export-Import Bank, and the Bank of China.
Walker said: “This subsidized financing helps these Chinese vendors’ carrier customers expand more easily and quickly, which also facilitates deal activity (e.g. cross-border M&As to grow wireless footprint).”
On net, Walker concluded that, while the outlook remains cloudy, steps taken in 2Q09 by vendors, governments, and private financiers to compensate for weakness in the macroeconomy and public equity markets bode well for the remainder of the year in telecom.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Huawei, Intel to equip KACST wireless technologies R&D center
HYDERABAD, INDIA: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and Intel Corp. announced the selection of Huawei to provide the Wireless Technologies Research and Development Center with state-of-the-art solution, including base stations, access network gateway, authentication servers and other needed equipment and software, in preparation for launching operations at the center in the next few months.
Intel signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Huawei to this effect in a ceremony attended by His Highness Prince Dr. Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed Al Saud, vice-president for Research Institutes at KACST.
Abdulziz Al-Noghaither, General Manager, Intel Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, signed the MoU on behalf of Intel, while Liu Qi, CEO of Huawei in Saudi Arabia, signed on behalf of Huawei.
According to the MoU, Huawei will provide the solution for building access and core WiMAX network in the lab. The center aims to use these equipment to showcase WiMAX technology, test interoperability and optimize network performance in order to guarantee effective operation of various client end-user devices on operators’ WiMAX networks.
Commenting on the event during the signing ceremony, His Highness Prince Dr. Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed Al Saud, vice-president for Research Institutes at KACST, said: "We are pleased to be hosts for each of Intel Corp. and Huawei in their signing of the memorandum of understanding, which represents an important milestone towards the launch of the Wireless Technologies Research and Development Center.
"We believe that the expertise offered by Intel, coupled by the advanced equipment provided by Huawei, will play a major role in making the center succeed. Companies working in the field of telecommunications, along with research centers and universities, will soon be able to benefit from the offerings of the center."
Upon signing the MoU, Abdulziz Al-Noghaither, General Manager, Intel Kingdom of Saudi Arabia called on telecommunication companies operating in the region to make use of the services that will be offered by the center, emphasizing the importance of WiMAX technologies in supporting broadband Internet penetration in countries of the region.
“With the help of God, the center has become ready for telecommunication companies operating in the region to benefit from its services and the field consultancy it offers with respect to WiMAX technologies. We hope that the center would actively contribute towards supporting wide use of WiMAX technology throughout the Middle East, Africa and Turkey,” he said.
It is noteworthy that Huawei is one of the world’s leading companies in the development and provision of wireless technologies, and it has supplied telecommunication operators worldwide with networks meeting the each customer’s demands. The company also has a long experience in setting up WiMAX networks and research in this field.
On his part, Liu Qi, CEO of Huawei in Saudi Arabia, said: “We take pride in the confidence shown to us by each of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and Intel Corporation to provide the Wireless Technologies Research and Development Center with the necessary tools and equipment. We are pleased that Huawei will contribute towards the success of the center’s mission, which aims to support scientific research and contribute to the spread of WiMAX networks in the region.”
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology will host the center whose operations will expand to serve the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, making it act as a hub for other branch laboratories that may open in the region to collectively work on the challenges facing the dissemination of networks.
The center will conduct validation for WiMAX infrastructure equipment and terminals, interoperability testing, studies for performance optimization, pre-certification for qualified products and experimentation with new WiMAX services and applications.
In addition to accelerating the deployment of WiMAX wireless broadband services, the lab will make use of best known methods from other regions to help stimulate new innovative ideas for network deployment in the region. The lab will put emphasis toward WiMAX mobility and broadband coverage problems in the region as well as other challenges such as validation of end-to-end network deployment.
Intel signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Huawei to this effect in a ceremony attended by His Highness Prince Dr. Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed Al Saud, vice-president for Research Institutes at KACST.
Abdulziz Al-Noghaither, General Manager, Intel Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, signed the MoU on behalf of Intel, while Liu Qi, CEO of Huawei in Saudi Arabia, signed on behalf of Huawei.
According to the MoU, Huawei will provide the solution for building access and core WiMAX network in the lab. The center aims to use these equipment to showcase WiMAX technology, test interoperability and optimize network performance in order to guarantee effective operation of various client end-user devices on operators’ WiMAX networks.
Commenting on the event during the signing ceremony, His Highness Prince Dr. Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed Al Saud, vice-president for Research Institutes at KACST, said: "We are pleased to be hosts for each of Intel Corp. and Huawei in their signing of the memorandum of understanding, which represents an important milestone towards the launch of the Wireless Technologies Research and Development Center.
"We believe that the expertise offered by Intel, coupled by the advanced equipment provided by Huawei, will play a major role in making the center succeed. Companies working in the field of telecommunications, along with research centers and universities, will soon be able to benefit from the offerings of the center."
Upon signing the MoU, Abdulziz Al-Noghaither, General Manager, Intel Kingdom of Saudi Arabia called on telecommunication companies operating in the region to make use of the services that will be offered by the center, emphasizing the importance of WiMAX technologies in supporting broadband Internet penetration in countries of the region.
“With the help of God, the center has become ready for telecommunication companies operating in the region to benefit from its services and the field consultancy it offers with respect to WiMAX technologies. We hope that the center would actively contribute towards supporting wide use of WiMAX technology throughout the Middle East, Africa and Turkey,” he said.
It is noteworthy that Huawei is one of the world’s leading companies in the development and provision of wireless technologies, and it has supplied telecommunication operators worldwide with networks meeting the each customer’s demands. The company also has a long experience in setting up WiMAX networks and research in this field.
On his part, Liu Qi, CEO of Huawei in Saudi Arabia, said: “We take pride in the confidence shown to us by each of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and Intel Corporation to provide the Wireless Technologies Research and Development Center with the necessary tools and equipment. We are pleased that Huawei will contribute towards the success of the center’s mission, which aims to support scientific research and contribute to the spread of WiMAX networks in the region.”
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology will host the center whose operations will expand to serve the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, making it act as a hub for other branch laboratories that may open in the region to collectively work on the challenges facing the dissemination of networks.
The center will conduct validation for WiMAX infrastructure equipment and terminals, interoperability testing, studies for performance optimization, pre-certification for qualified products and experimentation with new WiMAX services and applications.
In addition to accelerating the deployment of WiMAX wireless broadband services, the lab will make use of best known methods from other regions to help stimulate new innovative ideas for network deployment in the region. The lab will put emphasis toward WiMAX mobility and broadband coverage problems in the region as well as other challenges such as validation of end-to-end network deployment.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Huawei showcases smartphones at CommunicAsia 2009
HYDERABAD, ANDHRA PRADESH: Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd today showcased two new smartphones at CommunicAsia 2009 in Singapore -– the Android-powered U8230, and the C8000, which use the Windows Mobile operating system.
Equipped with the latest mobile handset technologies, the new smartphones were being exhibited in advance of their commercial release in the second half of 2009.
The Android-powered U8230 smartphone allows users to switch between full and half QWERTY keyboards and to navigate programs easily via a 3.5-inch LCD touch screen. Huawei’s U8230 uses the Google Chrome Internet browser which supports a variety of Google applications such as Google Map, Google Search and Google Talk. It is also fitted with a battery which has a capacity of 1500 mAH - the longest battery capacity among Android-powered handsets currently available.
The C8000, which supports Windows Mobile operating software, incorporates a 3-D menu GUI and a unique independent display adapter, which enables the smooth presentation of video files and DVD-quality pictures on a 2.8-inch touch screen. With optimized power management, the new handset is capable of playing video files continuously for six to eight hours.
“Having joined the Open Handset Alliance in 2008, Huawei is rapidly moving forward with the development of cutting-edge high-end handsets, especially smartphones powered by Android and Windows Mobile operating systems,” said Glory Chueng, the spokesperson of Huawei Terminals. “The U8230 and the C8000 handsets on display here at CommunicAsia take the interactivity experience of smartphones to a whole new level, and Huawei is looking forward to working with our customers to bring them to market later this year.”
Huawei plans to launch a series of touchscreen handsets that support WCDMA, CDMA, and TD-SCDMA standards in the second half of 2009. Meanwhile, Huawei’s progress in handset sales is gaining momentum, with shipments of CDMA handsets recently surpassing the 50 million mark.
Equipped with the latest mobile handset technologies, the new smartphones were being exhibited in advance of their commercial release in the second half of 2009.
The Android-powered U8230 smartphone allows users to switch between full and half QWERTY keyboards and to navigate programs easily via a 3.5-inch LCD touch screen. Huawei’s U8230 uses the Google Chrome Internet browser which supports a variety of Google applications such as Google Map, Google Search and Google Talk. It is also fitted with a battery which has a capacity of 1500 mAH - the longest battery capacity among Android-powered handsets currently available.
The C8000, which supports Windows Mobile operating software, incorporates a 3-D menu GUI and a unique independent display adapter, which enables the smooth presentation of video files and DVD-quality pictures on a 2.8-inch touch screen. With optimized power management, the new handset is capable of playing video files continuously for six to eight hours.
“Having joined the Open Handset Alliance in 2008, Huawei is rapidly moving forward with the development of cutting-edge high-end handsets, especially smartphones powered by Android and Windows Mobile operating systems,” said Glory Chueng, the spokesperson of Huawei Terminals. “The U8230 and the C8000 handsets on display here at CommunicAsia take the interactivity experience of smartphones to a whole new level, and Huawei is looking forward to working with our customers to bring them to market later this year.”
Huawei plans to launch a series of touchscreen handsets that support WCDMA, CDMA, and TD-SCDMA standards in the second half of 2009. Meanwhile, Huawei’s progress in handset sales is gaining momentum, with shipments of CDMA handsets recently surpassing the 50 million mark.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Huawei, TeliaSonera achieve world’s first LTE mobile broadband connection
BANGALORE, INDIA: Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd and TeliaSonera/Netcom, announced the world’s first mobile broadband Internet connection over a live commercial LTE network in Oslo, Norway.
This demonstration saw download speeds to mobile devices greater than what is currently available. Based on Huawei’s LTE solution, TeliaSonera’s LTE network will benefit from high quality and extensive capacity to provide end users with the best mobile communication experience.
August Baumann, President of Netcom, a subsidiary of TeliaSonera in Norway, said: "We appreciate the professional implementation from Huawei and we are very pleased to make this world’s first LTE session in Norway. It is a significant step in bringing our customers much closer to real fourth generation mobile broadband service. It is also a milestone in the cooperation between TeliaSonera and Huawei."
"We are proud and excited to support TeliaSonera in completing its mobile broadband connection over the world’s first live LTE network," said James Chen, Managing Director of Huawei Nordic Office. "The first LTE session reflects Huawei’s leadership in the most cutting-edge of technologies and its ability to build LTE networks. We are well positioned to deliver a high quality network that will enable leading operators like TeliaSonera to achieve business success."
The first showcase of the live LTE network in Oslo, between a Laptop PC with a 4G modem and public Internet/Intranet, included downloading of high resolution photos, music, movies and mobile business applications, at a speed much quicker than most available fixed Internet accesses of today.
By adopting the LTE MIMO and OFDM technologies (Multiple Input Multiple Output and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex, key radio technologies of LTE), the download peak data rate can reach 150 Mbps in one LTE cell with multiple terminals.
This demonstration saw download speeds to mobile devices greater than what is currently available. Based on Huawei’s LTE solution, TeliaSonera’s LTE network will benefit from high quality and extensive capacity to provide end users with the best mobile communication experience.
August Baumann, President of Netcom, a subsidiary of TeliaSonera in Norway, said: "We appreciate the professional implementation from Huawei and we are very pleased to make this world’s first LTE session in Norway. It is a significant step in bringing our customers much closer to real fourth generation mobile broadband service. It is also a milestone in the cooperation between TeliaSonera and Huawei."
"We are proud and excited to support TeliaSonera in completing its mobile broadband connection over the world’s first live LTE network," said James Chen, Managing Director of Huawei Nordic Office. "The first LTE session reflects Huawei’s leadership in the most cutting-edge of technologies and its ability to build LTE networks. We are well positioned to deliver a high quality network that will enable leading operators like TeliaSonera to achieve business success."
The first showcase of the live LTE network in Oslo, between a Laptop PC with a 4G modem and public Internet/Intranet, included downloading of high resolution photos, music, movies and mobile business applications, at a speed much quicker than most available fixed Internet accesses of today.
By adopting the LTE MIMO and OFDM technologies (Multiple Input Multiple Output and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex, key radio technologies of LTE), the download peak data rate can reach 150 Mbps in one LTE cell with multiple terminals.
Monday, June 8, 2009
2Wire, Huawei and Thomson make major gains across broadband CPE segments
SCOTTSDALE, USA: 2Wire, Huawei and Thomson captured major market share gains in the 2008 broadband customer premise equipment (CPE) segments, according to In-Stat. The broadband CPE segments include cable and DSL modems, routers, Wi-Fi Aggregators, and residential gateways, with each company demonstrating unique gains.
2Wire stood out for their significant market share gains across the key residential gateway segment. 2Wire gained almost six percentage points in market share in the worldwide residential gateway market.
In the home Wi-Fi aggregator segment, which overlaps total broadband routers and gateways, 2Wire took over the number two position from Netgear, gaining 4.8 percentage points of share.
Huawei’s major accomplishment was in the worldwide DSL Modem Market, where it gained over ten percentage points. Huawei achieved an impressive unit growth rate of over 68 percent, compared to market-wide growth of just under 2 percent.
Meanwhile, Thomson saw the most broad-based share gains. They performed strongly across nearly all the segments that they compete in, making moderate market share gains in the total and E-MTA cable modems, Wi-Fi aggregators, and residential gateway segments. In addition, Thomson maintained their #1 market share position in the residential gateway market.
Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
* Annual growth of residential gateway shipments plummeted in 2008 to only 0.5 percent, down from 2007’s heady growth of nearly 32 percent.
* Unit shipments of cable modems with an embedded multimedia terminal adapter (E-MTA) dropped to 15.2 million units in 2008.
2Wire stood out for their significant market share gains across the key residential gateway segment. 2Wire gained almost six percentage points in market share in the worldwide residential gateway market.
In the home Wi-Fi aggregator segment, which overlaps total broadband routers and gateways, 2Wire took over the number two position from Netgear, gaining 4.8 percentage points of share.
Huawei’s major accomplishment was in the worldwide DSL Modem Market, where it gained over ten percentage points. Huawei achieved an impressive unit growth rate of over 68 percent, compared to market-wide growth of just under 2 percent.
Meanwhile, Thomson saw the most broad-based share gains. They performed strongly across nearly all the segments that they compete in, making moderate market share gains in the total and E-MTA cable modems, Wi-Fi aggregators, and residential gateway segments. In addition, Thomson maintained their #1 market share position in the residential gateway market.
Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
* Annual growth of residential gateway shipments plummeted in 2008 to only 0.5 percent, down from 2007’s heady growth of nearly 32 percent.
* Unit shipments of cable modems with an embedded multimedia terminal adapter (E-MTA) dropped to 15.2 million units in 2008.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Huawei beats Alcatel-Lucent in 1Q09 to top optical networking market
UK: Ovum announced its preliminary 1Q09 results for global optical equipment networking vendors. The global optical networking (ON) market, led by strength in Asia-Pacific markets, was $3.6 billion, down 15 percent sequentially and down 8 percent compared with 1Q08.
"This marks the second time in two quarters that the ON market has shrunk compared with the year-ago quarter, but given the global financial meltdown the situation could have been much worse." remarks Ovum’s Vice President, Optical Networking, Dana Cooperson.
"Spending in Asia-Pacific was surprisingly strong. We did not see the seasonal decline we normally expect in China, for example, as the race to build 3G mobile networks and support them with transport capacity obliterated any seasonality or macroeconomic downturn factors. Huawei, posting a remarkable $790 million in revenue to lead the market for the quarter, benefited from China’s 3G race, along with teledensity growth in India, a strong and stable currency, and comparatively little exposure to the cool North American market, while Alcatel-Lucent suffered from much of the opposite," Cooperson added.
Top 10 optical networking vendor share
Of the top 10 vendors, none posted both sequential and year-over-year revenue gains, reflecting slowing spending in much of the world. Vendors who beat both the sequential and year-over-year average market declines of 15 percent and 8 percent, respectively, include Ericsson, Huawei, and NEC.
Those three vendors, plus ZTE, were the only top ten vendors that did not post revenue declines compared with 1Q08. Huawei and ZTE grew revenues by more than 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively, over 1Q08 in part due to 3G mobile-related spending in China.
"Alcatel-Lucent held on to the market lead with 21.7 percent annualized share, but Huawei picked up 1.8 percentage points to come within 3 points of the market leader at 19.1 percent share. Given the continued strength of spending in markets where Huawei is strong, its light exposure to weaker markets, and the firm’s seemingly bottomless availability of financing, this looks like a huge year for the Chinese giant.” said Cooperson.
"This marks the second time in two quarters that the ON market has shrunk compared with the year-ago quarter, but given the global financial meltdown the situation could have been much worse." remarks Ovum’s Vice President, Optical Networking, Dana Cooperson.
"Spending in Asia-Pacific was surprisingly strong. We did not see the seasonal decline we normally expect in China, for example, as the race to build 3G mobile networks and support them with transport capacity obliterated any seasonality or macroeconomic downturn factors. Huawei, posting a remarkable $790 million in revenue to lead the market for the quarter, benefited from China’s 3G race, along with teledensity growth in India, a strong and stable currency, and comparatively little exposure to the cool North American market, while Alcatel-Lucent suffered from much of the opposite," Cooperson added.
Top 10 optical networking vendor share
Of the top 10 vendors, none posted both sequential and year-over-year revenue gains, reflecting slowing spending in much of the world. Vendors who beat both the sequential and year-over-year average market declines of 15 percent and 8 percent, respectively, include Ericsson, Huawei, and NEC.
Those three vendors, plus ZTE, were the only top ten vendors that did not post revenue declines compared with 1Q08. Huawei and ZTE grew revenues by more than 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively, over 1Q08 in part due to 3G mobile-related spending in China.
"Alcatel-Lucent held on to the market lead with 21.7 percent annualized share, but Huawei picked up 1.8 percentage points to come within 3 points of the market leader at 19.1 percent share. Given the continued strength of spending in markets where Huawei is strong, its light exposure to weaker markets, and the firm’s seemingly bottomless availability of financing, this looks like a huge year for the Chinese giant.” said Cooperson.
Huawei takes top spot in DSL shipments, says Ovum
UK: Ovum announced its preliminary quarterly results for global 1Q09 DSL and CMTS port shipments.
"The buoyant domestic market in China has lifted Huawei to first place in quarterly DSL volume shipments for the first time ever," said Ovum Analyst Kamalini Ganguly.
"Huawei also substantially increased its shipments to the EMEA region in 1Q09. Having successfully expanded its presence in several international markets in a few short years, Huawei has exploited its market share fully, both inside and outside China. We commend Huawei on this remarkable achievement," Ganguly said.
1Q09 highlights
* DSLAM shipments’ decline versus 4Q08 = 10 percent
* DSLAM shipments’ decline versus 1Q08 = 11 percent
* CMTS shipments’ decline versus 4Q08 = 6 percent
* CMTS shipments’ decline versus 1Q08 = 10 percent
Alcatel-Lucent, shipping 25.7 million DSL ports for the 2Q08–1Q09 period, remained in first place in the DSL market on a rolling 4Q volume basis (32 percent), followed by Huawei (29 percent), ZTE (15 percent), Nokia Siemens Networks (5 percent), Ericsson (4 percent), and UT Starcom (3 percent).
In the CMTS market, North American shipments dropped to less than half of all shipments for the second time in the last six years, while all other markets grew in the single or double digits on a sequential basis. Cisco dropped to 59 percent, rolling 4Q market share in terms of ports shipped, followed by Arris (30 percent) and Motorola (10 percent).
"The buoyant domestic market in China has lifted Huawei to first place in quarterly DSL volume shipments for the first time ever," said Ovum Analyst Kamalini Ganguly.
"Huawei also substantially increased its shipments to the EMEA region in 1Q09. Having successfully expanded its presence in several international markets in a few short years, Huawei has exploited its market share fully, both inside and outside China. We commend Huawei on this remarkable achievement," Ganguly said.
1Q09 highlights
* DSLAM shipments’ decline versus 4Q08 = 10 percent
* DSLAM shipments’ decline versus 1Q08 = 11 percent
* CMTS shipments’ decline versus 4Q08 = 6 percent
* CMTS shipments’ decline versus 1Q08 = 10 percent
Alcatel-Lucent, shipping 25.7 million DSL ports for the 2Q08–1Q09 period, remained in first place in the DSL market on a rolling 4Q volume basis (32 percent), followed by Huawei (29 percent), ZTE (15 percent), Nokia Siemens Networks (5 percent), Ericsson (4 percent), and UT Starcom (3 percent).
In the CMTS market, North American shipments dropped to less than half of all shipments for the second time in the last six years, while all other markets grew in the single or double digits on a sequential basis. Cisco dropped to 59 percent, rolling 4Q market share in terms of ports shipped, followed by Arris (30 percent) and Motorola (10 percent).
Friday, May 1, 2009
Telepresence grows in Asia-Pacific: Ovum
UK: Telepresence was a global vendor (Cisco/Tandberg/Polycom), global service provider (AT&T/BT/Verizon Business) story. That changed recently when Hong Kong-based CPCNet launched a managed high-definition (HD) video conferencing solution, VC2, and China’s Huawei Technologies launched its own line of telepresence equipment.
Separately, SingTel has been giving visibility to its Managed HD Video Conferencing Service, which launched at the end of 2008 and which now includes telepresence.
Global managed telepresence offers from AT&T and BT have had limited reach into the Asia-Pacific region as the operators build up network operations centre capacity to support inter-carrier and inter-company video networking. Now regional enterprise users will have potentially even more choice than counterparts in Europe and the Americas, with the emergence of these regional players.
CPCNet’s VC2 solution is provided through a range of CPE devices and allows laptop access to the conference room. CPCNet provides the managed network connectivity to maximise the efficient use of the network for video traffic at the same time as integrating different bandwidths to provide HD quality video to all participants in the conference.
The new solution provides a web portal for end users to manage video conferences and a 24×7 helpdesk to ensure quality of service can be given at all times.
CPCNet has focused its managed services model around video conferencing being accessible to all users, something that Ovum believed was essential for the development of video conferencing when telepresence made its entrance to the market in 2007. Telepresence has definitely spurred on the video conferencing market and CPCNet’s managed network connectivity is essential for the quality of video conferences using different devices.
Huawei also quietly announced its latest telepresence offering. It already offers a selection of end points for HD video conferencing, but this is the first move in the telepresence market.
The solution, ViewPoint Telepresence 3006, is based on open standards so that it can be interoperable over different networks and can provide HD and standard-definition conferencing to users with existing video conferencing solutions. The solution uses a wireless control to manage the call setup, which it says is simpler and more convenient to use than a telephone call.
Interoperability is key for telepresence, and Huawei has made the right choice to make sure that its solution is interoperable.
The potential for HD video conferencing in China is huge. It is an extremely useful tool to help manufacturers demonstrate their products without the need for travel. So far, telepresence deployments in China have been made by the major players in the HD video conferencing market: Tandberg, Polycom and Cisco.
The release of Huawei’s Telepresence solution will help the market grow within China. Huawei is renowned for its low-cost solutions so we may expect pricing to become more competitive for video conferencing units in the future if the Huawei solution can compete with its western competitors.
Western operators catch up in Asia-Pacific
It is not only the local players that are making moves in China. In March, AT&T announced that it would also extend its telepresence services into China during 2009 by working with local partners to provide the service. This month, Orange Business Services announced that it is upgrading its IP network in Asia-Pacific, citing video conferencing support as one of the reasons for the upgrade.
All this activity in the Chinese market shows that telcos are trying to maximise their efforts to make the most of the potential of these markets. Time will tell whether the economic downturn will restrict this growth or if the emergence of HD video conferencing will enable enterprises to make much-needed cost savings to help them through this difficult period.
-- Lucy Arole, Analyst at Ovum.
Separately, SingTel has been giving visibility to its Managed HD Video Conferencing Service, which launched at the end of 2008 and which now includes telepresence.
Global managed telepresence offers from AT&T and BT have had limited reach into the Asia-Pacific region as the operators build up network operations centre capacity to support inter-carrier and inter-company video networking. Now regional enterprise users will have potentially even more choice than counterparts in Europe and the Americas, with the emergence of these regional players.
CPCNet’s VC2 solution is provided through a range of CPE devices and allows laptop access to the conference room. CPCNet provides the managed network connectivity to maximise the efficient use of the network for video traffic at the same time as integrating different bandwidths to provide HD quality video to all participants in the conference.
The new solution provides a web portal for end users to manage video conferences and a 24×7 helpdesk to ensure quality of service can be given at all times.
CPCNet has focused its managed services model around video conferencing being accessible to all users, something that Ovum believed was essential for the development of video conferencing when telepresence made its entrance to the market in 2007. Telepresence has definitely spurred on the video conferencing market and CPCNet’s managed network connectivity is essential for the quality of video conferences using different devices.
Huawei also quietly announced its latest telepresence offering. It already offers a selection of end points for HD video conferencing, but this is the first move in the telepresence market.
The solution, ViewPoint Telepresence 3006, is based on open standards so that it can be interoperable over different networks and can provide HD and standard-definition conferencing to users with existing video conferencing solutions. The solution uses a wireless control to manage the call setup, which it says is simpler and more convenient to use than a telephone call.
Interoperability is key for telepresence, and Huawei has made the right choice to make sure that its solution is interoperable.
The potential for HD video conferencing in China is huge. It is an extremely useful tool to help manufacturers demonstrate their products without the need for travel. So far, telepresence deployments in China have been made by the major players in the HD video conferencing market: Tandberg, Polycom and Cisco.
The release of Huawei’s Telepresence solution will help the market grow within China. Huawei is renowned for its low-cost solutions so we may expect pricing to become more competitive for video conferencing units in the future if the Huawei solution can compete with its western competitors.
Western operators catch up in Asia-Pacific
It is not only the local players that are making moves in China. In March, AT&T announced that it would also extend its telepresence services into China during 2009 by working with local partners to provide the service. This month, Orange Business Services announced that it is upgrading its IP network in Asia-Pacific, citing video conferencing support as one of the reasons for the upgrade.
All this activity in the Chinese market shows that telcos are trying to maximise their efforts to make the most of the potential of these markets. Time will tell whether the economic downturn will restrict this growth or if the emergence of HD video conferencing will enable enterprises to make much-needed cost savings to help them through this difficult period.
-- Lucy Arole, Analyst at Ovum.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Memories of ITU Telecom Asia
My love affair with telecom began way back in the late 1980s, when C-DoT was just getting in prominence, and there were some talks about introducing mobile phones in the country. Telecom has come a long way since.
Not many large telecom shows were held at that time, and I certainly did not get a chance to attend a real 'telecom' show till I managed to participate at the ITU's Telecom Asia in Hong Kong, only in 2000. Since then, it's been fun attending the ITU Telecom shows, be it Hong Kong or Geneva. Of course, there was CommunicAsia in neighboring Singapore, but it was always my desire to be part of an ITU show.
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This year's ITU Telecom Asia will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, a really great place to visit. Here's a picture with my colleagues from Global Sources -- Alfred Cheng, John Ng and Maggie Luo -- during ITU Telecom 2006, (on my birthday, actually) at Hong Kong's sprawling AsiaWorld Expo -- the last ITU Asia show that I had the privilege of attending that chilly December.
I will always remember my first ITU show simply for the WAP (wireless access protocol) phenomena. WAP was just coming into its own during those days, and had to take a lot of flak. There used to be headlines those days, reading, "WAP IS CRAP!" Well, how wrong this turned out to be!
It was also the first show, if I remember correctly, which highlighted mobile Internet for the first time. Satellite communications was still in vogue back in those days. Well, optical networking was also quite strong, with DWDM making the rounds. I remember interviewing Corning during the show!
The Hong Kong ITU show in 2000 was the first time I had a glimpse of Huawei and ZTE close-up, although I did visit the Huawei factory in the middle of 2000, and for the first time saw what 3G base stations looked like. In fact, W-CDMA was just starting to come up. NTT DoCoMo was the hotshot back in late 2000. Its FOMA (freedom of mobile 'multimedia' access) service was just starting to roll in. Of course, those were also the days of the i-mode phones!
The Japanese have been the pioneers in mobile phones and mobile Internet, followed closely by Korea. I believe, the same year, DoCoMo had started trials with SK Telecom in Korea for W-CDMA, for the upcoming World Cup Soccer in Korea and Japan in 2002. Another delight at ITU Telecom Asia 2000 were the range of 3G phones on display, mostly by Japanese companies. Oh yes, broadband was the 'rage'.
The last ITU Telecom Asia in 2006 was vastly different. Alcatel-Lucent had a huge booth! CBoss was gaining ground as a leading billing solutions provider. Not to speak of the exquisite range of mobile phones from Japanese, Korean and Chinese vendors.
Huawei and ZTE had become really huge by the end of 2006, and had started to play a significantly major role in global telecom.
It was my pleasure to discuss the latest DECT standard with Infineon during ITU Telecom Asia 2006, I believe, it was CAT-iq (Cordless Advanced Technology - Internet and Quality). There were several GPS devices as well as booths with mobile payment solutions.
Yes, telecom has come along a very long way! This year's theme -- "New Generation, New Values," aptly sets the theme for ITU Telecom Asia. Let's see what this edition has in store!
Not many large telecom shows were held at that time, and I certainly did not get a chance to attend a real 'telecom' show till I managed to participate at the ITU's Telecom Asia in Hong Kong, only in 2000. Since then, it's been fun attending the ITU Telecom shows, be it Hong Kong or Geneva. Of course, there was CommunicAsia in neighboring Singapore, but it was always my desire to be part of an ITU show.
.jpg)
This year's ITU Telecom Asia will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, a really great place to visit. Here's a picture with my colleagues from Global Sources -- Alfred Cheng, John Ng and Maggie Luo -- during ITU Telecom 2006, (on my birthday, actually) at Hong Kong's sprawling AsiaWorld Expo -- the last ITU Asia show that I had the privilege of attending that chilly December.I will always remember my first ITU show simply for the WAP (wireless access protocol) phenomena. WAP was just coming into its own during those days, and had to take a lot of flak. There used to be headlines those days, reading, "WAP IS CRAP!" Well, how wrong this turned out to be!
It was also the first show, if I remember correctly, which highlighted mobile Internet for the first time. Satellite communications was still in vogue back in those days. Well, optical networking was also quite strong, with DWDM making the rounds. I remember interviewing Corning during the show!
The Hong Kong ITU show in 2000 was the first time I had a glimpse of Huawei and ZTE close-up, although I did visit the Huawei factory in the middle of 2000, and for the first time saw what 3G base stations looked like. In fact, W-CDMA was just starting to come up. NTT DoCoMo was the hotshot back in late 2000. Its FOMA (freedom of mobile 'multimedia' access) service was just starting to roll in. Of course, those were also the days of the i-mode phones!
The Japanese have been the pioneers in mobile phones and mobile Internet, followed closely by Korea. I believe, the same year, DoCoMo had started trials with SK Telecom in Korea for W-CDMA, for the upcoming World Cup Soccer in Korea and Japan in 2002. Another delight at ITU Telecom Asia 2000 were the range of 3G phones on display, mostly by Japanese companies. Oh yes, broadband was the 'rage'.
The last ITU Telecom Asia in 2006 was vastly different. Alcatel-Lucent had a huge booth! CBoss was gaining ground as a leading billing solutions provider. Not to speak of the exquisite range of mobile phones from Japanese, Korean and Chinese vendors.
Huawei and ZTE had become really huge by the end of 2006, and had started to play a significantly major role in global telecom.
It was my pleasure to discuss the latest DECT standard with Infineon during ITU Telecom Asia 2006, I believe, it was CAT-iq (Cordless Advanced Technology - Internet and Quality). There were several GPS devices as well as booths with mobile payment solutions.
Yes, telecom has come along a very long way! This year's theme -- "New Generation, New Values," aptly sets the theme for ITU Telecom Asia. Let's see what this edition has in store!
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