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Q3-2021 Unlocking new consumer experiences in the cloud Nathan Bell, Chief Digital Officer at M1 Limited ZTE: Delivering data Comviva’s customer value Huawei: Advancing center efficiently to management platform drives inclusive digital help build a digital breakthrough growth for transformation in Asia economy Indosat Ooredoo Pacific
Q3-2021 CONTENTS 2
Q3-2021
4 10
M1: Unlocking new consumer Huawei: Advancing inclusive digital
experiences in the cloud transformation in Asia Pacific
16 24
ZTE: Delivering data center efficiently to Comviva’s customer value management
help build a digital economy platform drives breakthrough growth for
Indosat Ooredoo
8 Transiting to open RAN for next-generation operator 29 Enhancing cybersecurity: Protecting people, data and
networks services
14 How Asia-Pacific countries are gearing up for Agriculture 32 Beyond connectivity: Becoming digital service providers
4.0 in a digital era
34 Connectivity as a service: Trip to the cloud
18 Hyperconnectivity: The essential building block of a smart
city 36 The role of telecoms in a growing big data analytics
market
21 News
38 Vendors’ News
27 The future of direct carrier billing and carrier-OTT 41 The rise of location-based advertising in a digitalized
partnerships world
Q3-2021 EDITORIAL 3
Editor in Chief & Senior ICT Analyst
Toni Eid
toni.eid@tracemedia.info
Journalist Toni Eid,
Corrine Teng founder
corrine@telecomreviewasia.com editor in chief
Telecom Review International
Editorial Team
Toni Eid (UAE), Marielena Geagea
(Lebanon), Yvan Kougaz (Lebanon),
Jennifer Saade (Lebanon), Lacinan
Ouattara (Ivory Coast), Jeff Seal (United
IPv6 and its importance in
States), Christine Ziadeh (Lebanon),
Corrine Teng (Singapore),
Jonathan Pradhan (UAE),
Elvi Correos (UAE), Elza Moukawam
(Lebanon)
Sales Director
Mohammed Ershad
ershad@tracemedia.info digital transformation
F
Sales Team
Paul Tan
paul@telecomreviewasia.com ollowing the success and positive impact of last year’s edition,
Telecom Review held a webinar earlier this month, entitled “IPv6
Marian Santos Enhanced Innovation: Paving the way for digital transformation
marian@telecomreviewasia.com in the Gulf region.”
Graphic Designer
Vanessa Haber This year’s edition focused on the national digital development
and digital transformation in the Middle East and Gulf region.
Responsible Manager Industry experts from telecom operators, regulators, analysts and vendors
Joseph Bou Daher participated as speakers to share their business experience and their
expertise.
News
Provided in cooperation with AFP, the
global news agency The challenge started years ago when IPv4 reached its full capacity, which
was just 4 billion, while 7 billion devices need to be connected. So, IPv6 was
Published by very important to continue the expansion of connectivity.
With 5G, IoT and more devices to be connected, and with governments and
Singapore enterprises shifting services to fully digital and with smart cities, even IPv6
Corrine Teng; Paul Tan was not enough.
Philippines So, the need to move faster and invest in IPv6+ will lead the way to digital
Marian Santos
transformation as the pandemic pushed for a fully digital economy.
Trace Media Ltd.
Zouk Mikael, LEBANON The IPv4 adoption will continue for years to come while IPv6 is using same
Kaslik Sea Side Road, basic technology with larger capacity and more flexibility to work on new
Badawi Group Building, 4th Floor, networks with faster connectivity and more bandwidth.
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Q3-2021 COVER STORY 4
Nathan Bell, Chief Digital Officer at M1 Limited
M1: Unlocking new consumer
experiences in the cloud
To deliver next-generation digital experiences and differentiated services to its
customers, M1 is partnering with Microsoft to harness the power of cloud to accelerate
its digital transformation journey. Telecom Review Asia interviews Nathan Bell, Chief
Digital Officer at M1 Limited and George M.P., Director of Enterprise Commercial at
Microsoft Singapore to find out how this collaboration drives M1’s ambition to become
a digital service provider and add value to customers.
E
arlier this year, M1 and services, and COVID-19 has further customers’ self-service experience so
unveiled a new brand accelerated this shift. With changing that people can work from anywhere and
identity and goal to consumer behaviour and the advent of everywhere. This enhanced our ability
become Singapore’s digital interactions, it was important for to connect with new partners in weeks
first digital network M1 to relook how we can remain relevant. instead of months – all done to achieve
operator, how is this the larger goal of customer centricity and
direction important As much as the pandemic threw a wrench to deliver personalised made-to-measure
today and in a post-pandemic world? in many plans, it also highlighted the experience.
need to accelerate digital transformation
Nathan: not only for M1, but for many other In line with Keppel’s Vision 2030, which
Even before the pandemic, we have organisations. As such, M1 embarked includes empowering communities
already seen a shift in consumer on a journey to evolve into a digital telco with connectivity, M1 is doubling down
behaviour towards digital platforms to increase scalability and enhance on innovation and radical growth in
Q3-2021 COVER STORY 5
George M.P., Director of Enterprise Commercial at Microsoft Singapore
our technology infrastructure to stay As such, telco operators like M1 no and we chose to build our digital
ahead in the digital landscape. Our longer serve as just network service platform in the cloud, so as to not face
advanced new digital capabilities that providers. The increasing demand for restraints and have access to scalability
further support our promise to deliver always-on connectivity, communication, – we are able to scale up with demand
personalised experiences, will ensure and collaboration – from mobile and or contract during market challenges,
M1 is at the forefront of building entertainment to daily needs such as such as the current global pandemic.
Singapore’s digital economy and online banking and shopping – has
transforming the telecommunications driven telco operators to double down Another key factor in moving to the
landscape. on innovation to stay ahead. cloud is the reliability, scalability,
flexibility and performance M1 will
George: Coupled with the rise of 5G networks, now have, alongside insight to data
COVID-19 has shown very clearly telco operators are now more analytics, without the worry of having
the critical role that telco operators challenged than ever to embark on to identify and procure additional
play in our society and economy. digital transformation to deliver faster infrastructure. With Azure Cloud,
The shift to a hybrid way of life and connectivity, immersive experiences, M1 has been able to simplify our
increased virtual engagement – from and differentiated services to its architecture and consolidate multiple
remote working to online learning – customers. For M1, this transformation processes with easy customisation.
has driven demand for connectivity is built on the cloud, which brought It has ensured the quality and
services and hybrid work and play the scale M1 needed to serve an performance of our digital platform
experiences on an unprecedented increasingly discerning customer base and has allowed for continuous growth
scale. and allowed them to optimise the as we move away from a premise
overall customer experience. approach. This allows us to focus
The rapid evolution of the internet on the needs of our business as we
into a primarily mobile platform has M1 has chosen Microsoft Singapore have the full support of a partner like
also changed consumer behaviors as a strategic partner to chart its Microsoft ensuring our infrastructure is
and their digital consumption habits. evolution from an operator to a digital always available.
Consumers now expect digital services provider, tapping on Microsoft
services to be seamlessly available Azure to power M1’s systems. How George:
– anytime, anywhere, and on any will this partnership on the cloud Singapore is one of the most
device – prompting telco operators to support M1’s digital transformation? competitive telco markets in the world.
embrace digital transformation in their To stay ahead of the curve and keep
operations and evolve their service Nathan: pace with consumer and business
offerings to deliver new, integrated M1 utilised a software defined needs, operators need to be at the
experiences for consumers. approach to the digital transformation, forefront of innovation, and this is why
Q3-2021 COVER STORY 6
they embrace solutions such as Azure What are the new capabilities of and flexibility the platform offers,
to power their digital transformation. M1’s digital platform? customers can move from queueing
at the store to self-service and our
Through the power of the cloud, M1 Nathan: customer support staff can effect
can take the first step to its goal of Our digital transformation is enabled changes immediately with a touch
becoming a digital service provider by by a future-proof new technology of a button. Our new digital platform
offering a much wider range of digital stack which is able to integrate all improves customer experience as it
services, and reduce costs by shifting aspects of our systems onto one streamlines our processes. By being
to digital-first channels. It removes digital platform. Working with some cloud native, a lot of tasks can be
a massive proportion of capital of the world’s leading technology simplified and fulfilled in real-time.
expenditure and operational load, service providers, we were able to
allowing M1 to have the flexibility shift almost all aspects of M1’s back- Today, consumers can do everything
and scalability to build go-to-market end system (barring physical network from paying bills, shopping for new
muscle and develop new digital assets) to the cloud – a first in the devices and adding new services
services for its customers. telco industry. holistically and in real time – right
from the palm of their hands. In fact,
Today, we are 90% cloud native. we have created over six million
We managed to consolidate 150 permutations and combinations
legacy applications down to only 30 to provide that ease of use to our
applications to run the business. In customers. With our single data
addition, we were able to streamline lake, we are also able to generate
over 200 databases to a single data real-time data analytics and provide
lake, enabling real-time data analytics. actionable insights to better serve
our customers. Tapping on this
With a strong technology platform technology also helps reduce
as a foundation, we can continue human errors and boost customers’
Today, we are 90% cloud to build new capabilities and
develop innovative products for our
confidence when using M1’s services.
native. We managed to customers. As we are now cloud
native, our platform will continue
George:
At Microsoft, we envision a world
consolidate 150 to evolve naturally as updates from
our tech solution partners will be
where operators can transition
from costly and time-consuming
legacy applications down to integrated automatically, effectively
and more frequently, removing the
investments of upgrading and
maintaining complex technology,
manual integration barriers caused to one where they can free up
only 30 applications to run by our previous legacy systems. This resources to support the creation
also makes it more cost effective in and innovation of new services
the business. In addition, we the long run as we do not need to for consumers and industries by
invest in major system upgrades. leveraging the power of the cloud.
were able to streamline over
How will this transformation deliver Through our partnerships
200 databases to a single value to consumers and industries? and combined experience in
telecommunications, Microsoft is
data lake, enabling real-time Nathan: accelerating M1’s cloud adoption and
M1’s new digital platform will change powering a new suite of digital-first
data analytics and simplify the way we work and
bring real value to our customers.
customer journeys. For instance, the
integration of Openet’s cloud-native
The move to a cloud-based native solution on Azure will enable M1 to
platform will provide us tremendous leverage real-time usage data and
agile business benefits and flexibility as a result offer its customers more
such as allowing us to drive changes personalized and seamless digital
in real time, match business demand, experiences across all touchpoints.
ease up integration with business
partners as well as allow customers This partnership with M1 marks
and partners to self-serve, and more. a new chapter in Microsoft’s
collaboration with the local
With this back-end technological telecommunications industry to
change, M1 will become even unlock the power of 5G and bring
more relevant and accessible to cloud and edge closer than ever.
our customers. With the ease The introduction of Microsoft’s
Q3-2021 COVER STORY 7
technology to the operator’s edge, a crucial role in the larger Keppel and mixed reality into the cloud
coupled with our strong developer ecosystem through leveraging our and powering it with 5G, we get an
ecosystem, will help operators future digital solutions and 5G network, we intelligent cloud and intelligent edge
proof their networks, reduce costs, are able to enhance Keppel’s suite that presents tremendous potential
and pave the way for new services of urbanisation solutions, including for the industry to come together
and business models. smart yards of the future, smart to provide real value to customers
townships and buildings. through enhanced digital services.
Through this transformation, M1 In the long run, these partnerships
is now leveraging Microsoft’s Understanding and recognising the will also drive the development
technology to innovate and derive potential that 5G brings, M1 is excited of sustainable developer and
new digital revenue models, products, to see through the development of commercial ecosystems, which will
and services for enterprises, which use cases alongside the development accelerate the delivery of exciting
will in turn be able to do the same of the 5G network. Even as the new capabilities at the edge, and
for their customers and industries network progresses, the technology spur continuous innovation for the
they serve. This will also create will enable more services and new telecommunications industry.
further acceleration of the industry- industry applications as well. M1 is
wide transformation across committed to driving innovation and
telecommunications. unleashing the capabilities of 5G to
realise the vision of Singapore’s next
With the rise of 5G and IoT bound in the digital world.
applications, as well as greater
demand for digital connectivity, George:
what is the role of technology As we move into an era of intelligent
in driving innovation for the cloud and intelligent edge that is
telecommunications industry? driven by massive technology shifts
in ubiquitous computing, ambient
Nathan: intelligence, and people-centered
5G is a crucial milestone to enable experiences, the telco industry Through this transformation,
an interconnected infrastructure that has taken on a unique role in the
makes our spaces more efficient, realisation of 5G and next-generation M1 is now leveraging
convenient, safe and liveable. With 5G digital experiences for consumers.
capabilities incorporated into devices
and machines, it will drastically
With the rollout of 5G, service
providers must also continue to
Microsoft’s technology to
change the way we do things for both
consumers and enterprises. At M1,
evolve their workloads – including
operations, network management,
innovate and derive new
we see 5G as more than connectivity
infrastructure, but instead as a key
sales and marketing, customer care,
and billing – to quickly define, deploy,
digital revenue models,
driver of a digital future, and we look
forward to exploring more 5G use-
and optimise new offerings that will
realize the full business potential
products, and services for
cases for B2B, B2G and B2C projects. of 5G-enabled services. Operators
can simplify these workloads, enterprises, which will in turn
The rollout of the more secure and reduce costs, increase productivity,
resilient 5G SA network in the next realise efficiencies, and increase be able to do the same
few weeks will allow us to tap into the organisational agility through
full potential of 5G technology and intelligent processes and automation for their customers and
open up a wider range of applications on a trusted and secure cloud.
from cloud gaming to autonomous industries they serve
vehicles and remote surgery. Already, Additionally, we believe that the
M1 has achieved a record of 15 5G use of technology can automate
live use cases and trials, putting us and accelerate not only the 5G
at the forefront of 5G development as core network, but also expand the
we seek to continue stronger down reach of programmable networks,
this path. delivering new edge solutions that
offer advancements in cost, speed,
Over the past two years, M1 has and security for operators. The rise
also been working closely with our of 5G will also open new frontiers
key shareholder, Keppel Corporation, for developers to unlock new use
harnessing synergies to strengthen cases and create a next wave of edge
our propositions and creating applications to benefit end users.
more business solutions. Playing By infusing data, artificial intelligence
Q3-2021 FEATURE 8
Transiting to open RAN for next-
generation operator networks
In the 5G era, networks must be flexible, scalable and agile. To support the evolving
needs of digitalized economies, the industry is undergoing an overhaul, slowly
transiting from legacy radio access networks (RAN) to open RAN as network operators
aim to expedite cost-effective 5G network rollouts to expand networks and meet the
surge in demand for connectivity to power future-ready networks.
B
enefits of open RAN In an open vendor environment, operators leverage artificial intelligence (AI)
Open RAN gives are able to break away from vendor and machine learning (ML). An
operators a greater lock-in, as supplies can be sourced from open and virtualized RAN enables
degree of autonomy several interoperable vendors. While the disaggregation of software
to manage their this increases market competition, it functionality and underlying
networks and introduces vendor competition to lower hardware. A cloud-native approach
the flexibility of hardware and software costs, and hence with open RAN also allows remote
choosing from different suppliers. lower total cost of ownership. Smaller management, which lowers costs
This allows operators to mix and players will also enter the market owing of upgrades and maintenance. With
match RAN equipment to upgrade to lower barriers to entry. This contributes the ability to host cloud network
or expand networks more flexibly, as to a vendor ecosystem that is more solutions, software updates can take
well as the ability to create networks diversified and vibrant. place on the cloud to facilitate quicker
that deliver optimized custom turnaround for timely upgrades to
solutions to end customers with short RAN can be optimized with the help operators keep abreast with
time to market. introduction of intelligent RAN to evolving market demands.Q3-2021 FEATURE 9
Challenges of deploying open RAN Even so, open RAN has made O-RAN Town in Neubrandenburg to
Even though open RAN promises encouraging strides in the past deliver open RAN based 4G and 5G
benefits aligned with the rise of 5G, year as the industry has been services. In one of the latest, Telecom
operators may not be able to enjoy advancing open RAN standards Eqypt will be working on a proof-of-
immediate perks in the short term and specifications, carried out concept trial for open RAN solutions
as they continue to support existing predominantly by the O-RAN together with partners like Cisco and
2G, 3G and 4G networks on RAN ALLIANCE. Recognizing the Altiostar.
networks, at least in many countries importance of benchmarking and
in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. testing to help operators accelerate According to the Dell’Oro group, open
towards open RAN, the O-RAN RAN investments grew by about five-
With open RAN still in its infancy, ALLIANCE launched a minimal fold year-on-year, with Asia-Pacific
operators face the challenge of viable plan (MVP) earlier this year, (APAC) fueling unprecedented growth in
ensuring interoperability and specifying essential open RAN open RAN. Last year, Japan’s Rakuten
manageability to reap optimized functions such as fronthaul, open Mobile launched the first 5G open
end-to-end performance. Before open hardware and cloud. In June, Google RAN network, with other operators
RAN becomes widely adopted, more became one of the newest members such as NTT DOCOMO and KDDI now
testing will have to be carried out to to join the O-RAN ALLIANCE to steering efforts towards open RAN
ensure that products from multiple accelerate open RAN initiatives. deployments. With the shift intensifying,
vendors work together seamlessly. Rakuten Mobile recently announced
Operators are tasked to perform Open RAN partnerships to grow the strategic collaborations with NEC and
verification to ensure interoperability ecosystem Fujitsu to separately deliver open RAN
between vendors before integrating Globally, more operators are solutions to the global market, with
products, potentially offsetting lower modernizing their networks by both partnerships focused on jointly
software and hardware costs in the deploying open RAN. Last month, developing 4G and 5G open RAN.
first place. Deutsche Telekom (DT) switched on
Moreover, Malaysia-based Axiata
announced the first and only open RAN
commercial pilots in Malaysia and Sri
Lanka. To propel its open RAN ambition
to boost an open network ecosystem,
Axiata is working with partners like
Mavenir, Parallel Wireless and Infosys.
Open RAN investments grew by about five-fold year-on-year, with
To fully harness the benefits of open,
Asia-Pacific (APAC) fueling unprecedented growth in open RAN intelligent and flexible networks,
ecosystem stakeholders must work
collaboratively to push forth a viable
transition. Instead of waiting for open
RAN solutions to mature, operators
must take action now, rather than later,
to participate in this evolution.Q3-2021 INTERVIEW 10 Jay Chen, Vice President, Asia Pacific Region, Huawei Huawei: Advancing inclusive digital transformation in Asia Pacific In an exclusive interview with Telecom Review Asia Pacific, Jay Chen, Vice President, Asia Pacific Region, Huawei, shares how innovation and policy priorities can reshape APAC’s digital landscape and socio-economic trajectory.
Q3-2021 INTERVIEW 11
While no one is spared from the stressed the importance of allocating
adverse effects of the pandemic, the operators adequate key spectrum
hardest hit remains marginalized resources such as C-band and 700
groups. For Jay, whose role includes MHz frequency to lay the foundation for
leading Huawei to create shared social optimal coverage and capability.
values in the region, it is clear that
inclusion must be embedded at the For the successful deployment of 5G
heart of digital connectivity to ensure and sustained development beyond
that no one is left out. In the words of 5G, the 6 GHz frequency – comparable
Jay, “Digital inclusion is one of the most to C-band in terms of performance and
urgent and defining issues of our time.” cost-effectiveness, as well as the last
remaining mid-band possibly available
Closing the digital divide in APAC for IMT in the future are crucial. In
Studies have shown that a 1% increase addition, research from Coleago
in the digital ecosystem development Consulting found that operators
index can yield a 0.13% growth in GDP should be allocated at least 1 GHz of
per capita. In a post-pandemic era, additional mid-band spectrum to scale
digital inclusion promises a faster according to future 5G development.
economic recovery. However, closing
the digital gap in APAC can be an uphill
task when those marginalized lack the
infrastructure, access, or know-how to
participate in a digital economy.
In the least developed countries, for
instance, 17% of the rural population
does not have mobile broadband
coverage, while 19% of the rural
Early investment into
population is only covered by 2G
networks. Where coverage is available, networks is
high costs of an Internet-enabled
device or Internet access are often essential for ensuring
the main barrier of entry, as reported
by the Broadband Commission for sustainable
Sustainable Development on the basis
that mobile broadband subscription development in the long
for at least 1.5 GB of data costs about
four times more in developing countries
than in developed countries. The lack of
run. At the most basic level,
literacy and digital skills is yet another regulators could consider
C
barrier to mobile Internet adoption for
OVID-19 has brought
to sharp focus
this group of underprivileged. making provision for all
the importance of
digital connectivity
To bring meaningful change to this
divide, Jay opined that technology
frequency bands to support a
as societies face must go hand in hand with sound
unprecedented policies. On top of improvements
5G-oriented evolution
disruptions and to infrastructure, governments are
grapple with its devasting effects. With recommended to champion change
remote working and online learning through supportive top-down policies
becoming the new normal, digital to facilitate technological progress that
connectivity has emerged as the lifeline permeates every facet of society.
to support the continuance of social
and economic activities in a socially- Regarding this, Jay explained that early
distanced world. It is also indispensable investment into networks is essential
in the context of pandemic response to for ensuring sustainable development
facilitate the rapid dissemination of top- in the long run. At the most basic level,
down information from governments regulators could consider making
regarding pandemic policies and provision for all frequency bands to
regulations. support a 5G-oriented evolution. JayQ3-2021 INTERVIEW 12
With infrastructure being the home and organization for a fully governments and operators in rolling
foundation to connectivity, it’s connected, intelligent world. out optimised, affordable, and hence,
important to continually improve inclusive networks.
existing 4G infrastructure by expanding As a leading ICT solutions provider,
its coverage and increasing the Huawei partners with governments to Digital transformation founded on R&D,
penetration rate of this network. provide policy support and with operators innovation and talent-building
Accelerating VoLTE deployment in 4G to develop optimized infrastructure to According to the Asia Economic
networks should also be a priority to power next-generation connectivity. To Integration Report 2021, accelerated
expedite the sunset of 2G/3G to 4G. greatly accelerate digital transformation digital transformation in Asia will
and close the digital divide, Huawei generate an annual economic dividend
Within the industry, timely infrastructure leverages on technology and expertise of more than $1.7 trillion, or the
deployment is important for efficient in areas such as spectrum assignment, equivalent of more than $8.6 trillion
5G roll out. Deployment processes site and fiber passive infra openness and over the 5 years to 2025, creating 65
should be simplified to reduce complex sharing. In India for instance, Huawei million new jobs each year.
and lengthy processes. In areas is supporting operators in enhancing
where population density is lower, network quality and increasing capacity However, the rapid development
and commercial drivers of network to handle the surge in network traffic reveals an imminent ICT talent
investment are smaller, governments during the pandemic. deficient in the region that will impede
should extend public funding. growth if not addressed.
For instance, Huawei SingleRAN offers
Finally, Internet-enabled devices and an open and simplified networking Moreover, the digital landscape varies
broadband Internet services should be concept to help operators expedite vastly from country to country in the
made affordable to users to reduce the 5G network deployment; CloudAIR APAC region, as reported in Huawei’s
risk of increased marginalization in the allocates air interface resources on- Global Connectivity Index (GCI) 2020
region demand, according to traffic demands findings, which categorizes countries’
or mobile user location; RuralStar digital economy journeys according to
With the pandemic fuelling a greater Pro provides cost-effective and quick their ICT investment, ICT maturity, and
digital reliance, connectivity is no installation of base stations as well digital economic performance.
longer a luxury, but a necessity in as provisioning of LTE and VoLTE in
our lives. In view of this global trend, underserved areas; and Massive MIMO With digitalization shaping
Jay shared that digital inclusiveness yields improved network coverage and economies and ICT becoming
is central to Huawei’s vision to bring enhanced user experiences. Through integral to most sectors, Huawei
digital connectivity to every person, these solutions, Huawei assists recognizes that the APAC regionQ3-2021 INTERVIEW 13
APAC region specifically, Huawei has Sri Lanka. Collectively, Huawei will help
built 8 research centers and labs in cultivate more than 300,000 ICT talents
countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, in the APAC region within the next 5
India, and Thailand. years.
With supportive policy of Committed to achieving shared
success and joint innovation, Huawei
Unleash full 5G potential with Huawei
Huawei commenced on 5G research as
spectrum assignment, is vested in ecosystem-building
with strategic partners. Broadly, this
early as 2009, with investments totaling
US$4 billion to date. Having invested
site and fiber passive infra ecosystem can be categorized into
Startup, 5G, and Handphone Mobile
early and heavily into 5G, Huawei is at
the forefront of innovative 5G end-to-
openness and sharing, Services (HMS). end enterprise products and solutions,
designed based on insights into
Driven by the Huawei Spark program partners’ unique needs.
Huawei is committed to launched last year, the Startup
ecosystem aims to accelerate tech For example, Huawei launched the
continuously cooperating start-up growth in the region. Through industry’s lightest TDD Massive MIMO
this program, Huawei provides cloud product this year to benefit 80% of
with regulators, operators and AI technical and consulting commercial 5G networks using TDD
support, as well as funding and Massive MIMO technology. Weighing
and industrial partners mentorship. just 19 kg, the module can be carried
and installed by just one person to
to build national digital In the 5G ecosystem, for instance, greatly improve network deployment
Huawei developed a 5G Ecosystem efficiency. And in Europe, where FDD
infrastructure, connect Innovation Center with the Thai
government last year to fast-track the
has been used to build 5G networks,
Huawei innovates with the industry’s
the unconnected, explore development of digital innovations for
5G applications and services across
only commercial FDD Massive MIMO
product.
new possibilities, and bring various industries. It will also incubate
about 100 local SMEs within 3 years. Through heavy investments and
digital to every person, home Efforts as such aim to greatly enrich the
local 5G ecosystem and expedite digital
continuous innovations, Huawei
has helped global operators build
progress. differentiated networks that deliver
and organization for a fully the best experience, but are yet easier
Finally, the HMS ecosystem comprises to operate, more cost-effective, and
connected, intelligent world. initiatives such as Huawei’s APAC DIGIX simpler to deploy to reap greater
Lab in Singapore. Launched this year, returns on 5G investments. Just last
the DIGIX Lab leverages Singapore’s year, Huawei delivered over 100 5G
position as a growing technological hub networks worldwide.
to spur mobile app development in the
APAC region. Across industries, Huawei achieves
joint creation and shared success
presents its set of unique challenges To address a potential talent gap, through partnerships on diverse
and opportunities. Huawei is vested in nurturing national 5G applications across verticals. In
digital talent ecosystems. Having Thailand for example, Huawei has
“Inclusive digital transformation debuted in 2008 for young students partnered with the public healthcare
relies on collaborations with industry in Thailand, Huawei’s Seeds for the sector to pilot unmanned vehicles,
stakeholders and convergence of Future program has since expanded leveraging 5G to deliver medical
emerging technologies. Huawei to benefit more than 5,000 students supplies, among other use cases.
undertakes a multi-faceted approach in 90 universities across 15 countries.
toward spearheading progress, working Huawei has also established regional In alignment with Huawei’s
with both upstream and downstream training centers and ASEAN academies, commitment to provide continuous
partners to build a holistic ecosystem and forged partnerships with the public support to societies, Jay concluded
focused on research and development, sector in countries such as Thailand, that the Chinese giant will continue to
innovation, and talent-building,” Jay Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, engage and work with both regional
explained. as well as 159 universities on talent public and private stakeholders to
development programs. More recently, advance both technologies and
Every year, Huawei invests over 10% at the Digital Talent Regional Summit, industries during and after the
of its revenue into R&D to bring added Huawei has committed to grooming pandemic to drive social-economic
value to its partners worldwide. In the digital talent in Bangladesh, Nepal, and progress and digital transformation.Q3-2021 FEATURE 14
How Asia-Pacific countries are
gearing up for Agriculture 4.0
Before the pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned about
worsening food scarcity as the world’s population grows in the next few decades.
Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the United Nations reported that the severity of
a food scarcity has been brought forward – doubling in numbers in the Asia-Pacific
region to affect more than 265 million last year.
A
fter experiencing resilience to prevent a food crisis. AI and IoT to revolutionize farming
a bout of food This has spurred renewed interests in According to Markets and Markets,
supply chain the future of food, with governments AI and IoT for farming is a growing
disruptions last and enterprises more eager to market that will reach US$22 billion
year, countries explore 5G for precision agriculture by 2025, up from US$13.8 billion in
are jolted to the to power communication between 2020. It is also predicted by AgThentic
need to build food IoT devices on farms. in a recent report that IoT devices inQ3-2021 FEATURE 15
agriculture will increase from just 30 smart greenhouses to set the ideal 12% of the country’s gross domestic
million in 2015 to 75 million in 2022. temperature, lighting, humidity, and product, the pandemic resulted
fertilizer levels. Data is sent in real- in an estimated loss of income of
As 5G networks roll out in more time over the 5G network to ensure US$120 million in 2020. With aims to
countries, farmers can benefit from accuracy in settings, complete with modernize the agriculture sector and
higher-connectivity sensors that utilize control systems against pests’ bring it up to speed with Industry 4.0,
AI and IoT to monitor soil and control diseases that can be managed the Malaysian Agricultural Research
conditions such as water usage to remotely. and Development Institute (MARDI)
optimize farm yield for crops. Using started tapping on Maxis’ NB-IoT
AI, drones capture high-resolution Farmers can also leverage new network to carry out precision
images for real-time analysis of insect technologies to ensure food agriculture to enable systematic
infestations, weeds and even nutrients traceability, using QR codes to help sensing of environmental and soil
deficiencies. Data collected can then be consumers learn about the product’s conditions remotely. The network
deposited on the cloud and analysed harvest location and date. is capable of supporting millions
for the most optimal conditions for any of connected sensors without
crops. The result is better crop yields South Korea consuming a lot of power. Separately,
and high quality produce. The first to roll out 5G in the world, Celcom started partnering a drone
South Korea introduced 5G to maker to co-develop 5G drones for
The promise of autonomous tractors smart farming to the world’s first farms last year.
to sow seeds on farms is another 5G village in 2019. Powered by
advancement that revolutionizes KT’s 5G network, this 5G village Philippines
farming and helps reduce manpower. in the Demilitarized Zone features The government plans to inject new
On livestock farms, geolocation smart farming. To expand on this blood into the agriculture sector
services can be used to help farmers capability, South Korea’s ICT ministry by attracting the youth. Under the
locate and monitor livestock, to help announced plans earlier this year to nation’s Agriculture 4.0 vision,
track livestock throughout the supply invest US$353.3 million to develop the sector will embrace high-tech
chain. Geo-tagging on livestock can smart farms over the course of the technology, using blockchain,
also capture health data for its entire next seven years. nanotechnology and genetic
lifespan, using blockchain to ensure modification to replace otherwise
traceability. Thailand traditional farming techniques. Last
Thailand, a major food exporter year, South Korea announced that it
However, owing to a lack of 5G where about 40% of the country’s would fund joint smart agriculture
networks or coverage, most labour force works in the agriculture projects amounting to US$2.7 million
countries in the Asia-Pacific region sector, is one of the first countries in several parts of the Philippines.
are still relying on 4G for farming in Southeast Asia to adopt smart
– that is if smart technologies are farming in line with the nation’s Australia
deployed at all. For these countries, Thailand 4.0 ambition. However, 5G As the sixth largest producer of food
it would be some time before 5G coverage is mostly concentrated in in the world, Australia’s agriculture
networks become available in the its capital, with little presence in the accounts for 12% of the country’s
country or extend to the rural areas. rural areas. GDP. Innovative pest control is
In the meantime, countries in the just one area that the country can
region are gearing up for major shifts Japan benefit from given that pests cause
in the industry in anticipation of the Smart agriculture is the solution Australian farmers AU$1 billion in
future of farming. to Japan’s problem of declining losses each year, as reported by
farmers, where the number of the Commonwealth Scientific and
China farmers will dwindle from 2.08 million Industrial Research Organisation,
China has 20% of the world’s in 2015 to 1.31 million in 2030. a government agency in Australia.
population, but only 7% of its land To promote smart agriculture, the To grow the sector, the Australian
is arable. To ensure food security, government of Japan has launched government has committed to set
farms must be revolutionized to WAGRI, a platform for agricultural aside US$72 for smart farming by
help increase yields. Leading the data for ICT vendors and agricultural 2030.
world in 5G deployments, China equipment manufacturers to tap
is experiencing a shift towards onto its rich resource to develop Technological innovation is key
digitalization on farms, using solutions. Last year, KDDI introduced to ensuring food security. In the
innovative techniques like drone and a 5G service from just below US$10 a coming years, we can expect more
satellite imagery, as well as pattern month to support smart farms. investments to be poured into an
modelling to improve yield. area like 5G to promote agriculture
Malaysia digitalization to help countries
In Zhejiang, for instance, China In Malaysia, where the agriculture harness the full benefits of smart
Mobile’s 5G network is used in sector accounts for between 7% and farming.Q3-2021 FEATURE 16
ZTE: Delivering data center efficiently to
help build a digital economy
From June 17 to 19, 2021, China Data Center Working Group and Green Energy
Technology Alliance for the Data Center jointly hosted the 2021 China Data Center
Green Energy Conference which solemnly opened in the new Shanghai International
Expo Center. Under the themed “Innovative, energy-efficient, and low-carbon future,”
ZTE proposed its efficient Data Center Delivery Solution, demonstrating the end-to-end
delivery capability covering the full life cycle.
With over 30 years capability system worldwide to ZTE can provide full life cycle
of experience in provide professional and efficient services from consultation, planning
telecommunication services for customers,” said Zhang and design, and delivery to operation
network Dayong, vice president of ZTE. and maintenance management.
construction, ZTE Through continuous R&D, the whole
has established “With years of experience in large- PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) has
an end-to-end engineering service scale data center delivery worldwide, been reduced to below 1.3 inQ3-2021 FEATURE 17
(intelligent Data Center Infrastructure
Management), ZTE can optimize the
energy efficiency of the data center
in the full life cycle based on the AI
algorithm, and improve the energy
efficiency above 8%. Meanwhile,
intelligent O&M methodologies, such
as robot preventive maintenance, can
improve the O&M efficiency. “
Up to now, ZTE has over 300
success cases worldwide, and has
accumulated over 1,100,000 square
meters in construction and more
than 100,000 cabinets deployment
experience. In addition, ZTE has
won over 40 awards in China and
ZTE Data Center Construction Experience overseas, fully demonstrating ZTE’s
increasing technical strength and
the prefabricated fully-modular provide customized and integrated brand influence in the data center
Data Center field, and large-scale solutions on demand. In addition, field from design, deployment and
commercial deployment has been ZTE cooperates with international O&M management.
realized. ZTE is a reliable data center first-class design institutes, and
partner in the industry.” applies professional 3D modeling “As the leader in the data center
tool, BIM (Building Information industry, ZTE has been working for
Starting from 2009, ZTE’s data center Modeling), for precise design to avoid 12 years in this field, continuously
was one of the first wave of enterprises in risks in equipment installation and assisting the data center industry in
the data center field. In 2014, ZTE built the construction in advance, and relies building the new infrastructure plan,
largest single micro-modular data center on the integrated global supply chain and becoming a reliable partner of
in Asia located in Pingshan, Shenzhen, platform to effectively reduce the lead customers,” said Zhang Dayong.
China, and began to lead the industry time,” said Zhang Dayong.
trend. By 2016, ZTE had built dual- “In the future, ZTE will continue
uptime Tier IV certified national standard “ZTE’s professional delivery team to forge ahead in various aspects
data centers with reliability exceeding has fully adopted the end-to-end such as prefabricated, fully modular,
99.995% for Bangladesh. In 2017, ZTE digital project management and and end-to-end solutions, and
implemented the application of indirect control platform, and has helped continuously innovate to build a
evaporation cooling air conditioners and improve engineering management ‘green, reliable, fast, and intelligent’
deployed the storage fully-modular data efficiency by 40% through refined data center for customers. In this
center for the first time. project management. With ZTE way, we can build a digital economy
self-developed platform, iDCIM together with customers.”
After years of technological
accumulation, the prefabricated fully-
modular data centers were deployed
on a large scale for the first time in
the industry, and will be deployed
abroad. The first large-scale edge data
center will be built in Philippines. With
excellent delivery quality and speed,
ZTE exclusive solution won the bid for
10 core and convergence equipment
rooms (100% share). In 2021, ZTE won
the bid for the centralized procurement
of fully-modular data centers by being
the top internet enterprises in China
with the maximum share, leading in-
depth transformation in the data center
industry solution.
“ZTE has a professional data ZTE Data Center Awards
center architect team, which canQ3-2021 OPINIONS 18 Hyperconnectivity: The essential building block of a smart city We are now living in an age of increasing technological innovation. You could even say that we are experiencing a technological renaissance as more people and businesses are adopting advanced technologies at unprecedented rates. However, they are also doing it faster than many cities – especially those within Asia-Pacific.
Q3-2021 OPINIONS 19
smarter. However, it is a lesson that across their respective urban
builds on top of other pressing concerns ecosystems. Currently, the above
that were already mounting – namely mentioned 20 cities are boosting
high population growth, the straining this adoption by improving their IT
of the environment and growing infrastructure, data collection and
income disparities. analytics, telecommunications and
mobility solutions to drive overall
To sustainably create smart transformation.
cities that can help alleviate such
challenges, cities must first reach One technology in particular is the
a level of hyperconnected maturity. Internet of Things (IoT) and its
What degree of preparedness are adoption by cities in Asia – both in
Asian cities currently at in their developed and developing markets –
hyperconnected city development? aimed at sustaining urban growth,
especially since populations are rising
What is a hyperconnected city? and more people are living in cities
Essentially, a hyperconnected city than ever before. Urban sustainability
can unlock meaningful economic, is crucial to creating healthy and safe
business, and social values by places for people to live and work,
leveraging technology to transform and IoT can help cities make the best
and securely interconnect critical use of digital opportunities that can
areas of its urban ecosystem for its improve the usage of current (and
citizens. It goes beyond the more future) urban infrastructure.
conventional concept of smart city
development, as a hyperconnected One instance of how this is
city focuses on the application happening is in Seoul, where the
of technology, while connecting city has been deploying IoT-enabled
governments, businesses, academia sensors to measure traffic and air
and citizens to improve the delivery of quality, and is looking to deploy
smart services. It is via the alignment 50,000 more IoT sensors by 2022 for
of all four components that cities can city-wide operations. Down under
realize their fullest socio-economic in Australia, the city of Melbourne
and environmental benefits. has turned itself into a testbed for
emerging technologies – notably in
But how can we evaluate the strength the areas of IoT and 5G to realize new
of connections between the four use cases in fields such as telehealth,
components in a city, and what are intelligent transport systems, traffic
these four components? According management, and pollution.
to the Building a Hyperconnected
City report which we worked on in These are just two examples of how
A
collaboration with ESI ThoughtLab, hyperconnected cities are leveraging
s we inch ever connectivity must be assessed by IoT in their urban transformation, but
closer to Industry the following four pillars of city all the surveyed countries in Asia plan
4.0, it is now time transformation: technology, data to accelerate their IoT development
for urban leaders and analytics, cybersecurity, and over the next three years. It is one of
to apply innovative connected citizens. the top priorities for them, since IoT
technologies to will be used to capture and generate
solve age-old Based on the four pillars, we have actionable data to further improve
urban challenges which came to the identified that Asia-Pacific currently urban management.
fore due to the ongoing COVID-19 has 20 cities that can be classified
pandemic. However, they must do as being hyperconnected. While Powering smarter cities via data
so by not purely focusing on digital each city has reached some level of Hyperconnected cities use
transformation for its own sake, but connectivity between the pillars, they advancements like IoT to draw on a
to use it to generate scalable, real- still vary according to their maturity wide variety of data to provide value to
world outcomes for cities. stage. urban stakeholders. This includes both
traditional data, i.e., those gleaned from
The primary lesson the pandemic The full technological embrace of city departments, local businesses,
taught us over the past year is IoT and citizen surveys – to new types of
that sustainability should be the Hyperconnected cities are widening data, i.e., from IoT sensors, artificial
underpinning factor of making cities their use of advanced technologies intelligence (AI), and even social media.Q3-2021 OPINIONS 20
By synergistically using both can generate the greatest ROI. urban leaders must exercise patience;
advanced technologies and Based on research, governance they will be faced with integrating
actionable data from multiple projects are the ones offering cities complex infrastructure, multiple
sources, hyperconnected cities the highest return across the main platforms, the need for different types
can improve urban management areas of an urban ecosystem. of data, and customized applications.
and sustainability. For instance, To illustrate, especially in the
most of the cities we surveyed area of e-governance, cities that But more crucially – and this
are already using data to are just beginning to implement applies to all cities, no matter what
manage IT infrastructure and hyperconnected solutions see an stage they are at in their smart
telecommunications, while half are average ROI of 2.6%, whereas leading city development – urban leaders
using it for financial services and cities, which have more mature must ensure continued citizen and
systems, mobility and transportation, implementations, see a 5.6% ROI on stakeholder support. Making a
as well as security (both physical average. Conversely, it is no surprise noticeable improvement in the lives
and digital). Meanwhile, a third of that the hyperconnected cities in of citizens is a fundamental element
them are using data for public safety, our survey are also the ones with in the creation of any smart city
health, and wellness. the most e-services offerings and roadmap.
programs to positively impact the
Tokyo is exemplifying how this urban living experience. We observed By Idris Vasi, head of sales, Nokia
is being done in Asia. As Japan’s that – as cities become more Cloud and Network Services, Asia-
capital city moves towards helping hyperconnected – the network effect Pacific & Japan
the nation realize its Society 5.0 multiplies the results.
ambitions, it is improving urban
management in critical urban spots, Bangkok is one city that seeks to draw
with a particular focus on energy and in more high-value investments via the
environmental sustainability. The city national Thailand 4.0 roadmap. This
– largely due to COVID-19 – is also includes improving urban infrastructure
preparing its society and economy for in terms of public services,
business continuity (during crises). transportation, and environmental
In line with such efforts, data is being management. The city also brought the
used to model grand designs and country’s healthcare to the future when
concepts of urban data infrastructure, 5G-based telehealth services were
which could then be used to launch rolled out during the early months of the
pilot experiments in sustainability and pandemic. While its primary aim was To be hyperconnected, a
urban management. to support overburdened front liners,
Jakarta – which contains Southeast
and healthcare facilities, the move
has also fostered innovation in the
smart city must be one that is
Asia’s largest urban population – is
also pushing for greater data collection
overall healthcare sector, which private
healthcare stakeholders can leverage
on track to generate tangible
throughout the city. It is doing so
by focusing on real-time analysis,
to cement their country’s regional
leadership in the industry.
returns to realize business,
integration, and application of data
for urban planning and management, Investing more in smart city solutions
economic, financial, societal,
especially in the areas of transportation to boost foreign direct investment
and environmental sustainability. (FDI) is also gaining traction in Asia’s and environmental benefits
emerging markets. For example, in
Hyperconnected cities can generate Vietnam – already a leader in Asia’s
greater ROIs 5G race – the country’s leading
Beyond addressing direct urban business hub of Ho Chi Minh City
sustainability challenges, urban has already made 5G commercial
leaders are also pressed to make the networks available to industry. 5G
best use of smart city investments to is an important component for
increase their ROIs. We believe that to Vietnam’s continued economic
be hyperconnected, a smart city must growth and FDI in manufacturing, and
be one that is on track to generate its investments are starting to pay off.
tangible returns to realize business,
economic, financial, societal, and Urban stakeholders must play the
environmental benefits. long, more valuable game
We are now closer than ever to
However, cities must also understand entering a world of smart and
which specific areas of investment hyperconnected cities. However,Q3-2021 NEWS 21
Axiata expands network leadership with commercialise Open
RAN across Asia
partnerships with leading global network service integration of the Telecom
solutions providers Mavenir and Parallel Infra Project (TIP)’s Evenstar 4G Radio
Wireless and supported by Infosys as through Mavenir’s MAVair O-RAN
systems integrator (SI). based solution for Open RAN. Axiata is a
participant of the TIP initiative in which
Through its strategic partnership with a global community of companies and
Mavenir, the industry’s end to end network organisations are working together
software provider, Axiata has deployed to accelerate the development and
the MAVair Open vRAN solution including deployment of open, disaggregated and
Axiata Group Berhad (Axiata) has all G Open RAN, Packet Core and Mobile standards-based technology solutions
embarked on an network transformation Network applications at selected sites, that deliver high quality, low cost
program, leveraging Open Radio in Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. To connectivity.
Access Networks (Open RAN) as a key simulate non-ideal backhaul conditions,
technology for mobile networks designed especially for rural areas, the sites Axiata’s commercial pilot also
to narrow the digital divide and enhance selected are connected with non-ideal encompassed a collaboration with Parallel
rural connectivity across Asia. backhaul (microwave links), and in some Wireless, the US- based Open RAN
cases satellite, making this the first company delivering all G, cloud-native
Eyeing large scale commercial satellite backhaul powered Open vRAN Open RAN solutions. Axiata successfully
deployments by year end, the Group sites in the world. demonstrated commercial deployment of
has successfully conducted Open RAN 2G and 4G Open RAN connectivity within
commercial field pilots in Malaysia, During the testing phase, Axiata was also its network in Sri Lanka which is operated
Indonesia, and Sri Lanka through strategic able to achieve the first live commercial by Dialog Axiata.
M1 partners Samsung to be world’s first to support voice over
5G New Radio (VoNR) on 5G SA network
benefits of VoNR service as M1 gears
up for its 5G SA market trial launch on
the 27th of July.
In addition, VoNR service will open
up numerous 5G SA-enabled data
services and provide the baseline
for quality video conferencing or
augmented and virtual reality features,
M1 Limited (M1) and Samsung in the world, which marks a significant offering a glimpse into the plethora of
achieved a significant milestone in step towards the future of 5G voice connectivity solutions 5G SA will enable
advancing the world’s 5G ecosystem services. M1 to bring.
by making available Voice over 5G New
Radio (VoNR) on M1’s 5G Standalone The VoNR call service fully utilises the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, S21+ and
(SA) network. SA architecture of 5G network for an S21 customers on M1 network will be
improved high definition quality call amongst the first in the world to enjoy
Tapping on Samsung’s expertise in 5G experience, while providing 5G speeds the benefits of the VoNR network via an
leadership, coupled with M1’s strong for data-driven activities throughout over-the-air software update on M1’s 5G
engineering team and proven track the duration of the voice calls In Booster Plan. Customers can also look
records in the development of 5G SA comparison to calls made on the 5G forward to seamless connectivity with an
use cases and trials, M1 and Samsung non-standalone (NSA) network, which ultra-fast data speed rate that is almost
successfully achieved the deployment rides on existing 4G networks, the five times faster than 4G. Furthermore,
of VoNR service on M1’s 5G SA VoNR service boasts faster call setup paired with Samsung’s 5G compatible
network. This partnership validates end- time and seamless voice call continuity. devices, multi-tasking is possible with
to-end 5G VoNR interoperability – a first M1 customers will be able to enjoy the remarkable productivity improvement.You can also read
