Two new facilities, recently opened by Pixxel and Apple, underline the continuing attraction to technology companies of the Indian market in general and the city of Bengaluru in particular.

Pixxel, a specialist in hyperspectral earth-imaging technology inaugurated its first spacecraft manufacturing facility (called MegaPixxel) in Bengaluru this week.

The new facility, spanning more than 30,000 square feet, consolidates all satellite manufacturing services, providing a comprehensive spacecraft assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) facility under one roof.

The facility, Pixxel says, will ensure a streamlined production process from concept to launch — providing a space for Pixxel’s satellites to be designed from scratch, manufactured, integrated and tested for launch conditions before being shipped to a launch site.

At full capacity, the facility is equipped to handle more than 20 satellites simultaneously that can be turned around within a timeframe of six months, making a total capacity of 40 large satellites per year possible.

The space is uniquely designed, with two modern clean rooms of ISO Class 7 and ISO Class 8 that safeguard against contaminants that could impair satellite functionality during the satellite assembly and integration process.

Additionally, it houses labs for advanced camera integration, electronics R&D, and electrical assembly, along with a mechanical workshop, a mission control room, and an office space that can accommodate more than 200 employees. 

Pixxel’s facility will also feature a wastewater treatment plant to help conserve water and reduce water dependency as well as smart heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to further enhance energy efficiency and minimise carbon footprint.

Meanwhile Apple has opened its latest Indian office in Bengaluru, underlining its commitment to the world’s second-largest smartphone market – and its divergence outside of China.

The new Apple office will house up to 1,200 employees and comprises 15 floors, dedicated lab space, and areas for collaboration and wellness.

This is the latest addition to Apple’s corporate office footprint across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Gurugram. The company has nearly 3,000 employees in India.

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The company has assured customers that the price increases will only amount to “the price of a takeaway coffee per month” 

Following a recent Ofcom crackdown on broadband advertising and mid-contract price hikes, BT have confirmed that they will be adopting a simpler approach to their pricing models, starting from this summer. 

“Starting in early summer, we will introduce a pricing model consistent with Ofcom’s approach, moving away from % figures and CPI, and offering instead, a clear and simple view of any changes in “pounds and pence,” read the press release.  

For broadband customers the increase is expected to be around £3 per month, and mobile customers around £1.50, although this will only occur after the company’s next price hike. 

The pricing model currently used by BT adjusts the customer prices on 31st March every year by the rate of inflation (CPI) plus 3.9%. Advertising prices that are linked to inflation rates can often be confusing for consumers because an exact increase amount is not advertised; instead, only a percentage increase and esoteric inflation metric is shown. Ofcom found that over 55% of broadband customers and 58% of monthly paying mobile customers did not know what inflation rates like CPI and RPI measure. 

Additionally, consumers have grown angry with the size of mid-contract price rises – BT’s increase last year totalled 14.4%, for example.  

Research conducted by Ofcom found that four in ten (11 million) broadband customers and over half of mobile customers (36 million) were on contracts subject to inflation-linked price rises (as of April 2023). 

“Most people are left confused by the sheer complexity and unpredictability of inflation-linked price rise terms written into their contract, which undermines customers’ ability to shop around,” said Ofcom CEO Dame Melanie Dawes. 

In mid-December, Ofcom proposed a ban on these inflation-linked mid-contract price rises and have been conducting a consultation that is set to end on 13th February, after which the final decision will be published. 

The rest of the UK’s operators will likely follow suit in short order, with Ofcom expected to implement the new measures later this year. 

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South Korean president backs semiconductor mega cluster investment
Malaysia to launch second 5G network alongside DNB
BT signs connectivity deal with Iraqi gas firm

Telecom Egypt and Zain Omantel International (ZOI) have announced plans to forge what they call a new digital corridor, bridging the Mediterranean and Arabian seas.

Telecom Egypt describes itself as Egypt’s first integrated telecom operator and one of the largest subsea cable operators in the region. Global wholesale services provider Zain Omantel International (ZOI) has access to more than 20 international subsea cables in the region (we reported on the launch of ZOI in May 2023). They are now joining forces to establish the corridor which, they say, will seamlessly connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf, creating an ‘unprecedented’ Eurasian data highway.

The infrastructure will extend from Oman’s Arabian Sea and Gulf shores to Egypt’s Mediterranean coastline, employing a high-fibre-count, cutting-edge blend of terrestrial and subsea segments.

The terrestrial segments, spanning Oman, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, promise what is described as unparalleled reliability and protection, while the subsea section, directly linking Saudi Arabia and Egypt through the Red Sea, will feature a high-capacity repeaterless cable system.

Telecom Egypt and ZOI say this route design will provide their partners and customers with the best resiliency and reliability for their end-to-end solution. Furthermore, the infrastructure will be extended to Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan through ZOI’s network and collaboration with the licensed cable landing parties in each country.

This collaboration also offers an opportunity for subsea cable owners. By connecting to this open access system, they can significantly reduce their construction costs and greatly enhance latency, resilience and market response times.

Telecom Egypt will develop new infrastructure across Egypt from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean and onwards to Europe, complemented by ZOI’s robust infrastructure across the Middle East. This new network route, say the project partners, will have the shortest, enhanced-latency profile, giving hyperscalers, subsea cable providers, carriers and telecom operators improved connectivity options from the Indian Ocean to Europe.

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Jio, who leads the telecoms market in India, is hoping for an expansion into neighbouring markets 

Jio Platforms, the telecoms arm of Reliance Industries, is one of three companies who have expressed an interesting in purchasing the Sri Lankan government’s 50.23% stake in the state-owned firm, Sri Lanka Telecom PLC (SLT). 

SLT is the largest telco in the country, connecting over 8.5 million subscribers. 

According to a press release published late last week, the other two firms in the running to buy the stake are Portuguese holding company Pettigo Comercio International LDA and Fortune International Investment Holding Ltd. 

The Sri Lankan government invited companies interested in acquiring its shares in SLT to make themselves known back in November. The deadline to register interest passed on 12th January, hence the Finance Ministry were able to publish a list of the interested parties. 

Each registration of interest will be “evaluated as per the Special Guidelines on Divestiture of State-Owned Enterprises approved by the Cabinet of Ministers,” read the press release. The government will choose the winning bidder by the end of next quarter. 

The Sri Lankan government recently announced its intention to privatise various sectors to help overcome the country’s deep financial struggles, having been mandated to do some by the International Monetary Fund in exchange for a $3 billion loan agreed in 2023.  

The country began to see the effects of its worst economic crisis in history in 2022, when the country faced widespread power cuts and fuel shortages, which triggered countrywide protests. A state of emergency was declared across the country in June last year. 

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Also in the news:
South Korean president backs semiconductor mega cluster investment
Malaysia to launch second 5G network alongside DNB
BT signs connectivity deal with Iraqi gas firm

Two of the biggest network operators and the Middle East are teaming up to change the way data traverses the Middle East. Zain Omantel International and Telecom Egypt announced today that they will build a new open-access digital corridor between the Arabian Sea and the Mediterranean. … [visit site to read more]

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The 5G Task Force is set to meet today to discuss the launch of the network
The Malaysian government have announced the go-ahead for a second national 5G rollout, after that of the first network reached 80% coverage. 

The second network, which was announced in May last year by communications minister and government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil, is being launched to compete with the government’s 5G vehicle Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), which currently has monopoly on the 5G market. 

The Malaysian government launched DNB back in 2021, eschewing the traditional 5G spectrum auction in favour of a developing a single, government-run 5G network operator from which existing mobile players could purchase services on a wholesale basis. 

The decision was highly unpopular among the Malaysian mobile operators, who initially said they would not purchase services from DNB. However, after years of negotiations,at the end of October last year, DNB announced that Malaysia’s five mobile network operators  – CelcomDigi Berhad (CelcomDigi) through Infranation Sdn Bhd, Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd (Maxis), U Mobile Sdn Bhd (U Mobile), Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM,) and YTL Power International Bhd (YTL) – had finally agreed to each take a 14% stake in DNB. As per the agreement, each MNO will contribute $50 million to the company for its funding requirements. 

The government retains a 30% stake in the business. 

The Malaysian government had previously announced that when the country’s 5G coverage reached 80% in populated areas, a second 5G network to rival DNB could be rolled out. The figure now stands at 80.2%, after being under construction since 2021. 

According to an article published in Malaysian news outlet Bernama, the country’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim welcomed the idea of a new network, saying it would break up the state-run monopoly and to encourage competition within the market.  

The decision on the second network, the article states, will now be forwarded onto the cabinet who will make a decision on the network within a month. 

“The government will not take long to consider and make an announcement of a shift from a single to dual 5G network coverage,” said Fadzil. “After that the dual 5G can be implemented if the terms agreed by the task force are achieved.” 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter  

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FCC urges Congress to approve more funding for Affordable Connectivity Programme
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The grant is the largest award under the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund to date 

DISH Wireless, the wireless network service provider recently reunited with parent company EchoStar, has been awarded $50 million in funding from the US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to launch an Open RAN testing centre. 

The centre, called the Open RAN Centre for Integration and Deployment (ORCID) and located at its Cheyenne Campus in Wyoming, will allow vendors from across the globe to test their hardware and software solutions on a complete commercial-grade Open RAN network deployed by DISH.  

The site will be supported by consortium partners Fujitsu, Mavenir, and VMware by Broadcom, and technology partners Analog Devices, ARM, Cisco, Dell Technologies, Intel, JMA Wireless, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and Samsung.  

(ORCID) “will serve a critical role in strengthening the global Open RAN ecosystem and building the next generation of wireless networks,” said Charlie Ergen, EchoStar’s co-founder and chairman in a press release. 

The NTIA funding comes as part of the $1.5 billion Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (itself funded by the much larger CHIPS and Science Act of 2022), which aims at supporting 5G technologies that are more open and interoperable – in short, advancing Open RAN technology.   

DISH’s $50 million constitutes the lion’s share of the latest funding allocation round from the project, which saw $80 million in total available to companies focussed on Open RAN testing. The remaining $30 million in grants were divided between VIAVI Solutions, Virginia Tech, Cirrus360, Northeastern University, and Rice University. The CHIPS and Science Act itself was signed by President Biden, with the aim of boosting American semiconductor research, development, and production, to ensure that the USA becomes a leader in the industry. Currently, the USA produces just 10% of the world’s chips, relying on East Asia for over 75% of production. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter  

Also in the news:
FCC urges Congress to approve more funding for Affordable Connectivity Programme
HPE to Acquire Juniper Networks to Accelerate AI-Driven Innovation
Metals specialist SMS Group deploys 5G private network with Ericsson and Mugler 

News 

BT says the deal will propel Basrah Gas Company (BGC) towards “global excellence” 

BT has this week signed an agreement with BGC to securely connect company operations in Iraq, helping to accelerate the company’s digital transformation. 

BGC was established in 2013 as a as a 25-year incorporated joint venture between the Iraqi government (who own a 51% share), Shell (44%), and Mitsubishi (5%). The company currently supplies around 70% of Iraq’s liquified petroleum gas and plays a major role in the nation’s gas export industry. 

In addition, is the company is on of the largest gas flare reduction projects in the world. 

As part of the deal with BT, the operator will provide a network to connect BGC’s offices, processing plants, and three gas fields. Additionally, BT will provide stronger and faster connectivity to hyperscalers and enable the delivery of cloud-based applications such as Microsoft 365. 

“Collaborating with BT is an important milestone for BGC. In forging this alliance, we propel BGC towards global excellence,” said Andrew Wiper, Managing Director of BGC in a press release. 

“The bedrock of our operations lies in robust and efficient connectivity, and this contract reinforces our commitment to efficiency and safety, he continued.” 

BT’s Managing Director of Global Industries and Government Eyad Shihabi noted that the “partnership represents a new chapter in this relationship by delivering the high standards of quality and reliability of services directly to BGC in Iraq.” . 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter  

Also in the news:
FCC urges Congress to approve more funding for Affordable Connectivity Programme
HPE to Acquire Juniper Networks to Accelerate AI-Driven Innovation
Metals specialist SMS Group deploys 5G private network with Ericsson and Mugler