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There is a bit of consolidation going on in the cloud ecosystem that serves the infrastructure & connectivity world. Connectbase has announced a deal to purchase LastMileXchange, a London-based provider of access pricing solutions. … [visit site to read more]

A new distribution partnership agreement for high-speed, low-latency broadband connectivity across Africa has been announced.

OneWeb, a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, and iSAT Africa Ltd, an integrated communications services provider, have announced that they have signed an agreement that will, they say, bring together the innovative LEO satellite technology of OneWeb and the extensive experience of iSAT Africa in rural connectivity, fixed and mobile satellite services, enterprise, and broadcasting solutions in Africa.

Connecting the unconnected and serving underserved communities of Africa, will, iSAT Africa says, help it to grow the regional economy, improve access to education and health care, and give people and communities across the continent more power by providing reliable, high-speed broadband connection.

iSAT Africa will work closely with OneWeb to deliver broadband connectivity throughout Central, Western, and Eastern Africa markets in the near future. It will offer a variety of integrated communication solutions for enterprise connectivity, remote access, and rural connectivity, tailored to fit the needs of businesses and communities in Africa.

OneWeb recently completed its global constellation. Under this DPA OneWeb says it will continue to facilitate global connectivity, reaching areas that had previously been underserved and too remote for reliable connectivity.

It’s been a busy year so far for OneWeb. We reported in May that OneWeb and NOW Corp had signed a LEO satcoms MoU for the Philippines. In April, Veon, which has operator units in Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia and Ukraine, announced it will use OneWeb LEO satellites to extend its coverage in emerging markets.

Some quick catchup on metro and regional network news from around the US and in this case Mexico too: … [visit site to read more]

Malaysian company Sustainable Hrvest, a pioneer of smart farming, has deployed LoRa-enabled sensors and LoRaWAN-based gateways across its durian fruit farms in Malaysia, with the help of semiconductor, IoT systems and cloud connectivity service provider Semtech.

Durians are one of the country’s most popular fruits, but durian trees are challenging to grow and harvest. These plants are sensitive to weather and moisture conditions and need constant maintenance for high yield.

LoRa-enabled sensors now give Malaysian farmers real-time data on the health of their farms throughout every step of the growth cycle: pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest. This real-time visibility, says Semtech, has made farmers’ lives easier while also helping to improve their bottom line.

Using LoRa as an IoT wireless platform, Semtech’s LoRa chipsets connect sensors to the cloud and enable real-time communication of data and analytics. This instantaneous management helps to enhance the efficiency and productivity of sustainable IoT use cases – in this instance, fruit farming.

Currently, there are 30 LoRa-powered farms in Malaysia, with new plantations expected to go live in the coming 12 months. Designed by Sustainable Hrvest, the IoT nodes utilizing LoRaWAN implement LoRa’s low-power, long-range sensors and last more than four years in the field without needing replacement.

This purpose-built chip-to-cloud sensor platform monitors the flow rate and pressure of irrigation systems to maintain soil moisture levels. It also tracks the nutrients in the soil. The data-driven farming practice gives Malaysian farmers the ability to remotely care for their crops.

Globally, there are more than 300 million LoRa end nodes deployed across a wide array of customer applications – from agriculture and healthcare to industrial and transportation.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
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As seen in other global markets, smartphone shipments in the Middle East and Africa have fallen 11% year-on-year, the lowest Q1 shipment figure since 2016, as macroeconomic factors continue to batter economies.

Counterpoint Research senior analyst Yang Wang said: “The MEA smartphone market saw another tough quarter as the macroeconomic environment remained challenging.

“Difficulties impacting consumer spending towards big-ticket upgrades such as smartphones are now well known, and both consumers and OEMs are adjusting to the new realities with extra caution. The prospect of a V-shaped rebound has dimmed as companies prioritize inventory management, cost controls and streamlined product portfolios.”

Despite the dip in shipment figures, there were “signs of stabilisation” at the end of the quarter. Manufacturers reported high sales due to Ramadan and Easter promotions. This proved beneficial to Apple as its iPhone 14 range, especially its Pro and Pro Max models, were extremely popular. Apple was the only top-five vendor to report growth with a 35% increase in year-on-year shipments.

Xiaomi and Samsung saw a 2% dip, and Inifinix with a 6%, meanwhile, Tecno took a 10% hit. 

Looking ahead, Wang said the poor consumer demand will “remain the main theme for the rest of the year” as consumers will retain current devices and upgrade later. Shipment levels will “improve gradually” in H2 as smartphone vendors and distributors launch new devices and promotions. 

This will coincide with better economic conditions as global interest rates and energy prices stabilize, providing much-needed breathing room for consumers in emerging markets,” said Wang. 

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Steve Alexander, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President, Ciena

The telecom and networking industry is a foundation for the digital transformation of every critical business sector—from agriculture to manufacturing to finance and more. Essentially, telecom underpins every part of our lives, and as such has an increasingly vital … [visit site to read more]