SpaceX has reportedly said it plans to invest US$1.5 billion in Vietnam in the near future as an apparent sweetener to convince the government to allow the company to launch its LEO satellite broadband service Starlink in the country.

According to a report issued by the official Vietnam News Agency on Thursday, the investment plan was proposed by Tim Hughes, SpaceX’s senior VP for global business and government affairs, during a meeting in New York City on Wednesday with Vietnamese party general secretary and state president Tô Lâm.

The report offered no details on where or when the US$1.5 billion would be invested, and SpaceX has not publicly confirmed the report.

Lâm said the Vietnamese government is considering the investment proposal, and asked SpaceX to coordinate with relevant Vietnamese agencies and partners to complete any investment procedures, the VNA report said.

Lâm also reportedly said during the meeting he hopes that SpaceX will “help Vietnam respond to natural disasters in a timely and effective fashion” – a timely topic as communities struggle to get back on their feet and stay connected after Super Typhoon Yagi battered northern Vietnam earlier this month.

In a meeting with Vietnamese prime minister Pham Minh Chinh just before Yagi made landfall, Hughes pitched Starlink as a way to enhance education, training, and disaster prevention efforts in the country, according to VN Express.

SpaceX has been actively lobbying to get approval to launch Starlink in Vietnam since September 2023 as part of its broader strategy to expand in Southeast Asia. So far, Starlink has been cleared to offer services in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

According to Reuters, a key sticking point in the discussions between SpaceX and the Vietnam government is rules regarding foreign ownership. SpaceX would need to set up a JV with a local partner to operate in Vietnam, and would be limited to a 50% stake, whereas SpaceX wants a controlling stake.

SpaceX would also need to find a way to comply with laws regarding domestic data storage and content restrictions, the report said.

One factor working in SpaceX’s favour is that Vietnam has recently demonstrated a willingness to make concessions to foreign companies to help local players cope with surging demand.

In July, the government said it would allow foreign investors to own data centres in Vietnam for the first time. The change was made because its local data storage law was generating more demand for storage than local data centre operators could handle.

Four bits of regional connectivity from this week’s infrastructure news: … [visit site to read more]

Artificial intelligence (AI) underpins two recent announcements in the Latin American region – one from technology giant Microsoft and the other from Wi-Fi optimisation specialist Galgus.

Microsoft has announced that it will invest US$1.3 billion over the next three years to build up its infrastructure in Mexico for cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

The company says the investment will go towards improving connectivity and boosting the adoption of AI technology by small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The initiative aims to reach five million Mexicans and 30,000 SMBs in three years.

According to Reuters, Mexican firms such as breadmaker Bimbo and cement producer Cemex already use Microsoft’s AI tools.

Meanwhile Galgus, a provider of Wi-Fi optimisation solutions, and Sysman, a specialist in data-driven city planning and management, have joined forces to create smart and safe cities in Latin America through AI-powered Wi-Fi technology

Sysman offers and presents information in an understandable way, allowing municipal administrations to gain a broad view of real situations, identify needs and propose potential solutions.

This facilitates informed decision-making on the most relevant aspects of the city, such as public safety, by monitoring occupancy levels and the flow of people, as well as keeping an eye on potential suspicious activity in critical areas.

These data will now be optimised thanks to Galgus’ location and presence analytics technology, which, the company says, offers unmatched precision in device counting and tracking through AI algorithms that can even detect non-connected devices and those that randomise their MAC addresses.

Additionally, with this partnership agreement Galgus says it is making significant strides in improving connectivity in cities, as its AI-powered Wi-Fi technology delivers high performance even in crowded areas. Furthermore, it suggests that it is shaping the convergence of Wi-Fi and 5G networks, providing users with a seamless experience.

Several international bits of news from the middle of this week to catch up with: … [visit site to read more]

Indonesian telco XL Axiata says it has launched a new prepaid SIM card registration process that uses facial recognition technology as a biometric ID verification measure, following a successful trial earlier this month.

In a statement circulated late last week, XL Axiata said that its prepaid customers will be required to scan their face using designated devices during the prepaid card registration process. The biometric data will be automatically cross-checked with government identity databases to verify the customer’s identity.

XL Axiata claims that facial recognition technology enables more precise identity verification, which will streamline the prepaid registration process. The technology also complies with industry Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols to ensure data accuracy and reduce the risk of fraud or identity theft.

The telco also said the biometric technology will help it comply with the Indonesian government’s regulations on prepaid number registration that claim to “enhance security and prevent the misuse of telecommunication services.”

XL Axiata staged a public trial of the biometric prepaid card registration process at XL Center Gandaria City in Jakarta, on September 12. The trial was supervised by the Ministry of Communication and Informatics of the Republic of Indonesia (Kominfo).

« We believe this innovation will bring convenience, enhance security, improve speed, and minimize the risk of data forgery or duplicate identities, » said Yessie D. Yosetya, director and chief enterprise business and corporate affairs officer at XL Axiata.

Use of facial recognition technology has been ramping up in Indonesia, particularly among government agencies and companies, with much of it applied to immigration checkpoints.

On Monday, Vision-Box said it had implemented over 150 biometric touchpoints using facial recognition at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali.

In July, Indonesia Immigration implemented an automated border control system using facial recognition for the international seaport at Batam Centre.

Last month, state railway company KAI said it will introduce a new CCTV system with face recognition technology to identify and blacklist passengers involved in criminal activities.

Also last month, according to the Jakarta Post, the state-owned Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) said it will use facial recognition to identify its policyholders with the aim of combating fraud in the National Health Insurance (JKN) system.

According to Statista, Indonesia’s facial recognition market is projected to reach US$68.16 million this year and grow at a CAGR of 9.3% to US$116.60 million by 2030.

A contactless boarding pass system is set to reduce waiting times and create a better travel experience for passengers at India’s airports, according to air transport technology giant SITA.

SITA is installing its Smart Path technology across nine Indian airports in a partnership with Airports Authority of India (AAI). Part of the wider DigiYatra initiative, the collaboration introduces SITA’s contactless boarding pass system to reduce waiting times, creating a seamless travel experience for passengers, and improves airport efficiency for every traveller.

DigiYatra is an industry-led initiative that uses facial recognition technology to make terminal entry and security clearance at an airport a seamless, hassle-free, and paperless process. DigiYatra is a decentralised mobile-based ID storage platform where air travellers can save their IDs and travel documents.

AAI will use SITA’s products and solutions, including SITA Smart Path, Passenger Flow Management (PFM) solution and Face Pods. These technologies offer biometric solutions at most touchpoints across the airport, meaning a contact-free travel experience across nine Indian airports.

SITA says its biometric technology will transform the way travellers navigate through Indian airports. Sumesh Patel, President, APAC, SITA says: « It is vital in this connected era that travel across the globe is as seamless as possible, and we are ready to help India continue to innovate in their digitalisation efforts with SITA technology as the DigiYatra initiative spreads across India. »

In 2023, over 20 million users experienced DigiYatra, and with its upcoming availability at 28 Indian airports, DigiYatra aims to cover approximately 90% of India’s domestic flying population. The Ministry of Civil Aviation-led DigiYatra Foundation plans to align with the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s One ID initiative for global interoperability, further improving the seamless travel experience.

In July 2023, SITA announced a deal with AAI to provide technology to 43 of India’s biggest airports. The deal will see improvements to over 2,700 passenger touchpoints, signifying one of the largest deployments for passenger processing.

SITA has been working with the Indian government since 1952 and is a supporter of the Make In India initiative.

SITA, or Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques, was founded in 1949 by eleven airlines in order to bring about shared infrastructure cost efficiency by combining their communications networks.

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This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Dario Betti, CEO of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum

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