MCMC picks U Mobile to be Malaysia’s second 5G operator

Malaysian operator U Mobile has won the rights to implement Malaysia’s second 5G network to compete with original 5G operator Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), leaving rival contenders CelcomDigi and Maxis to rethink their 5G plans.

Under the Malaysian government’s dual-network model, only stakeholders in DNB were allowed to submit applications to establish a second 5G network operator. In August, U Mobile, CelcomDigi and Maxis – each of which own 16.28% of DNB as of June 2024submitted their applications to run the second network. YTL declined to participate, while Telekom Malaysia was disqualified after it dropped plans to take a stake in DNB in August.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) broke the news on Friday that U Mobile was the winner. While the second 5G network will be run by a single operator (as opposed to DNB’s multi-stakeholder model), the MCMC said in a statement that U Mobile is allowed to collaborate with other telcos to roll out the network, “subject to the approval of MCMC”.

U Mobile said in a statement on Saturday that it is “excited to collaborate with various stakeholders, including MCMC and other telecommunications companies such as CelcomDigi and Telekom Malaysia to deliver world-class 5G-Advanced services to consumers.”

U Mobile also said it will reduce its foreign majority shareholding to 20%, “ensuring greater Malaysian control and inviting participation from local investors.” U Mobile’s biggest shareholder is Singapore-based Straits Mobile Investments (a subsidiary of ST Telemedia), which owns a 48.3% stake.

U Mobile will also have to sell its stake in DNB under the terms of its SSA in order to implement the second network.

The decision to go with U Mobile comes as a surprise to some industry observers who saw the telco as the underdog of the race. RHB Research and CIMB Securities issued statements in September rating Maxis as the likely front-runner for the second network.

Both CelcomDigi and Maxis issued statements on Sunday saying they will talk with various stakeholders to consider their next move. Both also reiterated that they thought their proposals should have won. Maxis went as far as to say it would “engage with MCMC to understand the rationale for their decision.”

CelcomDigi said that in the meantime, it will continue to focus on integrating its network, which it said is ahead of schedule and now 68% complete.

In any case, their respective 5G services will carry on as usual under the existing agreement with DNB. Both also have the option to buy U Mobile’s stake, although the MCMC has the final say on the outcome.

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Ericsson and MasOrange partner for 5G Open RAN network in Spain 


News 

The partnership aims to meet the rising demand for 5G while supporting sustainable, digital growth across Spain 

Ericsson has partnered with newly merged MasOrange, Spain’s largest telco, in a five-year project to upgrade its network with Open RAN technology. 

Announced this week, the collaboration aims to make MasOrange’s network one of Europe’s most modern and powerful 5G networks, the companies said. 

Under the deal, Ericsson will help integrate the networks of Orange Spain and Masmovil, creating a stronger, more efficient system. The network will use sustainable technology and energy-saving equipment from Ericsson to reduce costs and improve performance.  

Part of the plan includes rolling out 5G Standalone (5G SA) in rural areas of Spain, which will expanding high-speed internet access to more communities. 

The upgraded network will feature Ericsson’s advanced antennas and computing systems, which will boost data speeds and allow MasOrange to offer new, improved services. This includes the use of Massive MIMO technology, which uses multiple antennas to send and receive data faster and improve user experience. 

“This collaboration with Ericsson represents a decisive moment not only for MasOrange, but also for European telecommunications industry as a whole and for the Spanish market, as we lead the development of Open RAN and we lay the foundation for an open and programmable mobile infrastructure that will drive technological advances and sustainable growth,” said MasOrange’s CEO Meinrad Spenger in a press release. 

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Hrvatski Telekom, Nokia partner to drive 5G app development

Croatian operator Hrvatski Telekom (HT) has partnered with Nokia to launch projects aimed at connecting developers to Nokia’s coding platform to foster the creation of new consumer and industrial 5G applications.

In a statement, Nokia explained that the goal is to enable developers to leverage and monetise HT’s 5G network assets, creating new consumer, enterprise, and industrial applications for Hrvatski Telekom customers in Croatia and across Europe.

Nokia highlighted that software-based 5G networks are programmable and monetisable beyond connectivity via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). These APIs give developers standardised access to network functions without the need to navigate the complex underlying network technologies.

The company cited results from previous pilot projects to expand its network of API ecosystem partners, including global cloud communications company Infobip and teledriving firm Elmo, both of which use 5G and 4G networks to generate new revenue streams.

Boris Drilo, CTIO Hrvatski Telekom CTIO said: “Through collaboration on piloting projects, with Nokia and other partners, we are exploring the great opportunities that could arise from unlocking the full potential of connecting new platforms with 5G network capabilities. Ensuring high-performing networks, foundational for the launch of new use cases across industries and businesses not only Croatia but across the globe, is essential for developers in creating new game-changing applications.”

Shkumbin Hamiti, Nokia Head of Network Monetization Platform, Cloud and Network Services, added: “With Nokia’s Network as Code platform and open and growing ecosystem of API partners, Hrvatski Telekom will benefit from having more choice, flexibility, and extreme automation to create new value for its customers. As a B2B technology innovation leader, Nokia is driving the next evolution of networking to unlock new network applications with our platform.”

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CityFibre sells Lit Fibre ISP to co-founders  


News  

Lit Fibre customers will be unaffected by the change of ownership  

CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full-fibre network provider, has sold its ISP subsidiary Lit Fibre consumer internet service back to its co-founders, Tom Williams and Ben Bresler.  

CityFibre, which initially acquired Lit Fibre in May 2024, aims to complete integration of Lit Fibre’s 10Gbps network by year-end, bringing up to 300,000 more premises onto its network. 

As a wholesaler, however, CityFIbre is seemingly uninterested in retaining the company’s ISP unit, hence the sale for an undisclosed sum. 

“Our strategy has always been to be the wholesale provider of choice, building a nationwide, full fibre network that enables all of our partners to access market-leading products, pricing and service and gives consumers a greater choice of full fibre ISPs. We are really pleased to see Lit Fibre continue with its co-founders, who are passionate about the business, and we look forward to continuing to partner with Lit Fibre across our network,” said Greg Mesch, City Fibre CEO in a press release. 

“As the nation’s third digital infrastructure platform, we continue to evaluate potential acquisition opportunities alongside accelerating CityFibre’s build to reach at least 8 million premises across the UK,” he continued. 

Catch CityFibre at next year’s Connected North, 23-24 April in Manchester. Get tickets here! 

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Globe Telecom to manage Philippines landing of MYUS cable


News

The 19,000km cable system is set to connect Malaysia to the US

This week, Philippines operator Globe Telecom has announced that it has been selected to build and manage the local section of the MYUS cable system, including building a landing station at Davao City.

The $720 million MYUS cable system is set to span roughly 19,000km, heading from Sedili, Malaysia, to Florence, Oregon, USA, via the Philippines and Guam. Branching units will also link the cable to Indonesia at Batam, Jakarta, and Balikpapan.

The cable will have 16 fibre pairs, capable of delivering a minimum capacity of 15 Tbps.

According to Hexa, the company in charge of the cable project, Globe had been selected in part due to their experience with the Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network.

“Our cable landing facilities offer diverse route connectivity to global and regional carriers…Access to customers using our robust state-of-the-art network should give confidence to operators looking to interconnect with domestic and international constituents. Davao is a critical hub for subsea fiber optic cables, which are the backbone of today’s Internet,” said KD Dizon, head of Globe Business told the Manila Standard.

The submarine cable industry is evolving rapidly. Join the discussion at the world’s leading subsea cable conference, Submarine Networks EMEA

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El Salvador to enhance digital government services with IDB loan

El Salvador aims to enhance its digital government services with the help of a $60 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which partners with the public sector in the Latin America and Caribbean region to design and provide innovative, high-impact solutions for sustainable and inclusive development.

The Programme for the Development of El Salvador’s Data Infrastructure, approved by the IDB’s Board of Executive Directors, will enable the country to expand its digital infrastructure and improve people’s skills in using this infrastructure and the state’s digital services.

This programme, says IDB, will benefit approximately 57 government institutions, 1,140 information technology workers, and 10,000 public employees. It will train around 2,000 women in advanced digital skills and 40,000 citizens in basic digital skills.

The initiative aims to provide all government institutions access to the state cloud, making online services more available and improving governance. As many as 6.3 million citizens and businesses in El Salvador will benefit from more accessible and efficient digital services.

Anderson Caputo, Chief of the IDB’s Connectivity, Finance and Markets Division, explains: « The Programme for the Development of El Salvador’s Data Infrastructure is designed to optimise and modernise the state’s data infrastructure, in line with how hybrid cloud computing models are being used globally. This will give the state greater control over sensitive information, boost interoperability, and help upgrade its technology, » 

The programme is structured around two components. The first will finance work to adapt and equip a building to operate a State Data Centre. This component will also focus on migrating digital services and strengthening connectivity for interoperability, among other activities. 

The second component centres on boosting digital skills by training specialists in digital government infrastructure, as well as information technology personnel at user institutions. It will also train citizens in digital skills, with a special focus on women, girls and people with disabilities through modules that build awareness about how important it is for these groups to access technologies.

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Thai Airways deploys Juniper’s AI-Native Networking Platform


Press Release

Juniper Networks, a leader in secure, AI-Native Networking, today announcedthat Thai Airways has modernized the network infrastructure of its headquarters in Thailand, by deploying Juniper’s AI-Native Networking Platform to deliver the right data, the right real-time response and the right infrastructure for reliable, measurable and secure wired and wireless services. With the upgrades, Thai Airways can now achieve better simplicity, productivity and consistent performance at scale to deliver exceptional end-to-end operator and end-user experiences.

With a vision to implement better processes for improved operations and workflow while also enhancing the customer experience when researching, booking and managing flights online, the airline embarked on a digital transformation. It selected Juniper to overhaul and upgrade its network solutions – becoming the first organization in Thailand to deploy Wi-Fi 6E through the use of Juniper AP45 access points, alongside Juniper EX Series Ethernet switches for its core, distribution and access networks. 

“Slow, unreliable Wi-Fi was previously hampering productivity and efficiency at our Bangkok head offices, but the upgrades have turned networking complaints into compliments. With the Juniper solution, we are now also able to unify management of our wired and wireless networks through an industry-leading, cloud-native solution purpose-built to leverage AIOps. Enabled by Juniper, we are excited to continually uplift the user experiences of our operators and customers alike, as Thai Airways continues to grow and soar into the skies internationally going forward,” said Tana Kantipan, Team Lead, Network and Cybersecurity, Thai Airways.

The deployment is driven by Mist AI™, which leverages purpose-built AIOps trained on nine years of insights and data science development, to deliver rich insights into user experiences and proactive fault resolutions that can reduce network-related trouble tickets by up to 90%. In unifying the end-to-end management of Thai Airways’ wired and wireless networks, Juniper Mist Wired and Wireless Assurance cloud services were implemented to enable efficient operations of its business-critical systems, requiring minimal human intervention while ensuring every connection is reliable, measurable and secure for every device, user, application and asset. 

In addition, the Marvis Virtual Network Assistant allows the airline’s IT team to detect and resolve networking issues through a seamless conversational interface, determining the root cause of issues, providing proactive insights and suggesting prescriptive actions. This has resulted in a significant decrease in issues and user complaints since the upgrades, ultimately reducing the overall time required for network operations by Thai Airways, enabling it to focus efforts on delivering stronger value, services and outcomes for its customers. 

Thai Airways’ Network: Strategic for Business Growth

As Thailand’s national carrier and a strategically located flight hub and gateway to Asia, Thai Airways is regularly ranked amongst the world’s top airlines, renowned for its hospitality and services across an extensive global network. To maintain its reputation while meeting surging demand for post-pandemic travel, the airline recognized its corporate network as a key strategic component of its planned business growth.

The new network from Juniper empowers Thai Airways’ IT team to continue delivering exceptional end-to-end operator and user experiences across all its stakeholders – especially as it explores further extending the roll-out of Juniper’s solutions to its hubs at Thailand’s two major international airports, deployments which could potentially surpass the scale of the current deployment at its head office.

Also in the news:
Nokia and Lenovo forge partnership to drive AI and automation in data centers
UK govt announces £22m investment in ‘smart data’
“We’re on track to close the loop”: Adtran talks data, AI, and network automation at Connected Britain

Nokia and Vietnam’s Viettel address data centre interconnect demand

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