WCA September 2016

Telecom news

– including Intelsat and SES, both Luxembourg-based – have expressed strong interest in the technology. A tale of two surveys on 5G: telecoms want it, and so do other companies – even if they are not altogether clear what it is Two recent surveys, both focused on fifth generation mobile networks, were conducted among two different populations. One set of responses was collected by Sweden’s Ericsson from telecom executives; the other, by China’s Huawei in partnership with the USA business magazine Forbes , from executives of other businesses around the world. As reported by Guy Daniels, the editorial director of Telecom TV (London), there was “a huge disparity” between the two sets of results. (“Company Executives Have No Idea About 5G; Tell That to the Telcos,” 15 th June) Ericsson commissioned a detailed survey of 100 technology leaders at telecom operators in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Central and Latin America, asking about their plans for 5G adoption. Some 87 per cent agreed with the statement “5G will be a real game-changer for us.” In addition, 92 per cent of these respondents expressed a belief that 5G paves the way for the emergence of new technologies; 86 per cent, that 5G enables a wider range of services than any network has yet offered; and 86 per cent, that 5G augurs new business models and technology. The Ericsson survey disclosed a distinct regional split on expectations for 5G adoption. Some 66 per cent of European and North American operators believe 5G will be more consumer-driven, while 61 per cent of Asia Pacific and Central and Latin America operators expect it to be more business-driven. Unfortunately, the reasons for this division are unclear, wrote Mr Daniels, who suggested that it would be a useful exercise to dig deeper into it. As to what businesses think, the Huawei/ Forbes survey at the end of last year enquired into the requirements of over 1,100 executives in various fields. Over one-third of the respondents said that their current systems cannot support the

Citing a report from The Information , Colin Gibbs of FierceWireless wrote that Huawei is developing its own mobile operating system (OS) as a “contingency measure” in the event its relationship with Google should deteriorate and close the Chinese smartphone vendor away from the Android platform. The Silicon Valley-based digital news site reported on 22 nd June that Huawei had engaged a former Apple user interface designer to help create a new version of EMUI, an Android-based UI, for its handsets. The Information said that Abigail Brody, the one time Apple executive brought in for the overhaul, confirmed her participation in the project. Huawei, a major player in the global smartphone market, was reported to have a team working on the new OS in Scandinavia, with ex-Nokia employees among the engineers. “There’s virtually no evidence of consumer demand for a third mobile OS, of course,” observed Mr Gibbs, noting that even deep-pocketed companies like Microsoft have failed to shake the dominance of Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. And, while carriers claim they would welcome more competition, they have not aggressively marketed any alternative platform in years. (“Report: Huawei Developing Its Own Mobile OS,” 23 rd June). Still, he said, Huawei’s move makes sense on a few levels. Google has increasingly asserted control over its own platform in response to a growing number of handset vendors – particularly in China – that have essentially co-opted the platform. And Huawei, the world’s third-largest smartphone vendor behind Samsung and Apple, may have a big enough global footprint for a new OS. Mr Gibbs also pointed out that margins are slimming in the hardware business as growth slows in the smartphone market, and nearly every major mobile hardware company is increasingly focusing on software and services. He wrote: “Developing its own mobile platform is a relatively small gamble that may eventually pay big dividends for Huawei.” Ø Another reader of The Information (which covers in depth just two tech-orientated stories a day and charges $399 a year to read them) is James Vincent of The Verge. Mr Vincent took note (23 rd June) of the acknowledgment by Huawei’s new hire Ms Brody that the company’s lacklustre product line holds little appeal for Western customers. The designer, according to  The Information , said she wants to overcome the company’s “pain points” and “glaring cosmetic issues.” She was also quoted by the publication as saying that one day Huawei could become “the world’s Number One, the most advanced and favourite ‘lifestyle-centric’ ecosystem, and without having to copy Apple at all, ever!” An independent-minded Huawei is reported to be developing its own mobile OS – also smartening up the product

China claims a first: an in-space refuelling system for orbital communications satellites China’s National University of Defense Technology announced on 30 th June that it had successfully refuelled its orbiting satellite Tianyuan-1, which was rocket-launched into space on 7 th March from Wenchang in Hainan Province. As noted by Jon Fingas of Engadget (2 nd July), the “very rare feat” will keep China’s satellites alive a while longer, perhaps permitting adjustments that would otherwise be

impractical. According to Mr Fingas, keeping a satellite in orbit for even a year or two longer could mean savings of “massive amounts of money,” and an effort like China’s represents an important first step for the technology. It could also advance the fight against space junk by slowing the proliferation of dead or useless satellites. Some Western satellite developers are believed to be working on the refuelling of communications satellites in orbit. And Chris Forrester wrote on Advanced-television.com (4 th July) that a few satellite operators

BigStockPhoto.com • Photographer: Krishnacreations

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2016

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