WCA November 2017

Telecom news

market of at least $300 billion and up to $790 billion per year by 2025 in Europe. At the global level, the value is expected to be $1.5 trillion to $4.2 trillion per year. Ø As reported by Advanced Television Ltd (London) on 20 th September, Deloitte’s seventh annual mobile consumer survey, “State of the Smart,” which analyses the mobile usage habits of 4,150 people in the UK, has found that 85 per cent of 16- to 75-year-olds now own or have access to a smartphone. This is an increase of four percentage points from 2016 and 33 percentage points from 2012. For 18- to 24-year-olds, market penetration is at a record 96 per cent. The latest research from Deloitte also found that more than half (53 per cent) of 16- to 75-year-olds in the UK use their smartphones while walking – the equivalent of around 22 million people. For younger consumers aged 16-24, the proportion rises to 74 per cent. More than 4.5 million people (11 per cent of respondents) also admit to using their smartphones while crossing the road. This proportion almost doubles for 16- to 24-year-olds (21 per cent). “Most people can relate to ‘smartphone zombies’, either through being one or bumping into one,” said Paul Lee, head of research for technology, media and telecoms at Deloitte. “This is just one indication of just how infatuated we are with these devices, for better or worse.” Ø “The number one greatest cyber threat to a business is their very own employees,” asserted Darren Guccione, CEO and co-founder of the Chicago-based security software provider Keeper Security Inc. “Critical data is more accessible via mobile devices in our 24/7-connected, device-filled world.” As reported by Alison DeNisco in Tech Republic (9 th September), a new study from Keeper and the independent researcher Ponemon Institute found that negligent employees are the leading cause of data thefts at small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across North America and

the UK. Of 1,000 IT professionals surveyed, 54 per cent also blamed poor company password policies for cybersecurity breaches. This is especially concerning due to a rise in ransomware attacks. More than half the SMBs surveyed had experienced such an attack in the past year. Ø In related news, a recent B2B (business-to-business) technology survey of USA-based utility companies by ABI Research (Oyster Bay, New York) found that 40 per cent of respondents believe data security to be the leading barrier to adopting innovative technologies. However, it is a barrier that apparently can be overcome. Some 64 per cent of large utility enterprises expressed willingness to adopt innovative technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), robotic and wearable solutions, within the next 12 months. The survey findings suggest that, despite current data security obstacles, utility firms are familiar with innovative technologies and plan to adopt them within the next year. This is especially true for smaller companies. Ø With a $30 million loan from the Chinese vendor Huawei, the government of Burundi has revealed plans to modernise the network of ONAMOB, the mobile arm of state-owned incumbent operator Office National des Telecommunications (Onatel). Described by a spokesman of the Burundian government as a “survival investment” for the company, the loan will enable ONAMOB to compete with dominant private mobile operators. According to TeleGeography (14 th September), Onatel announced plans to enter the mobile market in its own right in 2005, when it launched a GSM network in the capital Bujumbura through ONAMOB, under the brand name PANA. The launch was backed by China’s Huawei Technologies which carried out the installation and offered supplier credit of $4.5 million to finance the project.

Its ultimate goal, said the regulator on 18 th September, is to encourage and improve payback on mobile operators’ investments in regional connectivity. Ø Verizon has asked the USA Federal Communications Com- mission (FCC) for permission to retire copper in eight Northeast markets early in 2018, marking another step in the company’s migration of its customer base to fibre-based technology. The service provider has requested to replace ageing copper with FTTH infrastructure. In a notice to customers in these markets (Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maryland and Delaware), the service provider said it would work with businesses to shift them from copper toward a fibre-based solution. Verizon’s effort has been a source of controversy in some markets. In Pennsylvania, the telecom came under fire from the Communications Workers of America union for alleged de facto copper retirement. This is the process whereby a service provider lets its copper-based facilities degrade to the point of uselessness. Ø The Paris-based international management consulting firm Arthur D Little estimates that the GigaWorld – enabled by widespread access to high quality, gigabit Internet in which people, machines and the environment collaborate intelligently – could generate billions for the European economy, and trillions globally. The research, commissioned by the TV and broadband company Liberty Global (New York), outlines the possibilities of an emergent GigaWorld, including robot-assisted remote tele-surgery, 3D holographic projections of events, and skyscraper windows maintained by drone-robots. “Unlocking GigaWorld Innovation” asserts that, given the right circumstances, the GigaWorld innovation cycle will unlock a

49

www.read-wca.com

Wire & Cable ASIA – November/December 2017