Displaying items by tag: Malaysia

The hype surrounding the highly anticipated merger plan between Malaysia’s Axiata Group Bhd and Norway’s Telenor Group seems to have lost traction since the plan was first announced in May, due in fact to the Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo’s statement that the potential partnership is still very much at the proposal stage.

As governments around the world struggle to come to terms with the initial banning of Huawei products by US President Donald Trump and the whiplash of his subsequent decision to lift it, Malaysia has taken a firm stance by choosing not to rush blindly into judgment, preferring to approach the subject of 5G cybersecurity in a liberal manner instead of pandering to the West’s seemingly baseless accusations towards the Chinese telecommunications colossus.

According to the Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is currently working on a report known as the 5G Testbed and Trials to ensure a comprehensive plan for high-speed internet deployment in the country. The outcome of these trials, which will be facilitated by the MCMC from April to October of this year, will then establish whether or not a ban on Huawei’s 5G technology is absolutely necessary to protect Malaysia’s cybersecurity interests.

In his keynote speech at the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Digital Innovation Conference in Kuala Lumpur in March, Gobind said, “As the nation is enhancing footprints in digital economy development, and with the advent of the newest technologies, we must take into consideration the cyber threat concern and risks. Cybersecurity will be one of the most pressing issues of our time.”

The MCMC has stated that it would take “a broad look at the security compliance issues surrounding 5G” and, despite the commotion surrounding Huawei, it maintains that it is “not focused on any specific supplier.”

“5G will present new opportunities that at the same time open the door to a new set of risks,” a representative of MCMC said. “However, the MCMC is currently collaborating with the National Cyber Security Agency [NACSA] to engage with all mobile operators and equipment suppliers involved in 5G, aimed at identifying the risks to national security and to manage them accordingly.”

Security threats from the utilization of 5G is also being thoroughly reviewed and established by the Malaysian Armed Forces, which will present its findings to the government for further analysis.

The Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has previously spoken out against Trump’s policy, outwardly criticizing the US President for what he believes are attempts to secure dominance over China in terms of trade and security. During a recent trip to Japan, Mahathir made it clear that Malaysia will not be following Trump’s lead anytime soon, stating that the country tries to “make use of their [Huawei] technology as much as possible” and snubbed any concerns that it poses security issues within Malaysia.

Malaysia is considered one of the top three ASEAN nations which will be contributing 75% of the cybersecurity market share in the next five years. This in itself demonstrates the immense opportunity and potential the country has in advancing its cybersecurity industry.

Ericsson has further extended its partnership with U Mobile Sdn Bhd to transform the Malaysian telecommunications service provider’s Business Support System (BSS) into an industrialized, real-time converged environment.

Originally signed in 2012, the partnership has been extended for another five years until 2022. In the ongoing contract, Ericsson is responsible for competence development, solution design, deployment and systems integration of the convergent billing solutions, as well as managed services.

Ericsson’s BSS solution enables U Mobile to offer a wider range of unique services including real-time promotions and notifications, product and services cross bundling, real-time cost control for post-paid subscriptions, subscriber personalization, and flexible mobile wallets. More than 5 million U Mobile pre-paid and post-paid subscribers are managed by Ericsson.

The five-year managed services contract allows U Mobile to focus its efforts on product development while having clearer visibility and more control over capital and operating expense.

“U Mobile prides ourselves for always being the first in the country to roll out unique plans and services,” said Wong Heang Tuck, CEO, U Mobile. “To successfully do so, apart from having an unlimited commitment to innovate, we need to ensure that we actively reduce time to market in a way that would not affect customer experience. Ericsson's billing solution has played a role in enabling our customers to enjoy our new services more quickly and efficiently.”

With more than 200 telecom billing and charging customers worldwide, Ericsson is a popular end-to-end BSS partner. Two billion subscribers are supported by the supplier’s BSS offerings, helping service providers address new opportunities.

Todd Ashton, Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, said, “As U Mobile's digital transformation partner, we are bringing fully-converged business and customer support to their subscribers. Our end-to-end convergent billing and managed services help our partners to strengthen their competitiveness, enable flexibility to meet market demands, and reduce costs through streamlined operations.”

Over 200 government officials, technology experts, scholars, and representatives from tech companies gathered from all across the Asia-Pacific region for the third annual Huawei Asia-Pacific Innovation Day, held in Kuala Lumpur. The event was co-hosted by Malaysia's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the Malaysia-China Business Council, and Huawei Technologies.

This year's event focused on fostering digital economy in the APAC region, with special focus on digital transformation models for emerging markets, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and core industries like services and tourism.

At the event, Huawei announced the construction of a new OpenLab in Malaysia, which will serve as an open, flexible, and secure platform for joint innovation with local partners. Huawei has built similar OpenLabs in Munich, Mexico, Dubai, Singapore, and China. Together, these labs support extensive cooperation between Huawei and over 400 solution partners globally.

At the event, Huawei's Deputy Chairman of the Board and Rotating CEO, Guo Ping, spoke about the different stages of digital transformation, and what countries can focus on at each stage of development.

"We've all heard about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs," said Guo. "When a country goes digital, it experiences a similar evolution of needs. I would divide this hierarchy into four layers. The first is ICT infrastructure, which is the foundation of a digital economy. The second is security, for both the physical and digital worlds. Security is necessary for further development. The third layer is developing a supportive environment for industries to go digital. Building on a solid foundation of privacy protection, the fourth and highest layer is enabling broader information sharing. More data will help cities and national governments better manage the digitization process, ultimately promoting safer cities and smarter countries.”

Guo stressed that technological innovation and an open ecosystem are critical to the success of digital initiatives in the APAC region.

"We need to collaborate more broadly and share views across the ecosystem, including between industries and universities worldwide. Close collaboration between industry and academia will help ensure a thriving digital economy. As always, Huawei remains committed to the Asia-Pacific region, and will continue working with our partners to drive digital economic growth and ensure a better connected future for all of APAC."

The Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Home Affairs, YB Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi, also delivered a keynote speech at the event. He expressed his optimism about the future of digital transformation in the Asia Pacific region. He encouraged all APAC countries to communicate more and work more closely together to drive positive, sustainable economic outcomes.

Also at the event, The Brookings Institution, a US think tank, released the global safe city report, a blueprint of safe cities around the world. Findings from the report indicate that, from an infrastructure perspective, the Asia Pacific region has enormous potential for smart city and safe city development. Huawei highlighted its own experience helping the Longgang District in Shenzhen, China, build out its safe city infrastructure.

Openness, innovation, collaboration, and shared success were the common themes of the event. Tony Q.S. Quek, Associate Professor from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), spoke about Huawei's Innovation Research Program, which funds joint innovation with universities.

Professor Dr. Ong Hang See from Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) and YBhg Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, CEO of Malaysia Petroleum Resource Corporation (MPRC), presented real-world examples of the electric power industry and the oil and gas industry going digital.

Xue Ding, co-founder of ofo, outlined the shared bike company's partnership with Huawei, which helped ofo embed Internet of Things (IoT) chips in their bicycles and leverage artificial intelligence to offer riders more personalized services. Xue indicated that ofo would like to join forces with Huawei and other partners to build out the global IoT ecosystem.

During the event, Huawei signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the SME Corporation Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Terengganu State Government, and CyberSecurity Malaysia, expanding cooperation across a number of domains, including scientific research, innovation, talent, smart campuses, and cyber security. Together, they will promote a thriving digital economy and ensure prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

CompuDyne, a leading telecommunications solutions provider in Malaysia, is partnering with SES Networks to bring high quality and cost-effective cellular backhaul service to both East and West Malaysia and its surrounding rural islands.

SES announced that CompuDyne has signed a multi-year, multi-transponder agreement to lease Ku-band capacity on SES-9, SES’s largest satellite dedicated to serve Asia-Pacific, for its customer Digi, the country’s leading mobile network operator.

“Providing affordable and reliable mobile services is a must to stand out amid a competitive operating environment,” said Dato’ Mohd Hanafiah A Jalil, Managing Director at CompuDyne. “In the eastern and western parts of Malaysia, there is incredible growth in mobile broadband usage today from both business and consumers. Utilizing Ku-band capacity on SES-9, our customers have the opportunity to tap into this rising demand and offer improved services and greater value for end-users.”

Making a shift from a C-band to Ku-band system, CompuDyne can now deliver more cost-effective and reliable satellite connectivity, enabling Digi to extend its cellular network to underserved consumers residing in rural areas and in the far reaches of Malaysia. At the same time, Digi also plans to use the capacity to introduce mobile broadband services and packages for an increasingly connected population.

“With SES-9’s high-powered and comprehensive Ku-band coverage over Malaysia, the satellite is ideal for providing cellular backhaul services,” said Imran Malik, Vice President, Fixed Data, Asia-Pacific at SES Networks. “We are proud to partner with CompuDyne to not only expand its reach to deliver unmatched coverage within the country, but also to transform its mobile services with greater reliability and affordability for their customers’ and consumers’ connectivity needs.”

Telcotech, a subsidiary of EZECOM, and partners - Malaysia Telekom, Malaysia Berhad and Symphony Communication of Thailand - celebrated the momentous launch of the Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand (MCT) Submarine Cable System and Landing Station in Cambodia. Huawei Marine, a global submarine network solution provider, was contracted to design and deploy the system.

The historical event marks the beginning of a new era of improved and secured internet connection for Cambodia and surrounding countries. It was attended by Samdech Krolahom Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Cambodia; Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia; H.E. TRAM Iv Tek, the Minister of Post and Telecommunications, as well as numerous other local and international VIPs.

Samdech Krolahom applauded and congratulated the companies and institutions involved and said he was eager to "experience the improved speed" and hoped that the people of Cambodia will share with him in enjoying faster, more affordable and more secure internet access.

Speaking during the event, Mr. Paul Blanche-Horgan, CEO of EZECOM, said, "We've been waiting a long time for this. We started this project six years ago, and in 2017, everything has finally come together – it's like a dream come true."

"Probably most important is the impact of the cable on the security of our internet connection. With this cable, we are now directly connected POP (point-of-presence) to POP, which means a much more secure connection for Cambodia. This is of great importance, as Samdech Krolahom does understand, for the context of national security as well as certain key sectors like banking," he added.

Samdech Krolahom Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior for Cambodia, said: "Today marks a historic achievement for Cambodia in the field of ICT and telecommunications. I am proud of the amazing efforts from all the stakeholders that have worked hard for many years to bring this project to fruition."

"Thanks to the MCT Submarine Cable, Cambodia now has faster, more reliable, more affordable and, most importantly, a more secure internet connection for all. This milestone accomplishment clearly signals the stability and confidence that Cambodia enjoys today. I am sure it will help to drive our continually growing economy, and further strengthen our position in ASEAN and in the world," he added.

Commenting on this achievement Rozaimy Rahman, Executive Vice President, Global Wholesale, TM, said: "Malaysia, particularly TM, is truly proud to be part of yet another esteemed regional project and to be given the opportunity to partner with Telcotech of Cambodia and Symphony Communication of Thailand in connecting the region. The completion of MCT submarine cable system marks another major milestone for TM as the regional managed wholesale player towards enhancing the ASEAN connectivity."

The MCT cable system spans approximately 1,300 kilometers and adopts state-of-the-art 100 Gbps technology and will support a capacity of at least 30 Tbps. The MCT submarine cable will connect to other submarine cable systems, including Telcotech – the only Cambodian member of the Asia-America Gateway – and the 20,000 kilometer submarine communication cable which links Southeast Asia to the USA.

The system makes use of landing stations, of which Cambodia's landing station called 'Mittapheap Landing Station' is located at Otres Beach in Sihanoukville, while Malaysia's is in Kuantan [Cherating], and at Rayong for Thailand. Analysts have predicted that the MCT submarine cable will generate a positive impact on the telecommunication industry in Cambodia and bring about more investment flow to the country as well.

Swedish IT telecoms colossus Ericsson is being forced to deny that they paid out tens of millions of dollars in bribes during 1998-2001.

A number of former executives with Ericsson have sensationally claimed that Ericsson engaged in bribery across a wide range of locations including Malaysia and Poland during that three-year period – and in one alleged instance bribed politicians, senior civil servants and the president of Costa Rica to secure a massive state contract in telecoms.

According to reports in Swedish Newspaper Dagens Nyheter, a former executive named Liss-Olof Nenzell has handed the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documents relating to the alleged kickbacks.

The newspaper wrote, "Enormous sums were sent via Zurich from the company headquarters in Sweden to secret recipients around the world," - referring to what it called Nenzell's central role in the scheme.

The publication also alleges that the biggest bribes included 1.4 billion kronor (140 million euros, $150 million), sent to bank accounts in Malaysia, and 763 million kronor sent to Poland, via the British offshore banking haven of Jersey.

Swedish public radio station, SR, further claimed that money was sent to politicians and senior civil servants to Costa Rica, including the then president, Miguel Angel Rodriguez, during a period when Ericsson was vying for a major state contract in telecoms.

SR also revealed it had testimony from "several former top executives," who speaking on condition of anonymity "recounted how they were guilty of active corruption in securing contracts in a large number of countries."

Allegations of systematised bribery against Ericsson are nothing new – and allegations of bribery against the company date back to 2010.

However, Ericsson has always vehemently denied and refuted those allegations of bribery made against them.

A spokesperson for the organisation told Dagens Nyheter, that it “never found any evidence that bribes were allegedly paid”

In June, Ericsson said it was being investigated, including in the US, over what the Swedish press said was a case of alleged corruption in China, and in Greece.

Ericsson issued a profit warning in October, and followed this with the announcement of a net loss of 233 million kronor in the third quarter as operators slowed investment in mobile networks.

Malaysian telecom operator, YTL Communication, has deployed a revenue and customer management platform from Sterlite Technologies’ telecom software division, Elitecore, to support the rollout its LTE data and VoLTE services.

According to Sterlite, the platform will enable YTL Communications to roll out new business models like HD voice (VoLTE), enterprise LTE and LTE roaming, making YTL Communication the only operator in Asia-Pacific to commercially launch nationwide Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services.

YTL Communications’ COO, Ali Tabassi, said:  “Elitecore’s product roadmap alignment with YTLC’s business vision and proven experience in convergent billing and integrated policy and charging supports our growth strategy and helped us migrate from our legacy billing and operational support systems. The platform offers high agility for faster time-to-market and feature rich functionalities.”

Elitecore’s NFV ready and virtualised platform comprises of integrated policy and charging, 3GPP AAA, convergent billing, fulfillment, mobile self care catering to voice, data and VAS services supporting multiple networks. LTE, Wi-Fi and WiMAX.

Singapore-based Super Sea Cable Networks has selected Huawei Marine to deploy its SEA Cable Exchange-1 (SeaX-1) cable that will connect the Eastern seaboard of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

The 250km, 24-fibre pair cable that will connect Mersing (Malaysia), Changi (Singapore), and Batam (Indonesia). It is planned to be complete by the end of 2017.

Super Sea Cable Networks holds a facilities-based operator (FBO) license in Singapore and is supported by SACOFA, a telecommunication infrastructure provider in Sarawak, East Malaysia, to provide the landing in Malaysia. SACOFA’s affiliate company, Indonesian telecommunication infrastructure provider PT Super Sistem Ultima, will provide the landing in Indonesia.

Joseph Lim, CEO of Super Sea Cable Networks, said: “SeaX-1 passes through one of the busiest regions in the Asia Pacific region, where bandwidth demands are increasing exponentially. We believe this new submarine cable system will relieve bandwidth pressures on existing infrastructure and continue to provide this region with high-speed, reliable connectivity that will fast-track its growth.”

Ericsson has signed a five-year partnership agreement with Malaysian data network provider Celcom Axiata to deliver LTE services. Ericsson will deploy its latest-generation radio network products, including full turnkey delivery of products and services for Celcom’s radio access network (RAN).

According to Ericsson, its modular architecture, with its multi-standard, multi-band and multi-layered technology will provide Celcom with the infrastructure to support subscribers’ growing mobile data requirements, as well as the flexibility to expand and adapt to changing consumer needs.

Todd Ashton, head of Ericsson Malaysia and Sri Lanka, said: “The new solutions will deliver three times the capacity density with a 50 percent improvement in energy efficiency. The system will enable Celcom to deliver on their brand promise of an enhanced user experience and to lay the foundations of being 5G-ready.

“Malaysia is digitizing at an enormous speed, and as leaders in our respective industries, Ericsson and Celcom are perfect partners for this transformation journey. Together we can help Malaysia reach its objective of becoming a high-income digital nation by 2020.”