The potential of 5G, which is expected to launch commercially in 2020, has telecom operators eager to adapt in order to implement the technology early on. But progressing from 4G to 5G isn’t necessarily straight forward. 4.5G and 4.9G – the generation’s between 4G and 5G – are now common terms in the wireless industry, designed to establish a smooth path to 5G for operators, explains Kai Sahala, head of Radio Access Marketing at Nokia. 4G won’t just fade away…

Facebook-owned application WhatsApp introduced end-to-end encrypted messaging last year, and while it was received well by the general public, security implications have made it a difficult ride for the company. In January, a report revealed vulnerabilities in the messaging service that could allow Facebook and others to intercept and read WhatsApp messages. Experts are now calling into question the security of encrypted messaging services. WhatsApp introduced full encryption for its services in March 2016 as a means of ensuring that…

Huawei’s ambition to topple its rivals in the premium smartphone market is no secret. Since 2011, the global smartphone market has been dominated by Apple and Samsung. The elusive third-best spot, meanwhile, has changed hands over the years, but now Huawei firmly holds the position. In the GCC, Huawei experienced an increase in smartphone sales last year, but still trails behind the top two overall. Apple and Samsung have never had a viable contender to loosen their grip on the…

Broadband is the “most important technology” today because of the transformation to society that it can bring, said Elaine Weidman-Grunewald, Ericsson’s SVP and Chief Sustainability Officer, at the launch of Ericsson’s Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Report at MWC 2017. Using the UN SDGs as a framework, the report highlights how the telecommunications industry can positively evolve through use of responsible business practices, reducing energy consumption through 5G, and providing internet for all. “At Ericsson, we start with our commitment to…

How much is big data really worth? That's the question analysts have been tackling – some suggest big data is becoming more dominant in determining the valuation of a company. There's been a shift in the way organizations are valued, from those that own tangible assets to those that were built on big data, like Facebook and Uber. Those in the business of valuing corporate investments will increasingly be forced to "consider a company's wealth of information in properly valuing…