Huawei announces managed services agreement with Telefonica UK (UK, China)
Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, announced the signing of a five-year managed services agreement with Telefónica UK. Under the agreement, Huawei will be responsible for planning and managing Telefónica UK’s core transmission, mobile access and network construction in the multivendor core network.
Victor Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei UK, said that they are very pleased to announce their first major managed services agreement with Telefónica UK. Having collaborated with Telefónica in a number of markets around the world, this agreement, which focuses on building world-class managed services capabilities in the UK, is no doubt an important step in extending our relationship with Telefónica UK.
As part of the agreement, 56 Telefónica UK employees will transfer to Huawei and work for Huawei’s managed services business in order to implement the planning and building of the core network. In addition, 62 contractors will also be transferred. These transfers will comply with the terms and conditions outlined in the Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment (TUPE) regulations.
Mr. Zhang added that he is also glad to welcome 56 new employees to Huawei from Telefónica UK. Their skills and experience will be invaluable to Huawei as we seek to develop their managed services capabilities in the UK, as well as managing Telefónica UK’s core network. This agreement, indeed, further underlines their long-term commitment and investment in the UK market.
As the fastest growing managed services provider in the world, Huawei currently collaborates with operators on over 240 agreements in more than 60 countries, providing first-class network products and support to operators.
Airtel selects Huawei for 4G network contract in Karnataka (India)
Indian telecom operator Bharti Airtel has awarded Huawei a contract to plan, design, supply and deploy LTE network to offer fourth-generation (4G) mobile broadband services in Karnataka. According to reports, Huawei will deliver LTE network infrastructure and devices which offers high-speed internet access on the go.
Sanjay Kapoor, chief executive officer for India & South Asia, Bharti Airtel, said that with the pioneering launch of 4G LTE, Airtel has paved the way for data revolution in the country by being at the forefront of India’s telecom revolution once again. Further, mobile data traffic in the country will increase nearly 100-fold by 2015 and consumers will stream nearly 600 hours of video content.
This is the third region where Airtel has launched 4G services in India, following Kolkata and Maharashtra. Airtel is also the first operator to offer 4G services in India.
Huawei targets number one mobile vendor slot (China)
Huawei, which is currently the second largest mobile network vendor, has claimed that it plans to replace current leader Ericsson to be the world’s largest mobile infrastructure vendor. In an interview with Mobile World Live, David Wang, president of Huawei’s wireless networks business, said that they want to be the leading mobile infrastructure provider and there is no doubt about that.
As per the report, Wang pointed to the Chinese vendor’s product portfolio as proof that it has evolved beyond more than just a ‘cheaper’ version of its western rivals, outlining the company’s contribution to industry standard developments as well as its launch of SingleRAN and GigaSite equipment.
Wang said that step by step, following this kind of path, they could be the number one. He added that they want to really have the biggest contribution to the whole industry.
He added that with GSM, at the time they were still followers. But with UMTS they started to become one of the leading vendors. And now for LTE, he thinks that they are absolutely one of the world’s leading vendors. Further, LTE will be a big opportunity for Huawei to further enhance their leadership.
Umniah begins preperation for 3G launch (Jordan)
Umniah, the leading telecom operator in Jordan and a subsidiary of Bahrain’s Batelco Group, has announced that it was gearing up for the rollout of 3G services across the kingdom in the coming months, according to a report by TradeArabia.
As per ther report, Umniah said preparations were underway for the completion of the newest 3G network in the Kingdom. The company confirmed that it is in the process of finalizing the network in order to meet the growing demands for high-speed Internet in the Jordanian market.
The operator announced that it had signed key agreements with Huawei and ZTE to assist in the technical requirements related to the building of the 3G network for Umniah’s corporate and individual subscribers.
Umniah CEO Ihab Hinnawi said that they are expecting to launch their 3G services in the coming few months. Further, the market has shown a number of indications that signify its readiness for 3G services as they have seen an increased demand for broadband Internet services, an increase in smartphone penetration rates, an improvement in purchasing power as well as a rise in content and applications that are suited to our community and lifestyle.
Hinnawi said Umniah had invested $70.4 million in January for a 3G licence and dedicated additional amounts towards infrastructure and network expenses.
As per the report, the telecom group had also acquired 2.1 GHz of spectrum from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), preparing it to move forward with the rollout of the advanced 3.75G services to its growing customer base, he stated.
Umniah currently serves more than 2.3 million customers in the Kingdom, giving it a 31 per cent market share, he added.
Globe Telecom upgrades network in Davao City (Philippines)
Leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom, which is currently embarking on a $700-million landmark mobile network modernization program, brings a radically enhanced network experience to residents of Davao City through fast call connections, on-time delivery of text messages, and reduced incidence of dropped calls even at peak hours and traffic-heavy occasions.
Being a key market and focus area for Globe, Davao City was tapped for the implementation of the network change-out beginning December last year, resulting in doubled mobile telephony capacity in the area to support growing customer demand and improvements in voice and SMS service quality.
The network modernization program, touted as the most significant investment of Globe in the last two decades, includes an all-IP infrastructure, pervasive 3G coverage, double fiber optics capacity, 4G and LTE readiness, and overall quality and resiliency.
Once completed, Globe envisions a robust and resilient network that can provide an unparalleled customer experience to truly set the company apart from competition. The new Globe network and IT systems are not only designed to address all current customer needs but would also have the capacity and capability for more sophisticated use of mobile and broadband technologies.
With the telecom industry worldwide evolving at a breakneck speed, it has become imperative for local players to stay competitive and up-to-date with the latest developments. Thus, Globe constantly pushes its underlying infrastructure capabilities to much higher levels so as to touch both consumers and industries in new and progressive ways.
The unprecedented undertaking will modernize all layers of the Globe network within the next five years and is anticipated to set the industry benchmark for the most technologically advanced network in the Philippines. It is expected to bring aggressive growth prospects, savings in capital spending and expenses, as well as operational efficiencies from the synergy among Globe and its partners, Huawei and Alcatel-Lucent. Together bound by vision and resolve, the three companies are committed to instrumentally deliver a superior customer experience for the benefit of the consuming public.
At a higher level, Globe network modernization program also serves to broaden the telecommunications horizon of the Philippines as its corollary infrastructure expansion and service innovation stands to attract investment and business. Globe is effectively raising the bar of technology and service in the industry to make it at par with the world’s most advanced telecom communities and practices.
The Globe network and IT transformation program is an ambitious and yet necessary undertaking which will provide the platform that will make Globe even more competitive in the fast-moving market.
Vodafone launches first German carrier communications service (Germany)
Vodafone will offer the first network operator in Germany as the new communications service, RCS-e. RCS-e, which stands for “Rich Communication Suite enhanced” by the industry association GSMA is a standard developed for easy and secure communications that will be launched globally by many mobile network operators.
Soon Vodafone first smartphones with software installed for the use of RCS-e will offer in trade. With many smartphones already available RCS-e can be used in the next few months, this is possible through free updates. To introduce the use of RCS-e in the Superflat Internet tariffs will be included.
With RCS-e-phone users can now easier than ever to send and receive messages, share files such as documents, pictures and videos with each other and also take part in an ongoing voice call, a video-link and see as their interlocutor. All functions can easily be started directly via the contacts stored in the address, the service is integrated seamlessly in this smartphone. Customers benefit from entirely new possibilities for communication, for RCS-e is a by operators globally supported service. For example, the network speed between transmitter and receiver is detected automatically, so for example, video calls, or photos and videos in the highest quality possible in each case by the fastest means to be transmitted securely.
Erik Friemuth, head of retail banking at Vodafone Germany, said that they introduced the first LTE network operators introduced in this country and are now underscoring their role as an innovative pioneer as the first provider of RCS-e in Germany. He added that their customers can now easily over any other than chat ever with each other to stay on video telephony in touch, share photos and videos live and share files. In communication is their core competency and they emphasize the rapid introduction of RCS-e.
To ensure that customers of different network operators communicate with each other messages and files, and video phone calls to the GSMA has developed so-called extensive interoperability testing. Everyone wants to offer network operators, the RCS-e, it must go through to ensure high quality and safety requirements and the availability of RCS-e these tests and are certified for this purpose.
The mobile network operators that will support the service in Germany, are next to the German telecom Vodafone and O2. Smart phones with preinstalled software RCS-e will come for example from equipment manufacturers such as HTC, Huawei, LG, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. More details to RCS e timely given the launch of the service, Vodafone announced.
4G/LTE trial by Batelco and Huawei is successful (Bahrain, China)
Batelco, the Kingdom`s leading integrated communications services provider and Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, have successfully showcased LTE (Long Term Evolution) mobile technology at Batelco’s Hamala Headquarters on March 22nd. LTE, commonly referred to as 4G enables delivery of super fast data speeds. During the trial speeds of 150Mbps were achieved.
Batelco embarked on its US$ 38.4 million MNE (Mobile Network Expansion) project in June 2010, to develop a superior network performance for Batelco and ensure readiness for LTE. Such financial commitment ensures that Bahrain’s infrastructure for wireless is the best in class and measures up to the top 10 markets in the world. Delivery of LTE is a crucial enabler of the Business Friendly Bahrain strategy, established by the Economic Development Board, in line with the Kingdom’s 2030 vision.
Batelco Group Chief Executive Shaikh Mohamed Bin Isa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Bahrain Rashid Abdulla, General Manager Consumer Division Muna Alhashimi, Chief Technical Officer John Ford and a number of Batelco officials were present at the LTE Trial along with Huawei Vice President of ME Gordon Wu and Huawei Deputy President of Batelco Key Account Elsa Tan plus a number of Huawei technical representatives.
Batelco Group Chief Executive Shaikh Mohamed Bin Isa Al Khalifa thanked Huawei for their invaluable contribution to Batelco in carrying out the successful LTE trial. He said that Huawei has been a key partner in providing Batelco with innovative telecommunications solutions over the past few years and they appreciate their invaluable contribution towards the successful delivery of key services for customers.
Batelco Bahrain Chief Executive Rashid Abdulla explained that Batelco`s major objective in investing in 4G/LTE was to enhance, upgrade and expand their mobile broadband network to tackle a number of needs such as providing or enhancing Data coverage and quality of service in newly developed or remote areas.
Huawei Vice President of Middle East Gordon Wu, said that collaborating with Batelco in structuring LTE services for the people of Bahrain has been a fantastic experience as well as an opportunity to further meet the demand for superior connectivity in the Kingdom. He added that high-speed broadband technologies like LTE are incredible platforms through which to foster national development, and they look forward to working with Batelco to build on this most recent achievement.
With the provision of 4G/LTE, Batelco mobile users will experience faster access to the internet. The networks will also be capable of handling the much greater throughput of data in real time that`s required to support such services as mobile HD video streaming and conferencing, web-based applications and services, and the rapid transfer of large files. 4G/LTE will have a download data transfer rate of up to 10 times faster than that of 3G.
4G/LTE will provide Batelco Mobile Users with significant benefits that extend beyond traditional day to day wireless communications. Consumers will benefit from access to a wide range of new and rich innovative multimedia applications. It also opens the doors for innovative applications, products, services and solutions targeted not only to today’s handheld mobile devices, but also to other non-traditional devices.
Mobily and Huawei announce first commercial Service Delivery Platform (Middle East, China)
Etihad Etisalat (Mobily), Saudi Arabia’s leading mobile operator, and Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, have revealed the implementation of the Middle East’s first commercial next generation Service Delivery Platform (SDP) involving landmark advances to nearly every segment of the operator’s nationwide mobile network.
Amidst fierce competition within the Saudi telecom sector, Mobily announced in early 2011 that it would undergo a strategic business transformation that would provide more innovative services to its customers while streamlining overall operations and management processes. The technology behind the resulting SDP platform has been engineered specifically for the operator by Huawei—a leading ICT solutions provider which has successfully deployed SDP solutions across the globe and ranks first in overall market share for SDP delivery.
With the next generation SDP, Mobily will be able to more rapidly implement new multimedia services collaborating with content publishers, service providers and all other players on the value chain. The platform also allows Mobily to do things like setting up their own app store, integrating with OTT content providers, and developing cloud-oriented services—all part of opening the door to more diverse revenue streams and a healthy business ecosystem.
Khalid Al Kaf, CEO, Mobily has said that they are very proud of this cooperation between Mobily and Huawei. The Middle East’s first commercial next generation Service Delivery Platform (SDP) is part of Mobily’s initiative to enrich the telecom sector and customers’ experience.
Mobily has partnered with Huawei on numerous occasions leading up to the SDP launch, including the initiation of Mobily 4G LTE services in September 2011 which will eventually cover more than 30 cities and towns representing 85 per cent of the populated areas in KSA.
Yi Xiang, President of Middle East, Huawei, has said that this project was a fantastic opportunity to work with Mobily to build a strong operation, assurance, and optimization system that could be integrated into the pre-existing network. As legacy services, operations and networks are replaced with these software-driven frameworks, the traditionally separate IT and telecom worlds are now converging. This particular Huawei SDP solution will enable Mobily to tap into new revenue streams across the telecom, media, and Internet industries by extracting value from mobile broadband and cross-industries business.
Currently, Huawei SDP solutions are being used by more than 100 operators around the world including the top five multinational telecom operators globally.
Huawei not permitted to submit tender for Australia’s national broadband network (China, Australia)
Chinese firm Huawei will not be permitted to participate in the tender to supply equipment to Australia’s national broadband network, as reported by AFR. The report reveals increasing cyber attacks originating from China as the prime reason for the move.
However, Huawei has hinted at the involvement of the Chinese Government in the event that the ban is not removed. According to reports, a spokeswoman has said that as a strategic and significant government investment, they have a responsibility to do their utmost to protect the national broadband network’s integrity and that of the information carried on it. Further, this is consistent with the government’s practice for ensuring the security and resilience of Australia’s critical infrastructure more broadly.
As per the report, Australia isn’t the only country worried handing over a contract to Huawei. Other markets such as the United States have also raised objections to providing sensitive information to the vendor.
Mobily partners with Huawei for network upgrade (Middle East, China)
Mobile operator Mobily, has partnered with Huawei for the implementation of the next generation Service Delivery Platform (SDP) in an attempt to upgrade mobile network. According to reports, the upgrade is expected to be the first of its kind in the Middle East.
As per reports, the next generation SDP, will enable Mobily to offer better multimedia services, cloud based services as well as set up its app store.
Khalid Al Kaf, CEO, Mobily said that they are very proud of this cooperation between Mobily and Huawei. The Middle East’s first commercial next generation Service Delivery Platform (SDP) is part of Mobily’s initiative to enrich the telecom sector and customers’ experience.
Yi Xiang, President of Middle East, Huawei, claims that this project was a fantastic opportunity to work with Mobily to build a strong operation, assurance, and optimization system that could be integrated into the pre-existing network. Xiang added that as legacy services, operations and networks are replaced with these software-driven frameworks, the traditionally separate IT and telecom worlds are now converging. This particular Huawei SDP solution will enable Mobily to tap into new revenue streams across the telecom, media, and Internet industries by extracting value from mobile broadband and cross-industries business.
