Tech-News
Huawei promises more innovation to push 5G operations ahead globally
Global giant Huawei’s chairman Ken Hu on Tuesday (October 25, 2022) promised to expand its investment and enhance innovation for ensuring better telecommunication under the 5G regime across the world.
"5G has grown faster than any previous generation of mobile technology," Hu said in a keynote paper at the 13th Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2022, which began in Bangkok on Tuesday.
"In just three years, we've seen solid progress in network deployment, consumer services, and industry applications,” he added saying that more than 230 carriers around the world have already launched commercial 5G services.
Read:Huawei ICT Incubator announces top 6 startups from Bangladesh
In total, he said, the industry has set up over three million 5G base stations, serving more than 700 million subscribers.
"5G is in the fast lane," Hu said. “But there's more we can do…We need to work together to fully unleash the power of 5G networks and expand into services like cloud and system integration,” he said.
Chinese company Huawei, together with its industry partners GSMA and GTI, is hosting the two-day event. Organisers say mobile network carriers, vertical industry leaders and ecosystem partners from around the world will discuss how to make 5G a commercial success, as well as other high-priority industry topics like green development, intelligence, and 5G evolution.
Read:Huawei, RedDot team up to develop Bangladesh cloud market
Hu said that in telecoms, consumer services still account for the bulk of carrier revenue.
But now, he said, as 5G becomes more prevalent, its vastly superior experience is driving new shifts in consumer behavior, including a sharp rise in high-definition video traffic.
He also said B2B 5G applications are also becoming a new engine for carrier revenue growth, producing considerable value in industries like oil and gas, manufacturing, and transportation.
Read Huawei launches its largest-ever regional Seeds for the Future Program
He said these applications are not only innovative – they're generating real commercial value for carriers. In 2021, for example, Chinese carriers brought in over $500 million in new revenue from more than 3,000 industrial 5G projects.
“B2B 5G applications are poised to become the fastest growing revenue stream for carriers. 5G is enabling new service scenarios, applications, and business models, paving the way for unprecedented growth opportunities in the industry,” he said.
He said to keep this momentum the carriers should work together.
Read Huawei cloud, digital power teams onboard 60 fresh graduates
"The industry needs to come together to define standards, prepare the spectrum, and build out the ecosystem," said Hu.
“Industry digitalisation is the next wave of global economic development. As a key enabler of digital transformation, 5G opens up a world of new opportunities. But the ICT ecosystem needs to work together to make the most of them,” he said.
He said Huawei would continue to follow the trend of innovation.
Read Huawei: Maximise network resources for 5G's commercial success
WhatsApp down: Users report not being able to send, receive messages
Users in several countries, including in Bangladesh, are reporting problems with WhatsApp’s text sending and receiving capabilities – suggesting that the app may be experiencing a bug.
The number of people reporting the outage of WhatsApp has sharply increased, according to Downdetector, a website that measures online outages throughout the world.
According to the BBC, users in the UK cannot access the messaging service. Italian and Turkish social media users both complained about not being able to send messages on WhatsApp.
Read Users report not able to send, receive messages
According to Downdetector, more than 11,000 users in India have reported a WhatsApp outage, compared to 68,000 in the UK and 19,000 in Singapore, as of 7:50GMT (Bangladesh time 1:50pm).
WhatsApp has claimed that it is working to resume operations.
“We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble sending messages and we’re working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible,” a Meta spokesperson has said.
Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are all owned by the US-based firm Meta.
Read Top WhatsApp Alternatives for Free Calling and Group Chatting
ADB arranges $135m climate financing package to support electric mobility in Vietnam
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) mobilised a $135 million financing package for VinFast Trading and Production Joint Stock Company (VinFast) for manufacturing Vietnam's first fully-electric public transport bus fleet and first national electric vehicle (EV) charging network.
The assistance will support Vietnam's efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and expand high-tech manufacturing industries.
The seven-year climate financing comprises a $20 million loan funded by ADB, parallel loans of $87 million facilitated by ADB as mandated lead arranger, and concessional financing of up to $28 million.
Climate financing is certified by the Climate Bonds Initiative, a scientifically-based standard for labelling bonds, loans, and other debt instruments which contribute to addressing climate change.
ADB has partially offset the project's risks by using concessional financing from its managed trust funds comprising a loan of up to $20 million from the Australian Climate Finance Partnership funded by the Australian Government (ACFP); a loan of up to $5 million from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF); and a grant of up to $3 million from the Climate Innovation and Development Fund, funded by Goldman Sachs and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Parallel loans were also mobilised by ADB from Export Finance Australia, the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation, Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG, and ResponsAbility.
"This project delivers a high-impact, sustainable transport solution for Vietnam while helping it meet its climate goals and supporting the growth of climate finance in the region," ADB Private Sector Operations Department Director General Suzanne Gaboury said. "Asia and the Pacific is the frontline of the global fight against climate change, and private sector projects like this one with innovative partners such as VinFast are crucial to help its countries decarbonise their economies."
Vietnam's transport sector accounts for 18 percent of the country's annual greenhouse gas emissions, and its decarbonisation, through options like e-mobility, is expected to directly impact the country's ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
"We are delighted to receive this extensive support and a long-term financing package from ADB and several esteemed international development finance Institutions. We see this as a vote of confidence in our efforts to become a global smart mobility company that offers environmentally friendly public transportation, and to advance Vietnam's transition to a low carbon economy," said VinFast's Global CEO Thuy Le.
Established in 2017, VinFast is Vietnam's first domestic car company and e-vehicle manufacturer. VinFast is a subsidiary of Vingroup Joint Stock Company, Vietnam's largest private enterprise and the largest listed company in Vietnam.
VinFast develops e-cars for the domestic and international markets and is investing in a nationwide network of fast-charging units to support its e-vehicle expansion in Vietnam.
Elon Musk plans to cut 75% of Twitter workforce
Elon Musk plans to lay off most of Twitter’s workforce if and when he becomes owner of the social media company, according to a report Thursday by The Washington Post.
Musk has told prospective investors in his Twitter purchase that he plans to cut nearly 75% of Twitter’s employee base of 7,500 workers, leaving the company with a skeleton crew, according to the report. The newspaper cited documents and unnamed sources familiar with the deliberations.
San Francisco-based Twitter and a representative for Musk attorney Alex Spiro did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
While job cuts have been expected regardless of the sale, the magnitude of Musk's planned cuts are far more extreme than anything Twitter had planned. Musk himself has alluded to the need to cull some of the company's staff in the past, but he hadn't given a specific number — at least not publicly.
"A 75% headcount cut would indicate, at least out of the gates, stronger free cash flow and profitability, which would be attractive to investors looking to get in on the deal," said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. “That said, you can’t cut your way to growth."
Ives added that such a drastic reduction in Twitter's workforce would likely set the company back years.
Already, experts, nonprofits and even Twitter's own staff have warned that pulling back investments on content moderation and data security could hurt Twitter and its users. With as drastic a reduction as Musk may be planning, the platform could quickly become overrun with harmful content and spam — the latter of which the Tesla CEO himself has said he'll address if he becomes owner of the company.
After his initial $44 billion bid in April to buy Twitter, Musk backed out of the deal, contending Twitter misrepresented the number of fake “spam bot” accounts on its platform. Twitter sued, and a Delaware judge has given both sides until Oct. 28 to work out details. Otherwise, there will be a trial in November.
India imposes over Rs 1,300cr penalty on Google
India's competition regulator has imposed a whopping fine of Rs 1,337 crore on Google, in an anti-trust suit linked to the Android mobile operating system.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Thursday night tweeted to say that the fine was imposed on the search engine giant "for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem".
According to the CCI order, the search engine "operates and manages the Android OS and licences its other proprietary applications, and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) use this OS and Google's apps in their smart mobile devices".
"Accordingly, they enter into multiple agreements to govern their rights and obligations, such as Mobile Application Distribution Agreement (MADA).
"MADA assured that the most prominent search entry points i.e., search app, widget and Chrome browser are pre-installed on Android devices, which accorded significant competitive edge to Google's search services over its competitors," the CCI said.
Google also secured significant competitive edge over its competitors, in relation to its another revenue-earning app i.e. YouTube in Android devices, according to the CCI order.
Google is yet to respond to the order.
Huawei ICT Incubator announces top 6 startups from Bangladesh
Global ICT infrastructure provider Huawei has announced six startups as the winners of its ICT Incubator 2022 programme.
The winners will get seed money as the award in addition to the opportunity to meet global startups for knowledge sharing.
The announcement was made at a city hotel Wednesday (October 19, 2022). Huawei organised the event with the cooperation of Startup Bangladesh and the Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (iDEA).
Read Huawei's 20-yr presence in Bangladesh witnesses tech transformation
The competition has two groups, namely, the Idea Stage and the Early Stage. The winners of the Idea Stage and the Early Stage, respectively, are Insure Cow (Champion), Durjoy DSS (first runners-up), and Relaxy (second runners-up); and Jahaji (champions), Palki (first runners-up), and We Gro Technologies (second runners-up).
The champions will get Tk500,000 as prize money and $125,000 Huawei Cloud credit; whereas the first and second runners-up will get Tk300,000 and Tk100,000 as prize money, respectively, in addition to $80,000 Huawei Cloud Credit. Apart from these, a co-founder from each company will visit abroad to meet successful foreign startups.
An independent jury panel of the iDEA project, Huawei Bangladesh, Startup Bangladesh and other renowned leaders of the startup ecosystem of Bangladesh, selected the winners.
Read Huawei welcomes 10 BD ICT talents in Beijing
ICT State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak joined the event as the chief guest. Li Jiming, ambassador of China to Bangladesh, was present as a special guest along with Professor Vincent Chang, vice-chancellor of Brac University, Pan Junfeng, CEO of Huawei Bangladesh, Sami Ahmed, managing director of Startup Bangladesh, Md Altaf Hossain, project director (joint secretary) of iDEA Project.
Around 180 participants applied for this year's ICT Incubator programme. Divided into two groups – The idea stage and the Early stage, 68 startups were selected to join the Incubator Bootcamp, where they were mentored and provided technical training.
After this, the participants presented their startup ideas before the jury panel. Based on the judgment of the jury members, a total of 20 startups from both stages were selected as finalists for the gala event of Huawei ICT Incubator 2022. Finally, the top 3 from the Idea stage and the top 3 from the Early stage have been announced as winners at the gala event.
Read Huawei brings three competitions for Bangladeshi youths
Mustafa Jabbar directs Grameenphone to ensure quality service
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar on Tuesday directed telecom operator Grameenphone to ensure quality mobile service in order to reduce customer suffering.
“As the quality of service increases, the call drop subsidy will decrease,” he said in a meeting with the Grameenphone delegation led by Executive Vice President and Head of Telenor Asia Jorgen C Arentz Rostrup at the secretariat.
It will not be easy to survive the competition in the digital age without innovation and technology development, said Jabbar.
The government is determined to do everything possible to improve the infrastructure to ensure the quality of mobile services, he said. “We have already allocated spectrum as per the demand.”
He hoped that the mobile operators will be able to provide the desired mobile services to the customers by utilising this opportunity.
Jabbar also urged Grameenphone to take a role in increasing the rate of smartphone usage to 100% to meet the challenges of the digital age, saying that it would be highly appreciated if Grameenphone took such an initiative so that ordinary customers can buy smartphones in installments.
Regarding internet usage, the minister said the bandwidth used in the country was 1000 Gbps before Covid pandemic, but it has increased to 3840 Gbps during pandemic.
He appreciated Grameenphone's role in speedily implementing his directive to provide 4G network to the remotest communities of the country during Covid pandemic.
Musk's plan for Twitter may be as part of X
Elon Musk has a penchant for the letter “X.” He calls his son with the singer Grimes, whose actual name is a collection of letters and symbols, “X.” He named the company he created to buy Twitter “X Holdings.” His rocket company is, naturally, SpaceX.
Now he also apparently intends to morph Twitter into an “everything app” he calls X.
For months, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has expressed interest in creating his own version of China’s WeChat — a “super app” that does video chats, messaging, streaming and payments — for the rest of the world. At least, that is, once he’s done buying Twitter after months of legal infighting over the $44 billion purchase agreement he signed in April.
There are just a few obstacles. First is that a Musk-owned Twitter wouldn’t be the only global company in pursuit of this goal, and in fact would probably be playing catch-up with its rivals. Next is the question of whether anyone really wants a Twitter-based everything app— or any other super app — to begin with.
Start with the competition and consumer demand. Facebook parent Meta has spent years trying to make its flagship platform a destination for everything online, adding payments, games, shopping and even dating features to its social network. So far, it’s had little success; nearly all of its revenue still comes from advertising.
Google, Snap, TikTok, Uber and others have also tried to jump on the super app bandwagon, expanding their offerings in an effort to become indispensable to people as they go about their day. None have set the world on fire so far, not least because people already have a number of apps at their disposal to handle shopping, communicating and payments.
“Old habits are hard to break, and people in the U.S. are used to using different apps for different activities,” said Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Insider Intelligence. Enberg also notes that super apps would likely suck up more personal data at a time when trust in social platforms has deteriorated significantly.
Musk kicked off the latest round of speculation on Oct. 4, the day he reversed his attempts to get out of the deal and announced that he wanted to acquire Twitter after all. “Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app,” he tweeted without further explanation.
But he’s provided at least a little more detail in the past. During Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in August, Musk told the crowd at a factory near Austin, Texas, that he thinks he’s “got a good sense of where to point the engineering team with Twitter to make it radically better.”
And he’s dropped some strong hints that handling payments for goods and services would be a key part of the app. Musk said he has a “grander vision” for what X.com, an online bank he started early in his career that eventually became part of PayPal, could have been.
“Obviously that could be started from scratch, but I think Twitter would help accelerate that by three to five years,” Musk said in August. “So it’s kind of something that I thought would be quite useful for a long time. I know what to do.”
But it’s not clear that WeChat’s success in China means the same idea would translate for a U.S. or global audience. WeChat usage in almost universal in China, where most people never had a computer at home and skipped straight to going online by mobile phone.
Operated by tech giant Tencent Holding Ltd., the platform has made itself a one-stop shop for payments and other services and is starting to compete in entertainment. It is also a platform for health code apps the public is required to use prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
China has 1 billion internet users, and nearly all of them go online by mobile phone, according to the government-sanctioned China Internet Network Information Center. Only 33% use desktop computers at all — and mostly in addition to mobile phones. Tencent says WeChat had 1.3 billion users worldwide as of the end of June.
Tencent and its main Chinese competitor, e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, aim to make apps that offer so many services that users can’t easily switch to another app. They’re not the only ones.
WeChat has added video calls and other message features as well as shopping, entertainment and other features. Government agencies use it to send out health, traffic and other announcements. WeChat’s payment function, meanwhile, is so widely used that coffee shops, museums and some other businesses refuse cash and will take payment only through WeChat or the rival Ant app.
There is no comparable app in the U.S., despite tech companies’ efforts.
It’s worth remembering that Musk’s grand visions don’t always work out the way he appears to expect. Humans are nowhere near colonizing Mars and his promised fleet of robotaxis remains about as far from reality as the metaverse.
Twitter’s user base is also tiny relative to those at its social-platform competitors. While Facebook, Instagram and TikTok all passed the 1 billion mark long ago, Twitter has about 240 million daily users.
“Musk would not only have to overcome the hurdle of convincing consumers to change how they behave online, but also that Twitter is the place to do it,” Enberg said.
Mustafa Jabbar wants cyber security in primary school curriculum
Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Mustafa Jabbar wants inclusion of ‘Cyber Security’ in primary school curriculum of Bangladesh.
Jabbar came up with the remarks while addressing, as chief guest, a discussion on ‘Youth workshop for safe internet-2022’ organised to create awareness on cyber security at the Conference Centre of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on Thursday (October 13, 2022).
BTRC Chairman Shyam Sunder Sikdar presided over the programme where Cyber Crime Awareness Foundation President Kazi Mustafiz delivered welcome speech, Director General of BTRC’s System and Services Division Brigadier General Md Nasim Parvez presented the keynote speech.
Read: Workshop on digital literacy for cyber security held
Urging the Home Ministry to underscore digital crimes, Jabbar said every police station should have a cyber or digital crime unit with trained officials.
The BTRC chairman said they took an initiative to set up a cyber-observation lab to ensure security.
He said the Education Ministry should take steps to initiate class on cyber security, one day a week, to generate awareness among students.
Read Specific policy needed to ensure cyber security of power sector: Nasrul Hamid
“Though none should refrain from using technology, we should be more careful and protect our families and society from digital crime,” the BTRC chairman observed.
He said BTRC has already submitted an outline to bring owners of social media platforms under law to the ministry.
Daffodil International University’s Computer Science and Engineering department Head Prof Dr Touhid Bhuiyan, Digital Security Agency Director Tarique M Barkatullah and Additional Commissioner of Cyber Security department of police Nazmul Islam, among others spoke at the discussion on ‘Youth workshop for safe internet-2022’.
Read Cybersecurity Career Guide: How to Become a Cybersecurity Expert?
'October Fest': Xiaomi offers up to Tk20,000 discount
Xiaomi has announced up to Tk20,000 discount on the purchase of certain smartphones during its "October Fest" campaign in October 2022.Xiaomi 12 Pro, which is equipped with 12GB RAM and 256GB ROM, can be bought at a discounted price of Tk89,999, down from the existing market price of Tk109,999. The current market price of the smartphone with 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM of the same model is Tk99,999, but it is now available at Tk79,999 with a discount of Tk20,000.
Read Xiaomi 12T Pro Review: Is the hype real?The 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM variants of the Redmi Note 11 series are being offered at Tk19,599 after a discount of Tk1,000. The 4GB RAM and 128GB ROM variants of the same model are also being sold at Tk20,499 with a discount of Tk1,000. Redmi Note 11 has powerful hardware with an AMOLED display and a long-lasting 5000mAh battery.
The 4GB RAM and 64 GB ROM variant of Redmi 10 (2022) is now priced at Tk17,499 after a discount of Tk1,000. The 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM variant of the same model is being sold at a discounted price of Tk20,499. The smartphone has a 50-megapixel high-resolution camera and an FHD+ resolution display with a 90 Hz refresh rate.
Read Tecno Pova 4 Review: Gaming on a BudgetMeanwhile, in the "October Fest" campaign of Xiaomi in 2022, the entry-level phone Redmi 10A with 2GB and 32GB is available at Tk11,499 after a discount of Tk1,000, according to a media statement.