Transition to autonomous vehicles poised to have a big impact on telcos
I’m one of those people who loves driving, but not picky about the actual car. I’ve driven some rusty, falling-apart junkers in my life, lots of forgettable rentals, and too many SUVs – I like driving them all. As long as I’m not stuck in tra...read more
Indian government’s decision to welcome Huawei for 5G trials receives mixed response
The Indian government’s recent decision to invite Huawei for 5G trials has sparked a debate between two opposing bodies. Indian telecom export body TEPC (or Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council) has proposed a ban on Chinese tele...read more
Operators feel the pinch of rising labor costs
Global telecom operators are facing a cost crunch. Based on MTN Consulting’s analysis, annualized operating profit margins have fallen for five straight quarters, from 13.7% in 2Q17 to 12.7% in 3Q18. This profit dip comes during strong economic tim...read more
Improving Africa’s connectivity: more subsea cables are a good start
Over the last two decades, submarine cables have become a key growth enabler for trade and communication between Africa and the rest of the world. Subsea cables play this role elsewhere, but the effect is newer in Africa. With recent investments, ...read more
Facebook stepped in it this time
Whether you've joined the #deletefacebook camp or not, it's hard to deny that Facebook has dug a deep hole for itself this time. Yesterday's NYT report was a harsh assessment of the company's trustworthiness. It's worse when combined with the late...read more
Alibaba aims to undercut US chipmakers’ dominance
Alibaba entered the club of webscale network operators (WNOs) developing their own chips recently, joining Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. The Chinese e-commerce giant announced plans, in September 2018, to develop its own customized neural netw...read more
Egypt’s new capital will attract new investment but also lock country into Chinese loans and technology
Egypt is building a new capital city on a desert plot between the Nile River & the Suez Canal, to ease Cairo’s population boom. Labeled “the first smart city in Egypt,” the new, unnamed city ultimately aims to house nearly 6.5 million peopl...read more
Can India use 5G to improve local vendors’ position in global supply chains?
In the six years since India’s last telecom sector reform, operators have made big investments in their networks, the country’s subscriber levels have grown, and prices have declined. 4G is now well established, and fixed line broadband finally h...read more