This year has been nothing short of transformational for several public and private enterprises across the region and the rest of the world. The wholesale industry, in particular, had a unique experience throughout the pandemic, as people were forced into lockdown and began to study and work from home, causing a huge surge in internet traffic.

Read more: Vaneet Mehta discusses experience of wholesale industry amid COVID-19 at 14th Telecom Review Summit

When Steven Spielberg’s “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” first premiered in 2001, it was hailed as an ambitious foray into the unknown, into a dimension that the world had not yet ventured but was not completely unfamiliar with. The project was first conceived by legendary producer-director Stanley Kubrick, who handed over the production of “A.I.” to Spielberg.The idea that artificial intelligence (AI) or machines that exhibit human-like emotions could be a reality in the not so distant future was both intriguing and downright mind-boggling. The film itself is set in the 22nd century in a post-climate change era. In this conception, most of the world’s coastlines have been submerged underwater due to rising sea levels, with humans and humanoid robots living side-by-side with one another.

Read more: Employing AI in the war against Covid-19

As we come closer to making 5G a reality, OTTs and service providers will soon be able to look forward to implementing 5G’s network slicing capabilities within their business operations, in addition to being a new source of revenue to operators. Telecom Review Asia Pacific sat down with Mr Jason Tu Jiashun, Principal Scientist of NFV/SDN Solutions at ZTE Corporation to find out more about this exciting new possibility. 

Read more: Opportunities abound for vertical industries employing 5G network slicing

With 40 years of hard-earned experience and continued progress, Arianespace has been lauded as one of the leading commercial satellite launch services in the industry. Telecom Review Asia Pacific spoke to Vivian Quenet, Arianespace’s Managing Director for Asia-Pacific to gain insight on the company’s impressive portfolio within the region, COVID 19’s impact on business operations and its future missions with Ariane 6 and Vega C.

Read more: Arianespace’s legacy continues to soar with upcoming launch missions

As the world continues to grapple with the uncertainty of COVID-19, the consequences of this pandemic, further exacerbated by global lackadaisicalness at the beginning of the outbreak, has driven many economies into recession and created a seismic shift in the job market. According to a report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the pandemic could potentially cost the world economy up to USD$ 8.8 trillion in losses, with the Asia Pacific region (APAC) accounting for 30% of this. If these estimates are correct, this would mean the loss of over 200 million full-time jobs worldwide; 70% of which will come from APAC.

Read more: The rise of pandemic-driven digital services

With both Africa and Asia on the cusp of a digital renaissance, Telecom Review Asia Pacific secured an exclusive interview with ZTE’s SVP, President of International Sales Mr. Xiao Ming to discuss the evolution of 5G within these two very distinct regions as well as the significance of investing its global revenue into R&D in a post-pandemic world.

Read more: Looking to Asia and Africa as future hubs for digital economic development

The 21st century is currently witnessing a technological renaissance unlike anything it has ever experienced before. The proliferation of new technologies like 5G network, Internet of Things (IoT), big data, blockchain and virtual and augmented reality are just some of the emerging game changers that will undoubtedly change our world in more ways than we can imagine. In terms of digital innovation and technological foresight, Asia has proven itself to be at the top of its class. Despite its rapidly growing digital economy, the many advantages that could be reaped by the region may potentially be overshadowed by the rising concerns of cybersecurity threats. In other words, the greater the success of the region’s digital economy, the greater the exposure to increasingly harmful cybersecurity breaches.

Read more: Cybersecurity: The Southeast Asian dilemma

The fourth industrial revolution has arrived, bringing with it a digital cache of untapped potential ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) to virtual reality (VR). Companies, enterprises and institutions across multiple sectors are now gunning to become the first within their industries to adopt, implement and fully utilize these emerging technologies that come with such rapid global digitisation. In addition to AI and VR, the proliferation of new technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, blockchain and biometrics are just some of the emerging game changers that have taken the world, particularly Asia Pacific, by storm.

Read more: The necessity of 5G in the Asian ecosystem

Over the past few years, Huawei has been under fire due to several baseless allegations made by the US government which has caused a ripple effect across the rest of the world and has made the company collateral damage in a trade war between the US and China.

Read more: UK’s Huawei 5G ban and the dangers of prioritizing geopolitics over innovation

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