GSMA are forecasting that over 65,000 people will descend upon Mobile World Congress Shanghai (MWCS) 2017 to learn about the latest industry developments and innovations on show from the Asia-Pacific region. However, according to GSMA Chief Marketing Officer, Michael O’Hara, the central theme of the show will be ‘innovation’. He also hailed the success of the show which continues to grow exponentially every year.
Industry News
Australia’s largest mobile operator cuts 1,400 jobs due to increased competition
Australia’s largest operator Telstra has stunned its workforce after publicly announcing it plans to reduce its workforce by cutting 1,400 jobs over the next six months. Trade Unions in Australia have described the decision by the telecommunications operator as an ‘ambush’ on workers. Telstra CEO, Andy Penn has said that the organization needs to streamline its operations after becoming under increased competition which has affected its earnings significantly.
MWC Shanghai 2017 – Asia-Pacific to account for almost half of the world’s mobile subscriber growth by 2020
The Asia-Pacific region has been forecasted to account for almost half of the world’s mobile subscriber growth by the end of 2020. The rapid growth has been attributed to phenomenal increases in both China and India. It has been estimated that by 2020 there will be 3.1 billion unique users in the region.
Worldwide mobile subscribers hits 5 billion, says GSMA
The world’s mobile industry has signed up its 5 billionth unique mobile subscriber, according to real-time data from GSMA Intelligence, the research arm of the GSMA. The 5 billion milestone means that more than two-thirds of the global population is now connected to a mobile service. It has taken four years to add the latest 1 billion subscribers.
Second global ransomware attack in two months sparks mayhem
‘Petya’ is the second global ransomware attack to occur in just two months following the infamous WannaCry attack in May 2017. Companies around the world have been crippled by the latest Petya attack, which first appeared on June 28. The Ukraine government was severely hit, as were banks and electricity grids, and other companies in France, Denmark and the State of Pennsylvania.
Chinese smartphone firm Oppo to collaborate with NYU on 5G development
Chinese smartphone maker OPPO announced that it has partnered with renowned research center NYU WIRELESS at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering to sponsor research aimed at creating the next generation of wireless technologies.
Australia to implement 10 percent ‘Netflix Tax’
Australia is introducing a 10 percent goods and services tax (GST) for the streaming service Netflix which will come into effect from July 1. It’s the first time such a tax will be applied to digital products and services purchased in Australia from overseas companies.
ZTE conducts 26 GHz high-frequency field test in second phase of China’s 5G program
ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, today announced that it has become the first vendor to conduct the 26 GHz high-frequency field test in the second phase of China's 5G test in Huairou, Beijing.
MWC Shanghai 2017 - China Unicom identifies IoT to drive future growth
China Unicom has identified IoT as its key focus area in order to drive future revenue growth. However, despite China Unicom enjoying growth in mobile traffic, the organization expects to see mobile traffic growth decline significantly in the next number of years and will focus on IoT applications.
Nokia and China Mobile deploy intelligent home services across China
Nokia and China Mobile are deploying millions of home gateways to provide residential customers across 29 different provinces in China with access to fiber-based ultra-broadband applications and intelligent home services.