New figures from GSMA Intelligence, announced during MWC 2023, show that 5G connections are expected to double over the next two years, expedited by technological innovations and new 5G network deployments in more than 30 countries in 2023 alone. Of the new networks to be deployed in 2023, it is expected that 15 will be 5G standalone networks.

In a bizarre turn  of events, the city government of Makati, the financial district of Manila, the Philippines capital, has reportedly padlocked the headquarters of wireless carrier Smart Communications over a tax and permit dispute.

Leading Philippine fibre internet provider Converge ICT Solutions and South Korean service provider KT Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that aims to extend digital tools and innovations to enterprises in the Philippines, and to explore new digital transformation solutions for the evolving needs of ICT customers. The MoU signing was held at the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress.

The Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI),  state-owned 5G agency Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and Ericsson have announced the extension of their memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate the commercialisation of 5G-enabled science, technology, innovation and economy (STIE) solutions for companies in Malaysia.

At Mobile World Congress 2023, ZTE has concluded the launch event for its 5G FWA Gen 5 personal and home data terminal, hosted by Ni Fei, SVP and President of Mobile Devices.

Network software provider Mavenir has announced that it has expanded its existing partnership with global manufacturing company Jabil and commenced manufacturing massive MIMO radios at Jabil’s facility in Pune, India.

Reliance Jio announced it has reached 277 cities in India with its standalone 5G network after its recent deployment in 20 locations nationwide.

ZTE, in partnership with China Mobile and Qualcomm Technologies, has successfully completed a 5G Sub-band Full-Duplex (SBFD) verification and compatibility test in its Xi'an Joint Innovation Lab.

As 5G development gains momentum and 5G networks scale up, 5G technologies have been widely used, unlocking tremendous business value. In the consumer market, 5G technologies have significantly improved user experience and altered user habits.

As network transmission and video communications evolve, IPTV and OTT are converging as video platforms incorporate video communication capabilities, opening new possibilities for operators.

Data centre provider Princeton Digital Group (PDG) says it has unveiled what it calls its SG+ strategy with the announcement of a 96 MW data centre campus in Batam in Indonesia.

The GSM Association (GSMA) is keeping up the pressure on India’s decision-making bodies to identify and support 6GHz band spectrum for 5G.

Could two new undersea internet cable routes planned for 2023 or early 2024 offer Vietnam relief from its international connectivity issues?

The Philippines smartphone market declined by 8.6% year-on-year as manufacturers shipped 16.3 million units in 2022, as consumer and vendor confidence was hit by macroeconomic conditions.

Pakistan-based business communications company Multinet has announced that it will be upgrading its optical transport network that today spans the entire country covering more than 120 cities, across more than 14,000 kilometres.

Globe Telecom lauded its achievement in hitting infrastructure deployment targets as the Philippines-based operator continues its build-out to meet consumer demand for connectivity, which has gathered pace since the pandemic.

For anyone wondering how close the long-awaited merger between India’s ailing state-run telecoms carriers Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) may be, it’s apparently getting closer – albeit there appears to be another hurdle.

Nokia announced the completion of the first Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDN) with Vietnamese operator Viettel, a move that will “dramatically” increase capacity for the operator.

Dialog Axiata dropped to a loss in its full financial 2022 year due to one-off costs and rising operating expenses, despite also seeing growing revenue across its segments.

NEC Corporation and ADVA will jointly deploy time synchronisation solutions for Telkom Indonesia, allowing the fixed network operator to prepare its transport network for delivering time-sensitive 5G services across the country.

The Philippines reported operators have signed up over 30 million SIM cards in days since the introduction of the SIM card registration law to combat hackers and fraudulent activity.

Nokia is continuing to grow its presence in India, with both an extension to its manufacture of fibre broadband equipment and plans for a dedicated device testing facility for enterprise customers.

The pressure is still on Vodafone Idea (aka Vi), despite the Indian government taking a massive stake in the beleaguered operator. Third quarter dues are apparently overdue for payment, on top of which the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is planning to closely monitor Vodafone Idea’s performance for the next three months.

The latest in what appears to be a long line of undersea cable problems affecting Vietnam in recent years has brought comment from the General Secretary of the Vietnam Internet Association, Vu The Binh, who says that Vietnam needs at least two to three more undersea cable routes in the next five years to meet growing demand.

Having confirmed its acquisition of a 32% stake in Vodafone Idea, and helped to alleviate bankruptcy concerns hovering over the company, the Indian government is reportedly insisting that the country’s third-largest operator must press ahead with 5G rollout.

You might expect a major Indian 4G connectivity project to be awarded to one of India’s big mobile operators, However, RailTel, a PSU (Public Sector Undertaking or government-owned establishment) under the Ministry of Railways, was the recent winner of a State Bank of India (SBI) order to provide LTE connectivity for a large number of its ATMs.

Globe Telecom recorded profit and revenue gains in 2022 but will bring down capex and operating expenses in 2023.  

Vodafone Idea partnered with Lenovo-owned Motorola Mobility to deliver 5G smartphones for its growing 5G network. 

The Indian government is reported to have allocated 529.3billion rupees (about US$6.4 billion) in its recent budget for infrastructure installation and upgrades for both state-owned operators – BSNL and MTNL – this year.