China Telecom (China Telecommunication Corporation) and HGC (formerly Hutchinson Global Communication) will be working together in building a carrier-to-carrier fiber optic connection on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. HGC, founded in 1992 under British ruling, is the leader in fixed-line operators. It also has an extensive number of infrastructures outside of Hong Kong. It is also one of Hong Kong’s main Wi-Fi provider with 29,000 hotspots. It is now owned by I Square Capital, under Asia Cube Global’s infrastructure. On the other hand, China Telecom is the most important state-owned telecommunication company in China. It manages the third largest broadband network in the world. Their internet offers has 160 million subscribers, and the customers’ number of their mobile service is 260 million. This Bridge connects Zhuhai, up north Macau, Macau itself and Hong Kong. It is set to open for vehicles on July 1rst 2018. It will also be used for…
No doubt, “blockchain” is the hottest buzz word being discussed across all industries, and telecommunications is no exception. The blockchain is being proposed for use in various applications in the telecommunications industry, such as securing CDRs, billing data and access logs, ensuring data authenticity or ensuring strict operational procedures. Blockchain will certainly optimize costs by eliminating third-parties such as clearing houses, automating audits and improving fraud detection. However, there is one area where the use of blockchain technology has the potential to not only benefit the operators, but will have a revolutionary impact on the way we all understand, use and protect our identities. The Phone Number as your Digital ID Our phone number is our most valuable digital identity, and will remain the only unique international method of identification well into the future. The PSTN, which is wholly based on the use of phone numbers, is the largest social…
French startup “BlackBoxSecu” located on the Côte d’Azur, has made the first demo of its secure voice communication system CipherBOX (CBOX) on Orange and Free mobile networks. Commercialization might begin the coming months. As the global threat evolves, listening to voice over the Internet and mobile networks becomes easier, cheaper and more accessible to third parties, private spies and foreign special services. Developed by BlackBoxSecu, the CBOX aims to provide secure high-level voice connectivity that meets individual communication needs on mobile, laptop, tablet or landline phones. The company has been awarded by Innovation Award of Special Forces SOFINS 2017, Trophées de la Sécurité 2017 (Bronze medal) in France and has been selected by Village by Crédit Agricole. Based on a stand-alone box developed during 3 years near Nice, the Cipher BOX encrypts the audio signal directly to the source of the voice (microphone of the user’s headset) as well as…
French researchers are starting to work on the blockchain! Inria, Télécom ParisTech, Télécom SudParis and SystemX signed a framework agreement on Tuesday March 6th, to coordinate their research efforts in the blockchain area. Called “Bart” (Blockchain Advanced Research & Technologies), this initiative will last for six years and will mobilize thirty researchers. Its aim is to remove the technological barriers that slow down the deployment of blockchain-driven data storage, a technology which is currently attracting the interest of many industries. Three main challenges will be addressed: 1 – Scaling up In one second, six or seven transactions took place on the Bitcoin blockchain, versus several thousand for the Visa credit card system. This slowness limits the use of the blockchain on a larger scale. The problem is due to the validation technique required for transactions, with transactions being grouped into blocks that must be validated by a computer calculation process called mining. Typically, it takes about…
Fundamentally, Lina Zaboras is a people person. First thing every morning, the CEO of DIDWW devotes her time in walking through the company offices and taking the pulse of the team, because, as she says, “to us, relationships are everything, and only by developing personal connections, can we make a difference.” DIDWW views its staff as the distinction that makes the company successful. “We don’t see ourselves as producing products; rather, our people develop solutions,” Zaboras points out. “Almost every customer has very individual requirements, and it’s only by having dedicated and knowledgeable staff who can properly understand their challenges, that they can be confident of receiving a communications solution that will meet their needs.” Lessons learned outside the business Lina Zaboras’ appointment as the CEO of DIDWW was somewhat unusual. While she had ample skills and determination to take the business forward, her professional background in languages and education was very far…
Softphones have become very popular across the world due to its cost-effectiveness, the multiple features offered by the software and the ability of the device to offer unified communications, including voice, video, instant messaging and fixed-mobile convergence. The 6 Benefits of Using Softphones: Cost of softphones Softphones are inexpensive and many products are available free of charge. In addition, softphones allow expensive desk and SIP phones to be replaced, and the cost of maintaining this hardware is no longer a consideration. Any upgrades to the softphone are generally free-of-charge and are easily installed without requiring expensive technical assistance. Save on calls In general, VoIP-to-VoIP calls are completely free. International and long-distance rates are much lower when using a VoIP softphone versus traditional telephony, so those making regular or frequent calls out-of-state or country can effect significant cost savings. Also, traditional landlines require a high general operating fee in order to…
When using a cloud PBX, customers have access to advanced features and enterprise-level functionality, while enjoying reduced infrastructure costs and minimized system administration concerns. However, you should diligently compare providers to ensure that you do not subscribe to a service that does not fit your needs and goals. This article lists some points to consider before committing to any hosted PBX phone service provider and should assist you in choosing a service that meets your communication needs. Are my feature set requirements satisfied? Before you start looking for a provider, you must compile a list of features that are essential to your business model and operational requirements, and also consider what features you might need in the future. In many cases, the cloud PBX provider charges for a specific set of features, or bills on a per-feature basis. Therefore, it may be useful to differentiate between “must have” features, and…
Few have contributed as greatly to the open-source world of VoIP and telecommunications as Mark Spencer. Faced with financial obstacles, he did what any good leader would and built his own solution that has since then benefitted businesses around the world. His open-source framework Asterisk has been able to disrupt the status quo of PBX or Private Branch Exchange, systems while giving business owners a way to inexpensively manage their telecommunications. Education and Beginnings Mark Spencer wasn’t a man who came out of nowhere and built this innovative program. He was enrolled at Auburn University as a computer engineer when the entrepreneurial spirit first hit him. While still a student and finishing up his degree, Spencer decided it was time to put his education to the test and found his own business. This culminated in Linux Support Systems, a company started in 1999 with the original aim of supplying Linux support…
Call centers are at the front line of customer service and are expected to run at peak efficiency while maintaining a high call volume. There are many challenges in managing and operating a call center, one of them being securing inbound calling services that meet both current and future needs. Voice support serves as the backbone for the call center, and it is short-sighted for a brand to risk their reputation by exposing consumers to a substandard voice product. Management is constantly concerned with basic communication issues. Are callers getting a busy signal? Are calls being dropped? Is the voice quality satisfactory? At the same time, the concurrent call requirements have to be managed, to ensure sufficient capacity without wasting money on excess channels. Furthermore, in recent years, organizations have seen their customer base contact them not only through more media channels but also from diverse locations around the globe.…
Well-designed software and plentiful features are essential to having the best softphone: effective and useful. This is especially true of the user interface (UI), where all the necessary functions must be displayed front and center, smoothly integrating voice operations with the workflow processes. In many cases, the softphone is designed to resemble a traditional telephone, with a display panel and buttons for user control, very much like a standard phone interface. Over and above the importance of the user interface, there are a number of factors to consider when choosing the right product. We will discuss these factors in order to assist you in making an informed decision in selecting the best softphone. Cost There is a wide range of both free and paid softphones. In many cases, vendors offer a free, limited-feature version of their paid products. If you wish to use the free version, then you should carefully evaluate this…