PCCW has finalized an agreement to sell a 40% stake in its fibre business to China Merchants Group, a state-owned investor, for $870 million. The Hong Kong telecommunications company had been in talks with various potential buyers for months, but officially signed with the Chinese firm.
The United States government has launched an investigation into Chinese telecommunications companies China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom amid fears that these firms might transfer US data to the Chinese government through their US cloud and wholesale routing services. According to Reuters, which cited three anonymous sources, the US Commerce Department has issued subpoenas to the three companies.
China’s telecommunication landscape is set for a potential paradigm shift as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) pilots a novel scheme to alleviate foreign ownership constraints in various value-added telecom services. Primarily trialed in Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan, and Shenzhen, this bold change could stimulate innovation by aligning these industries with global trade norms.
In the ongoing geopolitical saga between the US and China, the global supply chain and the semiconductor industry are at the forefront. Both nations’ governmental bodies are ramping up subsidies to stimulate growth in domestic manufacturing and insulate against sanctions.
The 2023 Asian Games offered a glimpse into the future of event tech, from eSports to AI-driven systems. Among the innovations, a standout was ‘RADICAL’, an intelligent digital solution by Huawei and China Mobile Zhejiang, designed to manage intense 5G traffic, ensuring an exceptional experience for attendees.
China’s immense 5G market pulses with new additions, logging nearly 17 million subscribers in August as migrations to advanced telecommunications networks grow. Still, this uptake signifies a dampening speed, attributed to the top trio: China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, seeing a fall in new users compared to prior months. Abstract figures of network utilization and the quality of reception, however, leave much to be unraveled. The niche player, China Broadnet, despite a recent debut, experiences stiff competition, highlighting the difficulty of penetration amidst dominant forces.
The unveiling of Apple’s four new iPhone models sparked a surprising underwhelm in the tech community. Meanwhile, debates rose regarding China’s nimble navigation around US tech embargoes, especially regarding iPhone use. No less intriguing were the discussions around Open RAN – tech pioneers revisited this initiative with the UK’s recent efforts to regain Open RAN momentum.
In an audacious move against China’s tech supremacy, the U.S. has issued an executive order curbing American investment in several Chinese industries. Citing national security fears linked to the development of military, surveillance, and cyber technology in China, the U.S. declared a national emergency facilitating swift action. This could significantly impact sectors such as semiconductors and quantum computing, and might also influence global investment trend.
The EU’s messaging around “high-risk” vendors hints at a potential ban on Huawei and ZTE, urging members to accelerate their removal from 5G networks. As the EU Commission pushes for swift implementation, the debate on security risks and dependencies intensifies.
Hangzhou leads the digital revolution with the Dual 10 Gigabit City project, partnering with industry giants like Huawei to foster 5.5G technology, enhance connectivity and pioneer innovative applications for a smarter future.
