TechTouch Asia

Singtel kicked off the private preview of Microsoft Azure Public MEC with Microsoft for selected enterprise customers at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) . Launched in late February, the partners collaborated to incorporate Azure Public MEC into Singtel’s 5G network and Paragon , an all-in-one platform for 5G networks, edge computing and services orchestration, to help enterprises capitalise on 5G. Singtel’s Paragon will enable enterprise customers to transmit data from their 5G devices to their applications hosted in the Azure Public MEC through secure and network performance-optimised network slices. Bill Chang, CEO, Group Enterprise, Singtel said, “One of the biggest hurdles that enterprises face is having to manage multiple silos of data and systems when adopting 5G, making it challenging for them to innovate or scale quickly to keep up with market competition. By combining Microsoft Azure tools and Singtel’s 5G capabilities with Paragon , we are breaking down these silos of ...

Bridge Alliance, Advanced Info Service (AIS), Singtel, and Summit Tech have successfully conducted an edge-to-edge interconnection across telecom operators in Singapore and Thailand, validated through a 360-degree interactive livestreaming use case. With this achievement, a federated edge hub (FEH) testbed for this service is now ready for more trials with application partners to unlock new commercial use cases powered by multimarket multiaccess edge computing (MEC) and 5G. Leveraging AIS and Singtel 5G networks and tapping on AIS’ 5GNEXTGen Platform and Singtel’s Paragon Platform , a live music performance in Montreal was broadcast in 8K to audiences in Bangkok and Singapore in January 2023. This was achieved after both MEC platforms were interconnected via the Bridge Alliance FEH. Through their smartphones and headsets, the audiences viewed the performance on Summit Tech’s Odience immersive and interactive virtual reality (VR) 360 livestreaming platform, which leverages 5G and MEC...

Singtel has announced its nationwide deployment of Ericsson’s Cell Sleep Mode function to further conserve energy at its mobile base stations as part of its net zero emissions strategy. This radio software feature is combined with Ericsson’s Cognitive Software app that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to predict the traffic patterns of individual radio cell transmitters, resulting in optimised cell sleep configurations and energy savings of up to 8% on average annually. Tay Yeow Lian, MD (Networks), Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said, “We want to meet the ever-increasing demand for data and connectivity but in a socially-conscious and sustainable manner in keeping with our goal of achieving net zero by 2050." Tay added: "With the use of predictive AI/ML and advancements in hardware technology, the application of cell sleep mode throughout the day further optimises energy savings without impacting connectivity or the mobile user experience.” T...

At Hsinchu city, about an hour by car from downtown Taipei, firefighters are using a new communications solution for disaster response. Pegatron, an electronics design and manufacturing company, partnered with Intel to design a portable 5G network-in-a-box base station. The solution allows Hsinchu’s emergency responders to obtain connectivity in remote areas that was not possible before. “This private 5G solution is one of many examples of how technology can save lives, especially in disaster-hit areas,” said Grace Wang, Intel VP in the Sales, Marketing and Communications Group and general manager of Intel Taiwan. The solution, capable of creating a single 5G cell, is powered by a portable generator and weighs 18 kg. It fits easily in the trunk of a vehicle and can be carried as a backpack, then deployed in minutes on any terrain. A satellite dish establishes the high-speed network connectivity needed. A 5G radio antenna then creates a 5G network within the immediate vicinity. Such ...

Tech Data, a TD SYNNEX company, is now offering cloud-native technologies from Tangent Works as part of a strategic partnership. Tangent Works’ Tangent Information Modeler (TIM) , an automatic model-building engine for time-series forecasting and anomaly detection, will be available in Singapore, Malaysia and India. TIM leverages artificial intelligence (AI) technology to improve operational efficiency in industries like energy, utilities, manufacturing, healthcare and finance. With expert-intensive automated machine learning (AutoML), users need to perform feature engineering, model selection and tuning to get the same results as TIM . The TIM hyper-automated engine covers all these steps in one pass of the data, bringing increased speed, efficiency, productivity and scalability.

Nokia has won a 10-year extension to its existing nationwide 5G network deal with Antina, the joint venture formed by mobile network operators M1 and StarHub in Singapore, following a competitive tender process. The deal will see Nokia deploy a 5G standalone (SA) network for both indoor and outdoor coverage as well as expand the existing network utilising Antina’s 3.5 GHz spectrum holdings. Specifically, Nokia will equip new buildings throughout the city state with its AirScale indoor Radio (ASiR) small cell solution for seamless indoor coverage. Nokia will also provide equipment from its latest energy-efficient AirScale portfolio including 5G base stations, massive MIMO adaptive antennas for urban and wide-area coverage, and dual-band remote radio heads (RRH). Antina will utilise its spectrum in the 2.1 GHz (n1) and 3.5 GHz (n78) band which provides a good combination of capacity and coverage. All of these solutions will deliver an enhanced 5G user experience with high bandwidth, u...

Epson has launched the EcoTank L3550 and L5590 printers. The new printers offer higher printing speed and durability, and are positioned as more premium printers. Source: Epson. The EcoTank L3550 printer. “With hybrid working arrangements becoming the norm in many parts of the world, the EcoTank L3550 printer was designed to deliver efficient and effortless printing solutions suited for a home setting. The L5590 targets small offices/work offices to deliver a more business-oriented and low-cost printing solution.  "Building upon the specs of previous EcoTank models, while also incorporating updated features, this new series of EcoTank printers aims to be a high-speed all-in-one printing solution for both business and home printing needs,” said Derek Tan, Head of Sales and Marketing, Epson Singapore.  Source: Epson. The EcoTank L5590 printer.     Thanks to an upgraded PrecisionCore print head, the two printers are faster than earlier EcoTank models. Black/colo...