Mobile Services
Huawei, Ping An Technology launch white paper for innovative practices of SD-WAN
NEW DELHI: Huawei, together with Ping An Technology, an industry-leading technology company, recently released a white paper for Innovative Practices of SD-WAN in China’s Financial Services Industry.
This move is another achievement following the Intent-Driven Network (IDN) joint innovation agreement signed between both parties at the Huawei Global Analyst Summit 2018. It also marks both companies’ significant innovation progress through Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) in the finance sector.
According to this white paper, Internet-based financial services are developing fast, which diversifies the financial services portfolio. In addition to traditional transaction services, ubiquitous financial services emerge rapidly. The combination of services results in differentiated demands for WANs of financial institutions. Traditional device-centric WANs, however, cannot adapt to service development.
This is where SD-WAN comes into play. SD-WAN incorporates SDN, NFV, cloud, Big Data, automation, and other cutting-edge technologies. It comes with four key innovations: service-centric multi-link selection; centralized deployment and management of connections and virtualized applications; converged networking of physical branches and cloud branches (private and public clouds); and centralized management and control of massive branches. SD-WAN helps build an intelligent, open, and service-aware WAN, which is ideal for the finance industry noted for massive branches.
At the Huawei Global Analyst Summit 2018, Ping An Technology announced its launch of the industry’s first AI-based customer service that remotely authenticates users through Big Data and biometric technology (such as facial and voiceprint recognition), and then provides all-in-one online service management for users, following successful authentication.
With this new AI-based customer service, Ping An Technology provides users with the ultimate experience in insurance services by guaranteeing that services are secure, reliable, efficient, and convenient — and available anytime, anywhere. AI technologies (including facial and voiceprint recognition) stimulate the growth of video and voice traffic; however, the bandwidth of original branch networks is far from enough for efficient AI-based customer service.
Additionally, provisioning MPLS-based private lines is costly and time-consuming. In order to improve the service level and customer experience, as the platform service provider for Ping An Group Inc., Ping An Technology picked Huawei’s SD-WAN Solution to upgrade networks throughout China for supporting AI-based customer service.
Huawei’s SD-WAN Solution provides on-demand interconnection between branches, branches and headquarters, and branches and the cloud. It delivers the ultimate experience in enterprise WAN interconnections by capitalizing on application-based intelligent traffic steering and acceleration; open universal computing gateways (uCPE); and intelligent Operations and Maintenance (O&M).
Huawei’s SD-WAN Solution also features hybrid WAN, Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP)-based fast deployment, cloud-based and centralized O&M, E2E network security assurance, and fully open ecosystem architecture. Based on these merits, Huawei’s SD-WAN Solution provides optimal link assurance and the ideal experience for AI-based customer service, reducing insurance policy issuance time from 2 hours to 10 minutes.
“The Huawei SD-WAN Solution helps us greatly reduce private line costs, improve network O&M efficiency, and quickly roll out AI-based customer service with optimal experience,” said William Fang, CTO of Ping An Technology.
“The announcement of our joint innovation achievement in SD-WAN and the white paper release will promote the implementation of Ping An Technology’s cloud strategy, and accelerate the digital transformation of the financial services industry,” added Fang.
Wang Shaosen, General Manager of Huawei Enterprise Gateway Domain, added: “We are delighted to jointly release the white paper together with Ping An Technology. Ping An is the world’s first company to innovatively deploy SD-WAN on a large scale in an AI-based customer service project. This practice is the first of its kind in the industry. Huawei has constantly invested and innovated in the SD-WAN field. Huawei’s feature-rich SD-WAN Solution provides powerful network support for Ping An to quickly roll out its AI-based customer services with optimal user experience, contributing to Ping An’s business success.”
NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel, India’s telecommunications services provider, today announced the launch of its ultra-fast 5G services in 125 cities. Airtel 5G Plus service is now available to customers in over 265 cities in the country.
Airtel 5G Plus has three compelling advantages for customers. First, it runs on a technology that has the widest acceptance in the world with the most developed ecosystem. This ensures that all 5G smartphones in India seamlessly work on the Airtel network. Second, the company promises to deliver the best experience – between 20 to 30 times higher speeds than today coupled with brilliant voice experience and super-fast call connect. Finally, Airtel 5G Plus network will also be kinder to the environment with its special power reduction solution. Powered by the reliable Airtel network infrastructure, Airtel 5G Plus will provide superfast access to High-Definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos et all.
Commenting on the launch, Randeep Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel said, “5G has revolutionized the world of internet, ushering new era of connectivity and communications that will prove to be a game-changer for the country. At Airtel, we remain committed to delivering the highest quality of network and service to our customers as we roll-out 125 more cities today. Airtel was the first in the country to offer 5G services in October 2022, and today’s mega launch is our promise to connect every Airtel customer in the country with ultra-fast Airtel 5G Plus. Our 5G rollout is on track to cover all towns and key rural areas by March 2024.”
Airtel 5G Plus service availability will continue to rapidly expand – including service in all towns and villages in the country soon – as the company is working towards offering nationwide coverage. Airtel is now offering its 5G services in every major city from the upper northern city of Jammu to the southern tip of Kanyakumari.
In the last one year, Airtel has demonstrated the power of 5G with a host of powerful use cases that will change the way customers lead their lives and do business. From India’s first live 5G network in Hyderabad to India’s first private 5G network at the BOSCH facility in Bengaluru to partnering with Mahindra & Mahindra to make its Chakan manufacturing facility, India’s first 5G enabled auto manufacturing unit, Airtel has been at the forefront of 5G innovation.
NEW DELHI: Apple Inc has rolled out a beta programme to enable 5G on Apple devices as the upgrade lets users try out pre-release software.
This software upgrade enables 5G access on Apple devices, as and when service providers Jio, Airtel and Vodafone enable 5G network access, sources said.
Apple Users have to enrol for the Beta Programme on the website, install a profile and download the software.
Jio users using iPhone 12 and above, in cities where JioTrue5G has been rolled out, will be invited to the Jio Welcome Offer. Jio Welcome Offer provides unlimited 5G data at up to 1 Gbps speed to users at no additional cost. However, there is a condition that prepaid users must be on active Rs 239 and above plan. All Postpaid users are eligible for this trial.
Airtel is not providing any special 5G offer like Jio to their users. In the cities/areas in which the Airtel 5G network has been launched, users can trial 5G services as a part of their existing plan, once they have updated the latest Apple Beta software.
While an email sent to Apple did not solicit an immediate response, the firm had last month stated: “We are working with our carrier partners in India to bring the best 5G experience to iPhone users as soon as network validation and testing for quality and performance is completed. 5G will be enabled via a software update and will start rolling out to iPhone users in December”.
Airtel and Jio customers on iPhone 14, iPhone 13, iPhone 12 and iPhone SE (3rd generation) models can experience 5G as part of Apple’s iOS 16 Beta Software Program. The Apple Beta Software Program is open to anyone with a valid Apple ID who accepts the Apple Beta Software Program Agreement during the sign-up process.
If a user has an iCloud account, that is an Apple ID, it is recommended they use that. If they do not have an iCloud account or any other Apple ID, they can create one.
Customers who want to try the beta software should back up their iPhones before installing the beta software. It is recommended to install the beta software only on non-production devices that are not business-critical. Users can also provide feedback to Apple on quality and usability, which helps Apple identify issues, fix them, and make Apple software even better.
The iOS beta comes with the built-in Feedback Assistant app, which can be opened from the Home screen on the iPhone or iPad or from the Dock on the Mac.
Source: Press Trust of India
5g
Nokia wins multi-year deal with Reliance Jio India to build one of the largest 5G networks in the world
NEW DELHI: Nokia has announced that it has been selected as a major supplier by Reliance Jio to supply 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment from its comprehensive AirScale portfolio countrywide in a multi-year deal. Reliance Jio is India’s number one mobile operator and has one of the largest RAN footprints in the world.
Under the contract, Nokia will supply equipment from its AirScale portfolio, including base stations, high-capacity 5G Massive MIMO antennas, and Remote Radio Heads (RRH) to support different spectrum bands, and self-organizing network software. Reliance Jio plans to deploy a 5G standalone network which will interwork with its 4G network. The network will enable Reliance Jio to deliver advanced 5G services such as massive machine-to-machine communications, network slicing, and ultra-low-latency.
Akash Ambani, Chairman Reliance Jio, commented: “We are pleased to be working with Nokia for our 5G SA deployment in India. Jio is committed to continuously investing in the latest network technologies to enhance the experience of all of its customers. We are confident that our partnership with Nokia will deliver one of the most advanced 5G networks globally.”
Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO at Nokia stated: “This is a significant win for Nokia in an important market and a new customer with one of the largest RAN footprints in the world. This ambitious project will introduce millions of people across India to premium 5G services, enabled by our industry-leading AirScale portfolio. We are proud that Reliance Jio has placed its trust in our technology and we look forward to a long and productive partnership with them.”
Nokia has a long-standing presence in India. This new deal will mean that Nokia is now supplying India’s three largest mobile operators.
