Mobile Services
Luxembourg signs MoU with Cisco in Davos
PM Xavier Bettel and Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins Commemorate CDA Agreement
NEW DELHI: The Luxembourg government and Cisco have signed a Memorandum of Understanding today in Davos, Switzerland, to speed up digitization in the Grand Duchy.
In line with the ‘Digital Luxembourg’ initiative, which is the cornerstone of the country’s digital policy roadmap, the government and Cisco intend to concentrate on four pillars: education, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things and fintech.
“Luxembourg has the ambition to be a digital leader in Europe”, says Prime minister Xavier Bettel.
“Therefore we need to be at the forefront of technological development in order to embrace the acceleration in digitization. Luxembourg aims at attracting additional major investments allowing the digital conversion of our industry. We are happy to partner up with Cisco in order to further develop the digital innovation and the competitiveness of our country, which goes hand in hand with the creation of new jobs and will at the same time provide job security to existing ones. By modernising our education, we are going to encourage citizens to actively participate in the digital economy,” he added.
“Luxembourg has been a great innovator in Europe for many years, and now is the time to accelerate innovation to achieve the vision of a true Digital Luxembourg,” said Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO of Cisco.
“Cisco is honored to partner with Prime Minister Bettel to help Luxembourg build a sustainable innovation ecosystem by investing in knowledge development, new revenue models and jobs of the future that will contribute to the global digital economy. I applaud his vision and look forward to a lasting partnership,” he added.
Four pillars for digital acceleration
The 3 year program that the Ministry of State and Cisco have outlined includes four focus areas:
1. Education: The University of Luxembourg and Cisco will contibute to the modernization of the education system with new technologies and curricula. As in other countries, there is an acute shortage of IT skills in the local labor market. As Luxembourg companies switch to digital business, this shortage will increase further. That is why Cisco will open a Networking Academy at the University of Luxembourg to provide free education to citizens. The Netacad curriculum provides a strong foundation with transferable skills.
2. Cyber security: Cyber security is the cornerstone of digitization and essential for the protection of the Luxembourg economy and data of its citizens. The security of the national infrastructure, critical applications and online services are important issues for the government. As the global leader in cybersecurity, Cisco will assist Luxembourg with advice, expertise and solutions.
3. Internet of Things: IoT is one of the spearheads for the digitization of society and industry. It offers numerous opportunities for companies and governments as another 50 billion devices will be connected to the internet in the next decade. The Luxembourg government wants to use that potential and invest heavily in technological innovation to make the country smarter. Together with Cisco, it will work to connect what is not yet connected and develop an IoT ecosystem in order to grow the digital economy and create new jobs.
4. Fintech: The financial sector is one of Luxembourg’s most important assets and is a major contributor of local GDP. The government is therefore encouraging its financial institutions to embrace new technologies more quickly. One of the objectives in the Digital Luxembourg program provides for the development of fintech initiatives, by both current and new players in this field. Cisco will provide highly secure systems that enable financial service providers to reduce the risk of cyber attacks and improve customer experience.
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.
