Qualcomm Incorporated announced that it has reached a mutually agreed settlement with the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission (TFTC) resolving the TFTC’s investigation of Qualcomm and Qualcomm’s litigation challenging the TFTC’s decision alleging violations of Taiwan’s Fair Trade Act. As a result, the whole TFTC decision is replaced by the settlement terms and the decision shall be deemed revoked ab initio (from the beginning) and Qualcomm’s litigation filed in the Taiwan Intellectual Property Court is closed.
Policy News
Samsung Electronics achieves record $14.7bn in Q1 operating profit
South Korean conglomerate Samsung Electronics which is the flagship subsidiary of Samsung Group has reported that it has achieved a record $14.7bn in Q1 operating profit.
Cuts in spectrum prices in India set to attract bidders
In preparation for the next auction in the country, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has suggested to release more than 8,500 MHz of spectrum across nine bands, including the 3.6GHz 5G frequency. No date was assigned for the sale, but, if all goes according to plan and all lots were sold in the reserve price, it could generate up to INR 5 trillion ($ 73 billion).
At the auction, the Agency wishes to sell the 5G spectrum at INR 4.92 billion per MHz in 20 MHz bands and recommended a 100 MHz cap on the band per bidder. It was reported that the country's revised spectrum limits (a total cap of 35% and a cap of 50% on the spectrum built into the sub-1GHz bands) should be extended to the 3.6 GHz band.
The TRAI will adopt a different strategy this time in order not to repeat what happened in the auction of October 2016, when 60% of the available airwaves were unsold. So, in order to attract interest, TRAI reduced reserve prices of most of the bands. The base price of the 700 MHz spectrum was reduced by 43% to reach INR 65.7 billion per MHz. In 2016, there were no bidders for the 700 MHz band because of the high reserve price.
Analysts believe that despite price reduction, 5G and 700MHz base prices are still high by international standards and expect low interest in the bands
Mobile operators in India are facing a fierce price war after Reliance Jio entered in September 2016, with the three major players bearing heavy debt burdens and low profitability.
The Telecom Department must approve TRAI's recommendations before the Cabinet gives its final approval.
Indian government confirms department website subject to cybersecurity attack
India’s government has officially confirmed that it has been subjected to a cybersecurity infiltration. India’s defense minister said that the department’s website was hacked along with the web portals of at least three other government departments believed to be interior, law and labor ministries websites.
China Tower’s $6.9 billion IPO becomes the world's largest in two years
State-owned China Tower, the world's largest operator of telecommunications towers, has raised $6.9 billion after pricing its initial public offering at the low end of the expected range. The Chinese company sold 43.1 billion shares at HK$1.26 (US$0.16) apiece.
UK University partners with China to create smart cities research facility
Cambridge University has announced it has agreed to partner with Nanjing Municipal Government to create a smart cities research center which will be located in China. The collaboration will see both bodies examining how emerging technologies can support a modern 21st century city that has an integrated ecosystem that consists of IT, healthcare and building management.
Ooredoo reiterates its commitment to UN’s sustainable development goals
Ooredoo today donated three sea ambulances to Ministry of Health in the Maldives at a special ceremony held at Izzuddheen Jetty Area. The donation comes following Ooredoo’s earlier commitment to support the Government of the Maldives work to provide quality healthcare to its citizens.
US government continues offensive against China with tariffs on imports
The US government has upped its offensive against China with the announcement that it is set to slap tariffs worth up to $60bn on Chinese imports. US president Donald Trump signed an executive memorandum which confirmed the measures that will place tariffs on products predominantly in the technology sector.
New Zealand government moves to enhance cyber defense
CERT NZ, a cybersecurity unit in the New Zealand government that supports businesses, organizations and individuals affected by cybersecurity incidents, announced it has partnered with Orange Business Services, the B2B branch of French telecom company Orange Group, to provide automated threat intelligence services.
Facebook and Google issue warning to Singapore over ‘fake news’ legislation
Representatives from technology titans Facebook and Google have offered testimony before a parliamentary committee in Singapore in an effort to convince them that the introduction of new laws to combat ‘fake news’ would not have the desired effect.