CommunicAsia 2010 : Asia: The Hub of Future Innovation

With 50% of the world's emerging communications market based in Asia, there
is no doubt that it is the most dynamic market in the world. This year,
CommunicAsia 2010-a three day comprehensive telecom and IT event held in
Singapore-saw 15% more overseas visitors from the key Asia Pacific markets like
China, India, Japan and Korea. There were over 1,400 speakers and delegates who
addressed various pertinent issues.

Kick starting day one with a visionary address on the 'Future of
Communications', Josh Silverman, CEO, Skype spoke about how the future of
communication is rooted in Asia, since innovation is most prevalent there. He
also spoke about how sharing information over public pipes and cloud computing
is the state of the Internet today with an emphasis on real-time and free
communications. The key to solving connectivity problems of firewall, OS, and
input/output is shifting to an all-IP based network. He said, “Asia makes up
one-third of the world's communications and will lead world recovery from
recession. While developed nations will see a drop of 25% in growth, emerging
markets-especially India and China-will have double digit growth, as they did in
2008.” There will be a growth of IP and VoIP; and video calling will be popular
in the near future-already making up 34% of all Skype-to-Skype calls. The video
calling revolution is such that the number of video calls is estimated to touch
30 bn by 2013, up from 600 mn in 2008.

In a panel discussion on 'New Growth and Innovation', Gene Rezmik, GMD,
Communications Industry spoke about how there were 700 mn 3G connections in Asia
with the number expected to reach 3 bn in three years, with 4-5 mn fixed
broadband connections and a fiber based network in five to six years. Robiatti,
GMD, Telstra International remarked that 3G was just scraping the surface, and
operators need to drive capital efficiency to much greater levels-the main
challenge is to convince consumers that bandwidth doesn't come for free and
infrastructure is important. He also mentioned that infrastructure investment
has come down in the last twenty-five years which has badly impacted growth. He
also added that the wireless world is all about LTE today.

According to Neil Montefiore, CEO, StarHub, FMC and content are both
important to drive mobile communications forward. As applications won't survive
forever, telecom operators in Asia should look at global experience to help in
the future innovation. Dato Isa, CEO, Telecom Malaysia remarked that there will
be a challenge between high speed broadband and voice services in the near
future and it is important for operators to create value. He also said that
there should be a collaboration of not only infrastructure, but of the entire
ecosystem-leading to an information exchange, and not merely a voice exchange.
According to him, collaboration between a mobile video and a fixed platform is
important; and operators have to get out of their commodification of content
strategy and instead provide value-apps.

At another session on 'NGN Broadband Access in Real-time', leading Asian
telecom operator like ZTE spoke about how the percentage of the broadband market
is higher than the mobile broadband market overall in Asia, with fixed broadband
having 34% more connections. Thus, in order to raise the number of mobile
broadband subscribers, different innovative strategies like offloading 3G and 4G
network to Wi-Fi networks and putting applications in the cloud can help to add
value while reducing capex costs for operators as well. They also mentioned that
convergence was the next generation technology and integration of fixed and
mobile network, besides traditional backhaul, will bring about convergence of
all network solutions. Migrating to FTTX network will lead to efficiency and
effective utilization of power resources, reducing traffic in the BTS and
therefore making it greener.

Speaking about new LBS solutions, Martin Dawson, director, GeoLENs location
server business unit, Andrew Solutions spoke about the rise in demand for
bandwidth leading to network congestion and security issues. He also spoke about
how Andrew Solutions had introduced a new GeoLENs locator which helps in
geolocation API, SIP conveyance, location-enabling VoIP and presence services,
with a host of applications for Internet emergency calling on Android, FB
location updates and IPTV. This solution would be beneficial for end users,
device makers, apps providers, network operators, and regulators, facilitating
location search and managed within the prevailing jurisdiction of each country.

CommunicAsia 2010 saw the participation of top companies like Altek
Corporation, DIGILINK, CommScope, NTT DOCOMO and ZTE; and other leading
international players like Inmarsat, Skype and Yahoo!. While NTT DOCOMO
showcased their latest smartphones for the Japan market, including their new
separable phone. Yahoo! showcased the new Alcatel One Touch Net mobile, its
first handset fully integrated with Yahoo! applications. Skype, a first time
exhibitor at CommunicAsia 2010, announced the availability of Skype on three
Sony Ericsson smartphones based on the Symbian platform.

RAD Data Communications also exhibited its SHDSL.bis modem with integrated
router capabilities-the first in the market to incorporate a separate E1 uplink
which can operate as a central office device or as a customer premises equipment
(CPE) according to user configuration. RAD also unveiled its ETX-1002, a 10
Gigabit carrier Ethernet aggregation switch which provides a central aggregation
solution for RAD's ETX carrier Ethernet demarcation devices installed at the
customer premises and service endpoints as well as third-party network
termination units (NTUs). Inmarsat's IsatPhone Pro service, its first global
hand-held satellite phone, premiered worldwide at the show as well. ZTE unveiled
the ZXY10 T700, the first integrated HD videoconferencing terminal. In addition,
mobile application stores were also unveiled by Infindo, Telekom Malaysia (TM),
M1, NTT DOCOMO and RIM among others.

CommunicAsia 2011 will be held at a new venue-Marina Bay Sands from June
21-24, 2011.

Beryl M

berylm@cybermedia.co.in