Mobile Magazine November 2020

MAGAZINE

THE POWER OF MOBILE IN THE MODERN WORLD

www.mobilemagazine.com

NO V E MBE R 2 0 2 0

On New Frontiers

Creating the Connected Future Julie Fedele talks emerging business, ecosystems and the potential of new markets

Telecom CEOs Worldwide

Security threats have evolved.

Manufacturers need to adapt.

41%

of manufacturing companies suffered a mobile-related compromise*

50%

of manufacturing executives indicated they lack confidence that their company’s assets are protected from external threats*

The manufacturing industry remains one of the primary targets for mobile attack due to its highly valuable intellectual property.

With mobile phishing attacks on the rise, you need to adopt a zero-trust security model to ensure your data is secure.

Find out more at info.lookout.com/Manufacturers * Verizon Mobile Security Index 2020 *Deloitte Cyber risk in advanced manufacturing

FOREWORD

W

elcome to the November issue of

tion is helping guide Asia’s telecom industry

Mobile Magazine, where we tell the

towards a more connected future.

stories of the telecom industry’s leading

Connectivity is having a radical influence on

companies, and explore the trends shaping

the automotive space as well. This month,

the market today.

we speak to IoT and automotive industry

This month’s edition explores the future of

experts to find out why auto makers need

connectivity, and how the convergence of 5G,

to stop thinking like Ford and start thinking

the IoT and artificial intelligence is impacting

like Samsung.

the ways in which we live and work in the

Lastly, we’re looking at the whole picture,

modern world. We’re also bringing you exclu-

and the ways in which intelligent connectiv-

sive interviews with thought leaders from

ity is transforming our cities. However, while

Liberty Global, Cheetah Digital, 9Mobile, Tel-

IoT and 5G are making our cities smarter

kom Business, Vodafone Ghana, Vodafone

and safer for the privileged, the smart city

Idea and Smartfren Telecom.

revolution risks leaving marginalised and

5G, IoT and AI all have the potential to radi-

rural communities even further behind.

cally transform our societies. Together,

We’re also bringing you our list of the top 10

however, these three technologies have the

CEOs leading the telecommunications indus-

potential to do so much more. Our lead story

try into the next age of interconnection.

this month takes a look at intelligent connectivity, and the industries that stand to gain the most from this convergence.

We’re also talking to Julian Gorman, Head of APAC at the GSMA, about how the organisa-

03

If you have a story to tell, email me at h.menear@bizclikmedia.com to become a part of the conversation.

Harry Menear

w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

Building a Fully Connected, Intelligent World “Huawei, our key strategic partner has been working side-by-side with Cellcard on 4G projects within many key cities and provinces in 2019. With the support from Huawei’s high technology solution, we have completed the first real 5G trial test in Cambodia following the download speed that reached 1.6Gbps with lower latency rate at less than 10ms. Cellcard is confident in choosing Huawei to embrace digital life to every person, home and organization in Cambodia for an intelligent future with intelligent connections.”

Let’s Move Forward to a 5G Era

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05

PUBLISHED BY

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Owen Martin DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCERS EDITOR

Harry Menear

Kieran Waite Sam Kemp

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Leigh Manning

CREATIVE TEAM

PROJECT DIRECTOR

Craig Killingback DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Scott Birch Oscar Hathaway Sophia Forte Hector Penrose Sophie-Ann Pinnell

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Stuart Irving

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

Shirin Sadr DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Jason Westgate CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Stacy Norman PRESIDENT & CEO

Glen White

Daisy Slater

PRODUCTION DIRECTORS

Georgia Allen Daniela Kianickovรก

MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR

James White w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

CONTENTS

10 Liberty Global

26 INSIDE THE INTELLIGENT CONNECTIVITY CONVERGENCE

36

48

62 74 Telecom CEOs worldwide

92 5G IA

106

122

Cheetah Digital

9mobile

138

150

Telkom Business

Vodafone Ghana

164 smartfren. BUSINESS

10

NOVEMBER 2020

Communications Driven by Innovation WRITTEN BY

JOHN O’HANLON PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

11

LIBERTY GLOBAL

Julie Fedele, VP of Emerging Business Activation at Liberty Global, on emerging business, venture partnerships and opening new markets

L

iberty Global could be the biggest enterprise you’ve never heard of. It’s not really a household name, though the household

is where it is to be found in the guise of its much more recognisable European brands Virgin Media, UPC and Telenet, and in the Netherlands Vodafone 12

Ziggo. Liberty Global is among the largest converged video, broadband and telecommunication companies, with annual revenues of US$11bn, 11 million customers and 20,000 employees.

This company has grown since its foundation in 2005 by means of a canny and active M&A strategy, riding the crest of the wave of transformation as telecoms has evolved through technology – a process serially documented in these pages. Its latest announcement, the creation of 4,000 jobs by merging the UK operations of Virgin Media and Britain’s largest mobile operator O2 (owned by Telefónica) is at once creative and aggressively competitive.

Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries is keen to seize opportunities in the dynamic markets of Europe: “When the power of 5G meets 1 gig broadband, UK consumers and businesses will never look back.”

NOVEMBER 2020

13

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

LIBERTY GLOBAL

14

Clearly a company on the move

“I quickly saw the parallels with the

determined to lead in the emergent

healthcare industry, having worked

telecommunications field, Liberty

inside across multiple roles during my

Global’s appointment of Julie Fedele

10 years at Bupa’s” says Fedele. “Both

to the position of VP of Emerging

sectors have seen sustained growth

Business in June of this year 2020

and rapid disruption. This disruption

was an imaginative move. She had

means that traditional sources of

little direct experience in telecoms

growth become challenged and finding

apart from an early stint as a con-

new sources is something that really

sultant with Telstra in her native

excites me. There is a tremendous

Australia but she came with a track

opportunity to reimagine capabilities

record of value activation, a quality

and partnerships by leveraging our

that’s perfectly timed with this com-

core assets like network, customer

pany’s current direction.

base and product platforms. We are

NOVEMBER 2020

“ When the power of 5G meets 1 gig broadband, UK consumers and businesses will never look back” — Julie Fedele, VP of Emerging Business, Liberty Global

essentially an infrastructure-based, consumer business that monetises this infrastructure with integrated services.

As 3rd parties evolve their services, we become a meta-aggregator, simplifying experiences for the consumer.

Coming into this role, I asked: how can we leverage our assets at pace to develop new value – and break long development cycles?” Fedele learned the advantages of breaking technology down into microservices that enable rapid change and flexibility.

15

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Julie Fedele Title: VP of Emerging Business Company: Liberty Global Industry: Telecoms

Location: London

Julie Fedele, VP of Emerging Business Activation at Liberty Global, is a true value activator. Achieving an MBA from the University of New South Wales (2009 to 2012), her first foray into start-ups was an online enabler called Popping Up, helping online businesses take advantage of empty retail space and move ‘from clicks to bricks’. Since joining Liberty Global, Fedele has been appointed a Board Member of nonprofit organisation Women in Cable Telecommunications.

Viewing life as a continual journey of learning, Fedele stated, “My goal is to improve how I understand the world and my place within it every day.” www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

We are Xperi.

With the combined power of TiVo, DTS and IMAX Enhanced, Xperi is revolutionizing the way people experience entertainment at home and on the go.

Our commitment to innovation, deep experience and end-to-end solutions like TiVo’s Next-Gen Platform have secured our place as a long-standing technology partner for Virgin Media, Liberty Latin America and other global brands.

Together, we deliver awe-inspiring visuals, heartpounding audio and personalized content discovery to millions of people around the world, all day, every day.

www.xperi.com

LIBERTY GLOBAL

“ What we aim to do with the Emerging Business team is to create revenue optionality at pace” — Julie Fedele, VP of Emerging Business, Liberty Global

Bringing that principle to her current role, she’s in favour of over-the-top, or plug-and-play services.

“What we aim to do with the Emerging Business team is to create revenue optionality at pace,” she says.

“This is what differentiates emerging and new business. Emerging business is identifying completely new revenue streams. For example, launching a new business under the Virgin Media brand or a new brand, that taps new margetmarket segments.“We don’t

18

need to explore the whole pool – but we can widen the swim lane!”

A business the size of Liberty Global generates a lot of ideas. And an important part of the Emerging Business teams’ remit is to advance some of the best, the ‘activation’ part of her job title. The team consists of squadspods directed to look at, say, e-health, e-sport or consumer energy, Fedele explains. “With the team, we then scope out what this means, set parameters – for example when considering healthcare we split out ‘lifestyle wellness’, a very busy field, from ‘e-health, and concentrate on the latter.”

From there on they operate like a NOVEMBER 2020

Entering the Gigabit Era CLICK TO WATCH

|

0:50

19 separate business unit to define the

right, enabling families to stay in con-

opportunities and partners they might

tact and individuals to avoid isolation.

work with. These tend not to be start-

“I am deeply interested in how we can

ups, she says: though early-stage

create an ecosystem in the home,

businesses are her passion, it’s hard

based on peace of mind, safety

for a large enterprise to work with

and healthcare and every aspect of

them. “We look for Series B/C part-

people’s lives, through our enabling

ners and beyond. We want confirmed

services,” she says.

growth, sound management and a clear path to scale,” she says.

Content, it has been said, is king, and though Fedele fully expects the corporation to continue its M&A

CREATING AN ECOSYSTEM

growth, she focuses her team on

Covid has emphasised the central

partnership. She thinks there’s a

importance of connectivity, which

real gap in healthcare services to

has been elevated to a basic human

the home: “I am not talking about www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

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LIBERTY GLOBAL

2005

Year founded

$11.bn+ Revenue in US dollars

20,000 22

Number of employees

NOVEMBER 2020

23

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

LIBERTY GLOBAL

24

“ There is a tremendous opportunity to reimagine capabilities and partnerships by leveraging our core assets like network, customer base and product platforms” — Julie Fedele, VP of Emerging Business, Liberty Global NOVEMBER 2020

flooded markets like e-fitness or digital yoga mats, but how we can play a role in the home when someone is facing a health event whether it’s a fracture, a diagnosis or a need for something like physiotherapy or even psychotherapy.”

Fedele is passionate about activating new revenue. Her background includes running innovation labs and managing an accelerator programme for start-ups and she was impressed after joining Liberty Global to find that

25

it took an expeditious approach to

many moving parts and multiple things

onboarding new partners. She feels at

changing every day, which can be a

home, though admits to not being

challenge getting alignment over video

a typical corporate animal.

calls: I am really keen to show the rest

“We work in a very flat structure and

of the business how a ‘digital native’

personally l love the flexibility of work-

team works and demonstrate how a

ing remotely, though it has to be said it

large corporate like Liberty Global can

does have some downsides, especially

be nimble and activate new ventures –

for the younger team members who

even during a pandemic!”

are deprived of the chance to learn by osmosis from the rest of the team,” admits Fedele. “They are on my mind a lot – we work in an agile team, with www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

TELECOMS

26

NOVEMBER 2020

INSIDE THE INTELLIGENT CONNECTIVITY CONVERGENCE WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR

w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

27

TELECOMS

AI, 5G and the IoT all have the power to radically alter our lives, but in combination, the effects have the potential to be even greater

W

ith the power to redefine the relationship between the public sector, enterprise and consumer, intelligent connectiv-

ity is set to be the trend with the most profound impact on both our economies and daily lives over

the coming decade. This month, Mobile World 28

Magazine is taking a closer look at the forces driving this technological convergence, the industries being most heavily affected, and speaking to some of the experts at the forefront of its application.

Global industry and commerce is undergoing a radical transformation. As every element of the modern enterprise, from manufacturing and marketing to procurement and the supply chain becomes increasingly digitalised, the rapid advancement of Industry 4.0 is allowing companies increased visibility, flexibility and resilience across the entire value cycle. In the public and private sectors, the exponential proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, coupled with advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and big data processing, all supported by rapid 5G connectivity from the network hub to the edge, is having a transformative NOVEMBER 2020

29

impact on the ways we work, relax, travel and access services in our cities.

While technological advancements in AI, IoT and 5G have a pronounced impact individually, in combination they promise to deliver even more than the sum of their discrete parts.

This synthesis of thinking machines, ultra-fast networks and billions of connected devices is known as “intelligent connectivity�.

Chinese telecom Huawei predicted, in a report released last year, that the combination of these three w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

TELECOMS

technologies will stimulate the development of numerous capabilities in the transport, entertainment, manufacturing and public service sectors. In an interview with Huawei, GSMA Director General Mats Granryd enthused that, “Intelligent connectivity will have a significant and positive impact on individuals, industry, and society, marking the beginning of a new era

“ Intelligent connectivity will have a significant and positive impact on individuals, industry, and society” — Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA

defined by highly contextualized and personalized experiences,” adding that intelligent connectivity will drive 30

the incorporation of augmented and virtual reality into the entertainment

a connected environment in service

industry, drone fleet adoption in ecom-

of mankind,” Lafond explained. The

merce, and further elevate the role of

possibilities of this pervasive digitali-

virtual assistants in our lives. “New 5G

sation are based on the exponential

networks, AI, and the upscaling of the

growth of IoT adoption, connected by

IoT will change the world, intelligently

high-performance, secure networks.

connecting everyone and everything

“Linked to each other, they make a

to a better future,” he said.

coherent whole and make it possible

In an interview with Mobile

to provide a concrete response to

Magazine, Jean-Marc Lafond, Director,

collective and individual needs. The AI

IoT innovation at Orange, affirmed

will thus be able to analyse their data

the sweeping impact of the potential

in order to create new services useful

synergies between IoT, 5G and AI.

to everyone and the business sector,

“At Orange, rather than ‘Intelligent

while also optimising the management

Connectivity’ we talk about ‘Ambient

of cities and territories, transport,

Intelligence’, where AI is integrated in

health and resources.”

NOVEMBER 2020

INT E L L I G E N T C O N N E CT I VI T Y I N T HE T I M E O F COVI D-19

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has completely altered the way we live and work on a global scale. The effects are sweeping, transformational, and there is no real certainty that the impact of the pandemic is a temporary phenomenon.

Huge segments of the global populations have entered into a daring and involuntary experiment with remote work and online learning. In the first quarter of 2020, revenues of video conferencing software company Zoom rose by 169%, with the company’s stock rocketing past the $100bn valuation mark in September. In a broader sense, global internet traffic skyrocketed in the first month of the pandemic, jumping by as much as 35% in response to widespread lockdowns and travel bans.

Vassilis Seferidis, CEO and Co-Founder of Zeetta Networks, believes the crisis is

a perfect example of the need for increased intelligent connectivity and of the problems its adoption can solve. “One of the key lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is the importance of network connectivity to our lives. It is critical that we optimise the utilisation of the network and adapt its configuration on-demand to meet our ever-changing needs,” he explained in an interview with Mobile World Magazine.

“Intelligent connectivity is reliant on a versatile network that offers an extremely high level of responsiveness and customisation. Such a network must be ultra-reliable, highly scalable and able to support a wide range of services including ultra-low latency applications.

That’s where 5G comes in.

Unlike Wi-Fi or 4G, 5G offers the speed, capacity, security and support of low latency needed to make intelligent connectivity a reality.”

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31

TELECOMS

INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING The application of intelligent connectivity to the manufacturing and industrial sectors is probably the most advanced use case. The concept of smart manufacturing - which uses a convergence of big data analysis, automation, robotics and AI - is already delivering value to enterprises through increased efficiency and visibility.

According to Seferidis, increasingly intelligent connectivity can endow the manufacturing sector with the resil32

ience it needs to survive future crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s in the manufacturing industry particularly where the introduction of these technologies will be truly transformational,” he explained.

“Intelligent Connectivity enables the creation of smart factories, in which operations can be streamlined and modified on-the-fly to optimise the manufacturing process. The level of automation permitted by smart factories promises a host of benefits, including real-time linkages to customer demand forecasts, reliable quality, predictable production capacity and lower cost of production.”

NOVEMBER 2020

“ At Orange, rather than ‘Intelligent Connectivity’ we talk about ‘Ambient Intelligence’, where AI is integrated in a connected environment in service of mankind” — Jean-Marc Lafond, Director, IoT innovation, Orange

The increased connectivity provided by 5G, combined with the intelligent, automated decision-making enabled by AI advances, will prompt a generational leap in IoT technology, towards what the GSMA calls “the tactile internet.�

By streamlining the point of interface between man and machine (and machine and machine), and enabling these interactions to occur in real time, humans will be able to interact with machines and their environments even more effectively using tactile and visual feedback.

INTELLIGENT MOBILITY From logistics and supply chain management to smart city planning and autonomous vehicles, intelligent connectivity is delivering on the promises of a safer, more accessible and efficient world.

Using low latency 5G connections, networks of IoT sensors and AI decisionmaking software, intelligent connectivity could be the next step in traffic monitoring and river assistance. Data collected across entire neighbourhoods can be instantly fed into smart traffic management programs, feeding drivers w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

33

TELECOMS

Intelligent Connectivity CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:35

34

throughout the area crucial information

banking startup FINN. Netherlands-

regarding traffic jams, accidents and

based FINN has been working for

road works - as well as AI-generated

three years now on the process of

directions to reduce delays.

elevating the IoT further into the payments sphere, with a particular focus

INTELLIGENT PAYMENTS

on connected vehicles. “A car is eve-

“We have this vision of a world where

rything, it’s your identity. We thought

everything, from your phone to the

it would be cool if you could use your

lights in your house and, of course

car to make payments, so we set up

your car, are all connected to one

a test with a car manufacturer which

another to make life simpler and

let the car pay the toll on a toll road.

safer,” explained Arlette Warmerdam,

Next we thought it would be good to

Product Lead at ING-backed IoT

add parking and charging, so your car

NOVEMBER 2020

“ One of the key lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is the importance of network connectivity to our lives” — Vassilis Seferidis, CEO and Co-Founder, Zeetta Networks

about the security side,” she said. In response, FINN is working on a convergence of the kind of IoT saturation that intelligent connectivity can deliver and the levels of security at which the banking industry operates.

“We came up with the idea of Banking of Things. It’s a software solution where we enable cars to make payments, but combine it with the level of security found in traditional banking,” Warmerdam explained to us.

“Once your car is safe, then it can truly become a digital wallet. The big-

is not only your car but also your wal-

gest problem with IoT technology is

let,” Warmerdam explained in a recent

safety. Devices get hacked, data gets

interview with Mobile World Magazine.

compromised, it’s a big problem. A

“The issue with that is, of course, secu-

traditional bank has security, fraud

rity. A connected car can be hacked.”

prevention, identity theft protection

As 5G enables IoT technology to

and other regulatory standards that it

further permeate our lives, and AI allows

needs to comply with, and that needs

for increasingly complex functions to be

to be made the standard with IoT.”

performed across edge networks, the

IoT networks have proven time and

ongoing issue of security is undoubtedly

again over the past few years to be

the biggest obstacle to intelligent con-

one of the biggest security risks to

nectivity delivering genuine change. In

both the modern consumer and the

particular, Warmerdam notes, IoT secu-

enterprise. If intelligent connectivity is

rity is an enterprise issue. “Consumers

going to realise its potential, then the

want their devices to be able to pay

IoT needs to be made as secure as a

for everything and don’t care so much

traditional bank. w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

35

5G

GSMA: Shaping the Future of 5G IoT in APAC 36

WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR

NOVEMBER 2020

37

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5G

Julian Gorman, Head of APAC at the GSMA, discusses the ongoing 5G IoT evolution, and how the GSMA is shaping the future of APAC’s telecom industry

T

he ever-accelerating pace of global digital

transformation, driven by Industry 4.0, is radically changing the modern enterprise

landscape. Businesses in every vertical and market are embracing new technologies in order to

increase efficiency, add value and avoid disrup38

tion. In particular, the ongoing rollout of 5G and internet of things (IoT) technology around the world is having a profound impact, delivering powerful business solutions, greater insights into consumer behaviour and revolutionary levels of interconnectedness.

The transformative impact of Industry 4.0 is proving particularly powerful in the APAC telecommunications space. The region is set to lead the world in 5G investment, with more than $331bn predicted to be invested in 5G infrastructure deployment between 2020 and 2025. APAC also leads the world by number of smartphone users. By 2025, India alone is expected to be home to more than 1trn people regularly using a smartphone.

NOVEMBER 2020

39

Julian Gorman Head of APAC at the GSMA

w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

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GSMA APAC TW 5G IoT innovators online pitching event CLICK TO WATCH

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4:23

41 For more than 25 years, the GSMA

Asia, the GSMA is working with MNOs

has been an instrumental player in the

across the region to support innova-

telecommunications industry, a guid-

tion, explore new ways to generate

ing force that represents the interests

value and create a thriving telecom-

of mobile network operators (MNOs)

munications ecosystem with the power

worldwide, uniting more than 750

to fully harness the opportunities

operators with almost 400 companies

presented by the Fourth Industrial

in the broader mobile ecosystem,

Revolution through partnership pro-

including handset and device makers,

grams and industry-leading events.

software companies, equipment pro-

“The APAC region stretches from

viders and internet companies, as well

Afghanistan to the Pacific. It’s a highly

as organisations in adjacent industry

diverse portfolio of nations, all at

sectors. Now, as the rapid adoption

different stages of their digital trans-

of 5G and IoT rewrites telecommu-

formation journey, with differing levels

nications industry rulebook across

of mobile industry maturity,” says w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

5G

“ The APAC region stretches from Afghanistan to the Pacific. It’s a highly diverse portfolio of nations, all at different stages of their digital transformation journey” — Julian Gorman, Head of APAC, GSMA

readily accessible to its members.

“We’re here to make sure their voices are heard, both within the industry

42

Julian Gorman, Head of APAC for the

and ecosystem,” he explains. Through

GSMA. As the Head of the GSMA’s

its partner programs and events, the

APAC operations, Gorman explains

GSMA is driving IoT and 5G invest-

that his role is to make the resources

ment across APAC. This month, Mobile

and expertise of the organisation more

World Magazine sat down with Gorman to explore the ongoing role the GSMA is playing in shaping the future of the region’s telecommunications technology ambitions.

A FUTURE POWERED BY 5G “As more of the world adopts 5G, the GSMA’s role to support the use of mobile technology and ensure that it is deployed efficiently and effectively in support of the inclusive digital transformation of individual lives and society is even more important than ever,” says Gorman. According to the GSMA’s own research, by 2025, approximately 1.1bn people (23% of NOVEMBER 2020

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Julian Gorman Title: Head of APAC

Company: GSMA

Industry: Telecommunications

Location: APAC

Gorman has always been a technology enthusiast. As the son of a Telstra employee, Gorman was exposed early on in life to the potential that digital technology has to transform communications in a way that solves problems and creates opportunities. After working for Vodafone in Australia, Gorman moved around the world as part of teams at various MNOs in EMEA and Asia, before joining the GSMA in 2015.

“These days, the exciting technologies in the space are connected cars, ride sharing platforms, social media and ecommerce, but mobile technology has always remained the true enabler of connectivity in my eyes,” he reflects.

“As Head of Digital Services for Ooredoo in Myanmar at the launch of the licence, I was privileged to be able to see people’s lives change on a daily basis as we brought the internet to a country which had largely been isolated from the world for 50 years.” Gorman adds that the GSMA was an instrumental partner in his work in Myanmar and, once his role in the country came to an end, he saw the GSMA as a way to apply his experience and knowledge to help advance mobile usage for the sake of inclusive digital economic growth.

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43

5G

all mobile subscriptions) in APAC will be 5G enabled, and developed nations across the region continue to lead the world in 5G deployment and adoption.

The next transformational impact that Gorman expects 5G to have is on the fields of AI and edge computing, a transformation powered by the IoT to deliver a new age of intelligent connectivity. “5G allows for massive connectivity and throughput which will increase not only the amount of data points but the richness of the 44

data gathered,” he explains. This massive hike in low latency connectivity will provide an exponential growth in data that MNOs and enterprises in fields like Supply Chain and Logistics and ecommerce will be able to analyse and apply to solve problems or improve efficiency and services, he adds. “High bandwidth will enable high-speed connections, high-resolution video or sensor data that will then feed into AI systems to enable predictive analytics or anomaly detection in structures and machines, from production lines, bridges and buildings to transport and everything in between.”

NOVEMBER 2020

“ Mobile technology will always remain the true enabler of connectivity” — Julian Gorman, Head of APAC, GSMA

THE IOT REVOLUTION While most current generation IoT networks run on LTE networks, or even 3G and 2G bands, the potential of 5G connected IoT is significant, and its adoption is growing closer with each passing day. Gorman explains that the GSMA in APAC is dedicated to helping its members prepare for this generational leap forward. In particular, the GSMA has identified low power wide area (LPWA) networks as a point of focus, noting that “Like the mobile phone itself, GSMA sees Mobile IoT as a large market opportunity, if Mobile IoT is standardised to deliver economies of scale and a large vibrant ecosystem of devices, applications and solution providers to choose from.”

By 2025, the global IoT market will be worth just over $900bn a year, a massive increase from its $348bn value in 2019. Gorman notes that APAC is the world’s biggest IoT market in terms of potential for economic growth, and expansion of the number of connections. In order nurture the region’s IoT and 5G ambitions, the GSMA launched an APAC IoT Partnership Program in 2018, which is now home to 66 MNOs, w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

45

5G

“ 5G allows for massive connectivity and throughput which will increase not only the amount of data points but the richness of the data gathered” — Julian Gorman, Head of APAC, GSMA

46

as well as hundreds of individual

Smart Farming solution across several

innovators and ecosystem members.

APAC countries,” says Gorman.

“Recently, STC Group joined as the program’s first non-APAC MNO. The

HELPING THE REGION THRIVE

members have been working very

As a facilitator and supporter of MNOs,

closely together and we’ve seen great

the GSMA hosts some of the mobile

collaborations like Daviteq (which is

industry’s largest events and confer-

a Viettel partner), and eFishery (which

ences around the world. It produces

is an Indonesian startup) achieve very

the Mobile World Congress (MWC)

good exposure for their project which

events held each year in Barcelona,

provides a Smart Factory solution and

Los Angeles and Shanghai, as

NOVEMBER 2020

to give you a new kind of experience as we adapt to the challenges of physical distancing,” says Gorman. “It unleashes the best of the mobile industry, bringing you unparalleled thought leadership and unique perspectives. It tackles the tough challenges of our fast changing world, shining a light ahead, so you can seize the moments that drive innovation.”

From the 3rd to the 5th of November, the GSMA is hosting its THRIVE APAC virtual event on the platform. From digital matchmaking - which unites professionals from across the telecommunications space with other like-minded tech leaders - to expert keynotes and seminars, the event series is a powerful tool in the creation of global telecom ecosystems throughout the GSMA’s network. “In well as the Mobile 360 Series of

addition to keynotes, presentations and

regional conferences.

panels, THRIVE APAC will be hosting

In helping the APAC ecosystem

5G innovation sessions, and a 5G-IoT

fully embrace and explore the potential

Pavilion across the three day confer-

of the IoT, Gorman emphasises the

ence,” says Gorman. “There will also be

importance of GSMA’s networking and

a virtual exhibition that provides addi-

education events. Developed by the

tional opportunities targeted at start-ups

team behind the MWC events series,

and innovative companies, all of which

GSMA THRIVE is a cutting edge events

aim to help businesses recover and

platform designed for the COVID-19

emerge more robust than ever from

era and beyond. “THRIVE aspires

the current pandemic.” w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

47

TECHNOLOGY

Mobile Tech is Fuelling a Revolution in the Auto Industry 48 WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR

NOVEMBER 2020

49

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TECHNOLOGY

The automotive sector is set to undergo a transformation every bit as dramatic as the telecom industry following the birth of the smartphone

T

he global automotive sector is on the verge of its biggest transformation since the replacement horses with the internal com-

bustion engine. As the world - in the face of soaring

emissions - moves further away from fossil fuels, towards battery-powered electric vehicles, the 50

fundamental nature of our cars is changing. At the same time, the revolutionary effects of Industry 4.0 - from the mass-adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and the cloud, to the expanding IoT networks - is set to completely reshape the ways that cars interact with one another and the outside world.

This digitalisation of the automotive industry means that cars today are more interconnected than ever before. According to a recent report by Allied Market Research, the global connected car market was worth US$63.03bn in 2019. By 2027, that figure is expected to exceed $255.1bn.

It’s an exciting, yet precarious time for auto manufacturers. As vehicles increasingly become platforms for technology, connected to the internet, and even progress towards becoming driverless, the nature of the companies that design, make and NOVEMBER 2020

51

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TECHNOLOGY

“ There are compelling signs that the [automotive] industry’s traditional business model is set to give way to a radical new approach” — Paul Warburton, VP of Automotive, Fujitsu

sell these vehicles is set to change every bit as much as their products.

“As car manufacturers wrestle with the fundamental challenges presented by technology innovation and the coming shift to battery-powered electric vehicles, there are compelling signs that the industry’s traditional business model is set to give way to a radical new approach,” writes Paul Warburton, VP of Automotive at Japanese ICT firm Fujitsu. Warburton believes that the proliferation of connected vehicles

52

will change the course of history for the industry. For a clue as to where it’s headed, he suggests we look to another sector - one that’s in the process of colliding with automotive design and manufacturing. “As connected in-vehicle IT becomes increasingly key to car-buyers’ purchasing decisions, it’s time for vehicle manufacturers to think more like smartphone suppliers,” he explains.

This month, Mobile World will be looking at the intersection of mobile technologies and the automotive industry, examining the role that AI, 5G and driverless vehicles are having on this rapidly changing space.

NOVEMBER 2020

53

INTERNAL CONNECTIVITY

just as much as they require a connec-

The idea of the connected car has

tion to the world beyond the vehicle.

been around since 1996, when General

“There are more lines of software code

Motors and Motorola launched OnStar

in a modern car than in a commercial

as a way of reliably alerting roadside

airplane – from pollution avoidance

assistance when an airbag was

solutions, through comfort and safety

deployed. It was simple, effective, and

features, to in-car entertainment and

connected a car with an external entity.

satellite navigation,” notes Warburton.

However, the definition of a connected

Andreas Minatti, Head of Business

car hasn’t remained so clear cut.

As modern vehicles become

Development, Business Unit Mobility, at Swiss auto parts manufacturer

increasingly digital, a connected

Datwyler, agrees. “As the automotive

car can contain dozens of intelligent

industry moves away from internal

systems that need to be connected to

combustion engines to new electric

one another in a functional ecosystem

and hybrid vehicles, creating seamless w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

TECHNOLOGY

connectivity systems within those vehicles is becoming an important focus for manufacturers,” he told Mobile World in a recent Q&A. Minatti continues to note that smart sealing solutions can be a useful tool increasing connectivity throughout a connected car. “By using smart sealing solutions with sensors embedded, not only can we ensure the integrity of the seal, we can add the ability to monitor a wide range of activities within the vehicle,” he expands. “An integrated sensor could monitor or track 54

functionality, for example, or other elements such as temperature, humidity or leakage - delivering data to the vehicle itself or to the manufacturer or driver.”

5G AND THE INTERNET OF CARS “The benefits of 5G technology have seen the automotive and telecommunications industries come together to define the next generation of connected mobility solutions,” says Cyril Leman, Automotive Product Lead at HERE Technologies. “5G promises high speed, low latency and massive device connectivity, creating innovation opportunities for the automotive industry like new in-car services, NOVEMBER 2020

“ It’s time for vehicle manufacturers to think more like smartphone suppliers” — Paul Warburton, VP of Automotive, Fujitsu

enhanced safety and autonomous driving. Bridging hardware and software from the automotive industry with the connectivity and networking systems and devices from the telecommunications industry will create end-to-end solutions for intelligent transportation, mobility systems and smart cities. Location data will be key to all of this, empowered further by 5G.�

We spoke with Leman further about the approaching convergence of mobile, 5G and automotive technology. He explained that he believes that the ability for 5G to connect cars to one another will result in improved safety, efficiency and transparency.

This is particularly true as cities turn to smart digital solutions to manage everything from traffic congestion to emergency vehicle dispatches.

According to a report by smart city IoT tech company Intechnology Smart Cities, “Emergency vehicles can have their driving routes optimised using Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) which adjust the ways traffic lights are phased, aiming to minimise red light delays,� with potentially life-saving results. By connecting every car on the w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

55

TECHNOLOGY

road to a citywide ITS, the ability for

future. “5G is an expensive way to enable

cities to predict and manage traffic on

most IOT devices. The majority will likely

a macro and micro level would be dra-

continue to use cheaper, lower-band-

matically increased. Leman adds that

width, shorter-range communications

“advanced driver-assistance systems

via BLE, zigbee, WiFi, 2G, etc,” explains

(ADAS) enabled by 5G will allow for

Dr Ramsey Faragher.

instant data transfers between con-

56

Dr Faragher is the founder and CEO

nected cars to identify other vehicles

of FocalPoint and a Fellow of Queens’

in close proximity and even predict

College, Cambridge, UK, where he

accidents before they happen.”

teaches AI and machine learning, and

However, even though the global 5G

was part of the design team for the

rollout continues apace, some experts

ExoMars Martian Rover’s “Seeker”

contend that the world of the automobile

visual navigation system. In the past

will remain largely 4G for the foreseeable

few years, he has also been an instrumental consultant in the development of autonomous vehicles (AVs), working with Starship and Uber on their AV projects. He believes that there is one area where 5G will be the catalyst for a transformational leap forward.

NOVEMBER 2020

NOKIA

Nokia has been leading the way in many areas of the global 5G rollout, partnering with companies in multiple industries and markets to develop their capabilities. “On a street in Espoo, near Helsinki, I found myself looking at a vision of the future. A car moved down the street, its only occupant not ‘driving’ but sitting back and enjoying the ride,” recalls Steve Davidson from the company’s

field marketing team, reflecting on Nokia’s recent 5G-powered AV tests in Finland. In addition to its pioneering work uniting telco capabilities with the future of mobility, Nokia is also harnessing 5G to bring ultra-fast internet connectivity to connected cars, allowing passengers to “catch up on TV box sets or prepare for their meeting, as easily as if they were at home.”

5G supports self-driving vehicles CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:47

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57

TECHNOLOGY

“ The benefits of 5G technology have seen the automotive and telecommunications industries come together to define the next generation of connected mobility solutions” — Cyril Leman, Automotive Product Lead, HERE Technologies

58

FULLY CONNECTED, FULLY AUTONOMOUS?

networks for the foreseeable future,

The self-driving car has been a part of

be unmanned autonomous vehicles or

humanity’s imagination for almost a

unmanned remotely-piloted vehicles uti-

century now. Back in the 1920’s, these

lising 5G to stream very large amounts

so-called “phantom autos” were remote-

of data in real time, or to provide low

controlled by the tapping of a telegraph

latency live remote teleoperation.”

key. Now, a century later, AVs aren’t yet

he notes that “the exception to this will

Unfortunately, he notes, while the

a common sight on our roads - unless

growth of the edge, powered by the

you live in Phoenix, of course. However,

growing 5G networks being rolled

Faragher believes that expanding 5G net-

out by telecom companies, there

works could be a big piece of the puzzle.

remains an “elephant in the room”:

After pointing out that most of the IoT will remain rooted in older generations of low bandwidth communication NOVEMBER 2020

the issue of perception.

“A human driver would never drive past a burning fuel tanker on its side

59 next to the road spilling fluid across the

because we want drivers to have a level

road. An autonomous vehicle would

of mental maturity and understanding

drive past it, however, as it has abso-

of the world in general outside of the

lutely no understanding of the concepts

driving seat in order to be safe in all sit-

of fire, or petrol being flammable or

uations and able to interpret and react

the difference between an apparently

to any strange new situation thrown

empty road, and an open road in immi-

their way - like the first time you see an

nent danger of being at the epicentre

aircraft trying to perform an emergency

of a massive explosion any moment,�

landing on the same piece of tarmac

Faragher explains. “Most countries set

you are currently aiming for. The big-

the age of holding a licence at around

gest blocker to autonomous vehicles

seventeen, not because you are only

will be our readiness or reluctance to

physically able to drive a car at that age,

allow robot drivers on the road that

or understand that red means stop and

never get drunk, never get tired, never

green means go. The age is set so high

get annoyed, but have a general level w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

TECHNOLOGY

“ Creating seamless connectivity systems ... is becoming an important focus for manufacturers” — Andreas Minatti, Head of Business Development, Business Unit Mobility, Datwyler

Currently, the report continues, “sensors are used to implement carto-car communication for automated driving. This includes, for example, intelligent camera systems, which enable the direct exchange of data between the cars. These systems have crucial physical disadvantages, however. They can neither look around corners, nor over hills, nor through obstacles. This is why they restrict the functioning of self-driving cars. This simple form of automation is

60

of understanding of the world that is

also unsuitable at higher speeds.” By

equivalent to that of a toddler.”

contrast, 5G networks offer a huge

As AVs’ abilities to effectively pro-

potential improvement. Direct and

cess the world around them improves,

ultra-low-latency broadband com-

however, the level of high-speed pro-

munication means that connected

cessing at the edge that 5G will enable

autonomous vehicles will have a much

is going to be an essential part of the

more comprehensive (and in many

technology’s development.

cases, faster) connection to their sur-

In a report by Deutsche Telekom, it

rounding environment.

was noted that, during initial 5G tests on the A9 freeway between Nuremberg and

DRIVING INNOVATION

Munich, latencies of less than 20 milli-

Regardless of the pace of AV arrival

seconds were achieved. This means that

and 5G adoption, the writing is unde-

an autonomous car driving at a speed of

niably on the wall. The automotive

100 km/h would only travel 60 centim-

industry is on track for a once-in-a-life-

eters in the time it takes to interact with

time evolutionary leap, and companies

its network and receive instructions.

need to adapt to higher levels of

NOVEMBER 2020

E XP E RT I N SI GHT FRO M SY N O P SYS

“The smartphone has had a significant impact on our daily lives, and it is only the beginning. How we interact with our vehicles is quickly changing from a rite of passage to a natural extension of our environment with the rapid evolution of smartphones reflected in the automotive space. The need to rapidly adapt to consumer interests is fueling the need for dynamically updatable systems while maintaining the safety and security requirements demanded of manufacturers.

These needs carry over to

industries supporting automotive providers. The most notable being the need for high-speed services promised by 5G. The level of testing and interoperability needed to provide consumers with a safe, secure and seamless experience is critical to progressing autonomous driving. Offerings like application stores, vehicle customisation, self-parking and payment of unattended services will continue to drive the automotive space, just as we have seen in smartphones.”

Chris Clark, Senior Manager of Embedded Ecosystems, Synopsys

technological saturation across the

This will require them to work with

industry. “There will be an explosion of

the right partners to build a global

in-car functionality and features, just

framework and infrastructure that

like in the mobile phone industry fol-

ensures they’re successfully able

lowing the launch of Apple’s iPhone,”

to meet the differing demands

notes Warburton. “Therefore the

and requirementsw of diverse

dominant industry players in the car’s

markets and customers, while also

next century will be those that under-

supporting growth in a way that’s

stand and embrace this shift early.

environmentally sustainable.” w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

61

IOT

Can IoT and 5G Turn Smart Cities into Smart Societies?

62

WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR

NOVEMBER 2020

63

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IOT

IoT and 5G are making our cities smarter and safer for the privileged, but risk leaving marginalised and rural communities even further behind

T

he world’s cities are changing. 5G and edge computing, twinned with the rapidly expanding Internet of Things (IoT), are reshaping

the relationship between people and their environments. However, while smart cities represent an unprecedented opportunity to harness technology

64

in ways that dramatically improves the lives of billions, there is no guarantee that the application of these technologies automatically benefits citizens across the board. This month, Mobile World Magazine is exploring the ongoing impact of connected devices on our cities, and the ways in which our smart city future risks leaving marginalised and rural communities even further behind.

At the heart of the smart city is the smart sensor.

Distributed in the tens of thousands across smart city test neighbourhoods, or even entire boroughs, IoT sensors monitor everything from traffic patterns and footfall to utilities usage and emissions.

In 2019, an IDC report predicted that, by 2025, there will be 41.6bn active connected devices generating a total of 79.4 Zettabytes of data each year.

For context, research firm SeaGate estimates NOVEMBER 2020

65

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IOT

“ In order for a city comprised of interconnected solutions to function, millions of sensors must transmit data simultaneously” — Ian Hood, Chief Technologist, Global Service Providers, Red Hat

or more IoT devices each with different requirements,” explained Ian Hood, Chief Technologist, Global Service Providers, at Red Hat when we spoke to him back in August. “The seamless connectivity, telemetry, security and analytics capabilities offered by 5G can ensure every sensor and device work together effectively.”

As the IoT radically changes the way that data is created and processed, smart cities and digitally transformed

66

that all the data generated in 2025 will

enterprises are creating a massive

amount to 175 zettabytes, which - for

boom in the field of edge computing.

even more context - would take about

Frost & Sullivan estimated in August

1.8bn years to download on a fiber

that, by 2022, 90% of industrial enter-

optic broadband connection. That

prises will use edge computing. “The

means that in a few years, the IoT can

implications of 5G will be felt across all

be expected to make up more than

industries at the network edge,” Hood

half of the internet of, well… everything.

continued. “Edge computing brings

Smart cities and industry are at

computation and data processing

the heart of this IoT and connected

much closer to where it is needed sig-

devices proliferation, and the ongoing

nificantly improving response times.”

5G rollout is only going to accelerate

Rapid and sweeping digitalisation

the trend. “In order for a city comprised

has brought us projects like Seoul’s

of interconnected solutions to func-

smart waste management system,

tion, millions of sensors must transmit

which cut waste collection costs in

data simultaneously, making a smart

the city by 83%; a smart traffic control

city essentially a blended workload;

system in Pittsburgh, which reduced

they bring together upwards of 20-30

wait times at intersections by 41%

NOVEMBER 2020

Seizing the 5G and Edge opportunity CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:53

67 and cut down on vehicle emissions

pollution, poor transport infrastruc-

in the city by 21%; and public safety

ture and security issues.”

initiatives in cities like Denver, which

As smart city projects become a

can accurately detect the origins of

ubiquitous feature of nearly every

gunshots, and have led to more than

major city’s urban planning road-

130 arrests since being implemented.

map, telecom providers are proving

“Citizens around the world are increas-

to be vital infrastructure providers.

ingly warming to the idea of smart

However, like street lighting, school

cities,” noted Pierre-Adrien Hanania,

funding and notoriously freeways,

Capgemini’s Global Offer Leader for

smart city programs and telecom

AI in the Public Sector, speaking to

networks can also end up being rein-

Mobile World Magazine. “Many believe

forcers of racial and class divisions,

smart initiatives can help solve the

leading to further disparity between

pain points that they come up against

the average quality of life in affluent,

in their day-to-day lives, like high

commercial, poor and rural areas. w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

IOT

“ Citizens around the world are increasingly warming to the idea of smart cities” — Pierre-Adrien Hanania, Global Offer Leader, AI in the Public Sector, Capgemini

68

WHY WE NEED INCLUSIVE GROWTH

of digitally transforming 100 cities

The OECD, a multi-disciplinary inter-

across India with high-speed internet,

governmental organisation with 36

uninterrupted power and water, as

member states, is one of the leading

well as increasingly efficient public

bodies of experts on the development

transport by the end of the year.

of smart cities that promote stronger,

However, New Delhi-based advocacy

fairer economies and a better quality of

group Housing and Land Rights

life. In a recent report, researchers at the

Network, India (HLRN) recently

OECD found that “smart cities may also

spoke out against the $7.4bn pro-

unintentionally deepen existing divides

gram, claiming that it neglects the

between already digitally marginalised

needs and rights of poor women

groups and better connected groups.”

and marginalised groups including

For example, the ambitious and

minorities and migrants across India.

ongoing Smart Cities Mission is

There are an estimated 14mn house-

currently working towards a goal

holds living in urban slum conditions

NOVEMBER 2020

For a smart city initiative to truly deliver on its promises, it needs to take into account society’s most vulnerable. According to Phil Sorsky, SVP, Service Providers for EMEA at CommScope, the act of compassionate connectivity takes a village. “To work properly, 5G must be available everywhere a device or subscriber needs access to it,” he told Mobile World in a recent interview.

“Connectivity is the basic requirement for smart cities, and fibre-fed 5G wireless is the infrastructure that will make it possible. We just need local across India, as well as another 3mn

authorities, city planners, govern-

people living rough on the streets.

ments and service providers to meet

“The premise of the ‘smart city’ as a

in the middle to make it a reality.”

relevant model needs a fundamental re-

The OECD and the HLRN also

evaluation, given the increasing levels of

recommend the use of more holistic

exclusion, impoverishment, unemploy-

approaches, as well as the establish-

ment, homelessness, forced evictions

ment of ethical oversight committees

and displacement of the urban poor in

for smart city projects, and a change

our cities,” said Shivani Chaudhry, exec-

in the way that smart city projects

utive director at the HLRN in an interview

are deployed - away from digitalising

with Reuters. “Merely selecting some

already gentrified urban areas and

cities, and some areas within cities

towards areas where digital transforma-

excludes rural areas, which intensifies

tion can help deliver elevated versions

the justification for urbanisation and

of vital services and utilities like internet,

worsens the rural-urban divide.”

power, water and transportation. w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

69

IOT

M E T R O E D G E - SERVI N G T HE U N DER- SERVED

Chicago might be the thirdlargest metro area in the United States, one of the nation’s manufacturing and economic powerhouses, but the city is still struggling to support its economically underprivileged areas.

Founded in 2018, data centre startup Metro EDGE is working to provide edge computing 70

BRIDGING THE URBAN-RURAL DIVIDE By 2050, the United Nations estimates that 68% of the global population will reside in cities, opposed to 55% (about 4.3bn today). This migration - in combination with overall population growth - could add another 2.5bn people to our cities. In contrast, the current rural population of around 3.4bn is expected to fall to 3.1bn by 2050.

More and more, rural communities - which are vital to support the existence of cities - are being left behind. Hanania noted during our conversation that “rural areas seem left out of [the smart city] NOVEMBER 2020

and low-latency services to underserved areas, while also promoting data centre industry skills within the communities it serves. Metro EDGE’s stated aim is to deliver “powerful social impact through data centre development” by generating economic and social impact across under-served communities.

conversation, and it’s often forgot-

for a seamless transition between

ten that many of the technologies

different forms of transport. The

we see in smart cities can also be

concept of a smart city can hence be

used in rural areas,” adding that, “for

extended to one of smart territories,

example, we’ve seen several cities

also highlighting how rural and urban

use apps to improve civic engage-

areas can explore new ways of being

ment – there’s no reason why similar

connected into the bigger picture of

initiatives cannot be rolled out in

one’s country.”

more rural areas. Issues with trans-

5G might prove to be a key tech-

port and mobility are particularly

nological enabler in the extension

prevalent in rural areas, where local

of smart city initiatives to rural

councils could learn from apps such

and otherwise underserved areas.

as Helsinki’s Whim app, which allows

According to Dr Ramsey Faragher, founder and CEO of FocalPoint and a Fellow of Queens’ College, Cambridge, UK, where he teaches AI and machine learning, one of the most promising applications for 5G is the provision of fixed-link wireless broadband to remote and underconnected areas. “This will be key in connecting remote areas faster and more cheaply and with less disruption than laying very large amounts of optic fibre,” he explained in a Q&A with Mobile World. “It’s an excellent application for 5G.” Hanania agrees that extending connectivity to rural areas is a key challenge for telecom operators and w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

71

IOT

smart infrastructure planners. “The challenge for local governments and officials in these areas is connectivity,” he explains. “Even in highly developed countries such as the UK, rural citizens often suffer from slower networks: this basic issue must be tackled first before rural areas can be brought up to speed with their urban equivalents.”

Sorsky is also a proponent of expanding connectivity, both in terms of speed and footprint. “There 72

is definitely a case for expanding advanced infrastructure to rural areas too,” he told Mobile World. “As we upgrade our networks, we must

“ Merely selecting some cities, and some areas within cities excludes rural areas, which intensifies the justification for urbanisation and worsens the rural-urban divide” — Shivani Chaudhry, Executive Director, HLRN

ensure no areas are left behind and all communities have the necessary fibre and wireless technology to enable greater growth throughout the UK. 5G mobile services, and the smart infrastructure that it brings, will quickly become more significant in our everyday lives, and are an enabler that cannot be underestimated. Such connectivity could ultimately be the difference between success and failure,

NOVEMBER 2020

73

particularly for smaller businesses,

telecommunications companies, will

enabling them to reach a global

shape the human experience for the

audience. It is critical that everyone

next century. If rural communities,

across the country has the same

as well as the underserved parts of

access to the opportunities brought

metropolitan areas, can be connected

about by connectivity.�

using 5G and the IoT - if smart city initiatives can be a tool for leveling

SMART SOCIETIES

the playing field rather than increas-

Cities will be home to almost two-

ing economic disparity - then today’s

thirds of the human race by 2050.

enterprises and governments can be

The decisions that are made now,

said to be working towards a world of

by governments, enterprises and

smart cities and smart societies. w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

T O P 10

74

Telecom CEOs Worldwide Mobile Magazine presents its list of the top 10 telecom company CEOs, running the world’s biggest communications companies WRITTEN BY

NOVEMBER 2020

HARRY MENEAR

75

w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

T O P 10

France NATIONALITY

2011 YEAR APPOINTED

$2.7mn ANNUAL SALARY

76

10

Stéphane Richard Orange

After joining the Orange group in 2009 as its Deputy Managing Director of French Operations, Stéphane Richard rose to become the company’s Chairman and CEO in March of 2011. Prior to his time at Orange, he served as Chief of Staff to the French Minister for the Economy, Industry, and Employment from 2007 to 2009. Richard is a graduate of the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) and École Nationale d’Administration. He recently oversaw a dramatic shakeup of the company’s executive team, which involved bringing the CEOs of Orange Belgium, Poland and Spain into the company’s executive committee, and outlining a growth strategy for Orange based upon aggressive expansion through acquisition across African markets, and an ongoing emphasis on leading technologies like AI and 5G.

NOVEMBER 2020

09

Ken Miyauchi SoftBank Corp

Headquartered in Tokyo, the SoftBank Group and is one of the world’s largest investment, professional services and tech companies, and oversees the largest venture capital investment fund in the world, as well as dozens of subsidiary organisations.

The company owns and operates several telecommunications divisions, primarily Softbank Corp, which was renamed from SoftBank Mobile in 2015. Ken Miyauchi is currently the President and CEO of SoftBank Corp and has been with SoftBank in some capacity since 1984.

77

Japan NATIONALITY

2015 YEAR APPOINTED

$16.9mn ANNUAL SALARY

w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

Building a Fully Connected, Intelligent World “Huawei, our key strategic partner has been working side-by-side with Cellcard on 4G projects within many key cities and provinces in 2019. With the support from Huawei’s high technology solution, we have completed the first real 5G trial test in Cambodia following the download speed that reached 1.6Gbps with lower latency rate at less than 10ms. Cellcard is confident in choosing Huawei to embrace digital life to every person, home and organization in Cambodia for an intelligent future with intelligent connections.”

Let’s Move Forward to a 5G Era

T O P 10

08

Nick Read Vodafone

Born in 1964, Nick Read is a British executive who has been serving as the CEO of the Vodafone group for almost 20 years, since 2002 when he came on board as the company’s CFO. During the 1990s, Read was a key executive at FedEx before going on to hold several financial executive roles at Vizzavi and Miller Freeman. He has a BA in Accountancy and Finance from Manchester Metropolitan University and currently holds a directorship at Booking.com.

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UK

NATIONALITY

2018 YEAR APPOINTED

$4.6mn ANNUAL SALARY

w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

T O P 10

Spain NATIONALITY

2016 YEAR APPOINTED

$5.3mn ANNUAL SALARY

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07

José María ÁlvarezPallete López Telefónica SA

Serving as the CEO of Telefónica SA since April 2016, José María Álvarez-Pallete López is a Spanish economist and executive born in Madrid. He has worked within the Telefónica Group since 1999 - first joining as the CFO of Telefónica Internacional SAU, and becoming CFO of Telefónica SA in 2002. In 2016 Forbes Magazine named him the “Best CEO” in Spain, and in 2019 he received a “Manager of the Year” award from the Asociación Española de Directivos, as well as being recognised as the country’s “Business Leader of the Year” by the Spain-US Chamber of Commerce. He is currently both CEO and Chairman of the Board at Telefónica SA.

NOVEMBER 2020

06

Timotheus Höttges Deutsche Telekom

As the CEO of Germany’s largest telecom company, Timotheus Höttges has been overseeing operations in Europe and the US where Deutsche Telekom is the majority shareholder of T-Mobile - since 2014. Prior to joining Deutsche Telekom in 2000, Höttges received a degree in Business from the University of Cologne and was instrumental to the VIAG AG and VEBA AG merger which formed E.on AG and was completed in 2000.

81

Germany NATIONALITY

2014 YEAR APPOINTED

$4.65mn ANNUAL SALARY

w w w. m o bil e m a g a z in e . c o m

ericsson.com/ 5g-switch

Move towards zero touch, cut down on time

Ericsson.

The 5G switch made easy.

With automated provisioning and insight-driven service assurance, Ericsson Dynamic Orchestration simplifies operations, moving you closer to the zero-touch experience.

This means greater savings and shorter time to market.

T O P 10

China NATIONALITY

2020 YEAR APPOINTED

$214,700 ANNUAL SALARY

05

Dong Xin

83

China Mobile

Following the retirement of Li Yue in 2019, Dong Xin stepped into the dual roles of CEO and Executive Director of China Mobile in August of this year. He joined the company’s board of directors in 2017 as its chief of operations, and previously served as a deputy director of Corporate Finance Division of Finance Department of the former Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, a director of Economic Adjustment Division of the Department of Economic Adjustment and Communication Clearing of the former Ministry of Information Industry of China, director general of the Finance Department and Planning and Construction Department of CMCC, chairman and president of Hainan Mobile, Henan Mobile and Beijing Mobile, Vice President and Chief Accountant of CMCC, and Vice President and CFO of China Mobile.

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T O P 10

Japan NATIONALITY

2018 YEAR APPOINTED

$1mn

ANNUAL SALARY

84

04

Jun Sawada NTT

Jun Sawada has served as the President and CEO of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp since June 2018. He originally joined Japan’s largest telecom services provider (and third-largest telco in the world by revenue) in 1978, rising to the executive board as Senior Vice President in 2008. Japanese CEOs famously take home relatively small salaries, and Sawada’s compensation package is smaller that the annual pay for the company’s top scientists.

The exact nature of his compensation is unknown, however.

NOVEMBER 2020

03

Hans Vestberg Verizon

Swedish businessman Hans Vestberg has served as the CEO of US telecom Verizon since 2018, and as the company’s Chairman of the Board since 2019. He joined the company in 2017 as its CTO, and was largely responsible for the dramatic development of the company’s extensive fiber network throughout the North American region. As CEO he has led the push towards 5G adoption. Prior to joining Verizon, he served as the CEO of Swedish Telecom Ericsson for six years.

85

Sweden NATIONALITY

2018 YEAR APPOINTED

$22.2mn ANNUAL SALARY

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T H E D I G I TA L D ATA C E N T R E C O M M U N I T Y

POWERED BY

OUT NOW FIND OUT MORE

T O P 10

02

Mike Sievert T-Mobile

Mike Sievert took over as the CEO of US telecom and 5G leader T-Mobile in April of 2020. His predecessor, John J. Legere, was the highest-paid telecom executive in the world, with an annual 88

take home in 2018 of $66.5mn in salary and stock options. Sievert has served as the head of T-Mobile’s board of Directors since 2018 and has held multiple executive roles since joining the company in 2012, from Executive VP and CMO to COO and President. He has a Bachelor of Economics, Marketing and Management from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. His starting salary of $1.4mn is expected to grow to $1.6mn in his third year and be accompanies by cash and stock incentives potentially totalling $11.5mn in the first year.

NOVEMBER 2020

USA

NATIONALITY

2020 YEAR APPOINTED

$11.5mn ANNUAL SALARY

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Motorola RAZR 5G Unboxing CLICK TO WATCH

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2:18

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T O P 10

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AT&T Business Uses 5G Technology for Virtual Reality Therapy CLICK TO WATCH

NOVEMBER 2020

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2:07

USA

NATIONALITY

2020 YEAR APPOINTED

$22.5mn ANNUAL SALARY

01

John T. Stankey AT&T

Previously serving as the CEO of WarnerMedia from 2018 until this year, following the company’s creation from the merger of AT&T Media and Warner Time Warner, John T. Stankey has been a driving force behind the modern telecom landscape in the US over the past decade.

He returned to AT&T this summer, taking over as head of the world’s largest telecommunications company in July.

Stankey originally joined AT&T in 1985 and has worked throughout the corporation’s many business units. He has a BBA in Finance from Loyola Marymount University and an MBA from UCLA.

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NOVEMBER 2020

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5G Innovation and Digital Transformation WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA WILSON

PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

5G IA

Colin Willcock, Chairman of the Board at 5G IA, discusses 5G innovation, digital transformation and the impact of COVID-19

G

raduating with a doctorate in parallel computation in 1992, Colin Willcock, Chairman of the Board of the 5G IA,

began his career in a small telecoms consultant company working with multiple major companies including Siemens and Alcatel in the area of test 94

equipment. Dr. Willcock moved to Nokia in 1999 where he has held various positions in research and standardisation. In 2017 Dr. Willcock was presented with the opportunity to be the representative for Nokia in the 5G IA board where shortly afterwards he took over the position of chairman.

Established in December 2013, Dr. Willcock explained that “5G IA’s ambition is to be the voice of the European industry on all things 5G, including research, development and deployment. As well as the big players within the industry such as Nokia, Ericsson and Orange, the 5G IA also includes SMEs, academics and research institutes. We’ve got the whole ecosystem within the association and we try and work with the European

NOVEMBER 2020

95

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5G IA

“ 5G IA’s ambition is to be the voice of the European industry on all things 5G, including research, development and deployment” — Colin Willcock, Chairman of the Board, 5G IA

was the running of the 5G public private partnership (5G PPP), so the 5G IA is responsible for industrial side of

Commission quite closely to develop

this key research partnership between

the best strategies for Europe when it

the public and private sectors to bring

comes to 5G. One of the main things

leadership in 5G research.”

we concentrate on and the initial reason for the creation of the association

Over the years, the 5G PPP has worked on multiple projects which

5G PPP phase 3: Providing solutions for verticals

96

NOVEMBER 2020

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Colin Willcock Title: Chairman of the Board

Company: 5G IA

Industry: Telecommunications

Location: Germany

Colin has detailed knowledge and experience of the telecommunications industry having worked directly or indirectly with many of the major players over a 28-year period. The roles have included software developer, technical consultant, technical marketing, standardization and management. The software development has been at both the project and product levels including responsible for customer relations and software QA procedures. The management has been at project, program, group and competence area level, often involving multi-site and multi-country responsibilities.

In addition to line manager roles, he has participated extensively in standardization activities at ETSI, ITU-T and 3GPP, including instrumental work in creating and developing the TTCN-3 testing language. Colin has also been very active in the European research ecosystem, including leading a number of awardwinning European projects such as TT-Medal, D-MINT and SEMAFOUR. Colin is currently head of Radio Network Standardization at Nokia and in addition is also the chairman of the board of the 5G Infrastructure Association.

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5G IA

98

have set the foundation for the indus-

bringing this 5G technology to other

try’s understanding of 5G. “One of the

industries outside of the classical

key results from the 5G PPP projects

telecoms sector such as automotive,

has been the creation of pre-standard-

healthcare, media, industry 4.0, smart

isation consensus. This consensus has

cities and smart agriculture, to drive

encompassed what the key functional

digital transformation and to make sure

blocks and requirements should be, as

that the European industry is competi-

well as what 5G should do and what 5G

tive by using this technology.” Dr.

should be. “The 5G PPP program will

Willcock explained that, “the promise

run for seven to eight years. In the first

of 5G is to use this technology as the

phase which covered the first three

enabling glue to make a truly digital

to four years we have been doing

society, both commercially within

fundamental research into 5G. The

industry, but also from a societal point

second phase was centred around

of view as an infrastructure to tackle

NOVEMBER 2020

5G PPP reference figure of active projects in Phase III

“ In this second phase we’ve been working together with these industries to show them that it is worth investing in 5G technology” — Colin Willcock, Chairman of the Board, 5G IA

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The Need For 5G CLICK TO WATCH

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5G IA

100

5G PPP Phase 3 Platforms Cartography NOVEMBER 2020

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5G IA

key societal issues. In 5G PPP phase

Talking about the third phase, Dr.

two, we have worked with many big

Willcock said “I think we’ve demon-

names from the vertical industries –

strated the power of 5G and the need

Volvo, BMW, ABB and Siemens. For

to invest in the technology. In phase

such companies 5G is not their core

three, what we’re trying to do is build

business. Connectivity is important

a 5G innovation platform, where players

to them, but not necessarily central. In

within the industry such as innovative

this second phase we’ve been put-

SMEs, can develop their ideas on a

ting the ideas together from both the

5G platform. The concept is to drive

vertical industries and the telecoms

the next innovative ideas by giving

industries to come up with better

them access to 5G technologies

solutions for the future. We have

to show that it works.”

shown them that it is worth investing 102

in 5G technology”

In addition to driving the development and adoption of 5G, Dr. Willcock

5G by Colin Willcock 5G IA Chair, announcing the 7th Global 5G Event CLICK TO WATCH

NOVEMBER 2020

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0:43

“ The promise of 5G is to use this technology as the enabling glue to make a digital society, both commercially within key industries, but also from a societal point of view” — Colin Willcock, Chairman of the Board, 5G IA

transformation and 5G technology to Europe and then deploy that technology across the world. We’ve

explained that “while we’re still very

got dozens of industries working

much at the beginning of the 5G story,

together to show how digital trans-

we have just had a call for project pro-

formation can help and trying to show

posals to look beyond 5G. We have

that it is worth investing in. So, it’s very

created the first versions of the 5G

much at the heart of what we’re doing,

standard and are now in the process

and I think we can claim quite a lot of

of evolving the technology to fully

success in driving digital transforma-

support the non-telecoms vertical

tion through the 5G PPP collaborative

industries. However, the network

projects. These projects have also

technology evolution will not stop

focused on other key transforma-

with 5G and we want to make sure

tional areas like standardisation.”

that we start looking at 6G early

One key element Dr. Willcock

enough to ensure Europe can retain

believes is often underrated is

its leadership role in this domain”.

the concept of culture and mindset.

When it comes to working with

“The problem is that industries are

organisations to drive transformation

often only interested in short term

and innovation within their operations,

technological solutions – this often

Dr. Willcock explained that, “obviously

leads them to apply the solutions of

digital transformation is at the heart

yesterday to the problems of tomor-

of what the 5G IA does. We are try-

row – this is often true when they

ing to bring leadership in digital

are considering communications www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

103

5G IA

technologies. But if you look at the difference it makes to apply advanced communication technologies, like 5G, in terms of things like improving the process from the point of sales, through to manufacturing, to delivery, the potential advantage is huge in terms of money saved. The reality is, if you don’t move to that technology, there is a danger you will no longer be competitive. Too often the current culture and mindset is focused on the financial report for the next quarter or 104

the quarter after that. This short termism means it’s often very difficult to see the medium-term picture and the huge advantages.”

This is where Dr. Willcock believes that the investment made by 5G IA demonstrates the advantages of applying future looking technologies and investing in digitalisation. “the 5G PPP projects gives a chance for organisations to actually look beyond short-term goals, and actually see the bigger picture, and hopefully then that will enable the mindset in those companies to be more open, to invest in more advanced technologies and gain competitive advantage”.

NOVEMBER 2020

“ One of the things we concentrate on and the initial reason for the creation of the association was to run the 5G public private partnership (PPP)” — Colin Willcock, Chairman of the Board, 5G IA

105

As technology evolves, Dr. Willcock

success. And with this increased

believes that along with the evolution

importance, the security and pro-

the importance of communications

tection aspects become ever more

technology continues to increase.

critical. If we look to the future, in five

However, with this increased impor-

years 5G will be one of the fundamen-

tance, “one needs to be careful

tal networks tying our world together,

because technology in isolation often

from the automated car driving on the

does not solve problems. It’s technol-

highway, to healthcare and energy

ogy, together with the ability to apply

systems, driving digital transformation.�

it, the right regulatory environment and investment that can determine www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

106

Cheetah Digital: The Value of Mobile in the Digital Age WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA WILSON PRODUCED BY

BEN MALTBY

NOVEMBER 2020

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www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

CHEETAH DIGITAL

Andy Gladwin, Head of Mobile at Cheetah Digital, discusses the importance of mobile technology in a digital transformation strategy

A

s digital consumers’ needs have evolved, all-too-many brands’ approach to them have not kept pace. Modern consumers

enjoy almost blanket 4G coverage, but the digital experiences they receive is oftentimes akin to dial-up. Better data sets and more sophisticated 108

targeting has not necessarily led to better advertising, experiences or content.

Graduating from the University of St. Andrews in 2005, Andy Gladwin, Head of Mobile GTM at Cheetah Digital began his career in mobile technology by joining Ericsson on the graduate scheme where he worked his way up to Head of Commercial for their SMS business unit (Ericsson IPX) which became part of Netsize. In 2013, Gladwin moved onto hold leadership roles at ExactTarget which was acquired by Salesforce, CLX Communications and his most recent tenure was as Vice President leading sales of Vodafone’s global SMS business, where he attended Vodafone’s executive leadership talent programme ‘Inspire”.

It was a reunion over a coffee in London with his former leader Sameer Kazi from ExactTarget that NOVEMBER 2020

109

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CHEETAH DIGITAL

Managing Mobile Moments in an Omnichannel World.

CLICK TO WATCH

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17:36

110 set the compelling path to join Cheetah

find an enterprise that doesn’t want

Digital. “I realised that this wasn’t just

to engage with their customers in the

a coffee, but an opportunity, one that I

most frictionless manner possible. Part

couldn’t really refuse. The opportunity

of working out what makes the engage-

was to go and work within a visionary

ment frictionless is identifying where

company that is set to disrupt the digital

the customers exchange information

marketing landscape and shape the

and communicate. This is mobile.”

Mobile contribution to this strategy.”

These are the thoughts of Andy Gladwin,

Eight out of 10 digital minutes reside

Head of Mobile at Cheetah Digital.

on the mobile phone, with consumers

“To convolute the issue we live in

picking up their device on average 96

an omni-channel world. Consumers

times a day. It’s clear that a fully-fledged

interact with an average of 6 digital

mobile strategy is no longer a nice to

touchpoints when engaging with a

have, but the cornerstone of any digital

brand. Whether that be content on

transformation. “You are not going to

social media, payment through wallet,

NOVEMBER 2020

“ Mobile sits at the heart of digital transformation.

Eight out of 10 digital minutes reside on the mobile phone” — Andy Gladwin, Head of Mobile at Cheetah Digital

preference insights and behavioural data to no longer infer, but anticipate what its customers are likely to do

news from SMS, or offers via email to

next. Then they can use this data to

name but a few. Principally however,

power more-personalised, and criti-

all these touchpoints can be directly

cally, frictionless engagement across

accessed through mobile. And the

all touchpoints. It helped of course that

upside to this is brands can gather vast

SMS, as well as browser, email, apps,

amounts of consumer data, opt-ins,

social and wallet are available on the 111

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Andy Gladwin Title: Head of Mobile

Company: Cheetah Digital

Industry: Computer Software

Location: United Kingdom

Approaching 15 years experience across the mobile messaging market, Andy Gladwin is a thought leader in mobile channel communications. He has been an active participant within industry bodies and worked at different levels of the mobile value chain most recently as a VP within Vodafone’s global messaging division.

Today he resides in the UK, where he is the go to market leader for Cheetah Digital’s Global Mobile service offering.

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

CHEETAH DIGITAL

vast majority of mobiles. What’s clear

report that they have only a few of

is that mobile should be the nucleus

their marketing channels connected.

of any digital communication strategy.”

Each and every vertical is undergoing rapid digital transformations, however

112

A SINGLE, ACCESSIBLE VIEW OF THE CUSTOMER

thinking brands have headaches

Naturally in any modern enterprise

managing brands and data sources in

there are a plethora of institutional

different territories, time zones, and

challenges that make a mobile-first

languages. Data silos are an unfortu-

strategy somewhat difficult to realise.

nate inevitability.”

even the most modern and forward-

In the data economy, it’s not uncom-

When it comes to software, Gladwin

mon to hear marketers complaining

explains that over his many years work-

about how they have too much data

ing in mobile he has come to realise

to analyse. “53% of organizations

that centralisation is key. “Modern

NOVEMBER 2020

Thinking Caps | Andy Gladwin on Messaging Apps, RCS, and if SMS is Even Relevant Anymore CLICK TO WATCH

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28:50

113

26

Offices

13

countries

the customer in a unified, single view, which is necessary to fully understand each customer and provide them with a truly-personalized experience. The opportunity to wow the customer is lost forever.”

Explaining some of the benefits of this approach, Gladwin says, “having a centralised, single source of truth of the customer serves as a complete, up-to-

enterprises are awash with data, but it’s

date record and empowers marketers

fragmented from all manner of sources

to build lasting and more meaningful

and siloed in disparate systems which

relationships with customers through

are not integrated, nor were designed

accurate, timely, and trustworthy data.

to be. Marketers have no way of seeing

The closer marketers can get to the www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

CHEETAH DIGITAL

114

utopia of a golden record, the more

mobile app before you choose to send

likely they are to interact with custom-

an email. This helps to assure that those

ers through preferred channels with

things correlate to have the right level

preferred messages. Done fittingly, as

of relevance and value, as well as drive

customer preferences and/or transac-

a single voice.”

tion history change, the record changes with it.

Going a step further, Gladwin further

At Cheetah Digital, the company takes the data insights and processes these within its Engagement Data Platform

highlights that a centralised approach

(an evolution of a CDP). “On a software

enables enterprises to engage with

level, it’s from here that enterprises

customers in a personalized, meaning-

are able to securely manage that data

ful way. “Anticipating customer behavior

from any source and in real-time with

through insight enables you to keep

other digital channels. We can also

ahead of the competition by delivering

apply machine learning to optimise

the right experiences at the precise

send times, as well as building pro-

moment a customer engages. You can

pensity models that look at feedback

see what was the last activity and what

loops and other insights to determine

their behaviors have been within the

the likelihood of a customer following

NOVEMBER 2020

through with an associated call to action.

According to McKinsey, there is a 10 to 20% incremental boost in conversion rates and customer lifetime value when coordinating messages across channels,” comments Gladwin.

“Marketers and their customers deserve better. With the Cheetah Digital EDP, as consumers engage in mobile apps, wallet, email, social media

“ You are not going to find an enterprise that doesn’t want to engage with their customers in the most frictionless manner possible” — Andy Gladwin, Head of Mobile at Cheetah Digital

platforms, chat applications, and other touchpoints, this data is ingested in realtime and can be acted on immediately.”

115

POWERING PERSONALISATION WITH THE RIGHT DATA The converging forces of privacy legislation sweeping the globe, and consumers that are ever-more cognizant of privacy preserving tools, means that they are likely to only continue doing business with the brands that they trust and who tailor campaigns to them.

Expanding on powering personalisation from the right of data, that’s gathered compliantly, Gladwin breaks down the best approach. “The future of marketing to individuals with relevance is about asking them about www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

CHEETAH DIGITAL

“ Above all the most important decision maker in channel choice is that of the customer and every enterprise should actively seek preferences and correspond with their communications accordingly” — Andy Gladwin, Head of Mobile at Cheetah Digital 116 their interests, motivations and desires, rather than inferring or snooping on them. This is zero-party data. Forrester describes it as a class of data that is intentionally and proactively shared by the customer.”

“Unfortunately it’s not merely a case of building it and they will come. Digital consumers expect to be entertained, engaged, and receive something in return for their attention and personal data. At Cheetah Digital, we have a solution – Cheetah Experiences – which enables our customers to create interactive marketing campaigns that engage with customers and collects NOVEMBER 2020

first-party data, complemented by a raft of preference and behavioural data that customers volunteer – the key is offering a tangible value exchange.” Gladwin continues, “and it doesn’t need to be a red-letter prize, things like coupons, competitions, social kudos, or exclusive content drive value in return for data.”

When it comes to the role of mobile in the acquisition of data, Gladwin explains that there are three parts. “The first is

again ensuring that the organisation is

to leverage the immediacy of mobile

present on the relevant and preferred

channels to enable enterprises to

channels of their customers to provide

become scientific with their send time

access. Part two is harnessing tools

and resultantly maximise conversion

such as the haptics of the mobile device

by delivering the right message during

to drive a value exchange that is inter-

the moments of relevance. With a native

active and engaging. This could be to

capability on every handset, SMS is

use scratch screens to reveal a promo-

an effective vehicle to address a large

tion or to gain customers insights as

audience and engage with immediacy.

they swipe left or right to register their

90% of messages are read within 90

preferences or interests. Part three is

seconds and unlike some alternative

117

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CHEETAH DIGITAL

younger channels the technology is not a barrier, where there is the same level of familiarity to a 17 year old as a 70 year old.”

In addition to data acquisition, mobile technology can also offer it’s own additional behavioural and contextual data insights to drive personalisation. By observing frequency and recency data from an app, enterprises can ensure that they are addressing customer needs in line with their interactivity and associated customer lifecycle 118

placement. Location is another asset

on the metrics that move the needle,

that can trigger contextual real time

not just those that look good on paper.”

engagement as consumers enter or

When it comes to the importance

exit a geo-fence or taking it to a macro

of its people, Gladwin explains that

level, it could enable a retailer to review

at Cheetah Digital the company has

environmental conditions and promote

an in house services organisation to

raincoats to one customer and swim-

provide its customers with support

wear to another based on the weather

and account management services

at the time of send.”

– which is something that Gladwin believes distinguishes the company

PEOPLE MAKE THE PRODUCT

from its competition. “Our in house ser-

Cheetah Digital is an organisation

vices organisation have a very intimate

rooted in driving business outcomes.

understanding – not only of the client

To realise that it’s imperative to have

– but with our technology. This native

people lasered on business goals

expertise enables them to not only

rather than vanity metrics. “Whatever

consistently drive and deliver results

vertical you’re in, you need to focus

through implementation and design,

NOVEMBER 2020

where engagement has moved from transactional to conversational gives brands more of an opportunity to engage, listen and influence customer behaviour. For too long marketing has been a decidedly one-way affair, with brands seeking to push their message louder and further into more intimate contacts. However it’s not better marketing, just better targeting. Using mobile to engage in true two-way communications with consumers through legacy and emerging channels will be but also to enhance performance and

the next significant paradigm shift.”

ultimately revenue and profitability for track the right metrics, convert these

HOW DO ENTERPRISES CONSIDER THE RIGHT MOBILE CHANNEL?

into tangibles like revenue and prove

The relationship between consumers

ROI. Through perpetually testing and

and enterprises is moving from physi-

enhancing the use of mobile channels

cal to digital at such velocius pace

we can optimise these numbers.”

and to be effective managing mobile

our clients. We’re here to identify and

Looking at the mobile industry

channels and customer moments are

as a whole, Gladwin believes there

critical for driving engagement. This

are several major shifts emerging

has never been as important as it has

for mobile technology. “Devices

been in the past year or so, as market

have gone from being convenient to

and customer dynamics and consumer

connected and through this period,

priorities are changing – as consumers

content has evolved from being

are avoiding crowds, spending less

relatively basic to incredibly rich. The

time in stores and venues and increas-

evolution of the channel ecosystem

ing their online activity. www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

119

CHEETAH DIGITAL

When thinking about mobile and how it connects brands, consumers and touchpoints, it is an ecosystem that offers many channels. “SMS as we discussed earlier offers ubiquity, immediacy, engagement and familiarity, and of course gives the benefit of high confidence to deliver a message to all customers with it being read in a short time. If you were to receive a fraud alert, you would want to receive it via SMS so you could act quickly rather than an email. Apps hold value driving 120

convenience, immediacy and provide a non-restricted environment to represent a brand’s content. Having your

provides a gateway to reward loyal cus-

app on a home screen is like having a

tomers with points or coupons.”

prominently placed billboard and offers

Clearly there’s lots to ruminate, but

a streamlined pathway to gain informa-

Gladwin is clear “above all the most

tion such as bank account details or a

important decision maker in channel

call-to-action where your airline seat

choice is that of the customer and

reservation may be open to confirm.

every enterprise should actively seek

Apps also open up the opportunity to

preferences and correspond with their

trigger real time messages based on

communications accordingly.”

activities such as in app behaviours or geo-location.”

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: COVID-19

“Mobile wallet is fast emerging as

When discussing the impact of COVID-

another convenience touchpoint for

19 so far in the industry, Gladwin says

consumers, from paying for coffee or

“There has been an elevated impor-

catching a train, but for marketers it

tance during COVID to support the

NOVEMBER 2020

121 lack of physical customer engagement

Recent research shows that app

and rise of eCommerce to substitute

utilisation is up 50% and the pandemic

physical relationships. For example we

has accelerated the enterprise digital

have a supermarket client in France

communication strategy – on average –

who sent out a message to all of their

by about six years. “Moving companies

customers in March detailing their new

forward in that strategy, mobile again

store opening and closing times along

is becoming even more key. To be

with their online ordering capabilities.

successful you need to be where your

So in terms of driving clarity in an ambig-

customers are, and that is no longer

uous environment, SMS has been a great

physical engagement. With the rise of

way to cut through the noise, to be able

remote customers, mobile is going to

to go through a different channel that

be the key to success.”

isn’t suffering from buffering and other issues, to get immediate important messages across during this time.” www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

122

Inside 9mobile’s Digital Transformation WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

NOVEMBER 2020

123

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9MOBILE

9mobile CEO, Alan Sinfield, talks digital transformation, serving the underserved and creating a cultural shift, all in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic

N

igeria is a frontier market with huge reserves of untapped potential. A country of 206mn people, large portions

of its market are underserved, both in terms of Telecommunications, Media & Technology (TMT) and, Banking. The country’s telecom market only 124

has a mobile broadband data penetration rate of around 45%, and more than half of its citizens that are the right age to own a bank account are completely unbanked. “There’s huge growth potential here,” says Alan Sinfield, CEO of 9mobile.

Having accumulated multiple decades worth of experience, both in the banking sector and leading telecoms in frontier markets, Sinfield sees a wealth of opportunities for 9mobile to grow and evolve into a top-tier competitor in the Nigerian mobile industry. We sat down with him to discuss his vision for digitally transforming 9mobile, driving major fibre deployments throughout a geographically and politically diverse country, banking the unbanked, and nurturing a vibrant ecosystem of Nigerian companies in order to build a truly sustainable, valuable, home-grown MNO. NOVEMBER 2020

125

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9MOBILE

“ The sheer enthusiasm of the team here, the talent and passion they have for the business made for a nice welcome” — Alan Sinfield, CEO, 9mobile

A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY Founded in 2008 as Etisalat Nigeria, 9mobile rebranded in 2017 to better reflect both the company’s identity as a wholly-Nigerian owned, Nigerianfocused MNO, and its commitment to delivering innovative, best-in-class services to its customers. Currently, 9mobile is the fourth-largest telecom in Nigeria, a fact which Sinfield fully intends to remedy.

“There’s no reason for us to be in fourth position in this market. We have

126

the same foundations from which to work from as the other operators in Nigeria, so when you compare our 13 million customers to the leading telecom players in the country, some of which have between 50 and 70 million, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be in the same space,” he explains. “We have lofty goals, but every intention of achieving them.”

EMBRACING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION FROM THE INSIDE OUT Sinfield and 9mobile are in the process of acting on a five-year plan to transform the business into a leading competitor in the Nigerian telecom market. In order NOVEMBER 2020

to realise the company’s full potential,

and VR to robotics. A lot of what we’re

Sinfield explains that new technologies

looking at centres around applying the

have a key role to play, both in 9mobile’s

latest technological advancements

internal operations and regarding the

within the operation to streamline and

offerings to its customers.

make it more effective,” he explains.

“We’re in a fast-moving world. There’s

“We’re also paying close attention to the

so much happening right now around

evolution of IoT, and how best to adopt

technological innovation, from AR

that technology internally, as well as

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Alan Sinfield Title: CEO Company: 9mobile Industry: Telecommunications

Location: Nigeria

Alan Sinfield is a hybrid senior executive with experience and expertise in the telecommunications, banking and fintech industries. He has held board and senior leadership roles in several companies, including mobile, fixed line and broadband data operators, and in the fintech and banking sectors across emerging markets in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. He served as CEO for four years at Ooredoo (Starlink), a subsidiary of the listed Qatari Telecommunications Group, as well as serving as Chief Information Officer and Chief Customer Services Officer at Orascom Telecom (IraQna), a subsidiary of the listed Egyptian Telecommunications Group.

Furthermore, he has held the role of Chief Executive Officer at Amara Communications Co. (ananda), a 4G LTE mobile broadband operator in Myanmar, from 2018 to 2019, and also held the position of CEO at Cadcomms (qb), a full-service Mobile Operator in Cambodia, from 2010 to 2017. www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

127

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SIMPLIFIED INCREASE YOUR NETWORK REACH WITH LESS RESOURCES

CERAGON’S FLEXIBLE WIRELESS HAULING MORE CAPACITY, FASTER WITH LESS RESOURCES www.ceragon.com

“ We have lofty goals, but every intention of achieving them” — Alan Sinfield, CEO, 9mobile

explains. “In some instances, 3G is legacy technology, but when you’re looking at rural communities that have had no access to data so far, the speeds you can get with 3G are mindblowing in comparison.”

ROLLING OUT FIBRE how to use it to help customers’ busi-

While 9mobile already has an opera-

nesses perform better.”

tional network consisting of close to

Externally, Sinfield explains,

6,000km of fibre, Sinfield notes that

9mobile’s technological advance-

the market still remains largely under-

ments need to be rolled out in step

served. In the main, he explains, this is

with the expectations and demands of

due to a long-standing state of affairs

its customers. “It’s about understand-

tied to multiple levels of federal and

ing what the customers want, which

state regulatory control throughout

is high-speed data at very affordable

the diverse political landscape that

prices that works everywhere and

makes up Nigeria.

when they need it,” a challenging

“One of the barriers, historically, to

feat in light of the sheer size and

rolling out fibre in Nigeria is the fact

geographical diversity of the Nigerian

that it’s such a large country made up

market. Understanding the current

of individual states with local govern-

capabilities of the mobile network in

ments, which means you’re dealing with

different parts of Nigeria is essential

multiple levels of government below

to elevating 9mobile’s offerings in

the national level,” he elaborates. “What

a sustainable way.

this means is that some places are

“A lot of what we’re doing is based

charging for rights of way at rates that

on tailoring our technical strategy to

are just plain prohibitive.” The country’s

deliver right-sized coverage for the

minister for communications and digital

communities we’re serving,” Sinfield

economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

129

9MOBILE

130

has been instrumental, Sinfield adds,

the necessary infrastructure itself can

in challenging this status quo. “He’s

be prohibitive. “The cost of deploying

convinced a lot of states that decreas-

fibre is very high,” remarks Sinfield.

ing those up-front payments will lead

As a result, 9mobile has been forging

to better adoption of ICT technology

alliances and partnerships with other

and more revenue in the long-term.”

Nigerian operators, creating a shared

As a result, right of way charges are

fibre network that could soon serve

being dropped across the country,

even the most isolated areas of the

allowing 9mobile, as well as other

region. “It doesn’t make sense for all of

MNOs and fibre companies, to roll out

us to dig the same hole and lay the same

more infrastructure in support of the

fibre. We already have deals in place

Government’s five year broadband plan.

with other operators to swap fibre; we’re

However, even with government tariffs reduced, the expense of installing NOVEMBER 2020

building out a huge ecosystem throughout the entire country,” he adds.

M O B I L E B A N K I N G FO R T HE U N BAN K ED Of the 206 million people living in Nigeria, approximately half of that population is of an appropriate age to own a bank account. “Of that population, just over 50% of them are unbanked. That’s 50-millionplus people who don’t have access to banking services,” says Sinfield. Earlier this year, the

to be an online service, but with additional elements of traditional retail banking,” he says, agreeing that the service will be something of a hybrid between a digital-only challenger bank like Revolut or Starling, and a more traditional financial institution.

company became one of the first firms in Nigeria to receive the government’s new payment service bank licenses, as part of the government’s new initiative to increase financial inclusion.

The service itself can work on a host of different devices, from smartphones and tablets down to 2G feature phones. You don’t need to be on a smartphone or download an app to use it; the whole service works with USSD strings,” he says. “It’s more than just mobile money. We’ve got the capability for people to have savings accounts, remittance accounts, and more. It’s a great way for us to both enable our customers and to help the government achieve its financial inclusion goals. It really does open up opportunities as financial inclusion also drives digital inclusion, which will really support growth in Nigeria.”

In response, 9mobile has spun out a dedicated banking business to compete in the country’s burgeoning fintech space. Given his experience in finance, and previous work with mobile money solutions in other frontier markets, Sinfield notes that developing the new offerings has been extremely exciting and is looking forward to the launch of the new 9PSB. “What we’re developing is a standalone bank which is going

“We’re going to have retail banking halls, as well as ATMs.

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

131

Forward together Respond today, adapt tomorrow, and reimagine the future microsoft.com/mea/together

“ Our banking service is a great way for us to both enable our customers and to help the government achieve its financial inclusion goals” — Alan Sinfield, CEO, 9mobile

that process, everyone at 9mobile is an ambassador for the brand. If they don’t live, breathe and represent the brand then the company won’t succeed. The only way we will succeed is through teamwork.”

He adds that, in addition to improving training programs and delving deeper into the company’s core competencies to better understand the strategic changes that need to be made, he’s working to create a rewards-focused culture at 9mobile.

“We want people to understand that,

RECREATING THE 9MOBILE CULTURE

if they want to progress, they’ll have

Every digital transformation, at its

to put in the work, and that if they put

heart, lives or dies by the strength of

in the work, they’re going to progress

a company’s people. 9mobile is no

and be rewarded for helping to grow

exception. Sinfield admits that, prior

the business.”

to his arrival, the company had experienced a few difficult years related to

CULTIVATING AN ECOSYSTEM

investment in infrastructure and other

As a wholly Nigerian-owned busi-

areas. “However, what we do have

ness, ensuring that 9mobile works

internally is a wealth of great human

to nurture and grow the ecosystem

capital, that we will be further develop-

around it in a sustainable way is an

ing through investment in training, and

essential goal for Sinfield and the

career development,” he says. “What

company’s shareholders alike. “We

I’ve been doing since I’ve arrived is let-

have a strong focus on using local

ting people know that we are turning

companies wherever we can to

things around. I’ve made it clear that in

help give them a leg up, by investing www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

133

KE Y P ART N ERSHI P S “ O ur partners are key to ensuring that we achieve our business goals. We want to recognise where we’re strong, where they might be stronger, and make sure we’re leveraging the right alliances to ensure that both businesses mutually benefit” - Alan Sinfield, CEO, 9mobile.

Ceragon Ceragon is one of our main network partners relating to microwave transmissions. They’re instrumental

in making sure our data is hauled back to our network hubs and how we provide broadband connectivity to our customers in areas where we cannot immediately lay fibre. We work very closely with them and intend to continue to do so as we roll out more of our network.

KE Y PART N ERSHI P S Comviva

Huawei

Comviva does a lot with us in the area of value-added services.

They’ve been working with 9mobile for a number of years and have a solid, evolving solution set that they provide to us.

Huawei is one of our core network vendors. They provide great service.

They’re always helping us expand our technical capabilities and we’re continuing to explore new ways for them to be a part of our value chain going forward.

Microsoft Microsoft is a major part of our future plans. They’re a key partner for everything we want to do and, in addition, they have some fantastic goals based around their CSR programs, so we’re working closely with them to ensure we make the most of the products and services they offer so we in turn can offer the best possible service to our customers.

Huawei believe in the market potential of 9mobile and proud to partner with 9mbile to provide network signal coverage and data connection for more and more people in Nigeria. Huawei fully supports 9mobile in fighting against the COVID-19 epidemic through ICT technology. Huawei and 9mobile will together contribute to the development of ICT talents in Nigeria and committed to more cooperation.

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

135

9MOBILE

136

“ Everyone who works for 9mobile is an ambassador for the brand. If they don’t live, breathe and represent the brand then the company won’t succeed” — Alan Sinfield, CEO, 9mobile

NOVEMBER 2020

and giving them our business,” he says. “As a wholly Nigerian-owned company, our shareholders want to invest in Nigeria and its communities, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. We’re going to build a company that is sustainable and delivers real value to all of our stakeholders.”

Going forward, Sinfield says that customers, companies and shareholders can expect big things from 9mobile. He adds that he’s extremely grateful to the company’s loyal

2008

Year founded

2,300 Number of employees

137

customers, who have continued to

and SME-size companies, which

support them through past years,

are very underserved right now. We

and that rewarding that loyalty is a

already work with a large number of

top priority for the company. “We

those companies and I want to note

have a lot of new plans and ideas. A

that we’re very grateful for their con-

lot of our customers have stuck with

tinued patronage and support.”

us through thick and thin, and we want to make sure that we reward their loyalty while we continue to invest in our network and services for them,” he says.

“It’s not just at the consumer level though; Nigeria abounds with micro www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

138

NOVEMBER 2020

Telkom and Yep!: Transforming into the Platform for SMBs WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM SMITH PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

139

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

TELKOM BUSINESS

Lunga Siyo, CEO of Telkom Business and Yep!, reveals the technological and cultural transformation enabling it to become a one-stop platform for SMBs

T

elkom is a diversified group of companies, which started out as an incumbent fixed line operator in South Africa. Over the

years, it has diversified into a mobile business and an IT business, alongside Towers and Property and a network infrastructure business. Lunga Siyo heads 140

up the small and medium business division of the company, which evolved out of its Yellow Pages business. “We had three entities within the group that were servicing these small and medium businesses,” says Siyo. “An IT company, BCX, selling IT solutions, then a fixed line operator selling voice lines and data and broadband. Yellow Pages was selling marketing services and advertising. We’ve combined all of those three entities into one we initially called Telkom SMB.” The organisation has since evolved, however, into a brand known as Yep!. “It’s a marketplace business, in essence,” says Siyo. “We wanted to serve our customers using a digital marketplace rather than physical stores or via telephone, just to make it easier for businesses. Think about a bakery. They want to make sure that they bake cakes, and sell them to NOVEMBER 2020

141

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TELKOM BUSINESS

“ What we needed to do was to first look at legacy systems, look at processes and start automating them” — Lunga Siyo, CEO, Telkom Business and Yep! 142

their customers. They don’t want to be bogged down in administration and the services that enable them such as broadband, telephony, IT. They also want to market themselves.”

Yep!’s offering caters to both such impulses, as Siyo explains: “We can create a marketplace for them so that they can drive traffic into their own physical stores, while also creating new revenue streams through digital channels. We started by linking up small businesses with customers. Beyond creating an online store, we were creating an entire ecosystem of products and services

NOVEMBER 2020

Telkom and Yep! CLICK TO WATCH

|

0:30

143 that small businesses could buy from the

do was to first look at legacy systems,

platform itself, starting with connectivity

look at processes and start automating

products, but also looking into adjacent

them. For instance, the credit scoring

solutions such as financial services.”

process previously involved an individ-

Making that a possibility has required

ual taking your details, going to another

internal transformation at the company,

team, looking at the credit check and

which Siyo has overseen. “We wanted

only then could they tell you what kind of

to serve our customers better. Now,

product that you qualify for.”

instead of calling someone at a contact

That process has now been auto-

centre, you can actually go online and

mated through an online, web-based

self service. You can buy more products

platform which relies on APIs to interact

online via an ecommerce platform for

with legacy systems. “These systems

customers.” Another big focus has

have been put in place to make sure

been on improving the capacity to sign

that we can transform ourselves as a

up new customers. “What we needed to

business, but also to transform how our www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

Copyright Š 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS Your customer experience powered by our transformation experience Digital commerce can account for 50% of B2B revenue, but to unlock that revenue, your digital marketplace has to be smart enough to feel simple. B2B buyers think just like consumers—because they are.

Accenture has the proven experience to make your user experience matter.

customers interact with us,” Siyo says.

The technologies involved in the trans-

has been another cornerstone of the company’s approach, with the use of

formation have been various, but one

robotic process automation (RPA) tech-

of the standout examples has been the

nology widespread.

harnessing of data, whether it be struc-

Accompanying Telkom on its journey

tured customer data or the unstructured

have been a number of key partners.

variety. “Data is key,” says Siyo. “The

BCX, a sister company, is one such

question is how do you pull that together

example, offering extensive IT capa-

and create a view of the customer in

bilities with both homegrown and third

terms of what they have with you, and

party software. “They’re a systems

what they might actually be buying

integrator, but they’ve also developed

elsewhere. That actually allows us to

systems themselves, such as RPA,

create better solutions, or even look at

which we utilise. They’re our technology

products that we can aggregate on their

partner, who works with us to create our

behalf and offer to them.” Automation

platforms.” Consultants Accenture play

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Lunga Siyo Title: CEO

Company: Telkom and Yep!

Industry: eCommerce

Location: South Africa

Lunga Siyo is an experienced business and ecommerce executive leader, an expert in creating, executing and scaling digital as a strategic capability in many organisations. A consummate business leader with extensive experience in Business Management, P&L, Finance & Accounting, Sales & Marketing and an Executive in a listed entity, he holds a Bsc honours in Accounting and is an MBA graduate. www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

145

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS COMPLEX, IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE COMPLICATED.

FROM THE INNOVATORS BEHIND BCX WE BRING YOU OUR NEW DIGITAL WING

SIMPLY NAVIGATING THE COMPLEX FIND OUT MORE

Our most important customer is yours.

“ These systems have been put in place to make sure that we can transform ourselves as a business, but also to transform how our customers interact — with us” Lunga Siyo, CEO, Telkom Business and Yep!

a particularly important role in the user

Our customer research approach

experience design process. “Everything

and design philosophy ensured that

that we develop is led by experience

human-centric experiences were

design,” says Siyo. We first listen to the

placed at the core of the Yep! brand

customers and then we design a cus-

and value proposition in this new digi-

tomer journey. Accenture helped us to

tal channel. Accenture is proud to have

develop customer journeys that meet the

contributed in bringing this vision to life

demands of our customers. Most impor-

and leaving a lasting impact in terms of

tantly, we were looking for a partner that

new ways of working and a ‘lean start-

is not just a digital marketing company

up’ culture at Telkom SMB.”

or a consulting firm, but a firm who really

Alongside the introduction of tech-

understands customer service, as they

nology has been an attendant focus

do, and can develop seamless customer

on culture. That cultural evolution has

journeys for our platform.”

also helped to make articulating the

Greg Cress, Digital Innovation and

vision for the introduction of technol-

Client Account Lead for Accenture

ogy easier. “We started implementing

in Africa, adds: “Right from the outset

an agile way of working from a tech

of the project we connected with

development perspective, with daily

Telkom’s vision to build a digital mar-

stand ups, scrums, sprints and all of

ketplace unique to the needs of the

those things,” adds Siyo. “To create a

South African small business owner.

business case, you have to know what www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

147

TELKOM BUSINESS

“ We started implementing an agile way of working from a tech development perspective” — Lunga Siyo, CEO, Telkom Business and Yep! 148

Yep! Overview CLICK TO WATCH

NOVEMBER 2020

|

2:55

do on a daily basis? How do you drive proper outputs from your own people that are driven by certain key indicators that would add value to your business?

You look at productivity and output.” It’s also provided an opportunity to accelerate Telkom’s approach into ecommerce by virtue of changing consumer patterns in response to COVID 19.

Thanks to the changes that have been put in place, Siyo is confident that the company is very ready to thrive, even with the current circumstances. “We’ve become a platform business, completely - aggregating both the demand and supply side. We’re evolving out of being just a normal telco, into a platform you’re developing and how much money

player that is able to help small busi-

you’re going to make out of it before you

nesses scale and grow.” That tallies

can get any capital released to change

with his wider mission to grow the South

the organisation.”

African economy by allowing small busi-

Common to all organisations the

nesses to thrive and contribute more.

world over, COVID-19 has impacted

“Right now they probably contribute

Telkom’s way of working. Remote

around 25% towards our GDP. We think

working has left an impression, with

it should be around 50- 60%, more like

plans to change policies and enable

in developed economies. Large enter-

flexible location and working hours. Siyo

prises don’t drive GDP growth - small

emphasises the fact that this requires a

businesses do.”

change in management style. “How do you manage people that are working virtually instead of focusing on what they www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

149

150

NOVEMBER 2020

Vodafone Ghana: Digitalisation at Scale 151 WRITTEN BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

VODAFONE GHANA

Shoyinka Shodunke, Director of Technology, Vodafone Ghana and Angela Mensah-Poku, Director of Digital and Commercial Operations at Vodafone Ghana discuss the organisation’s ongoing digital transformation and the challenge of COVID-19

V

odafone is a leading telecommunications provider in Ghana.

The organisation is a total commu-

nications solutions provider - mobile, fixed lines, 152

internet, voice and data - and the telecom firm of choice for many Ghanaians.

Shoyinka Shodunke is Director of Technology for Vodafone Ghana. With a wealth of technological experience, he previously worked at MTN in various roles across Nigeria, Zambia, Uganda and Cameroon before moving into his current role in March 2020.

“We’re a unique telco and are currently going through a transformation with a flavour and uniqueness of the Ghanaian market,” he explains.

Shodunke explains that his firm has established three core, strategic pillars as baseline of operations as Vodafone Ghana seeks to transform from a traditional telco to a digital organisation.

“One of those pillars is culture and how we behave on a daily basis,” says Shodunke.

NOVEMBER 2020

153

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VODAFONE GHANA

“ The pandemic has accelerated everyone’s planning to attain that digitalisation and it came at a time where we were ready in terms of the practices we already had in place” — Shoyinka Shodunke, Director of Technology, Vodafone Ghana “Secondly, we have to ensure that 154

to operation, and it came at a time

we’re building platforms that are

when we needed some sound check

transformative. Lastly, we’re driving

or simulation in terms of the practices

differentiation from unique capabili-

we already had in place. Our ability to

ties that are developed in-house and

transform our call centres and a move

engagement of ecosystem partners via

from traditional bricks and mortar

software engineering using platforms.”

customer service was testament to

As a result of the impact that COVID-19 has had on organisations

our digital journey and what we’re trying to do.”

the world over, Shodunke reflects that

Angela Mensah-Poku, Director of

the pandemic has acted as a catalyst

Digital Transformation and Commercial

for digital transformation.

Operations at Vodafone Ghana,

“COVID has been an interesting

believes her organisation’s digital trans-

situation to overcome across all

formation agenda is to deliver the most

industries,” explains Shodunke. “The

engaging customer experience.

pandemic has accelerated everyone’s

“We do this by blending the best of dig-

planning to fully embrace digitalisa-

ital and human interaction in a personal,

tion across all verticals from planning

instant and easy way,” she says.

NOVEMBER 2020

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Shoyinka Shodunke Title: Director of Technology

Industry: Telecoms Location: Ghana

Shoyinka Shodunke is a a dynamic, resourceful and strategic leader with over 20 years of diverse business experience, 10 of which have been at C Suite level.

Shoyinka has worked extensively in numerous business verticals including but not limited to Telecoms, Consulting and Oil and Gas across Africa, Middle East and Europe. He has held a number of award recognized leadership positions which have led to significant ground breaking organisational transformation. He possesses significant skills and experience in Operations, Business Change Transformation, Strategic Planning, Risk and Compliance.

He is a dynamic and solution-focused professional with a record of achievement and demonstrable success in delivering key initiatives, reliably managing multiple mission-critical programs and portfolios, provision of stability and management of business systems; establishing and building upon key internal and external relationships.

He is best described as a ‘change agent’, a confident self-starter experienced in leading, building and maintaining strong organisational growth.

He is currently the Director of Technology at Vodafone Ghana.

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

155

VODAFONE GHANA

156 “Vodafone had already started our

instantaneously and in a personalised

journey of digital customer experi-

way and Mensah-Poku believes its

ence ahead of the pandemic. We were

introduction has been influential.

driving a shift in consumer behaviour

“We made TOBi the constant

before the outbreak. In line with our

across all channels during COVID-19

commitment to building a digital soci-

and this has been invaluable,” says

ety that improves people’s lives, we

Mensah-Poku.

employ new technologies such as

“The My Vodafone app is one of the

artificial intelligence (AI) to transform

many ways to excite and interact with

our customers’ experience and the

our customers. This was delivered

efficiency of our operation. We have

by young, talented Ghanaians who

a host of digital-led platforms, which

brought their expertise and creativity

include a machine learning chatbot

to deliver this ‘wow’ experience.”

and self-service app.”

Vodafone Ghana introduced its virtual agent, TOBi, to automate contacts NOVEMBER 2020

Its unique and elaborate features offer a complete all-in-one solutions platform for our customers. This

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Angela Mensah-Poku Title: Director of Digital and Commercial Operations Industry: Telecoms

Location: Ghana

As a Commercial Director and Managing Director with over 15 years of leadership experience in Africa and Europe, she holds a Masters in Information Systems. She is skilled in leading large teams through change and driving for results.

Angela’s expertise lies in influencing large-scale internal transformations to capture revenue, profitability, digital experience and efficiency improvements.

She currently serves as Director for Digital Transformation and Commercial Operations. Angela leads an organisation of more than 500 employees to advance the company’s digital transformation agenda, mobilise and deliver commercial and customer experience through our customer facing teams and deliver significant commercial results. Prior to this she was the Director of Vodafone Business and Managing Director of Vodafone Wholesale. Angela currently represents Vodafone Ghana on the Data For Good-Big Data Steering Committee a partnership including FlowMinder and Ghana Statistical Service, and is also Non Executive board member of Hacklab Foundation and on the Board of Women In Technology Science Engineering And Mathematics for Ghana.

She is also a member of the UK and Ghana Chartered Institute of IT.

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

157

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“ In the market that we operate in, your ability to innovate is going to stand out and determine your overall position in the market” — Shoyinka Shodunke, Director of Technology, Vodafone Ghana

unique app allows customers access

you talk about the impact of COVID,

to Vodafone services and is designed

our customers and ourselves had to

with the objective of empowering the

adapt and become more digital in a

customer to do more and manage their

matter of weeks. Fortunately for us,

accounts on the go. The app also inte-

we were already on that journey and

grates TOBi in its interface and so you

being on that journey meant we could

don’t necessarily have to go to a retail

introduce the My Vodafone app to

store for assistance.”

drive conversations and mitigate the

“Tobi is now taking on around 30%

pressure during those critical periods.

of all customer contacts to our experi-

Hopefully when we fast forward to

ence centre and is able to deal with

next year, you will see a very differ-

transactions and information,” adds

ent organisation and customer base

Mensah-Poku.

that aren’t afraid to embrace digital

“It runs on machine learning and Big Data and was something the team

because they had no choice.” ‘’We place the customers at the very

were able to implement in-house

heart of all that we do and this is what

that has managed to bring significant

drives our leadership in innovation.

efficiency and take our customers

Enabling our customers to interact

on that self-service journey. When

seamlessly and consistently with us, www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

159

VODAFONE GHANA

“ Ecosystems require everyone to contribute to success” — Shoyinka Shodunke, Director of Technology, Vodafone Ghana 160

when and how they want, is a promise and this is what differentiates us.’’

“The key area for us was around security,” he affirms. “When you trans-

Shodunke believes that one of the

form to the digital space, your services

key lessons learnt from the coronavirus

move from the traditional protection

was around ensuring cyber security

received from bricks and mortar, to

was prevalent at all times.

everyone having access whatever

NOVEMBER 2020

approach with involvement of ecosystem partnerships and believes it’s a key driver to success.

“In the market that we operate in, our ability to innovate and self-disrupt is going to stand out and determine your overall position in the market,” explains Shodunke. “Innovation is a critical success factor to us. Building platforms requires a deviation from how telcos have approached building products and services to using a nexus of forces to drive new business models and better engagement of our ecosystem to drive a two-direction model participation. Our three key pillars all come back to our culture of innovation.”

The importance of developing key, strategic business relationships is essential to the long-term approach of most companies. Vodafone Ghana has established partnerships with Tech Mahindra, Raycom and Oracle that are particularly influential. platform they need to get the job done.

Shodunke recognises the value in

It’s vital to ensure there is good security

an ecosystem of partners to ensure

in place to avoid data leakage and intru-

everyone can play a key role.

sion to malicious use of your system.”

Shodunke acknowledges the importance of adopting an innovative

“Partnerships are important in terms of where we’re driving the business now. If you take a deep look at www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

161

VODAFONE GHANA

successful digital initiatives, they are primarily driven by partnerships, new ways in which actors collaborate to bring value. Such ecosystems require everyone to contribute and work to its success and to continuously innovate to keep it so. This model ensures a win-win. Driving innovation, rather than previous transactional models.

Such partnerships are more about harnessing the full benefits of an ecosystem so that every partner invests in value creation.”

162

Shodunke points out that for a partnership to be successful, both parties must be working to a common objective. “There must be strategic alignment,” he says. “You must have

“ I would consider Vodafone Ghana as the top digital company in Ghana because if you look at our engagement tools, I haven’t seen any of those tools in the market by our competitors” — Shoyinka Shodunke, Director of Technology, Vodafone Ghana

common goals and objectives underpinned by solid relationships.”

With the future in mind, Shodunke believes his organisation is in a great position to continue to be a top telco of choice in Ghana and to expand in the country.

“From a Vodafone standpoint, today

services go far beyond the native

we’re a telco company transitioning to

telco products of voice and services,”

a technology communications com-

explains Shodunke.

pany. We’ve redefined our strategy and objectives. Our products and NOVEMBER 2020

I would consider Vodafone Ghana as the top digital company in Ghana.

163

There is no comparison in terms of cus-

experience whichever channel they

tomer value and experience to our My

use to contact Vodafone Ghana.�

Vodafone app, chatbots or websites.

We are introducing more initiatives to ensure that customers get a seamless www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

164

NOVEMBER 2020

Smartfren. BUSINESS Strives to Digitally Transform Indonesia WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA WILSON PRODUCED BY

STUART IRVING 165

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

SMARTFREN

Puneet Garg, CTO Enterprise at smartfren. BUSINESS on digitally transforming Indonesia, the current tech and telco trends, and the impact of COVID-19

S

tarting his career in the technology and telecommunications industry in 1991 at HCL Ltd. in India, Puneet Garg brought

27 years of experience in the industry with him when joining Smartfren. BUSINESS in 2019 as 166

the company’s CTO Enterprise. “Working at HCL Ltd. in 1991 as his first job in India after college. Following HCL Ltd. Puneet worked with a few other market leading organisations before joining Smartfren. BUSINESS in 2019, including American Express, Astro in Malaysia, Lucent technologies in Singapore, CTO in Bharti Airtel, Board of Director and CTIO in IndosatM2 and Board of Director and CTO MyRepublic ID. Puneet has been working as a CTO & CIO and Board of Director positions bringing new technologies and solutions to our customers, primarily in domains: Telecommunications (1st TD LTE rollout in India), 1st IPTV rollout in India, Wifi Hotspots, Cloud Services, Fixed Voice and IoT Platform. It is a passion of Puneet in bringing new technologies to

NOVEMBER 2020

“In this market, it is all about partnership” — Puneet Garg, CTO Enterprise, smartfren. BUSINESS

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

167

SMARTFREN

“ The biggest challenge in digital transformation is human capital and how to convince people of the value of adopting digital transformation changes that we are bringing into the market” — Puneet Garg, CTO Enterprise, smartfren. BUSINESS

the market with 360-degree holistic view. As CTO Enterprise of Smartfren Business bringing in Core Telco, ICT (Network Hardware, Software, Cloud Based Services and Multi Cloud) and (the internet of things) IoT products

168

and solutions for the customer.

Founded in 2011, Puneet explains that the Smartfren. BUSINESS unit “is responsible for providing enterprise services to our customers. We are providing Mobility based products such as voice, data and video. To address whole segment of Enterprise Market as One Stop Solution, we offer next generation Fixed-line-telephony, that is based on a cloud platform; Data Internet Connectivity; Unified Conferencing; Bulk SMS; ICT Hardware and Software amalgamated with cloud based services (such as virtual and hybrid); IoT services; big data analytics; and artificial intelligence (AI).”

NOVEMBER 2020

When implementing a digital

cloud-based solutions to bring more

transformation strategy, first and

and more value to our customers.”

foremost, Puneet stresses the

However, Puneet identifies that

importance of embracing digital

“the biggest challenge in digital

transformation, understanding it

transformation is human capital and

and adopting the best practices.

how to convince people of the value

After conducting a thorough analysis

of adopting digital transformation

of local market trends and customer

changes that we are bringing into the

needs, Puneet says, “in our industry

market.” Puneet adds that having the

for this digital journey; our strategy

right culture and mindset is the most

includes moving from hardware-

important thing when it comes to digi-

based solutions to more agile

tal transformation, “so first we need 169

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Puneet Garg Title: CTO Company: Smartfren Business Industry: Telecommunications Location: Singapore Puneet Garg, An accomplished business and technology leader with a proven track record of 20+ years in Indonesia, India and Asia Pacific Region. He has a deep understanding of emerging trends and technologies for revenue generating products and services. Puneet has been working as a CTO & CIO and Board of Director positions bringing new technologies and solutions to the customers, primarily in three domains: Telecommunications, ICT and IoT (internet of things). He always strives to bring the best for the company and committed to develop talents within the organization. www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

SMARTFREN

170

2007

Year founded

$500m Revenue in US dollars

5,000 Number of employees

NOVEMBER 2020

to build confidence in what we are trying to build with a proper reason and justification. It is important to make our people a part of the journey right from the beginning, in order for them to understand the value that digital transformation is providing - not only for them - but for the entire company, the customers and the country.” By developing this culture of inclusiveness from the top-down, Puneet further explains that “digital transformation becomes about more than just embracing new technology, it’s about personal career growth and learning, as well as

the ability to create more value for the

Helping to provide its services to

organisation, customers and country.”

its customers, Smartfren. BUSINESS

Describing Smartfren. BUSINESS as

partners with many OEMs for bring-

a “mediator between the technology

ing ICT products and solutions for

producer and technology user,” Puneet

enterprise customers. Puneet, who

explains that the company is seeing IoT

explains that “in this market, it is all

data analytics and cloud as two of the

about partnership. We are not a tech-

most important things happening in the

nology producer, but we are taking

market. “Due to operating in multiple

the best technologies from market

regions and industries, we are leverag-

leaders OEMs like Cisco, HPE, Google,

ing these technologies as well as AI

Microsoft, Polycom and Dell, to bring

and EMI to bring customised solutions

their products and solutions with in

to our customers to meet their vary-

house Consulting, Service Delivery

ing requirements, and provide useful

and Service Assurance Services round

insight reports into revenue and costs.”

the clock, 365 days to our customers.”

FTTH APAC Conference 2019 Interview: Puneet Garg, CTO, MyRepublic Indonesia CLICK TO WATCH

|

6:51

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

171

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“ A lot of customers are seeking our help on how we can put together remote working capabilities for their end-users or their employees”

Following the impact of COVID-19, Puneet - like many others in the industry - has seen an increase in customer demand for remote working capabilities. “A lot of customers are seeking our help on how we can put together remote working capabilities for their end-users or their employees and

— Puneet Garg, CTO Enterprise, smartfren. BUSINESS

also seeing AI-based analytics, auto-

The benefits of this kind of model

solutions catching up fast, as well as

include a fast time to market, a high-

the increased need for outsourcing

quality brand pool in the market and

services,” comments Puneet.

increased value and resources being provided to the customer.

ensuring business continuity. We are mation and cloud-based enterprise

Further discussing the impact of COVID-19, Puneet highlights some of

www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

173

SMARTFREN

the challenges the company has faced in the last few months. “COVID-19 has been an unprecedented situation. Most of the challenges have been centred around no longer being able to meet customers face to face.

Explaining solutions, products and new ideas via virtual communication environments is not as effective as face to face communication. We are seeing a trend in customers delaying their investments due to market uncertainty. Therefore, the CapEx rollout is 174

getting delayed, which in turn affects the selling of ICT and connectivity due to severe impact on certain industry verticals such as Travel and F&B. When these elements are hampered, there is then a development of cost and revenue pressure.” In addition to cost and revenue pressures, Puneet has experienced challenges relating to engineers being required to fix any problems that may occur.

Looking to the future of the industry, Puneet concludes that “it looks like COVID-19 will have a long-lasting impact for one or two more years, with the whole ecosystem needing another three to five years to recover NOVEMBER 2020

“ COVID-19 has been an unprecedented situation. Most of the challenges have been centred around no longer being able to meet customers face to face” — Puneet Garg, CTO Enterprise, smartfren. BUSINESS

175

completely. During that time, we still

customers in the meantime for making

need to hold our customer hands

them comfortable and stand with them

for smooth operations like a family,

till they are ready for the new technol-

putting together new services and

ogy adoption.�

products so that our customers can continue their business operations in whatever shape, form or size the business is in.� Puneet believes that “the future will be more about 5G, cloud, AI and data analytics, and while COVID-19 may have slowed down the progress of these technologies, it is important for us to support our www.mo bi l e ma ga z i n e. com

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