China was the first major economy to pilot a sovereign digital currency, also known as a CBDC (central bank digital currency).

In fact, it is the only country that has continuously made strides with its new electronic payment system while the rest of the world is still in the research phase. That said, after having run numerous trials over the last two years for its digital yuan, the People’s Bank of China is now aiming for a wider reach by launching an e-CNY wallet app in the country.

To recall, over the past two years, cities throughout China have even been holding lotteries, distributing a total of 10 million digital yuan (worth about US$1.47 million at the time) to people in Shenzhen in October 2020, 20 million digital yuan (or US$3 million) in Suzhou in December 2020, and 40.2 million digital yuan (or US$6.2 million) in Chengdu in February 2021.

For context, e-CNY is essentially physical cash converted into a digital form, and it’s been in the works since 2014.

Distribution of the digital currency takes place using a two-tier system that transfers e-CNY from the PBOC to commercial banks. Banks will then distribute the currency directly to consumers.

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In November last year, PBOC’s Governor Yi Gang had said that China would continue to advance the development of its central bank digital currency and improve its design and usage, including increasing its interoperability with existing payment tools.

As of November 2021, the central banks said around 140 million Chinese citizens have opened digital yuan wallets.

As per the Reuters report, a notice in the app said it is in a research and development pilot phase and is only available to selected users through supported institutions that provide e-CNY services, including major domestic banks.

That said, the new e-CNY app is accessible on both China’s Android and Apple app stores since Tuesday, but only to people in 10 specific cities, including Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Shanghai.

Test run at the Winter Olympics for China’s digital yuan

So far, Beijing seems to be focusing on ensuring the release and use of the digital yuan at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February this year — the first chance for the outside world to have a glimpse of the virtual currency.

Foreign visitors will be able to use the digital yuan to pay for things like accommodation and transportation within major venues at the Games, according to the government. 

There will also be ATM machines throughout the Games that can convert foreign currencies, including US dollars, into virtual Chinese money, which will be carried in a digital yuan card.

The Chinese government even urged American companies, including McDonald’s, to accept digital yuan before the 2022 Olympics. 

In fact, according to the Financial Times, the fast-food giant has been forced to expand the digital yuan trial to more of its restaurants in the nation in anticipation of the Winter 2022 Beijing Olympics.

The post China’s digital yuan app now available on Chinese Android, iOS appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

The realization of Taiwan’s 5+2 innovative industries plan will soon materialize as the Cyber Security and Smart Technology Research and Development Building in Shalun, Tainan.

Under the island’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the building is poised to be the hub for startups and high-tech companies and the south Taiwan headquarters for Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA), a deep tech startup ecosystem building program.

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The 5+2 innovative industries plan was initiated in July 2016 with seven areas of focus: intelligent machinery, green energy, biomedicine, new agriculture, circular economy, national defense, and aerospace, and transforming Taiwan into Asia’s Silicon Valley. 

With cybersecurity designated as part of the island’s national defense, an action plan was unveiled in 2018, including building a cybersecurity education and training system guided by industry needs. 

Increasing the number of people working in the cybersecurity field to 10,000 and providing assistance and support for establishing 40 cybersecurity startups are a couple of the action plan’s objectives for 2025.

A leading center for smart technology and green living

Tainan is set to be the leading center for smart green city living, with its Shalun area being developed as green energy technology and innovation ecosystem.

The new Cyber Security and Smart Technology R&D building is part of Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City, an industrial park in Gueiren District, Tainan. 

“Few people wanted to move for work to Gueiren five years ago, but the hub in the district is expected to become the cradle of Asia’s most advanced cybersecurity technology, featuring innovative startups,” quipped Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung-tsong during the new building’s opening ceremony.

Taiwan mapped out its National Science and Technology Development Plan 2021-2024 to strengthen balanced regional development by spreading characteristic industry clusters throughout its northern, central, and southern regions. 

Taiwan’s 2030 vision 

The plan listed four goals towards realizing the country’s 2030 vision for innovation, inclusion, and sustainability:

1. Refine the talent cultivation environment and create competitive advantages for talent recruitment 
2. Improve the research and development ecosystem and allocate resources for the development of pioneering technology
3. Co-create economic momentum and build a solid ground for innovation
4. Enhance smart living capacity and realize a secure society

The most recent development initiatives expand on the 5+2 industrial innovation plan by focusing on six core strategic industries: digital and information industry, national defense and strategic industry, cybersecurity industry, green and renewable energy industry, medical technology, and precision health industry, and strategic stockpile industry.

A few days after the building’s opening, where President Tsai Ing-wen reiterated Taiwan’s commitment to fostering technological advancement with a humanistic approach, MOST announced that it would be transformed into a new science and technology council as early as March 2022. 

The new council will oversee the country’s overall technology development, which includes helping the cabinet and other government agencies to strengthen their technology development and decision-making in their operations and policies, as tech has become an index of its national competitiveness.  

The post Taiwan ramps up smart technology initiatives appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

Singapore’s war for talent remains fierce despite a more upbeat outlook on the economy, with employers struggling to find suitable candidates to fill positions. 

Employers in Singapore are forced to rethink their recruitment practices as job vacancies are at a three-year high. 

According to Jobstreet’s 2021 Job Report, the Computer / IT industry has seen the hiring appetite return to pre-pandemic levels despite a 20.3% dip in 2020 — with this number expected to continue growing. 

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Singapore’s war for talent shows more roles require specific specialist expertise

Employers look for fresh talent to fill their open positions as the economy improves. This is to keep up with the rapid changes in technology and the fast-evolving workplace. However, they face two big problems: The job market is flooded with CVs, and most potential candidates do not have the experience or skills required. 

Highly skilled IT professionals are sought-after across all industries with the imminent growth of the information technology industry and rapid adoption of digitalization. 

This highlights the importance of promoting reskilling and upskilling among Singapore’s workforce to meet changing job landscape needs and as more roles require specific specialist expertise.

Tech Talent Expectations

The 2021 Tech Talent Expectation Survey, commissioned by Randstad Singapore and independently conducted by YouGov, showed that only 48% of ICT respondents receive job interview requests at least once a month despite the high demand for tech talent in Singapore.

It also showed that IT candidates are incredibly selective about the types of companies and jobs that they want to work in, especially if they have in-demand skills and plenty of options to choose from. 

Decisive motivating factors for active job seekers include working for tech companies at the forefront of innovation and abundant opportunities for innovative trial technologies. Young tech workers are the most likely to accept job interviews, with 29% of them accepting interview requests 75% to 99% of the time.

Singapore’s technology sector is bracing itself for an exodus of talents as young professionals turn down job offers despite attractive compensation packages and benefits.

One of the reasons for these rejected offers is that the interviewer did not understand the job scope or role they were hiring for. Meanwhile, an overwhelming 96% want to switch their specialisation if given a choice. 

Singapore tech skills gap

In the coming years, tech firms will require a range of skills to promote Singapore and build innovative technology platforms. They will need talent who have experience with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning and professionals with skills in data science and cybersecurity. 

According to a new report commissioned by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Singapore will need 1.2 million additional digital workers by 2025 to remain competitive. 

However, Singapore’s skills in the ICT sector are lacking in “cybersecurity” as the top specialisation followed by “artificial technology, automation and robotics” and “data science/analytics”.

While technology experts, business leaders and policymakers have identified cloud architecture design, cybersecurity, software operations support, web/software/game development, and large-scale data modelling as among Singapore’s top five in-demand skills by 2025.

The post Singapore’s war for talent remains fierce appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

Hong Kong plays an essential role in linking China to the world. In 2020 alone, Hong Kong handled about 10.1% of mainland China’s exports and 14.3% of its imports, valued at US$263 million and US$295 billion, respectively, according to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council Research. 

It also stated that 53% of Hong Kong’s re-exports came from the mainland. The island is also part of the Greater Bay Area, a megalopolis that includes nine Southern China and Macau cities. It is home to around 71.2 million people or 5% of China’s total population.

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As e-commerce and digital banking become the norm, exciting fintech solutions are also rising from the island. Wallyt, a leading digital payment solution provider, recently revealed its partnership with All Link Pay, a cross-border payments platform founded this year and backed by a leading MSO (money service operator) group in Hong Kong. 

Wallyt helped launch the first cross-border payment wallet with the Bank of China (Hong Kong) in 2018 and a cross-border e-commerce payment collection and disbursement solution for banks and financial institutions in 2020. 

The one-stop mobile payment service provider now serves more than 150 banks and financial institutions in over 60 countries and areas, with clients including Uniqlo, Rolex, Lego, Prada, Disney, CIMB Niaga, Bank Muamalat, Marks & Spencer, and more. 

Meanwhile, All Link Pay (ALP) is part of the group with 20 years of foreign exchange service experience in Hong Kong with a large cluster of cooperation networks around the world and tens of thousands of clients in import and export. 

It established All Link Pay to broaden its range of cross-border payment collect and disburse services to serve better its existing clients moving online and attract the increasing numbers of new cross-border merchants. It supports popular platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Wish and more. 

Wallyt and All Link Pay collaboration will allow cross-border e-commerce merchants 

The Wallyt and All Link Pay collaboration will allow cross-border e-commerce merchants in Hong Kong and Mainland China to open one or multiple local currency accounts. 

The collaboration will allow the collection of international payments from online marketplaces, make foreign exchange transactions, withdraw money, and payout funds to suppliers, sellers, and any service providers worldwide. 

“Beside the cross-border payment, All Link Pay and Wallyt also established a deeper collaboration in risk management and financial inclusion. Based on the group’s comprehensive financial service capabilities, All Link Pay will further provide cross-border merchants with extensive overseas channel resources and a diverse set of financing options to grow their business,” Wallyt said in a statement announcing their alliance.

Teaming up with All Link Pay is part of the many partnerships that Wallyt has formed. This year also saw the Hong Kong-based fintech company working with Findora, Nepal’s NIC ASIA Bank, and Indonesia’s Arash Digital and Bank Neo Commerce. It is also listed in IDC China FinTech 50, based on financial industry research on technology, innovation, and financial services trends in China.

The post Wallyt and All Link Pay partner up for payments appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

Thailand is leading the region in mobile network technology as it has become the first country to launch ASEAN’s first 5G Smart Hospital. 

The collaboration with Huawei Technologies aims to bring patients a more convenient and efficient experience by introducing 5G, cloud, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This includes promoting Siriraj Hospital to become a model for smart hospitals in Thailand and the world.

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First and largest 5G smart hospital in ASEAN

According to a press statement from Huawei, the 5G smart hospital project is the “first and largest” in Thailand and the Southeast Asian region. The new digital health care facility is located in Bangkok and will showcase various innovative digital applications. 

Both Huawei and the Siriraj Hospital strengthened their partnership around 5G since the pandemic started. A five-year memorandum of understanding of an immediate upgrade of the hospital’s previous infrastructure and the conduct of demonstration exhibitions and events to promote 5G was signed by both parties recently.

The Siriraj World Class 5G Smart Hospital project comprises nine sub-projects comprising smart emergency rooms and emergency medical service, a pathological diagnosis system with 5G and AI, an AI platform for non-communicable diseases, smart inventory management, a permission-based blockchain for personal health records, smart logistics with a 5G self-driving car, multi-access edge computing and a hybrid cloud system.

Siriraj Hospital and Huawei also stated that they established a Joint Innovation Lab to incubate innovative 5G applications. It is expected that 30 5G medical applications will be incubated and promoted nationwide in 2022.

The first step in the utilization of digital technologies

“The Thai government understands the importance of technology, successfully drafting a plan for Digital Thailand. The utilization of digital technologies and 5G in the medical field will help reduce processes for medical personnel, decrease overall risk, and will improve the effectiveness and efficacy of healthcare for patients, Thailand Prime Minister and Minister of Defence General Prayut Chan-o-cha said during his address on the national policy on 5G technology and digital economy.

He added that Siriraj 5G Smart Hospital is a pilot project, which will expand to other hospitals in the future. 

Abel Deng, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd., highlighted that this cross-sector collaboration will enhance and upgrade the services of Siriraj Hospital to progress it to become a smart medical centre using digital technologies based on 5G, AI, Big Data infrastructure, and Cloud Edge processing for patient tracking, disease diagnosis by AI on Cloud, data storage and analysis, and allocation of resources.

All of which will help pave the way to fulfil the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital’s vision to become the “Medical Institute of the Nation, a Creator of Global Citizen Wellbeing”, and a Smart Hospital model for other hospitals in Thailand,” he said.

“This signifies a model for upgrading Thailand’s public health industry in the future and contributes to Siriraj’s transition to becoming a Smart Hospital, in line with Huawei’s mission to Grow in Thailand, Contribute to Thailand,” said Deng.

The post Thailand, Huawei unveil ASEAN’s first 5G “Smart Hospital” appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

In the next few years, Vietnam will see its electric vehicle battery industry scale up significantly with the help of a new project in the central province of Ha Tinh.

Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate, said it had started building a $174 million battery cell plant for its VinFast electric vehicle project on an 8-hectare (20 acres) plot.

It is one of a Vietnamese firm’s most ambitious new ventures and highlights its growing ambition to expand outside its domestic market into Southeast Asia. 

The cell plant would also enable Vinfast to own its supply chain of batteries and parts.

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Vingroup to mass produce EV batteries

According to Bloomberg, VinFast’s new battery plant will have the capacity to produce 100,000 Lithium battery packs annually. It will supply batteries for 80,000 EVs per year when fully operational in 2022.

Thai Thi Thanh Hai, vice-chair of Vingroup and vice-chair of the board of VinFast said, “This is in the focus of VinFast’s localization strategy of supply.”

In an emailed statement to Reuters, the company works with various batteries partners, including StoreDot, Gotion High-Tech and ProLogium. VinFast also focuses on internal research and development while establishing research facilities to develop battery and charging technologies.

The company also announced a US$200m investment to establish headquarters in the US and plans to commence construction of a US vehicle manufacturing facility by 2025.

APAC – a growing market for EV batteries

The Asia-Pacific region is a growing market for EV batteries. The EV battery industry in the region, which includes China, India, Japan and South Korea, is expected to record robust growth over the next few years. This can be attributed to these countries’ rising demand for electric vehicles.

The Asia-Pacific EV Batteries Market is expected to reach a value of $90.41 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 20% during the forecast period 2021 to 2028.

In 2020, China posted 1.3 million electric vehicles sales, driven by the increasing adoption of the Tesla Model 3 and Hongguang Mini. Increased government efforts to increase sales of electric vehicles to 25% of car sales by 2025 have significantly boosted the growth of this market in China.

Increasing government initiatives to deploy electric and hybrid vehicles, including tax reductions and grants for residential and commercial infrastructure, encourages the adoption of electric mobility. This is expected to drive market growth over the forecast period.

Rise in EVs in the APAC region

The APAC region is seeing a rise in EVs demand. Over the next few years, EVs will become a mainstream option in this region. Government regulations also support its growth by providing incentives and subsidies to buyers.

Many countries in the region realize the need and importance of electric vehicles to replace gasoline or diesel cars. Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar have shown interest in increasing the adoption of EVs over the next five years. EV sales in these four countries will increase by more than 10% year-on-year till 2021

Additionally, consumers demand for EVs in this region is growing because of their environmental benefits over conventional internal combustion engines (ICEs).

The post Vinfast builds Vietnam’s first EV battery factory appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

Malaysia, after much delay, officially rolls out the first batch of publicly accessible fifth-generation (5G) mobile coverage in three main city areas. The country has also set a goal to have 80% of its population accessible to 5G mobile coverage by 2024. 

At this point, the 5G access will be provided by two of the country’s oldest mobile operators Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) and YTL Communications Sdn Bhd, to their respective customers within the said coverage areas. The rollout took place amid an ongoing impasse amongst local telco providers over the government’s decision to have a single wholesale 5G network.

The government has mandated Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), a wholly-owned unit by the country’s Minister of Finance (Incorporated), to be the single neutral party to undertake the deployment of 5G infrastructure and network nationwide. DNB has been collaborating with relevant stakeholders including Ericsson, which is the appointed network equipment provider (NEP), local mobile network operators (MNOs) and other licensees, site owners, fiber optics providers, power and utility players, as well as financial institutions.

The move to adopt a single wholesale network concept was largely unaccepted by industry players especially MNOs on the basis that a state-run network could hamper competition. To recall, Malaysia’s government in February scrapped a plan to apportion spectrum to carriers, opting instead for a single shared network in a bid to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and accelerate infrastructure buildup.

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That decision left carriers worried that it would result in a nationalized monopoly which would be more costly than deploying 5G on their own. DNB however has emphasized that it will charge operators less to access its 5G network than the cost they incurred for 4G.

Looking back at a report by Reuters last month, the impasse between mobile operators and DNB was brewing due to concerns over pricing and transparency issues. In fact, major wireless carriers have recommended the government to allow two wholesale 5G networks, each to be built and operated by a consortium of carriers. The cabinet eventually, after much back and forth, informed that a decision will be made by next January on whether to allow multiple 5G providers. 

Other players on 5G roll out in Malaysia

TM and YTL Communications are the first two companies to take advantage of DNB’s offer of free wholesale 5G services to all MNOs that are integrated into the DNB network. According to both players, end-users with 5G-compatible devices will be able to enjoy an average speed of 100 Mbps. “This means a user at the weakest point of 5G coverage would on average receive 100 Mbps on a 5G-compatible device,” the press release reads.

DNB’s CEO Ralph Marshall said his unit provides wholesale 5G services to the MNOs at a significantly lower cost than their present cost to produce 4G capacity. “MNOs should therefore be able to offer lower prices to their customers for mobile services, which will include 5G services,” he said during his opening remarks at the launch earlier today.

Since DNB is the sole provider of wholesale 5G services, it will not be competing with the industry in providing 5G retail services to end-users. Instead, DNB’s Ralph said they will be complementing efforts by the MNOs with a view to accelerating adoption of 5G in the country. Currently, local players are recommending the government to allow two wholesale 5G networks. In hindsight, YTL objected to the plan and expressed support for a single 5G network. Telekom Malaysia on the other hand said it would back any decision made by the government.

DNB’s COO Ahmad Taufek Omar told reporters after the launch on Wednesday that DNB is seeking to finalize its wholesale agreements with carriers during the initial 5G rollout period until March next year and hopes to sign long-term contracts with them at the same time. Operators that sign up to its wholesale plan before March 31 will receive further free access to all additional 5G capacity during the initial period of operation, it said.

Among the device manufacturers that support 5G in Malaysia are Honor, Huawei, Nokia, Oppo, Realme, Samsung devices under the Galaxy S21 series, Vivo, Xiaomi, and even ZTE. DNB said they are targeting to add several other manufacturers including Apple, Motorola, Asus, a number of Samsung devices including the Flip 3, as well as TCL.

The post 5G goes live in Malaysia at long last appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

In fact, just Southeast Asia alone is predicted to reach a US$1 trillion digital economy by 2030, according to Google, Temasek, and Bain.

It might even overtake the West’s digital economy, and this is quickly showing potential with just how cross-border trade is flourishing in the region.  

According to a new report by Deloitte published yesterday, the ‘Technology-empowered Digital Trade in Asia Pacific’, the firm predicts that digital trade will further accelerate, and leapfrog the region into the golden age of digital trade in the next three years.

The report accounts for this dramatic shift through increased dynamic cross-border e-Commerce activities, strengthened regional cooperation through the RCEP, increased digitalized lifestyles, and ongoing development of digital infrastructures.

According to Taylor Lam, Vice-Chair and Technology, Media & Telecommunications Industry Leader at Deloitte China, the combination of the Covid-19 pandemic together with these other factors will see new development opportunities in digital trade.

“Digital technologies enable global sellers to participate in global trade without any entry barriers,” said Gary Wu, Deloitte Global Lead Client Service Partner.” 

Wu also added that the continuous improvement of digital infrastructure will effectively resolve the two major constraints affecting cross-border trade: logistics and payments, with blockchain technology also “creating a new space of imagination for digital trade.”

Digitalization, mMNEs will drive cross border trade

The report highlighted some key insights for the Asia Pacific, with the first revolving around key technologies and the important role they play. 

According to Deloitte, data factors will feature prominently alongside how other critical infrastructure such as 5G, which will help build data distribution platforms and new network architectures and facilitate the Internet of Everything (IoE). Unsurprisingly, AI will continue working alongside big data to bring deeper insights for better decision making. 

Secondly, the report identified and analyzed various APAC markets for the development and maturity of digital trade across two dimensions: cross-border e-Commerce (60%) and digitalization (40%).

Deloitte classifies the markets as follows: 

• Mature markets: China, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan;
• Developing markets: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines;
• Early-stage markets: Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei.

Comparison of the three market types in terms of development (IMG/Deloitte)

Thirdly, there is a substantial rise of micro-multinational enterprises (mMNEs) in the region, which has been identified as the main driver of the transformation of digital trade across the Asia Pacific.

With the help of digital platforms, entrepreneurs and small businesses have become mMNEs as they are engaged in cross-border e-commerce across global markets.

mMNEs provide diversified “locally-made products” and light customization services for global buyers while contributing to over 85% of Asia Pacific’s cross-border e-commerce activities.

Here are the main characteristics of an mMNE:

• More adept at leveraging digital platforms
• Small in scale, typically with fewer than 100 employees
• Globalized operations with an average of 3.56 overseas outlets

Regional cross border business opportunities 

Invariably, the degree of digitalization differs across markets, depending on their maturity stage. As digitalization is a yardstick by which market maturity can be measured, it is crucial to track the development of digitalization across developing and early-stage markets.

Matured markets generally fared better in terms of sales, payments, and logistics, whereas developing markets tended to lead in production and trading. 

Understandably, early-stage markets are still in their nascent stages of digitalization across all facets of cross-border e-Commerce. 

Vietnam, as expected, leads digitalization in terms of production, whereas Indonesia leads in trading. Singapore, a mature market, leads in digital payments as well as logistics digitalization. 

However, this isn’t always linear. 

Degree of digitalization in cross border e-Commerce verticals (IMG/Deloitte)

Interestingly, the report found that Malaysia, classified as a developing market, leads the APAC region in e-Commerce market size at US$6.3 billion. This is a whopping 61.4% of the total e-Commerce market size in China. 

The Southeast Asian nation of 32 million also has the highest penetration rate for sales digitalization for cross-border e-Commerce, at 65.7%. However, Malaysia suffers from bottlenecks such as logistics and production (20.2%). 

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At present, cross-border consumption only accounts for 42% of the market size of the internet economy in Malaysia, which is much lower than mature markets.

Although Indonesia leads digitalization in trading, they are still lagging far behind in production, sales, payments, and logistics. Indonesia has been pointed out by experts to lead the Southeast Asian region in terms of the digital economy. 

Vietnam seems to be steadily rising and doing decently in digitalization across most other facets of e-Commerce, whilst also leading digitalization in production. 

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For these developing markets to move towards maturity, these areas, especially logistics, would need to see more work in terms of development and sophistication.

But at the same time, this presents huge opportunities for private players to come in and develop these industries in these countries.

The state of e-Commerce: Opportunities and analyses

Deloitte expects that the e-Commerce consumer market in APAC will continue increasing in line with continuous digitalization penetration. Here are other key takeaways:

• Singapore: Within Asia Pacific, Singapore continues to act as a central hub for many cross-border e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia, with companies such as Shopee, Lazada, Amazon, and Zalora setting up their headquarters there. The e-commerce market in Singapore is predicted to double in size in 2025 compared with 2020, with gross merchandise volume (GMV) amounting to US$8 billion.
• Indonesia: Demographic dividend, internet penetration rate, and consumer habits create great potential for developing e-commerce and cross-border e-commerce in Indonesia. Social e-commerce is thriving, and consumers are fond of trading on social media. Indonesian consumers like buying in-expensive products, and the average transaction is low at US$36, much lower than Malaysia (US$54) and Singapore (US$91). Users also prefer e-commerce platforms in their local language, which greatly affects their shopping experience.
• The Philippines: E-commerce has huge growth potential but is constrained by a low internet penetration rate and an undeveloped e-payment industry – the penetration rate of e-commerce users only accounts for 39% of the total population.
• Thailand: The penetration rate of cross-border e-commerce in Thailand is relatively high and has a certain digitalization foundation, but their degree of development is limited. However, quality improvements of internet infrastructure will raise the efficiency of information exchanges and unleash the vitality of e-commerce platforms.
• Vietnam: Although high logistics costs are almost the biggest challenge in cross-border e-commerce in the APAC, 61.8% of the surveyed enterprises in Vietnam believe that the largest challenge is the difficulty in customs clearance inspections, with more than 60% of businesses focusing on green development goals.
• Brunei: Brunei takes the lead in internet penetration rate in Asia even though early-stage markets have a relatively low overall level of digitalization, and generally have no sophisticated infrastructure and platforms in place to develop the digital industry.

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Bangladesh is joining more than 60 other countries with the fifth generation of mobile internet connectivity. The country introduced 3G cellular technology in October 2012 and 4G technology in February 2018.

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Bangladeshis to benefit from Nokia and Teletalk 5G network

The country has 17.69 million cellular subscribers and 12 million mobile Internet users among four cellular operators.

Only 28% of subscribers have used 4G networks, while the adoption of smartphones is 41%. Experts say that the technology is set to change how people use their phones and consume data for consumers and businesses.

Users will benefit from faster internet and smoother telecommunications services after introducing the 5G technology.

The commercial test will be rolled out through a cluster-wide deployment in the Dhaka metropolitan area at 200 locations by 2022, focusing on commercial and government offices.

The technology will help develop smart manufacturing through cloud-based wireless robotic control, wireless electronic health services, and live broadcasting in social networks.

“We’re thrilled to be the first company in Bangladesh to deliver 5G, as part of our broader vision for enhancing connectivity,” said Shafin Ahmed, CEO of Teletalk.

“5G is a major milestone for us and we look forward to furthering our efforts on introducing innovative technologies that improve the lives of consumers,” he added.

The technology behind the 5G roll-out

In the initial deployment phase, Nokia will provide equipment from its latest ReefShark System on Chip-powered AirScale equipment portfolio, including its 5G AirScale Digital Baseband Unit with a plugin capability to add capacity where it is needed.

It will also supply its high-performance 64TRX AirScale massive MIMO Adaptive Antennas to cover all deployment scenarios, including dense-urban environments and wide-area coverage.

“We are delighted to continue our longstanding partnership with Teletalk and take it into the 5G era. Teletalk and the Bangladeshi government have broad ambitions to drive societal change through a foundation of 5G networks. The network expansion and modernization initiative will help Teletalk attract new subscribers in the rural region and reduce churn in the urban areas. Our global experience will enable Teletalk to offer enhanced customer experience to its subscriber”, said Mark Atkinson, Senior Vice President, Radio Access Networks PLM at Nokia.

5G technology to change society

“4G has changed life, 5G will change society. And we are happy to be a part of this key initiative towards that journey. We shall partner with Teletalk to build the necessary infrastructure for a superior 5G network,” Kevin Xu, chief technical officer at Huawei Bangladesh, said in a statement.

“Initially, we have been chosen to provide more than 65% of initial 5G sites. Huawei has been working in Bangladesh to build a fully connected, intelligent nation for more than 21 years and we will responsibly continue this journey.”

The prime minister’s ICT affairs adviser, Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed, inaugurated the 5G service virtually as chief guest.

The post Nokia and Teletalk roll out 5G in Bangladesh appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

The tech industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors globally.  This is seen in the growth of the digital economy across the region, from e-Commerce to fintech and digital media to logistics.

However, despite these changes created by digital technologies, an undeniable gender gap remains that needs to be addressed. 

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Representation of women as founders, employees and investors is low in Southeast Asia, but they are participating more in tech than most of their global counterparts. 

According to a study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), women now make up 32% of the region’s tech sector. In comparison, the global average is 28%.

Women in the technology sector in the Asia Pacific are still a minority, but they are becoming more visible due to social media and networking events. Thailand has the highest percentage of women in tech at 42 %, followed by Singapore.

Attracting global women in tech

In Australia, the government recently unveiled its ambitious plan to empower Asian female talent to shore up its entrepreneurial talent bench for the future. 

The Global Business and Talent Attraction (Taskforce) partnered with global diversity, equity and inclusion consultancy The Dream Collective to attract global female talent, founders and entrepreneurs from Asia to Australia. 

The Dream Collective will actively promote the Taskforce among its influential networks in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to identify valuable career prospects and consider the unique work-life balance in Australia.

This programme will offer eligible individuals and companies a streamlined pathway to permanent residency with Australia’s Global Talent Visa. 

The Australian Government is committed to attracting the world’s best and brightest. In recent years, Australia has attracted more than 6,000 talented individuals through its Global Talent Stream (GTS) visa program each year. 

More than 30% of talent are in the Digitech sector, including experts in quantum computing, blockchain and long-range Wi-Fi. Meanwhile, 20% of visa recipients are pioneers in resources and clean energy, 

Opportunities in future-facing industries

Australia is looking for female tech talent in industries such as clean energy and renewables, cybersecurity, digital games as well as financial services and fintech. 

“Bold and ambitious women with the creative energy and technical expertise need to be given the opportunity to fill critical positions in our future-facing industries,” said Peter Verwer, AO, The Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Global Business and Talent.

“Our emerging technologies and sciences are powering real world, breakthrough solutions. Innovators in Australia can access some of the world’s best laboratories, research facilities, professional networks and government support. The Global Talent visa makes it easier and faster to plan your next chapter, and build a global career,” he added.

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