Vodafone and Ericsson cut 5G energy bill by a third in latest ‘sleep mode’ trials

The trial focussed on powering down 5G sites when not in use, dramatically reducing their energy consumptionThis week, Vodafone UK and Ericsson have announced the successful completion of a new trial in London that puts 5G and 4G sites ‘to sleep’ when not in use.The trial focused on making better use of network downtime, introducing features that power down equipment when demand is low and reactivate it when needed. It aims to lower energy costs and carbon emissions without compromising network performance.The trial focussed on three power-saving elements: 5G deep sleep: Allows radio units to switch to a low energy mode during quieter periods, cutting power use by up to 70%.4G cell sleep mode: Optimises when 4G sites power down, improving efficiency without affecting coverage.Radio power efficiency map: Identifies sites where power savings can be made.Vodafone also confirmed it is looking at new mast designs that could reduce the number of physical sites and street-level cabinets needed in some areas.“By working with Ericsson to successfully apply these innovative software solutions...

Read More........ → March 28, 2025

Elite women's sport revenue to top $2 billion: Deloitte

Global revenues for women's elite sport are on track to top $2 billion in 2025, with commercial appeal at an all-time high, according to financial experts Deloitte.The company said Tuesday that the combination of matchday, commercial and broadcast income would push revenues to $2.35 billion (2.15 billion euros) worldwide, up from $1.88 billion in 2024.That would represent a 240 percent rise in four years. Deloitte valued the 2022 market at $692 million.Jennifer Haskel of the Deloitte Sports Business Group said: "The commercial appeal of women's sports and its athletes has never been higher, as the sector continues to shine on the global stage."She added: "The growth of women's sport has continued to exceed expectations as various competitions, leagues, clubs and athletes generate significant returns despite limited resources."Crucially, the industry is moving beyond short-sighted metrics to focus on evolving structures and legacy programmes through enhanced investment and bold action."The two highest revenue-generating sports are basketball and football.Deloitte said the 2025 Women's...

Read More........ → March 27, 2025

Amazon, Intel, other global giants to slash huge workforce amid AI boom

New Delhi, (IANS): Several major global companies, including Amazon, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, are planning massive job cuts in 2025 as they focus on reducing costs and streamlining operations in the artificial intelligence (AI) era.The rise of AI and global economic uncertainties are key reasons behind these layoffs.Amazon, one of the world's largest e-commerce companies, is planning to eliminate approximately 14,000 managerial roles, according to reports.The company aims to save around $3 billion annually through this move. CEO Andy Jassy has set a goal to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by 15 per cent by the first quarter of 2025.This decision follows Amazon's recent shift to a five-day workweek, which some employees believe is a way to encourage voluntary resignations.According to reports, investment banking giant Morgan Stanley is expected to lay off around 2,000 employees later in March -- 3 per cent reduction in its workforce.These cuts will likely exclude financial advisers. The firm had over 80,000 employees in 2024 and is now looking to restructure...

Read More........ → March 24, 2025

Changing jobs is a big move but it’s worth considering if your workplace is toxic

Rauschan_films/Shutterstock Timothy Colin Bednall, Swinburne University of Technology and Kathryn Page, Swinburne University of TechnologyReturning to work after a summer break can be jarring, especially for the many workers dissatisfied with their jobs. Almost half report high levels of job-related stress. Dissatisfaction can be tied to an unhealthy, even toxic workplace where negative behaviour and poor leadership harm employee wellbeing and productivity. Key indicators include bullying, harassment, lack of trust, poor communication and high job strain. The impact of toxic workplaces If you think your workplace is toxic, it is worth considering the impact it is having on your mental health. You might also consider how committed your organisation is to supporting its employees’ mental health. Toxicity can develop gradually through subtle patterns of micromanagement, exclusion, or eroding morale. These dynamics create a draining environment that undermines individual wellbeing and business success. As well as affecting employees’ mental health, there is growing evidence workplace...

Read More........ → March 20, 2025

Centre launches ‘5G Innovation Hackathon 2025’ to address societal, industrial challenges

New Delhi, (IANS): The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Monday announced the ‘5G Innovation Hackathon 2025’, a six-month initiative aimed at accelerating the development of innovative 5G-powered solutions to address societal and industrial challenges.Open to students, startups and professionals, the programme provides mentorship, funding, and access to over 100 5G Use Case Labs, enabling participants to transform visionary ideas into scalable technologies, according to the Ministry of Communications.Winners will receive significant rewards, including Rs 5,00,000 for the first place, Rs 3,00,000 for the runner-up, and Rs 1,50,000 for the 2nd runner-up.Also, special mentions will be given for Best Idea and Most Innovative Prototype, each receiving Rs 50,000. Ten labs will also be given Certificates of Appreciation for Best 5G Use case and one Certificate for Best idea from Emerging Institute.The hackathon invites proposals focused on key 5G applications such as AI-driven network maintenance, IoT-enabled solutions, 5G broadcasting, smart health, agriculture, industrial automation,...

Read More........ → March 19, 2025

Indian retail market set to reach Rs 190 lakh crore by 2034 as consumption surges

Mumbai, (IANS): India, the fastest-growing major economy, is set to become the third-largest by GDP by 2030, driving a Rs 190 lakh crore retail market by 2034, according to a report released on Thursday.Consumption in the country has been expanding at a pace ahead of other large economies. The Indian retail market is growing and this expansion has outpaced overall consumption, highlighting the sector’s resilience and strong momentum, according to the report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the Retailers Association of India (RAI).India’s retail market has grown from Rs 35 lakh crore to Rs 82 lakh crore in the last decade, witnessing a 9 per cent growth."It is expected to be Rs 200 lakh crore in the next decade and will offer diverse opportunities which are all at scale and need very different operating models to deliver a winning proposition. There is an opportunity for multiple trillion-rupee turnover retailers by 2035," BCG Managing Director and Senior Partner, Abheek Singhi, said.Affluent households are projected to triple by 2030, creating significant opportunities in premium...

Read More........ → March 11, 2025

Sunil Mittal offloads almost $1 billion stake in Airtel

The Indian billionaire made the sale following the company’s positive quarterly resultsThis week, Sunil Mittal has sold a 0.84% stake (51 million shares) in India’s second largest telco, Bharti Airtel, raising roughly $976 million.The sale was made through the Mittal family’s investment company, Indian Continental Investment.Roughly a quarter of these shares were sold to group firm Bharti Telecom, with the remaining three quarters sold to ‘key marquee long-only names, both global and domestic’, according to the filing.A report from Bloomberg names some of the buyers additional buyers as GQG Partners LLC, Fidelity Investments, Lazard Inc, SBI Life Insurance Co., and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co.“With this, Bharti Telecom now holds around 40.47 per cent of Airtel, reinforcing its previously stated intent of strengthening its position as the principal vehicle to have a controlling stake in Airtel, remaining focused on gradually increasing its stake while maintaining a prudent leverage profile as it does so,” read the filing.The move follows Airtel posting solid Q3 financial results...

Read More........ → February 25, 2025

World no.1 Sinner accepts three-month tennis ban to resolve doping charge

LAUSANNE - Jannik Sinner's long doping saga came to an end on Saturday after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, the world number one admitting "partial responsibility" for team mistakes which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.The 9 February to 4 May suspension means Sinner will be free to play in the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the season, which begins on 25 May at Roland Garros.In a statement, Sinner said that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted that he "had no intent and did not derive any competitive advantage from the two positive tests" of the banned substance.Australian Open champion Sinner has always said that clostebol entered his system when his physiotherapist used a spray containing it to treat a cut before providing a massage and sports therapy."This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year," Sinner said."I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise WADA's strict rules are...

Read More........ → February 21, 2025

Japan aims for increased use of nuclear in latest energy plan

In December, Shimane 2 became the latest Japanese reactor to be restarted (Image: Qurren/CreativeCommons)Japan is to "make maximum use of nuclear power", with about 20% of the country's total electricity generation in fiscal 2040 coming from nuclear, according to the government's latest Basic Energy Plan. Previous plans have called for a reduction on its dependence on nuclear power.The Japanese government revises its energy plan about every three years. The plan is formulated based on the Basic Energy Policy Law enacted in June 2002. The latest plan, like its predecessors, recognises the necessity of energy security for the country, which is poor in fossil fuel resources. The policy includes commitments to "clean energy" initiatives but places emphasis on ensuring stable and secure energy supplies. The Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy started discussions on the 7th Basic Energy Plan in May 2024 and presented the draft version of the plan in December. It has since gone through a public comment procedure and other processes.Adopted on Tuesday by the cabinet, the 7th...

Read More........ → February 20, 2025

With billions in ‘profit’ exempt from tax, changes to NZ’s charity rules are long overdue

Jirsak/Shutterstock Ranjana Gupta, Auckland University of TechnologyThe profit made on every breakfast bowl of weet-bix is tax exempt, giving Sanitarium Health Food Company, owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, an advantage over other breakfast food companies. But this could be about to change. Under current rules, New Zealand’s charities are allowed to run businesses as long as the profits are not for personal gain. This means the government gives up millions in tax revenue from charities across the government. In December, Finance Minister Nicola Willis proposed revising the tax rules for charitable organisations. The changes are set to be announced with this year’s Budget. According to Willis, there was about NZ$2 billion of “profit” in the charitable sector that was not subject to tax. My new research – to be published later this year – looks at the integrity and fairness of the taxation framework that gives exemptions to charitable organisations competing directly with the for-profit sector. Striking the right balance between supporting legitimate charitable activities...

Read More........ → February 19, 2025

Mastercard plans to get rid of credit card numbers. We could be heading towards the end of cards

Antonina St/Shutterstock Gary Mortimer, Queensland University of Technology and Cassandra Cross, Queensland University of TechnologyMastercard has announced plans to remove the 16-digit number from their credit and debit cards by 2030 in a move designed to stamp out identity theft and fraudulent use of cards. The numbers currently used to identify cards will be replaced with tokenisation and biometric authentication In 2022, Mastercard added biometric options enabling payments to be made with a smile or wave of the hand. Tokenisation converts the 16-digit card number into a different number – or token – stored on your device, so card information is never shared when you tap your card or phone or make payments online. The first rollout of these numberless cards will be through a partnership with AMP Bank, but it is expected other banks will follow in the coming 12 months. Why card security is important There is nothing quite like the sinking feeling after receiving a call or text from your bank asking about the legitimacy of a card transaction. In 2023-2024 the total value...

Read More........ → February 18, 2025

UK announces planning reforms to speed up nuclear projects

The Rolls-Royce SMR is one of four designs under consideration for the UK's SMR programme (Image: Rolls-Royce SMR)The UK government has announced plans to reform planning requirements and regulatory rules as part of measures to streamline the process of constructing new nuclear power plants in England and Wales, including small modular reactors."More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales as the prime minister slashes red tape to get Britain building - as part of his Plan for Change," the government said. "Reforms to planning rules will clear a path for smaller, and easier to build nuclear reactors – known as small modular reactors (SMRs) – to be built for the first time ever in the UK."The reforms include allowing new plants to be built anywhere across England and Wales, not just in the eight existing nuclear sites specified in current planning rules. However, the government said there will "continue to be robust criteria for nuclear reactor locations, including restrictions near densely-populated areas and military activity, alongside community engagement and...

Read More........ → February 13, 2025

How Important Is ‘The Human Touch’ in Customer Service as Firms Increasingly Use AI?

A couple of years after its initial boom, artificial intelligence (AI) still remains a huge buzzword in the fintech industry, as every firm looks at a new way of integrating the tech into its infrastructure to gain a competitive edge. Exploring how they are going about doing this in 2025, The Fintech Times is spotlighting some of the biggest themes in AI this February.AI has taken the world by storm, massively impacting the customer service sector. However, while some organisations may feel that they can replace human workers with technology, the ‘human touch’ remains an important factor for many consumers. But how important is human contact in a world where AI has the potential of a faster, more streamlined customer service experience?Empathy and critical thinking neededAllen Bonde the CMO at TreviPayPerhaps AI’s biggest flaw is its inability to understand a situation from an emotional standpoint. In finance, empathy with someone’s situation is an absolute must and according to Allen Bonde the CMO at TreviPay, the B2B payments firm, this is why the human touch is still needed in a...

Read More........ → February 12, 2025

India and China agree to resume air travel after nearly five years

FILE PHOTO: Travellers push trolleys with their luggage at the departure area of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File PhotoBEIJING/NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India and China have agreed to resume direct air services after nearly five years, India’s foreign ministry said on Monday, signalling a thaw in relations between the neighbours after a deadly 2020 military clash on their disputed Himalayan border.Both sides will negotiate a framework on the flights in a meeting that will be held at “early date”, the ministry said after a meeting between India’s top diplomat and his Chinese counterpart.Tensions soured between the two nations after the 2020 clash, following which India made it difficult for Chinese companies to invest in the country, banned hundreds of popular apps and severed passenger routes, although direct cargo flights continued to operate between the countries.Relations have improved over the past four months with several high-level meetings, including talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian...

Read More........ → February 10, 2025

AI regulation around the world

Countries and economic blocs around the world are at different stages of regulating artificial intelligence, from a relative "Wild West" in the United States to highly complex rules in the European Union.Here are some key points about regulation in major jurisdictions, ahead of the Paris AI summit on February 10-11:- United States -Returning President Donald Trump last month rescinded Joe Biden's October 2023 executive order on AI oversight.Largely voluntary, it required major AI developers like OpenAI to share safety assessments and vital information with the federal government.Backed by major tech companies, it was aimed at protecting privacy and preventing civil rights violations, and called for safeguards on national security.Home to top developers, the United States now has no formal AI guidelines -- although some existing privacy protections do still apply.Under Trump, the United States has "picked up their cowboy hat again, it's a complete Wild West", said Yael Cohen-Hadria, a digital lawyer at consultancy EY.The administration has effectively said that "we're not doing this...

Read More........ → February 08, 2025

Sinner doping hearing at sports court fixed for April: CAS

LAUSANNE - World number one Jannik Sinner will have his hearing into allegations of doping at the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 16-17 April, the Lausanne-based body said on Friday.The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared Sinner after he tested positive twice for the banned steroid clostebol in March last year."No parties requested a public hearing and it will be conducted behind closed doors," CAS said in a statement.The ITIA accepted defending Australian Open champion Sinner's explanation that the drug entered his system when his physio used a spray containing it to treat a cut, then provided massage and sports therapy to the player.Asked on the eve of the Australian Open if he knew when a verdict was due, the 23-year-old said: "I know exactly as much as you guys know."We are in a stage where we don't know many, many things."Sinner, who faces a stern first-round test at Melbourne Park against big-hitting Chilean Nicolas Jarry, admitted the scandal continued to play on his mind."You think about this, of course," he said....

Read More........ → February 03, 2025