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

How to maximise 5G network value in the AI era

The evolution of mobile networks will transform how people connect, work, and interact with technology. At this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona, Huawei’s Corporate Senior Vice President and President of lCT Sales & Service, Li Peng highlighted the role of 5G advancements in improving the user experiences and creating new business opportunities, in his keynote speech“We’re rapidly entering a fully intelligent world. Intelligent applications are spreading everywhere, placing new demands on networks,” said Li. “By embracing and evolving 5G, we can unlock the infinite potential of mobile networks. Huawei is willing and ready to work with carriers and industry partners around the world to promote digital enablement, reinforce network foundations, and bring AI to all. Together, we can shape the D.N.A for an intelligent world.”Improving mobile networksLi emphasised how the way people interact with technology is changing. With the rise of voice assistants, cloud-based applications, and smart services, mobile networks must offer faster speeds and lower latency. As mobile experiences...

Read More........ → March 10, 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

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

SoftBank in talks to invest $25bn in OpenAI

The investment follows a SoftBank taking a $1.5 billion stake in OpenAI last yearJapanese conglomerate SoftBank reportedly in discussions to invest between $15 billion and $25 billion in OpenAI, according to a recent report from the Financial Times.If it goes ahead, the investment will make SoftBank OpenAI’s largest financial backer and would significantly expand the Japanese company’s presence in the AI sector.“The talks are ongoing and the amount that SoftBank could invest in primary equity into OpenAI is a moving target,” said an anonymous source.In addition to this potential investment in OpenAI, SoftBank has already committed $15 billion to Stargate, recently announced a joint venture between involving Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank.The Stargate Project is a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative to build advanced US-based AI data centres. Announced at the White House last week, it aims to invest $500 billion over the next four years to build new AI infrastructure in the US, starting with deploying $100 billion immediately.SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son is the chairman of the joint...

Read More........ → February 07, 2025

India’s non-fossil, fuel-based energy capacity reaches 217.62 GW: Centre

New Delhi, (IANS): India’s total non-fossil, fuel-based energy capacity has reached 217.62 GW (as of January 20), and addressing regulatory, financial and infrastructural challenges world be crucial this year towards meeting the clear energy goals, the government said on Wednesday.With continued policy support, increased investment, and a focus on emerging technologies, India is well-positioned to achieve its ambitious renewable energy targets and solidify its status as a global leader in the clean energy transition, according to a statement by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.In 2024, the country made significant strides in solar and wind energy installations, policy advancements, and infrastructural improvements, setting the stage for ambitious targets in 2025.With a commitment to achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity by 2030, India is emerging as a global leader in clean energy.The year 2024 saw a record-breaking 24.5 GW of solar capacity and 3.4 GW of wind capacity added, reflecting a more than two-fold increase in solar installations and a 21 per cent rise...

Read More........ → January 28, 2025

Businesses can’t escape the AI revolution – so here’s how to build a culture of safe and responsible use

Oselote/Shutterstock Nicholas Davis, University of Technology Sydney and Gaby Carney, University of Technology SydneyIn November 2023, the estates of two now-deceased policyholders sued the US health insurer, United Healthcare, for deploying what they allege is a flawed artificial intelligence (AI) system to systematically deny patient claims. The issue – they claim – wasn’t just how the AI was designed. It was that the company allegedly also limited the ability of staff to override the system’s decisions, even if they thought the system was wrong. They allege the company even went so far as to punish staff who failed to act in accordance with the model’s predictions. Regardless of the eventual outcome of this case, which remains before the US court system, the claims made in the suit highlight a critical challenge facing organisations. While artificial intelligence offers tremendous opportunities, its safe and responsible use depends on having the right people, skills and culture to govern it properly. Getting on the front foot AI is pervading businesses whether they...

Read More........ → January 08, 2025

World’s first 5G-A region in Mobile AI Era launched

This month, at the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit 18th edition in Dubai, the world’s first 5G-A region in the mobile AI era was launched. Under the theme ‘Global. Regional. Digital.’ the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit spotlit the industry’s main trends, including 5G, cloud, data centers, and digitilisationThe launch followed a panel discussion, in which a group of ten industry professionals gathered to discuss the challenges and opportunities in advancing 5G technology in the Middle East. Key points included the need for cross-industry collaboration, open APIs, and spectrum utilisation.The panelists included:Fayez Abu Awad, Policy Director, MENA, GSMAKhalid Al Awadi, Manager, Broadcasting and Space Services, TDRA UAEHasan Alshemeili, Head of Technology Planning, duDr. Ayman Elnashar, VP of Technology Strategy, Architecture & Innovation, e&Ramy Boctor, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone QatarStelios Savvides, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone OmanHicham Siblini, Chief Technology and Infrastructure Officer, Ooredoo QatarAllen Tang, President of ICT Marketing & Solution Sales...

Read More........ → December 30, 2024

US-China trade war flares as both sides introduce new chip tech restrictions | Total Telecom

New US export controls on semiconductor technology this week have been met immediately by retaliatory measures from ChinaThis week has seen the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ramp up controls on its tech exports to China, particularly those related to the manufacture of semiconductors.The additional restrictions cover 24 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and three types of software tools for developing or producing semiconductors. It also includes High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM), a computer memory interface at the heart of AI chip technology.In addition to these restrictions, the update added 140 companies to the US’s infamous Entity List, 136 of which were Chinese. US companies looking to sell restricted items to entities designated on this list are required to acquire a specialised export licence from BIS, which is seldom granted. Companies to the list in this most recent batch include semiconductor fabs, tool companies, and investment companies that the US claims have links to the Chinese government.These new measures, BIS says, are designed...

Read More........ → December 05, 2024

Billion-Dollar Dreams: India-UAE Tech Alliance is Shaping the Future of Innovation

A high-profile delegation from the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) visited the UAE this week and is actively exploring market opportunities, investment prospects, and the legal framework in the UAE, aimed at boosting the Indian technology industry’s footprint in the region. The NASSCOM delegation also attended the two-day AI and Web3 summit at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.During a key address at a business event on September 13th in Dubai, the. NASSCOM leadership emphasized the remarkable growth trajectory of India’s tech sector, reflecting on its rise from a modest $15 million in export revenue in 1988 to a staggering $199 billion today. This transformation, driven by human capital and technological innovation, highlights India’s evolution to a leader in global tech development. The Indian tech industry, built on the strength of human resources and bolstered by robust government support, has now become a global powerhouse.The delegation’s visit to the Middle East is timely, as the region is experiencing significant investments in digital infrastructure,...

Read More........ → September 22, 2024

India electronics component manufacturing to hit $240 bn by 2030, create 2.8 lakh jobs by 2026

New Delhi, (IANS) As the government doubles down on making India a global manufacturing hub, the demand for electronics components and sub-assemblies is likely to scale to $240 billion by 2030, paving the way for $500 billion worth of electronics production goal while creating at least 2.8 lakhs new jobs by 2026, a report showed on Sunday.Priority components and sub-assemblies including PCBAs, are projected to grow at a robust CAGR of 30 per cent, reaching $139 billion by 2030, according to the report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), which suggested key recommendations to craft a scheme to further help the industry.Last year, the demand for components and sub-assemblies stood at $45.5 billion to support $102 billion worth of electronics production.The report identified five priority components/sub-assemblies of batteries (lithium-ion), camera modules, mechanicals (enclosures etc.), displays and PCBs, which are categorised as high priority for India.They cumulatively accounted for 43 per cent of the components demand in 2022 and is expected to grow to $51.6 billion by 2030,...

Read More........ → July 12, 2024

World's first wooden satellite built by Japan researchers

TOKYO - The world's first wooden satellite has been built by Japanese researchers who said their tiny cuboid craft will be blasted off on a SpaceX rocket in September.Each side of the experimental satellite developed by scientists at Kyoto University and logging company Sumitomo Forestry measures just 10 centimetres.The creators expect the wooden material will burn up completely when the device re-enters the atmosphere -- potentially providing a way to avoid the generation of metal particles when a retired satellite returns to Earth.These metal particles could have a negative impact on the environment and telecommunications, the developers said as they announced the satellite's completion on Tuesday."Satellites that are not made of metal should become mainstream," Takao Doi, an astronaut and special professor at Kyoto University, told a press conference.The developers plan to hand the satellite, made from magnolia wood and named LignoSat, to space agency JAXA next week.It will be sent into space on a SpaceX rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in September, bound for the International...

Read More........ → July 05, 2024

India's data centre capacity to double to 2,000 MW by 2026, green energy is the key

Mumbai, May 8 (IANS) India's data centre capacity is set to double to reach 2000 MW by 2026, as the country transitions towards a developed market economy amid a rise in 'green energy' solutions, a report showed on Wednesday.The growth plans have also created substantial investment prospects, with a likely capex of Rs 50,000 crore in this space over the next three years till 2026, according to the report by CareEdge Ratings.The data centre industry is expected to clock a revenue growth of 32 per cent during FY24-FY26.While India generates about 20 per cent of global data, in terms of data centre capacity, it has a share of just 3 per cent.However, the wave of digitisation, driven by the expansion of e-commerce, fintech platforms, online streaming, and gaming services, is anticipated to increase the number of internet users and boost internet penetration - generating a robust demand for data centres."The capacity addition of 1.1 GW in data centre space needs to be corroborated with increased absorption in future/medium term, as cashflow stability is an important consideration for the...

Read More........ → June 21, 2024

Apple has switched from its Lightning connector to USB-C — we explain which is better and why they did it

Shutterstock Renaud Foucart, Lancaster UniversityAfter many years of designing and selling a variety of different cables to power and charge its devices, Apple has slowly switched to USB-C chargers for all of its products.The last device to swap is the iPhone, and it happened against Apple’s will. In October last year, the European Commission requested all phones and laptop producers switch to the USB-C connector (which had earlier been agreed on as a common standard).Apple could have chosen to ignore the request and stop selling in the EU, or to produce versions with USB-C for the European single market only. Instead, it chose to comply and follow the EU rules everywhere. The common charger for all devices is thus becoming a reality, at least until the world moves completely to wireless charging.A better standard The Lightning charger was introduced by Apple in 2012 and first featured on the iPhone 5. It was the successor to the 30-pin dock connector introduced in 2003 for the first iPods and iPhones. Arguably, the key visible innovation of the Lightning cable was reversible ends....

Read More........ → September 21, 2023

Nations must address barriers against access to affordable medicines, new technologies: India at UN

DEC 08, 2020 UNITED NATIONS: India has underlined the need for the global community to chart out long-term strategies and roadmaps to deal with future pandemics and their impacts, emphasising that barriers to equitable access to affordable medicines and new technologies must be addressed. Speaking at the UN General Assembly session on ''Global Health and Foreign Policy'', Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Pratik Mathur said on Monday the international community needed to capitalise on existing programmes such as the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACTA), and COVAX facility to ensure affordable and equitable global access to diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, while strengthening health systems. "We need to come up with long term strategies and roadmaps to put in place a system to deal with the future pandemics," he said. "The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted systemic weaknesses in health systems and vulnerabilities in the capacity to prevent and respond to pandemic threats. We need to address the major weaknesses and gaps to strengthen global coordination...

Read More........ → December 21, 2020

OnePlus Nord N100 at Tk 19k only

Buying an OnePlus phone means spending a lot of money. However, the company is coming out of the idea. The company is offering OnePlus Nord N100 at Tk 19,500 (EUR 199) for the single 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant.The new version of OnePlus Nord has 4G connectivity. It has a 6.52 inch HD plus LCD display. There will be 460 Snapdragon processors. The primary camera of this phone with triple rear camera is 13 megapixels. The other two cameras will have a 2 megapixel macro sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.In terms of specifications, the OnePlus Nord N100 is said to have triple rear cameras as well as a 5,000mAh battery. The smartphone is also likely to run on the latest Android 11 out-of-the-box. The OnePlus Nord N100 and OnePlus Nord N10 5G both are also likely to come with a 3.5mm headphone jack. OnePlus brought the mid-range phone Nord a few months ago. The response was good. Many people have not missed the opportunity to use One Plus at relatively cheap prices. That's why OnePlus is bringing mid-wrench phones again. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.c...

Read More........ → December 08, 2020

Sweden focusing on science and technology ties with India

Sweden aims to strengthen its ties with India in the area of science and technology as the two countries are celebrating the Nobel Memorial Week in the memory of the great inventor Alfred Nobel."I strongly believe that technology and knowledge translate to increased influence. During the Nobel Week this year, we have planned SHE STEM to address underrepresentation of women in technology and to empower girls and women," Klas Molin, Sweden's Ambassador to India, said in a statement.Now in its 13th year, the Nobel Memorial Week is an annual event organised by the Embassy of Sweden in India in cooperation with the Consulate General of Sweden in Mumbai and leading Swedish businesses in India. The week was instituted in the memory of inventor-philosopher Alfred Nobel and celebrates innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.The two countries have organised several events online for the upcoming week. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, all the events will take place entirely online.The programme for 2020 includes an online quiz for college students with Rs.1 lac for the first prize...

Read More........ → December 01, 2020