In the recently-concluded 11th Global Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF) in Shanghai, Huawei brought together global carriers, industry chain partners, vertical leaders, and research organisations to discuss the possibilities of 5G and share its insight on the industry trends and how innovation in new technology can accelerate an intelligent world.

On the first day of the open online forum, Ryan Ding, Executive Director and President of the Carrier Business Group, Huawei, gave his keynote speech titled ‘Maximising Wireless Network Value for a Golden Decade of 5G’.

Ding said the coming decade will be a golden age for 5G’s progress around the world and that the whole industry must have faith in 5G, build the best 5G networks, and make the most of them for shared value.

5G is developing much faster than previous generations. There are currently more than 100 commercial 5G networks worldwide, and leading carriers are already benefitting from 5G data plans.

To further develop 5G and encourage more people to embrace it, carriers need to build the best 5G networks possible. The telecom sector needs to provide fundamental network capabilities, highly reliable network services, and flexible networking solutions necessary for industrial 5G applications to meet these diverse needs, a press release from Huawei said.

The telecom sector will also need to make improvements from end to end, ranging from network planning, construction, maintenance, and optimization to operations. This will help reduce the costs of deploying industry applications. Ding emphasized that developing industrial 5G applications is an industry-wide effort, rather than just carriers’ responsibility. Accelerating this development is only possible when telecommunications integrates with other industries.

At the 11th Global Mobile Broadband Forum, Huawei has shared insights into global industry trends and hot topics with carriers, regulators, partners, and media analysts from around the world. They explored how innovation in ICT technologies such as 5G and AI can be mutually beneficial to industries and society at large.

The country's second-largest mobile operator Robi will offer a low-cost internet data package for university teachers and students to support online education.

University Grants Commission (UGC) and Robi Axiata Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) about this on Sunday.

UGC Chairman Professor Kazi Shahidullah said the main barrier to online education is access to device and data, which will be resolved soon with the joint efforts of UGC and the mobile operators.

The new agreement will allow users to get 30GB of data at Tk220, for a month, from Sunday for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, and Gmail.

But this data package will not apply to the use of Netflix, Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter, read a press release.

Also, mobile operators Teletalk and Grameenphone are providing a cheap data package for university teachers and students. UGC signed an MoU with Grameenphone on Thursday.

On November 4, UGC also decided to provide interest-free loans to 41,501 insolvent students of public universities for buying a smartphone to ensure their participation in online classes amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Each student from 39 public universities will get a maximum of Tk8,000 as a soft loan.

Also read: UGC, GP sign MoU to facilitate online classes of public, pvt univs

SpaceX delayed its second astronaut flight by a day because of high wind and weather conditions that could jeopardize the recovery and recycling of the rocket booster, pushing the launch to Sunday.

Friday’s postponement news came after SpaceX chief Elon Musk disclosed he had gotten mixed test results for COVID-19 and was awaiting the outcome of a more definitive test.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said anyone testing positive for COVID-19 must quarantine under NASA policy and remain isolated. Officials said contact tracing by SpaceX found no link between Musk and any personnel in close touch with the four astronauts, who remain cleared for flight.

“I can assure everyone that we’re looking good for the (crew) launch and all of the critical personnel involved,” said SpaceX’s Benji Reed, senior director for human spaceflight.

It wasn’t immediately known if Musk would be allowed at the Kennedy Space Center launching site even if later tests came up negative.

Norm Knight, a deputy manager at NASA, said the guidelines are rigid for restricting access to astronauts before flight in order to keep them safe and healthy.

“No one’s above this access. It doesn’t matter if you’re Elon Musk or Jim Bridenstine,” Knight said at a news conference Friday night. “If you have not met those protocols, or if any of those protocols have been compromised, then we’re not going to let you near the crew.”

Musk said via Twitter that he tested positive for coronavirus, then negative twice, then positive again. He said he wasn’t feeling too well the past few days — sniffles, cough, low fever — but currently had no symptoms.

“So ‘Elon Musk Tests Negative for Covid’ is an equally correct title,” he tweeted.

Musk said his first tests were rapid tests, and he was awaiting the results of lab tests. The 15-minute rapid tests are less sensitive than the lab tests, which take hours longer to process.

NASA and SpaceX representatives wouldn’t say where Musk was Friday, although officials confirmed he was not at Kennedy. His company is based in Southern California, where he makes his home. He was inside Kennedy’s Launch Control last May for SpaceX’s first astronaut flight last May.

Four astronauts — three Americans and one Japanese — are scheduled to rocket to the International Space Station on Sunday night.

One of the test pilots on SpaceX’s first astronaut flight, Doug Hurley, said he’s certain Musk will be involved with the launch — regardless of where he is.

“Knowing Elon the way I do, they will figure out a way for him to be very much connected,” Hurley told The Associated Press from Houston.

The upcoming crew flight comes just three months after the end of the test flight with Hurley and Bob Behnken, both NASA astronauts. The four astronauts are going up for a full space station stay of five to six months. They will be replaced in the spring by yet another crew launched by SpaceX.

The latest launch was bumped a day in order to give SpaceX’s booster-landing platform enough time to get into position in the Atlantic, given the rough seas in the wake of Tropical Storm Eta. NASA and SpaceX are especially eager to retrieve this first-stage booster; it will be used for the next crew launch.

NASA turned over space station ferry trips to SpaceX and Boeing, which has yet to launch anyone, following the retirement of the shuttle fleet in 2011. The space agency is looking to save big by no longer having to buy seats on Russian Soyuz capsules for U.S. astronauts. The last ticket, used by a NASA astronaut launched from Kazakhstan in October, cost $90 million.

One launch pad over, meanwhile, an Atlas V rocket thundered into the sunset Friday with a classified spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office. The launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station had been delayed repeatedly by pad and weather issues.

Samsung Bangladesh has recently launched a service for "out of warranty" spare parts of its consumer products and mobile phones. 

Samsung Country Manager Seungwon Youn said, "The initiative will give customers peace of mind, especially those who worry about the warranty running out or paying extra." 

Any customer repairing products with an appropriate charge will get 90 days' warranty on spare parts from the repair date.

Although Samsung provides such service for most of its products, it will not apply to batteries and accessories. 

Customers will enjoy 90 days' warranty – the industry's highest in Bangladesh – from the day of receiving service from Samsung Service Centers. 

However, the warranty will only apply to any functional or manufacturing defect. It will be void if the parts are damaged due to negligence, such as water clogging or any other external impact. 

Also, customers cannot enjoy the warranty on replacing parts if the product was purchased from outside Bangladesh, reads a press release.

Also read: Samsung 8K Smart QLED TV Price in Bangladesh: Grab Your Home Theater

Huawei, in partnership with Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) and Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA), is going to launch four ICT programs with the vision to accelerate the growth of the ICT industry and to facilitate ICT talents in Bangladesh.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Thursday between these three parties at BCC Auditorium in Agargaon, said a press release.

The core purpose of the MoU is to initiate four programs namely ‘Bangladesh ICT Competition 2020’, ‘ICT Joint Innovation Center’, ‘Huawei ICT Academy’, and ‘Curating Bangladeshi Startups’. Among these projects, BCC will be working together with Huawei on Bangladesh ICT Competition 2020, ICT Joint Innovation Center, and Curating Bangladeshi Startups.

Huawei ICT Academy will be conducted by BHTPA and Huawei. The responsible parties will be managing these projects for at least three years from the days of its inauguration.

Zunaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister of ICT Division, was the chief guest in the MoU signing event chaired by Md Rezaul Karim, ndc, Director General, DSA, Project Director, LICT Project. Zhang Zhengjun, CEO, Huawei Technologies (Bangladesh) Limited, inaugurated the event.

Zunaid Ahmed Palak said “All of our initiatives and projects are focusing on youth, ICT and employment. This agreement will be able to provide proper training to the young students, our researchers, and our innovators at the university level.”

“At the same time they will have the opportunity to experience the world's latest technologies, invented by Huawei. And also will be able to bridge the gap between industry and academia under this agreement.”, Palak said.

“Secondly we are going to set up a permanent academy at CUET and KUET. Over there our teachers and students will get a chance to connect the university with the industry like Huawei and also they will have the chance to have the financial support from venture capital companies.”, he said.

“We are really grateful to Huawei Technologies for their contribution for building Digital Bangladesh.” he added.

Zhang Zhengjun, CEO of Huawei Technologies (Bangladesh) Limited, said “Digital infrastructure is the basis for any industry and economy in the modern age. Hence, to adapt to this new, intelligent world and boost the nation's growth, it has become critical for the youth to enhance their skills and become experts in the ICT field.”

Hosne Ara Begum, ndc, Managing Director (Secretary), BHTPA said, “Our Honorable Prime Minister declared her ‘Vision 2021’ to establish a digital country. The ICT division is working relentlessly to make this vision come true.”

Parthapratim Deb, Executive Director, BCC said, “I express my heartfelt thanks to Huawei for helping us consolidate our position in establishing a startup ecosystem, and to a large extent, reap the advantage of Chinese technology.”

Also read: Huawei partners to build 5G automobile ecosphere