First and only Open RAN commercial pilots in Sri Lanka and Malaysia

First Open RAN solution commercially deployed with satellite backhaul

First commercial deployment of TIP’s Evenstar Split 7.2. Radio Unit (RU) architecture

• Network modernisation gains traction as Axiata positions for network leadership across its footprint, with the commercial deployment of 2G and 4G single RAN Open RAN matching the performance of incumbents in brown field environment.
• Key strategic partnerships formed with world-class network solutions providers, Mavenir, Parallel Wireless and global IT giant Infosys lead to successful Open RAN commercial pilots in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 28 June 2021 – Axiata Group Berhad (“Axiata” or “the Group”) has embarked on an ambitious network transformation program, leveraging Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN) as a key technology for mobile networks designed to narrow the digital divide and enhance rural connectivity across Asia.

Eyeing large scale commercial deployments by year end, the Group has successfully conducted Open RAN commercial field pilots in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka through strategic partnerships with leading global network solutions providers Mavenir and Parallel Wireless and supported by Infosys as systems integrator (SI).

Through its strategic partnership with Mavenir, the industry’s end to end network software provider, Axiata has deployed the MAVair Open vRAN solution including all G Open RAN, Packet Core and Mobile Network applications at selected sites, in Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. To simulate non-ideal backhaul conditions, especially for rural areas, the sites selected are connected with non-ideal backhaul (microwave links), and in some cases satellite, making this the first satellite backhaul powered Open vRAN sites in the world.

During the testing phase, Axiata was also able to achieve the first live commercial service integration of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP)’s Evenstar 4G Radio through Mavenir’s MAVair O-RAN based solution for Open RAN. Axiata is a participant of the TIP initiative in which a global community of companies and organisations are working together to accelerate the development and deployment of open, disaggregated and standards-based technology solutions that deliver high quality, low cost connectivity.

Axiata’s commercial pilot also encompassed a collaboration with Parallel Wireless, the US-based Open RAN company delivering all G, cloud-native Open RAN solutions. Axiata successfully demonstrated commercial deployment of 2G and 4G Open RAN connectivity within its network in Sri Lanka which is operated by Dialog Axiata.

Parallel Wireless’s solutions enabled 2G and 4G technology to be installed on the same radio units, with baseband deployed on a x86 commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) platform, and all other applications deployed on Axiata’s OpenStack cloud infrastructure. The field trials now elevated to commercial availability, included 3-Sector, 4-Sector and 6-Sector sites, and demonstrated high quality network performance.

End user experience was demonstrated to be seamless and, in some cases, superior in terms of mobile broadband experience including next generation voice services. Commercial deployment encompassed rural, sub-urban and urban environments.

The paradigm shift in telco networks towards Open RAN requires system integration capabilities to bring together the ecosystem of disaggregated components using standardised open interfaces on general purpose hardware and ensuring interoperability in a carrier grade environment. Axiata was supported by Infosys in executing multi-faceted system integrations required to demonstrate the comprehensive coverage of Open RAN configuration options.

Thomas Hundt, Axiata’s Group Executive Vice President – Technology said, “Open RAN is the future for mobile networks, and it will be critical for 4G expansions as well as the 5G evolution that Axiata’s markets will soon embrace. Aligning with our vision to become The Next Generation Digital Champion, the benefits from open networks will enable Axiata to better serve rising connectivity needs across the region, especially in rural and underserved areas, whilst ensuring sustainable value creation for our stakeholders.”

“Together with our partners Mavenir, Parallel Networks and Infosys, and in line with the global connectivity push under the Telecom Infrastructure Project, Axiata is committed towards embracing fully automated infrastructure to boost the open networks ecosystem in Asia. Our successful trials in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia prove that Open RAN solutions enable greater operational and cost efficiencies using advanced technologies, whilst also meeting the needs of our digital inclusion efforts across the region. We look forward to taking the next step towards commercialization in our pursuit of catalyzing game-changing advancements across emerging Asia,” he said.

Pardeep Kohli, Mavenir President and CEO said, “Mavenir is delighted to work with Axiata on their radio network transformation initiative and to achieve excellent results in the live everyday environment, proving the extreme flexibility of Open vRAN. The collaboration will transform existing networks into a dynamic, agile and cloud-native based platform where Mavenir and Axiata will build the Networks of the Future.”

Keith Johnson, President of Parallel Wireless said, “We are honored to partner with Axiata, replacing their incumbent vendors equipment with our leading-edge Open RAN Solution to enable 2G and 4G broadband services in Sri Lanka and other Axiata subsidiaries. We are thrilled that the trials are successful, and we look forward to the commercial deployments in 2021.”

Anand Swaminathan, EVP & Global Industry Leader, Communications, Media & Technology Infosys said, “Open RAN is transforming the wireless architecture and is enabling Telecom operators to be more competitive and innovative, while providing them flexibility in RAN component suppliers’ ecosystem. The successful completion of the field trial on live network was a major milestone for accelerating the scaled deployment of virtual and Open RAN networks. Infosys is excited to be the SI partner to Axiata in this transformational journey and is committed to stand together to achieve many more milestones in the near future.”

About Axiata

As one of the leading telecommunications groups in Asia in pursuit of its vision to be The Next Generation Digital Champion by 2024, Axiata has transformed itself from a holding entity with a portfolio of pure-play mobile assets into a Triple Core Strategy driven business focusing on Digital Telco, Digital Businesses and Infrastructure.

Within ASEAN and South Asia, the Group has controlling stakes in market-leading mobile and fixed operators in the region including ‘Celcom’ in Malaysia, ‘XL’ in Indonesia, ‘Dialog’ in Sri Lanka, ‘Robi’ in Bangladesh, ‘Smart’ in Cambodia and ‘Ncell’ in Nepal. Axiata is actively spearheading efforts to transform its mobile-centric operations into digital converged companies.

Axiata Digital, the digital services arm of Axiata is focused on two digital business verticals namely Digital Financial Services (‘Boost’, ‘Aspirasi’) and Digital Analytics & AI (‘ADA’).

‘edotco’, the Group’s infrastructure company, operates in eight countries to deliver telecommunications infrastructure services, amassing approximately 32,800 towers. Presently the 16^th largest independent tower companies globally, it aims to be one of the top regional telecommunications tower companies and is committed to responsible and sustainable business operations.

As a committed and long-term investor, and in line with its sustainability goals, the Group actively supports and drives young talent development; disaster response and recovery; as well as green initiatives. Axiata’s broader goal of Advancing Asia aims to piece together the best in the region in terms of innovation, connectivity and talent.

• Top 0.1% of coloured gemstones, credible, educated and experienced staff, hand-drawn bespoke designs and the finest craftsmanship
• In 2020, MADLY invested in their own gem sourcing offices in Tanzania and Sri Lanka, which ensure that more of the gem’s value benefits the local communities
• Ending a 25 year radio career, Kiss92 Breakfast show anchor, Maddy Barber quits to focus on her growing jewellery brand, MADLY
• Barber almost sold MADLY for a tenth of what it’s worth today

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 28 June 2021 – Founded in 2014, MADLY aimed to disrupt Singapore’s Diamond-centric jewellery industry by sharing the beauty and knowledge of coloured gemstones, and creating jewellery that is madly meaningful. Today, with their own sourcing offices, and a strong team of jewellery designers, GIA graduates, and even an in-house gem cutter, MADLY is well on their way to achieving that goal.

A glance at MADLY’s Instagram feed or website reveals some of their spectacular designs, along with customer testimonials that cement the brand’s place as one of Singapore’s hottest jewellers. First and foremost a design house, the MADLY experience breaks free from norms that people expect from fine jewellery. Their bespoke, coloured gemstone pieces are made specially for each client; designed with bright, vivid colours to celebrate an occasion, crafted with all their tiniest quirks in mind and made to last generation after generation. Each unique MADLY creation is an expression of the client and their loved ones, handcrafted in 18K Gold and forged by the hands of master craftsmen.

MADLY only uses the finest 0.1% of coloured gems. Their commitment to the highest level of quality led them to invest in sourcing offices in the coloured gem capitals of the world – Tanzania and Sri Lanka. So not only does MADLY have unrivalled access to some of Mother Nature’s most desirable coloured gemstones, the bespoke jeweler also makes it a point to give back by promoting responsible mining and ensuring that more of the value of the gem goes to benefit the people and communities at their source.

Unlike Diamonds which have a comprehensive standard grading system, for coloured gems, the knowledge and experience of the jeweller is imperative to making a good, educated purchase. This is why every member of the MADLY team is encouraged to continuously improve their gem knowledge academically, as well as through hands-on training at their in-house gem laboratory.

Given how MADLY has flourished, it’s finally time for the radio veteran to hang up her mic and commit to taking her jewellery brand to the next level. The multi-hyphenate thanks her lucky stars that her attempt to sell MADLY years ago, for a tenth of what it’s currently worth, was foiled. It was challenging to juggle the early mornings of a Breakfast DJ, being mum to two daughters and a growing business but Barber stuck it through.

Maddy Barber’s days in radio have definitely left their imprint, and even form one of the cornerstones of MADLY’s DNA – fun. “On radio, I discovered how having fun on the job, any job, was just as significant as striving for excellence. Why can’t we do both? We can take our work seriously without taking ourselves too seriously,” Barber believes.

MADLY may be a fun, vibrant and sassy brand but the bespoke jeweler definitely takes their commitment to the finest gems, bespoke design and craftsmanship very seriously. Whether your piece is a symbol of power, a statement of freedom, or a sparkly reminder of those nearest and dearest, MADLY’s bespoke service offers you the chance to create meaningful jewellery that speaks of who you are and who you want to be.

High-res images and press release available for download at https://tinyurl.com/maddymadly

Follow MADLY at:

Instagram: @madlygems

Facebook: @MadlySG

Website: MadlyGems.com

#MADLY #MadlySG #makeitMADLYmeaningful #WomenWhoWearMADLY #MADLYYes #StraightFromTheSource #GiveMaddyTheFinger

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 28 June 2021 – AI Singapore (AISG) has launched its AI Readiness Index (AIRI), a comprehensive and easy-to-implement business-focused framework that helps organisations to self-assess the status of their artificial intelligence (AI) adoption readiness.

AIRI, Singapore’s first-of-its-kind, will help these businesses to measure their latest AI adoption and enable them to seek strategies and solutions in their AI pursuits.

The move is part of Singapore’s National AI Strategy, a whole-of-nation effort comprising Singaporeans, businesses, researchers and movement to work closely together to foster a Smart Nation.

Once businesses undertake this self-test at https://aisingapore.org/airi/, they will be able to identify the gap between their current and desired states.

A system-generated report will categorise their organisations into one of the following four categories: AI Unaware, AI Aware, AI Ready, and AI Competent.

Subsequently, they can leverage appropriate programmes to embark on a journey to improve their AI readiness.

AISG envisages that for organisations that are AI Unaware, the focus will be on increasing their AI literacy. For entities that are AI Aware, the goal would be to prepare them to adopt AI solutions. For organisations that are AI Ready, the aim is to help them to accelerate their AI adoption. Finally, AI Competent organisations will be encouraged to deepen their organisational AI capabilities.

These approaches will enable an organisation to ascertain the next steps, principally how it can move forward with a targeted approach to improve its organisational AI readiness. Businesses can also choose to continue the discussion with AISG on mapping their next steps forward towards AI adoption.

“AI is going to be pervasive in all aspects of life in the near future. AISG has worked hard to develop this index by translating the learning points and outcomes from our engagements with hundreds of companies,” says AISG Executive Chairman Professor Ho Teck Hua.

“The index is a critical and practical tool that will enable Singaporean businesses to benchmark their AI preparedness. It will also give companies a baseline they can use to further their adoption and use of AI,” he adds.

Dr Chng Zhenzhi, Director, National AI Office, Smart Nation and Digital Government Office, said: “AIRI is a useful tool for organisations to assess where they stand in their AI journey. AISG has been supporting Singapore’s National AI Strategy by growing a pipeline of local AI talent … AIRI will enable AISG to better tailor its suite of programmes to each organisation’s needs, and be more effective in helping organisations use and benefit from AI.”

As part of AISG’s effort to seed greater awareness of AIRI, it will collaborate with various industry partners and trade associations to get their customers and members to undergo the AIRI assessment. Some of the leading partners on board include Dell Technologies Singapore, Microsoft Singapore, Singapore Polytechnic and SGTech.

AI Readiness Index Framework

The AI Readiness Index consists of four main pillars which map to nine dimensions of assessment.

Measuring Asians’ Gut Health for a Better Tomorrow

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 25 June 2021 – AMILI (the “Company”), Southeast Asia’s first microbiome bank and largest microbiome reference library, partners National University Health System (“NUHS“) to launch the Gut Health Predictor (the “Predictor” or “GHP”) on World Microbiome Day 2021.

The Gut Health Predictor is the first of its kind self-assessment in Southeast Asia. It provides individuals quick and easy insights into their own gut health, and aims to raise awareness of the importance of the gut microbiome in overall health.

“There is no health without gut health. Gut health has been implicated in many conditions such as dementia, obesity, autism, and diabetes,” shares Associate Professor Jeremy Lim, Co-Founder and CEO, AMILI. “It is therefore important for us to engage the public on the impact that diet and lifestyle have on gut health. As Southeast Asia’s first precision gut microbiome company, we have been collaborating with leading academic institutions such as NUHS to conduct research on gut health, build knowledge, and understand the Asian gut microbiome. Through these collaborative efforts, we may be able to identify new treatment therapies to address conditions through gut health in the future.”

Through a series of under 30 simple questions about their lifestyle and diet on GHP, users can get a good indication of the status of their gut health, and how it could be affecting the rest of their body and mind.

“Emerging research is shedding light on remarkable links between our gut microbiome and a myriad of health conditions, both physical and mental. Our gut health is influenced by many factors, from what we eat and drink to how much we exercise, and the impact is huge. Thus far, most research has been centred on western societies and diets,” says Dr Kristie Fan, Consultant, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital. “NUHS is working with AMILI in this exciting field to promote gut health in Singapore and beyond. Together, we seek to discover the truth to ‘you are what you eat’.”

Developed by AMILI and corroborated by gastroenterologists from NUHS, GHP may potentially help clinicians find correlations between diets and lifestyles, and gut health. Through a map of data, these population-level analyses may offer insights that could align future therapy and intervention.

#AMILI