Telecommunications Archives

Ciena – The Pioneers of Optical Connectivity.

Leave a Comment / Founder, Story, Tech Story / By Yashica Vashishtha

Ciena is an American telecommunications networking company that has ruled the telecom industry. The company is one of the largest equipment and software services providers and has its headquarter located in Hanover, Maryland, United States. The company is around 30 years old and has been leading the game of networking ever since.

According to the 2019 records of the company, Ciena made $3.57 billion in revenues that year and around 7000 people are working for it, including 2700+ R&D specialists. Ciena has a strong client base, AT&T, Verizon Communications, Korea Telecom, and Sprint Corporation being some of them. The company operates in 35 countries having 60 offices globally.

The Founding Story of Ciena

Ciena started its journey as HydraLite in 1992. David R. Huber founded the company with a plan of applying fiber-optic technology to cable television. The company received its initial funding of $40 million from Sevin Rosen Funds, Charles River Ventures, Japan Associated Finance Co., and other local investors. Huber changed the name of the company to Ciena and established an office in Dallas in February 1994. Ciena launched its very first products in 1996, Sprint Corporation being the first client of the company.

After selling its first products, the company made an annual revenue of $195 million. By the year 1997, the company started to make new clients and established its headquarter in Maryland. The same year, in February, it went public on NASDAQ and valued at $3.4 billion, the largest for a startup at that time.

In the year 2001, Ciena was the second-largest manufacturer of fiber optic networking equipment in the US. But since due to the telecom crash, the technology shift took place, and the companies suffered huge pressure of serving the growing demand, Ciena too had to face some losses. Ciena leaders knew that with time they had to bring change to the company technology, so they changed the business strategy for the company. The company started to invest in other companies with diverse services. It acquired around five network companies between 2001 and 2005.

Ciena, by this time, had also started to strengthen its R&D department and built the first converged packet-optical platform that reduced the requirement of the amount of equipment to set up a network. In 2009, Ciena made $39 million in profits after making sales worth $902 million. In the next ten years, the company had a raised manpower to 5,345 people. Reportedly, the company revenue for the year 2017 was approximately $2.8 billion. Ciena also appeared on the Fortune 1000 list a few times.

Products and Services

Ciena is the producer and supplier of network equipment, software, and services for the telecommunication department. The company also provides assistance to cloud service firms as well as companies offering voice and data traffic on communications networks. Optical switches, routing platforms, and equipment for undersea cable networks are some of Ciena’s major products. Ciena has also developed machine-learning algorithm-based software programs like Blue Planet that help companies program their communication networks.

Acquisitions by the Company

Ciena started to expand its operations by acquiring other companies starting from 1997. The major acquisitions by Ciena included AstraCom Inc. (1997), ATI Telecom International Ltd. (1998), Terabit Technology Inc. (1998), Omnia Communications Inc. (1999), Cyras Corp.(2000), ONI Systems (2002), WaveSmith Networks Inc. (2003), Akara Corp. (2003), Catena Networks (2004) and Internet Photonics (2004), World Wide Packets Inc. (2008), Nortel’s optical technology and Carrier Ethernet division (2009), Cyan (2015), TeraXion Inc.(2016), Packet Design (2016), and DonRiver (2018), etc.

The CEO: Gary B. Smith

Gary B. Smith is the CEO of Ciena Corporation. He belongs to the British ethnicity and has been working in the American telecom industry for many years. He was born and brought up in Birmingham, United Kingdom, and holds an MBA degree from Ashridge Management College.

Smith has been working at executive positions in many companies. He was the vice president of the sales and marketing department at Cray Communications, Inc. and Intelsat for a few years. Smith then joined Ciena in 1997 as the vice president of worldwide sales and was promoted to be the CEO and president of the company in 2001.

Yashica Vashishtha

Yashica is a Software Engineer turned Content Writer, who loves to write on social causes and expertise in writing technical stuff. She loves to watch movies and explore new places. She believes that you need to live once before you die. So experimenting with her life and career choices, she is trying to live her life to the fullest.

www.xornor.co

Telenor: One of the Largest and Globally known Mobile Telecommunications Company

Leave a Comment / Founder, start-up, Story, Tech Story / By Team YTS

Telenor ASA is one of the biggest mobile telecommunications firms in the world, with activities around the world but mostly in Scandinavia and Asia. It has 10-year-old research and business line for Machine-to-Machine technology, as well as vast broadband and TV distribution activities in four Nordic countries. Telenor manages and operates networks in nine countries.

Telenor, The Telephone Company

Telenor began as Telegrafverket, a state-owned monopoly provider of telegraph services, in 1855. Televerket started by linking Christiania (now Oslo) to Sweden, as well as Christiania and Drammen.

In 1878, the first telephone service in Norway was established between Arendal and Tvedestrand, and in 1893, the first international telephone service was established between Christiania and Stockholm. The telephone system was automated beginning in 1920 and completed in 1985.

Always Moving Forward with Telenor

In the Nordic countries, Telenor provides a wide range of telecommunication networks, including mobile and fixed telephony, Internet connectivity, and cable TV access and video. Facing competition from Telia and others, Telenor remains Norway’s largest player. The company has a significant presence in the Scandinavian broadband and television industry, both in terms of subscribers and service area. With operations in five Asian countries, Telenor is a major player in the region.

Telenor’s Asian business currently comprises around 1.2 billion people, of which around 150 million are Telenor subscribers. Less than 20 percent of them are active mobile data users. The company’s ‘Internet for All’ strategy aims to capitalize on this important revenue and growth potential in a region with low penetration of the fixed network and the decline in the prices of devices.

The company’s Asian markets have seen unprecedented growth and demand for mobile data over the past two years. The number of mobile broadband connections in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to double to 2.1 billion in 2017. Telenor Group is strategically managing the voice-to-data transition, focusing on delivering innovative telecommunications and digital services based on the real needs of people in their markets.

Thailand and Malaysia are currently leading Telenor’s growth in the region. 32% and 37% of customers, respectively, are active mobile data users. However, the pace is accelerating in all Asian companies. In Bangladesh, 5.2 million are currently active data users, or 11 percent, while Uninor in India and Telenor Pakistan have 4.7 million and 5.3 million active users, or 15 percent, respectively.

Working for the Crowd

In order to achieve a profitable expansion of the mobile Internet, the Telenor Group has identified four key elements: building efficient, faster, and more intelligent networks, right prices and packages, increasing device quality, and using digital services and partnerships for a quick introduction.

To promote usage and meet customer needs, Telenor works with social media and entertainment players like Facebook, Wikipedia, and WhatsApp, targeting other digital offerings, including financial services, access to knowledge, and affordable and accessible health services.

The CEO: Sigve Brekke

On December 15, 1959, Sigve Brekke was born. He is the President and CEO of Telenor Group, a multinational telecommunications firm with operations in 13 Nordic, European, and Asian countries.

He was formerly the EVP and Head of Region Asia. He has played a key role in expanding Telenor’s presence in the area. He has been a key driver and shaper in transforming Telenor into a leading power in key Asian markets since helping to set the initial trajectory in 1999.

He began his career with Telenor as an analyst, later rising to the role of Manager for Business Development, where he was instrumental in developing the company’s Asian growth strategy. He has been the CEO of Dtac and Uninor since then. He’s already been involved in mergers and acquisitions, and he’s recently entered the Myanmar market.

Team YTS

Etisalat Corporation: The most powerful Telecommunications Company in the Middle East.

Leave a Comment / Founder, start-up, Story, Tech Story / By Annasha

The Telecommunication Industry is always in demand and thus the companies are always booming. Different companies in the telecommunication sector are responsible for producing various equipment that is crucial to many other sectors as well. In the past few decades, many successful telecommunication companies have been established and expanded across the world, and one of them is Etisalat Group. Etisalat Corporation is one of the biggest telecommunication companies in the Middle East which is headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

About Etisalat Corporation

Etisalat Corporation was founded in 1976 and currently, the CEO of the company is Hatem Dowidar. Apart from the Middle East countries, the company has also expanded its telecom services to Asia and Africa. In 2014, Etisalat was the 14th largest mobile network provider globally. As of 2019, the company’s consolidated net profit was AED8.7 billion and consolidated net revenue of AED52.2 billion. The company has maintained consistency in its performance for a long time and that’s one of the reasons behind its high credit ratings.

When Etisalat was established more than four decades ago, it was the first telecom service provider in the country. This is the main reason behind the company’s success and that it has become more powerful with time. Currently, the company provides services to more than 149 million subscribers across 16 countries. By Ookla Speedtest in 2020, Etisalat is the fastest mobile network globally and it is also named as the “The Most Valuable Portfolio Brand” in the Middle East and in North Africa (MENA) by Brand Finance. Etisalat is also the first company from the Middle East to cross USD 10 billion in terms of wider portfolio value.

There are mainly two reasons behind the huge success and recognition of Etisalat Group. The first reason is the company was established in such a time frame that initially it didn’t have any other competitors in the origin country. Having huge control over the market right from the beginning is very advantageous for a company’s growth and expansion. And, the second reason is even though the company grew rapidly it didn’t compromise the quality of the service they provide. Etisalat Corporation’s service has been very consistent from the beginning and till now they are equally looking after their customers.

History of the Etisalat Corporation

Founded in 1976, Etisalat Corporation launched its first mobile network in the Middle East six years from then. In 1983, the company went through some ownership changes according to which 60 percent of the share of the company will be received by the UAE government and the rest will be traded publicly. Etisalat even as a new company didn’t focus exclusively on its product line but also thought of the company and the country’s future. So, in 1989, the company established Etisalat University College to create and nurture engineers who will secure the future growth of the company. And, if the company makes a breakthrough it will also become a major success for that nation.

In 1991, the company received permission from the UAE central government to provide both wired and wireless telecommunication services across the country and also between other countries and UAE. With the much-evolving telecommunication sector, in 1994, the first GSM service in the Middle East was introduced in UAE. Seeing this as a very lucrative opportunity, Etisalat launched Emirates Data Clearing House which was to provide a complete suite of solutions to the GSM operators. During this period, the internet was rolling out in many countries and Etisalat was the first to avail internet services in the region. The company also opened its SIM card factory called Ebitkar in 1995.

In 2000, Etisalat’s mobile subscribers crossed the 1million benchmark as the mobile data services are introduced using eWap. Within the next couple of years, the subscribers increased by two folds and in 2003 the company launched the first 3G network in the Middle East and started offering MMS services. In 2004, the company started operating in Saudi Arabia and also bought a stake in Canar (a fixed-line operator in Sudan). In the following years, Etisalat started operating in Africa and Asia and became a significant network provider in the Middle East.

The CEO: Hatem Dowidar

Hatem Dowidar is the CEO of the Etisalat Corporation and he joined the company in 2015. He is also on the subsidiaries board in Pakistan, Morocco, and Egypt. Before joining Etisalat, Hatem has a working experience in Vodafone with 24years of experience in the telecommunication industry. He completed his studies at Cairo University followed by American University in Cairo. Hatem came into Etisalat with a very rich experience and a very impressive track record.

Annasha

Annasha Dey is an NIT student, who apart from studying engineering is also a content writer. She has a great interest in photography, writing, reading novels, and travelling as well. She is a foodie who loves socializing and hanging out with her friends. She is also a trained Kathak dancer and a big fashion enthusiast. Dey also loves watching TV series, which includes F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and Big Bang Theory. To be a better writer she prefers to read more

Bell Canada: The Largest Telecommunications Company of Canada.

Leave a Comment / Founder, Inspiration, Story, Tech Story / By Yashica Vashishtha

Bell Canada started as a division of the Bell Telephone Company, the founder of the telephone. But for the last 140 years, it has been working as an independent company, keeping the name of its founder, Bell, along with it. With time, the company opted for all new technologies, and today, it sits at the top of its rivals in the Canadian telecommunication industry.

About The Company

Bell Canada is a renowned Canadian telecommunication company. The company serves as ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) in the Ontario and Quebec region and as a CLEC (competitive local exchange carrier) for its enterprise customers in the western part of the country. The Company has over 13 million active phone lines serving its customers. The company was founded in 1880 and headquarters at Verdun, Quebec, Canada.

The Company specializes in services like fixed-line and mobile telephony, internet services, digital television, radio broadcasting, etc. The subsidiary companies of Bell Canada include Bell Mobility, Bell Aliant, Bell MTS, Virgin Mobile Canada, Bell Internet, Bell Satellite TV, Bell Fibe TV, and Lucky Mobile.

The Back Story of Bell Canada

The History of Bell Canada goes back to the 1870s, almost 140 years back, when Alexander Graham Bell founded the Bell Telephone Company in Boston, Massachusetts. Bell Telephone was successfully providing its services to its American customers, but it lagged in its services in Canada. For few years, the company was offering its services on lease on customers’ private telephones as well as over the subscription of the third-party telecommunications service providers.

The National Bell Telephone Company from Boston acquired the Bell Telephone Company’s Canadian division on 29 April 1980 and renamed it the Bell Telephone Company of Canada Ltd. Charles Fleetford Sise, a U.S. executive was appointed to head the company as its general manager, who later became the key person in the growth of the company.

For about 80 years from its inception, Bell Telephone Company of Canada Ltd. was known as the “The Bell” or “Bell Telephone”, but on 7 March 1968, it was renamed Bell Canada by the Canadian federal legislation. During this time, the company had also started to serve overseas.

In 1974, the company introduced the first 9-1-1 emergency calling system for police, fire, and ambulance services in Ontario and London. The next year, the company installed the world’s largest “Centrex” system for the Alberta Government. The same year, Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission also became a government regulatory body and was used to broadcast bigger events as hockey matches live. On 16 December 1977, the company carried out the first trial for the fiber optic technology in Montreal.

In 1980, the company introduced the first digital switching units, and in 1982, the company launched the first cellular telephone system in Alberta. Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. acquired the rights of Bell Canada and became the parent company of the latter. By 1990, Canada was having the world’s largest contiguous cellular network. In 1992, CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) opened doors for long-distance competition, and in 1998, the company entered the public phone service sector. Till 1997, the company was having a monopoly in the telecommunication sector in Canada, but the deregulation by the federal government ended the monopoly of Bell Canada by 80%.

Bell Canada entered into a competition with many other telecommunication companies, Rogers Communications, Telus, and Shaw Communications being its major rivals. Still, it continues to be at the top of the telecommunication industry of Canada. As of 2019, the total recorded revenue of the company was C$23.96 billion, and 52,100 people are employed in the company.

The Innovative Mind Behind the Company

Charles Fleetwood Sise Sr. was one of the first presidents of Bell Canada, who is greatly credited for the growth of the company. Sise was born on 27 September 1834 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His father was a merchant and had shares in ships. So after getting a basic education till the age of 16, Sise also went on to work on a ship. While working on the ship, he was promoted to become the captain of his ship and sailed across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Charles Fleetwood Sise Sr. Founder of Bell Canada — Image Source: bce.ca

In 1860, Sise came back to run a ship-brokering business in New Orleans. But just 6-7 years after he started his business, he switched his career to enter the insurance industry. This new career path made him reach the future president of the Bell Telephone Company of Canada, William H. Forbes. Forbes offered him a job as the corporate agent of National Bell Telephone and later sent Sise to Canada to head the Canadian division of National Bell Telephone (Bell Canada).

According to Biographer Robert E. Babe, Sise was one of the most passionate persons when it came to working. He was responsible for the growth of the company, as he was the influential part of most of the big decisions of the company and led many acquisitions of several telephone and telegraph companies in Canada.

Yashica Vashishtha

www.xornor.co

Reliance Jio emerged as the biggest bidder during Spectrum auction 2021 with Rs 57122. 65 crores

Leave a Comment / News, Tech News / By Annasha

The biggest bidder in the Spectrum auction 2021 was Reliance Jio with Rs 57,122.65 crores for 488. 35MHz spectrum (Gadgets 360). This information was conveyed by the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology in a statement. Reliance Jio after the latest bidding witnessed that the company’s spectrum footprint increased by 55 percent. With the spectrum increased to 1711MHz, the operator became the largest spectrum holder in sub-GHz and 2300MHz. In the Spectrum auction 2021, Bharti Airtel emerged as the second-largest bidder after Jio acquiring 355.45MHz of airwaves worth Rs 18,698.75 crores.

Spectrum auction 2021 came to an end on 2nd March 2021. There were a total of six bidding rounds in Spectrum auction 2021 and the e-auction this time was based on Simultaneous Multiple Round Ascending Auction (SMRA) methodology. The total worth of bids fetched in Spectrum auction 2021 is Rs 77,814.80 crores for 855.60MHz. And, this time the auction went “better than expected” as mentioned by the auction officials.

Bidding in Spectrum auction 2021

The three main bidders in Spectrum auction 2021 that has put airwaves in 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz, and 2300MHz bands on bidding are Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone (Vi). The ministry also informed that there was no bidding for 700MHz and 2500MHz bands. The government put out a total spectrum of 2308.80MHz for auction. The bidders in a total bid for 855.60MHz spectrum which sums up to 60 percent of the total spectrum offered.

Reliance on bidding

The Spectrum auction 2021 was exclusively for the 4G bands and the government plans to throw another auction specifically for 5G bands. So, even if Jio has emerged out to be the largest bidder in this auction, the operator still needs to wait for the 5G bidding auction for its 5G services. Many other operators are also making progress in the 5G network technology as well.

Reliance Jio has mentioned in a statement that the company has acquired the right to use spectrum in 22 circles across the country in the recently concluded spectrum auctions (Gadgets 360). And, this acquired spectrum will be very beneficial for the 5G services that will be provided to the Jio users in the country for transactions in 5G. But, the latest Spectrum auction 2021 was all about 4G bands. Mukesh Ambani, Chairperson of Reliance Industries mentioned in a statement that with this increase in the spectrum, the company tends to expand its digital footprint in more parts of India and prepare for the 5G rollout.

Airtel expanding its spectrum

Airtel after becoming the second largest bidder in the auction mentioned that the company acquired 355.45MHz spectrum across sub-GHz, mid-band, and 2300MHz. This huge expansion in the spectrum will help Airtel bring around 90 million additional customers onboard. Gopal Vittal, CEO and MD of Indian and South Asia, Bharti Airtel said that the company now has a very solid spectrum portfolio and this will enable the operator to deliver the “best mobile broadband experience in India.”

Apart from mentioning the future plans of Airtel in India and its spectrum expansion, the operator explained why no bidders went for the 700MHz spectrum band. The main reason behind this is an absence of the economic case which is based on the high reserve prices concerning the 700MHz spectrum. This is a low-frequency band that is extensively used for bolstering inner cellular coverage.

The company also mentioned that the reserving prices, particularly on this band, should be a focus point of discussion in near future. Because, if this band is coupled with the 3.5GHz band it will unleash the potential of India becoming one of the nations in terms of the digital era. So, this is a very important issue that should be addressed by the government at the earliest as the nation will benefit hugely if these reserving price tags are taken off.

Apart from the bidding by Reliance Jio and Airtel, Vodafone was also one of the bidders. The company came last in the list with an 11.80MHz spectrum band worth Rs 1,993.40 crores. The government officials have mentioned that the spectrum of each operator will be valid for 20 years from now.