Tech Business & Policy

Singapore to roll out at least two 5G networks by 2020 (8 May, 13 May)

Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) plans to roll out at least two 5G networks in Singapore by 2020, to enable 5G-enabled applications such as driverless cars.  The IMDA has since called for interested telcos to submit proposals on their deployment plans, and will assign 5G airwaves to two winning submissions. According to industry experts, the requirement for the new 5G networks to not piggyback on existing 4G technologies will give local telcos the opportunity to pick equipment suppliers from scratch, circumventing the “lock-in” advantage that China’s Huawei has in migrating existing 4G vendors quickly and cheaply to 5G.

Sources: Straits Times, Straits Times

Facebook Co-Founder Calls for Company Breakup (9 May)

In an op-ed on New York Times, Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook, said that the company has become too powerful and influential and should be broken up.  Hughes, who hasn’t worked at the social media company in more than 10 years, said Zuckerberg’s influence “is staggering, far beyond that of anyone else in the private sector or in government,” and his focus on growth led the chief executive officer to “sacrifice security and civility for clicks.” In response, Facebook released a statement rejecting Hughes’ call, arguing that one “doesn’t enforce accountability by calling for the breakup of a successful American company”.

Sources: New York Times, Irish Times

WhatsApp Vulnerability Allowed Attackers to Inject Spyware (14 May)

A vulnerability in the messaging app WhatsApp has allowed attackers to inject commercial Israeli spyware on to phones, as reported by Financial Times. WhatsApp, which is used by 1.5 billion people worldwide, discovered in early May that attackers were able to install surveillance software on to both iPhones and Android phones by ringing up targets using the app’s phone call function.  The malicious code, developed by the secretive Israeli company NSO Group, could be transmitted even if users did not answer their phones, and the calls often disappeared from call logs.

Sources: CNA, Financial Times

US Blacklists China’s Huawei as US-China Trade War Intensifies (16 May)

The Trump administration hit Chinese telecoms giant Huawei with severe sanctions, adding another incendiary element to the US-China trade dispute. The US Commerce Department said it was adding Huawei and 70 affiliates to its “Entity List” – a move that bans the company from acquiring components and technology from US firms without government approval. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement that President Donald Trump backed the decision to “prevent American technology from being used by foreign owned entities in ways that potentially undermine US national security or foreign policy interests.”

Sources: Reuters