Info Tech
Qualcomm Faces Probe in China Tied to Anti-Monopoly Law
BEIJING – Qualcomm Inc. said a Chinese government agency is investigating the chip maker under the country’s antimonopoly law, a probe that comes amid rising tensions affecting U.S. companies in the fast-growing market for high-tech products.
The disclosure follows comments by Qualcomm’s chief executive acknowledging that U.S. restrictions on Chinese companies and revelations about surveillance by the National Security Agency are affecting its business in China.
But close scrutiny of Qualcomm’s business practices in Asia began long before recent NSA revelations. The company is the largest maker of processors and communications chips for mobile phones, serving customers that include Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. It has a particularly dominant position in the high-speed technology called LTE that Chinese carriers are moving to adopt.
Qualcomm charges patent royalties to handset makers that use its chips, and dealings associated with that business have triggered antitrust cases in South Korea and Japan. The company is appealing adverse rulings in both countries.
The company said Monday it isn’t aware of any activity that violates the antimonopoly law and will continue to cooperate with the National Development and Reform Commission, which partly oversees antitrust issues and commenced the investigation.
Qualcomm’s announcement comes amid growing security tensions between the two superpowers and as China uses its five-year-old antimonopoly law to push down prices in a variety of industries ranging cars to baby formula. Experts say the efforts are part of a move to keep a lid on inflation, even as the new law helps give Beijing a greater say in the global marketplace.
Chinese companies have invested heavily in technology, helping to build industry giants like Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. Much of the investing has come amid prodding by Beijing, which wants to shift away from China’s traditional dependence on cheap manufacturing to sell innovative products that can compete globally.
Qualcomm maintained a 53% share of the global market for smartphone processors in the second quarter of 2013, according to Strategy Analytics. It beat most rivals to market with chips that can use LTE networks, and is particularly strong in chips can also communicate using older cellular technologies.
The company’s share of such LTE chips stood at greater than 98% in 2012, estimate Will Strauss, an analyst with Forward Concepts.
Meanwhile, companies that want to combine LTE with older technologies face the prospect of paying Qualcomm a patent royalty. “A lot of people dislike that,” Mr. Strauss said.
In semiconductors, China lags well behind foreign competitors, in some cases using acquisitions to try to catch up. In July Tsinghua Unigroup Ltd., a state-run company, agreed to acquire Spreadtrum Communications Inc., and earlier this month it struck a deal to acquire RDA Microelectronics Inc., a wireless chipset maker.
Qualcomm recorded about $12.3 billion in revenue from China in the fiscal year ended in September, or 49% of the company’s total revenue. At an analyst meeting in New York last week, Chief Executive Paul Jacobs discussed the prospects of even larger sales in China as LTE networks begin launching in 2014.
Separately, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Jacobs said the de facto U.S. ban on telecom gear maker Huawei Technologies and revelations about NSA spying are affecting its business in the fast-growing country. Recently, Cisco Systems Inc. executives suggested that Chinese customers, particularly those with government ties, may be cutting purchases of U.S. tech gear in response to fallout from such issues.
“We are definitely seeing increased pressure,” Mr. Jacobs said. “All U.S. tech companies are seeing pressure.”
Mr. Jacobs stopped short of saying the pressure hurt its sales, but he did say it affected the way the company operated in China.
“[You] have to be very cautious,” he said. “We are always very careful with whatever steps we take. How we sell. How we interact.”
Qualcomm tries to be a good partner with some local Chinese manufacturers and build some of its computer chipsets in mainland China, Mr. Jacobs said. The company doesn’t build cutting-edge technology there, but it does build some older trailing technologies in China.
Mr. Jacobs said it is “very delicate balancing act that goes on. There’s no question there is an impact.”
Mr. Jacobs said Huawei employees have complained to him about the U.S. negativity toward some Chinese companies. A U.S. congressional investigation last year concluded that Huawei and ZTE Corp. pose security risks to the U.S. because their telecom equipment could be used for spying on Americans. Huawei and ZTE have repeatedly denied the allegations.
Since 2009, when China used the new antimonopoly law to break apart Coca-Cola Co. ‘s $2.4 billion effort to acquire a Chinese juice maker, Beijing has shown its willingness to use the law against foreign companies.
Still, domestic companies haven’t been immune. Two years ago, the NDRC said it was looking into state-run telecom giants China Unicom (HK) Ltd. and China Telecom Corp. for potential anti-monopolistic practices. The two later said they would increase broadband speeds and lower prices.
– WALL STREET JOURNAL
In efforts at spicing up the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, the management of ITREALMS Media has partnered with E-waste Producer Responsibility Organization of Nigeria (EPRON) membership organisations for a day-long collection scheme of small electronic waste on Friday, December 15, 2023.
The EPRON members aligning their partnership with 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue are EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited and WEEE Eco-Friendly.
ITREALMS’ day-long collection scheme is part of the commemoration of 2023 international E-Waste Day (IEWD) within the ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue with the theme “You Can Recycle Anything with a plug, battery or cable” at Welcome Centre Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos.
Revealing this collaboration, the Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media, the organisers of the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, Sir. Remmy Nweke, urged mobile device enthusiasts to come along with their devices that have reached their end-of-life to the venue for proper disposition by professionals who would also be on grounds to address some topical issues.
The collection of small electronic wastes especially mobile phones and like-devices, would be carried out by EPRON member organisation, EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited as facilitated by ITREALMS Media group as part of this year’s ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue on Friday, December 15, he added.
He disclosed that the exercise would commence at Welcome Centre Hotel by 9am till close of work hours the same day.
Nweke pointed out that the collection of small e-waste items would include mobile phones, pointers mouse, earpieces, rechargeable torches, phone chargers, to name a few.
Further, he said, that this initiative has become time-serving because some people may have missed any other opportunity before now for the year-long campaign, hence this awareness on e-Waste has to be continuous, “ITREALMS came up with this scheme.”
Nweke beckoned on Nigerians, especially mobile phone users, to leverage the opportunity in disposing of their mobile devices they no longer use, of course in exchange for a voucher or gift item.
In her reaction to this year’s day-long small waste collection, EPRON Executive Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Faluyi, described the initiative as commendable, expressing confidence it would intensify the collection of end-of-life devices for proper disposition.
Mrs. Faluyi, also urged Nigerians to take advantage of this day-long collection of small wastes courtesy of ITREALMS Media.
Recalling for instance that in October 2022, EPRON had partnered SLOT alongside some UN agencies for collection of small e-waste items in Lagos, including the United Nations Information Centres (UNIC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
This is even as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr. Aminu Maida and Director-General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Aliyu Jauro, would both lead speakers at the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue slated for this Friday, December 15, in Lagos.
Today, September 12, the tech corporation Apple will introduce the iPhone 15, their newest iPhone model.
According to a Forbes story, this model, which will be introduced at the company’s “Wanderlust” event in Cupertino, California, will be available in four variations: the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Here are five things you should know about the new iPhone 15 model.
1. The new model is made of titaniu, not stainless steel as some other Apple smartphone models, Senior research analyst at DIGITIMES, Luke Lin reports.
2. The Pro Max model will feature double the optical zoom on the iPhone 14 as it comes with a newly-introduced ‘periscope lens upgrade, performing 5-6x optical zoom.’
3. The Pro models will carry an A17 bionic chip expected to make it perform faster.
4. The iPhone 15 model will feature a USB-C charging port, the same port featured on some Android phone models.
5. Due to its titanium shell, the new model is anticipated to be more expensive to purchase. The following is the speculated price list, as reported by Forbes:
The iPhone 15 starts at $799, the iPhone 15 Plus at $899, the iPhone 15 Pro at $1,099 ($100 increase), and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,299 ($200 increase).
In an effort to reduce the exorbitant cost of Premium Motor Spirit, better known as petrol, the Infrastructure Bank Plc announced its collaboration with FEMADEC Group on Monday to offer 500 buses powered by autogas (Compressed Natural Gas).
Partners in the agreement claimed that the project was created to provide citizens with dependable, affordable, and environmentally friendly travel options, taking into account the negative effects of the nationwide increase in PMS costs.
Under Decree No. 51 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1992 Constitution, the Infrastructure Bank, originally known as the Urban Development Bank of Nigeria Plc, was founded in 1992 to promote the quick development of infrastructure throughout the nation.
In a statement issued in Abuja on its partnership with FEMADEC, the bank said, “The preliminary offer extended by TIB lays a solid foundation for the expansion of FEMADEC Group’s CNG bus fleet.
“With plans to introduce 500 CNG buses within the next five years, commencing with an initial batch of 50 buses in the forthcoming year, this proposal stands poised to instigate significant change.
“The acceptance of this proposition by FEMADEC Group, notably championed by Fola Akinnola, the Group Chief Executive Officer, is a testament to their zeal and dedication to this alliance.”
The bank described the partnership as a “pivotal endeavour that is primed to redefine Nigeria’s public transportation landscape, offering dependable, cost-effective, and ecologically conscious travel alternatives for citizens, while harmonising with the nation’s broader sustainability ambitions.”
“This partnership represents a remarkable stride towards a more ecologically aware future for Nigeria’s transportation sector, highlighting the shared commitment of both TIB and FEMADEC Group to sustainable advancement and progress.”
It said FEMADEC Group’s strides in operating Compressed Natural Gas buses, including the existing fleet of 20 CNG buses under LAMATA, underscored their unwavering dedication to ecologically sound solutions, a commitment predating the fuel subsidy removal.
“Their leadership within the CNG value chain is undeniable, and the new alliance with TIB underscores their foresight.
“This partnership seamlessly aligns with TIB’s sustainability objectives, echoing their resolute endorsement of the government’s net-zero and climate change agenda.
“The bank’s aspiration to champion Nigeria’s infrastructure progress is evident in its endorsement of pivotal initiatives like this, yielding expansive positive impacts on both the environment and society,” the bank stated.
The bank added that it would continue to make a significant contribution to the country’s growth as a leading financial institution committed to advancing effective and long-lasting infrastructure projects.
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