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Bangkok Post
03-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Call for changes to make Thailand a major digital nation
Strategic spectrum allocation with reasonable pricing, the fostering of innovation, and the promotion of telecom competition are crucial for Thailand to become a prominent "digital nation" in Southeast Asia, according to the GSM Association (GSMA). The association said the country should also build a strong national 5G brand and prioritise digital inclusion. The GSMA is a global organisation representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries. Thailand has become a "quiet achiever" in 5G, Julian Gorman, GSMA's head of Asia-Pacific, told the Bangkok Post, noting the country's leadership in the region alongside Singapore, which are deemed to be the two most experienced 5G nations within the region's footprint. Mr Gorman said that to sustain and enhance its leadership position, Thailand should focus on optimising spectrum management and make the 3.5-GHz spectrum available to foster significant innovation. Moreover, it should set a reasonable spectrum pricing, treating it as if a government were investing in a digital nation, rather than focusing on selling spectrum assets at the highest price. High spectrum prices are not conducive to the collaborative building of a strong digital nation, he added. Lessons from Vietnam and India show that significantly reducing spectrum prices, along with offering incentives such as rebates for the network rollout exceeding the obligations, can accelerate 5G deployment and adoption. Vietnam launched 5G last October and its government announced over the past two months that it would rebate 15% of network rollout costs for those who can go beyond licence obligations in terms of network rollout, said Mr Gorman. This is an incentive for operators to move beyond their minimum commitments to creating a national 5G network to power the economy. In addition, policymakers need to ensure sufficient spectrum allocation. The GSMA recommends 80-100 MHz per operator for the mid-band spectrums. The government should ensure this amount is available to avoid scarcity and drive competition and connectivity. Meanwhile, a clear roadmap for future spectrum availability is essential to cater to increasing data demands. While the manufacturing sector globally accounts for approximately 40% of the 5G benefits, significant opportunities are also being explored in Thailand's tourism and services sectors. The broader Asia-Pacific mobile economy, excluding China, is projected to be worth about US$1 trillion by the end of this decade, with 5G alone contributing an estimated $130 billion of that value. In an unfavourable economy, costs are a major hurdle for 5G adoption. "Innovation can adjust the perception of cost, making smartphones and digital services more appealing by increasing their value proposition," Mr Gorman said. The government can act as an "anchor tenant" by digitising its services, making it cheaper and easier for citizens, especially those at the bottom of the pyramid, to engage via smartphones, thereby increasing the value of the phones. While 5G adoption is important, it's equally critical to close the usage gap by ensuring everyone is connected and encouraging users of older technologies to migrate to newer ones. STRONG 5G NATIONAL BRAND Despite being a "quiet achiever" in 5G, Thailand needs to be "a bit louder" about its vision and achievements to attract more foreign direct investment, innovation and startups, Mr Gorman said. A strong 5G national brand, akin to how Thailand promoted its tourism globally, could significantly elevate its international recognition, he added. Moreover, the country has a big role to play in guiding Asean's digital transformation through initiatives such as spectrum harmonisation which ensures common frequencies and timelines, enabling a "rising tide lifts all boats" scenario that benefits the entire region through efficient technology rollout and economies of investment. Mr Gorman said that while Thailand currently operates with two main mobile network players, a number "below the average in the region", the emphasis for continued innovation should be on fostering competition at the front line of services, rather than solely on infrastructure numbers. A robust regulatory framework and policy that encourages innovation and invites investment is critical. This involves reducing the cost and complexity of launching new businesses and potentially offering incentives for specific types of innovation to invigorate the 5G ecosystem. AI FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH Mr Gorman said the widespread availability of AI in people's pockets has democratised its use, enabling everyone to easily "do something with AI". Governments nurturing the AI ecosystem and innovation can unleash a new ecosystem of innovation and use cases. AI plays a crucial role for telecom operators by making customer care "very personal", improving the efficiency of business operations, and making networks smarter. Mr Gorman said that "AI for networks" uses AI to optimise resource allocation and predict and repair faults, making networks faster and more efficient. Conversely, "Networks for AI" ensures networks are smart enough to handle the changing traffic profiles driven by AI use cases, which often involve more data uploads to the cloud. This synergy supports the monetisation of new use cases for operators. Mr Gorman said Thailand is at the leading edge of GSMA's Open Gateway API (application programming interface) program, such as APIs like SIM swap alerts, and particularly the scam signal API that demonstrates a 90% effective rate in identifying potential scam victims in the UK.
CNET
17-06-2025
- CNET
Before iOS 26 Arrives, Here's What to Know About RCS Messaging on Your iPhone
Apple announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9 that the next version of the iPhone's operating system will be called iOS 26, not iOS 19. The tech giant also announced that iOS 26 will bring a transparent glass design to iPhone icons and menus, the Camera and Photos apps will get redesigned interfaces and much more. But when Apple released iOS 18 in September 2024, that update introduced the messaging protocol Rich Communication Services to all iPhones. CNET With RCS messaging, you can enjoy features like typing indicators and the "Delivered" status message while messaging Android users. It also helps ensure high-quality videos and pictures are sent when texting between iPhone and Android devices. Then, with iOS 18.1, Apple brought RCS Business Messaging to iPhones, which means you'll be able to chat with some businesses in Messages rather than a buggy web page. However, RCS on iPhone doesn't provide end-to-end encryption between iPhones and Android yet. The GSM Association, which develops the RCS standard, said in September that it's working to enable end-to-end encryption between these devices. Read more: Everything You Need to Know About iOS 18 Here's how to check if your carrier supports RCS and how to make sure it's enabled on your iPhone. Does my carrier support RCS messaging? Most carriers support RCS but not all. For example, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon support RCS on iPhones running iOS 18. If your iPhone is running iOS 18.5, here are all the US carriers that support RCS on iPhone. AT&T C Spire Consumer Cellular Cricket Family Mobile FirstNet H20 Wireless Metro by T-Mobile PureTalk RedPocket Mobile Spectrum Mobile T-Mobile TracFone / Straight Talk Ultra Mobile US Cellular Verizon Visible Xfinity Mobile If you live outside of the US, here's how to check on your iPhone for whether your carrier supports RCS messaging on your device. 1. Open Settings on your iPhone. 2. Tap General. 3. Tap About. 4. Tap Carrier. When you tap Carrier, it will change to IMS Status and show messaging support details to the right. For example, if your carrier supports RCS, you'll see Voice, SMS & RCS. If your carrier doesn't support RCS, you'll see Voice & SMS. If your carrier doesn't support RCS Messaging, have no fear, as Apple is reportedly expanding support to more carriers in the future. Now Playing: How to Enable RCS on iPhone 03:09 How to enable or disable RCS on your iPhone Apple finally brought RCS to iPhones with iOS 18. Apple/CNET If your carrier supports RCS, here's how to make sure it's working on your iPhone. 1. Open Settings. 2. Tap Apps near the bottom of the menu. 3. Tap Messages. 4. Tap RCS Messaging under Text Messaging. 4. Tap the toggle next to RCS Messaging. Now messaging Android devices will feel more like messaging another iPhone -- but you'll still see those green bubbles. And if you want to disable RCS, follow the above steps again. Read more: The iPhone 16 Pro's High-Res Slow-Motion Video Is the Best Apple Feature in Years Why won't RCS work on my iPhone? If you updated your iPhone to iOS 18.5, your carrier supports RCS and you enabled it on your iPhone, but RCS isn't working for you, you might need to restart your iPhone. Is it safe to message Android devices? Yes but you should use an end-to-end encrypted messaging app, like Signal. RCS on iPhone is not end-to-end encrypted and the FBI and US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are advising iPhone and Android users not to message each other because of a cyberattack. According to officials, the cyberattack is targeting telecom companies, including AT&T, Verizon and Lumen Technologies. The attack might have compromised private texts, phone conversations and call metadata on mobile devices. The GSMA, a nonprofit that develops the Rich Communication Services standard, announced in March that it's adding interoperable encryption to RCS messaging, allowing for end-to-end encryption between different providers. Apple and Google collaborated on the protocol and according to The Verge, both companies will implement it. "We will add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software updates," an Apple spokesperson told The Verge. It's unclear when that update will be available. Read more: What to Know About the Ongoing Mobile Messaging Cyberattack For more on iOS 18, here's what you need to know about iOS 18.5 and iOS 18.4. You can also check out our iOS 18 cheat sheet and everything to know about iOS 26.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Yahoo
iPhone and Android users will soon be able to send encrypted RCS messages to each other
Text messages sent between iPhones and Android devices will soon benefit from end-to-end encryption (E2EE), after the GSM Association (GSMA) yesterday published new specifications for the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol that include support for cross-platform E2EE. RCS is a long-standing effort to enable SMS-style cross-platform communications with richer features, such as group messaging, typing indicators, read receipts, and file-sharing -- similar to what messaging apps such as WhatsApp provide. While many Android handset makers had adopted RCS through the years, Apple was the main outlier until it finally succumbed with the introduction of iOS 18 last year. Most of the core RCS features have been available for cross-platform messaging since then, but E2EE has hitherto been missing -- until now. E2EE, for the uninitiated, is a data encryption method that ensures only the sender and the recipient of a message can read its content. For tech companies, this privacy-preserving promise is a major selling point, as it assures users that their messages are safe from snooping. Apple has offered E2EE since it launched iMessage back in 2011, though of course that only worked between iOS devices, while WhatsApp completed its E2EE rollout in 2016 (and, again, it only worked between WhatsApp users). Google, for its part, has previously added E2EE to its own Messages app, but this was its own proprietary undertaking separate to the RCS protocol itself. Encrypting messages across not only different clients but also entirely different platforms comes with its own unique challenges, which is where the GSMA's universal profile enters the fray, providing a standardized specification for consistent, interoperable RCS messaging across devices, networks, and operators. Based on the cryptographic Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol, the new E2EE mechanism in the RCS Universal Profile 3.0 is a vital piece of the interoperable jigsaw, one that will ultimately enable iPhone and Android users to communicate securely via their device's native messaging app. "That means that RCS will be the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers," GSMA technical director Tom Van Pelt said in a statement. "Together with other unique security features such as SIM-based authentication, E2EE will provide RCS users with the highest level of privacy and security for stronger protection from scams, fraud and other security and privacy threats." Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Yahoo
RCS messaging adds end-to-end encryption between Android and iOS
When RCS messaging became available on the iPhone with the rollout of iOS 18, the technical director of the GSM Association teased that the next major milestone for the messaging standard is the addition of interoperable end-to-end encryption. Now, six months later, GSMA has released an updated set of specifications for RCS messaging, which includes end-to-end encryption (E2EE) based on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol. The new RCS profile will ensure that messages and files remain safe and confidential when sent between iOS and Android devices. "...RCS will be the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers. Together with other unique security features such as SIM-based authentication, E2EE will provide RCS users with the highest level of privacy and security for stronger protection from scams, fraud and other security and privacy threats," said Tom Van Pelt, the Technical Director of GSMA. RCS, or Rich Communication Services, gives people a way to send images, videos and audio clips to each other through text across different platforms. Google's implementation of RCS has had default end-to-end encryption for both one-on-one and group chats since early 2024, but only if all participants are using Google Messages with RCS chats turned on. Meanwhile, iMessages are already protected by E2EE. In a statement sent to 9to5Mac, Apple said that it was "pleased to have helped lead a cross industry effort to bring end-to-end encryption to the RCS Universal Profile published by the GSMA." It also vowed to add support to end-to-end encryption to iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS "in future software updates." Without a definite timeframe, it's hard to say when Apple is rolling out an update to support the security feature, but when it does, it will prevent third parties from intercepting and accessing potentially sensitive and private messages.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Yahoo
iPhone and Android users will soon be able to send encrypted RCS messages to each other
Text messages sent between iPhones and Android devices will soon benefit from end-to-end encryption (E2EE), after the GSM Association (GSMA) yesterday published new specifications for the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol that include support for cross-platform E2EE. RCS is a long-standing effort to enable SMS-style cross-platform communications with richer features, such as group messaging, typing indicators, read receipts, and file-sharing -- similar to what messaging apps such as WhatsApp provide. While many Android handset makers had adopted RCS through the years, Apple was the main outlier until it finally succumbed with the introduction of iOS 18 last year. Most of the core RCS features have been available for cross-platform messaging since then, but E2EE has hitherto been missing -- until now. E2EE, for the uninitiated, is a data encryption method that ensures only the sender and the recipient of a message can read its content. For tech companies, this privacy-preserving promise is a major selling point, as it assures users that their messages are safe from snooping. Apple has offered E2EE since it launched iMessage back in 2011, though of course that only worked between iOS devices, while WhatsApp completed its E2EE rollout in 2016 (and, again, it only worked between WhatsApp users). Google, for its part, has previously added E2EE to its own Messages app, but this was its own proprietary undertaking separate to the RCS protocol itself. Encrypting messages across not only different clients but also entirely different platforms comes with its own unique challenges, which is where the GSMA's universal profile enters the fray, providing a standardized specification for consistent, interoperable RCS messaging across devices, networks, and operators. Based on the cryptographic Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol, the new E2EE mechanism in the RCS Universal Profile 3.0 is a vital piece of the interoperable jigsaw, one that will ultimately enable iPhone and Android users to communicate securely via their device's native messaging app. "That means that RCS will be the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers," GSMA technical director Tom Van Pelt said in a statement. "Together with other unique security features such as SIM-based authentication, E2EE will provide RCS users with the highest level of privacy and security for stronger protection from scams, fraud and other security and privacy threats." Sign in to access your portfolio
