Latest news with #SIM
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Mexican telecoms regulator fines Telcel $93 million for monopolistic practices
MEXICO CITY: Mexican telecommunications company America Movil said on Tuesday the nation's telecoms regulator fined its Telcel subsidiary 1.78 billion pesos ($93.61 million) for monopolistic practices , which the company denied and pledged to challenge. The fine follows an investigation launched in 2021 by the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) at the request of a competitor over alleged monopolistic practices by Telcel in the national market for the distribution and commercialization of SIM cards through convenience store chains. A spokesperson for IFT did not immediately have a comment. "Telcel denies having committed the practice referred to in the resolution," America Movil said in a statement, adding that Telcel will challenge the investigation and fine "through all available legal means." "Telcel considers it is an arbitrary and disproportionate fine based on competitor's allegations and in a biased investigation, lacking evidence, carried out by the IFT's Investigation Authority," the parent company added.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Inside Idemia's Noida nerve centre
Photo/TNN Typical global capability centres (GCCs) focus on delivering services to support global operations. Here's one with a difference. French identity and security solutions provider Idemia's India operations not only support services, but also manufactures payment and connectivity products including payment cards, subscriber identity module (SIM) cards for smartphones, and chips that go into security and payment devices globally. These are chips embedded on credit, debit and other payment cards, and even driving licences. The GCC supports internal operations such as HR and finance, it plays a crucial role in R&D, and delivers comprehensive support to global customers across banking, fintech, telecom, utilities, public services, security agencies, and more. Matthew Foxton, regional president at Idemia, says they established the GCC at Noida in 2004, when there were no similar centres focused on chip card development. 'We created an indigenous operating system for SIM cards, driving licenses and vehicle registration certificates. This has now matured and India is a global hub for us for services, R&D and manufacturing,' he says. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo There are around 5,000 employees in India, and the centre is the company's largest hub outside Europe. Around 1,500 of the employees are in three manufacturing units in Noida, located at the Noida Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Idemia also has a service centre in Mumbai. Within the Noida SEZ, three facilities churn out SIM cards, chips embedded in payment cards, biometric devices and handheld scanners that are used across global markets – by global telcos, airports, banks, fintech companies and even gover nment agencies. Customers include the likes of Westpac Banking Corporation, Amex, HSBC, Boeing, SK Telecom, Deutsche Telecom, and KT Corporation. Noida also has a unit that's into packaging chips directly from wafers. Quantum cryptography research The GCC is also a global research hub, driving innovation in post-quantum cryptography or PQC, facial recognition, eSIMs, and more. PQC is the development of cryptographic algorithms that are resistant to attacks by quantum computers. In 2024, Idemia entered into a collaboration with IIT Hyderabad to develop solutions to future-proof digital security against quantum-enabled cyber threats. 'Post-quantum cryptography is about developing encryption standards that can withstand quantum computing attacks. And India is at the centre of this effort,' says Foxton. The team here is also working to perfect AI-driven security solutions like face recognition algorithms. The effort is to recognise faces even if the person is wearing a mask. This ability to integrate both high-tech research and handson production has made Idemia India indispensable to the company's global ambitions. The India GCC, Foxton says, plays a strategic role in powering global innovation and product roadmap. 'Our India centre contributes across our entire product portfolio – from mobile SIMs and green payment cards (ecofriendly, made from recycled materials) to biometric access devices and border control systems,' he says. At least 10 innovators from the India team have been granted patents for their work in security and identity domains. Foxton says that as AI and quantum computing reshape digital security, the India team is expected to play a pivotal role in defining what's next in security. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mexican telecoms regulator fines Telcel $93 million for monopolistic practices
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexican telecommunications giant America Movil said on Tuesday that that the nations telecoms regulator fined its subsidiary Telcel 1.78 billion pesos ($93.61 million) for monopolistic practices, which the company denied and pledged to challenge. The fine follows an investigation launched in 2021 by the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) at the request of a competitor over alleged monopolistic practices by Telcel in the national market for the distribution and commercialization of SIM cards through convenience store chains. "Telcel denies having committed the practice referred to in the resolution," America Movil said in a statement, adding that Telcel will challenge the investigation and fine "through all available legal means." "Telcel considers it is an arbitrary and disproportionate fine based on competitor's allegations and in a biased investigation, lacking evidence, carried out by the IFT's Investigation Authority," the parent company added. ($1 = 19.0150 Mexican pesos) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CTV News
7 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Five-alarm fire causes building roof to collapse in Saint-Henri
The roof of a three-storey building collapsed during a five-alarm fire in Saint-Henri, leaving the top floor exposed. More than 150 firefighters and 40 trucks were dispatched to a three-storey residential building that caught fire in the Southwest borough on Saturday. Emergency services were called around 2:54 p.m. to the intersection of Notre-Dame Street W. and Rose-de-Lima Street. The Montreal fire department (SIM) said the fire began on a third-floor balcony of the 26-unit building, which also houses businesses on the ground floor. 'Everyone was evacuated. Many were taken in by the Red Cross. About three or four families were able to arrange their own accommodation,' said SIM spokesperson Anik Vaillancourt. No injuries were reported. 'The ceiling collapsed, so the third floor is completely exposed,' she said, adding that the cause of the fire has yet to be confirmed. Firefighters extinguished the blaze around 1 a.m. on Sunday.
Straits Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Singapore's Frasers ties up with Britain's Yotel in first development project in Japan
The newly opened 244-room Yotel Tokyo Ginza is owned by Singapore's Frasers Hospitality and operated by British lifestyle hotel chain Yotel. ST PHOTO: WALTER SIM Singapore's Frasers ties up with Britain's Yotel in first development project in Japan – Singapore's Frasers Hospitality and Britain-based lifestyle hotel chain Yotel on June 9 celebrated several firsts with the official opening of the 244-room Yotel Tokyo Ginza. It marks the first time the two brands have teamed up, Yotel's debut in the Japanese market and Frasers Hospitality's maiden ground-up investment and development project in the country. The Singapore company acquired the land and oversaw the building's construction before handing the operations over to another company. Situated on the periphery of Ginza, the Japanese capital's most prestigious shopping district, the 14-storey boutique hotel offers compact 'cabins' of between 14 sq m and 18 sq m in size, as well as family units comprising two connecting rooms. The hotel is strategically positioned near the Shimbashi district, a haven for salarymen, and the Shiodome business district, which caters to business and leisure travellers alike. This marks a rare ground-up project for Frasers Hospitality, as most of its real estate investments thus far have been the acquisition of existing assets. The company is riding the crest of a boom in both real estate investment and inbound tourism in Japan, which has been a draw for many Singaporean hospitality and real estate firms. Recent and upcoming entrants include Pan Pacific Hotels Group, SC Global, Banyan Group and Capella Hotels & Resorts. This comes as Frasers Hospitality has embarked on what it describes as 'twin engines of growth'. It operates hotels and serviced apartments across seven brands – including Fraser Residence, Capri and Modena – that may be owned by a third-party company. It is also acquiring real estate – plots of undeveloped land as well as ready-built property – that can be operated by another owner. Yotel Tokyo Ginza was one such property constructed on undeveloped land. Mr Jason Leong, Frasers Hospitality's executive director and head of investment and asset management, told The Straits Times that he takes a 'brand-agnostic' approach in assessing potential investments. 'Unlike in the past, when we tend to build a Frasers property on any plot of land that we buy, the priority now is to focus on the best use for a plot of land,' he said. 'We are very returns-driven, and it is about finding the best business model that suits the asset.' In Japan, Frasers Hospitality owns the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kobe – which was bought in 2014 through a real estate investment trust – as well as a 124-unit premium rental apartment in Osaka, which was acquired in 2023 under a joint venture with Hong Kong-based Alyssa Partners. It separately manages – without owning the real estate – the 114-key Fraser Residence Nankai Osaka, which was built in 2010, and the 170-unit Fraser Place Roppongi Tokyo, which is set to open in early 2026. The collaboration with Yotel was driven by the site's characteristics and market demands, Mr Leong said, adding that percentage returns were in the 'high single digits'. He declined to reveal how much the company invested. He added that Yotel's brand concept of a lifestyle micro-hotel allows them to maximise the number of rooms in a prime real estate location, catering to guests seeking shorter stays. Space constraints made it difficult for Frasers to adapt the site for its brands, which have larger rooms and are more focused on medium- to long-term stays. Yotel Tokyo Ginza was completed four months ahead of schedule and has been open to guests since December 2024 , half a year before its June official opening . A guest room at Yotel Tokyo Ginza. ST PHOTO: WALTER SIM Occupancy has been above 70 per cent, with room rates starting at about 22,000 yen (S$195) a night, including taxes. Rates have, however, soared above 40,000 yen a night during peak travel periods , such as during the height of the cherry blossom season in March and April. This makes Yotel more expensive than other ubiquitous no-frills Japanese business hotel chains, such as APA Hotels. For instance, rates for an 11 sq m room at the nearby APA Hotel Shimbashi-Toranomon range from around 7,000 yen a night in July to 30,200 yen a night in November, based on checks by ST . Yotel markets itself as being ideal for the 'modern urban explorer', with plenty of fun elements. Its reception is dubbed 'Mission Control', while the vibrant social space 'Komyuniti' triples up as a restaurant, lounge and bar with daily happy hour specials. Robots deliver items such as extra towels and bottled water to guest rooms, which are equipped with smart TVs and mechanised beds with adjustable reclining angles. Guests should not expect a very Japanese experience . Rooms are not equipped with amenities that are common in Japanese hotels, such as bathtubs and yukata robes or pyjamas. Toiletries like shampoo and body wash are from Australian beauty brand Urban Jungle, which uses South Korean ingredients. Also, unlike Japanese business hotels which may feel cramped, Yotel's rooms are designed such that guests should not feel claustrophobic, having decent space to store big luggage or roll out a yoga mat to stretch . Given its location, travellers can pop out for late-night ramen in Shimbashi or a nightcap at one of Ginza's many cosy bars. Don Quijote discount chain is around the corner, and those who are young at heart will enjoy shopping at the nearby Hakuhinkan Toy Park. Frasers Hospitality's approach to buying real estate is 'not 100 per cent leisure', said Mr Leong, who added that it looks for 'a good mix of corporate and leisure potential'. If the site were located elsewhere in Tokyo, farther away from the business centre, the company might have walked away, he said. 'Do we believe in the Japan story? Yes, we do,' he said. 'But I'm not going to go all-Japan, I'm not going to Niseko (in Hokkaido), that's not my space.' As for moving into fast-growing second-tier cities such as Fukuoka, Nagoya or Sapporo, Mr Leong said: 'We don't want to spread ourselves too thin. The preference is to have a few more assets concentrated in gateway cities rather than having one asset in each city.' Walter Sim is Japan correspondent at The Straits Times. Based in Tokyo, he writes about political, economic and socio-cultural issues. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
