Asia Pacific Operators Reliance March 21, 2018 Investors approve RCom asset sale to Jio Investors holding $300 million worth of bonds in Reliance Communications (RCom) gave the India-based operator a green light to sell assets to Reliance Jio, the troubled operator announced. The move is part of a strategy to cut RCom’s debt load. By Saleha Riaz
Operators Telefonica March 21, 2018 GiffGaff unsure on AI benefit to customer service INTERVIEW: Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots require further development before they are ready to take on significant customer service duties, UK MVNO GiffGaff believes. By Michael Carroll
Qualcomm March 21, 2018 China closely scrutinising Qualcomm move for NXP Qualcomm’s proposed acquisition of NXP Semiconductors reportedly hit a snag in China, as regulators push for more protections for local companies before approving the deal. By Kavit Majithia
Asia Pacific Devices March 21, 2018 Mobike rides user data to stay on track INTERVIEW: Smart bike-sharing company Mobike is focused on being a technology company not just a cycle-rental firm, with plans to dedicate resources to develop a global IoT platform and use customer data to improve internal processes as well as its consumer services. By Joseph Waring
5G+ Devices North America Operators Verizon March 21, 2018 Verizon CEO predicts 5G phone battery utopia Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam teased a 5G future in which consumers will only have to charge their mobile phones once per month. By Diana Goovaerts
March 20, 2018 Interview: Kontron Luc-Yves Pagal Vinette, Senior Business Development Executive, speaks during Mobile World Congress 2018 about Kontron’s focus on helping operators grow, innovate, and be faster at addressing customer requirements. By Trevor Skinner
March 20, 2018 Fortnite guns for mobile game rivals iOS app Fortnite, a mass-multiplayer shooter invite-only game, grossed more than $1. 5 million worldwide in the first four days after its launch, Sensor Tower reported. By Saleha Riaz