Worldwide spending on telecommunications and pay TV services will reach US$1,544 billion in 2024, representing an increase of 2.4% year-on-year, according to the Worldwide Semiannual Telecom Services Tracker published by IDC. The latest prediction is 1pp higher than the version published in the May edition of IDC's Tracker. If that forecast becomes reality, the above-mentioned annual growth rate would be the highest recorded in the last 12 years.

Accton has announced its board's approval for an investment in InLC Technology (InLC). This long-term investment aims to strengthen the R&D of foundational optical communication technology products, preparing for the anticipated demand for all-optical communication over the next three to five years.

Dixon Electro and Nokia have officially launched the manufacturing of fixed broadband devices in India. The collaboration will focus on producing GPON, 5G FWA, and Mesh Wi-Fi devices, all capable of delivering up to one gigabit per second per home.

Accton Technology, Taiwan's leading provider of data center switches and networking solutions, is significantly increasing its investments in optical communication technology to support the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications requiring faster data transfer speeds.

The US presidential election has concluded, with Trump's return to the White House drawing global attention. As observers worldwide monitor how the new administration's policies may reshape the international landscape, Pegatron Chairman Tzu-hsien Tung commented in an interview that a "new triad of ideologies"—isolationism, populism, and protectionism—is taking shape, forecasting increased turbulence in global affairs.

The patent dispute between Lenovo and ZTE is intensifying. On October 21, Lenovo filed a patent infringement lawsuit against ZTE in the UK High Court. A week later, ZTE responded, citing prolonged licensing negotiations with Lenovo and expressing surprise over Lenovo's choice to litigate in the UK, while also respecting their decision.

Samsung Electronics (Samsung) has released its financial report for the third quarter of 2024, revealing a 14.5% year-over-year decline in operating profit for its Mobile Experience (MX) division. While revenue from new products such as smartphones, tablets, and wearables contributed to growth, rising costs and inflation have dampened demand recovery, leading to decreased profitability.

Major Taiwan-based IC design companies, such as MediaTek, Realtek, and Parade, are slated to have quarterly investor meetings this week to discuss their market view and visibility, which will define the overall market picture for 2025.

Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) launched the first test of a domestically-made high altitude platform station(HAPS) in Taitung, aiming to bolster the island's communication resilience.

The Indian government's decision to allocate spectrum for satellite broadband rather than auctioning brings Elon Musk's Starlink one step closer to launching in India.

AI development has only recently begun, yet two significant business opportunities already lie ahead: AI PCs and AI infrastructure, said Lenovo Group chairman and CEO Yuan-qing Yang.

Thanks to the strategic efforts of telecom giants like Huawei, China has made rapid advances in 5G, building an expansive patent portfolio across network infrastructure. As the industry eyes the 6G era, collaboration between the US, EU, Japan, and South Korea is becoming critical. Taiwan, with its notable progress in 5G Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) backed by government support, is now positioned as a strong partner for US and EU 6G concept validation efforts.

As the US, EU, China, Japan, and South Korea race toward 6G technology, Taiwan, supported by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), is focusing on two key 6G projects scheduled for completion in 2025 and 2027, aligning with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) timeline, according to Tzong-lin Wu, Dean of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at National Taiwan University (NTU).

The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) recently published the Research Report on Global 5G Standard Essential Patents and Standard Proposals (2024), revealing significant developments in the 5G patent landscape.

Wanzhou Meng has resumed her role as Huawei's rotating chairwoman, further cementing her position as the company's top leader, second only to founder and CEO Zhengfei Ren. Her reappointment underscores her continued ascent within Huawei's leadership structure.

The patent infringement trial between Huawei and MediaTek is set to officially commence after China's Golden Week, no earlier than October 25, 2024. The patent at the center of the dispute primarily involves 4G/LTE technology.

Samsung Electronics has secured a contract valued at approximately US$720 million to supply 4G and 5G telecom equipment to Vodafone Idea, India's third-largest telecom operator. This agreement marks a significant milestone for Samsung, as it has now secured orders from the top three wireless operators in India.

Apple's new iPhone 16 series hit the market on the 20th, finally featuring the much-anticipated Apple Intelligence. However, telecommunications industry personnel and supply chain sources are divided on whether Generative AI (GenAI) will boost sales for the iPhone 16 generation.

Jyh-Cheng Chen, chair professor at the Department of Computer Science and dean of the College of Computer Science at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), has led an academic team in developing "free5GC," an open-source 5G core network compliant with the 3GPP R15 standard.

China's telecom infrastructure tenders are not being implemented with enthusiasm, resulting in limited visibility for network chip orders from the sector, according to industry sources.

In response to the explosions caused by pagers worn by members of Hezbollah that detonated simultaneously across Lebanon, leading to at least nine deaths and injuring about 2,800, Taiwan-based pager maker Gold Apollo denied having an involvement in the incidents, saying those exploded pagers were made by its partner, according to the latest media coverage on the explosions.

Since carriers adopted 5G, the technology has not stopped evolving. For example, the 5G Advanced Network Solutions and the research and development of radio frequency (RF) and baseband 6G chips.

Apple's iPhone continues to experience low shipment volumes in China. According to data compiled by CAICT, although mobile shipments in China declined in July 2024, the market share of companies like Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi, and Huawei continued to rise. Their combined market share reached 90% in July, pushing Apple's iPhone to a single-digit market share—a new record low in recent years.

Hyperscale data center operators are adopting large volumes of high-end Ethernet chips to ensure all high-end GPUs in data centers can be connected to form a massive supercomputer, reaching a higher degree of integration and fulfilling the rising demand for AI computing, according to Ram Velaga, SVP and general manager of the core switching group at Broadcom.

Taiwanese IT and semiconductor equipment maker Hauman Technologies expects record revenue from its IT network division in 2024, driven by increasing demand for digital transformation. However, the company's semiconductor and optoelectronics division is expected to face weak momentum, according to CEO Lucy Su.