Hello ITU Newsletter readers!

Here are your top ICT trends for this past week: Why SpaceX's historic rocket launch could bring a 'new era of space flight,' Vietnam's big 4G infrastructure push, and M1's plans to launch Singapore's first cloud-based vEPC network solution to support smart city use cases.

Spotlight

A new age of orchestration for 5G As we approach 2020, one of the most important areas of ITU's work will be our international standardization of 5G systems. ITU recently agreed on 5G performance requirements for IMT-2020. [Stay tuned for an in-depth ITU News Magazine edition on what's next for 5G.]

ICT Trends

SpaceX made history when it launched a pre-flown Falcon 9 booster rocket into space last week. Here's why the launch has led some to say that we've entered a 'new era of space flight.' Reusing the high-cost machinery could soon make space exploration much more affordable.

4G in Vietnam: Vietnam’s largest mobile operator Viettel is gearing up for a nationwide 4G launch with a rapid infrastructure rollout, including the installation of some 1,000 4G base stations per day, according to reports. Meanwhile, VNPT-Vinaphone is expanding its 4G network and aims to install 15,000 4G base transceiver stations (BTS) nationwide by the end of 2017.

International Girls in ICT Day 2017 is just around the corner! Here are 5 tips for planning a Girls in ICT Day event in your area. Get involved in one of ITU's most popular annual events!

ICTs in Uganda: Why Facebook is partnering to build a fiber-optic backhaul network in Uganda. And how Uganda's 'Uber for Motorcycles' ride-hailing app, called SafeBoda, is making Kampala's streets safer.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

Oath: That's Verizon's new brand name for AOL and Yahoo! The Telecom giant's branding choice has received mixed reviews.
Cloud: Singapore's M1 Limited has announced plans to launch the nation's first cloud-based virtual enhanced packet core (vEPC) network solution with Huawei to support wide-ranging Smart Nation and IoT use cases.
5G: Ericsson completes first 5G demo in Indonesia.
'Are you chipped?' A Swedish start-up has started implanting microchips into its employees.
India: Reliance Jio extends its free offer by 3 months, drawing criticism from rivals. Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi earmarks another USD 500M for India, which it sees as its most important overseas market.

Insights

The next frontier is here IBM's Neil Sahota discusses 3 key capabilities that make Artificial Intelligence (AI) so valuable. [For more, read the latest edition of ITU News Magazine, it's dedicated to AI.]

Beyond the AI hype At a time when AI is receiving a lot of hype, Gary Marcus explains why there is a long way to go on developing AI's causal understanding and language capabilities.

Keep up to date with ITU

UPCOMING EVENTS

- 7th Green Standards Week; Manizales, Colombia, 3 - 5 April 2017

- ITU Workshop on Digital Financial Services and Financial Inclusion; Washington, D.C., United States, 19 April 2017

- International Girls in ICT Day; Worldwide, 27 April 2017

MORE FROM ITU

- New blogs! Read interviews with industry leaders, insights into the latest tech news and other ICT stories from around the world on the ITU Blog

- New videos! On ITU’s YouTube channel

- Read the latest ITU News Magazine here

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