Wireless Systems Scoping Study

Report co-authored by Robert Thelen-Bartholomew An analysis of wireless system requirements within the Hong Kong Hospital Authority estate. Specifically, consideration on the use of 5G networks, both private and public in the delivery of Hong Kong Hospital Authority requirements for voice and data. The project included an analysis of use cases, network design, and budgetary[…]

Digital ecosystem – Context and market review

In order to support AFD in its prospecting for funding in certain countries, Plum carried out a study of the digital and telecom ecosystems of Myanmar, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Ivory Coast. The study provides a review of the legal and regulatory framework, the existing national infrastructures, the leading entities as well as the potential[…]

Ethics in digital technologies

The omnipresence of digital technology in our daily life, its use and its impact on organisations and individuals, raises ethical questions about its role in our society. These concerns include consent and privacy, security, inclusion and fairness, protection from online harm, transparency and accountability. Notable examples include the Cambridge Analytica scandal and concerns about racial[…]

The ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025

Plum was recently engaged to develop the latest ASEAN Digital Masterplan (ADM 2025). The ADM takes stock of the current state of digital development in ASEAN, and envisions ways for the ASEAN region to deepen its use of digital technologies to spur economic and social development. ADM 2025 was the third strategic masterplan for the[…]

Privacy implications of an automated cyber-security system – with or without the human loop

‘Star Wars’ is the classic example of a symbiotic human-machine relationship. The ‘force’ guided the human actions which were supported by data driven inputs from the ‘droids’. Being guided by the ‘force’ is nothing but human ability to use our intuition and exercise judgement. Though a work of fiction, the classic, might have essential food[…]

Market analysis and cost modelling of wholesale broadband in TRNC

Plum undertook a market review of the wholesale broadband marked for the Informational Technology and Communications Corporation (BTHK), the regulator in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). In addition to updating a prior market analysis, the BTHK wished to determine the efficient cost of supply of fixed broadband access by cost modelling. The market[…]

Digital Sovereignty: the overlap and conflict between states, enterprise and citizens

Digital sovereignty is an umbrella term that refers to the ability to exercise control over digital assets, such as data, content or digital infrastructure, or over the use of those assets. While this concept has arguably existed for decades, it has gained a new currency for a number of reasons, including concerns about state surveillance,[…]

Status of 5G field trials for connected and autonomous vehicles in Europe and North America

Plum produced a report for the Telecom Technology Center on the status of field trials involving connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) in Europe and North America. The report provided a selection of case studies involving the use of cellular technology (4G/5G) in developing: vehicle-to-everything technologies enabling interaction with infrastructure, other vehicles, networks and pedestrians; and[…]

An assessment of HFC and FTTP options for gigabit connectivity in the UK market

With recent recognition of the need for some consideration of technologies other than full fibre, Government has shifted to consider “gigabit-capable” solutions, defined as those offering “a broadband connection of at least 1 Gbps/1,000 Mbps”. With the new Johnson Government, the schedule for nationwide access to gigabit-capable connections has also been revised from 2033 to[…]

Cross border considerations

It is a well-known scientific fact, but one that is sometimes ignored, that radio waves do not respect borders between countries and geographic regions. This means that radio networks deployed in one country or region can cause interference to networks deployed across the border. The impact of the interference can vary considerably and in the[…]