Adding connectivity to physical devices can significantly enhance their usefulness: for instance, it can allow remote operation or monitoring of the device, improve user convenience, or increase energy efficiency. As a result, the number of connected devices has grown extremely rapidly. This growth has been accompanied by increasing concerns about cybersecurity and privacy, and nowhere[…]
Plum undertook a study for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB), Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The purpose of the study was to review the existing telecommunications infrastructure capacity in Hong Kong. It comprised identifying a set of assessment indicators to assess its adequacy; development of benchmarks to assess the supply[…]
The Taiwanese regulator NCC has taken a decision to adopt a cost-oriented approach for the regulation of next generation wholesale leased line services. To support the NCC in deriving appropriate wholesale prices for these services, Plum was commissioned to build a bottom-up long run incremental cost (LRIC) model. Plum, working alongside the Telecom Technology Center,[…]
The UK’s Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) currently provides voice services to millions of households in the UK, and the underlying analogue technology also supports a range of data services for both domestic and non-domestic applications. However, the analogue/electrical based network technology that currently enables the PSTN is coming to the end of its life[…]
Despite continuing growth in mobile network coverage, there are many areas where enterprise users suffer from no, or poor, connectivity. Manufacturing, agricultural and transport industries in these regions suffer from their remote locations, and they often find that their ability to benefit from Industry 4.0 – the automation through connected machines – is limited. This[…]
Plum was commissioned jointly by UKWISPA[1] and INCA[2] to conduct an independent and updated assessment of the potential benefits of fixed wireless access (FWA) technologies, for provision of broadband services in the UK market. Our focus has been directed towards review of the performance levels available with modern commercially available FWA solutions. Within the study,[…]
These reports examine use cases, spectrum requirements and valuation of spectrum for use by private LTE. The first report defines private LTE, considers environments where private LTE might be used focusing on industrial automation and identifies what spectrum these applications will need. To do this it sets out a methodology to characterise the identified private[…]
Following our previous reports on the total cost of administration to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and the impact of late payments, this study examines the issue of taxation on SMEs. For many new and small companies, profit margins can be very low, particularly when the cost of finance and building up stock is taken[…]
This study for the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) provided an independent assessment of the impacts on service quality arising from reassignment of 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum in Hong Kong. The assessment model developed by Plum analysed the network infrastructure requirements of mobile network operators under various market, technology evolution and spectrum[…]
In conjunction with TTC, Plum provided the NCC – the Taiwanese regulator – with three reports examining the current market for leased lines in Taiwan, providing input to a consultation on the appropriate regulatory mechanisms, and specifying how a regulatory cost model should be built. The leased line market in Taiwan has historically been regulated[…]