What’s going on in the broadband world?

The annual Broadband World Forum, which takes the pulse of the broadband systems that form the basis of our connectivity infrastructure, took place in Amsterdam in the middle of October 18-20 this year. Participating in the forum where many developments are announced From Sharon Xiao, Managing Director of TCL Router BusinessWe asked him to evaluate the forum for us.

CHIP Online: TCL has been operating in portable broadband for many years. This year, he participated in the BBWF fair. What are your expectations and goals?

Sharon Xiao: TCL focused on R&D for cellular network technology as early as 2002 and began supplying FWA and MBB artifacts to leading European operators in 2008. Since then, TCL has maintained a stable and long-term relationship with leading operators around the world. Currently, TCL is in the top 3 in the MBB category. BBWF Fair is a valuable event in the field of portable broadband. At this time each year, professionals from the entire industry chain come to a venue to discuss technology and future development trends and promote the healthy development of the industry. We are very pleased to be at the BBWF Exhibition area this year.

We are pleased to show how TCL contributes to the branch at this event. I hope to talk and learn about new technologies and new trends with our customers and ecological partners.

CHIP Online:Can you tell us the details of the whole range of works from 4G to 5G and all the scenarios?

Sharon Xiao: We offer a Smart Connected Device artifact set under TCL Electronics, which focuses on providing FWA and MBB artifacts to operator customers. The vision of our set of works is “No device disconnected. Connect seamlessly”. Although 5G is certainly a big trend, there are 4G development studies in many areas from CAT4 to CAT6 or higher. That’s why we have identified a portfolio of artifacts from CAT4 to CAT13 in 4G, which can help operators flexibly choose FWA and MBB artifact distribution in different regions and countries.

In terms of 5G CPE, we have already started the layout. This year, we also launched a new 5G CPE HH512, which has powerful cellular and Wi-Fi capabilities and can be used in residential revel, smart housing, online education, online office and many other scenarios. At the same time, we also introduced TCL’s first 5G Portable Wi-Fi MW513, which supports mmWave + Sub-6GHz simultaneously with powerful 5G speed and all-day battery life, which can significantly enrich the implementation of portable scenarios. In the near future, TCL will also launch the 5G ODU, a 5G USB dongle for residential, enterprise, outdoor, portable and M2M that engages operators and users in a variety of scenarios. We will fully meet the needs of operators and complete a full range of 5G products.

CHIP Online: There are many FWA & MBB manufacturers in the world. What do you think is the advantage that sets TCL apart from its competitors?

Sharon Xiao: There are indeed many manufacturers in the field of FWA & MBB and there have been new entrants to this branch recently, which shows that there are healthy development prospects for this division and gives hope to the producers. TCL has been involved in cellular technology for over 20 years. TCL’s MBB shipments reached the top three in the world in 2021, and TCL has long-term cooperative ties with the world’s most affordable operators. I think the main reason why so many customers choose TCL is that we have developed by focusing on this area.

First of all, we focus on technology research. Since 2002, we have been closely involved with cellular technology for 20 years, and we are one of the few companies in the world with both 2G and 5G patented technologies. Our ongoing investments in this area are the basis for our sustainable functioning and development.

Secondly, we focus on cooperation with our operator customers. TCL has stable and long-term collaborative relationships with leading operators around the world. From 4G to 5G, from fixed scenarios to portable scenarios, our entire product range meets operators’ flexible customization needs, reducing customer’s CAPEX. We have also established our worldwide sales, service and logistics networks in order to respond quickly to the needs of the operators and to reduce the OPEX of the operators.

Finally, TCL’s commitment to safety, quality, sustainable development and customers’ preference for us is the best proof of our recognition. I believe that when choosing a partner, clients will consider not only the current work form, but also the comprehensive strength of that partner to ensure business continuity. This is TCL’s biggest advantage over other manufacturers in the division.

CHIP Online: We know that sustainable development is a very valuable issue today. What can TCL share about it?

Sharon Xiao: TCL has long placed a strong emphasis on the environmental protection features of its artifacts, taking into account the need to conserve power and reduce consumption in artifact design, and actively develop innovative power saving and consumption reduction technologies. We strictly adhere to national and international standards for hazardous chemicals in our products to create green and high-quality works. TCL Electronics has been included in the list of Chinese green works design companies for two consecutive years.

If we take our router creations as an example, we always use 100% recyclable green packaging; Many of the artefact boxes are made of 100 percent recyclable ABS plastic, and all of our devices have been WEEE certified to make them more recyclable. Recycling and renewable standards; Thanks to artifact quality management and software and hardware optimization, we guarantee a 3+ year artifact life cycle. At the same time, we started to apply carbon footprint labels on the works to make it easier to monitor the environmental impact of the works.

CHIP Online:Where do you think FWA & MBB will develop in the future?

Sharon Xiao: We think about how our customers will have new demands in the future and how our products can offer new experiences to end users. In other quarters, reality has changed from personal telegrams to feature phones, smartphones, screens, and then the VR metaverse of the future. From horseback to horse-drawn car, three-wheeled electric vehicles and cars to today’s new electric vehicles and the autonomous driving of the future, the reality is changing. We can see that this transformation from functional driving in the beginning to interactive driving in the future is real.

Since its development, routers have always been in a “box”, easy to view and interact with. We believe that the future of routers and works will also develop the interactive experience and become one of the most valuable segments of the housing ecosystem. TCL has already started planning and research-development of this new work. We will do our best to present TCL’s innovative works and experiences to our customers as soon as possible.