ZTE tagged as shipper of undervalued cables worth P25.7 M

The Chinese company ZTE Corp. was dragged into yet another controversy yesterday after the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reportedly busted P25.7 million worth of power cables and other telecommunications equipment that it reportedly shipped to the Port of Manila last month. Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon said the “ZTE” markings on the box of power cables and panel board accessories raised suspicion that the shipper, ZTE Corp. from Shenzhen, China, is the same company previously linked to the botched $329-million national broadband network deal during the time of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. “On the boxes, we can see the ZTE logo. Based on the knowledge, I was previously in Congress when this was being investigated, it was the same logo so most likely it is the same company,” Biazon said, adding that ZTE also deals with other telecommunication firms. The BOC is not ruling out the possibility that the imported 270 pieces of power cables, 29,286 patchcords and 90 pieces of panel board accessories that were found inside a 40-foot container van were intended for other projects in the Philippines. According to the Customs Valuation and Classification Division, it appeared that the importations of similar kind and quantity should have a value of $589,283.68. But its total invoice value was only $13,700. Biazon said they would conduct a deeper probe on the importation, which was declared as 196 kilograms of cables and accessories. It was also grossly undervalued. The BOC would also check if ZTE had previous importations. The consignee of the equipments was identified as FEC Trading. Customs Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement Horacio Suansing Jr. said that FEC Trading was also the consignee of a 40-foot container van misdeclared to contain 27 pieces used replacement parts. There were also signs of violation of the Used Motor Vehicles law. During inspection, authorities discovered that the container van was filled with car bodies of 16 units of Mini Cooper, including the cabs and body shell with an estimated value of P8 million. They reportedly came from Japan. Suansing said both shipments arrived last month. “We received a tip from an asset and we immediately placed them under ‘alert’ and that was how we foiled the attempted smuggling of these items,” he said. BOC hits big Apart from the car parts and the telecommunication equipment, the bureau also presented other seized items yesterday morning. Biazon said the haul had an estimated collected amount of P90 million. BOC-Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) Director George Aliño said a 40-foot container van filled with yarn under the name Asian Bonded Customs Warehouse Corp. was seized. It was supposedly intended to be delivered to the compound of Pulilan Footwear and Luggage Marketing Corp. located in Barangay Lumbac, Pulilan, Bulacan. The ESS apprehended the shipment on the grounds of illegal diversion. It was reportedly delivered to the ECCO Food Corp. compound in Barangay Malanday, Valenzuela City, thus violating the Customs laws and regulations on bonded warehouses. BOC also seized multi-million worth of counterfeit fabrics, clothes, designer bags, footwear and other electronic items consigned to Golden Rainbow Enterprises, which is a violation of the Intellectual Property Code (IPR) and the Optical Media Act. The seized items would be put up for auction except those that were confiscated for violating the IPR law, which will be destroyed.

Smart begins beta testing of LTE powered mobile Internet

With the anticipated demand for better internet connection, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has started the beta testing of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) broadband services. Touted as the fastest fourth generation (4G) technology in the Philippines, the LTE technology can deliver up to 42 Mbps internet speed. Gio Bacareza, Smart Broadband Internet and Data Services Head, said that the beta test represents a significant step towards LTE’s commercial availability. "The beta test shows that we have never stopped working on our LTE network," said Bacareza. "We launched it in Boracay last April, we made the first Metro Manila demo in June, and today it’s going to be put to its paces by potential customers," he added. Initially, the LTE beta testing will be done in Metro Manila. Subscribers who want to be the first to experience the next generation broadband speed of up to 42 Mbps should to sign up at www.smart.com.ph/bro/lte/sign-up. The lucky few who will qualify will be issued special LTE/HSPA-capable USB dongles which they could use for free in several key areas in both North and South Metro Manila until February 13, 2012. A total of thirty LTE sites have been fired up across the city for the beta test. Beta testers are encouraged to report their experiences and findings to Smart in an effort to evaluate the experience and identify potential improvements. For this, Smart has set up several touch points for beta testers. Participants will be contacted via email for instructions. Smart has also provided LTE connectivity in the recently concluded Philippine Ad Congress in Camarines Sur. The technology is much faster than wireless and wired connection, it is ideal for viewing, streaming videos and engaging in other media-rich online activities such as gaming and accessing web-based applications and programs. LTE is widely recognized by telcos all over the world as the next big change in mobile Internet. With the potential to change the surfing habits of individuals and the way business is conducted online, LTE has already been deployed in other parts of the world such as Japan (NTT DoCoMo), USA (Verizon), Europe(TeliaSonera), and Australia (Telstra). "Smart has always been prepared to take on the latest technologies," Bacareza said. "We were the first to come out with 3G, we are the first to deploy HSPA+, we are the first introduce LTE and we will continue to be the first in many more endeavors in the years to come," he ended. Smart is among the first to have introduced LTE and HSPA+ in Asia.

Novatel Wireless 4G MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot Earns Industry Honors

Novatel Wireless (NASDAQ: NVTL), a leading provider of intelligent wireless solutions, today announced that its line of 4G MiFi® Intelligent Mobile Hotspots is collecting some of the highest honors from the industry's most reputable organizations. The 4G MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot has been recognized as a CES 2012 Innovations Award Honoree in the Computer Accessories category, PC World's top 25 100 Best Products of 2011 in the Networking/Wireless category and PC Magazine's Best Products of 2011 in the Mobile Devices, Cellular Modem category. These awards and honors add to the growing list of industry recognition and accolades for the MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot. The MiFi platform represents the industry's first Intelligent Mobile Hotspot; a new category of mobile broadband devices that lets users put their world of content, services and connectivity in the palm of their hand. The MiFi platform, now with 4G mobile broadband speeds, creates a personal cloud of high-speed Internet connectivity that can be easily shared between multiple users and up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices such as laptops, tablets, gaming devices and multimedia players. The MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot serves as an intelligent, open platform capable of hosting advanced software applications and is flexible enough to address the continued evolution of mobile broadband. "We are honored to have our 4G MiFi devices recognized by such widely respected organizations," said Rob Hadley, CMO of Novatel Wireless. "These awards add to a growing list of accolades showcasing the MiFi devices excellent performance, ease-of-use, added functionality and industrial design. We're proud to be recognized for our commitment to delivering innovative and best-in-class mobile broadband solutions to our customers."