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Rural telcos fear ramifications of China-US trade war

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Numerous U.S.-based Internet Service Providers (ISP) are set to obtain on October 29 reimbursements from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), welcoming a filing opportunity to “rip and replace” Huawei and ZTE telecom equipment. 

Bloomberg revealed a $1.9 billion program allowing ISPs to deliver cost estimates to the FCC to substitute previously installed equipment by Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE between October 29 and January 14 of the current year. 

Once U.S. operators collect the Commissions’ funds, telecoms will initiate the process of eliminating any Chinese equipment deployed in their companies. 

“As directed by the Secure and Trusted Commissions Networks Act of 2019 (Secure Networks Act), as amended, the Commission established the $1.9 billion Reimbursement Program to reimburse providers of advanced communications services with ten million or fewer customers for costs uncured in the removal, replacement, and disposal of covered communications equipment or services from their networks that pose a national security risk,” the filing stated. 

While the program strictly states that equipment produced by both Chinese manufacturers is to be removed from small-scaled operators, however, the filing is only applicable to equipment or services delivered on or prior to June 30, 2020. 

Even though some might perceive the FCC’s latest maneuver to halt Chinese operations in the country as a necessary move, others think it could potentially hold much more severe consequences to their operations. 

From their stance, a bundle of telcos expressed their worries regarding the extraction of their networking gear and how it could jeopardize services delivered by them, as the periodic slot given by the federal entity could not be sufficient to extract, replace, and operate the newly obtained hardware. 

The Commission’s outstretched offer might hold much heavier repercussions for in-house operators, as the President of Alabama-based Pine Belt Communications expressed his doubts on the matter to Bloomberg. 

“It’s going to be a pretty intense effort, and I probably have one the smallest networks that need to be swapped out,” Nettles said in his statement. 

The main issue lies in finding enough workforce to instigate the hardware replacement process. And if the ISPs manage to succeed, the fact remains that the period set by the FCC is far from being enough for small and big telcos to replace any hardware. 

Truth be told, it wouldn’t be a battle between fierce economic supremacies without some collateral damage, and the fact remains that both the U.S. and China are willing to go up and beyond to fulfill their ambitions – yet cutthroat – agendas to enforce pressure on its adversary. 

The rising geopolitical feud between both forces has been escalating since 2019 under President Donald Trump’s Administration. 

During that time, Huawei was added to the Commerce Department’s list of banned entities under the pretense of distributing hardware that could be implemented for foreign espionage and surveillance. In addition to the list, the federal agency also added multiple trade restrictions resulting in layoffs, revenue drops, and immensely catastrophic global smartphone sales for Huawei. 

In parallel, the U.S. House voted last week 420 – 4 in support of halting any future issuance of new equipment licenses by the FCC, for the firms involved in the “Covered Equipment or Services List,” according to Reuters. 

Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hikvision, and Dahua Technology are allegedly included in the Commission’s list. 

“The United States, without any evidence, still abuses national security and state power to suppress Chinese companies,” a spokesperson at China’s foreign ministry, Zhao Lijian, addressed the FCC’s conduct towards Chinese manufacturers in a statement to Reuters.  

The intensifying pressure on U.S.-based telco to accommodate the geopolitical tension between the East and the West could hold immense repercussions on rural connectivity, a factor that could jeopardize the elevated rise of U.S. digital adoption in the upcoming years. 

Daryn is a technical writer with thorough history and experience in both academic and digital writing fields.

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What are the Ethical Issues in Biometrics?

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Ethical Issues in Biometrics

What is biometric identification? It is the process through which unique biological characteristics are used in biometric identification to recognize and validate a person. These characteristics can be found in facial traits, eye structures, DNA, fingerprint patterns, and even handwriting. All this data that can be gathered on an individual inevitably brings up the ethical issues in biometrics that need to be addressed.

Facial recognition and fingerprint scans were previously the domain of security, and they were utilized for identification and law enforcement. However, increasingly more business and civil applications are using biometrics authentication. Due to this increased use, it is crucial to address the moral and ethical issues in biometrics when used in the creation of new application and technology.

Applied biometrics and corporate ethics have received little empirical study despite the widespread use of biometric technologies. As a result, there is plenty of room for future study to help us better comprehend the moral consequences of adopting this technology.

This article examines the ethical concerns associated with the use of biometric technology on the use of biometrics for non-security applications as well as the moral ramifications for business.

Ethical Issues in Biometrics and Privacy

Biometric data takes privacy concerns to a whole new level that typical data gathering only touches on. Digital identities can be forged, and anonymity on the web can be maintained to a degree if you know how. Also, digital data can be deleted – if we forget that Meta (Facebook) has been revealed to store deleted data, which is an ethical concern in itself.

The problem with biometric data is that it is unforgeable, unconcealable, and permanent, You can’t change your eye structure, your fingerprint, or your facial features. Big tech companies already have your face, fingerprints, and your voice recorded and stored via current biometric authentication systems – mainly used for unlocking your phone. That data will be there forever, and there is little that people can do about it besides avoid it In the first place.

While many companies still give users the option of using a good old fashion passcode to unlock their phones, as technology as a whole tends to do, the biometric alternative is slowly gaining more traction, and will one day become the norm, as it is hard to argue its convenience and security. You can’t accidentally leave your eyeball at home or forget your fingerprint. But in the same sense, you can’t change it. If your childish curiosity while browsing the web put a black spot on your record, there’s no changing that.

Therein lies the question of who if anyone should have access to such data. Today’s tech giants have all our data in their hands, that won’t change with the spread of biometric verification methods. Indeed, it will only increase targeting capabilities.

While the collection of biometric data on its own does not necessarily mean it will be shared, monetized, or abused in any way, it never the less requires clear and strict guidelines and regulations to be implemented around it. There are too many things that can be abused by the wrong party when the ethical issues in biometrics are not taken seriously, and if such limitations are not applied stringently.


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Oppo Reno 8 and Reno 8 Pro: Specs and Comparison   

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Oppo Reno 8

The Reno line of smartphones has always had a fantastic camera and an attractive design. The Reno 8 and 8 Pro include a 120Hz AMOLED display, the newest Dimensity chipsets, 80W fast charging, a 32-megapixel front camera, and triple 50-megapixel back cameras, among other notable features that make the Oppo Reno 8 and Reno 8 Pro high-quality yet affordable option for anyone. 

Here we compare the two latest Oppo phone series iterations and see what to expect from the flagship Oppo smartphone, and how the Oppo Reno 8 and the Oppo Reno Pro stack up against each other. 

Oppo Reno 8 Specifications 

The Oppo Reno 8 has a smaller 6.43-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,080 by 2,400 pixels, a 90Hz refresh rate, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It also runs Android 12 with ColorOS 12.1 on top. Additionally, the display has an 800 nits maximum brightness and a 20:09 aspect ratio. An octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC, up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage are all found within the Oppo smartphone. 

The Reno 8 has a triple back camera configuration for pictures and movies, with a 50-megapixel main sensor and an f/1.8 lens as its focal point. Additionally, there is a 2-megapixel macro camera with a 112-degree field of view and an 8-megapixel sensor coupled with an f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens. 

The Reno 8 offers 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.3, GPS/A-GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C connector as connection options. An accelerometer, light, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a proximity sensor are among the sensors on board. For biometric verification, the phone also has a fingerprint sensor hidden behind the display. A 4,500mAh battery inside the Oppo Reno 8 supports 80W Super Flash Charge quick charging. The phone weighs 179 grams and has dimensions of 160 x 73.4 x 7.67mm. 

Oppo Reno 8 Pro Specifications 

A 6.7-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,412) AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection is included with the Oppo Reno 8 Pro. Running on top of Android 12 is ColorOS 12.1. Additionally, the display supports HDR10+ and is certified by Netflix HD, Amazon HDR, SGS Low Motion Blur, and SGS Low Blue Light. The MediaTek Dimensity 8100-Max SoC, which has eight cores, and up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM power the smartphone. Storage on the Oppo Reno 8 Pro is UFS 3.1 capable of up to 256GB. 

The Oppo Reno 8 Pro boasts a triple rear camera arrangement with a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 main sensor and an f/1.8 lens, an 8-megapixel sensor and an ultra-wide lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a 112-degree field of view, and a 2-megapixel macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture. Along with the MariSilicon X NPU, the phone’s camera will offer generally better performance in both bright and dim light. It has a 32-megapixel front-facing camera sensor with an f/2.4 lens for taking selfies and making video calls. 

The phone has 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.3, GPS/A-GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C connector as connectivity options. An accelerometer, a light meter, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and a proximity sensor are among the sensors built into the phone. For biometric authentication, the phone also contains a fingerprint sensor underneath the touchscreen. The smartphone has a 4,500mAh battery that supports rapid charging at 80W Super Flash Charge. The phone weighs 183 grams and has dimensions of 161 x 74.2 x 7.34mm. 

Both the Oppo Reno 8 and Reno 8 Pro are prime smartphones that can fit any user’s preferences and can be considered premium smartphones on the cheaper side. If you like photography, you will be satisfied with the level of quality overall, but keep in mind that neither phone is particularly water resistant, so be careful where you take it.  


Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Technology sections to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles. 

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Electric Cars vs Gas Cars: How do They Compare Today

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Electric Cars vs Gas Cars

Many prefer the rumbling ‘vroom’ of a gasoline car to the soft hum of an electric vehicle, while others would rather just be satisfied in the knowledge that they are lessening their carbon footprint. Let’s look at the cold hard facts however, and compare electric cars vs gas cars

Electric Cars vs Gas Cars: Components

The amount of moving components is an important distinction between electric and gasoline-powered automobiles. While a gasoline-powered car contains hundreds of moving components, an electric vehicle just has one, the motor. Another significant distinction is that the electric car has fewer moving components. The electric car is more dependable and needs less routine maintenance. The maintenance needed for a gasoline-powered car ranges from routine oil changes, filter replacements, tune-ups, and exhaust system repairs to less frequent component replacements including water and fuel pumps, alternators, and so on.

Electric Cars vs Gas Cars: Maintenance

The expenses associated with maintaining an electric car are reduced since there are less maintenance requirements. The shaft, the only moving component of the electric motor, is extremely dependable and needs little to no maintenance. The controller and charger are electrical devices that require minimal to no maintenance because they have no moving components. Modern sealed lead acid batteries are maintenance free and utilized in electric cars nowadays. However, these batteries have a finite lifespan and will eventually need to be replaced. New batteries are being developed to increase the range of electric cars as well as the battery pack’s lifespan, perhaps eliminating the need to replace the battery pack throughout the course of the vehicle’s lifespan.

Electric Cars vs Gas Cars: Efficiency

In addition to being simpler and less expensive to repair than gasoline-powered vehicles, electric vehicles are also more cost-effective to run. The electric car will drive roughly 43 miles for $1 based on the efficiency of 3 miles/kwhr and the cost of power at 7 cents per kwhr. The gasoline-powered car will go roughly 18 miles based on the average gas mileage of 22 miles per gallon and the price of gasoline at $1.25 per gallon. As a result, an electric car may drive more than twice as far on a dollar’s worth of petrol.

Where Electric Falls Behind

There are still a number of difficulties for the owner of an electric car despite the fact that it will be less expensive to operate and maintain.

The primary issue is the restricted range offered by existing battery technology. The amount of driving distance possible utilizing the current batteries is between 50 and 150 miles. These ranges are being extended by new battery technologies, and prototypes of these batteries have shown ranges of up to 200 miles between recharging. Solar powered charging stations are being implemented in numerous places to decrease range anxiety towards electric vehicles

The lack of qualified service professionals to repair and maintain electric cars is another issue that faces their owners. A two-year associate degree program has been developed to train high school graduates to become proficient electric vehicle technicians, and training programs are being developed and made available to upgrade the conventional automotive technician with the skills needed to maintain an electric vehicle.

Infrastructure to recharge the batteries is also required. The most important component of the infrastructure for recharging already exists: electric power is accessible practically everywhere. To support the electric car, it is still necessary to guarantee that charging stations with the right sorts of service (i.e., maximum voltage and current) are placed in important areas. Plans must also be made.


Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Technology sections to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.

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