Follow Mobile World Live, filter it, and define how you want to receive the news (via Email, RSS, Telegram, WhatsApp etc.) https://follow.it/mobile-world-live Thu, 08 Dec 2022 00:19:31 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiAY6moqDrzUlRpWVnEcNkS LIVE FROM MWL UNWRAPPED: Hakim Achouri, 5G and IoT solutions expert for digital aviation at Airbus (pictured), lamented challenges in working with telecoms vendors when implementing smart manufacturing systems, highlighting the need for a broader range of functionalities in services offered to enterprises. In a keynote on the second day of Mobile World Live’s Unwrapped series, Achouri said the relationship with operators was getting better, with the greatest challenge actually the vendors providing core and radio set-ups He explained enterprises, such as Airbus, did not like having a "black box” built into their infrastructure, largely due to strong compliance regulations such as identity protection rules around who connects to its network. While he acknowledged that vendors want to automate their own systems, which increases sales, and lowers the maintenance and upgrade burden, this approach did not necessarily work for Airbus. “The risk here is to build things that will satisfy the masses but not adapt to the specific of each of the enterprises,” he said. Opening up on the current “difficult trade off”, Achouri said it had the choice between a telecoms-grade system which, if deployed, it lacks “the skills and resources to run in our infrastructure”. “Or, do we choose a black box that does its job, but it is proprietary and closed?” Private 5G investment On the connectivity side of smart manufacturing, Achouri added one of the major drivers for adopting private 5G was to tackle pain-points of past technologies, including Wi-Fi. “Wi-Fi provides a lot of capabilities but still has weakness in terms of dead spots, insufficient quality of service and insufficient business continuity.” He explained the sheer size and scale of manufacturing aircraft meant Airbus needed a signal to cover all areas. With Wi-Fi prone to a lot of interference it “was the baseline for us to invest in private 5G”. Unwrapped is an online event hosted exclusively on Mobile World Live all week, where industry experts and top executives will be discussing the subject of Making Money from the Mobile Enterprise. To view the stream and content from the event click here [1]. [1] https://unwrapped.mobileworldlive.com/making-money-from-the-mobile-enterprise/]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 17:55:59 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiAY6moqDrzUlRpWVnEcNkS https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiAY6moqDrzUsfGo0LrnZNO LIVE FROM MWL UNWRAPPED: Jacob Groote, EVP innovation and partnerships at Dutch operator KPN (pictured), pointed to the need for specific conversations with enterprise players over their requirements to push smart manufacturing forward. In his keynote, Groote cited one of the biggest barriers to smart manufacturing as internal, with different questions needing to be asked from those traditionally raised by operator sales staff around SIM card numbers and data requirements. “We’re talking completely different language.” “It’s about how reliable does the network have to be, what type of functionality do we have to really add? What applications are important? What’s the high-priority application traffic that has to go through?” Groote added the conversation should be about the actual production process and how an operator, systems integrator and cloud service provider can “fill in the gaps”. “Having that right conversation, I think, is one of the biggest hurdles,” the executive said. Trials As part of its push as an enabler in the smart manufacturing space, KPN has conducted various trials in field labs to engage with industry on their unique requirements. Among the areas of feedback received from enterprises was a need for reliable connectivity, security and a “consistent latency in order to operate their machines”, Groote noted. The use of 5G provides these qualities, but also flexibility for special requirements like very short production runs in specific locations, the executive added. Alongside connecting machines themselves, Groote highlighted benefits KPN had found deploying Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality headsets on 5G in industrial settings. These devices, he added, could be used to provide guidance on the factory floor from senior members of staff to more junior team members. Unwrapped is an online event hosted exclusively on Mobile World Live, where industry experts and top executives will be discussing the subject of Making Money from the Mobile Enterprise. To view the stream and content from the event click here [1]. [1] https://unwrapped.mobileworldlive.com/making-money-from-the-mobile-enterprise/]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 17:37:29 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiAY6moqDrzUsfGo0LrnZNO https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiH7HTLhoKurQBC78OgjhDM LIVE FROM MWL UNWRAPPED: Singtel CEO Anna Yip (pictured) predicted a leading role for the metaverse in advancing operator efforts to deliver smart manufacturing, though offered an honest assessment of the current state of play in terms of network capabilities and staff skill levels. Yip highlighted a freshly-signed pact with South Korean operator SK Telecom around the metaverse [1], explaining this could pave the way for a digital transformation of the manufacturing sector alongside more obvious consumer offerings. A metaverse-enabled crossover between the real and virtual worlds could deliver manufacturing innovations spanning automated robots and even the planning of operations, Yip noted, adding there is also potential to employ it as a training ground for staff, teaching them how to use tools before embarking on work in the real world. Singtel is in the “early stage of exploring that possibility” Yip explained, though highlighted the metaverse could fit well with existing smart manufacturing partnerships the operator has with Hyundai Motor Company and Micron Technology, among others. Yip explained those partnerships were being enabled by Singtel’s deployment of standalone (SA) 5G as she argued the case for operator-backed rollouts. The CEO noted enterprises could deploy their own 5G networks, which would involve them paying “for the spectrum” alongside investing in all elements of the infrastructure, including radio, transport and core equipment. She emphasised operators including Singtel offered a swifter and more efficient means of deploying private 5G networks “customised for your need rather than owning everything” because the level of expertise, alone, is a significant factor. Unwrapped is an online event hosted exclusively on Mobile World Live all week, where industry experts and top executives will be discussing the subject of Making Money from the Mobile Enterprise. To view the stream and content from the event click here [2]. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/asia/asia-news/skt-targets-sea-with-singtel-metaverse-tie-up/ [2] https://unwrapped.mobileworldlive.com/making-money-from-the-mobile-enterprise/]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 17:18:20 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiH7HTLhoKurQBC78OgjhDM https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQg_mxxmjf7M_xhSCv31NykC Operators from the European Union (EU) and Western Balkans signed a declaration to significantly reduce data roaming charges as of 1 October 2023, a move a council of the south-eastern European nations claimed would support their broader digital agenda by making services more affordable. In a statement, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) explained the agreement is an attempt to bolster connectivity between citizens and the regions' economies by offering retail rate plans and low-cost bundles for roaming users. There is also a plan to introduce further reductions by 2027. The declaration was signed by representatives of major operators including Orange, Deutsche Telekom, A1 Telekom Austria and BH Telecom, which pledged to introduce “effective and relevant offers for the consumers travelling between the EU and Western Balkans”. As part of their commitment, the groups plan to explore options to condense data roaming surcharges by introducing incentives modelled on the EU Roam Like at Home [1] initiative. The RCC stated the pledge builds on improvements in reducing data surcharges in recent years. Additionally, the RCC encouraged regulators in the Western Balkans to consider telecoms policy reform to further integrate the region's economies with the EU, in line with aims detailed in a digital summit held in September. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/european-parliament-seeks-free-roaming-extension/]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 15:08:08 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQg_mxxmjf7M_xhSCv31NykC https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhHBVeo-KWk1HHnycKeoCpf Ericsson struck a deal to sell its IoT Accelerator and Connected Vehicle Cloud businesses to Aeris Communications for an undisclosed sum, with the vendor stating it had only been able to tap into a limited part of the value chain, resulting in lower returns on investment. The vendor explained it would transfer the businesses and related assets to IoT specialist Aeris, making it the market leader in the segment with strong synergies to create products for enterprises and new revenue streams for CSPs. Ericsson expects the deal to close in Q1 2023, including the transfer of its IoT employees to Aeris. In addition, Ericsson plans to support Aeris with transition services and will acquire a small stake in the company. The IoT Accelerator is used by more than 9,000 enterprises to manage in excess of 95 million connected devices with 22 million eSIM connections globally, said Ericsson. Meanwhile, its Connected Vehicle Cloud business “is the most-connected car platform on the market today”, with automotive IoT players using it to connect 6 million vehicles across 180 countries. Loss driver Ericsson explained it decided to sell the IoT business, which has a forecast of net sales of SEK800 million ($76.8 million) in 2022, due to it being the “key driver of losses" in the Business Area Technologies and New Businesses in the enterprise sector. It said the transaction will eliminate quarterly losses of SEK250 million, although warned the divestment would lead to a negative one-time impact of SEK1.1 billion in its next quarterly results. Asa Tamsons, head of Business Area Technologies and New Businesses at Ericsson, added the company had made “significant investments to address the fragmentation of the IoT market”, but it was only able to tap into a limited part of the segment, “limiting the returns of such investment”. “The combined business will offer an unparalleled IoT platform for enterprises and new revenue streams for communication service providers, ultimately benefiting Ericsson’s customers. Aeris is a good home for our IoT business,” she said.]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 14:32:01 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhHBVeo-KWk1HHnycKeoCpf https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQj9wOmTT-cCC27fhEn5oRuR Dish Wireless launched a nationwide beta of its Boost Infinite post-paid 5G service, advancing plans to commence commercial service in Q1 2023. The company opened registrations [1] for Boost Infinite in August, with head of Boost Infinite Jeremy McCarty (pictured) telling Mobile World Live (MWL) it began initial testing in October, around the time it had originally targeted a full launch. Boost Infinite's service is provisioned through MVNO agreements with T-Mobile US and AT&T, but it will eventually be on Dish Wireless’ greenfield 5G network. Dish Wireless is using its own OSS and BSS for the beta service. The operator is looking to shake-up the post-paid sector by offering Boost Infinite for $25 per month without a contract to users which are credit qualified. The service includes unlimited talk, text and data, access to hotspots, international long-distance and roaming. Is the price right? While AT&T [2], Verizon [3] and T-Mobile raised charges this year, Boost Infinite’s $25 tariff is “forever” if subscribers keep their accounts in good standing. “When you start to think about the price point being at $25, which is generally half the cost of what other post-paid carriers are selling their service for, you're essentially going to get two- or three-times the coverage for half the price,” McCarty stated. Customers can bring their own devices, purchase new ones or access finance schemes. “You're going to find a really wide range of support for devices in the beta period,” McCarty stated. He noted Band 70 devices, those which cover all spectrum Dish Wireless is employing, will be key due to offering faster data rates and throughputs. McCarty explained users can sign-up to the beta online, but the service could be available in stores during 2023. Recon Analytics analyst Roger Entner told MWL online sign-ups typically accounted for 15 per cent of the market, but noted Boost Infinite could also pick up subscribers from third-party retailers. He added Boost Infinite’s profit margin would be razor thin while it uses other operators’ networks, a view echoed by Wave7 Research principal Jeff Moore, who told MWL the service needed be on Dish Wireless’ infrastructure to be financially successful. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/dish-plots-national-5g-move/ [2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/att-hikes-rates-for-some-mobile-plans/ [3] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/analyst-warns-of-verizon-att-inflation-pressure/]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 14:03:01 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQj9wOmTT-cCC27fhEn5oRuR https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQjA6rpOSDKzA58v71dCn6bG Private networking company Expeto detailed plans to advance development and deployment of its services after netting a further $12 million of investment, taking the total raised since it was founded in 2015 to more than $20 million. The company offers tools to enterprises and mobile operators covering technologies including LTE, 5G and CBRS. It stated the latest investment round was led by Sorenson Capital with participation from previous investors Evok Innovations, Lavrock Ventures and Mistral Venture Partners. Samsung Next and 5G Open Innovation Lab were first time investors. Andy Duong, product principal for Samsung Next, stated in a blog the company invested in Expeto because it could also solve some of the complexities inherent in 5G network slicing. Expeto previously won a deal to embed its technology into a private networking service offered by Rogers Communications, with the start-up handling the routing of connectivity and the Canadian operator providing a management interface. Rogers Communications has deployed the set up in gold mines run by Canada-based Agnico Eagle. The private networks sector is crowded with operators and vendors, meaning enterprises often have to juggle the various types of connectivity across different portals. Expeto CEO Michael Anderson stated his company hides the complexity of mobile network management with its interface and routing platform, noting it offers a single SIM covering connectivity across multiple sites and technologies.]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 13:18:34 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQjA6rpOSDKzA58v71dCn6bG https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhK5EnLii2GqOifqJurszLU PRESS RELEASE: 5G is being deployed and widely used on a large scale around the world, and the demand for computing power is exploding, resulting in continuous growth of network traffic, a sharp increase in energy consumption, and low resource efficiency. Wang Quan, Vice President of ZTE, introduced ZTE's core network innovations on "energy saving" and "efficiency improvement", as well as practice of enabling green transformation of industries. What can the core network contribute to ICT green transformation and what challenges does it face? Quoting from the report of GSMA intelligence, the core network takes about 13% of total power consumption in the whole system, it might not be much, but with the whole industry going virtualized, core network, as well as applications, everything can be software based, which makes the cloud infrastructure more important than ever, especially in the green track. As the brain of the whole network, the core network will play a key role in the green transformation of cloud infrastructure even the whole ICT industry, so, the research of energy-saving technologies of core network is indispensable. On the one hand, core network itself needs to implement energy saving and emission reduction. Due to the variety and quantity of NFs in the core network and scattered deployment, there is a large amount of resource redundancy. In addition, tidal phenomena of services has a great impact on resource utilization. Therefore, reducing resource redundancy and improving resource efficiency are the major challenges of building a green core network. On the other hand, core network needs to act as the core brain and collaborate with other network domains to empower different industries and reduce consumption. How does ZTE's core network implement green transformation? My point of view here is that green is not just about consumption reduction in a narrow sense, but should also include resource efficiency improvement. So, ZTE's green 5G cloud core network is mainly considered from these aspects. First, we’d definitely embrace introducing intelligence into the frame to realize dynamic energy saving from software to hardware. Base on end-to-end network statistics gathering, to be service aware, so to apply the dynamic power saving policy for various scenarios, and the key of intelligence is to penetrate the policy from the service to the orchestration of resource. Secondly, to elevate system performance to the ultimate level. One direction of a green system, is to use minimum resource for maximum capacity, with the full virtualized system in our view, ZTE put in a lot of effort in optimizing system performance, to lower the watt for each bit. Thirdly, a heterogeneous infrastructure is mandatory nowadays, so appropriate resource can be precisely applied for specific applications with full automation. Does ZTE have research and products on liquid cooling technology for green Data Centers? With the continuous improvement of server performance, the power consumption of CPU chips is also rising. According to the analysis of ASHRAE in the US, when the CPU power consumption exceeds 400W, the current air cooling cannot meet the heat dissipation requirements, and more advanced heat dissipation technologies such as liquid cooling are required for efficient heat dissipation. Cold-plate liquid cooling is the mainstream currently. ZTE has carried out related research and product planning, and has demonstrated cold-plate liquid-cooling servers to customers in some exhibitions. High energy consumption components of the server, such as CPU, are efficiently, safely and reliably dissipated through the cooling liquid. After large-scale adoption of cold-plate liquid cooling technology in the resource pool, the PUE will be reduced to below 1.2, saving a lot of power for DCs. Does ZTE 5G Cloud Core have any cases in assisting the green transformation of other industries? Telecommunication networks including core networks, are key infrastructure for green development in thousands of industries. ZTE 5G Cloud Core has been widely used in various industrial scenarios such as smart factories, smart grids, and smart mines, and has accumulated rich practical experience in green transformation of industries. In terms of empowering green grid, ZTE and our partners jointly released the 5G TSN green power grid solution, which integrates 5G TSN/5G LAN/URLLC/SLA accurate control in 5G Cloud Core and other domains of the whole network to provide time-promised SLA for the power grid industry, accelerate the deployment of green energy, and help the power industry achieve the strategic goal of "emission peak and carbon neutrality". The solution won GTI 2022 "Market Development Award", and won Network X 2022 "Most Innovative Private Network Project Award". ZTE will continuously research and actively practice energy-saving and efficiency-improvement technologies, helping operators build end-to-end green and low-carbon networks, building a "green ICT foundation" for industries, and contributing to the sustainable development of society.]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 12:01:12 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhK5EnLii2GqOifqJurszLU https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQg5ziiRE-R701T72x6uxjiK Australian operator Telstra deployed Ericsson’s new packet fronthaul technology, a move the vendor stated delivered significant reductions in downlink and uplink transmission and prepared the operator’s network for RAN virtualisation. Ericsson stated the deployment at three sites in the Australian state of Victoria using ethernet transport to connect to a nearby baseband site is the first commercial installation of its Router 6673 gateway, enabling fronthaul packetisation for all available FDD radios. It stated downlink peak fronthaul dropped from 30Gb/s to about 2Gb/s and uplink from 30Gb/s to around 16Gb/s. Ericsson noted the gateway will enable Telstra to advantage of future cloud RAN packet switched connections Telstra Network and Infrastructure executive Iskra Nikolova stated the ability to packetise existing FDD radio connections using the fronthaul gateway will allow it to better use a significant investment in 5G radio infrastructure, while benefitting from the rapid evolution of RAN compute technology. Emilio Romeo, head of Ericsson, Australia and New Zealand, said the deployment is a noteworthy step in the journey towards network virtualisation and centralisation.]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 10:45:00 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQg5ziiRE-R701T72x6uxjiK https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQg5ziiRE-R705ONpYks2fGs Samsung Electronics and online platform Naver unveiled plans to jointly develop chips designed to increase the handling of large AI workloads by combining their respective next-generation memory technologies, hyperscale and compression algorithms. The companies signed an MoU to collaborate and formed a working-level task force. Samsung EVP of Memory Global Sales and Marketing Han Jinman (pictured left) stated it will develop cutting-edge semiconductors to solve the memory bottleneck in large-scale AI systems. Chung Suk-Geun, head of Naver's AI-focused CLOVA unit (pictured right), said the partnership can create a new class of products that can "better tackle the challenges of today’s AI technologies". The companies aim to improve large-scale data processing using Samsung's chip design and manufacturing expertise and Naver’s experience in the development and verification of AI algorithms. They explained the performance and efficiency limitations of current computing systems creates significant challenges to meet heavy computational requirements, fuelling the need for AI-optimised chips, which requires extensive convergence of the semiconductor and AI disciplines. Samsung added it will work with Naver to optimise its memory and storage products supporting high-speed data processing to advance large-scale AI systems. Naver stated it will initially use HyperCLOVA, a hyperscale language model with more than 200 billion parameters, to improve its compression algorithms to create a simplified model which increases computation efficiency.]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 10:36:28 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQg5ziiRE-R705ONpYks2fGs https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQg4HiGe2DG0Upu9CxXrVx4c Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) confirmed media reports [1] it will expand chip production in the US, unveiling plans to boost its total investment to $40 billion and build a second factory using its advanced 3nm process technology. The contract chipmaker will increase the planned production capacity from 240,000 wafers per year to 600,000 when the second plant goes on line in 2026. The two facilities will create 4,500 jobs, nearly triple the originally planned headcount. TSMC's first $12 billion facility in the US [2] will produce chips using its N4 process and is scheduled to open in 2024. The company originally planned to use its N5 generation process to make 5nm chips. With rising trade tension and disruptions to supply chains caused by widespread Covid-19 (coronavirus) restrictions in mainland China, TSMC’s US clients are pushing to source more components locally to reduce reliance on imports from the nation. At an event marking the arrival of the first batch of chip making equipment, TSMC chair Mark Liu said it aimed to deliver the greenest chip manufacturing facility in the US, producing the most advanced semiconductor process technology in the country. TSMC revealed plans for an on-site industrial water reclamation plant which will allow it to achieve near zero liquid discharge. US President Joe Biden, Apple CEO Tim Cook, AMD chair and CEO Lisa Su and Nvidia president and CEO Jensen Huang attended the ceremony. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/asia/asia-news/tsmc-ramps-us-chip-production-plans/ [2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/tsmc-plans-12b-us-chip-factory/]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 10:25:12 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQg4HiGe2DG0Upu9CxXrVx4c https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhenuscX5G0HOGrEXdXG_66 Apple followed through on a plan to offer self-repair kits to iPhone users across Europe in a move to burnish its sustainability credentials. The vendor launched self-repair kits in the US [1] in April, around five months after detailing the plan [2]. Today (6 December) it expanded availability to Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Apple offers more than 200 genuine parts and tools along with repair manuals covering iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 smartphones, and Mac notebooks with its silicon. The tools include torque drivers, repair trays, and display and battery presses. Apple stated the kits were for users experienced with the complexities of repairing electronic devices, noting the vast majority of customers should visit stores with certified technicians. The company will rent out tool kits for $49 per week for users to perform one-time repairs. Customers also have the option to send replaced parts back to Apple for refurbishment and recycling to possibly receive credits covering their purchases. Google [3] and Samsung [4] also detailed smartphone repair schemes this year, as regulators in a number of markets [5] seek to push device repair options to cut electronic waste. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/devices-home-banner/apple-tools-us-users-up-for-self-repair/ [2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/devices/news-devices/apple-to-roll-out-iphone-self-repair-scheme/ [3] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/devices/news-devices/google-latest-to-prepare-device-self-repair-scheme/ [4] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/samsung-to-follow-apple-down-self-repair-route-in-us/ [5] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/eu-uk-inch-towards-tough-repair-rules-for-devices]]> Tue, 06 Dec 2022 19:43:43 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhenuscX5G0HOGrEXdXG_66 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQievtcvygqCQWw5Ur-z5Bww LIVE FROM MWL UNWRAPPED: While deployments of drones and autonomous vehicles may capture attention, City of Frisco CIO Jason Cooley (pictured) highlighted the primary aim of smart city moves are around efficiency and productivity. Speaking during his keynote on day one of the event, Cooley showcased how his Texan city has been something of a testbed for a variety of advanced pieces of smart infrastructure, including delivery of prescriptions by drone. “It’s great to have cool drones and robots but at the end of the day we’re still in the service providing business and if I can start providing that service as efficiently as possible and actually save my citizens dollars that’s my goal,” he told Mobile World Live. Cooley added the “ultimate scenario” from its projects was the use of data points to allow it to “deploy resources in the most efficient method possible.” Part of this data usage ambition is around sustainability and the production of metrics to track emissions and other city metrics. “We’re not there yet,” he said. “But our next phase is to start tracking those data metrics [produced by smart city infrastructure] and look at our emissions, looking specifically at what we have on our roadways and how we can reduce our emissions … whether that’s through different modes of transport or better transport solutions.” Unwrapped is an online event hosted exclusively on Mobile World Live, where industry experts and top executives will be discussing the subject of Making Money from the Mobile Enterprise. To view the stream and content from the event click here [1]. [1] https://unwrapped.mobileworldlive.com/making-money-from-the-mobile-enterprise/]]> Tue, 06 Dec 2022 18:07:56 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQievtcvygqCQWw5Ur-z5Bww https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgRyXWxXUiKyqgHTd9OkkKt LIVE FROM MWL UNWRAPPED: Alberto Araque, CEO of enterprise IoT and AI at e&, argued a human-centric approach to smart cities is the best way to ensure technology fulfills expectations across a city, while enhancing operations and experiences for citizens. Speaking on the opening day of Mobile World Live’s second Unwrapped series, Araque said Middle East-focused operator e& is intent on ensuring smart cities are able to fulfil expectations for various stakeholders, as he opened up on numerous use cases it is working on. “There are different stakeholders in a smart city,” he said. “There are citizens, but there are also visitors, authorities, businesses and associations, and for all of them the smart city has to respond with the right information at the right time." Araque explained the operator had found the most popular use cases in a smart city were ones that had a “direct impact and outcome on the user”. For example, in improving the general living experience, a community portal in a city centre for both citizens and visitors provided access about various information points in real time, even allowing for interaction with city authorities. Second, he highlighted environmental monitoring, allowing for people to track noise levels, water quality of lakes and even identify anything causing disturbances which could then allow city managers to take action. Araque also pinpointed smart parking, which will improve the driving experience and benefit the environment, in addition to waste management safety measures. While identifying numerous examples, Araque added the most successful projects were those that combine different use cases. By doing this, he said e& used AI for the data generated to create a better overview of the needs of a city. Unwrapped is an online event hosted exclusively on Mobile World Live, where industry experts and top executives will be discussing the subject of Making Money from the Mobile Enterprise. To view the stream and content from the event click here [1]. [1] https://unwrapped.mobileworldlive.com/making-money-from-the-mobile-enterprise/]]> Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:37:21 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgRyXWxXUiKyqgHTd9OkkKt https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiMoG-e-TybaGZMehmtHS8- Qualcomm employed an acquisition of Cellwize [1] to power a new 5G macro platform it claimed reduced the cost of outdoor mmWave base stations while also increasing the range. The vendor claimed its Compact Macro 5G platform can boost the range of compatible mmWave deployments by up to 240 per cent. Qualcomm explained the platform is designed to reduce base station equipment costs by up to 50 per cent compared with other mmWave offerings, tipping benefits for companies targeting fixed wireless (FWA) access deployments in urban and rural areas, along with enterprises. Gerardo Giaretta, VP of product management for Qualcomm, told analysts the platform could deliver up to 60bdm of peak effective isotropic radiated power in a small, cost-efficient form factor. It runs the baseband chip from Qualcomm’s small-cell FSM 5G RAN platform coupled with macro-grade antennas covering up to 256 elements. Giaretta stated sample shipments of the platform are due in Q1 2023, with commercial deployments in H2. Analyst views Recon Analytics analyst Roger Entner welcomed Qualcomm's use of Cellwize technology and backed the US chip maker to "do well in this area", noting the platform covered more bands than products from main rival Intel. J Gold Associates founder and principal analyst Jack Gold told Mobile World Live Qualcomm has "an advantage in mmWave" which could be a benefit against 5G modem competitors including MediaTek, and potentially Marvell Technology and Broadcom. He stated most FWA deployments to date were in mid-band or C-Band and not mmWave. “The bottom line for me is, which equipment vendors feel confident enough in building-out mmWave FWA at this point and which service providers are betting on it?" "This is a new market that has yet to emerge. It has huge potential, but we’ll have to see how it develops". Gold named Ericsson, Nokia, Cisco and Huawei as infrastructure vendors which could be interested in Qualcomm's latest platform, but noted the greatest demand might also come from "non-traditional equipment guys that are start-ups trying to make a mark in smart cities and venues”. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/qualcomm-seals-cellwize-deal/]]> Tue, 06 Dec 2022 15:58:20 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiMoG-e-TybaGZMehmtHS8- https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQj4w1O7BbE_oHOFESPuQWsX ]]> Tue, 06 Dec 2022 14:42:32 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQj4w1O7BbE_oHOFESPuQWsX https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgRr7rpOeP-g6rkJyTkC_2b The UK government launched a tender for a research project which aims to assess the state of the country's semiconductor industry, with the view of launching a wider national initiative to ramp production and unlock untapped potential. In a statement, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) revealed it was commissioning the report with the overall goal of bringing the UK’s semiconductor industry together, tackle shared challenges and help businesses scale-up. The DCMS is looking to assess whether better access to prototyping and manufacturing facilities for chip companies are needed to tackle barriers to innovation and grow the industry. In addition, the study will look into opportunities to make specialist software tools available for start-ups and ways to develop “cutting-edge” packaging processes, the point in the supply chain where chips are prepared to use. Companies are now invited to tender for the study, with the government allocating a budget of between £700,000 and £900,000. Focus The government has put its semiconductor ambitions in focus following a global chip shortage, with the UK currently reliant on a select few international manufacturers. However, the DCMS claimed it made strides over the past decade, with revenue from the sector increasing globally by 95 per cent between 2012 and 2021, while establishing strengths in chip design, research and compound semiconductors. Michelle Donelan, digital secretary for DCMS, said the research would help “meet our ambition and could lead to a new national institution and greater research facilities”.]]> Tue, 06 Dec 2022 14:13:03 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgRr7rpOeP-g6rkJyTkC_2b https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgRr7rpOeP-g4eLGixeGJZp ]]> Tue, 06 Dec 2022 14:00:17 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgRr7rpOeP-g4eLGixeGJZp https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhFp1jpGFikJLkdRKkm2PJP ]]> Tue, 06 Dec 2022 13:39:07 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhFp1jpGFikJLkdRKkm2PJP https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhn6DgIvgdbzsfGo0LrnZNO Airtel Africa took out a series of loans from the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) totalling $194 million, cash set to be allocated to backing availability of affordable mobile broadband in six of its markets. The cash is being made available in local currencies to the operator group’s subsidiaries in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Niger, Republic of Congo and Zambia. As part of the deal, Airtel Africa has to meet a variety of terms related to sustainable business practices, with the operator submitting a dedicated environmental and social action plan. Airtel Africa CEO Segun Ogunsanya said the facility met with a strategy of taking out localised debt in its operating companies and also “supports our commitment and our ability to meet very strict environmental, social, governance criteria in demonstration of the continued execution of our sustainability journey”. Ogunsanya added the company planned to work closely with the IFC moving forward on other collaborations. The IFC’s digital strategy in Africa is focused on supplying finance to companies focused on infrastructure such as independent tower companies and supporting mobile operators, primarily in countries the organisation describes as in “fragile and conflict situations” alongside nations deemed as low income.]]> Tue, 06 Dec 2022 13:36:47 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhn6DgIvgdbzsfGo0LrnZNO