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 Sun, 03 Jul 2022 15:51:39 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhEgMTpK2KH7OGkz6RCC25z After an eight-year journey in various executive roles across US operator Verizon, Sowmyanarayan Sampath (pictured) took over the helm of its business division today (1 July), with a focus across three areas: network-as-a-service; 5G and deepening the company’s culture of execution. While Verizon Business claims to have a 44 per cent market share in the enterprise and government services sector, Sampath said his priorities included growing its proportion in the face of increased competition from other mobile operators such as T-Mobile US. In this Q&A, Sampath tells Mobile World Live what his top priorities are and where enterprises are struggling the most on their digital transformation What are your top goals? One is to make 5G bigger. For us there are three things to take share in mobility: fixed wireless access, MEC and private networks. The second one is network-as-a-service (NaaS). Companies are coming under increased cost pressures. Having a single comprehensive NaaS they can rely on brings all of Verizon to bear. Third is to do with just the operating culture. We are very customer focused, and we’re continuing that, but we’re also bringing a very strong element of leading with kindness. Prior to being named CEO, you were CRO for Verizon Business, SVP of business transformation, and chief product officer for the Consumer and Enterprise businesses. Did you purposely set out to work across various sectors of Verizon? No, it was an investment by our chairman and by our board to get me that rounded experience. I've touched almost every part of the company in the last eight years and I need to bring that to bear in this role. That’s my mission. You've been involved in some of Verizon’s biggest projects, including OneFiber and network transformation. Is there a particular project that stands out for you? The recent project that we did, what we call blueprint for growth, is the one I’m most excited about. With blueprint for growth, we basically decided we're going to make a market in 5G and we're going to take share. We’ve taken market share over the last three quarters on the wireless side and we’ve had some pretty large deals on the wireline NaaS side. It’s a complete growth mindset. What do enterprises tell you that they want? What’s top of mind? The biggest thing for them is they're migrating to the cloud at some crazy rate, and more than 40 per cent of cloud migration projects get stalled because they didn't plan properly for the network. Step one for them is as they go into their digital journey, as they go through their cloud journey, get the base connectivity and security right. It's down to the basics, and there's just a lot of work we're doing in that space. There’s an ongoing labour shortage across various industry verticals. What would you tell prospective employees about the benefits of working for a mobile operator? The good thing about the telecom business is it keeps changing every few years and the technology is the best in class. This business is the foundation for a lot of other things. For example, if you have an interest in healthcare, this is a good way to understand the foundation of healthcare technology, or manufacturing technology. It’s a very foundational piece of engineering and technology, and that's good for everyone. The second thing is at Verizon is we have meaningful jobs. In other words, you get to work on some of the most cutting-edge technologies, and we give our people lot of responsibility.]]> Fri, 01 Jul 2022 19:23:36 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhEgMTpK2KH7OGkz6RCC25z https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQh_uip_1lNtgkoy9CZgXDJO South Africa-headquartered MTN Group named new CEOs for its operations in Cameroon, Rwanda and Uganda, and created an operations executive role, moves it stated advanced a long-term growth strategy. On 1 September, current MTN Rwanda CEO Mitwa Ng’ambi will take over as Cameroon CEO, replacing the unit's current chief Stephen Blewett, who is stepping down after a little more than seven years with the company. Ng’ambi brings experience working at the operator’s Zambia and Benin divisions. MTN’s South Africa CCO Mapula Bodibe is set to take the Rwanda CEO position: the operator stated Bodibe’s portfolio of experience in a 15-year career with the company includes commercial strategy and consumer marketing. Meanwhile, Safaricom chief consumer business officer Sylvia Mulinge is set to join as CEO of MTN Uganda, succeeding Wim Vanhelleputte, who is set to take on the operations role covering Liberia, Guinea-Conakry, Guinea-Bissau and Congo-Brazzaville on 1 August. MTN Group president and CEO Ralph Mupita (pictured) noted each executive bring "strong track records of execution and results", boosting the operator's "confidence on delivery of our Ambition 2025 strategy". The moves continue a run of executive changes [1] at MTN this year, designed to bolster the growth plan, which involves a digital technology strategy alongside a broader restructure of its operations. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/mtn-shuffles-executive-teams-across-three-markets]]> Fri, 01 Jul 2022 14:01:35 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQh_uip_1lNtgkoy9CZgXDJO https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQj6kK5yVrUqK6vLeqE6yv18 The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave SpaceX’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband service Starlink the greenlight to provide internet services on moving vehicles, ships and aeroplanes, paving the way for the company to expand availability of its services. SpaceX reportedly requested approval to allow Earth Stations in Motion (ESIM) Starlink terminals to be used in moving vehicles in March 2021. The FCC stated “authorising a new class of terminals” for Starlink “will expand the range of broadband capabilities to meet the growing user demands that now require connectivity while on the move”. It highlighted activities including cross-country travel "moving a freighter from Europe to a US port" and in-flight connectivity as areas which would benefit from the expanded coverage. Starlink already sells a service for motorhomes in the US, but the offering is not designed to work on the move, instead targeting areas where broadband connectivity is unreliable or unavailable. The FCC also authorised a similar request from another satellite company, Kepler Communications. Keppler and Starlink intend to use the 12GHz band for the new services.]]> Fri, 01 Jul 2022 13:28:10 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQj6kK5yVrUqK6vLeqE6yv18 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQja4lrVLVj2tGZMehmtHS8- Alphabet-owned Google agreed to establish a $90 million fund as part of a proposed settlement to a legal spat with US Android app developers over their earnings, in a bid to avoid what the search giant described as uncertainty arising from the proceedings. Writing in the company’s corporate blog, VP for government affairs and public policy Wilson White indicated the fund aims to support US developers with earnings of less than $2 million from Google Play in each year from 2016 to 2021. The proposed settlement is yet to be approved by the US District Court for the Northern District of California, where a class-action lawsuit filed by Android developers against Google has been pending since August 2020. Hagens Berman, a law company representing the developers, stated the lawsuit alleged Google violated antitrust laws and harmed developers through anticompetitive policies governing the Google Play Store. Steve Berman, managing partner and co-founder of Hagens Berman, said the proposed settlement could benefit around 48,000 Android developers. The company added each class-action member will receive a minimum payment of $250, “with additional distributions served on a pro rata basis up to and exceeding $200,000”. Berman noted the company had secured a $100 million settlement on behalf of US iOS developers on similar claims against Apple in 2021. “We think this pair of settlements sends a strong message to Big Tech: the law is watching and even the most powerful companies in the world are accountable when they stifle competition,” Berman stated. Google also committed to allow developers to pay a reduced 15 per cent service fee on their first $1 million in annual revenue until at least 25 May 2025, down from the previous rate of 30 per cent.]]> Fri, 01 Jul 2022 12:52:11 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQja4lrVLVj2tGZMehmtHS8- https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgAgYS_vuUIRJJTpfXVttXD NEC struck a deal to acquire system integrator Aspire Technology Unlimited for an undisclosed sum, a buy the Japanese technology giant cited as further increasing its ability to provide end-to-end open RAN systems. Republic of Ireland-based Aspire Technology sells system integration technology and consulting services to operators covering network technologies from 2G to 5G. It covers traditional and open architecture, but has been a vocal advocate of open RAN in recent years. NEC hailed the acquisition as enhancing its Open Networks line, pointing to expertise gained in the design and integration of legacy and open systems given Aspire Technology’s “unique skills” in this area. In its statement announcing the deal, NEC added Aspire Technology works with leading operators, vendors and other systems integrators in EMEA and the Americas, including tier-one communications service providers. It also runs an open networks lab. NEC already has what it describes as an “industry-leading ecosystem” of open RAN products. The vendor has a number of deals in place with operators on trials [1] and deployments of network technology [2] based on the architecture. “The addition of Aspire Technology strengthens NEC’s system integration offering for open RAN 5G applications, which require an increased level of systems design and integration when compared with legacy ecosystems,” it noted. The transaction is expected to close by the end of this month. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/telefonica-taps-nec-for-open-ran-push [2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/samsung-vodafone-open-ran]]> Fri, 01 Jul 2022 12:43:32 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgAgYS_vuUIRJJTpfXVttXD https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgAgYS_vuUIRPdczOo_8W9B Meta Platforms reportedly reduced its 2022 target for hiring engineers by 30 per cent, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) braced the company for what he claimed was likely to be one of the worst economic downturns in recent history. Reuters reported Zuckerberg made the comments in an employee Q&A session, stating Meta Platforms had reduced its aim to hire 10,000 new engineers to around 6,000 to 7,000. Zuckerberg reportedly warned of a deep economic downturn and said Meta Platforms would also leave certain positions unfilled in response to attrition. Meta Platforms is further “turning up the heat” on employees to assess who can handle aggressive goals, with the hope raising expectations might lead to some employees choosing to leave. “Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn’t be here,” added Zuckerberg. In line with a more conservative approach, an internal memo viewed by Reuters indicated Meta Platforms is preparing for a leaner second half of the year, largely due to macroeconomic pressures and hits to its advertising business. Chief product officer Chris Cox stated in the memo Meta Platforms needed to “execute flawlessly in an environment of slower growth, where teams should not expect vast influxes of new engineers and budgets”. In Q1, Meta Platforms booked a $3 billion loss [1], as it makes significant investments into the metaverse. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/apps/news-apps/meta-sheds-another-3b-on-metaverse-punt]]> Fri, 01 Jul 2022 12:23:28 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgAgYS_vuUIRPdczOo_8W9B https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQjsiO7R2EoPBVhGNgNo2_0q T-Mobile US talked up its efforts to bridge the digital divide as it revealed it had made its 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) home broadband service available to a further 5 million homes, bringing its total coverage to more than 40 million. The operator expanded availability in 81 cities in the states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. T-Mobile noted of the 40 million homes now able to access its FWA service, 33 per cent were in rural areas. CMO Mike Katz stated T-Mobile was doing “real work to bridge the digital divide" through its FWA service and other connectivity efforts. T-Mobile stated more than 1.1 million homes in the five states lack access to home broadband services. The operator cited research by the Greater Des Moines Partnership which found 40 per cent of homes in central Iowa had download rates of less than 25Mb/s, below the Federal Communications Commission’s definition of high-speed broadband, along with various press articles noting 25 per cent of students in Oklahoma lacked home broadband access. Some of T-Mobile’s broadband competitors in the five additional states include Mediacom, Suddenlink, Cox Communications, ViaSat, Charter Communications and Comcast.]]> Fri, 01 Jul 2022 10:01:24 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQjsiO7R2EoPBVhGNgNo2_0q https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiw1-3jKvHbDe4DA87rvhPr French defence player Thales created a company dubbed S3NS which will collaborate with Google to offer cloud services for public and private companies in compliance with state rules. The formation of S3NS comes after Thales struck a partnership with Google Cloud in October 2021, prompted by a French government initiative around cloud computing. Due to the increasing dominance of US companies in providing cloud services, France’s government specified services developed by Google and Microsoft could be used to store sensitive state information, but data centres were located in the country and solutions were licensed to domestic companies. The creation of S3NS goes beyond the initial partnership, with Thales stating its mission was to help organisations in France benefit from the power of Google Cloud while protecting sensitive data in compliance with France’s National Information System Security Agency (ANSSI) rules. S3NS is targeting the second half of 2024 to launch commercially, as it bids to develop a platform that meets ANSSI's requirements to be labelled a “Trusted Cloud”. Cloud competition Thales has taken `a majority ownership in the venture and will have full control of the commercialisation of services developed by Google. S3NS will operate three France-based data centres and it has already identified 40 potential customers, including large banks and healthcare organisations. Thales' play will compete with operator Orange’s recently-formed cloud venture Bleu [1], which is working with Microsoft to offer services also given the green light by the French-state. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/orange-secure-cloud-france]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 17:41:22 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiw1-3jKvHbDe4DA87rvhPr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQjYEaz6vKo8llLv-B9hV9S2 Vodafone Group head of network architecture Yago Tenorio (pictured) voiced optimism specialist players would be able to grasp a part of the open RAN ecosystem, despite large corporations such as Samsung and NEC taking large slices of current contracts. Speaking at a media event in London the day it emerged open RAN pioneer [1] Parallel Wireless was making mass lay-offs, Tenorio conceded it was players with large industry scale which currently held the advantage in the nascent sector. “Industry scale helps a lot and what you’re seeing in open RAN today in the majority of cases are players that have scale in adjacent areas find it easier to move laterally,” he stated, noting this applied to the likes of Intel, Samsung, Dell, Qualcomm, Marvell Technology, NEC and others. “In the future I want to believe that there will be a chance for newcomers," he added, explaining future developments "might give some room for very specialised small companies to play a role, maybe more easily than it is today”. The operator group had held trials with Parallel Wireless, but the vendor’s name was notably absent from the final list of suppliers [2] announced for its UK rollout in 2021. The company’s main vendors in its ongoing project in its home market are Samsung Electronics, Dell, NEC and Wind River. Discussing its ongoing open RAN UK project, Tenorio said Vodafone would install its first urban sites in the town of Torquay by the end of 2022. He added its project to deploy the open architecture was “going exactly as per the plan” which has a target of having 30 per cent of its European network footprint using the approach by 2030. Space race Elsewhere at the event, Vodafone Group CTO Johan Wibergh outlined his hopes for satellite connectivity from partner AST Mobile, which aims to be able to provide ubiquitous signals to smartphones without the need for a specialist device. The satellite company, which Vodafone is an investor in, is beginning a trial in August followed by plans to launch LEO birds over Africa in 2023. “If you are sitting on an aeroplane or the middle of the ocean you can be reached on your mobile phone on your normal number,” Wibergh enthused. “We can provide coverage across the world and as long as there’s a reasonable charge we will use it.” [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/parallel-wireless-cuts-workforce-analysts-stay-upbeat [2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/samsung-vodafone-open-ran]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 16:27:45 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQjYEaz6vKo8llLv-B9hV9S2 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhcJxxsUHGSV1T72x6uxjiK PRESS RELEASE: ZTE Corporation together with Zong, Pakistan’s digital services front-runner, has commercially launched the dual-band FDD Massive MIMO in Zong’s existing 4G network,  well satisfying the expansion requirement on increasing 4G users and traffic. With ZTE’s FDD Massive MIMO solution, the deployment area’s 4G data traffic capacity has jumped by 21% while the average user throughput has increased by 40%, resulting in a 60% reduction in high-loaded cell counts. Zong has been leading the data market in Pakistan with its rapidly increasing 4G users and data traffic. Total 4G data traffic in the year 2021 increased nine times over the year 2018, while the proportion of high-load cells increased from 3% to 17%. Therefore, Zong’s network is in dire need of effective solutions to meet its network requirements. Zong is also a pioneer of exploring new technological solutions. It is known that FDD Massive MIMO is one of the key 5G technologies, now it has been successfully applied in the 4G network and brought great advantage. Since September 2021, Zong together with ZTE successfully commercialized first FDD Massive MIMO site in Peshawar. The FDD Massive MIMO has been operating well on 4G for both 1.8GHz and 2.1GHz dual bands, with the highest output power of 320W in the industry. Besides, it enabled the industry unique SSCG (Smart Spatial Cell Groups) technology, which realizes intelligent cell coverage adjustment based on user distribution, and improves cell capacity and spectrum efficiency. “Digital Everything " is becoming new agenda of telecommunications industry. FDD Massive MIMO is much-needed technology to support global telecommunications operators in highly-competitive market. By the end of May 2022, 170+ sites were on air, large-scale commercialization of FDD Massive MIMO is becoming a new way of improving capacity and spectrum efficiency in 4G network. Moving forward, Zong and ZTE will be committed to expanding the large-scale commercialization of the FDD Massive MIMO to further improve the 4G network capacity and spectrum efficiency.      ]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 15:37:29 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQhcJxxsUHGSV1T72x6uxjiK https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgu0KbFsBIuOiuZukmJ4mr4 PRESS RELEASE: Huawei hosted the Latin America ICT Congress (LATAM ICT Congress) with the support of GSMA Intelligence and ITU. The event gathered network operators, industry organizations, and equipment vendors from across the region to discuss "The Road of 5G: Lighting Up Digital LATAM" and exchange ideas on how 5G can develop rapidly and provide value for customers across Latin America. Cullen Xu, Vice President of Huawei Wireless Network 5G Product Line, spoke at the event, noting that cross-generation experience will serve as the foundation for 5G business success, and that high-bandwidth Massive MIMO is the key for operators to build high-quality 5G networks. We are now in the third year of 5G commercial rollout. Globally, more than 200 operators have deployed 5G commercial networks, bringing 5G services to over 700 million users. Multi-antenna and high-bandwidth technologies have driven a 5 to 10 times improvement in cross-generation experience, and this setup has become the standard configuration that most operators depend on when building high-quality 5G networks. In leading 5G markets, operators have made 5G coverage seamless throughout urban and suburban areas within a remarkably short period of time. Users have been able to enjoy a cross-generation experience, and operators have been able to upgrade their services and achieve flourishing business. In China, operators have deployed high-bandwidth TDD with Massive MIMO on a large scale to improve performance tenfold, encouraging 4G users and traffic to move to 5G networks. More than 30% of mobile data traffic is now on 5G networks, contributing to 30% data of usage (DOU) growth and 10% increase in average Revenue Per User (ARPU). In the Middle East, operators have been focusing on 5G FWA since the unveiling of 5G development, in order to provide a fiber-like experience. There are currently 15 5G FWA networks in operation, and FWA users are expected to exceed 1.2 million by 2022. Compared with eMBB, FWA increases ARPU by two to three times per line and DOU by five to ten times. As a result, 5G FWA has helped operators boost their revenue at the initial stage of 5G development. As Latin American countries continue to license 5G spectrum, 5G will soon experience high-speed growth in the continent. Xu mentioned that the global 5G terminal ecosystem has matured, with more than 1300 types of terminals available, and the prices dropping as low as USD150. The number of 5G users in Latin America will increase rapidly, driven by the global 5G industry chain, and is projected to exceed 30% of total users by 2025. Standout 5G performance has facilitated rapid development in the HD video, short video, and AR/VR sectors. In Latin America, video services have gone mainstream, with short video apps like TikTok and Kwai garnering widespread popularity in major markets such as Mexico and Brazil. As of November 2021, there were more than 112 million monthly active TikTok users in those two countries alone. It's become clear that the continued deployment of 5G networks will further boost user traffic and provide value for operators. Since the inter-site distances tend to be large in Latin American, Huawei has developed MetaAAU to help such operators improve coverage while saving energy. Innovative hardware and software contribute to 30% improvement in uplink and downlink coverage and 30% reduction in energy consumption. Antenna installation space is often limited for 5G networks in Latin America, and thus Huawei has launched a full lineup of 64T BladeAAU Pro products. Due to the presence of passive and active antennas within one box, a single device is able to support all sub-6 GHz bands, which helps operators simplify 5G deployment while meeting the needs of the next 5 to 10 years. "5G will flourish in Latin America and create value beyond our wildest expectations. In a word, investing in 5G is investing in the future," Xu concluded.]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 14:54:52 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgu0KbFsBIuOiuZukmJ4mr4 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgEeTb_LOc9vagHTd9OkkKt UK operator Virgin Media O2 revealed it installed more than 1,300 small cells across London, claiming the largest deployment of any major operator as it presses on with its 4G and 5G network rollout. Virgin Media O2 highlighted benefits including boosting capacity and coverage in dense urban areas, with its small cells having a typical range of between 80 metres and 120 metres and being installed on existing street furniture. It stated the live small cells run on the 1800MHz frequency, with some trials in 2.6GHz also underway. It also outlined goals to expand small cells to other parts of the UK and provide coverage at the Commonwealth Games being held from late July to early August in Birmingham. Virgin Media O2 CTO Jeanie York said building a 5G network is a complex job and it was looking at ways to create efficiencies. “Technologies such as small cells help us increase network bandwidth, which allows us to keep up with customer demand, with data traffic levels increasing 34 per cent year-on-year.” Virgin Media O2 worked with Cellnex UK, Freshwave, Ontix and the City of London on the rollout, among others. It is also trialling 5G-ready bus shelters in London in partnership with Freshwave.]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 13:42:51 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgEeTb_LOc9vagHTd9OkkKt https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiGek6dMmP1NrmyhX6zo8SW Samsung claimed to have become the first company in the world to begin mass producing chips with an advanced 3nm process, a move it hopes will lure customers away from leading foundry chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). Compared with conventional 5nm chips, the first-generation 3nm process can reduce power consumption by up to 45 per cent, improve performance by 23 per cent and reduce area by 16 per cent, Samsung stated. Samsung also noted that a second generation of 3nm expected in 2023 will reduce power consumption by up to 50 per cent, improve performance by 30 per cent and reduce area by 35 per cent. The South Korea-based vendor announced in 2021 that it planned to apply a new transistor structure called “gate all around” (GAA) in the 3nm production process. At the time, Samsung also set the target of producing 2nm chips built on GAA by 2025. Samsung’s goal is to become the world’s leading logic chipmaker by 2030. The company is already the market leader in memory chips. In 2021, the manufacturer developed 8nm process [1] technology for RF chips, a move claimed as a major boost for the power and efficiency of 5G communications. Samsung also aims to close the gap to contract manufacturer TSMC, which research company TrendForce ranked at the top of the market with a 54 per cent share compared with the 16 per cent currently held by the South Korean company. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/samsung-8nm-rf-chip]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 13:09:32 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiGek6dMmP1NrmyhX6zo8SW https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQjwxFRxlImRv5JTpfXVttXD India’s upcoming 5G auction has reportedly been met with a muted response by the country’s major operators, which remain at odds with the government’s decision to allocate some airwaves to enterprises for private networks. In an interview, S.P. Kochhar, director general of industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) told Reuters the country’s biggest operators Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea were upset about the make-up of the auction [1], estimating a potential 5G revenue loss of 40 per cent. The COAI, which represents the interests of major operators Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, failed in attempts to dissuade the regulator from setting aside spectrum for enterprises, while technology companies including Amazon and Google supported the plan. Kochhar explained operators were counting on demand from enterprises to justify a major investment to the tune of billions of dollars, considering it expects uptake of 5G by retail consumers to be slow due to the current economic environment. Other unnamed sources told Reuters operators were now planning to make muted bids in the auction, with the rise of private networks dampening the 5G business case. The government hopes allowing enterprises access to 5G spectrum and, in turn private networks, will drive innovation across a range of sectors, following success with similar moves in South Korea and Germany. India’s auction is due to be held in July and the government has set a reserve price of INR3.2 billion ($40.5 million) for a total of 72GHz of spectrum up for grabs. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/india-to-reserve-5g-spectrum-for-private-networks]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 12:36:28 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQjwxFRxlImRv5JTpfXVttXD https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgxKI4NL8kdla8qfTAM-Smm The Mexican resort town of Cancun hosted the LATAM ICT Congress 2022 last week. Organised by Huawei and supported by GSMA Intelligence, the event brought together ICT executives and regulatory leaders from across the region. Top of the agenda were digital inclusion and, in particular, the state of 5G readiness in the region. Aside from attending the main conference and having the opportunity to deliver a keynote on 5G spectrum strategy in the region, I had the pleasure to participate in the 5G LatAm MBB CxO roundtable, a private session where a select group of executives from 13 operators in the region and other key ecosystem players exchanged views on the challenges and opportunities the rollout of 5G brings. First of all, let’s set the context for the discussion. The 5G market in Latin America is heating up. Brazil, Chile and Dominican Republic have recently completed 5G spectrum assignments. Ecuador and Colombia have announced plans to release spectrum. Mexico and Peru have launched services on current spectrum bands. Clearly, the number of markets looking at the 5G opportunity is and will continue to grow. However, it is also clear the broader market context is challenging. Over the last decade, economic value in the region (as elsewhere) has shifted to internet companies. As the 2021 GSMA Intelligence consumer survey [1] shows, consumers are willing to pay extra for their 5G mobile subscription compared with what they pay for their current 4G subscription. But does this uplift justify the additional investments required? Possibly not on its own, although of course an important part of the 5G investment case is the greater cost efficiency the networks will deliver when dealing with growing data volumes when compared with 4G. With all that in mind, what were the key strategic questions at the forefront of the minds of top executives in the region during the roundtable? What are the key factors they are considering including timings and strategies to launch (then make money from) 5G services in their markets? During the roundtable, three main factors stood out: spectrum; networks; and the search for new revenue streams. Spectrum Participants highlighted affordable and contiguous spectrum as the engine of 5G. The technology will require additional spectrum in low-, mid- and high-bands. However, if additional spectrum is linked to additional costs, this will make the investment case for operators even more challenging, potentially forcing a delay or scaling back of investment decisions. Unfortunately, the evolution of spectrum costs in the region in the last decade is a cause of concern, growing much faster than revenue. As a recent GSMA Intelligence study shows [2], the total cost of spectrum as a percentage of recurring revenues (CPRR) reached a historical maximum of 4.5 per cent in recent years, with the value close to a whopping 15 per cent in some markets. The success of 5G spectrum strategies in Latin America will, therefore be determined by the availability and affordability of mid-band spectrum in large contiguous blocks. The 3.5GHz band is a priority for initial deployments while 6GHz can be good choice in the medium term to provide additional mid-band capacity. Networks Non-standalone (NSA) 5G means every 4G dollar today can be a 5G dollar in the near future. Investments in 4G are still very important in the region today, with network coverage and adoption still experiencing important growth in many markets. A strong LTE network is, of course important for initial NSA 5G deployments and that was claimed by many of the participants in the roundtable. Of course, network modernisation in the areas of massive MIMO, sites, antennas, energy efficiency, core and cloud strategy are all needed for 5G networks. However, strengthening the existing LTE layer is essential for both 4G as well as the future 5G experience and a main priority for most operators. New services Finding the right application is key: new 5G revenue opportunities are a first order question for telecom operators in the region. There is clearly the potential for significant revenue uplifts when considering the introduction of new use cases. On the consumer side, this includes cloud-based gaming, e-sports, enhanced video services and extended reality applications. Operators will also need to look beyond core consumer services and consider additional use cases: FWA and enterprise are important considerations in most markets. The arrival of 5G has revamped FWA and is making it a competitive solution versus FTTH and cable, particularly in areas were fibre is not yet available. As recent GSMA Intelligence research [3] shows, the 5G FWA opportunity is significant and some operators in the region are already active, for example Claro in Peru. Operators are also taking small steps to offer a growing portfolio of products as part of bundled or integrated solutions for enterprises and verticals. Overall, the roundtable discussion provided key insights as to the main factors needed to build solid 5G investment cases in the region. Did we find conclusive and definitive solutions to the best possible strategies to successfully deploy 5G in Latin America? Not quite. These will differ in every market. However, it hinted towards the main elements that are at play in this early phase of the 5G rollout in the region, including what we are likely to see happening next as operators start ramping their focus on 5G investments. – Pau Castells – head of economic analysis, GSMA Intelligence The editorial views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and will not necessarily reflect the views of the GSMA, its Members or Associate Members. [1] https://www.gsma.com/mobileeconomy/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GSMA_MobileEconomy2021_3.pdf [2] https://www.gsma.com/latinamerica/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GSMA-Analisis-Precio-Espectro-Ecuador_oct-2021_uso-externo_eng.pdf [3] https://data.gsmaintelligence.com/api-web/v2/research-file-download?id=66289674&file=141021-5G-FWA-Opportunity.pdf]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:58:55 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgxKI4NL8kdla8qfTAM-Smm https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgxKI4NL8kdlXtuT6pSmY81 Rakuten Symphony appointed former Dell and Ericsson 5G expert Zia Syed as president of its Symworld Platform Business Group, with the executive charged with leading the integration of the company’s recent acquisitions [1] into its operator-focused proposition. Syed joins Rakuten Symphony from Dell Technologies, where he spent two years as its 5G CTO. Prior to joining the US tech company he held a number of roles at Ericsson culminating in being its CTO business innovation 5G and edge. In a blog on the appointment, Rakuten Symphony noted Syed would lead the integration of software from partners and its recently-acquired businesses Altiostar, InnoEye Technologies and Robin.io into its Symworld platform. Symworld is the company’s operator-focused cloud-native proposition, which it argues allows swift implementation of various software applications to achieve greater automation in new and existing network infrastructure. He will work below vocal open RAN advocate [2] and Rakuten Symphony CEO Tareq Amin. Announcing the appointment Amin said: “Operational complexities have created problems that are limiting operators’ options to scale and monetise their networks with better services. With Zia Syed now at the helm, Symworld is poised to address these challenges and help accelerate telco industry change.” [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/rakuten-set-to-buy-open-ran-player-altiostar [2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/rakuten-symphony-boss-keen-to-share-secret-sauce]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:48:05 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgxKI4NL8kdlXtuT6pSmY81 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQjvbYGFbSnnDem6srrLMsqK Samsung moved to plug a hole in its network portfolio by launching a vRAN architecture for 2G to back deployments of voice communications in rural areas where availability of 4G and 5G is limited. The vendor plans to commence trials of the 2G vRAN set-up in the back half of the year ahead of commercial deliveries in 2023 with a focus on tier-one operators in Europe. The move will better equip Samsung to compete against Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia, which have had 2G offerings for years. In a blog, Samsung Networks VP and head of product strategy Kiho Cho, noted some operators still use 2G and plan to continue doing so beyond 2030, highlighting Europe as a key market. “It is the foundation for existing network technologies and basic cellular services.” Cho noted vRAN was a more effective means for operators to maintain legacy technologies, providing greater efficiency and flexibility through a software-based approach. The executive added Samsung's strategy will enable operators to move "from a complex mix of 2G, 4G and 5G to a simple and unified overarching network architecture". In addition to providing 2G in rural areas, Cho noted the approach can also be used for machine-to-machine communications and Internet of Small Things services.]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 10:16:41 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQjvbYGFbSnnDem6srrLMsqK https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgfRXjDKir5-Qp41t9tiERU Open RAN vendor Parallel Wireless laid off an undisclosed number of its employees, but several analysts stated to Mobile World Live (MWL)  they didn’t think the layoffs were a sign of larger problems with the development of open RAN technology. Light Reading first reported today (29 June) the company has laid off up to half of its employees. Last year FierceWireless reported US-based Parallel Wireless had 700 employees with plans to double that number this year. “I have no comments on number [of employees laid off], but I can say we are making adjustments to right size given the realities of global economic conditions, [the} COVID supply chain constrained world, and the pace of adoption of open RAN,” Parallel Wireless CEO Steve Papa stated in an email to MWL. A number of now former Parallel Wireless employees posted the news on LinkedIn. "My heart goes out to all my colleagues across the globe that have been impacted by a mass layoff at Parallel Wireless, including yes, myself. I was one of the affected as well," Eugina Jordan, former executive vice president of marketing at Parallel Wireless, wrote on LinkedIn. While Papa is keeping his cards close to his chest for now, the company may be retaining the resources needed on the technical and operations side while pulling its marketing efforts. The vendor, founded in 2012, has spent the last few years helping mobile operators build architecture for open radio access networks (RAN) and counts a number of major operators such as Vodafone, Axiata and MTN as customers. The goal of open RAN includes using software, cloud and open interfaces to allow mobile operators, such as Dish Wireless [1] and Rakuten [2], to pick and choose the wireless components they want instead of relying on a single 'locked-in' vendor such as Ericsson or Nokia. Analyst reaction AvidThink founder and principal Roy Chua told MWL that he didn’t think the Parallel Wireless layoffs were a sign of serious trouble for open RAN because “the industry was overly bullish on open RAN, which is getting traction but it's not as fast as the industry was geared up for”. “With recessionary pressures, many companies, independent of open RAN, are taking precautionary measures and cutting costs to ride out the potential downturn,” Chua stated. Futuriom Founder and Principal Analyst Scott Raynovich stated to MWL the open RAN hype-to-delivery ratio was still skewed too high toward the hype. “We need more delivery,” he noted. GSMA Intelligence head Peter Jarich suggested it would be a "mistake" to think Parallel Wireless' cuts were an overtly negative sign for the open RAN industry. "The key is why have they done this?" stated Jarich. Research released yesterday (28 June) by US manufacturing services company Jabil [3] stated there was growing traction around open RAN. A survey of 193 companies conducted for Jabil by SIS International Research found 57 per cent expect open RAN to be ready for widespread deployment in the next two years, with 22 per cent already establishing a roadmap. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/dish-hints-at-5g-coverage-target-success [2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/blog/blog-can-rakuten-docomo-win-in-global-open-ran-market [3] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/open-ran-tipped-to-take-off-in-next-2-years]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2022 19:35:03 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQgfRXjDKir5-Qp41t9tiERU https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiIZiAhXwecouGkz6RCC25z UK operator BT appealed for an extension to a government deadline to remove Huawei equipment from its core network, reflecting the significant Covid-19 (coronavirus) impact to its progress over the last two years. The government had originally given operators [1] in the UK until January 2023 to remove all of Huawei’s equipment from core parts of their networks and cap use in access networks to 35 per cent. In February, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) decided to postpone the access network requirement [2] by six months to end July-2023, over pandemic-related difficulties. BT has now lodged a request with DCMS for a further extension for the core network element, arguing the same rationale should apply. The operator stated it was working towards the January 2023 deadline, but “requested a necessary, short extension to reflect significant Covid-driven impacts to the programme over the past two years”. It pointed to restrictions placed on access to sites, limited resource availability, and delayed hardware testing and deployment, all of which led to significant planning delays and staff absences. Confident As well as the removal in core and access parts of networks, the UK government has ordered operators to remove Huawei equipment completely by 2027, due to the company being labelled a “high-risk vendor”, which poses a threat to national security. BT added it continued to liaise with DCMS and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to ensure its programme can be completed quickly and safety, adding it remains “confident that the final 2027 deadline for delivering new equipment through the 5G network is achievable”. Huawei has strenuously denied its equipment is a threat. [1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/rivals-circle-as-huawei-thrown-out-of-uk-5g [2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/uk-shifts-interim-huawei-removal-target]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2022 17:37:11 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiIZiAhXwecouGkz6RCC25z https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiXTyKFhnjBZ8fGo0LrnZNO Image-sharing platform Pinterest tapped Google’s president of commerce and payments Bill Ready as its new CEO, replacing co-founder Ben Sibermann who is moving to the role of executive chairman after 12 years as its chief. The appointment is effective today (29 June). In a statement, Pinterest talked-up Ready’s online commerce experience, having served in senior positions at PayPal and Venmo, along with his most recent role at Google. Pinterest operates an advertising-based business model and states it has 400 million monthly active users (MAUs). It stated revenue doubled during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Tapping Ready is a reflection of Pinterest’s aim to upgrade its business model to focus on e-commerce initiatives. Ready outlined his vision for the next phase of Pinterest, stating it wanted to “help people engage more deeply with the products and services” on the platform. “As someone who has spent most of my career in commerce and payments, it’s so clear to me that Pinterest has the opportunity to build something unique, something special,” he added.]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2022 13:28:45 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/IpNUjknbAQiXTyKFhnjBZ8fGo0LrnZNO