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CMA acquiescence kills competition quicker than artificial intelligence

Nick Booth
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CMA acquiescence kills competition quicker than artificial intelligence

Surprisingly honest interview with ChatGPT

Microsoft’s ChatGPT has hinted to Mobile Europe that the UK competition watchdog might be better off looking at market rigging before worrying about artificial intelligence (AI). Judging by the answers given by the AI system hand-reared on US world views and Microsoft supplied data, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) should be more concerned about anti-competitive practices of Big Tech companies that have carteled and colonised the open markets they were allowed to join. While AI threatens to kill competition and stifle the free flow of intellectual capital needed for a truly free market, there is a bigger problem to be tackled, it seemed to imply (see interview below).

This week another ineffective UK watch launched a tentative review of the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) developments on competition and consumer protection. The regulator was recently forced into an humiliating climbdown by Apple’s legal department, which blocked an examination, ironically, into whether some tech companies wielded too much power. Nevertheless the CMA will assess “how the development and [use] of AI can be supported against five overarching principles: safety, security and robustness; appropriate transparency and explainability; fairness; accountability and governance; and contestability and redress.”

The review will look at the competitive markets for AI foundation models and how their use could evolve; it will also explore the opportunities and risks involved. In a statement the CMA promised to issue “guiding principles” to support competition and protect consumers as AI foundation models develop. The review is a response to fears over AI’s potential impact on safety, security, copyright, privacy and human rights, and how markets work. “It’s crucial that the potential benefits of this transformative technology are readily accessible to UK businesses and consumers while people remain protected from issues like false or misleading information,” said the statement.  

“Our goal is to help this new, rapidly scaling technology develop in ways that ensure open, competitive markets and effective consumer protection,” argued Sarah Cardell, CEO of the CMA. The watchdog wants ‘views and evidence’ from stakeholders by 2 June 2023 and plans to publish a report based on the findings in September this year. Its move comes at a time of mounting concerns over the use of generative AI, such as ChatGPT – including from former Google AI expert Geoffrey Hinton, Telefónica’s CEO José María Álvarez-Pallete who last month cautioned of the “existential risk” from “a runaway or power-hungry GenAI”, and a plea from AI experts, researchers and supporters, including Elon Musk, for an immediate pause on “giant AI experiments”.

Interview with ChatGPT in full.

Do you think the UK’s regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), should be reviewing the impact of artificial intelligence on ‘competition and consumer protection’ in the UK? It is certainly within the purview of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to review the impact of artificial intelligence on competition and consumer protection in the UK. As AI technology becomes more prevalent in various industries, it is important for regulators to keep up with the latest developments and assess any potential impact on competition and consumer welfare.

There are only so many hours in the day, so surely the CMA’s priority should be to concentrate on the way that ‘Big Tech’ namely Amazon, Google, Apple, Meta and Microsoft, have long rigged the markets in all the free trading countries that allowed themselves to be colonised and carteled?
However, it is also true that the CMA and other regulators should prioritize their efforts based on the most pressing issues and concerns. The regulation of big tech companies, such as Amazon, Google, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, has been a major focus for regulators around the world in recent years, due to concerns about anti-competitive practices and the potential impact on consumers.

What is the worst that people are saying could happen with AI?

As for the worst that people are saying could happen with AI, there are a variety of concerns related to the technology. These include the potential for AI to be used in ways that infringe on individual privacy and security, as well as concerns about bias and discrimination in AI decision-making processes. Additionally, there are concerns about the impact of AI on employment and the workforce, as well as the potential for AI to be used in ways that could harm society as a whole.

If the CMA are such experts, how come they never spotted the societal damage caused by social media?

It is important to note that the regulation of emerging technologies, such as AI, can be challenging and requires ongoing efforts to stay abreast of the latest developments and potential risks. It is not always possible for regulators to anticipate all potential negative consequences of new technologies, but it is important for them to continue to monitor and evaluate the impact of AI on various aspects of society, including competition and consumer welfare.

Nokia wins deal to rip Orange Jordan’s RAN and replace with 5G kit

Nick Booth
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Nokia wins deal to rip Orange Jordan’s RAN and replace with 5G kit

AirScale Jordan incites digital spring revolution

Orange Jordan has chosen comms system maker Nokia to replace its entire Radio Access Network and replace it with more powerful, fuel efficient and less hackable equipment from Finland’s flagship mobile equipment provider. Nokia will install 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) kit across the Kingdom of Jordan (pictured). Orange Jordan says it is the foundation of its host nation’s digital transformation and a birthplace for an enervated, knowledge-based economy.

The  5G RAN equipment in its AirScale range is powered by its ReefShark System on Chip (SoC) technology and promises to be more energy efficient. Orange Jordan is ripping out its entire existing RAN network aims to provide 5G services to half the population within four years followed by 5% year-on-year growth.

The deal includes the latest generation massive MIMO radios with support for high RF bandwidth as well as AirScale Baseband and Dual-band Remote Radio Head (RRH) products. Nokia will also supply its Single RAN system under which one base station can run 5G, 4G, 3G, and 2G technologies simultaneously. This makes Orange Jordan much more ‘site-efficient’ across its network.

Jordan top mobile network operator will also benefit from Nokia’s NetAct network management system that consolidates the views of the network into a more easily monitored and managed presentation. Nokia will offer digital design, installation and technical support services.

“5G technology will have an evolutionary impact on the Kingdom of Jordan, by stimulating growth and advancing services for industries and consumers.” said Nokia’s President of Mobile Networks Tommi Uitto, “we are delighted to help Orange Jordan [catalyse] a digital transformation.”

Succeed in a slowdown: How telcos can overcome cloud migration challenges

Konstantin Besfamylnyi, Practice Leader – Telecom & Media, Intellias
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Succeed in a slowdown: How telcos can overcome cloud migration challenges

Sponsored: How do difficult times turn into transformation opportunities?

As a kid, I had an agreement with my parents: roller skates for a completed school year. Year after year, I brought home good news about my studying and only good marks. But no roller skates appeared in my teenage life. My parents have been too afraid of bruises, broken knees, and concussions, as we discovered over a recent dinner. But as a teenager, I dreamed about speed.

Telco migration to the public cloud reminds me of my roller skates. Even though over 95% of overall digital workloads will be handled on cloud-native platforms by 2025, as Gartner states, telcos are still hesitating. But cloud native in telecom could bring them desired speed and agility even in times of uncertainty, not in their dreams.

To leash or not unleash in uncertain times

To leash or not to leash to the public cloud seems Shakespearean for telcos with their fear of hyperscalers lock-in. However, it is predicted that telcos will be highly impacted by cloud migration for telecommunications, bringing an average 7% EBITDA margin by 2030, outrunning many other industries.

Are you worried about cloud migration in times of economic slowdown? Who is not? Meanwhile, there are crucial steps you can take to strengthen your telco while undergoing cloud migration. The global slowdown is not the first time we have had such volatility, and it won’t be the last.

Moreover, the slowdown has highlighted the need for digital transformation to stay resilient and competitive. Cloud migration for telecommunication may digitalize critical business needs as a purposeful adaptive strategy, reducing energy costs. Adopters of telecom cloud become trendsetters, as having undergone cloud migration, they demonstrate considerable agility, increase their cost savings, and broaden their digital service portfolio.

For example, due to cloud migration, China Mobile saved 30% of its operational costs. Also, cloud adaptation results in better 5G readiness and open API architecture. Commentators expect that global slowdown would hit harder developing markets, but we expect – based on decades of experience – that the telco sector will be more resilient than projected.

In spite of the rapid shift towards cloud-based IT and network infrastructure, mobile network operators (MNOs) are confronted by managing highly complex IT landscapes, where some workloads are executed in the cloud, while others are processed in MNOs’ own data centers, and various other hybrid configurations in between.

Some workloads are not suitable for migration to the cloud, owing to factors such as cost, security, or latency. I envision that MNOs will continue adopting cloud services at an accelerated pace and also investing in multiple cloud provider capabilities to diversify away from a single platform. After all, the interactions between hyperscalers and MNOs are and will remain complicated due to their dual roles as competitors and collaborators.

So, this is high time to allay all the fears by adopting effective strategies for telco migration to the public cloud. Let’s close up on the challenges of telecom cloud solutions providers. 

Six telco cloud migration challenges

Gartner forecasts worldwide end-user public cloud services to grow 20.7% ($591.8 billion) in 2023, up from $590.3 billion in 2022, notably higher than the 18.8% forecasted growth in 2022. 

Source:  Gartner — Gartner Forecasts Worldwide Public Cloud End-User Spending to Reach Nearly $600 Billion in 2023

Public cloud services prove to be an effective tool for enterprise digitalization. Sig Nag, Vice President Analyst at Gartner, states that current inflation and macroeconomic situation are causing a push and pull effect related to cloud spending. Yet challenges may arise on your digital transformation journey.

Six migration challenges

Technical issues

Challenge: Technical tasks that might stand as stumbling blocks at his stage include introducing ancillary, OTT, IoT, and cloud services, decentralizing digital structure, dealing with operational complexity, and upgrading legacy systems.
Solution: Fortunately, telco companies can learn from the past by making bold moves such as cutting operating expenses and deleveraging the balance sheet sharply. One of the brightest examples of recent years is AT&T, which has moved its mobility network to Azure to deliver cost-efficient 5G services at scal

Scarce skills & talent pool

Challenge: Readiness to learn and acquire new skills always depends on different factors and comes as a potential internal challenge. According to TM Forums’ survey of telco representatives, the lack of software skills is one of the most significant stumbling blocks on their way to cloud migration.

Source: TM Forum

Solution: Suppose a lack of internal expertise or experience in cloud-related areas at telcos’ IT departments is a block for cloud migration. In that case, operators tend to partner with external providers to cover the gaps. For example, one of our clients, a major national telco providing mobile and broadband data transmission services to over 23 million subscribers, turned to our expertise in AWS migration for seamless big data analytics.

After transferring to AWS, our client opened broad opportunities to optimize resource costs. Also, moving analytics and business intelligence to the cloud improved customer retention by proposing subscribers more personalized services.

DevOps consulting + cloud consulting

Challenge: Cloudization means adopting DevOps practices and turning to cloud consulting. DevOps will bring such practices as Infrastructure as Code (IaC), release and QA automation, and continuous integration and delivery (CI, CD).

Solution: Adopting DevOps is a way to avoid downtimes and decrease the number of errors and failed deployments. For example, one of our clients, a leading German telecom service provider, needed to transform its business support systems (BSS). As a result, we ensured a seamless BSS transformation by using cloud-based solutions, a microservice architecture, and multi-cloud deployment.

Conservatism

Challenge: Switching to the public cloud might seem like breaking business stability. However, as Rainer Kellerhals, Microsoft Media & Communications Director for the EMEA region, says, those willing to embrace digital change would retain their customers.  

Solution:  For example, Sateliot, a Spanish satellite telco, offers connectivity solutions for utilities, agriculture, oil, gas, and maritime. Sateliot merges terrestrial networks and satellites under 5G protocols. The Barcelona-based company recently launched its first satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.

False migration, inefficient plans

Challenge: “False migration” means postponing mission-critical apps (for example, financial management platforms, CRM, and ERP systems) but starting migration of non-mission-critical ones first. 

Solution: The IBM report warns about potential challenges that might be caused by false migration: from the potential for business disruption to data format challenges. So, planning to migrate some network components in the foreseeable future while missing critical apps is a mistake.

Security

Challenge: Render public clouds could be vulnerable to outside threats. Telcos should be beware of unstable environments built by operators and potential risks for IoT devices (as a part of broader IoT infrastructure). Many third-party integrations and even insider threats could also entail risks.

Solution: There is a saying: security does not pay, as its implementation might be expensive, causing a trade-off between performance and security. However, prioritizing revenue and performance over security heightens risk and creates more space for attack. Such a trade-off could be damaging in the long run. That’s why improving security means increasing the return on investment in the long run.

Wrapping up

Telco migration to the public cloud will become a way to adapt to the customers’ changing demands and become a trend to follow. Even in times of uncertainty, telcos may turn risks into profits by leveraging the power of the cloud. Despite conservatism and fear of challenges in your way of cloudization, the game is worth the candle. Cloud will bring a scalable, elastic, and agile future for telcos, so it’s worth preparing today to enter it as a go-getter.  

About Intellias

Intellias is a global technology partner to Fortune 500 enterprises and top-tier organizations, helping them accelerate their pace of sustainable digitalization. Intellias empowers businesses operating in Europe and the US, as well as the MENA and APAC regions, to embrace innovation at scale. The company has been featured in the Global Outsourcing 100 list by IAOP, recognized by Inc. 5000, and acknowledged in Forbes and the GSA UK Awards. With two decades of experience, Intellias is geared towards ensuring the sustained success of clients on their value journey. For more information, visit www.intellias.com.

Orange’s Ensarguet reps telecoms in LF Europe’s cross-industry Advisory Board

Annie Turner
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Orange’s Ensarguet reps telecoms in LF Europe’s cross-industry Advisory Board

He has also moved to VP of Software at Orange, from CTO at Orange Business

A former winner of a Mobile Europe CTO of the Year Award (Trailblazer), Philippe Ensarguet has been appointed VP of Software Engineering at Orange. He moved to that role from being CTO of Orange Business where he worked, in a variety of positions, for more than 16 years.  

Ensarguet has also been chosen as one of the 20 inaugural advisors on the new Linux Foundation Europe Advisory Board (LEFAB) drawn from a cross-section industries and companies large and small, within the EU, the UK, and beyond.

The Advisory Board’s role is to steward Linux Foundation Europe’s growing community, which now has 100 member organisations from across the region.

Multiple missions

The timing of the LEFAB comes as a clutch of legislation that will have a profound impact on the technology ecosystem is in the offing. This includes the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), the AI Act and the Digital Services and Digital Markets Act. 

Gabriele Columbro, General Manager of Linux Foundation Europe, commented, “Open source in this time and age is not only critical to the success of technology companies, but to the very business of traditional industries undergoing digital transformation.”

The Advisory Board hosted its inaugural meeting in April during Kubecon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2023. It  broad set of responsibilities will include guidance for LF Europe to engage the public sector in open source projects.

Sumitomo to help fund Vodafone’s Economy of Things via JV

Annie Turner
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Sumitomo to help fund Vodafone’s Economy of Things via JV

Operator donates the Digital Asset Broker platform it launched at MWC 2022 and associated assets to the new standalone entity

Vodafone and Sumitomo Corporation have set up an 80:20 joint venture, which will operate as a standalone business, to progress the Economy of Things. It will focus on IoT devices, electric vehicles, and smart street furniture.

Vodafone launched its Digital Asset Broker (DAB) platform at MWC in 2022, which is blockchain-based and designed to enable businesses to easily and securely manage their digital assets, like contracts, licenses and intellectual property through a single platform.

The plan is to help companies streamline operations, reduce costs and improve their overall efficiency. It is intended to underpin a new Economy of Things which allows verified IoT devices, electric vehicles and smart street furniture to transact securely, without human intervention, yet controlled by the assets’ human owners.

Contributing assets and IP

Under the agreement, Vodafone will transfer its “global” DAB as well as intellectual property, contracts, technology and software to the new business. Sumitomo will invest in the new business and work with Vodafone to attract additional investors, partners, and customers.

Vinod Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Business, stated, “Sumitomo is the ideal partner to help drive the Economy of Things and associated new business opportunities for us, our customers, and partners.

“For example, a rental car could charge motorists on either a pay-as-you-drive or subscription basis; motorists of electric vehicles can receive real-time information on the availability of the nearest charging point and recharge effortlessly; and fleet management firms can automatically pay tolls.”

Phased roll out

Both parties intend to roll out the DAB platform in phases, starting by targeting automotive and transport sectors in Germany and the UK, then other European countries and North America at a later date.

The companies will also look at forming a partnership with Sumitomo Corporation Group company SCSK Corporation to establish a presence in Asian markets, including Japan, with a long-term vision of entering the smart city business.

The announcement said the agreement builds on the strategic alliance agreed by Vodafone and Sumitomo – one of the largest international trading and business investment companies – in November 2020.

The first joint investment project from this partnership was setting up Safaricom Ethiopia, which is owned by an international consortium including Vodafone and Sumitomo.

European telcos more optimistic about metaverse revenues than US

Annie Turner
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European telcos more optimistic about metaverse revenues than US

52% of leaders in European sector think it will account for 5-20% of revenues by 2030

Kearney has released data from senior telecoms and consumer goods leaders regarding their sentiment and predictions about revenues from the metaverse.

A quarter of European telco leaders expect the metaverse account for revenues of between 5 and 20% by 2025, and 52% expect these revenues by 2030. Almost 9% predict revenues between 20 and 50% from the metaverse by 2030.

This is despite the fact the report shows that many senior leaders are unsure what form the metaverse will take and how it will affect their businesses’ bottom lines. Nevertheless, they are keen not to miss out.

Optimism trumps clear understanding

The report, Pragmatic Leader’s Guide to the Metaverse, says respondents recognise their lack of clear understanding is problem, which is encouraging, yet 84% of telecom leaders and 64% of consumer goods leaders agree their companies need to expand into new markets and channels to bag their place in this space.

The Guide draws on qualitative analysis based on insights from 167 senior telecoms and consumer goods decision-makers in companies from 1,000 to more than 50,000 employees across Asia Pacific, North America and Europe. 

Less convinced

Turns out the non-Europeans aren’t so convinced: only 10% of respondents in North America predicted that between 5-20% of revenue would stem from the metaverse by 2025. This figure rises to 45% of respondents predicting this level of revenue by 2030. 

Overall, 56% of consumer goods leaders and 59% of telco leaders in Europe see the metaverse as having a positive impact on their industry. However, one in four (24%) telco leaders were ‘very’ positive about the metaverse’s impact compared to only 3% of consumer goods professionals, showing that sentiment is still highest in the technology and communications space.

One of the biggest risks leaders associated with the metaverse was cybersecurity, with 57% of telco respondents and 63% of consumer goods European respondents citing this as a high impact risk to the metaverse. Interestingly, regulatory risk was also considered ‘high impact’ by 43% of telco respondents and 27% of consumer goods respondents. 

Short-term focus on AI

Eric Gervet, Partner at Kearney, notes, “Where once we had been seeing positive global sentiment towards the use of the metaverse as a platform for growth and revenue,  inflation and global economic slowdown have put tension on the Tech sector, which requires companies to make trade-offs and pace investments. Doubling down on AI and optimizing EBITDA has become a short-term priority versus longer term investments, at least for the very short term.” 

“Companies that act now to develop a strategy for how the growth of the metaverse could impact their model will have a significant advantage over the competition in deciding which technologies, partnerships and investments will be necessary to access this revenue stream.” 

THE way to monetise 5G?

Jesper Larsson, Partner at Kearney, adds, “The key challenge… will be how to monetise the platform as a revenue stream. Technologies enabling and supporting the use of the metaverse, such as 5G, could offer potential to overcome this monetisation challenge.

“Such technologies would support an increased flow of data and satisfy demand, building out the capability of this platform even as they make it more profitable. Indeed, the metaverse could be the very use case that 5G has been waiting on, to realise its true potential.”

Telcos could block 70% of hacks with memory protector – made from Rust

Nick Booth
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Telcos could block 70% of hacks with memory protector – made from Rust

Zenoh to launch missing component of shield

The key to block 70% of hacks on mobile network operators could be delivered by a little-known compiler from AdaCore, according to comms app developer ZettaScale. Like the best security agents, the invention will arrive without fanfare and sneak under the radar of publicity, carrying the inconspicuous tag of ISO 26262 certified compiler. However, this is the missing piece of a cyber-security armoury for mobile networks, according to Angelo Corsaro, Chief Executive and Technology Officer at ZettaScale. It’s due to be launched in June and could give operators a chance to shore up a major weakness in their infrastructure, the communications specialist claimed.

The weaponry to kill most security problems is simple and hiding in plain site, according to Corsaro. According to the Cybersecurity advice offered by the US National Security Agency 70% of security attacks come from memory safety issues and adopting a memory safe programming language could automatically removes those. Programming languages like Rust can heal the open wounds caused by memory management issues, according to Corsaro at ZettaScale. However, Rust’s powers to close the loop holes targeted by hackers has been stymied by the lack of an up-to-date version of a vital system component, a certified compiler, said Corsaro. The god news for security officers is that the missing piece, the ISO 26262 certified compiler, should be available in Q2 2023 from AdaCore.

The new compiler focuses Rust in its mission to write instructions that tighten up memory and concurrency safety along with free abstractions. Rust is now used by hyperscalers and cloud developers for clients likeDropBox which rewrote a good part of its infrastructure in this language. Rust was recently included in the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) list of safe programming languages for any telcos interested in developing safe and secure software.

It all came about because Mozilla needed a programming language to to solve the challenges it had with the JavaScript (JS) interpreter of the Firefox browser. “As you can imagine, a browser’s interpreter has to be extremely high performance and extremely secure because it’s a top target for hackers’ attacks,” said Corsaro, “but most JavaScript interpreters like V8 are written in C++, which is neither memory nor concurrency safe. Given that 70% of the security exploits come from memory management issues, you start understanding the level of pain.”

A previous attempt to ensure memory safety involved a ‘garbage collected programming language’, but their performance and real-time behaviour came at a cost, which often slowed both performances and memory usage. Rust also provides a language with extremely high-level constructs, inspired by functional programming languages, such as algebraic data types, futures and type classes, which all come with a ‘zero-cost abstraction’ promise – so they don’t affect performance, said Corsaro.

However, learning to use Rust, instead of traditional C and C++ languages, involves an investment that some telcos can’t afford – time. “The main difficulty encountered when learning Rust concerns its ownership model. It takes some time to get used to it, but not so long. In our team, it is usually two months for a C programmer or somebody with some good programming background to become sufficiently proficient in Rust,” said Corsaro.

In two months, 70% of a telco’s security problems could be eliminated. Is that worth investing in?

Telecom Italia’s selling itself cheap says apex investor Vivendi

Nick Booth
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Telecom Italia’s selling itself cheap says apex investor Vivendi

Critics tell Meloni that deal is baloney

Telecom Italia (TIM) directors are meeting today (Thursday) to decide their response to multibillion bids for the phone company’s cable network infrastructure after apex investor, French media group Vivendi, questioned the TIM group’s strategy.

The sale of TIM’s fixed network and its submarine cable unit Sparkle was the main plank of CEO Pietro Labriola’s strategy to slash the company’s €25 billion ($27.6 billion) debt and revive the former phone monopoly’s struggling domestic business.

Rival investors, such as New York-based private equity giant KKR and the joint funds €21 billion from Italian government owned  bank CDP and €19.3 billion from Australian private equity firm Macquarie, are circling. Each has made bids of €1 billion, say Reuters’ multiple inside sources. KKR’s bid includes a potential €2 billion payment based on future performance.

TIM is expected to rebuff offers, other Reuters sources have whispered, despite an impatient warning from stakeholder Vivendi for TIM to draw a line under the bidding process. Vivendi has complained of the chasm of expectations over the amount TIM should be paid.

KKR’s bid is seen as the stronger alternative on the back of a significant effort to improve the detailed terms of its offer beyond the headline figure, according to sources in TIM’s camp. However, both approaches for TIM’s most valuable asset fall a long way short of the €31 billion sought by Vivendi and also fell below market expectations.

Telecom Italia shares have fell by 21% since the suitors submitted the improved bids on April 18. French media giant Vivendi, which owns a 23.8% stake in TIM, has recently relinquished its seats on the board and is calling for changes in how the group is run in the face of an alternative plan with the Italian government.

Italian president Giorgia Meloni has said in the past that her administration will not intervene at this stage in the network sale process, but she is thought to be keen to avoid risking any deal that is nothing in the national interest.

Fujitsu’s élan makes RAN easy to plan – rule judges

Nick Booth
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Fujitsu’s élan makes RAN easy to plan – rule judges

Its 5G Radio Unit is star performer in Open RAN World

Fujitsu supplies the Best Performance Solution in Open RAN, according to the judges at the Open RAN World awards in Berlin. The award identified the tri-band, O-RAN compliant 5G radio unit (RU) is currently your best option for injecting power and pace into Open RAN performance, based on its unique characteristics and the deployment data available.

The Fujitsu tri-band RU is the first available 5G O-RAN compliant tri-band RU of its kind, thanks to its high efficiency in a small form factor. These enable mobile network operators (MNOs) to use less power and lower their leasing and operational costs. The new compact form factor offersmultiple frequency bands in one unit, the upshot of which is that MNOs have equipment that will fit within more sites, which gives them more options over finding commercial property they can use. This helps them find potentially cheaper industrial units and gives them the widest set of options for improving network performance.

“Increasingly crowded towers and high energy costs are driving demand for compact, efficient, multi-band radios with lower total cost of ownership,” said Dr Femi Adeyemi, pictured, head of global wireless offering at Fujitsu, “interoperability, 4Gbps throughput and reliability will drive faster delivery of 5G services.”

This Fujitsu Open RAN RU system has key advantages to operators seeking higher performance and faster delivery of 5G services with lower total cost of ownership. After it was used in the DISH network Stephen Bye, who was then chief commercial officer, said the price-performance-form factor set a new bar for the industry. “Its power consumption is definitely very competitive and can support future bands that DISC can deploy without needing to climb a tower,” Bye said,“It outperforms every other competitor that we’ve looked at in the market.”

Dual-band radios are nothing but O-RAN compliant tri-band radios represent a pioneering advancement. Adding a third band only makes the radio 15% bigger but the power saving of replacing a three single-band radios with a single tri-band radio instead overshadows that. The same is goes for tower costs. Since a single Open RAN tri-band RU has only a small fraction of the wind loading and weight of three single-band RUs, tower leasing costs drop dramatically. The small form factor also gives operators more choices and they can use towers that might be too crowded for multiple single-band radios.

Dr Femi Adeyemi, pictured, head of global wireless offering at Fujitsu
Fujitsu Open RAN RU – fits into more spaces

Fujitsu O-RAN compliant radios have been successfully integrated with more than five different vendors’ Distributed Units (DUs) in multiple operator networks around the world, fostering a more competitive and open ecosystem. With increasingly crowded towers and high energy costs, demand is growing for compact, efficient multi-band radios that work with other O-RAN compliant DU vendors and still perform reliably.

As the industry increasingly relies on mid-band spectrum with limited range, securing site locations close to users is becoming ever more important.  By having an increased number of towers to select from, RF engineers have greater flexibility to deploy Open RAN RUs in more ideal locations to provide improved overall network capacity and/or throughput. 

Vodafone’s slice of 5G helps ITN show the Coronation

Nick Booth
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Vodafone’s slice of 5G helps ITN show the Coronation

Vodafone guarantees ITN a piece of the action

UK Mobile operator Vodafone and TV station ITN have explained what a public 5G Standalone (5GSA) network is and how it will be used to broadcast the coronation of King Charles III. A 5GSA appears to be a fancy name for a dedicated slice of Vodafone’s public network and the telco has reserved one exclusively for ITN for broadcasting the coronation. This means that a swift and secure transfer of the live pictures of the King’s Crowning  ceremony will pass from Westminster in London’s South West One (SW1) region about five miles away to ITN’s HQ newsroom in Gray’s Inn Road, which is in the East City (EC2) district of the city. The footage will then be shared across the nation and then worldwide.

The technology partnership will mark this momentous event in history as the first 5GSA coronation, claimed Vodafone UK business director Nick Gliddon. “[Together] we are helping make this special event happen,” said Gliddon, “from the first text message to the first mobile call, we have been central in the UK’s adoption of digital technology. Now we are continuing this tradition by being the first to switch on 5GSA for the public to trial and providing a slice of this network for the coronation.”

By publicising the fact that the ITN pictures are being broadcast over a slice of a public 5G network the public may be alerted to the exciting possibilities with 5GSA, Gliddon argued. “Artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, holographic calls and the IoT are possible with 5GSA. It will turbo-charge the UK’s digital economy and pave the way for our next digital age,” said Gliddon.

It’s 70 years from the milestone in outside broadcasting that was the 1953 corporation, pointed out Jon Roberts, director of television, production and innovation at ITN. “It feels fitting that, ITN will be delivering coverage to audiences around the world whilst trialling the future of cellular connectivity” said Roberts, “We are proud of our role in broadcasting this historic event and excited to be blazing a trail in partnership with Vodafone as we explore the capabilities of 5GSA technology together.”

Vodafone’s 5G slice gives ITN’s video files a private road through the crowded network

In the broadcasting industry, network slicing can set a minimum upload speed threshold to guarantee that digitally dense content is uploaded quickly and reliably for live streaming. This will be a great branding occasion for the technology, if the public can be subtly reminded that 5G networks are being used. It could be a good way of implanting the message in the public consciousness that network slicing can remove the risk of network congestion affecting the performance of the broadcast. This is particularly relevant for mass events such as the coronation as well as for live content contribution in isolated locations, said a Vodafone release. The anointment of a new head of state provides an ideal conversation starter, which could be steered to namedrop some of the benefits of network slicing. Rather than discussing the nuances of the constitutional monarchy, the crowd of well-wishers may discuss how broadcasters can use private mobile network for video transmission with no extra heavy-duty equipment, planning, back-office or spectrum licensing needed and it can be accessed all via a SIM card.

The testing of this joint venture was supported by Vodafone’s technology partner Ericsson and ITN’s technology partner LiveU. This was done at Vodafone and Coventry University’s 5GSA Media Innovation Lab in Coventry, which opened earlier this year. Broadcasters and other media companies, as well as the software development community, have been invited to the lab to develop 5GSA use cases for the media industry, working alongside Vodafone engineers and Coventry University academics. The lab supports proof of concepts and allow development and testing of end-to-end solutions in a safe and configurable environment.

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