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Nokia confirms it will deploy DISH’s 5G SA core on AWS

Annie Turner
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Nokia confirms it will deploy DISH’s 5G SA core on AWS

The vendor also announced its private 5G network trial with Lufthansa Technik has progressed to permanent deployment.

Nokia confirms it will deploying its 5G standalone (SA) core system on Amazon Web Services (AWS) for DISH Network – the US greenfield network operator.

DISH will shortly launch 5G services on its Open RAN-based network with Nokia providing the voice core, cloud packet core, subscriber data management, device management and NetGuard network security capabilities.

It is also providing end-to-end security services for DISH. 

Marc Rouanne, Chief Network Officer at DISH, said, “Running the Nokia 5G SA core on AWS will optimise our network operations to launch new software and services rapidly and efficiently, enabling the integration of countless innovative use cases for customers”.

DISH announced it had chosen Nokia’s SA core in September 2020, and that it would build out its RAN, core and OSS/BSS functionality on AWS infrastructure in April.

Lufthansa Technik

After successful trials, the technical services provider for aircraft, Lufthansa Technik, brought Nokia 5G private wireless networking into full-time commercial deployment at its facility in Hamburg, Germany.

Lufthansa Technik said it had recently completed the year-long pilot, and despite pandemic-related travel restrictions, 5G networking has enabled it to inspect virtual engine parts for its civil aviation customers over fast, high-definition video links.

Lufthansa Technik’s Virtual Table Inspection (VTI) has allowed customers to remotely attend engine parts inspections, without travelling to its Hamburg facility.

Keeping orders coming in

Dismantled parts are jointly inspected on screen in high-resolution, enabling informed decisions about orders. VTI has now been integrated into Lufthansa Technik’s digital AVIATAR technical aircraft fleet management solution.

Stephan Drewes, Chief Information Officer, Lufthansa Technik, said: “During the past year, the Nokia 5G private wireless network enabled us to provide uninterrupted virtual inspection service to our aircraft engine services customers – without a single minute of unpredicted downtime.

“Based on this outstanding experience, we have decided to promote the initial test case to a permanent AVIATAR product offering.

“By deploying the pilot immediately prior to the pandemic, the Virtual Table Inspection use case was a very timely solution to travel restrictions, with 5G helping the test case evolve quickly from trial to business-critical infrastructure.

“Going forward, we anticipate that VTI will become the default method of inspection for some customers, while others will also employ a hybrid model that combines remote and in-person inspection.”

Cellwize and Intel aim to speed deployment of 5G vRAN with AI

Annie Turner
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Cellwize and Intel aim to speed deployment of 5G vRAN with AI

The partnership plans to help operators gain the benefits of 5G vRAN – including up to 90% cost reduction – as mobile nets move to cloud.

Cellwize Wireless Technologies, which specialises in mobile network automation and orchestration, announced it is to work with Intel to enable Cellwize’s CHIME technology on Intel Xeon Scalable processors.

The processors have built-in AI acceleration and Intel FlexRAN reference software.

Cellwize says that as cellular networks progress from RAN to vRAN, implementing a scalable cloud-like architecture in 5G networks is crucial for operators to support the use cases and performance requirements of 5G.

Dan Rodriguez, Intel corporate VP in the Network Platforms Group, writes in a blog [his punctuation], “In the years ahead, we see global vRAN base station deployments scale, from hundreds to ‘hundreds of thousands,’ and eventually millions.”

Chimes perfectly?

Ofir Zemer, CEO of Cellwize, said, “CHIME’s intelligent vRAN deployment automation perfectly supports AI-powered Intel Xeon Scalable processors to transform the industry in the evolution from RAN to vRAN.

“This collaboration will allow operators to deploy vRAN more quickly, with a fully automated process, up to 90% reduction in associated costs, improved quality of services through automation, reduced operating expenses to configure and activate cell sites, and overall enhanced customer satisfaction through AI-driven and predictive decision making.”

Cristina Rodriguez, VP and GM Wireless Access Network Division at Intel, said, “Virtualising the RAN is the next frontier for network transformation. Our decade of investments and optimization work is delivering the scale and flexibility required for operators to quickly architect and rollout 5G while taking full advantage of integrated AI technology. 

“Cellwize’s CHIME technology for vRAN automation utilises the latest Intel vRAN technology and Intel XeonScalable processors to speed up and simplify deployments”.

Cellwize and Intel will be offering demos at MWC, June 28-July 1.

London’s Mayor promises mobile coverage across Tube by end 2024

Annie Turner
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London’s Mayor promises mobile coverage across Tube by end 2024

The £1 bn programmme will also boost connectivity across London, from fixed broadband in homes to outdoor 5G coverage and emergency services.

Passengers on the London Underground will have reliable, fast mobile connectivity within every station and tunnel according to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

Transport for London (TfL), which is responsible for the Tube network, has awarded a 20-year concession to BAI Communications (BAI) to provide mobile coverage on the entire London Underground network.

£1+ billion programme

BAI was awarded the concession after competitive tender. It has considerable experience in building communications networks in dense urban environments across the world, including New York, Toronto and Hong Kong.

It says the London network will be the most advanced it has built yet. Billy D’Arcy, CEO of BAI Communications UK, said, “Across the length of this concession, we fully anticipate investing in excess of £1 billion across the Connected London programme.

Not just underground

Potentially more interesting is that London’s Tube tunnels will be used to provide full-fibre connectivity across London, which can be connected to buildings and assets like street lighting and bus stops.

This will boost mobile coverage through small cells and 5G “to deliver city-wide improvements and future growth” according to the press statement. 

The high-capacity network will bring fibre directly into London’s neighbourhoods, creating new opportunities to serve homes and businesses with gigabit-capable speeds and supporting digital inclusion.

The eastern half of the Jubilee line already has 4G coverage which will be expanded, in phases, to ticket halls, platforms and tunnels on the Tube network over the next three years.

Neutral host

The neutral host network being delivered as part of this concession, available for use by all mobile operators. The infrastructure will also be 5G-ready.
 
Prior to the pandemic London Underground was used by more than 5 million passengers a day. Now it is now severely strapped for cash after successive lockdowns have kept commuters off the network and travel bans have prevented the usual huge influx of visitors.

The 4G network will benefit customers and generate additional revenue for TfL across the 20-year length of the concession. No further details were made public and the press office was not available for comment.

The 4G will also help operational teams by providing better connectivity while underground, TfL said.

More than 2,000 km of cabling are expected to be installed in tunnels and stations, all fitted outside operational hours.

Underground and underway

To help minimise disruption, TfL has already begun installing cabling within a number of stations and tunnels to reduce additional closures. This includes cabling already installed on the Jubilee and Victoria lines, as well as within the Northern Line Extension.

Work will now begin to prepare some of London’s busiest stations for mobile connectivity, including Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Bank, Euston and Camden Town, ahead of them being some of the first to be connected by the end of 2022.
 
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: “I promised Londoners that if they re-elected me for a second term as Mayor I would deliver 4G throughout the Tube network…Protecting jobs and stimulating our city’s economy is a top priority for me as London rebuilds after this pandemic, and investing in London’s connectivity and digital infrastructure is central to this.”
 
London Underground, also known as the Tube, is the oldest such system in the world, opening in 1863. It tentacles reach beyond the capital, into the adjacent counties of Hertfordshire, Essex and Buckinghamshire.
 

Biden and FCC ban 5 Chinese vendors’ kit from US infra ‘forever’

Annie Turner
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Biden and FCC ban 5 Chinese vendors’ kit from US infra ‘forever’

The US President has continued along the path taken by his predecessor.

The Biden Administration and the US telecoms regulator and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have banned US companies from buying telecoms equipment from Huawei and ZTE forever.
 
Both cited concerns about national security and the Chinese state using Chinese vendors’ equipment for surveillance and espionage.
 
The FCC, whose vote was unanimous, is also looking to reverse exemptions authorising US companies to buy such equipment from Huawei and ZTE, plus Hytera, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology and Dahua Technology.

Equipment removal

Again following the lead of the Trump Administration, the Biden Presidency will oblige telecoms operators to remove any equipment from those vendors from their infrastructure.
 
Jessica Rosenworcel, Acting Chair of the FCC, said, “Insecure network equipment can undermine our 5G future, providing foreign actors with access to our communications.
 
“This, in turn, may mean the ability to inject viruses and malware in our network traffic, steal private data, engage in intellectual property theft, and surveil companies and government agencies.
 
She added, “This list is a big step toward restoring trust in our communications networks. Americans are relying on our networks more than ever to work, go to school, or access healthcare, and we need to trust that these communications are safe and secure.
 
“The list provides meaningful guidance that will ensure that as next-generation networks are built across the country, they do not repeat the mistakes of the past or use equipment or services that will pose a threat to US national security or the security and safety of Americans.”

Huawei denies, FCC implacable

Huawei has always refuted the allegations and said the decisions were based on “predictive judgement” based on  prejudice and discrimination.
 
Some rural network operators in particular have protested at having to remove Chinese equipment from their networks, especially from ZTE, as they have already deployed the kit as the basis for their 5G infrastructure.
 
The FCC has made sympathetic noises, but it looks like the end of the road for Chinese telecoms kit in the US market, and the fracturing of the global market looks increasingly likely to result in regional standards replacing global ones.
 
The wider repercussions of the escalating trade war remain to be seen.

 

 

Vodafone tunes to AWS Wavelength to offer “first MEC services in Europe”

Annie Turner
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Vodafone tunes to AWS Wavelength to offer “first MEC services in Europe”

The launch follows Vodafone trials with firms from sports tech to autonomous transport, biometric security, remote virtual reality and factory automation.

Vodafone is partnering Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC) services delivered through AWS Wavelength for Vodafone business customers in the UK.

The operator claims to be the only telecoms operator able to offer business customers the combination of 5G and MEC services in the UK.

AWS’ contribution

AWS Wavelength brings AWS compute and storage services to the edge of Vodafone’s network for applications that require faster speeds, massive bandwidth, and ultra-low latency.

They include industrial automation, video analytics and machine learning inference (AI) at the edge, and interactive live video streaming.

Vodafone says additional advantages are:
 
•    Security – distributed deployments could minimise the impact of single cybersecurity incidents
•    Cost – processing data closer to where it is generated makes better use of bandwidth
•    Scale – extra resources can be deployed on-demand as and where needed to increase capacity
 
With AWS, Vodafone will initially offer MEC services to customers in London and the surrounding area, as plus in Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol and Cardiff.

In those areas and in optimum conditions, latency could be as low as 10 milliseconds round trip trme (RTT) between the base station and MEC infrastructure.

In 2022, Vodafone will deploy AWS Wavelength to serve customers in Scotland and the northern regions of England, an other locations.

First in Europe

Anne Sheehan, Business Director, Vodafone UK (pictured), said, “We are taking our business beyond the traditional boundaries of telecoms connectivity services so that we can bring customers amazing new services.

“Edge compute and 5G is a combination no other service provider can deliver in Europe, which means we can offer something unique to our customers.  We’ve already seen new services being developed by our trialists – the potential for completely new ideas enabled by this combination is massive.”

Customer trials of MEC

The partnership with AWS was announced in November 2020, and since then the two been working with several customers through its Edge Innovation Programme to demonstrate MEC’s capabilities.

More than 180 companies signed up to the programme, including:
 
•    Sportable: Sports technology company Sportable provides insight using proprietary technology worn by players and embedded in balls. The distributed MEC pilot proved to be more affordable than LAN and lower latency and faster than the internet to transfer packets of data, providing real-time insight for fans, coaches and broadcasters. Latency was lowered to 36.55 milliseconds on average compared to 221.87 milliseconds for the internet
•    Aurrigo which is piloting an autonomous shuttle bus between the park and ride to the campus at Cambridge University/
•    Keyless is a biometric security solution that speeds up authentication and is more secure and reliable.
•    Xpllore is an interactive remote-virtual reality experience where the low-latency benefits of MEC created a smoother experience for students and teachers.
•    Interdigital uses upstream bandwidth above 50 Mbps and an average end-to-end latency less than 15ms in two Industry 4.0 use cases –detection and disposal of defects on a production line and remote vehicle navigation on the factory floor.

Trials are also continuing with customers in Germany; general availability is scheduled for later this year.

DISH opts for Dell in the RAN and at the edge

Annie Turner
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DISH opts for Dell in the RAN and at the edge

The US’ fledgling fourth national operator has again chosen an American supplier.

DISH Network is intended to be the US’ fourth national mobile network after the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint last year.

Like Japan’s Rakuten Mobile, it is a ‘greenfield’ operator without legacy telecom infrastructure that is building its 5G network from scratch, rather than upgrading existing networks like rivals AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

Dell for DISH

DISH is adopting Open RAN, based on the O-RAN Alliance’s specifications and has chosen Dell Technologies “for key parts of the new 5G network” including hardware, software, and co-development in several areas.

This includes Open RAN and multi-access edge computing (MEC) solutions for enterprises and SMEs. DISH will also leverage Dell’s Apex Flex on Demand storage-as-a-service to only pays for what it uses.

Dell is pushing hard into the telecoms sector and was named as one of Vodafone’s principal suppliers for Open RAN last week. 

DISH is obliged by US regulators to cover 70% of the country’s population with its 5G network by mid-2023 and will launch its first 5G service in Las Vegas later this year.

In the cloud

In April, AWS announced “DISH will use AWS Outposts and AWS Local Zones to build its network in the cloud, enabling customers to apply the breadth and depth of AWS capabilities to innovate low-latency 5G applications and services for a wide range of industries.”

Marc Rouanne, Chief Network Officer at DISH, commented, “By collaborating with Dell Technologies we will have the hardware and software infrastructure needed to harness the power and potential of 5G.

“Dell’s open ecosystem approach will help us scale our RAN network with agility, speed and consistency, bringing about new business opportunities for both enterprise customers and consumers, completing our cloud strategy.

“We chose to leverage Dell’s technology because they have a demonstrated track record of transforming networks and a willingness to work with us on designing and implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC).

“With their help, we’re another step closer to deploying the United States’ first cloud-native, Open RAN 5G network.”

Reuters reports Deutsche Telekom offering investors stake in German broadband unit

Annie Turner
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Reuters reports Deutsche Telekom offering investors stake in German broadband unit

Germany has one of the lowest fibre penetration rates in Europe and is under great pressure to catch up.

Telekom Deutschland, Germany’s biggest telco and the second biggest opco in the Deutsche Telekom (DT) group, is offering investors stakes in a vehicle it will create to help fund the urgently needed overhaul of the country’s digital infrastructure.

Lagging behind

The move to fibre is long overdue: fibre penetration stood at just 4.9% in the FTTH Council Europe’s latest figures, compared with Spain at 62.2%, or France at 35%. Like BT and some other incumbents across Europe, it preferred to squeeze maximum use out of its copper-based infrastructure for as long as it could – until 2019 in Telekom Deutschland’s case.

This is not acceptable politically given how critical reliable, fast enough and affordable broadband is to the economy, for social cohesion and education.

Three sources close to the matter told Reuters that DT and its adviser Deutsche Bank are targeting investors such as Dutch funds APG and PGGM and Canada’s Brookfield and CDPQ, as well as sovereign wealth funds.

DT’s initial plan is to roll out fibre cables to 4 million households and investors will be offered stakes equivalent to up to half of the project’s equity, the sources said. Further extensions of the network are likely.

Telekom Deutschland has a joint venture, Glasfaser Nordwest, with EWE for north-west Germany, set up in 2019, but is keen to follow the strategy adopted by rivals, such as Spain’s Telefonica: Telefonica Deutschland struck a deal in October 2020 with German insurer Allianz to deliver fibre to 2.2 million German households in a project valued at €5 billion.

How much is involved?

Reuters said DT, Deutsche Bank and the prospective bidders all declined to comment.

However, Reuters says fibre networks are typically financed with 30% equity and 70% debt, and DT is looking for investors to contribute half of the equity with it providing the rest.

At its capital markets day in May, DT Group’s CEO Tim Hoettges underlined the company’s commitment to accelerating the roll-out of fibre in Germany, taking it from 600,000 households last year to 2.5 million in 2024. He said the company plans to invest €2.5 billion a year in fibre infrastructure.

Selling  assets to raise cash

At the same time as DT is preparing to invest billions, it needs a hefty sum to take advantage of it option to increase its holding in T-Mobile US to more than 50% from 43% – and is already in debt to the tune of  €130 billion.

Hence DT is also looking to sell off assets, starting with T-Mobile Netherlands to cut debt and raise cash for investment in infrastructure. Interestingly, the Netherlands has attracted outside investors to help fund its accelerated fibre roll-out to urban and rural areas.

Potential suitors include infrastructure investors KKR, EQT and Warburg Pincus as well as the French telecoms entrepreneur Xavier Niel, Reuters’ sources said.

Warburg Pincus employs former DT CEO Rene Obermann, and came close to buying the business in 2015.

Once the Netherlands opco is disposed of, DT could well follow so many other European operators and look at options for its towers estate.

Orange Belgium starts roll-out of wholesale FTTP in Brussels

Annie Turner
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Orange Belgium starts roll-out of wholesale FTTP in Brussels

It is beginning with pilot schemes to 15,000 premises in Evere and Ixelles (pictured).

Orange Belgium is starting its wholesale fibre to the premises (FTTP) build out in Brussels.The infrastructure will be accessible in a passive state to any interested service provider “at fair and reasonable conditions” which will be allowed to connect and run its own active network equipment.

In April 2020,  Orange Belgium protested against an apparent change of mind by the regulator, the CRC, which submitted higher than expected tariffs for wholesale cable to the European Commission after a nine-month consultancy period.

This was interpreted as a means to encourage fibre deployment rather than creating competition through regulated wholesale pricing for cable.

Group expertise

Orange Belgium will call on the expertise at Group level to deploy the fibre: Belgium is at the bottom of the latest FTTH Europe Council’s ranking of 38 European countries with 1.3% penetration against the European Union average plus the UK of 20.5%

At 35%, France had the highest fibre penetration of the big four European economies –Germany had 4.9%, Italy 5.9% and the UK 3.7% as of September 2020, according to the Council. Note that all of them have accelerated their fibre build out since the data was collected for analysis.

In May, Belgium’s biggest operator, Proximus said it is rolling out fibre with the aim of covering 70% of households in Belgium by 2028, but also that, working with Nokia, new technology will prolong the life of its VDSL products. We asked Proximus for information about how much faster the new version is but did not receive a reply.

Specifically the Belgian opco will draw on Orange Innovation Labs’ expertise in AI and automation for efficiency and optimisation. Orange Belgium also says it will leverage synergies with local assets and partners to contribute to the region’s economic and digital ambitions, it says.

Competition and innovation

The idea of the passive wholesale model, which is deployed in a number of European countries, means other service providers can deploy the technology of their choice to differentiate their services and pricing.

Options include GPON 2.5 Gbps, XS-GPON 10 Gbps, and point to point Ethernet running at speeds from 1Gbps to 100Gbps.

They will also be able to use emerging standards in due course, such as HS-PON which runs at 50Gbps.
Xavier Pichon, CEO Orange Belgium, comments: “To reach our convergent and fixed connectivity ambitions, Orange Belgium is relying on the Orange Group extensive fibre deployment experience (more than 49 million connections at European level) to launch this open passive fibre network pilot.

“This will allow telecom operators, to bring differentiated offers and services to the market at fair conditions. This initiative will nurture innovation and a balanced competition to the benefits of the customers and contribute to the economic development of Belgium’s Regions”.

A1 Telekom Austria sets up multi-country esports tournament

Annie Turner
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A1 Telekom Austria sets up multi-country esports tournament

For the first time, five leagues covering 15 countries will compete in the Clash of Leagues.

Four years ago, the A1 Telekom Austria Group launched the first two major leagues, A1 Adria League and A1 eSports League Austria.

The A1 Gaming League in Bulgaria and the VOKA League in Belarus complete the A1 eSports leagues. Now they and the Swisscom Hero League will compete against each other in a new competition – the Clash of Leagues in 2021.

The best teams from the following leagues will compete in “the ultimate Brawl Stars showdown”: A1 Adria League, A1 eSports League Austria, A1 Gaming League, Swisscom Hero League and VOKA League.

With their footprints, the five leagues cover a total target audience of more than 141 million people from 15 different countries and reach eSports fans across the CEE region.

eSports has grown rapidly to become a key part of the global entertainment industry, boosted by the Corona pandemic lockdowns. The eSports Ecosystem Report of 2021 predicts it will be worth more than $1.5 billion (€1.26 billion) by 2023.

The top teams in the participating leagues will be determined shortly and will receive a place in the final on August 14 and 21.

More information here.

European Gaia-X cloud infrastructure moves closer to live services

Annie Turner
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European Gaia-X cloud infrastructure moves closer to live services

The initiative is designed to ensure Europe has its own trusted data and cloud infrastructure as opposed to relying on Big Tech.

Gaia-X has voted on its board of 26 directors, with Maximilian Ahrens (pictured) elected to chair the board.

Deutsche Telekom, including its IT unit, T-Systems, is one of the project’s 22 founding members. Ahren succeeds Hubert Tardieu, formerly of Atos, who oversaw the founding of Gaia-X.

Ahrens said, “The new board will be significantly involved in shaping the further development of Gaia-X services and the structure of the organization”.

Member companies voted electronically on Monday 7th June to choose 26 board members from a list of 64 candidates. The appointments will run for two years.
Gaia-X for crating common standards

The Gaia-X Association commits its members to creating common standards and building an open-source, sovereign digital infrastructure for Europe.

It was announced in October 2019 by the German and French economic ministries, with the Association for Data and Cloud (AISBL) officially founded in January 2021 and hubs now set up in 19 different European countries.

The first Gaia-X services are planned by the end of this year.

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