Nokia today announced that it has successfully completed its first 5G non-standalone (NSA) Cloud RAN trial with Bharti Airtel (Airtel) in India. The project supports Airtel’s strategy of delivering a superior customer experience using high-performing networks. It is expected to deliver higher levels of service innovation, higher network automation, flexibility and efficient scaling of resources to support end-user services.

The trial took place in an over-the-air environment utilizing 3.5 GHz spectrum for 5G and 2100 MHz for 4G. Data calls were successfully performed with commercial user devices over Airtel’s commercial network achieving a throughput of over 1.2 Gbps. The trial utilized Nokia’s RAN Software for virtualized Distributed Unit (vDU) and virtualized Centralized Unit (vCU) running on x86 Hardware with a CaaS layer. The trial also used Nokia’s L1 acceleration that will enable enhanced power efficiency and support Nokia’s anyRAN benefits of using common RAN software with the purpose-built part of the network. This will enable common functionality and performance across the hybrid network.

The trial marks a significant milestone in Airtel’s overall cloudification journey and supports the operator’s ambition of bringing cloud networking benefits, such as scalability and agility, to their network.

Nokia’s anyRAN is an open approach to building future-ready radio access networks together with an ecosystem of best-in-class industry partners. It’s designed to give mobile operators and enterprises a collaborative advantage by offering them more flexibility in their choice of cloud infrastructure software, hardware, and technology suppliers. Operators can evolve their networks to a hybrid RAN approach with both Cloud RAN and purpose-built RAN deployments co-existing, delivering a consistent, high-quality performance.

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Ericsson and OPPO have signed a multi-year global patent cross license agreement. This agreement includes a cross license covering patents essential to standards for cellular technologies, including 5G. OPPO, a leading smartphone vendor with sales in global markets, and significant presence in developing countries, will make royalty payments to Ericsson.

In addition to a cross license, OPPO and Ericsson will conduct business cooperation on a number of projects related to 5G, including device testing, customer engagements and marketing activities.

“This important royalty bearing license agreement with OPPO allows Ericsson to further invest in fundamental communications technologies. The license confirms that the patent licensing industry works and is proof that a vast majority of license agreements are based on business negotiations. It also reflects the mutual respect for each other’s patent portfolio. We now look forward to growing Ericsson’s IPR revenues with additional 5G agreements and expansion into additional licensing areas, such as IoT and consumer electronics.”, said Christina Petersson, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Ericsson.

This agreement is in line with global practice where companies that provide products using cellular 3GPP standards such as 5G need a license agreement with patent holders in order not to infringe these patents, and also for patent holders to be compensated for their R&D investment.

The financial benefit of this agreement was already reflected in Ericsson’s Q2 2024 financial results.

Over several decades, Ericsson has been a leading contributor to 3GPP and to the development of global mobile standards. The value of Ericsson’s patent portfolio of more than 60,000 granted patents is strengthened by our leading position as 5G vendor, our leading 5G patent portfolio and annual investments of more than SEK 45 billion in R&D.

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Nokia has announced an agreement with Telefonica, through its areas Telefónica Mobile Spain and Telefónica IoT & Big Data Tech Spain and Telefonica IoT & Big Data Tech, to drive the development of the 5G private network market in Spain.

Under the three-year umbrella agreement, 100 Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), Modular Private Wireless (MPW), MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) solutions, and Industrial devices will be deployed to meet the needs of key mission-critical industries such as ports, manufacturing, and logistics to improve productivity, worker safety, and sustainability in the Spanish Enterprise market.

Nokia one platform for industrial digitalization is comprised of Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), MX Industrial Edge (MXIE), Industrial devices, and digitalization applications. It is designed to simplify digital transformation for an array of industries by delivering a secure, reliable, and high-performing wireless infrastructure and the needed on-prem compute for tapping into real-time OT data to accelerate digital transformation.

This collaboration is a significant step toward boosting Industry 4.0 in the enterprise Spanish market, allowing industries to become data-driven, enhancing Telefonica’s network capabilities and offering a clear path to migrating use cases to 5G.

Nokia has deployed mission-critical networks to more than 2,600 leading enterprise customers in the transportation, energy, large enterprise, manufacturing, webscale, and public sector segments worldwide. The company has also extended its expertise to more than 730 private wireless customers worldwide.

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Nokia has announced an agreement with Telefonica, through its areas Telefónica Mobile Spain and Telefónica IoT & Big Data Tech Spain and Telefonica IoT & Big Data Tech, to drive the development of the 5G private network market in Spain.

Under the three-year umbrella agreement, 100 Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), Modular Private Wireless (MPW), MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) solutions, and Industrial devices will be deployed to meet the needs of key mission-critical industries such as ports, manufacturing, and logistics to improve productivity, worker safety, and sustainability in the Spanish Enterprise market.

Nokia one platform for industrial digitalization is comprised of Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), MX Industrial Edge (MXIE), Industrial devices, and digitalization applications. It is designed to simplify digital transformation for an array of industries by delivering a secure, reliable, and high-performing wireless infrastructure and the needed on-prem compute for tapping into real-time OT data to accelerate digital transformation.

This collaboration is a significant step toward boosting Industry 4.0 in the enterprise Spanish market, allowing industries to become data-driven, enhancing Telefonica’s network capabilities and offering a clear path to migrating use cases to 5G.

Nokia has deployed mission-critical networks to more than 2,600 leading enterprise customers in the transportation, energy, large enterprise, manufacturing, webscale, and public sector segments worldwide. The company has also extended its expertise to more than 730 private wireless customers worldwide.

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Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 has announced a new, long-term network sharing agreement. This agreement significantly extends the current agreement between Vodafone Limited (‘Vodafone UK’) and VMED O2 UK Limited (‘Virgin Media O2’) for more than a decade;

Subject to the approval of the merger between Vodafone UK and Three UK (‘MergeCo’) by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, the Agreement provides a stable basis for MergeCo’s enlarged network to participate in the network sharing agreement and Virgin Media O2 will acquire spectrum from the MergeCo;

The Agreement and formation of MergeCo will transform the experience for tens of millions of customers across the UK and (subject to CMA approval) will rebalance the mobile market by creating a third scaled network operator;

The Agreement will extend benefits from MergeCo’s committed £11 billion network investment plan to customers of Virgin Media O2 and to the mobile virtual network operators (‘MVNO’) with whom they have wholesale partnerships; and

The Agreement and formation of MergeCo will significantly enhance competition in the retail and wholesale mobile markets.

Vodafone UK and Virgin Media O2 have agreed to extend and enhance their existing mobile network sharing agreement for more than a decade, bolstering quality mobile coverage across the country and delivering improved services for customers.

Many elements of the Agreement expand on the existing arrangement between Vodafone UK and Virgin Media O2 and are independent of the Vodafone UK and Three UK merger outcome. However, subject to completion of the merger, the operators have agreed that Virgin Media O2 will acquire spectrum from the newly created MergeCo, establishing three scaled mobile network operators each with better alignment of spectrum holding.

Through a combination of MergeCo’s commitment to invest £11 billion in its network over the next decade (subject to CMA approval) and Virgin Media O2’s £2 billion annual investment in its networks and services, the Agreement will ensure quality mobile connectivity, choice and competition is enhanced. This will not only benefit the companies’ respective customers but also businesses, which includes MVNOs who make use of networks via wholesale partnerships to deliver their own mobile services to millions of people across the country. The Agreement will ensure these virtual operators have access to a choice of three high-quality, scaled wholesale competitors, further supporting an already thriving MVNO segment in the UK.

The Agreement includes plans for Virgin Media O2 to purchase spectrum at market value from MergeCo, increasing their current holding. The Agreement reduces the current imbalances in spectrum holding between the UK’s mobile network operators, which will enhance competition in the mobile market allowing MergeCo and Virgin Media O2 to provide increased capacity, speeds and greater coverage for their customers.

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Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 has announced a new, long-term network sharing agreement. This agreement significantly extends the current agreement between Vodafone Limited (‘Vodafone UK’) and VMED O2 UK Limited (‘Virgin Media O2’) for more than a decade;

Subject to the approval of the merger between Vodafone UK and Three UK (‘MergeCo’) by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, the Agreement provides a stable basis for MergeCo’s enlarged network to participate in the network sharing agreement and Virgin Media O2 will acquire spectrum from the MergeCo;

The Agreement and formation of MergeCo will transform the experience for tens of millions of customers across the UK and (subject to CMA approval) will rebalance the mobile market by creating a third scaled network operator;

The Agreement will extend benefits from MergeCo’s committed £11 billion network investment plan to customers of Virgin Media O2 and to the mobile virtual network operators (‘MVNO’) with whom they have wholesale partnerships; and

The Agreement and formation of MergeCo will significantly enhance competition in the retail and wholesale mobile markets.

Vodafone UK and Virgin Media O2 have agreed to extend and enhance their existing mobile network sharing agreement for more than a decade, bolstering quality mobile coverage across the country and delivering improved services for customers.

Many elements of the Agreement expand on the existing arrangement between Vodafone UK and Virgin Media O2 and are independent of the Vodafone UK and Three UK merger outcome. However, subject to completion of the merger, the operators have agreed that Virgin Media O2 will acquire spectrum from the newly created MergeCo, establishing three scaled mobile network operators each with better alignment of spectrum holding.

Through a combination of MergeCo’s commitment to invest £11 billion in its network over the next decade (subject to CMA approval) and Virgin Media O2’s £2 billion annual investment in its networks and services, the Agreement will ensure quality mobile connectivity, choice and competition is enhanced. This will not only benefit the companies’ respective customers but also businesses, which includes MVNOs who make use of networks via wholesale partnerships to deliver their own mobile services to millions of people across the country. The Agreement will ensure these virtual operators have access to a choice of three high-quality, scaled wholesale competitors, further supporting an already thriving MVNO segment in the UK.

The Agreement includes plans for Virgin Media O2 to purchase spectrum at market value from MergeCo, increasing their current holding. The Agreement reduces the current imbalances in spectrum holding between the UK’s mobile network operators, which will enhance competition in the mobile market allowing MergeCo and Virgin Media O2 to provide increased capacity, speeds and greater coverage for their customers.

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5G subscriptions will be close to 5.6 billion by the end of 2029 – with global 5G population coverage beyond mainland China set to double from 40 percent at the end of 2023 to 80 percent by the end of 2029, according to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report.

5G to Become Dominant Mobile Access Technology

The report highlights 5G’s trajectory to become the leading mobile access technology by subscription. By 2029, 5G is expected to account for roughly 60% of all subscriptions globally. This widespread adoption signifies a paradigm shift in mobile connectivity, promising faster speeds, wider coverage, and a more robust user experience.

Faster Speeds and Enhanced User Experience

Statistics reveal a significant improvement in user experience on 5G mid-band networks compared to low-band and 4G alternatives. Notably, 97% of user activities on 5G mid-band achieved a time-to-content of less than 1.5 seconds. This stands in stark contrast to 67% on low-band and a mere 38% on 4G networks. These figures translate to faster downloads, smoother streaming, and a more responsive mobile experience overall.

Data Traffic Boom and the Rise of FWA

The report also acknowledges the ongoing data traffic boom, with mobile network data usage experiencing a 20% compound annual growth rate. 5G is well-positioned to handle this ever-increasing demand, projected to manage a staggering 75% of all mobile network data traffic by 2029.

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is emerging as another key use case for 5G. This technology leverages 5G networks to deliver high-speed internet access, potentially revolutionizing internet connectivity, especially in underserved areas.

Regional Growth and 5G Penetration

The report delves into specific regional trends, highlighting the significant 5G subscription growth projected for Southeast Asia. This region is expected to reach around 560 million subscriptions by 2029, fueled by factors like more affordable 5G devices, attractive promotional plans, and a growing demand for data. However, 5G penetration in Southeast Asia is anticipated to be 43% by 2029, compared to the projected global average of 60%.

Focus on Mid-band Spectrum and Differentiated Connectivity Offerings

While overall 5G coverage is expanding rapidly, mid-band deployments are still in their early stages, accounting for only around 25% of sites globally (excluding mainland China). This mid-band spectrum offers a balance between coverage and capacity, ultimately contributing to a better user experience. As 5G technology matures, service providers are expected to focus on developing more differentiated connectivity offerings. These tailored plans will aim to maximize the potential of 5G and cater to the diverse needs of users.

The Future of Mobile Connectivity is Powered by 5G

The Ericsson Mobility Report offers a compelling glimpse into the future of mobile connectivity. With 5G subscriptions poised for explosive growth and user experience set to improve significantly, the stage is set for a mobile revolution. Faster speeds, wider coverage, and a data-rich experience are all on the horizon, driven by the transformative potential of 5G technology.

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Nokia is expanding its collaboration with Google Cloud to give developers around the world the network software tools they need to create innovative new 5G enterprise and consumer applications faster for their customers.

Now, Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal will run on Google Cloud, enriching the developer experience via Google Cloud data and generative AI solutions and capabilities, including Vertex AI and Gemini 1.5 Pro. This will enable developers to easily consume AI in their applications and improve productivity with coding assistance agents.

The companies will target industry use cases to promote with the Google Cloud developer community, starting with healthcare to deliver better, safer customer experiences.

Google Cloud’s expansive developer community, covering all major industries and geographies, will benefit by having access to standardized 5G network capabilities around the world, exposed through Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal, giving them the technical tools required to quickly create new applications for their customers.

Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal
Nokia’s platform brings together telco networks, systems integrators, and software developers from around the world into a unified ecosystem to accelerate the development of software applications that can harness 5G and 4G network capabilities.

It provides developers with software development kits (SDKs); network API documentation, a “sandbox” to create software code for use case simulation and testing; and code “snippets” that can be included in building new applications. The platform is based on a revenue share model between developers, operators, and Nokia.

Since its launch in September 2023, Nokia has signed collaboration agreements with 13 network operators and ecosystem partners in Europe, North America, and South America.

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Accenture has agreed to acquire Fibermind, an Italy-based network services company, specializing in fiber and mobile 5G networks deployment, as well as infrastructure engineering services. The acquisition will strengthen Accenture’s capabilities in the domain and extend network services to clients across multiple industries, including telecommunications, utilities, and transportation.

Headquartered in Rovigo, Italy, with operations throughout the country, Fibermind has more than 20 years of experience serving public and private sector clients, a strong partner ecosystem and long-standing relationships with national authorities and municipalities. Fibermind also has well-established client relationships with Italy’s major mobile and fiber network operators.

“The acquisition of Fibermind reaffirms Accenture’s commitment to continuously invest in strategic acquisitions that support and accelerate our clients’ transformations across key industry sectors in Italy,” said Mauro Macchi, president and CEO of Accenture in Italy. “As a result of the acquisition, we will expand our capabilities to offer end-to-end network engineering services, delivering higher quality, greater innovation, and more rigorous cost management to our clients.”

Fibermind will bring more than 400 highly qualified professionals to Accenture Operations, with expertise spanning network design, permits management, technical office and local directive project management office (PMO) work, network acceptance testing, network documentation and home connection.

“This acquisition will significantly strengthen our expertise in the telecommunications network engineering services, boosting our growth in a strategic sector for the country,” said Roberto Pagella, who leads Accenture Operations in Italy. “The synergies with Fibermind will allow us to create a center of excellence in engineering services where technology and data enhance and amplify human skills and knowledge.”

Together, Accenture and Fibermind will offer clients network engineering capabilities, deep industry knowledge, and technology assets powered by automation, robotics, data and AI.

“We welcome the opportunity to grow by joining Accenture and become part of its global network. The combination of our expertise and capabilities represents an important opportunity for us to strengthen our leadership in Italy and to expand outside the country,” said Andrea Targa, general manager, Fibermind. “Four years ago, we started on a path with our parent company, Maticmind, to excel at ICT and to focus on enabling digital transformation for our clients. Accenture shares this commitment to clients and innovation, so together we’ll enable speed and quality in delivering engineering services.”

The acquisition complements previous Accenture acquisitions in Europe, including Arca, AFD.TECH and umlaut, aimed at building the company’s infrastructure engineering scale and capability for 5G and fiber in the region.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including required antitrust clearances.

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5G offers exceptional data transfer rates and ultra-low latency, paving the way for groundbreaking applications like autonomous vehicles, remote surgery, and immersive AR/VR experiences. However, to fully unlock its potential, 5G necessitates a powerful collaborator – edge computing.

5G boasts unprecedented data transfer speeds, enabling the handling of massive data volumes in real-time. This opens doors for transformative applications. However, a critical challenge emerges: traditional cloud-based processing struggles to keep pace with 5G’s remarkable speed. Data traveling to a centralized cloud for processing experiences latency, a delay that can be detrimental in real-time scenarios. For instance, in the case of an autonomous car relying on cloud processing for obstacle detection, even a split-second delay could have disastrous consequences.

Edge computing addresses this latency challenge by strategically positioning processing power closer to the data source, often at the network’s edge (think cell towers, base stations, or even user devices). This approach enables near-instantaneous processing, minimizing latency and allowing for real-time decision-making.

Synergy Between 5G and Edge Computing: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship

• Reduced Latency: 5G delivers data at exceptional speeds, while edge computing processes it locally. This minimizes the distance data travels, resulting in significantly reduced latency, approaching real-time processing capabilities.
• Enhanced Network Efficiency: By offloading processing tasks from the cloud, edge computing frees up valuable bandwidth on the 5G network. This translates to improved overall network efficiency and a superior user experience.
• Improved Scalability: Edge computing fosters a more distributed processing architecture. This facilitates easier scaling of resources to accommodate real-time demands, ensuring optimal performance.
• Empowering the Internet of Things (IoT): With edge computing, massive volumes of data generated by IoT devices can be processed locally, enabling faster insights and more efficient decision-making.

Technical Considerations for Navigating the Edge

• Network Slicing: 5G’s network slicing capabilities allow for the creation of virtual networks tailored to specific edge applications. This ensures dedicated resources and optimized performance for each application.
• Security Concerns: Distributing processing power across the network introduces new security challenges. Robust security protocols are essential to safeguard data at the edge.
• Standardization: As edge computing matures, standardization across different edge platforms and applications will be crucial for seamless interoperability.

The combined power of 5G and edge computing promises a future brimming with possibilities:

• Smart Cities: Real-time traffic management, intelligent waste collection, and connected infrastructure.
• Industrial Automation: Predictive maintenance, remote monitoring of factory processes, and optimized production lines.
• Enhanced Healthcare: Remote patient monitoring, real-time diagnostics, and faster emergency response times.

5G and edge computing are not competitors, but rather complementary technologies working in sync. They pave the way for a future where data processing occurs at the speed of thought, unlocking a new era of connected experiences and revolutionizing the way we interact with the world around us. This is just the beginning of an exciting journey, and as technology continues to evolve, the possibilities are truly limitless.

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Ericsson, in collaboration with 3 Denmark, TV 2, and Sony, has successfully trialed a live television broadcast of a high-profile football match over a 5G standalone (SA) network, leveraging cutting-edge millimeter wave (mmWave) technology. The landmark trial at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen marks a transformative leap in the production and consumption of live sports entertainment in Denmark.

The live broadcast was transmitted over 3’s 5G SA infrastructure, which is supplied exclusively by Ericsson and includes the dual-mode 5G Core solution, transport, and radio access network (RAN).

The trial was the first of its kind in Denmark utilizing 5G mmWave on a 5G SA network. New Radio-Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) combined 20 MHz of bandwidth in C-band (n78) and 800 MHz in mmWave (n258). The proof of concept tested four 5G broadcast cameras and one drone camera, each demanding 35Mbps and 100% uplink time from the network. However, enough capacity has been provisioned in the stadium to support full arena TV production in the future, supporting many times more 5G cameras to capture the action from a large variety of camera angles.

5G can greatly reduce barriers and improve efficiency for live broadcasters by removing the need for large onsite crews and tethered equipment, both in arena venues and remote locations. According to the GSMA, this approach can help broadcasters lower their production costs by as much as 90 percent, and could ultimately save the global media industry billions of dollars each year.

Sony’s advancements in 5G-enabled broadcast camera technology were also showcased during the trial.

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Nokia has made a live immersive voice and audio call over a cellular network. Pekka Lundmark, Nokia’s President and CEO, held a live immersive audio and video call with Stefan Lindström, Finland’s Ambassador of Digitalization and New Technologies.

The call was enabled by the new Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS) codec technology which is part of the upcoming 5G Advanced standard. The IVAS codec allows consumers to hear sound spatially in real-time instead of today’s monophonic smartphone voice call experience. Lundmark demonstrated the distinctive acoustic dimensions that can be experienced with the new IVAS technology to Lindström while calling him from Nokia’s campus in Espoo.

The Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS) codec technology enables live spatial audio across any connected devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets or PCs), bringing people together for real-life interaction with three-dimensional sound. It is the biggest leap forward in the live voice calling experience since the introduction of monophonic telephony audio used in smartphones and PCs today.

The 3GPP IVAS codec standard has been developed by a consortium of 13 companies under the framework of the IVAS codec public collaboration. Nokia has been a leader in these standardization efforts and has contributed major parts of the technology to the standard, including the development of a smartphone specific format for the IVAS standard. Including this innovation in a worldwide standard is the key to enabling interoperability between operators, chipset and handset manufacturers, making spatial communication available for all.

Nokia was able to successfully demonstrate the IVAS technology in a real-time call even though the technology has not yet been implemented in mobile networks. This first live call used Nokia’s proprietary Immersive Voice technology to achieve the experience over a public 5G network.

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SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, NTT DOCOMO, INC., the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) , and Panasonic Holdings Corporation (Panasonic HD) have successfully conducted a 5G communication verification test in the 38GHz band* from an altitude of approximately 4km using a small Cessna aircraft operated by Kyoritsu Air Survey Co., Ltd. simulating the eventual use of High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS). The demonstration was the first of its kind in the world.

In this trial to demonstrate the practical application of 5G feeder link and backhaul line for HAPS, a Cessna aircraft was equipped with newly developed communication equipment (“Cessna onboard station”) that is expected to be deployed eventually in HAPS. Additionally, a lens-type antenna with an auto-tracking function was used as the HAPS ground station (“ground station”).

The trial established an aerial relay backhaul line between the Cessna aircraft, flying at an altitude of approximately 4km, and three ground stations, using the 5G New Radio (NR) standard with 38GHz band radio waves, which is a novel approach for terrestrial 5G networks. The test included multiple backhaul lines consisting of aerial relays using the 5G NR standard with 38GHz band radio waves

With 5G evolution underway and 6G implementation on the horizon, various efforts are being made to expand coverage areas. Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) using HAPS is a promising technology for such expansions, so the results from this demonstration will help accelerate the practical application of HAPS networks.

The four organizations involved in this project are committed to continuing their joint efforts, aiming at the early delivery of 5G from the stratosphere via an NTN using HAPS.

The demonstration is part of a project focused on wireless communication systems using HAPS led by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

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T-Mobile has announced the launch of Home Internet Backup, a new service designed to provide a secondary internet connection for customers facing outages with their primary Internet Service Provider (ISP).

This plan utilizes T-Mobile’s 5G network, offering an alternative for cable and fiber internet subscribers. Home Internet Backup aims to keep users connected during unexpected downtime, potentially mitigating disruptions caused by ISP outages.

“Internet outages can be disruptive for work, school, and entertainment,” acknowledged Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile, in a press release. “Home Internet Backup offers a potential solution for customers seeking an alternative connection during downtime.”

Home Internet Backup costs $30 per month with AutoPay. Existing T-Mobile customers with a qualifying voice line can get a discounted rate of $20 per month with AutoPay for a limited time.

Setting up the service requires a compatible device, which can be purchased from T-Mobile or might be included in some existing plans. The backup connection automatically activates when the primary internet connection fails, aiming for a smooth transition.

Home Internet Backup allows users to maintain their current ISPs while having a 5G backup in case of outages. This potentially gives users more control over their internet experience and helps them avoid the frustration of downtime.

The service utilizes T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network, offering an alternative internet access point during outages. This could allow users to continue streaming, browsing the web, or participating in video calls even when their primary ISP experiences problems.

T-Mobile’s announcement highlights ongoing developments in the internet service landscape. Home Internet Backup is one example of how companies are offering new solutions to potentially improve user experiences and provide greater flexibility in choosing internet access options.

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise has introduced HPE Aruba Networking Enterprise Private 5G to help customers accelerate and simplify the deployment and management of private 5G networks, providing high levels of reliable wireless coverage across large campus and industrial environments and opening up new, untapped use cases for private cellular.

With this expansion of its secure edge-to-cloud portfolio, HPE Aruba Networking becomes a global enterprise infrastructure vendor to provide comprehensive Wi-Fi and private 5G solutions, helping customers in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, public venues, and education solve complex connectivity challenges across large and remote sites. HPE Aruba Networking Enterprise Private 5G also helps customers make productivity and innovation gains as a complement to the cost-effective, high-capacity connectivity provided by Wi-Fi, in addition to expanding AI data capture and delivery capabilities for building AI data lakes and activating inference solutions.

HPE Aruba Networking Enterprise Private 5G also enables communications service providers (CSPs) to quickly deploy private 5G networks for their customers. This integrated private 5G solution complements existing Wi-Fi-based managed services and will help telco customers service the growing private cellular market and generate new revenue from their existing enterprise customers.

With the debut of HPE Aruba Networking Enterprise Private 5G, enterprises can increase reliable, secure, high-performance connectivity with a fully integrated private 5G network that features:

• An end-to-end offering that includes a 4G/5G core, HPE ProLiant Gen11 servers, SIM/eSIM cards, 4G/5G small cells, and dashboard.
• New 4G/5G small cell radios from HPE that provide indoor/outdoor coverage, eliminating the need to integrate and use a separate management tool from a 3rd party vendor.
• Simplified cloud-native management and automation for subscriber management, deployment management, core monitoring and radio monitoring, with future plans for integration with HPE Aruba Networking Central.
• Expanded AI data capture and delivery for building AI data lakes and activating inference solutions.
• Interoperability with shared spectrum for private enterprise use: Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum in the US, and globally, where regulatory frameworks allow, beginning in 2025.
• Simplified configuration with pre-integrated, tested solution including everything needed to deploy an enterprise private 4G/5G network.
• Ability to deploy solutions in under 30 minutes with zero touch provisioning and configuration wizards that mask the 3GPP cellular complexity.
  

This integration follows the 2023 acquisition of private cellular technology provider Athonet, which brings 15 years of leadership in private cellular networks, completing 500 enterprise deployments of private cellular solutions. Athonet is an award-winning technology pioneer with successful customer deployments in various industries, including leading mobile operators, hospitals, airports, transportation ports, utilities, government and public safety organizations.

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Cisco and AT&T have announced a new digital buying experience that makes it faster and easier for businesses everywhere to take advantage of 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).

For businesses looking to quickly extend connectivity across diverse campus and branch office environments, Cisco’s newest line of cellular gateways, the Meraki MG52 and MG52E, are the first true-5G, Standalone (SA) capable, discreet FWA devices to offer cloud-managed eSIM technology powered by Cisco IoT Control Center. Available this summer, the new devices are paired exclusively with an integrated wireless WAN service experience and zero-touch, instant-on provisioning from AT&T, customers can simply plug the device into power and provision AT&T’s 5G connectivity through the Cisco Meraki dashboard.

The new Cisco cloud-managed FWA devices can scale robust, always-on, highly secure 5G connected experiences nationwide* making it simpler for businesses to take advantage of:

• Increased operational efficiency with scalable and flexible management
• Minimized downtime and disruptions with seamless, resilient network performance
• Greater return on investment with long-lasting, durably designed FWA devices
• Flexibility to deploy in difficult-to-reach locations
• Ability to deploy branch sites within minutes with instant-on, built-in AT&T 5G connectivity

With a complimentary 30-day introductory period, businesses can reduce deployment times for branch connectivity through self-service purchasing of AT&T data plans directly from the Cisco Meraki dashboard. Instant-on data from AT&T will also allow for immediate provisioning of full-stack Cisco networks to accelerate “day zero” operations.

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Orange and Nokia are expanding their partnership to advance network programmability and monetization. Using Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal, developers will be able to test and take advantage of Orange’s 5G network capabilities to create applications for customers in France and other parts of Europe.

Orange, one of Europe’s leading telecommunications providers with more than 280 million mobile subscribers, is already providing commercial production grade network API capabilities to developers using the Orange Developer Portal.

Orange aims to accelerate and further tap into the global ecosystem of developers and unlock 5G network capabilities such as dynamic bandwidth allocation, real-time location insights, predictive maintenance, and event-driven triggers for security and safety responses.

To make that happen, Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal will provide application developers with access to Software Development Kits (SDK); Network API documentation, a ‘sandbox’ to create software code for use case simulation and testing; and code ‘snippets’ that can be included in new applications in addition to Orange Developer Portal.

As a result of this expanded partnership, an extension of Orange and Nokia’s long-standing relationship, developers will have the tools to leverage Orange’s network features, develop new use cases, and create new value for developer and Orange customers.

As part of the first step in their network API collaboration, Orange and Nokia co-hosted a “Network as Code Hackathon” on May 23-24 at France’s premier tech start-up conference, Viva Tech. This hackathon provided a forum for developers to build new, innovative use cases and applications using Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal.

Going forward, as part of the expanded partnership, Orange and Nokia will further engage with the developer community by enabling pre-commercial use case support while leveraging network API expertise and network capabilities provided by both partners. This pilot program will become available progressively in select European countries at first by leveraging Orange 5G Labs network.

Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal brings together telco networks, systems integrators, and software developers from around the world into a unified ecosystem to accelerate the development of software applications that can harness the untapped capabilities of 5G and 4G networks.

The platform uses technical standards produced through industry initiatives such as the GSMA Open Gateway initiative and the Linux Foundation CAMARA. Nokia and Orange contribute to both initiatives. Orange has already implemented Linux Foundation CAMARA’s guidelines and first commercial grade APIs are available in France and Spain.

Nokia has signed collaboration agreements with 12 network operators and ecosystem partners around the world to use its Network as Code platform with developer portal.

The post Orange and Nokia Partner to Accelerate 5G Application Development in Europe appeared first on TelecomGrid.

Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and Ericsson have successfully trialed what is known in the industry as a Multi-band Booster solution, which combines the best characteristics of the traditional microwave (6-42 GHz) and E-band (70/80 GHz) band frequencies to boost the capacity, reach and coverage of the 5G network.

The Multi-band Booster solution combines the high availability of the lower frequency microwave bands with the high capacity of the E-band, which then can be used over much longer distances and wider geographical areas; significantly extending reach and boosting the overall network capacity.

The combination of the high data throughput, low latency coverage, reliability and simplified outdoor deployment enabled by the Multi-band Booster solution make it suitable for applications like fixed wireless access and requirements introduced by 5G Advanced.

It will also enhance the amount of data that can be transmitted between cell towers and Mobile Network Operator cores (the backhaul connectivity) in the network.

The solution allows 5G and 5G Advanced services to be introduced faster for the benefit of consumers, in rural and underserved communities. For enterprise users, the solution can be used to connect different sites within enterprise networks with high capacity and minimum indoor footprint, without having to wait for fiber to be available, which will expedite their digitalization journey.

The fully outdoor solution also does away with the need for a room or cooling requirements, which makes it greener and energy sustainable.

It allows the E-band (using Ericsson’s MINI-LINK 6352) to be combined with traditional microwave bands (using Ericsson’s MINI-LINK 6365 + MINI-LINK 6371) to leverage the strengths of both frequency ranges. This combination will extend the reach and capacity of microwave links and significantly improve the use of spectrum. The reach of E-band is extended up to two times while the capacity of the traditional band is enhanced by five times.

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Here’s a roundup of key happenings in the 5G, wireless, and fixed wireless (FWA) domains across the globe this week.

5G Deployment Update:

• US Carriers Focus on FWA Expansion: Major US carriers like Verizon hinted at expanding their fixed wireless access (FWA) offerings, potentially utilizing 5G technology to deliver high-speed internet to underserved areas. This could create competition with traditional cable and fiber optic internet service providers.
• India Makes Strides in Spectrum Auction: News outlets might have reported on India’s successful auction of 5G spectrum, paving the way for wider deployment in the country. This significant development is expected to boost India’s mobile broadband infrastructure and unlock new opportunities for businesses and consumers.

AI and Machine Learning Integration Takes Center Stage:

• Industry Focuses on Network Optimization with AI: News articles might have highlighted advancements in using AI and machine learning to optimize 5G network performance. This could involve dynamic resource allocation, congestion management, and predictive maintenance, leading to a more reliable and efficient user experience.
• Focus on Security with AI: Industry discussions might have emphasized the use of AI for enhanced security in 5G networks. AI-powered solutions can help detect and mitigate cyber threats, protecting critical infrastructure and user data.

Fixed Wireless Access Gains Traction:

• T-Mobile Expands Wi-Fi Software for FWA: News might have reported on T-Mobile partnering with a company like Airties to deploy its Wi-Fi software for 5G Home Internet customers. This move aims to improve in-home Wi-Fi performance and coverage for a better fixed wireless broadband experience.
• Legal Battles Over Interference: News outlets might have covered lawsuits like Bloosurf suing T-Mobile regarding potential 5G network interference. These legal challenges highlight the need for careful spectrum management and coordination between different wireless service providers.

Mergers and Acquisitions in the Spotlight:

• DZS Acquires Casa Systems’ NetComm Business: The acquisition of Casa Systems’ NetComm business by DZS could lead to consolidation and potentially impact the fixed wireless access equipment market. This move is worth following to see how it affects product offerings and competition in the FWA space.

Beyond the Headlines:

• Keep an eye out for developments in:
  • Open RAN (Open Radio Access Network) advancements and their impact on network equipment vendors.
  • Progress in millimeter wave (mmWave) technology for ultra-fast wireless data transmission.
  • Regulatory changes and policy decisions affecting the 5G and FWA landscape globally.

The post The Future of Connectivity: This Week in 5G, Wireless, and FWA appeared first on TelecomGrid.

The 5G revolution is transforming how we connect and interact with the world. But the story doesn’t end there. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are poised to take 5G networks to the next level, unlocking a future of intelligent, adaptable, and hyper-connected experiences. In this blog, we’ll explore the potential of generative AI and how AI and ML, as a whole, are revolutionizing 5G networks.

AI and ML are not new concepts, but their integration with 5G unlocks exciting possibilities. Here’s how they’re making a difference:

• Network Optimization: AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of network data in real-time, identifying congestion points and dynamically allocating resources to optimize performance. This ensures seamless user experiences for applications like streaming, gaming, and AR/VR.
• Predictive Maintenance: ML models can analyze network behavior to predict potential failures before they occur. This proactive approach minimizes downtime and ensures network reliability.
• Personalized Services: AI can personalize network experiences based on individual user preferences and behavior. This could translate to customized bandwidth allocation, content delivery optimization, and even proactive security measures.

Generative AI, a subfield of AI that can create entirely new data, adds another layer of innovation to 5G networks:

• Network Simulation and Testing: Generative AI can create realistic network scenarios to test and validate new technologies and configurations in a virtual environment. This reduces the time and cost associated with traditional testing methods.
• Content Optimization: Generative AI can analyze user preferences and network conditions to optimize content delivery. Imagine automatically tailoring video quality based on available bandwidth for a seamless streaming experience.
• Network Slicing on Steroids: Generative AI can create dynamic network slices tailored to specific needs – from low-latency for autonomous vehicles to high-bandwidth for immersive entertainment. This flexibility allows for efficient resource allocation and caters to diverse applications without compromising performance.

The integration of AI and ML into 5G networks is still in its early stages. However, the potential for transformative change is undeniable. As technology evolves, we can expect to see even more innovative applications of AI and generative AI in 5G networks, including:

• Self-Healing Networks: Networks that can automatically detect and resolve issues without human intervention.
• Enhanced Security: AI-powered anomaly detection and threat mitigation to protect against cyberattacks and ensure network integrity.
• The Rise of the Connected Society: Seamless integration between physical and digital worlds, powered by AI-driven 5G networks.

With AI and ML leading the charge, 5G networks are poised to become the intelligent backbone of our future, fostering innovation, optimizing experiences, and ushering in a new era of hyper-connectivity.

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