Author: Alan Weissberger
China Unicom & Huawei deploy 2.1 GHz 8T8R 5G network for high-speed railway in China
China Unicom Jilin, the local affiliate of China Unicom in the Jilin province, has completed the deployment of a 2.1 GHz 8T8R 5G network for a segment of the national Harbin-Dalian high-speed railway with 5G network equipment from Huawei.
Tests show that 8T8R AAUs increase the coverage area by 44% compared with 4T4R, and 5G user experience improves by 5.2 times compared with 4G. The train passengers can heartily access the network for entertainment such as HD video, live streaming, and New Calling as well as for work on-the-move such as remote video conferencing.
In 2023, China Unicom embarked on a 5G coverage project along China’s sixteen trunk high-speed railways. Its affiliate in Jilin province contributed to its share of constructing the province’s premium 5G network for high-speed railways within the provincial borders. At first, this network construction project was daunted by four serious challenges. To begin with, the distance between sites is large. What’s worse, the penetration loss was greater with high-speed railways than common railways. Additionally, high-speed mobility increased the Doppler shift, a direct cause of performance deterioration. Lastly, user experience was poor due to short camping time caused by frequent handovers (every 3–4 seconds) on trains running at a high speed of 300 km/hr.
To address these challenges, in this project, China Unicom Jilin deployed the 2.1 GHz 8T8R AAU, and activated the High-speed Railway Excellent Experience feature and Cell Combination feature.
The 2.1 GHz 8T8R AAU solution integrates with technologies like multi-antenna, integrated high-gain array, intelligent beamforming, and precise and fast beam sweeping. Compared with 4T4R, it improves coverage by 7.5 dB, user experience by an impressive 55%, and capacity by 85%. This solution solves the problem of poor coverage caused by large distances and large insertion loss on high-speed railways. It also uses the same antenna as the legacy 4G 1.8 GHz network, simplifying site deployment and reducing tower rental by 10%. This series of solutions with Huawei FDD beamforming technology took home the GSMA GLOMO award for “Best Mobile Technology Breakthrough” and was listed in the “Guangdong Province Energy Saving Technology and Equipment (Product) Recommendation Catalogue”, issued by the Guangdong Energy Bureau in July 2023, for its excellent performance in energy saving.
After the High-Speed Railway Excellent Experience feature is enabled, the 5G base station proactively adjusts the signal frequency to offset the negative impact caused by frequency offset. This solves the Doppler shift problem in high-speed railway continuous coverage scenarios. After Cell Combination feature is enabled, the number of inter-cell handovers can be reduced in a cell combination network, which solves the problems of fast handovers and short camping time on high-speed railways. Test results show that after this feature is enabled, the access success rate increases to 99.4% and the call drop rate decreases by 57%. This overcomes the difficulties of difficult network access in ultra-high-speed scenarios.
This commercial deployment of the 2.1 GHz 8T8R AAU solution will greatly facilitate the operator’s future plans for similar 5G rollouts. China Unicom Jilin will continue to explore 5G network deployments in different scenarios as well as innovative applications of 2.1 GHz 8T8R in order to build differentiated 5G advantages based on service requirements in various 5G scenarios.
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Nokia plans to investment €360 million in microelectronics & 5G Advanced/6G technology in Germany
Nokia plans to invest €360 million (US$391 million) on the development of energy-efficient software, hardware and high-performance microelectronics for use in future mobile communications systems based on future 5G-Advanced and 6G specs from 3GPP and ITU-R standards.
Nokia wrote that “3GPP Release 18 will mark another major evolution in 5G technology that will lead the industry into the 5G-Advanced era. 5G-Advanced is set to evolve 5G to its fullest, richest capabilities. It will create a foundation for more demanding applications and a wider range of use cases than ever before with a truly immersive user experience based on extended reality (XR) features. It will also introduce AI and ML enhancements across the RAN, Core, and network management layer for improved performance, network optimization, and energy efficiency.”
Source: Nokia
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Editors Note: 3GPP Release 18 is scheduled to be completed in June 2024
Source: 3GPP
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The project will focus on the integrated development of software, hardware and high-performance systems-on-chips based on a digital twin. These will be used in radio and optical products in future mobile communications systems based on the 5G-Advanced and 6G standards. Nokia is further expanding its extensive experience in chip design and strengthening the European value chain.
This development work will be carried out at Nokia’s Ulm and Nuremberg sites in Germany, and will be funded by Nokia, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection and the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.
Another focus area is on the energy efficiency of the systems to support European climate targets under the Green Deal. Nokia is closely cooperating with research institutes and universities to achieve this objective.This cooperation will be strengthened by the long-term IPCEI investment and funding. The microelectronics systems developed as part of the project will help to make networks more energy-efficient and more powerful at the same time.
Nokia hopes that the project will strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, especially in the field of microelectronics for nascent technologies such as 6G and artificial intelligence.
Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said:
“This important funding will support our efforts to advance the telecommunications industry in Germany and in Europe, helping to drive innovation and strengthen competitiveness. In particular, it will help our research into microelectronics that will power future technologies such as 6G, artificial intelligence and the metaverse as well as develop networks that are more energy-efficient and powerful. Germany is an important market for Nokia, and we look forward to working with the government to produce cutting-edge technology that is ‘Made in Germany’.”
References:
https://www.nokia.com/about-us/newsroom/articles/5g-advanced-explained/
https://www.3gpp.org/specifications-technologies/releases/release-18
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OFC 2024: Researchers achieve 12-spatial-channel WDM/SDM transmission over transoceanic distance
Researchers have achieved wave/space-division multiplexed (WDM/SDM) transmission across a transoceanic distance of 7280 km with an unprecedented 12 spatial channels using a coupled multi-core fiber with a standard cladding diameter. This accomplishment opens new possibilities for increasing the capacity of current submarine cabling technology using fiber technology that doesn’t take up more space.
This research, collaborated with NEC Corporation and NTT Corporation in Japan, will be presented by Manabu Arikawa from NEC Corporation at OFC, the premier global event for optical communications and networking, which will take place as a hybrid event 24 – 28 March 2024 at the San Diego Convention Center.
“Submarine cable systems are vital infrastructure for our lives, connecting the world across oceans; future cables require more and more capacity because of the exponentially growing global traffic demand,” said Arikawa. “This research result can lead to higher capacity submarine cables, reduced cost per transmitted bit, and more efficient connectivity by significantly increasing the number of spatial channels for the same amount of optical fibers in the cables.”
WDM and SDM are used to maximize the capacity and efficiency of optical fiber communication systems. WDM works by transmitting multiple signals simultaneously over a single optical fiber by assigning each channel a unique wavelength of light whereas SDM uses separate spatial paths or fiber cores to transmit multiple data streams within a single optical fiber or across different fibers.
For submarine cables, achieving more than 10 spatial channels has only been demonstrated for transmission distances of up to 1001 km with a 15-mode fiber or 1560 km with a 10-mode fiber. The challenge to achieving high spatial count transmission over transoceanic distances is to find a way to reduce the spatial mode dispersion (SMD) and mode-dependent loss (MDL) of the transmission line. Multi-core fibers are good candidates for this because their multiple individual cores can each carry an optical communication channel, allowing parallel data transmission. Compared to the uncoupled version, coupled multi-core fibers can accommodate many more cores in a standard 125-µm diameter cladding.
In the new work, the researchers carried out WDM/SDM transmission using a 32-G baud PDM-QPSK modulation format over a recirculating loop consisting of a single 52-km length of coupled 12-core fiber (C12CF) with a standard cladding diameter. After determining the optimum span input power, they evaluated transmission performance at three wavelength ranges in the C-band.
They observed error-free transmission after forward error correction for wavelengths up to 7280 km (140 loops) for 1536.6 nm and up to 9360 km (180 loops) for 1550.9 nm and 1560.6 nm in a single-span loop configuration. They also demonstrated a spatial mode dispersion of 0.1 ns and mode-dependent loss of 0.3 dB per 52-km C12CF span, together with relatively low wavelength dependence.
“One of the following important steps is the evaluation of large-scale multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processing in real-time implementation from the point of view of the future realization of a MIMO transceiver for optical communication,” said Arikawa. Another important topic is the impact and scalability of the MDL of the fibers with the number of spatial channels to characterize and overcome this capacity limitation in the future.
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Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) is one of the optical multiplexing techniques that increases bandwidth by multiplexing a variety of optical carrier signals onto a single optical fiber by using different wavelengths. Each signal at WDM wavelengths is independent of any protocol and any speed. WDM technology allows bidirectional communications simultaneously over a single optical fiber. The foundation of WDM simplifies the network to a single virtual optical fiber network instead of using multiple forms of signals with different fibers and services. In this way, WDM increases the bandwidth and lowers the networking cost by reducing the needed fibers.
There are two different wavelength patterns of WDM system, coarse wave division multiplexing (CWDM) and dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM). CWDM and DWDM are based on the same concept of using multiple light wavelengths on a single fiber, but differ in the spacing of the wavelengths, numbers of channels, and the ability to amplify the multiplexed signals in the optical space. In a WDM system, different optical signals are combined (multiplexed) together at one end of the optical fiber and separated (demultiplexed) into different channels at the other end.
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About OFC:
OFC, the premier global event for optical communications and networking, attracts attendees from around the world to a conference and exhibition that showcases the latest industry advancements and emerging technologies. This global event serves as the platform for start-ups to make their debut and industry leaders to set the pace for what’s to come. A compelling series of exciting programs and events will cover the entire ecosystem with a focus on inclusivity.
About Optica:
Optica (formerly OSA), Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is the society dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Founded in 1916, it is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, business professionals, students and others interested in the science of light. Optica’s renowned publications, meetings, online resources and in-person activities fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate scientific, technical and educational achievement. Discover more at: Optica.org
References:
https://opg.optica.org/jocn/fulltext.cfm?uri=jocn-11-3-1&id=404247
SNS Telecom & IT: Q1-2024 Public safety LTE/5G report: review of engagements across 86 countries, case studies, spectrum allocation and more
SNS Telecom & IT’s Q1-2024 Public safety LTE/5G report is a significant update from previous versions. The “Public Safety LTE & 5G Market: 2023 – 2030” report features a database of over 1,300 global public safety LTE/5G engagements – as of Q1’2024, in addition to detailed market analysis and forecasts for public safety broadband infrastructure, devices, applications and connectivity services.
Along with other unique content, the report covers a comprehensive review of public safety LTE/5G engagements across 86 countries, detailed case studies of 18 nationwide public safety broadband projects and additional case studies of 50 dedicated, hybrid, secure MVNO/MOCN and commercial operator-supplied systems, public safety spectrum allocation and usage, 3GPP standardization and commercial availability of critical communications-related features, analysis of public safety broadband application scenarios, practical examples of 5G era use cases, ongoing deployments of 3GPP standards-compliant MCX services and interworking functionality for LMR-broadband interoperability, recent advances in 5G NR sidelink-based device-to-device communications capabilities and other trends such as the emergence of portable 5G networks and 5G network slicing services (which require a 5G SA core network) for first responder agencies.
Report Summary:
With the commercial availability of 3GPP-specification compliant MCX (Mission-Critical PTT, Video & Data), HPUE (High-Power User Equipment), IOPS (Isolated Operation for Public Safety) and other critical communications features, LTE and 5G NR (New Radio) networks are increasingly gaining recognition as an all-inclusive public safety communications platform for the delivery of real-time video, high-resolution imagery, multimedia messaging, mobile office/field data applications, location services and mapping, situational awareness, unmanned asset control and other broadband capabilities, as well as MCPTT (Mission-Critical PTT) voice and narrowband data services provided by traditional LMR (Land Mobile Radio) systems. Through ongoing refinements of additional standards – specifically 5G MBS/5MBS (5G Multicast-Broadcast Services), 5G NR sidelink for off-network D2D (Device-to-Device) communications, NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) integration, and support for lower 5G NR bandwidths – 3GPP networks are eventually expected to be in a position to fully replace legacy LMR systems by the late 2020s. National public safety communications authorities in multiple countries have already expressed a willingness to complete their planned narrowband to broadband transitions within the second half of the 2020 decade.
A myriad of fully dedicated, hybrid government-commercial and secure MVNO/MOCN-based public safety LTE and 5G-ready networks are operational or in the process of being rolled out throughout the globe. The high-profile FirstNet (First Responder Network) and South Korea’s Safe-Net (National Disaster Safety Communications Network) nationwide public safety broadband networks have been successfully implemented. Although Britain’s ESN (Emergency Services Network) project has been hampered by a series of delays, many other national-level programs have made considerable headway in moving from field trials to wider scale deployments – most notably, New Zealand’s NGCC (Next-Generation Critical Communications) public safety network, France’s RRF (Radio Network of the Future), Italy’s public safety LTE service, Spain’s SIRDEE mission-critical broadband network, Finland’s VIRVE 2.0 broadband service, Sweden’s Rakel G2 secure broadband system and Hungary’s EDR 2.0/3.0 broadband network. Nationwide initiatives in the pre-operational phase include but are not limited to Switzerland’s MSK (Secure Mobile Broadband Communications) system, Norway’s Nytt Nødnett, Germany’s planned hybrid broadband network for BOS (German Public Safety Organizations), Netherlands’ NOOVA (National Public Order & Security Architecture) program, Japan’s PS-LTE (Public Safety LTE) project, Australia’s PSMB (Public Safety Mobile Broadband) program and Canada’s national PSBN (Public Safety Broadband Network) initiative.
Other operational and planned deployments range from the Halton-Peel region PSBN in Canada’s Ontario province, New South Wales’ state-based PSMB solution, China’s city and district-wide Band 45 (1.4 GHz) LTE networks for police forces, Hong Kong’s 700 MHz mission-critical broadband network, Royal Thai Police’s Band 26 (800 MHz) LTE network, Qatar MOI (Ministry of Interior), ROP (Royal Oman Police), Abu Dhabi Police and Nedaa’s mission-critical LTE networks in the oil-rich GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region, Brazil’s state-wide LTE networks for both civil and military police agencies, Barbados’ Band 14 (700 MHz) LTE-based connectivity service platform, Zambia’s 400 MHz broadband trunking system and Mauritania’s public safety LTE network for urban security in Nouakchott to local and regional-level private LTE networks for first responders in markets as diverse as Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Lebanon, Egypt, Kenya, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Cameroon, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritius, Canary Islands, Spain, Turkey, Serbia, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Trinidad & Tobago, as well as multi-domain critical communications broadband networks such as MRC’s (Mobile Radio Center) LTE-based advanced MCA digital radio system in Japan, and secure MVNO platforms in Mexico, Belgium, Netherlands, Slovenia, Estonia and several other countries.
Even though critical public safety-related 5G NR capabilities defined in the 3GPP’s Release 17 and 18 specifications are yet to be commercialized, public safety agencies have already begun experimenting with 5G for applications that can benefit from the technology’s high-bandwidth and low-latency characteristics. For example, the Lishui Municipal Emergency Management Bureau is using private 5G slicing over China Mobile’s network, portable cell sites and rapidly deployable communications vehicles as part of a disaster management and visualization system.
In neighboring Taiwan, the Kaohsiung City Police Department relies on end-to-end network slicing over a standalone 5G network to support license plate recognition and other use cases requiring the real-time transmission of high-resolution images. The Hsinchu City Fire Department’s emergency response vehicle can be rapidly deployed to disaster zones to establish high-bandwidth, low-latency emergency communications using a satellite-backhauled private 5G network based on Open RAN standards. The Norwegian Air Ambulance is adopting a similar private 5G-based NOW (Network-on-Wheels) system for enhancing situational awareness during search and rescue operations.
In addition, first responder agencies in Germany, Japan and several other markets are beginning to utilize mid-band and mmWave (Millimeter Wave) spectrum available for local area licensing to deploy portable and small-scale 5G NPNs (Non-Public Networks) to support applications such as UHD (Ultra-High Definition) video surveillance, control of unmanned firefighting vehicles, reconnaissance robots and drones. In the near future, we also expect to see rollouts of localized 5G NR systems – including direct mode communications – for incident scene management and related use cases, potentially using up to 50 MHz of Band n79 spectrum in the 4.9 GHz frequency range (4,940-4,990 MHz), which has been designated for public safety use in multiple countries including but not limited to the United States, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and Qatar.
SNS Telecom & IT estimates that annual investments in public safety LTE/5G infrastructure and devices reached $4.3 Billion in 2023, driven by both new projects and the expansion of existing dedicated, hybrid government-commercial and secure MVNO/MOCN networks. Complemented by an expanding ecosystem of public safety-grade LTE/5G devices, the market will further grow at a CAGR of approximately 10% over the next three years, eventually accounting for more than $5.7 Billion by the end of 2026. Despite the positive outlook, some significant challenges continue to plague the market. The most noticeable pain point is the lack of a D2D communications capability.
The ProSe (Proximity Services) chipset ecosystem failed to materialize in the LTE era due to limited support from chipmakers and terminal OEMs. However, the 5G NR sidelink interface offers a clean slate opportunity to introduce direct mode D2D communications for public safety broadband users, as well as coverage expansion in both on-network and off-network scenarios using UE-to-network and UE-to-UE relays respectively. Recent demonstrations of 5G NR sidelink-enabled MCX services by the likes of Qualcomm have generated renewed confidence in 3GPP technology for direct mode communications.
Until recently, another barrier impeding the market was the non-availability of cost-optimized RAN equipment and terminals that support operation in spectrum reserved for PPDR (Public Protection & Disaster Relief) communications – most notably Band 68 (698-703 / 753-758 MHz), which has been allocated for PPDR broadband systems in several national markets across Europe, including France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Italy, Estonia, Bulgaria and Cyprus. Other countries such as Greece, Hungary, Romania, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands and Belgium are also expected to make this assignment. Since the beginning of 2023, multiple suppliers – including Ericsson, Nokia, Teltronic and CROSSCALL – have introduced support for Band 68.
The “Public Safety LTE & 5G Market: 2023 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts” report presents an in-depth assessment of the public safety LTE and 5G market, including the value chain, market drivers, barriers to uptake, enabling technologies, operational models, application scenarios, key trends, future roadmap, standardization, spectrum availability/allocation, regulatory landscape, case studies, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The report also presents global and regional market size forecasts from 2023 to 2030, covering public safety LTE/5G infrastructure, terminal equipment, applications, systems integration and management solutions, as well as subscriptions and service revenue.
The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report, as well as a list and associated details of over 1,300 global public safety LTE/5G engagements – as of Q1’2024.
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References:
https://www.snstelecom.com/public-safety-lte
SNS Telecom & IT: Shared Spectrum 5G NR & LTE Small Cell RAN Investments to Reach $3 Billion
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SNS Telecom & IT: Shared Spectrum to Boost 5G NR & LTE Small Cell RAN Market
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Aramco Digital and Intel establish Open RAN Development Center in Saudi Arabia
On January 15th, Aramco [1.] Digital and Intel announced their intent to establish Saudi Arabia’s inaugural Open RAN (Radio Access Network) Development Center. The facility is expected to drive innovation, foster technological advancements and contribute to the digital transformation landscape in the Kingdom.
Note 1. Aramco Digital is a subsidiary of Aramco, which made a net profit of $94.5 billion on revenues of $372.6 billion for the first nine months of 2023. Aramco spent $806 million on research and development (R&D) for the first 9 months of 2023 – all of which was likely related to its oil and gas business.
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The collaborative effort aims to accelerate the development and deployment of Open RAN technologies, helping to enable the Kingdom to build robust and agile telecommunication infrastructure focused on accelerating digitization across industries. This collaboration aims to align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which focuses on technological advancements and economic diversification.
Open RAN, an evolving paradigm in wireless network architecture, allows for greater flexibility, interoperability and innovation. Aramco Digital brings a deep understanding of the development needs and ambitions of the Kingdom and the opportunities for Open RAN technology deployment, along with a unique perspective of the Kingdom’s economic landscape. Intel, a pioneer in computing and communication technologies, brings its expertise in Open RAN technologies to the collaboration.
According to figures provided in December by analyst firm Omdia, an Informa company, the global RAN market is likely to have generated sales of about $40.2 billion last year. That would represent an 11% decline compared with revenues in 2022. Noting the reluctance of major telcos to spend money on equipment, Nokia recently announced plans to cut up to 14,000 jobs, which would equal 16% of the current total. In February last year, Ericsson, which has also recently complained of a market slowdown, said it would cut 8,500 jobs.
Highlights of the collaboration:
1. **Innovation Hub:** The Open RAN Development Center aims to serve as an innovation hub, fostering collaboration between Aramco Digital and Intel engineers, researchers and industry experts.
2. **Local Talent Development:** The Center aims to contribute to the development of local talent by providing training and hands-on experience in the rapidly evolving field of Open RAN and Edge computing technology.
3. **Economic Impact:** The collaboration aims to contribute to the local economy through technology-driven initiatives, aligning with the broader objectives of Vision 2030.
4. **Global Collaboration:** The collaboration on Open RAN between Aramco Digital and Intel is expected to extend beyond borders, connecting Saudi Arabia to the global landscape of Open RAN and Edge development and deployment.
Aramco Digital’s CEO Tareq Amin (formerly with Rakuten Symphony) said: “This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to helping drive innovation in the Kingdom. The Open RAN Development Center is expected to be a catalyst for digital evolution, providing a platform for collaboration, skill development and the creation of a vibrant technology ecosystem. At the heart of this collaboration is the creation of a vibrant pool of local capabilities for advanced 5G and future 6G technologies.”
“We are pleased to collaborate on Open RAN with Aramco Digital and to combine Intel’s technological prowess in network and edge computing and software with the local insights and industry leadership of Aramco Digital. Together, we aim to accelerate the deployment of edge-native Open RAN solutions in Saudi Arabia and beyond,” said [Sachin Katti, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Network and Edge Group].
The Open RAN Development Center is planned to commence operations in 2024, marking a milestone in Saudi Arabia’s journey towards a technology-driven future.
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Light Reading’s Iain Morris was not optimistic about this initiative. He wrote:
To the people responsible for telecom and tech in Saudi Arabia, open RAN must seem like a decent bet on diversification. After all, that is exactly how the concept is pitched in other countries. If Aramco can produce homegrown 5G goods, Saudi Arabian operators could theoretically spend their money on a local supplier instead of using only Chinese and European ones. Saudi Arabia, moreover, would gain something besides oil to sell overseas.
Aramco Digital’s chances of becoming an international RAN force – if such are its ambitions – are not great. In the west, Saudi Arabia’s dodgy image and reputation do not help. Realpolitik might have recently driven western leaders into an accommodation with Saudi rulers. But network products, in contrast to fossil fuels, can be obtained from other more likeable sources. And protectionist zeal has thrown up dozens of open RAN initiatives. If countries aren’t buying from Nordic or Chinese vendors, many would also rather buy at home. Aramco Digital is unlikely to be high on the list of preferred suppliers.
Evidence so far suggests big operators would also prefer to continue buying most of their products from a single vendor after open RAN is introduced. Doing so leaves “one throat to choke” and means avoiding the hassle and expense of systems integration. But it is prompting former specialists to develop a more comprehensive portfolio of RAN products and more thinly spread their R&D funds. Flush as Aramco Digital is with oil money, the enduring appeal of the single RAN contract will make competing in this market even harder.
Operators lauding open RAN will also appreciate how important economies of scale have been to the development of relatively low-cost but extremely sophisticated network products. Even if companies like Aramco Digital can acquire some market share, the net effect of adding players to a shrinking sector would be market fragmentation, squeezed R&D budgets and greater inefficiency.
With its resources and government backing, Aramco cannot simply be dismissed. But it may be the latest to find that telecom is stubbornly impervious to change.
About Aramco Digital:
Aramco Digital is the digital and technology subsidiary of Aramco, a global integrated energy and chemicals company. Aramco Digital aims to help drive digital transformation and technological innovation across various sectors.
About Intel:
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices.
*Source: AETOSWire
References:
https://www.lightreading.com/open-ran/saudi-aramco-has-slim-open-ran-chance-in-shrinking-5g-market
Orange Deploys Infinera’s GX Series to Power AMITIE Subsea Cable
Optical network equipment maker Infinera announced today that Orange deployed Infinera’s GX Series-based ICE6 “coherent optical engine” on its new AMITIE subsea cable, which is ready for service today from an end-to-end point of view and offers network operators unique and robust transatlantic connectivity with ultra-low latency.
Orange owns two pairs of fiber optic cables as part of the AMITIE subsea cable system, offering capacity up to 23 Tbp/s each.
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Orange selected Infinera’s solution based on its industry-leading optical performance to offer up to 400 GbE services to its customers from the U.S. to France, and across its long-haul terrestrial backhaul network from Boston to New York and Le Porge to Bordeaux in France.
The sixth-generation Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE6), from Infinera’s Advanced Coherent Optical Engines and Subsystems, is a 1.6 Tb/s optical engine that delivers two independently programmable wavelengths at up to 800 Gb/s each. Utilizing a 7-nm CMOS process node DSP and advanced PIC technology, ICE6 leverages ultra-high baud rates, high modem SNR, and innovative features to break performance and spectral efficiency barriers, including 800G single-wavelength performance over 1000+ km in a commercial network.
Infinera’s ICE6- 800G Generation Optical Engine Photo credit: Infinera
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Orange powers fully resilient global connectivity capability along the world’s busiest route, using two state-of-the-art subsea mega cables, Dunant and AMITIE, to connect France and the U.S. Deploying Infinera’s innovative ICE6 technology on the GX Series Compact Modular Platform enables Orange to keep pace with future generations of optical transmission technologies while maintaining a high level of performance for the next 20 years. This deployment also significantly reduces Orange’s energy cost per megabit and minimizes its carbon footprint.
“We are pleased to integrate Infinera’s industry-leading technology for the first time on one of our key transatlantic routes and terrestrial backhaul. With this future-proof technology, Orange is well-positioned to continue to be a major player in the global wholesale market, developing our infrastructure to connect continents together and delivering a unique, high-performance, and robust solution to our customers,” said Aurélien Vigano, VP International Transmission Network at Orange.
“Infinera is delighted to partner with Orange to deliver our innovative ICE6 solution across Orange’s critical subsea and terrestrial backhaul routes, offering network operators, wholesale carriers, and enterprise customers resilient and reliable global connectivity capability,” said Nick Walden, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales, Infinera.
References:
https://www.infinera.com/innovation/ice6-800g-wavelengths/
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Parallel Wireless deploys 1,500 Open RAN sites across Africa; partners with Hotspot Network in Nigeria
Parallel Wireless, the U.S.-based Open RAN innovator, reached a milestone of 1,500 sites deployed across Africa. Parallel Wireless brings communication to regions that were previously unable to access standard and high-speed mobile networks. These installations create greater opportunities to grow mobile operators’ client base while simultaneously modernizing large regions. The Open RAN company is partnering with network-as-a-service (NaaS) provider Hotspot Network to extend coverage to previously unconnected rural sites throughout Nigeria.
Parallel Wireless believes expanding mobile connectivity throughout Africa is a unique challenge due to unreliable or inaccessible sources of electricity and challenging landscapes that make physical access difficult. To address these challenges, Parallel Wireless partnered with regional telecommunications providers and governments in countries including Nigeria, Tanzania, Guinea Conakry, Ghana, South Sudan, Uganda, DRC and Malawi to deploy hybrid networks tailored to the needs of specific regions within their borders. Parallel Wireless services include 2G and 3G for rural areas, and 2G and 4G for urban and suburban areas. In addition to its Open RAN offering, Parallel Wireless also provides turnkey services, including transmission, power and towers, and manages deployments and operations.
“Our extensive and complex deployments were successful due to our familiarity and experience with the region, which helped us navigate the complex environmental challenges and lack of resources in these areas,” said Yisrael Nov, VP Global Sales at Parallel Wireless. “By extending modern networks throughout these territories, and leveraging multiple technologies, a large population will experience a stronger network, bringing them into a new era of reliable connectivity.”
“Parallel Wireless was founded on the premise of expanding connectivity to the disconnected. This milestone is an affirmation of that commitment,” said Steve Papa, Founder & CEO of Parallel Wireless. “Reliable communication goes beyond convenience for the residents of these nations. These 1,500 sites provide opportunities for residents to not just connect with families but to leverage new technologies that will improve their day-to-day lives.”
The collaboration with Hotspot Network aims to connect residents of rural regions to essential services, such as health, education and financial services, that will ultimately improve their quality of life. Hotspot Network offers its services to mobile networks in Nigeria, providing a portfolio of products and services through collaboration with a network of global partners, making them a single point of contact for all rural connectivity and telecommunication needs.
In response to this challenge, Hotspot Networks is working directly with local and national governments to build 2G and 4G wireless communications infrastructure beyond the radio network. These initiatives extend beyond mere communication to support phone banking, education and health services, thereby ensuring that communication capabilities remain accessible.
“The terrestrial hurdles faced today are the same as those faced in years past – but the urgency has grown,” said Morenikeji Aniye, founder and CEO at Hotspot Networks. “Technological advancements in our ability to connect these previously unconnected areas instantaneously bring them into modern times and all the necessities that come with it.”
Once Hotspot Networks’ hardware is installed, Parallel Wireless can manage network activity via its Open RAN software, allowing for reliable service for those that now rely on it. “Rather than letting cumbersome technologies constrain our shared ambitions, we tailored the Open RAN implementation to fit the project needs and make for a more nimble deployment,” said Yisrael Nov, executive vice-president of global sales at Parallel Wireless.
Parallel Wireless is an innovator providing Open RAN solutions. Based in the US with global R&D centers, it offers comprehensive All-G Macro Open RAN solutions. Since 2012, Parallel Wireless has secured 900+ worldwide patents and received 100+ innovation awards. We are committed to enhancing network performance, reducing TCO, and advancing telecom efficiency.
References:
https://www.parallelwireless.com/blog/5-cellular-network-trends-to-look-out-for-in-2024/
CES 2024 major themes: sustainability and “right to repair” user devices
A big change for the just concluded CES 2024 was a focus on sustainability (as to what goes into smart devices) and the ability to repair user owned devices. The tech industry is now finally becoming more aware of the importance of sustainability — either because it’s recognizing that it needs to account for all the ways producing new technologies contributes to climate change, or because the growing public awareness of industrial impact on climate change means they can’t ignore their own contribution.
At the end of the show, Google announced its new policy supporting the Right to Repair movement and the user’s right to fix their own devices. This includes making tools, parts and repair manuals available to device owners — including Pixel phone owners. Combined with Google’s commitment to supply the latest Pixel 8 series with seven years of software updates, it seems like more device manufacturers are acknowledging consumer desire to keep their devices around for longer, which means fewer old devices thrown away into landfills and contributing to climate woes.
Over 70% of companies surveyed by IDC moved beyond the early stages of talking about sustainability and now need to make measurable progress on their set targets to please shareholders. Companies are reliably reporting their environmental impact data and using sustainability measures to find cost savings. Their next task is to stand out from the competition with their sustainability approaches. For IT professionals who can see the scaled impact of replacing products, using sustainable materials and recycling equipment is attractive. But consumers are still waking up to the impact of their frequent device upgrades.
“[Device] buyers are still asking about carbon emissions (upstream and downstream) but they also want to know about the materials that are being used, the recyclability of the product that they buy, etc.,” said Bjoern Stengel, Global Sustainability Research lead at the IDC. Getting the most use out of devices and reuse of their materials is becoming a major differentiator for those buying tech, especially in commercial uses like information technology.
More companies are pledging to use recycled materials in their products, which could help reduce emissions and waste by finding second lives for parts of old devices that would otherwise be headed for landfills, including metals and rare earth materials whose extraction and integration contribute to climate change.
Companies have been slowly shifting where they used recycled materials:
- Samsung Electronics emphasized how sustainability is driving business activities at CES 2024. The Sustainability Zone at Samsung’s booth ushered in visitors to discover how the company is promoting resource circularity and collaboration in addition to providing various accessibility services. Samsung had previously committed toward more recycled material in their product packaging by 2025, the company’s CES 2024 keynote reinforced its efforts to use recycled ocean plastic in phone and TV components. Samsung also pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions company-wide by 2050 with the device experience division using 100% renewable energy by 2027.
- Panasonic pledged to reduce its use of resin plastic in its products and develop a system that blends recycled plastic with antioxidants and other materials in order to form new plastics ready to be included in products.
- Dell has been using recycled materials since 2007 and recycled 2.5 billion pounds of materials since. The company is starting with plastics because, as Product Sustainability Lead Katie Green explained, those are the heaviest and highest-volume materials in the company’s products. The second heaviest and most prevalent material category — metals — became the next to be recycled into new products, including rare earth magnets and aluminum. Last year, the company began using 50% recycled copper in some of its charging cables that will soon expand to the XPS laptop line, and in 2024, will use recycled cobalt in laptop batteries and recycled steel in desktop displays. “[We are] understanding if we’re prioritizing the right, sustainable materials and the right components, and doing it in a way that dematerializes as much as possible,” Green said.
Dell first introduced its Concept Luna laptop in December 2021 (and updated it a year later in 2022) as a testbed for sustainable design which has trickled into its main products, from trying out modular parts to reducing material waste. For instance, Dell first tried removing the plastic Dell logo on the laptop lid in Luna in favor of a stenciled logo straight on the aluminum chassis, then used that process in its Inspiron line of computers — a small change that’s multiplied by the scale of Dell product manufacturing.
However, there are limits to how much some recycled materials can be used in a product, Dell discovered. For instance, the company found a maximum of 35 to 40% post consumer recycled plastic in its current method, Green said. Like Panasonic, Dell developed a method to blend the old plastic with something new — in Dell’s case, a bio-based plastic that’s renewable. One composition could be 30% post-consumer plastic, 20% bio-based plastic and 20% recovered aerospace plastic, a blend that’s found in Dell’s Latitude 5000 and Precision 3000 series of laptops. By 2030, Dell wants half of the materials it uses in products to be recycled or renewable.
Dell introduced its third year of ideas that it’s exploring with Concept Luna via a blog post in December. New this year is using predictive analytics, AI and machine learning to better anticipate component problems. Even without diagnostics, these could anticipate if your device’s hard drive may fail or battery capacity may be depleted.
Dell also expanded the number of products able to be represented by its augmented reality app, first introduced in June 2022, to help guide consumers in their own personal repairs in far more immersive ways than a simple device manual can do.
But for all these neat technological advances in diagnosing, harvesting and guiding repairs, Dell had a simpler longevity bottleneck it’s tried to fix: Making it easier for users to get spare parts. The other big pillar of sustainability is simply making sure devices last longer by ensuring the process is less painful for users.
Dell is in the process of adding QR codes on the back of its products, starting with this year’s XPS line, that users can quickly scan to get to a “personalized support experience,” as Green calls it. In short, it pre-enters your device info to Dell’s support network to provide users with access to repair manuals, spare parts and driver updates.
Admittedly, Green says Dell is implementing the QR codes in anticipation of the European Commission’s Digital Product Passport initiative, which requires more transparency in consumer tech products’ sustainability footprint. But it will still make it easier for laptop and PC owners to access the tech support they need to potentially keep devices running for longer and out of landfills when possible.
References:
https://www.ces.tech/topics/topics/sustainability.aspx
Taiwan’s ITRI integrates virtual and real technologies on display at CES 2024
Vodafone Germany deploys Ericsson 5G radio to cut energy use up to 40%
Dell’Oro: Broadband network equipment spending to drop again in 2024 to ~$16.5 B
Executive Summary:
Operator spending on broadband network equipment will remain sluggish well into 2024, forecasts Dell’Oro’s Jeff Heynen. “Inventory Correction, Inventory Realignment,” or whatever term you prefer to call the root cause of 2023’s broadband spending slowdown will likely persist well into 2024, he wrote. Without the benefit of fourth quarter numbers, total spending on broadband equipment in 2023 is expected to show a decline of around 10%. Early projections for 2024 indicate an additional 5% year-over-year decrease, as the lagging impact of interest rate increases to curb inflation will be felt more acutely. This additional 5% decrease would put total spending to around $16.5 B—roughly equal to 2021 spending levels.
The expected declines in 2023 and 2024 follow three straight years of white-hot growth in broadband network and service investments from 2020 to 2022. During this period, year-over-year growth rates reached 9%, 15%, and 17%, respectively. Similar periods of growth from 2003-2006 and 2010-2014 were both followed by two subsequent years of reduced spending, as operators—particularly in China—shifted their capital expenditure focus from broadband to mobile RAN.
However, there are signs of a return to growth in 2025 as money from BEAD and other broadband subsidy programs trickle down to broadband equipment suppliers. Well before that, pockets of growth in fixed wireless CPE, cable DAA equipment and CPE, and continued spending on PON equipment by tier 2 and tier 3 operators should make the broadband market one in which the headlines might communicate malaise, but a peek under the hood shows clear signs of resilience powering an inevitable return to growth.
Cable Operators Travel Different Paths to Fend off Fixed Wireless and Fiber:
Just like last year, in the minds of cable consumers, cable operators find themselves stuck battling against the perception that they are the provider with inferior copper technology that can’t be flexible when it comes to offering plans that meet a consumer’s budget, like fixed wireless currently can. As a result of this situation, larger cable operators are seeing increased broadband subscriber churn and quarters of net subscriber losses.
Comcast is pushing hard to counter those perceptions and is already offering its X-Class Internet tiers, which offer symmetrical speeds of 2 Gbps in Atlanta, Colorado Springs, and Philadelphia. Additional cities are expected to roll out these service tiers in 2024. Comcast’s use of full-duplex DOCSIS 4.0 (FDX), including brand new CPE using Broadcom’s D4.0 silicon in a two-box configuration. Later this year, we expect to see a combined gateway that also incorporates Wi-Fi 7, as Comcast looks to battle back against FTTH providers by providing the most advanced residential gateway to customers.
Meanwhile, in 2024, Charter’s Remote PHY and vCMTS rollouts will kick into high gear. (At the time of this publication, we are awaiting fourth quarter earnings from both Harmonic and Vecima, the announced RPD partners for Charter’s buildout to determine how much equipment the operator purchased in advance of this significant deployment.) For Charter, which is employing Extended Spectrum DOCSIS 4.0, 2024 will also bring much wider availability of 1.8 GHz amplifiers and taps, as well as a choice of CPE with dedicated silicon for ESD, as well as silicon that combines both FDX and ESD variants.
Charter will likely also announce additional vendors for its upgrade efforts, as the operator has been public about its desire for a multi-vendor environment.
Cox will also begin rolling out 1.8 GHz amplifiers this year but, like Charter, will likely run those at 1.2 GHz until taps and CPE become more widely available.
Meanwhile, for those operators that weren’t part of the initial DOCSIS 4.0 Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with Broadcom (and for some of those who were), DOCSIS 3.1 Plus is quickly becoming an important stopgap measure to help increase throughput within the existing DOCSIS 3.1 framework by leveraging additional OFDM channels. Operators can either use existing integrated CCAP chassis (with either legacy line cards supporting 3 OFDM blocks or newer cards supporting 4 OFDM blocks) or vCMTS platforms. This can be combined with either DOCSIS 4.0 modems or modems designed specifically for D3.1 Plus deployments, which won’t require the additional gain amplifier (and cost) needed for full DOCSIS 4.0.
While it remains to be seen which type of CPE operators deploying DOCSIS 3.1 Plus will move forward with, the fact that there is significant interest in the technology means that there will now be additional operators who will likely move on from DOCSIS 4.0 and instead buy themselves time with DOCSIS 3.1 Plus before moving forward with fiber overbuilds. The biggest question here is just how many operators will do so.
As Light Reading previously reported, Broadcom and MaxLinear are working on new D3.1 chipsets that can beef up downstream capacity and speed through the support of additional OFDM (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) channels. Some operators are likewise exploring the deployment of new D4.0 modems on their D3.1 networks to achieve similar capacity gains.
That approach could extend the life of DOCSIS 3.1 networks, delay D4.0 upgrades or become an interim step before a future leap to fiber-to-the-premises. But it’s still not clear how many operators will pursue this path.
Heynen expects to see additional FTTH deployments—both greenfield and overbuild—by cable operators around the world. Whether using Remote OLT platforms or more traditional OLT platforms, cable operators will take advantage of work being done at CabeLabs to standardize the integration of ITU-T PON recommendations into existing DOCSIS management frameworks. This will make it far easier for MSOs (aka Cablecos) to deploy XGS-PON, as well as 25GS-PON and, potentially 50G- and 100G-PON.
XGS-PON to Dominate Fiber Spend This Year:
The PON equipment market will be the most dynamic this year, with tier 1 operators besides of BT OpenReach and Deutsche Telekom, all continuing to better align their inventories with anticipated subscriber growth, as well as reduced homes passed goals. For larger tier 1s, the short-term reduction in homes passed goals will ultimately give way to a renewed construction phase beginning in 2025 that should propel the overall PON market through the end of the decade.
But while the tier 1s slow, there will be no slowing the continued efforts by tier 2 and tier 3 operators in both North America and Europe to both upgrade and expand their fiber networks. In fact, the same dynamic that played out in North America in 2023 will likely repeat in 2024, as tier 2, tier 3, utilities, municipalities, and co-ops all continue their buildouts.
The technology beneficiary will be XGS-PON, which already surpassed 2.5 Gbps GPON revenue back in 2022, but will more than double it in 2024. And in markets where operators are beginning to see cable operators deliver symmetric 2 Gbps services, there is a strong chance they will also sprinkle in some 25GS-PON to comfortably deliver symmetric 5-10 Gbps services.
Meanwhile in China, which is expected to show a marked decline in new OLT port shipments in 2023, will likely see another decline until 50G-PON rollouts begin in earnest later this decade. On the flip side, ONT unit shipments in China are expected to increase as FTTR (Fiber to the Room) deployments expand, delivering 2-3 ONTs per home as opposed to the traditional architecture of using a single ONT to terminate fiber.
Wi-Fi 7 Progress Will Accelerate:
With the Wi-Fi Alliance recently announcing the opening of certification testing for Wi-Fi 7 products, don’t be surprised to see dozens of Wi-Fi 7 residential routers and broadband CPE models being deployed by operators by the end of this year. Early gateway models, though pricey, have already been introduced to the market and will become much more widely available this Spring, and then well before the Holiday season. As of our July 2023 forecast, we expect over 2.5 million residential Wi-Fi routers and broadband gateways to ship in 2024, though we are undoubtedly increasing this forecast based on the certification testing opening up.
Operators can’t wait to deploy Wi-Fi 7 products to help differentiate themselves in increasingly crowded broadband markets and to eliminate much of the confusion in the market with the coexistence of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E.
References:
2024 Outlook: Broadband Market Faces Challenge Amidst Lower Spending from 2023
https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/broadband-equipment-spending-to-dip-again-in-2024-dell-oro
Dell’Oro: Broadband Equipment Spending to exceed $120B from 2022 to 2027
MTN Consulting: Top Telco Network Infrastructure (equipment) vendors + revenue growth changes favor cloud service providers
Dell’Oro: U.S. suppliers ~20% of global telecom equipment market; struggling in RAN business
Dell’Oro: Worldwide Telecom Equipment Market Growth +3% in 2022; MTN: +2% Network Infrastructure Growth in 2022
Dell’Oro: XGS, 25G, and Early 50G PON Rollouts to Fuel Broadband Spending
Taiwan’s ITRI integrates virtual and real technologies on display at CES 2024
Major international manufacturers such as NVIDIA, Meta, and Microsoft are actively building a new generation virtual ecosystem. With the support of the Industrial Technology Department of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, ITRI (Taiwan’s largest high-tech applied research institutions) has continued to develop an interactive experience that integrates virtual and real, and launched its first interactive experience at the US Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2024).
ITRI announced the introduction of AI-incorporating display and entertainment technologies along with robotics innovations at CES 2024. ITRI presented 10 groundbreaking innovations spanning AI robotics, smart sports, digital health, and AI display and entertainment.
ITRI partnered with Lianjia Optoelectronics, a major automotive LED module manufacturer, to launch a “high-fidelity 3D interactive system ” to seize 3D entertainment business opportunities.
Director of Market Research at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), Jessica Boothe, praised ITRI’s exhibits for embodying the CES 2024 trends of AI, sustainability, and inclusivity. Expressing her enthusiasm, Boothe highlighted one of the showcased innovations, the Hyper-realistic 3D Interactive System, which was poised to launch a collaboration with Excellence Optoelectronics Inc. (EOI), a prominent automobile LED module manufacturer.
“I must say, very exciting showcase this year. We find everything to be on-trend. The CES 2024 trends were predicted to be AI, sustainability, and inclusivity. And we have all of that right here in your booth,” remarked Boothe. “We’re really excited that ITRI has been here since 2017. As we’re celebrating CTA’s 100-year anniversary, it’s nice to say that we have exhibitors like ITRI coming back every year to CES, and we continue to see ITRI continue to innovate,” she added.
“CES is the most influential tech event in the world, and this is the eighth time ITRI has participated,” said ITRI President Edwin Liu. “To be at CES, we have two main purposes: to showcase ITRI on the global stage and to provide our team with valuable exposure to the latest advancements worldwide. Through CES, ITRI is opening up even more collaboration opportunities, engaging with potential investors, and exploring tech licensing and ventures,” he added.
“ITRI has worked on smart interactive display technology for years, and our collaboration with EOI on the Hyper-Realistic 3D Interactive Display is one of the best successes. This also allows us to strategically deploy diversified product lines in Taiwan, the United States, and Europe,” said President Liu. ITRI also promoted the Institute’s strategic partnerships with Light Matrix and its investor ADATA Technology on iGolfPutter, an intelligent interactive golf simulator. Utilizing Light Matrix’s smart sports training and teaching system called SyncShot360 in iGolfPutter, targeting the global sports technology market. Notably, iGolfPutter has been named by Forbes Magazine as one of the technologies to look for at CES 2024.
EOI Chairman, Dr. Kuohsin Huang, elaborated on their collaboration project with ITRI, stating, “Unlike traditional methods relying on multiple cameras, the Hyper-realistic 3D Interactive System (ChartBox) can generate a personal, interactive 3D digital avatar from a 2D photograph. This 2D-to-3D process integrates various technologies, including real-time image matting, backside model generation, expression changes, natural speech, AI response, and facial recognition.” He added, “Furthermore, its next-generation display technology positions EOI to enter the new market of audio-video entertainment and artistic performances.”
Simon Chen, Chairman of ADATA, emphasized, “Beyond our commitment to providing top-notch memory solutions, ADATA is venturing into cutting-edge sports technology through cross-industry collaboration. Our goal is to offer an optimal training environment for athletes and an innovative experience for spectator sports. Leveraging ADATA’s well-established global distribution channels, we can actively promote Taiwan’s sports industry on the international stage.”
Commenting on iGolfPutter and SyncShot360, Light Matrix CEO Joe Chen said, “The combination of fast 3D modeling, volumetric capture, and virtual-real fusion in the metaverse creates never-before-seen services that the sports and art industry would love. Our volumetric view technology, born out of collaboration with ITRI, allows for a more precise, 360-degree intelligent analysis of golf and other sports. It holds the promise of applications in sporting events and stage performances, setting an excellent foundation for future expansion in the global market.”
From left to right in the above photo are Lin Zhaoxian, vice president of ITRI and director of the International Institute of Obstetrics and gynecology, Liu Wenxiong, president of ITRI, Huang Guoxin, chairman of Lianjia Optoelectronics, and Huang Fangyu, general manager of Lianjia Optoelectronics.
About ITRI:
Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world’s leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan’s industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. To address market needs and global trends, it has launched its 2035 Technology Strategy and Roadmap that focuses on innovation development in Smart Living, Quality Health, Sustainable Environment, and Resilient Society.
Over the years, ITRI has been dedicated to incubating startups and spinoffs, including well-known names such as UMC and TSMC. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in the U.S., Europe, and Japan in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote international cooperation across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.itri.org/eng.
References:
ABI Research: Telco transformation measured via patents and 3GPP contributions; 5G accelerating in China