Qualcomm
GlobalData: MWC 2024 roundup + More balanced IT workforces
MWC 2024 Roundup:
Huawei, Qualcomm, and Ericsson, were singled out for praise, recognized for their groundbreaking work in advancing 5G technology. Their contributions were seen as pivotal in propelling the widespread adoption and ongoing development of 5G, setting new benchmarks for the future of tech innovation.
Huawei Technologies
Huawei took center stage at MWC 2024 with its pioneering 5.5G products, including the Telecom Foundation Model and the industry’s first 5.5G intelligent core network. Influencers applauded the innovative all-optical products like the OptiX OSN 9800 K36, OptiXaccess MA5800T, and iFTTR OptiXstar F50, highlighting Huawei’s foresight in enhancing network capabilities and digital transformation. The reception was largely positive, underscoring Huawei’s role in the next generation of connectivity.
Qualcomm
Qualcomm unveiled its latest Snapdragon processors, which powered the highly discussed OnePlus Watch 2, at MWC 2024. Influencers praised the new chipset for its efficiency and performance, emphasizing Qualcomm’s pivotal role in advancing the wearable tech space. The buzz reflects Qualcomm’s successful push towards more powerful and energy-efficient chip designs, which are set to redefine user experiences across devices.
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
Ericsson showcased its commitment to advancing 5G infrastructure and network capabilities, earning positive reactions for its efforts to enhance global connectivity. Ericsson’s innovations in network evolution and digital transformation were recognized as key to the future of telecommunications, with influencers noting the company’s significant contributions to a more connected world.
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A More Balanced IT Workforce:
With a focus on creating more inclusive work environments, telecommunications firms are not only fostering a culture of acceptance but also reaping significant financial rewards in the process, says GlobalData, a leading data and analysis company.
Robert Pritchard, Principal Analyst, Enterprise Technology and Services at GlobalData: “With the tech sector being driven at high pace by change and innovation, recruiting teams that more closely resemble the world at large has become more of a priority amongst leading companies. It is telling that 60% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants.”
GlobalData analysis reveals that more balanced (by gender, race, and disability) workforces are emerging over time, often led by the C-Suite and the Board, but also in the wider employee base.
“With Indian-born CEOs at Google and Microsoft, ever more women CEOs across telecoms and tech companies, and a gay man in charge at Apple, the sector is again leading the way.
“DEI has largely moved from a tick-box exercise to a key strategic management consideration. The companies that are more advanced have been proven to be more successful, with their customers preferring brands and organizations that align with their values and identities.”
Studies by Boston Consulting Group and Harvard Business Review have found that companies with more diverse management teams have 19% higher revenues and 9 percentage points higher EBIT margin. In addition, in the battle for scarce talent in tech, DEI is seen as a key deciding factor for potential recruits – especially amongst Generation Z.
Pritchard concludes: “In terms of rebalancing the overall workforce, it is a long journey as most employees stay in post for over four years. Nevertheless, demonstration of a cultural shift and a more inclusive approach is vital. This can be helped in the short-term through training, mentoring, cross-team building, volunteering, and commitment to employee wellbeing. Success in DEI is reflected in commercial success in the long-run.”
Telstra achieves 340 Mbps uplink over 5G SA; Deploys dynamic network slicing from Ericsson
Australian telco Telstra announced this week that it has achieved a 5G uplink speed of 350 Mbps over 5G Standalone (SA) using sub-6 GHz frequencies in a live commercial network in partnership with Ericsson and Qualcomm. Telstra claims this as a new global record for 5G uplink speed, which is 100 times faster than the average 3G uplink speed.
Telstra’s new 5G SA uplink capability combines its mid-band spectrum holdings to create a 140MHz channel for sending data from the device to the network.
The tests were completed using a mobile test device powered by Qualcomm Technologies’ latest Snapdragon® 5G modem-RF System and an existing in-market NetGear Nighthawk M6 Pro Mobile Broadband device in the live commercial network on the Gold Coast.
The latest software from Ericsson brings together different combinations of frequency ranges and types to enable a single 5G uplink and downlink data channel.
By aggregating carrier bands, it considerably increases the uplink speeds, while the ability to use low band carriers in these combinations of frequencies delivers improved coverage and performance enhancements for the 5G SA Network.
Mr Amirthalingam says: “The uplink and downlink 5G data channels work together to provide a seamless and almost symmetrical like 5G service, meeting the increasing demand for data-intensive applications such as augmented and virtual reality, or sharing photos and memorable movie moments with friends.
“The technology also includes advanced features in the base station that can prioritise different types of data and applications and can support future differentiated services, like network slicing.”
“On top of this, Telstra also has the option to use the n5 (850MHz) carrier that is currently serving its 3G Network. “
“Our latest 5G Standalone uplink speed achievement is 100 times faster than the typical 3G uplink speed, which is great news for customers. Enterprise Applications such as these are increasingly becoming more uplink heavy with things like such as high-definition video surveillance cameras and the faster speeds and coverage will all provide a much better experience.”
“The ability to use low band frequencies and repurpose our 3G low band 850 MHz frequency to deliver 5G SA coverage when the 3G network closes on 30 June 2024, has the benefit of providing improved depth of coverage and enhancing the 5G experience for customers.”
“It’s a further example of how we are leading the way in 5G innovation and investment, and how we are committed to delivering the best and most advanced network for Australia.”
To test and validate this capability, Telstra worked with long-term partners Ericsson, the global leader in 5G network equipment, and Qualcomm, one of the world’s leading wireless chipset companies.
Emilio Romeo, Head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand, says: “Ericsson’s latest software features enables Telstra to capitalize the full spectrum portfolio for a wider coverage whilst providing far superior data rates. Customers will be empowered to explore new experiences offered with 5G Standalone such as differentiated services and a range of applications, which will in turn drive network monetization.”
Durga Malladi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Technology Planning & Edge Solutions Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., says: This live test proves that uplink carrier aggregation on 5G Standalone network has the potential to significantly increase upload speeds and capacity, thus unlocking new experiences for consumers.”
This latest achievement takes Telstra’s World-First count to 53 since the launch of 3G. It is only through its collaboration efforts with industry and its strategic partners, like Ericsson and Qualcomm, that it can deliver the technology innovation and leadership that its customers can benefit from.
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Telstra has also implemented Ericsson’s Dynamic Network Slicing software for automated network orchestration. This software gives the operator a fully automated and monetizable network slicing orchestration capability to sell slicing services to enterprise customers.
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References:
Telstra’s T25 to extend 5G coverage and offer enhanced customer experiences
Telstra wins most lots in Australia’s 5G mmWave auction
BT Group, Ericsson and Qualcomm demo network slicing on 5G SA core network in UK
Years after 5G network slicing was hyped to the sky (see References below dating from 2028), BT Group, Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have successfully demonstrated end-to-end consumer and enterprise 5G differentiated connectivity enabled by 5G network slicing on Ericsson’s 5G Core and Radio Access Network technology in the UK with devices powered by the Snapdragon ® 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Mobile Platform.
The trial, which took place at Adastral Park, BT Group’s home of research and innovation, established network slices for Gaming, Enterprise and Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), and showed how, by allocating a portion of the 5G SA network to provide dynamic partitions for specific use-cases, optimal performance can be maintained for bandwidth-heavy activities including mobile gaming and video conferencing even during peak times.
Mobile gaming is experiencing relentless growth, with traffic on EE’s network almost doubling since the beginning of 2023 to more than two petabytes of data every month. With consistent low-latency, jitter-free and immersive experiences increasingly essential to the gaming experience, network slicing is expected to be a key enabler of performance and growth in the 5G SA era.
Together, BT Group, Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies demonstrated an optimal mobile cloud gaming experience on Nvidia’s GeForce Now, maintaining a throughput comfortably in excess of the recommended 25 Mbps at 1080p even when a background load was generated. The companies initiated a gaming session on Fortnite using the Samsung S23 Ultra device, equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Mobile Platform, and Ericsson implemented Network slicing along with the Ericsson RAN feature Radio Resource Partitioning on EE’s Network to achieve a smooth experience. The experience was simultaneously compared to a non-optimised eMBB RAN partition, which was congested by the background load, resulting in a less than optimal gaming experience.
The trial also validated the potential of network slicing for BT Group’s business customers. Using the enterprise and eMBB slices, configured via URSP rules which enables a device to connect to multiple network slices simultaneously depending on the application, it demonstrated consistent 4K video streaming and enterprise use-cases using the Samsung S23 Ultra device, powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. Enterprise communications platforms and video applications such as YouTube require a stable connection and low jitter to work well. The Ericsson 5G RAN Slicing feature, Radio Resource Partitioning, was enabled to ensure the enterprise traffic to achieve an optimal experience.
5G network slicing requires a 5G SA core network. It supports these diverse services and reassigns resources as needed from one virtual network slice to another, making the one-size-fits-all approach to service delivery obsolete.
Image courtesy of Viavi
Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer, BT Group, said: “Network slicing will enable us to deliver new and improved capabilities for customers in the 5G SA era. As we work diligently towards the launch of our own 5G SA network, today’s successful demonstration of how slicing enables us to differentiate Quality of Service to guarantee performance for different segments is a significant milestone, and illustrative of the new services that will be enabled by 5G SA.”
Enrico Salvatori, Senior Vice President and President, Qualcomm Europe/MEA of Qualcomm Europe, Inc., said: “We are proud to collaborate with BT Group and Ericsson on the network slicing trial, which used a device powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy mobile platform. Together, we showcased the enhanced performance and flexibility 5G Standalone capabilities, such as network slicing, will bring to consumers and enterprise experiences.”
Katherine Ainley, CEO, Ericsson UK & Ireland, said: “5G standalone and network slicing demonstrates that leading operators like EE will be able to offer customers tailored connectivity with different requirements on speed, latency and reliability for specific applications, such as video streaming and gaming. This ultimate next step in connectivity will enable new service offerings for consumers and businesses who require premium performance, while helping to drive future market growth and innovation for the UK in a wide range of new industries.”
References:
ABI Research: 5G Network Slicing Market Slows; T-Mobile says “it’s time to unleash Network Slicing”
Ericsson, Intel and Microsoft demo 5G network slicing on a Windows laptop in Sweden
Ericsson and Nokia demonstrate 5G Network Slicing on Google Pixel 6 Pro phones running Android 13 mobile OS
Samsung and KDDI complete SLA network slicing field trial on 5G SA network in Japan
Nokia and Safaricom complete Africa’s first Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) 5G network slicing trial
Is 5G network slicing dead before arrival? Replaced by private 5G?
5G Network Slicing Tutorial + Ericsson releases 5G RAN slicing software
Network Slicing and 5G: Why it’s important, ITU-T SG 13 work, related IEEE ComSoc paper abstracts/overviews
https://www.viavisolutions.com/en-us/5g-network-slicing
Finland’s Elisa, Ericsson and Qualcomm test uplink carrier aggregation on 5G SA network
With Ericsson and Qualcomm doing the “heavy lifting,” Finland network operator Elisa conducted a live test of uplink carrier aggregation (CA) on its commercial 5G standalone (SA) network. Elisa operates commercial 5G SA networks, starting with its home market of Finland and following it up last year by deploying it in Estonia.
The three partners achieved an upload speed of 230 Mbps in a live 5G network using Uplink Carrier Aggregation. For this test, a 25MHz 2.6 GHz FDD (frequency division duplex) band was combined with a 100MHz 3.5 GHz TDD (time division duplex) band running on a mobile test device powered by Snapdragon® X75 5G Modem-RF System.
Ericsson’s Uplink Carrier Aggregation software combines mid-band FDD and mid-band TDD within the frequency range 1 (FR1), boosting speeds to enable uplink-heavy applications such as live streaming, broadcasts, cloud gaming, extended reality, and video-based use cases.
Uplink-heavy consumer applications on the rise:
According to Ericsson’s most recent Mobility Report, uplink accounted for a modest 8% of total traffic on a sample of four mobile networks analyzed. The applications that generated the largest volume of uplink traffic were personal cloud storage services, followed by comms services and video.
While 8% doesn’t seem like much, Ericsson emphasised that uplink volume is highly context dependent. For instance, there is likely to be more of it at a live event, like a concert or a sporting event, where users enthusiastically film and then share as much action as possible.
A growing amount of data traffic generated today is in the uplink, highlighting the need for new network capabilities to boost uplink speed and capacity and deliver seamless 5G user experience. For instance, concertgoers are recording and streaming videos live on their social media accounts. With fast uplink speeds, they can share their most exciting moments in real-time with friends and family without worrying about lags, congestion, or poor network quality.
In addition to Elisa, Vodafone has also been testing out uplink CA recently, as have Dish, BT and Telefónica.
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Quotes:
Mårten Lerner, Head of Product Area Networks, Ericsson, says: “This latest technology milestone with our partners Elisa and Qualcomm Technologies unlocks high upload speeds in commercial 5G Standalone networks. With this game-changing software capability, we are enabling unparalleled user experience for applications such as live streaming, video conferencing, augmented reality/virtual reality and cloud gaming.”
Sami Rajamäki, Vice President, Network Services, Elisa, says: “We continue as a pioneer of 5G in Finland and develop our network services with our customers’ future needs in mind. The use of augmented reality and development towards metaverse will increase the demand for fast uplink connections. Therefore the top speeds achieved together with Ericsson and Qualcomm are an important step in the development of 5G Standalone network.”
Dino Flore, Vice President, Technology at Qualcomm Europe, Inc. says: “The uplink speed achieved with Elisa and Ericsson is a testament to the breakthrough performance of the Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF System. We are excited to see the innovative use cases Elisa can unlock for customers with their 5G Standalone network.”
Ericsson has a robust portfolio of software features that provide a boost in the uplink, and the feature deployed in this demo with Elisa and Qualcomm – FR1 Uplink Carrier Aggregation – became commercially available in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Visit the Ericsson booth in Hall 2 at MWC 2024 in Barcelona to see how a superior uplink performance is being enabled for use cases such as live streaming.
References:
T-Mobile US, Ericsson, and Qualcomm test 5G carrier aggregation with 6 component carriers
Dish Wireless with Qualcomm Technologies and Samsung test simultaneous 5G 2x uplink and 4x downlink carrier aggregation
Ericsson and MediaTek set new 5G uplink speed record using Uplink Carrier Aggregation
BT tests 4CC Carrier Aggregation over a standalone 5G network using Nokia equipment
Ericsson, Vodafone and Qualcomm: 1st Reduced Capability 5G data call in Europe
Ericsson, Vodafone and Qualcomm have demonstrated the first RAN Reduced Capability (RedCap) [1.] 5G data sessions on a European network, paving the way for a multitude of IoT and other connected devices to transmit data more simply and efficiently.
Note 1. 3GPP RedCap is a variation of 5G technology that was introduced in 3GPP Release 17 in mid-2022 and will be included in ITU-R M.2150-1. It provides reduced capability 5G New Radio (NR) devices for the mid-range segment. RedCap NR features include: Reduced UE complexity Fewer RX/TX antennas Reduced UE bandwidth use Lower UE power consumption Relaxed data rates Relaxed UE processing time and processing capability RedCap’s speeds, latency, and spectrum use are similar to advanced LTE capabilities. It’s considered the 5G heir to LTE Cat-4, with speeds of tens to hundreds of Mbps.
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The successful demo took place on 21 September 2023 in the Spanish city of Ciudad Real, running on Ericsson’s RedCap RAN software using Vodafone Spain’s live testing 5G network ‘CREATE’ (Ciudad Real España Advanced Testing Environment).
RedCap enables connectivity for simpler device types, allowing many more devices to connect to 5G networks and transmit data at low power and lower cost, enhancing existing 5G use cases and unlocking new ones. These advantages apply to many different devices, from consumer wearables such as smartwatches to a wide range of IoT devices like smart water meters.
The technology, called New Radio Light (NR-Light), works with less complex devices that can be smaller, more cost-efficient, and enjoy longer battery life than traditional mobile broadband devices. NR-Light can also complement the network APIs developed by Vodafone for its customers to extend the battery life of their devices.
The joint demonstration in Spain leveraged the Qualcomm Snapdragon® X35 platform, the world’s first NR-Light modem RF. The Snapdragon X35 platform bridges the complexity gap between high-speed mobile broadband devices, and low-bandwidth, low-power devices. The demo is part of preparations for the introduction of Snapdragon-based commercial devices which are expected in 2024.
“This successful demonstration is an exciting moment for OEMs, network operators and network users, because it highlights a clear path to new devices and commercial use cases,” said Dino Flore, Vice President, Technology, Qualcomm Europe Inc. “The use of commercial 5G networks for lower-bandwidth applications is an important milestone, not least because this offers a migratory path for low-power devices with a 5G architecture, which also draws on the current and future benefits offered by 5G standalone (5G SA). We will continue to work with customers, industry and our partners to accelerate the creation of 5G devices which present exciting new use cases for enterprises and consumers.”
“Vodafone is able to continually evolve and improve its network for customers by being first to test the latest technologies. We are delighted that our unique multi-vendor 5G network, CREATE, was able to host and validate such an innovative trial in collaboration with Qualcomm and Ericsson,” said Francisco Martín, Head of Open RAN, Vodafone. “The results show that networks will be able to support many more energy efficient connected devices in the future.”
“We are very happy to be partnering with Vodafone and Qualcomm to perform Europe’s first 5G Reduced Capability data call,” said Isidro Nieto, Global Customer Unit Vodafone, Head of Technology Networks, Ericsson. “5G Redcap opens up new use cases for both enterprise and consumer segments such as industrial sensors, lower cost 5G routers as well as wearables. Ericsson embraces new ways to fully realize the value of 5G services and this joint demo shows that that the support for RedCap is gaining market momentum.”
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Earlier this year, Juniper Research said the number of 5G IoT roaming connections will reach 142 million by 2027, up from just 15 million this year. IoT will account for 27% of all 5G roaming connections in four years time.
References:
https://www.3gpp.org/technologies/redcap
https://www.techradar.com/pro/iot-is-set-to-push-5g-connections-into-the-billions
ITU-R M.2150-1 (5G RAN standard) will include 3GPP Release 17 enhancements; future revisions by 2025
BT, Nokia and Qualcomm demonstrate 2CC CA on uplink of a 5G SA network
UK incumbent telco BT announced today that it has successfully demonstrated two component carrier aggregation (2CC CA) on the uplink of a 5G SA network at its Adastral Park research centre. The 5G SA technology was supplied by Nokia and Qualcomm.
BT also simultaneously achieved 4CC CA on the downlink, and claims it is the first telco in Europe to have demonstrated 5G SA uplink and downlink carrier aggregation at the same time. In terms of throughput, BT recorded a peak download speed of 1 Gbps and peak upload of 230 Mbps.
- BT Group and Nokia demonstrated enhanced 5G SA uplink performance through aggregation of two spectrum carriers in field trial in live network spectrum
- Aggregation of two frequency bands for uplink boosts performance for EE’s future 5G SA network, key to supporting growing customer use-cases such as gaming and live-streaming
- BT Group first in Europe to achieve both 2CC CA uplink and 4CC CA downlink simultaneously
When BT detailed its wideband FDD trial, it noted that the 5G SA specification from 3GPP is currently based on a single uplink carrier, so why try and aggregate uplink carriers? BT said that uplink carrier aggregation is something to have handy in future, when data demand inevitably calls for ever more uplink capacity.
5G Carrier Aggregation over a 5G SA network, which combines several transmission bands into one connection, is a key capability to deliver the high-performance 5G service that customers expect. Every new carrier added allows for higher capacity and speed directly to customer devices.
Last year, BT and Nokia announced 5G SA 4CC CA downlink. Now, by achieving both 5G SA 2CC CA uplink and 4CC CA downlink simultaneously, BT can deliver significant uplift in connections performance from the device to the network by increasing throughput and capacity, as well as unlocking scope to push uplink performance further in the future.
The tests were conducted at BT Group’s facility in Adastral Park, UK, using Nokia’s 5G AirScale portfolio and a device powered by a Snapdragon® 5G Modem-RF System from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., following initial lab-based trials.* Speeds of over 230 Mbps in the uplink were reached — including the wider 5G FDD carrier at 40 MHz in 2600 MHz — as well as over 1 Gbps in the downlink. The demonstration was conducted with 15, 30 and 40 MHz NR2600 carrier independently aggregated with a 40 MHz NR3500 carrier component.
The work is part of BT Group’s efforts to ensure that, when 5G SA services are launched over EE, it maintains its unbeatable 5G network for customers.**
Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer, BT Group, commented: “Carrier aggregation will be key to delivering the very best 5G experience to our customers, with this latest trial in partnership with Nokia demonstrating significant performance increases in terms of uplink speeds. This builds on last year’s success of achieving 4CA in 5G SA downlink, and we look forward to achieving further milestones in this space as we continue to progress towards 5G SA.”
Mark Atkinson, SVP, Radio Access Networks PLM at Nokia, said: “This successful trial with our long-standing partner BT, is another great example of Nokia’s unrivalled leadership in 5G carrier aggregation technology. Multi-component carrier aggregation helps mobile operators to maximise their radio network assets and provide the highest 5G data rates to subscribers in more locations.”
Enrico Salvatori, Senior Vice President and President, Qualcomm Europe/MEA, Qualcomm Europe Inc, said: “We are proud of our continued collaboration with BT to bring our latest 5G technologies to consumers. 2CC uplink carrier aggregation is expected to improve uplink speeds by up to 2X, to give a better user experience overall. Consumers would potentially be able to upload and share higher quality videos faster online, such as when attending concerts and when watching and streaming games online. We look forward to the future and what else is to come with our continued collaboration with BT.
* Snapdragon is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated.
** ‘Unbeatable 5G network’: Based on analysis from the RootMetrics® UK RootScore® Report, H1 (Jan – June) 2023. Tested at locations across the UK with the best commercially available smartphones on 4 national mobile networks across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of EE. Visit ee.co.uk/claims for more details.
BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services. We also provide managed telecommunications, security and network and IT infrastructure services to customers across 180 countries.
BT Group consists of three customer-facing units: Business covers companies and public services in the UK and internationally; Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers – over 650 communications providers across the UK.
British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
For more information, visit www.bt.com/about
References:
https://telecoms.com/523289/bt-and-nokia-reach-new-5g-sa-carrier-aggregation-milestone/
BT tests 4CC Carrier Aggregation over a standalone 5G network using Nokia equipment
https://telecoms.com/523069/bt-teases-5g-sa-progress-with-wideband-fdd-trial/
Ericsson and MediaTek set new 5G uplink speed record using Uplink Carrier Aggregation
T-Mobile US achieves speeds over 3 Gbps using 5G Carrier Aggregation on its 5G SA network
Nokia, China Mobile, MediaTek speed record of ~3 Gbps in 3CC carrier aggregation trial
Qualcomm and BT open 5G Lab in Farnborough, UK
BT Group and Qualcomm have together formed a new 5G laboratory located at Qualcomm Technologies’ offices in Farnborough, United Kingdom. The 5G test lab will have BT Group’s live environment installed; BT Group runs the EE mobile network in the U.K.
From the early days of 4G to the development of 5G, this collaboration has grown from strength to strength they say. While the companies have not disclosed many details regarding which technologies and use cases are being explored at the lab, they did state that enabling faster deployment and commercialization of 5G features and services is a key focus area.
Vikrant Jain, Director, Business Development, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. says: “We are excited to announce our collaboration with BT for testing and validation of new 5G features / next generation 5G services. Our state-of-the-art lab facilities will help facilitate and speed up the time-to-market, which means customers can benefit from the new technology sooner. We value our relationship and that has been running for over a decade, and we would like to thank BT for their continued support on this advancing innovation and we look forward to what else is to come for us in the technology space in the future.”
Naveen Khapali, Senior Manager, Device Technology at BT Group, says: “By working directly with Qualcomm Technologies in an embedded 5G lab, we’ll be able to realize the benefits of closer working, helping to bring the next generation of technology to our customers sooner.”
About Qualcomm:
Qualcomm is enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. Our one technology roadmap allows us to efficiently scale the technologies that launched the mobile revolution – including advanced connectivity, high-performance, low-power compute, on-device intelligence and more – to the next generation of connected smart devices across industries. Innovations from Qualcomm and our family of Snapdragon platforms will help enable cloud-edge convergence, transform industries, accelerate the digital economy, and revolutionize how we experience the world, for the greater good.
Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business. Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patented technologies are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated.
About BT Group:
BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services. We also provide managed telecommunications, security and network and IT infrastructure services to customers across 180 countries.
BT Group consists of three customer-facing units: Business covers companies and public services in the UK and internationally; Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers – over 650 communications providers across the UK.
British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
For more information, visit www.bt.com/about
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References:
https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2023/08/qualcomm-and-bt-group-announce-5g-lab-r-d-facilities
BT and Ericsson wideband FDD trial over live 5G SA network in the UK
BT tests 4CC Carrier Aggregation over a standalone 5G network using Nokia equipment
BT and Ericsson in partnership to provide commercial 5G private networks in the UK
Qualcomm CEO: AI will become pervasive, at the edge, and run on Snapdragon SoC devices
Qualcomm Introduces the World’s First “5G NR-Light” Modem-RF System for new 5G use cases and apps
Nokia to open 5G and 6G research lab in Amadora, Portugal
AT&T Lab to research 5G use cases, 5G+ available in Houston, TX
Qualcomm CEO: AI will become pervasive, at the edge, and run on Snapdragon SoC devices
Cristiano Amon, President & CEO, Qualcomm discusses Qualcomm’s role in the AI evolution and how AI will impact our workplaces and homes in the near future with Bloomberg’s Ed Ludlow at the Bloomberg Technology Summit.
“If AI becomes pervasive (which we believe it will), it’s going to happen at the edge. That’s how you should think about Qualcomm. If AI is going to get scale, you’re going to see it running on Qualcomm Snapdragon (SoC) devices, whether it’s on your phone, in your car, in your PC or in other machines.”
“For generative AI to become truly mainstream, much of the inferencing will need to be executed on edge devices,” said Ziad Asghar, senior vice president of product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Our best-in-class AI hardware and software empowers developers to make full use of our powerful AI capabilities, delivering incredible new user experiences on laptops, phones and other devices powered by Snapdragon.”
Qualcomm’s Sascha Segan explains on-device generative AI and Stable Diffusion in this video.
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“Generative artificial intelligence” is set to add up to $4.4 trillion of value to the global economy annually, according to a report from McKinsey Global Institute, in what is one of the rosier predictions about the economic effects of the rapidly evolving technology.
Generative A.I., which includes chatbots such as ChatGPT that can generate text in response to prompts, can potentially boost productivity by saving 60 to 70 percent of workers’ time through automation of their work, according to the 68-page report, which was published early Wednesday. Half of all work will be automated between 2030 and 2060, the report said.
McKinsey had previously predicted that A.I. would automate half of all work between 2035 and 2075, but the power of generative A.I. tools — which exploded onto the tech scene late last year — accelerated the company’s forecast.
“Generative A.I. has the potential to change the anatomy of work, augmenting the capabilities of individual workers by automating some of their individual activities,” the report said.
McKinsey’s report is one of the few so far to quantify the long-term impact of generative A.I. on the economy. The report arrives as Silicon Valley has been gripped by a fervor over generative A.I. tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, with tech companies and venture capitalists investing billions of dollars in the technology.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/14/technology/generative-ai-global-economy.html
References:
Generative AI Unicorns Rule the Startup Roost; OpenAI in the Spotlight
Generative AI in telecom; ChatGPT as a manager? ChatGPT vs Google Search
Curmudgeon/Sperandeo: Impact of Generative AI on Jobs and Workers
Qualcomm announces 4 new SoC’s for IoT applications and use cases
Qualcomm has launched four system on a chip (SoC) “solutions.” The QCS8550 and QCM8550 are the higher powered ones, designed for uses such as drones and cloud gaming. The only difference seems to be that the ‘M’ variant has an embedded modem. Both are made for manufacturers and designers of IoT products that demand the highest performance in a single processor. Ideal use cases include, but are not limited to:
- Autonomous mobile robots: Implement simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM), with a richer sensor set and AI at the network edge
- Industrial drones: Run multiple cameras with the real-time AI processing needed for drones
- Edge AI devices: Enable multiple concurrent machine learning modules per stream
- Video collaboration: Premium performance for delivering some of the most engaging meeting experiences using video and audio AI, multiple high-resolution cameras and abundant compute and graphics processing unit (GPU) power
- Video transcoding: Convert live video to multiple formats simultaneously — especially useful for short video applications
- Cloud gaming: Run multiple cloud-based games concurrently with visually richer game content and deeper player engagement
- Camera applications: Build cameras for sports/action, security, automobile dashes and multi-camera with improved IQ and cognitive ISP
- Retail: Apply AI to reduce friction in retail scenarios like unattended smart carts, smart cameras, on-shelf product identification and bar codes
The Qualcomm® QCS4490 and QCM4490 SoC’s are IoT optimized SoC’s for Android handheld devices. The QCM4490 system on chip (SoC) delivers key, advanced features now required by industrial handheld, industrial computing, and other IoT devices. It comes loaded with 5G NR connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E for multi-gigabit speeds, extended range, and low latency, and powerful, efficient processing to handle complex computing tasks. With planned support for Android releases through version 18, you can use this SoC for industrial designs through 2030, helping save costs and development time. We’ve designed a mid-tier solution packed with a lot of purpose.
“Qualcomm Technologies is uniquely positioned to take the IoT ecosystem forward,” said Dev Singh, vice president, business development and head of building, enterprise & industrial automation, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Our new solutions bring together the industry’s leading technologies across edge AI processing, innovative power efficiency, crystal-clear video, 5G connectivity, and more to fuel the next-generation of resilient, high-performing IoT applications.”
Qualcomm likes to coincide its new silicon announcements with trade shows. This one was made at Hannover Messe 2023, a general industry show that seems to be what CeBIT turned into.
References:
https://www.qualcomm.com/products/technology/processors/qcm4490
https://telecoms.com/520064/qualcomm-launches-a-new-iot-platform/
Highlights of Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform Gen 3; FWA and Cisco converged mobile core network
Qualcomm Introduces the World’s First “5G NR-Light” Modem-RF System for new 5G use cases and apps
Qualcomm and Iridium launch Snapdragon Satellite for 2-Way Messaging on Android Premium Smartphones
Viettel Group and Qualcomm collaborate on 5G Radio Unit with massive MIMO
Highlights of Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform Gen 3; FWA and Cisco converged mobile core network
With 5G deployed in more than 90 countries globally, network operators are increasingly considering 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) to enable more homes and businesses can connect and enjoy the power of connected broadband experiences.
This week, Qualcomm unveiled its 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform Gen 3, the world’s first fully-integrated 5G advanced-ready FWA platform. Besides benefitting from Snapdragon X75 capabilities, Qualcomm FWA Gen 3 key features include:
- Extended-range mmWave and Sub-6 GHz
- Qualcomm Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 with expert Multi-Link operation for blazing-fast lower latency, reliable connections, and mesh capability for seamless coverage
- Quad-core central processing unit (CPU) and hardware acceleration boosts
- Self-install capabilities facilitated by Qualcomm Dynamic Antenna Steering technology
- Qualcomm RF Sensing Suite to enable indoor mmWave Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) deployments
- Support for 5G Dual-SIM Dual Active (DSDA) and Dual-SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) configurations
Qualcomm FWA Gen 3 is claimed to be the world’s first fully-integrated 5G advanced (???)-ready FWA platform, which includes support for Sub-6 GHz, mmWave, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and boosted with quad-core CPU and hardware acceleration to drive a wide range of applications and value-added services.
The new platform features:
- The recently announced Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF, enabling breakthrough 5G performance to achieve unmatched speeds, coverage, and link robustness
- Qualcomm QTM567 mmWave Antenna Module, providing reliable and extended mmWave coverage
- Wi-Fi 7 with 10Gb ethernet, delivering multi-gigabit speeds and wire-like latency to virtually every device in the home
- Converged mmWave-sub 6 hardware architecture, reducing footprint, cost, board complexity, and power consumption
These capabilities will help OEMs accelerate time to launch, improve performance, and lower development effort for building cutting-edge FWA CPEs at scale. The Qualcomm FWA Gen 3 provides a fully-integrated solution that enables product development for multiple mobile broadband product categories and enables OEMs to offer a diverse product portfolio to their customers.
Qualcomm FWA Gen 3 includes the following features:
- Increased coverage through extended range mmWave and extended-range sub-6GHz with eight receiver antennas and support for power class 1.5 (PC 1.5)
- Enhanced self-install capabilities with Qualcomm Dynamic Antenna Steering Gen2
- Qualcomm RF Sensing Suite to help accelerate indoor mmWave CPEs deployments
- Flexible software architecture with support for multiple frameworks, including OpenWRT and RDK-B
- The Qualcomm FWA Gen 3 encapsulates the next-gen modem-RF system technologies intended to springboard 5G forward with superior 5G speeds and flexibility. This breakthrough connectivity is enabled by several capabilities including:
- Unrivalled spectrum aggregation
- Multi-Gigabit speed
- Improved uplink coverage with FDD uplink MIMO and uplink carrier aggregation (CA)
- Significant performance increase with Wi-Fi 7 advanced features:
- Tri-Band support in the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz spectrum bands with 320MHz and 4K QAM modulation
- Multi-Link technology enabling lower latency in heavily congested home environments
With WiFi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) and 5G connectivity, the platform offers consumers a faster and more reliable internet connection in the home. They can tap into the increased capacity and bandwidth offered by Wi-Fi and 5G to deliver multi-gigabit speeds, enabling consumers to connect all their devices and enjoy improved user experiences.
Qualcomm Resources:
Learn more about Fixed Wireless Access and its benefits here and here. Additionally, check out more on our latest Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF System enabling this technology here. Solutions such as this, powered by our one technology roadmap, including foundational 5G technologies, further position Qualcomm as the edge partner of choice for the cloud economy. Qualcomm makes an intelligently connected world possible.
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FWA and a Converged Mobile Core Network:
In a blog post today, Matt Price of Cisco states that FWA is a great tool for reducing the digital divide when it comes to accessibility and affordability. The economics for providing Internet services were in need of a change and FWA offers some good ones – reducing trenching requirements, increasing serviceable area, offering self-install customer equipment (CPE), and even providing a common wireless network architecture that can serve both Fixed Wireless Access and Mobile Access services. To achieve these goals, Cisco strongly recommends 5G service providers deploy 5G SA core networks, which the vendor has implemented as a converged 4G/5G core for T-Mobile US.
Other carriers, like Verizon [1.] have deployed a 5G NSA FWA network.
Note 1. Verizon has increasingly come to view FWA as an integral part of their broadband access offering everywhere that FiOS isn’t available. At the same time, the telco has argued (with increasing confidence) that the often-assumed capacity constraints on FWA are not only addressable, but that they are not an issue. Verizon views 5G FWA as a major growth opportunity- much more so than 5G mobile services, according to Sowmyanarayan Sampath, Executive Vice President and CEO of Verizon Business. It’s also interesting that Telkom in South Africa and Safaricom in Kenya have deployed 5G NSA networks for FWA but NOT yet for 5G mobile service.
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5G SA’s network architecture can flexibly deploy User Plane Function (UPF) nodes to anchor a FWA subscriber’s user plane traffic for peering at the nearest edge aggregation point. Unlike a typical mobile device such as a cell phone, fixed wireless devices are meant to be always-on and connected for serving end user devices. Meaning that the latency and reliability we commonly expect from traditional wireline services is expected from fixed wireless services too.
In 2022, T-Mobile US became the fastest growing U.S. Internet Service Provider—doubling their number of FWA customers in the past six months. With over 2 million FWA subscribers and counting, the scalability and flexibility of having a Converged Core has proven invaluable to T-Mobile. Being able to deploy UPF nodes for Fixed Wireless Access in remote locations while managing the Session Management Function (SMF) nodes at a central site(s) is effective for scaling the network, optimizing the usage of the transport infrastructure to deliver better end-user latency.
Scaling and extending Fixed Wireless Access with the flexible deployment of UPF nodes, optimizing the routing for user plane traffic. Source: Cisco
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It’s estimated that around 70% of communication service providers today offer a form of Fixed Wireless Access services, most of them still using 4G LTE, which delivers a fraction of the performance of fiber. Upgrading network architectures to meet the needs of new 5G services needs a smooth plan for the transition. Cisco believes that can begin in the mobile core network. With a Converged 4G/5G Core, communication service providers can migrate from 4G to 5G without disruption while scaling to serve the needs of millions of new subscribers.
For More Information:
Learn more about the Cisco Converged Core, and how we are helping rural communities bridge the digital divide. Find out how T-Mobile and Cisco Launched the World’s Largest Cloud Native Converged Core Gateway, read the December 2022 press release.
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References:
Next-level connectivity: Unveiling our new 5G FWA Platform | Qualcomm
https://blogs.cisco.com/sp/getting-to-the-core-of-the-digital-divide-with-5g-fixed-wireless-access
https://www.verizon.com/about/blog/fixed-wireless-access
Ericsson: Over 300 million Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) connections by 2028
Research & Markets: 5G FWA Global Market to hit $38.17B by 2026 for a CAGR of 87.1%
Dell’Oro: FWA revenues on track to advance 35% in 2022 led by North America
JC Market Research: 5G FWA market to reach $21.7 billion in 2029 for a CAGR of 65.6%
5G FWA launched by South Africa’s Telkom, rather than 5G Mobile