ZTE
ZTE PON ONT obtains EasyMesh R3 certification from WiFi Alliance
ZTE announced that its ZXHN F8648P became the first PON ONT in the industry to pass the EasyMesh R3 certification of the Wi-Fi Alliance. This certification is a validation of the product’s abilities to help operators remove the interoperability barrier between devices from different vendors in a smart mesh network, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing security guarantees.
Before this R3 certification, ZTE has also achieved other industry-first EasyMesh certifications, with its ZXHN F680 passing the R1 certification in June 2019 and its ZXHN F689 securing the R2 designation in September 2020. According to these certifications, ZTE proved that its home networking products have interoperability and technological functionalities to let operators provide multi-access point home network services.
During the EasyMesh R3 certification, the ZXHN F8648P PON ONT passed all the key functional tests in one go, including general EasyMesh items like link establishment, device discovery, topology display, automatic configuration and wireless roaming, as well as R3-specific items like Device Provisioning Protocol (DPP) authentication, network Quality of Service, mesh functionality extension through the addition of Wi-Fi 6 support, and network security.
Although the WFA has not officially issued EasyMesh R4, ZTE is carrying out research and verification of the new requirements that may be incorporated into the new specifications, such as Wi-Fi 6 adaptation, air interface QoS, and parameter collection for remote diagnostics.
The WFA EasyMesh certification program is a standards-based approach to multi-AP Wi-Fi networking products. It aims to promote industry standardisation and the rapid development of the home networking market by enabling multi-vendor interoperability and making possible the installation and use of mesh Wi-Fi networks.
Although the WFA has not officially issued EasyMesh™ R4, ZTE is carrying out research and verification of the new requirements that may be incorporated into the new specifications, such as Wi-Fi 6 adaptation, air interface QoS, and parameter collection for remote diagnostics.
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References:
ZTE obtains industry-first EasyMesh™ R3 certification for PON ONT
https://www.telecompaper.com/news/zte-obtains-first-easymesh-r3-certification-for-pon-ont–1420525
ZTE using TSMC’s 7-nm process to build custom chips for its 5G base stations
ZTE is on a roll! China’s #2 telecom firm said in its annual report that it gained market share in China last year for servers, core networks and storage solutions — the three areas where Huawei is a key player. Revenues grew at a double-digit percentage rate last year, rising inside and outside China and across all three business units – carrier (networks), enterprise (business) and consumer (gadgets).
With TSMC’s business booming, Nikkei Asia believes that ZTE is quietly building a technological edge in the base station market for fifth-generation (5G) cellular connectivity. These base stations are used by telecommunications carriers to meet consumer demands, and the publication believes that ZTE has designed its equipment to be based on the 7-nanometer (nm) process node.
The company [ZTE] has been utilizing some of TSMC’s most advanced chip production technology — the so-called 7-nm tech — to build processors for its 5G base stations. Sources said it also uses the Taiwanese chipmaker’s advanced chip packaging technology, which uses stacking technology to arrange chips with different functions into one package.
Nikkei Asia also said that Huawei’s inability to conduct business with TSMC due to American sanctions has left the field wide open for ZTE. The company is targeting double-digit growth for its server and base station segment, and it is also interested in TSMC’s leading-edge chip node, which is the company’s 5nm process.
However, while ZTE might not be sanctioned to procure the latest chip technologies from TSMC, the company still can not sell its 5G base stations to several Western companies. This has resulted in it focusing its efforts mostly on China, as the U.S. will rely on small cell 5G Open RAN platform developed by Qualcomm Incorporated on the 4nm node.
Source: Jordi Boixareu/Alamy Live News
“ZTE has turned quite aggressive in pursuing its chip capability in the past few years. Although the volume is still small, it is showing impressive progress,” said one unnamed source.
TSMC, as well as ZTE, seems to be on a very solid growth track. On the back of another robust set of quarterly financials Q4 FY21 and a strong balance sheet, the world’s #1 chip making firm announced a massive capex budget hike to increase manufacturing capacity in “advanced process technologies,” including 2nm, 3nm, 5nm and 7nm.
TSMC also sells products built on the 4nm, which is a design extension of the company’s 5nm process families. Different process technologies marketed under the 4nm branding are expected to commence production from the second half of this year to the first half of 2023.
References:
https://wccftech.com/tsmc-reveals-36-revenue-growth-as-chinas-zte-reportedly-using-7nm-for-5g/
https://www.lightreading.com/asia/zte-has-designs-on-chips-with-tsmc/d/d-id/775180?
China to accelerate 5G roll-outs while FCC faces “rip and replace” funding shortfall
China Daily reports that local governments in China are doubling down on plans to accelerate 5G rollouts in 2022. More than 20 provincial and municipal governments in China have emphasized efforts to accelerate construction of “new infrastructure” like 5G and data centers in their work plans for this year.
Shanghai plans to build more than 25,000 5G base stations this year (do you really believe that?) to push forward the in-depth coverage of the superfast wireless network. The city also has ambitions to build super large computing power platforms to meet growing demand.
Zhao Zhiguo, spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China’s top industry regulator, said earlier:
“2022 is a critical year for the large-scale development of 5G applications. We will continue to improve 5G network coverage and accelerate the in-depth integration of 5G and vertical industries.”
One of the priorities is to moderately speed up the coverage of 5G in counties and rural towns in China, Zhao said.
Ten ministries, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, recently unveiled a digital rural development action plan for the period from 2022 to 2025, which called for an intensified push to promote digital infrastructure upgrades in rural areas.
Telecom operators are also moving fast. China Mobile, the nation’s largest telecom carrier, said it aims to achieve continuous 5G coverage in rural towns across the country by the end of this year.
Telecom carriers’ 5G plans seek to harness the power of more than 1.4 million 5G base stations that were deployed in China by the end of last year (but can you really trust that China government reported number?). 5G signals are already available in urban areas of all of China’s prefecture-level cities, more than 98% of county-level towns and 80 percent of rural towns, MIIT data showed.
5G Cell Tower in China. Image courtesy of China Daily
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In the U.S., it’s a different story. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) found a shortfall in funding for its plan to replace Chinese telecom equipment. Inadequate finance is likely to pose connectivity challenges to people in remote areas in the US, experts said.
According to a report on MobileWorld Live, a telecom industry website, the FCC said local telecom operators’ requests for funding to replace network equipment made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE totaled $5.6 billion, almost three times the $1.9 billion allocated by the US federal government. Network operators serving less than 10 million customers which used government subsidies to buy Huawei or ZTE equipment before 30 June 2020 were eligible to apply for funding to cover costs associated with removing, replacing and disposing of the Chinese network equipment.
In a statement released last week, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that 181 carriers submitted initial reimbursement application requests totaling approximately $5.6 billion. Carriers are required to remove and replace existing network gear from Huawei and ZTE after the vendors were deemed national security risks. Congress in late 2020 set aside around $1.9 billion to fund and carry out the effort under the Secured and Trusted Communications Act 2019.
“Last year Congress created a first-of-its kind program for the FCC to reimburse service providers for their efforts to increase the security of our nations communications networks,” Rosenworcel said. “We’ve received over 181 applications from carriers who have developed plans to remove and replace equipment in their networks that pose a national security threat,” she added.
The FCC banned U.S. telecom carriers from buying Huawei and ZTE’s equipment via federal subsidies, citing what it alleged were national security concerns. The two Chinese tech companies have repeatedly denied the accusations, which they said are groundless.
Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, a telecom industry association in China, said Huawei and ZTE’s products are currently used by US telecom carriers to offer network and broadband services in some of the most remote regions in the US. Xiang said that the U.S. order to replace Huawei/ZTE wireless network equipment in rural areas will result in the lack of quality telecom services.
Steve Berry, president and CEO of the Competitive Carriers Association, a trade group for about 100 wireless providers in the US, issued a statement calling on the U.S. government to ensure the FCC program is fully funded so that connectivity is maintained during the operators’ transition to new wireless telecom equipment for their cellular networks.
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Table 1: All the companies asking for FCC “rip and replace” funding
| Company | Applicant | Wireless | Wireline | Total | Vendor |
| Viaero Wireless | NE Colorado Cellular Inc | X | $1,194,000,000 | Ericsson | |
| Union Wireless | Union Telephone Company | X | $688,000,000 | Nokia | |
| ATN International | Commnet Wireless, | X | $418,768,726 | ||
| Gogo | Gogo Business Aviation LLC | X | $332,770,202 | ||
| NTCH | PTA-FLA, Inc. | $273,971,426 | |||
| Lumen | Level 3 Communications, LLC | X | $269,999,994 | ||
| Stealth Communications | X | $199,066,226 | |||
| SI Wireless, LLC | X | $181,023,489 | |||
| United Wireless Communications, Inc. | X | $173,471,477 | |||
| Hotwire Communications, Ltd. | X | $141,299,003 | |||
| Latam Telecommunications, L.L.C. | $138,060,092 | ||||
| NEMONT TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE INC | X | $125,551,024 | |||
| NTUA Wireless, LLC | X | $124,447,019 | |||
| Windstream Communications LLC | X | $118,271,652 | |||
| Rise Broadband | Skybeam, LLC | X | $106,159,884 | ||
| Pine Telephone Company | X | $87,095,419 | |||
| Mediacom Communications Corporation | X | $86,171,976 | |||
| Flat Wireless, LLC | X | $76,284,671 | |||
| Pine Belt Cellular, Inc. | X | $74,856,191 | |||
| James Valley Cooperative Telephone Company | X | $53,000,000 | |||
| AST Telecom, LLC d/b/a Bluesky | X | $49,959,592 | |||
| Country Wireless LLC | X | $47,508,982 | |||
| Point Broadband Fiber Holding, LLC | X | $47,172,086 | |||
| Board of Trustees, Northern Michigan University | X | $45,796,636 | |||
| Hargray Communications Group, Inc. | X | $42,785,933 | |||
| NfinityLink Communications, Inc. | $37,535,905 | ||||
| Plateau Telecommunications, Incorporated | X | $30,000,000 | |||
| Texas 10, LLC | $29,088,795 | ||||
| Mark Twain Communications Company | X | $29,000,000 | |||
| Panhandle Telecommunication Systems Inc | $28,925,552 | ||||
| TelAlaska Cellular, Inc. | X | $26,567,517 | |||
| Central Louisiana Cellular, LLC | X | $26,264,528 | |||
| TRANSTELCO INC. | X | $25,573,213 | |||
| Beamspeed, L.L.C. | X | $19,596,157 | |||
| Triangle Telephone Cooperative Association, Inc. | X | $18,336,507 | Mavenir | ||
| Eastern Oregon Telecom, LLC | X | $18,122,185 | |||
| Puerto Rico Telephone Company, Inc. | X | $16,857,851 | |||
| Vitelcom Cellular, Inc. d/b/a Viya Wireless | X | $15,716,011 | |||
| Santel Communications Cooperative, Inc. | X | $14,604,337 | |||
| MHG Telco LLC | X | $14,456,482 | |||
| WorldCell Soutions, LLC | X | $12,673,559 | |||
| LIGTEL COMMUNICATIONS INC. | X | $12,000,000 | |||
| Point Broadband Fiber Holding, LLC | X | $11,344,724 | |||
| Copper Valley Wireless, LLC | X | $11,151,417 | |||
| Premier Holdings LLC | $9,759,680 | ||||
| Eltopia Communications, LLC | X | X | $7,741,951 | ||
| Metro Fibernet, LLC | X | $7,567,518 | |||
| Bestel (USA), Inc. | $6,887,500 | ||||
| PocketiNet Communications Inc. | $6,741,452 | ||||
| Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD | X | $5,943,974 | |||
| Windy City Cellular | X | $5,562,067 | |||
| Bristol Bay Cellular Partnership | X | $5,269,183 | |||
| Kings County Office of Education | $5,221,191 | ||||
| Interoute US LLC | $4,867,140 | ||||
| Pasadena ISD | $4,387,311 | ||||
| Velocity Communications, Inc. | X | $4,158,729 | |||
| Advantage Cellular Systems, Inc. | X | $3,479,000 | |||
| New Wave Net Corp | $3,365,772 | ||||
| FirstLight Fiber, Inc. | $3,306,644 | ||||
| Gigsky, Inc. | X | $3,128,678 | |||
| Triangle Communication Systems Inc | $2,779,371 | ||||
| FIF Utah LLC | X | $2,662,538 | |||
| Gallatin Wireless Internet, LLC | X | $2,399,162 | |||
| Moore Public Schools | $2,023,243 | ||||
| HUFFMAN ISD | $1,920,588 | ||||
| Crowley ISD | $1,720,496 | ||||
| Castleberry Independent School District | X | $1,672,527 | |||
| One Ring Networks, Inc. | $1,649,281 | ||||
| University of San Francisco | $1,570,437 | ||||
| Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc. | $1,511,617 | ||||
| Zito West Holding, LLC | X | $1,453,469 | |||
| Southern Ohio Communication Services Inc | $1,312,844 | ||||
| Xtreme Enterprises LLC | X | $1,097,283 | |||
| Virginia Everywhere, LLC | X | $562,001 | |||
| South Canaan Telephone Company | $542,139 | ||||
| Palmer ISD | $520,146 | ||||
| Waxahachie ISD | X | $457,396 | |||
| Hunter Communications & Technologies LLC | $432,348 | ||||
| Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency | $413,760 | ||||
| COMMSELL | $302,400 | ||||
| VTel Wireless, Inc. | X | $283,618 | |||
| Trinity Basin Preparatory, Inc. | $242,510 | ||||
| NTInet, inc | $198,340 | ||||
| LakeNet LLC | X | $193,277 | |||
| IdeaTek Telcom, LLC | X | $181,899 | |||
| Millennium Telcom, L.L.C., dba OneSource Communications | $165,195 | ||||
| Inland Cellular LLC | X | $117,183 | |||
| Roome Telecommunications Inc | $92,144 | ||||
| Milford Independent School District | $40,399 | ||||
| Angeles Enterprises | X | $33,368 | |||
| Crystal Broadband Networks | X | $28,704 | |||
| Natural G.C. Inc. | $27,313 | ||||
| Webformix Internet Company | X | $22,400 | |||
| Northern Cambria School District | $14,400 | ||||
| Deer Creek Independent School District | $- | ||||
| $5,609,338,024 | |||||
| This FCC data was initially compiled by vendor Mavenir and then expanded, checked and edited by Light Reading staff. | |||||
“We’ve received over 181 applications from carriers who have developed plans to remove and replace equipment in their networks that pose a national security threat. While we have more work to do to review these applications, I look forward to working with Congress to ensure that there is enough funding available for this program to advance Congress’s security goals and ensure that the US will continue to lead the way on 5G security,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.
References:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202202/09/WS620303dfa310cdd39bc85734.html
Mobile Experts: Ericsson #1 in RAN market; Huawei falls to #3
According to a new report from analyst firm Mobile Experts, Ericsson leapt into the #1 position in the RAN market for 2021. Ericsson (see Table 1. at bottom of this article), which achieved a 26.9% share of a market that grew by about 3% in value to be worth in the region of $45 billion last year.
Sanctions hit Huawei very hard as the Chinese tech giant dropped to third place in the RAN market in terms of the value of sales with a 20.4% market share. Huawei had a shortfall of roughly $4B last year due to the company’s inability to produce high-capacity TDD base stations. That was because of U.S. Government sanctions on the critical components needed. As a result, Huawei achieved much lower dollar value than their western competitors.
Nokia (21.9% market share) placed third while ZTE achieved fourth place (14.5%) ahead of Samsung (8% market share).
“Our approach to forecasting is deeply analytical, using data from more than 100 sources, rather than simply the inputs of five OEMs. Our approach works. This analyst team has been creating some of the most accurate, detailed forecasting on the market for over a decade,” commented Chief Analyst of Mobile Experts, Joe Madden. “We have developed relationships with suppliers, operators, and vendors that give us data for a three-pronged approach to triangulation on mobile infrastructure revenue.”
Mobile Experts’ models show the RAN market growing at a CAGR (Cumulative Annualized Growth Rate) of 3%, with -1% growth in macro base stations and 25%-35% growth in millimeter wave and software segments. The analyst firm, known for their unmatched accuracy, leverage over a decade of ear-to-ground experience in this market to present this detailed market forecast that presents last year’s findings concisely and completely as well as presenting what’s next for the RAN market and its players.
“Overall, the RAN market is looking up. After 30 years of boom-and-bust cycles, the market is currently reaching a peak with 5G deployment in its active mode this year. In coming years, we see new revenue coming in from private enterprises to offset the natural drop in CSP sales; specifically, the private LTE/5G market will grow by 19%, accounting for more than $4 billion in 2026. As a result, the total RAN market will remain near its 5G peak for a few years, with the possibility for growth in the longer term,” commented Chief Analyst Joe Madden.
Total Year Review for 2021 – Global RAN Revenue:
This pre-earnings report offers a comprehensive overview of the RAN market with Mobile Experts’ signature accuracy and detailed breakdowns. This quarter’s report includes revenue estimates for the top 25 vendors in the RAN market for 2021. This is the first of a series of quarterly updates, and it is available today for instant download with purchase at www.mobile-experts.net.
For more about this research and buy the report, click here.
About Mobile Experts Inc.:
Mobile Experts provides insightful market analysis for the mobile infrastructure and mobile handset markets. Our analysts are true Experts, who remain focused on topics where each analyst has 25 years of experience or more. Research topics center on technology introduction for radio frequency (RF) and communications innovation. Recent publications include: RAN Revenue, Cellular V2X, Fixed Mobile Convergence, Edge Computing, In-Building Wireless, CIoT, URLLC, Macro Base Station Transceivers, Small Cells, VRAN, and Private LTE.
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Table 1: Ericsson’s headline figures (Swedish Krona-SEK billions)
| 2021 | 2020 | Change | |
| Net sales | 232.3 | 232.4 | 0% |
| Gross income | 100.7 | 93.7 | 7% |
| Gross margin | 43.4% | 40.3% | – |
| Research and development expenses | -42.1 | -39.7 | – |
| Selling and administrative expenses | -27.0 | -26.7 | – |
| Impairment losses on trade receivables | 0.0 | 0.1 | -134% |
| Other operating income and expenses | 0.4 | 0.7 | -45% |
| Share in earnings of JV and associated companies | -0.3 | -0.3 | – |
| EBIT | 31.8 | 27.8 | 14% |
| – of which networks | 37.3 | 30.9 | 21% |
| – of which digital services | -3.6 | -2.2 | – |
| – of which managed services | 1.5 | 1.6 | -6% |
| – of which emerging business and other | -3.4 | -2.4 | – |
| EBIT margin | 13.7% | 12.0% | – |
| Financial income and expenses, net | -2.5 | -0.6 | – |
| Income tax | -6.3 | -9.6 | 30% |
| Net income | -0.5 | -1.3 | – |
| Source: Ericsson | |||
ZTE and Riedel jointly build customized Private 5G as a Service campus network
ZTE announced it has collaborated with Riedel Communications to deploy a customized, private 5G-as-a-Service on a campus network. The Germany media services company plans to work with ZTE on exploring the possible network services and infrastructure for serving large-scale events.
The 5G RAN and Stand Alone (SA) architecture is based on ZTE’s large-capacity Base Band Unit, 5G pad Remote Radio Unit and i5GC (Industrial 5G Core). For industry verticals, a private 5G networks with customized functions, precise SLAs, and reduced costs can be purchased on demand, ZTE said.
“In terms of the future, 5G is a topic that offers many new opportunities. Especially for our largescale events, we need flexible and high-performance systems that enable us to set up ad-hoc infrastructures. Riedel sees ZTE as a strong partner to drive forward these topics with smart technology and the right spirit” said Lutz Rathmann, Director Managed Technology Division.
“ZTE, as one of the global leaders in 5G, truly believes that 5G is driving the development of the verticals and the digital transformation of industries. Deploying a variety of 5G applications enables the move from traditional manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing while reducing costs and increasing efficiency and quality” said Yang Lin, Managing Director of ZTE Germany Representative Office. “In the cooperation, ZTE provides a campus network with a flexible architecture, which could be easily expanded as the size of campus or separated campus. The application platform and device can be also integrated in the campus network for different use cases.”
This cooperation is the first step for Riedel and ZTE to jointly explore the value of 5G in vertical industries. With the solid network foundation of 5G, it can be foreseen that subsequent open platforms and diversified applications based on 5G will innovate further in the future.
About ZTE:
ZTE is a provider of advanced telecommunications systems, mobile devices and enterprise technology solutions for consumers, operators, businesses and public sector customers. As part of ZTE’s strategy, the company is committed to providing customers with end-to-end integrated innovations to deliver excellence and value as the telecommunications and information technology sectors converge. ZTE sells its products and services in more than 160 countries.
About Riedel:
Riedel Communications designs, manufactures, and distributes pioneering real-time video, audio, data, and communications networks for broadcast, pro audio, event, sports, theater, and security applications. The company also provides rental services for radio and intercom systems, event IT solutions, fiber backbones, and wireless signal transmission systems that scale easily for events of any size, anywhere in the world. Riedel is headquartered in Wuppertal, Germany, and employs nearly 700 people in 25 locations throughout Europe, Australia, Asia, and the Americas.
Learn more about Riedel here
References:
ZTE wins 50% of China Mobile’s high-end router centralized procurement in 2021-2022
ZTE has secured a 50% share in section 4 of China Mobile’s high-end router/switch centralized procurement for 2021-2022. It’s number one ranking was due to its high-end routers ZXR10 M6000-18 S and ZXR10 M6000-8S Plus. This contract is the largest one in the high-end router centralized procurement of China Mobile, which contains the largest number of switch/routers in China.
ZTE will provide the routers to take the role of SR (Service Router) and PE (Provider Edge) to be used in configurations such as cloud private network, network cloud, 5G UPF (User Plane Function), IP private network and MAN (Metropolitan Area Network).
In addition, ZTE will provide necessary equipment for the future IP network of China Mobile, especially cloud private networks and 5G transport networks.
Based on ROSng, the router operating system with its independent intellectual property rights, ZTE’s high-end router ZXR10 M6000-S supports SR/EVPN/SRv6/BIER and boosts the evolution of IP networks towards simplicity and intelligence. The router employs the in-house NP (Network Processor) to enable the single-slot 1T performance, and reaches the industry-leading standards in forwarding performance, energy saving and SDN (Software Defined Network).
In June 2021, ZTE’s high-end routers ZXR10 T8000 [1.] and ZXR10 M6000-3S ranked No. 2 in the comprehensive assessment, and were respectively selected for the bid section 3 and 5 of this procurement. In addition, in China Mobile’s high-end router centralized procurement 2019-2020, ZTE’s ZXR10 M6000-S ranked No. 1 in section 2 (for 2T high-end routers) and No. 2 in section 3 (for 400G high-end routers). So far, the ZXR10 M6000-S ranked top 2 in market share of the country.
Note 1. ZXR10 T8000 is ZTE’s flagship high-end router. It has been running stably for over 10 years in 23 provinces (including autonomous regions and municipalities) in China. With excellent performance, ZTE’s ZXR10 T8000 has been working on the core backbone layer and the important part of 5G network constructions of domestic operators.
ZXR10 T8000 Cluster Router
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In China Mobile’s largest centralized procurement of data communication product in 2019, ZTE’s ZXR10 M6000-S series high-end router grabbed the largest share in Section 2 (2T high-end routers) and the second largest share in Section 3 (400G high-end routers) respectively.
ZTE has been committed to delivering the leading digital infrastructure solutions as a driver of the digital economy. With its continuous innovation, the company has built up core competitiveness in standard patents, key technologies and product solutions to accelerate 5G network constructions.
Moving forward, ZTE, in partnership with China Mobile, will further innovate its 5G network technologies, and expedite commercial deployments of 5G networks to embrace a digital future.
Media Contacts:
Margaret Ma
ZTE Corporation
Tel: +86 755 26775189
Email: [email protected]
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References:
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China Mobile didn’t even invite Ericsson and Nokia to its latest 5G tender
ZTE reports strong 1st Half 2020 financials; 5G Flexhaul; Automatic Antenna Pattern Control Trial with China Mobile
ZTE reported strong first half financial results, with operating revenues up 5.8 percent from the year before to RMB 47.20 billion and net profit increasing 26.3 percent to RMB 1.86 billion. Net profit after extraordinary items increased 47.4 percent to RMB 0.9 billion. The operating cash flow grew over 61 percent to RMB 2.04 billion while spend on research and development (R&D) advanced to RMB 6.64 billion.
In the first half of 2020, the company strengthened its cash flow and sales revenue collection management. Its net cash flow from operating activities for H1 2020 is approximately RMB2.04 billion, about 61.1% year-on-year growth. With great commitment to 5G R&D investment, the company’s R&D spending increased to RMB6.64 billion in H1 2020, covering 14.1% of operating revenue.
In light of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact, ZTE decided to push its R&D initiatives and to take advantage of the mega shift brought on by its own ongoing digital transformation. The company also focused on customer service, helping to achieve a steady growth of business.
ZTE put its in-house new-generation core chipsets for access, bearer and fixed-networks into large-scale commercial deployments, further improving the performance, integration and energy efficiency ratio of its chipsets. The company is also focusing on strengthening its algorithm processes, new materials and new technologies in general, as it helps build 5G commercial networks and works towards becoming the “ultimate” cloud company.
In terms of operator network business, ZTE, underpinned by the rapid 5G rollouts in China, achieved revenue of RMB34.97 billion, a year-on-year growth of 7.7%. (Note that ZTE and Huawei were recently banned from the UK’s 5G rollouts). In 1st half o 2020, the company continuously strengthened the landscape of global network infrastructure.
Proactively taking advantages of new infrastructure construction and new services, ZTE further explored market growth opportunities, with the revenue of ZTE’s government and enterprise business reaching RMB4.82 billion, a year-on-year growth of 2.5%. The company further explored high-value overseas markets while promoting healthy operations during the period.
In its consumer business, ZTE has continuously strengthened its 5G terminal (mostly smartphones) agreements with over 30 wireless network operators around the world, with a focus on China’s “open market.”
Moving forward, ZTE says it will continuously strengthen the research and development, operate steadily and proactively address the risks and challenges in the global markets, thereby achieving the quality growth. Meanwhile, the company will seize the opportunities of new infrastructure and network technology innovations to expand its market shares, accelerate the digital transformation, and improve the organizational efficiency, so as to become an ultimate cloud company.
The company recently announced its 5G Flexhaul solution, which adopts a minimal forwarding plane architecture and a cloud-native control plane to provide 5G fronthaul, midhaul, and traditional backhaul, flexibly meeting the differentiated needs of 5G multi-scenarios and the ultimate performance challenges of 5G services. Based on a full range of self-developed and the industry’s only “3-in-1” highly integrated 5G bearer chip, combined with the pioneering FlexE Channel technology, ZTE’s 5G Flexhaul solution not only provides ultra-large bandwidth capabilities, but also supports massive connections for different services Provide differentiated SLA guarantee and network slicing capabilities to provide customers with a flexible, scalable, and operable 5G bearer network.
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ZTE’s announced financial report comes one day after the company said that it has completed the trial of Automatic Antenna Pattern Control (AAPC) self-optimization solution in Guangzhou, China along with the Guangzhou branch of China Mobile.
By means of the seamless integration between the AI technology and the network structure optimization, this solution can greatly simplify the optimization and O&M of the 5G Massive MIMO network, thereby effectively improving the efficiency and reducing the costs.
The trial result shows that the network coverage rate has increased by nearly 12%, and the signal strength has increased about 4-to-5 dB while the signal-to-noise ratio has increased nearly 1-to-2 dB and the download rate has risen by about 10%.
The solution is based on ZTE’s intelligent AAPC optimization tool, employing the AI algorithm and the network management platform to quickly search and lock the optimal antenna parameters in complex scenarios. According to the MR (measurement report) data, the solution can accurately evaluate the quality of the network coverage.
In addition, the solution has adopted an AI model to achieve the iterative optimization, and the optimal matching between scenarios and antenna parameters, so as to create an end-to-end operational solution of self-configuration and self-evaluation.
Moving forward, ZTE and China Mobile will further explore various complex scenarios, and develop a larger-scale AI self-optimization system, expecting to accelerate the transformation and upgrade of intelligent networks.
About ZTE:
ZTE is a provider of advanced telecommunications systems, mobile devices and enterprise technology solutions to consumers, operators, companies and public sector customers. The company has been committed to providing customers with integrated end-to-end innovations to deliver excellence and value as the telecommunications and information technology sectors converge. Listed in the stock exchanges of Hong Kong and Shenzhen, ZTE sells its products and services in more than 160 countries.
References:
https://www.zte.com.cn/global/about/news/20200828e1.html
https://www.zte.com.cn/global/about/news/20200827e1.html
https://www.zte.com.cn/china/solutions/201905201708/201905201738/5G_Flexhaul
ZTE facilitates 4G and 5G co-evolution with a comprehensive set of solutions