MWC 2019: Korean companies set to present new world of 5G connectivity & smart phones
Wireless network providers/ telcos, telecom equipment, industrial giants, and smart device companies have arrived in Barcelona, Spain for the Mobile World Congress (MWC) that kicks off on Feb. 25th. Under the theme of “Intelligent Connectivity,” the four-day event features companies demonstrating how new technologies will change everyday lives.
There has been so much hype surrounding 5G in the past few years, it’s deafening. Yet the world still needs to wait for full-fledged 5G standards and associated services. Hopefully, this year’s MWC will paint a clearer picture about a world powered by 5G networks.
“I have never seen tech companies at MWC rallying behind a single banner. And that is 5G,” said a senior official from a South Korean telecom giant, who visited the MWC venue in Fira Barcelona before the event officially kicked off.
Some mobile device manufacturers, such LG Electronics and Huawei, unveiled their first 5G-based smartphones on Feb. 24, a day before the official launch of the MWC. Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G will be demonstrated to the public after its debut in San Francisco on Feb. 20. South Korean telecom giants (like SK Telecom, Korea Telecom, and LG U+ –formerly LG Telecom) will also unveil platforms that capitalize on the hyper-speed, low-latency network. These are expected to include futuristic hotel services, smart factories and unmanned blimps.
Leading telecom companies at MWC include Verizon, AT&T and NTT Docomo, along with IT giants like Microsoft, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Service, Huawei, Xiaomi, Nokia, Ericsson, Renovo, Intel and Qualcomm.
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Approximately 222 South Korean firms have come for the event, with combined investments of 100 billion won ($89 million) and some 3,000 officials. They will join some 2,500 companies from around the world in presenting technologies that span eight areas: connectivity, artificial intelligence, industry 4.0, immersive content, destructive innovation, digital wellness, digital trust and the future.
LG Electronics’ first 5G-powered smartphone, the V50 ThinQ (pre-standard) 5G, will be on display at MWC. The company joins Samsung in having a (pre-standard) 5G-capable smartphones in the market. Samsung will live broadcast the MWC 2019 Barcelona’s official media channel using its prototype 5G network on big screens throughout the Fira Gran Via venue and about 280 hotels in Barcelona, as well as stream the event live globally.
China’s Huawei, the world’s second-largest smart phone maker after Samsung, is expected to unveil its 5G foldable smartphone, the Mate X, during a press conference at the MWC.
During the MWC sessions, SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus said they would demonstrate how the 5G network can transform business and leisure when the first 5G-based smartphones hit the market this March.
KT will demonstrate the extent to which seamless communication is possible regardless of distance. Using its remotely controlled blip, called 5G Skyship, the company showed images sent in real time to Barcelona all the way from South Korea’s southern port city of Busan. As the 5G Skyship’s high-definition camera is capable of delivering flawless images sent from halfway around the world, the company said the technology could be used in search-and-rescue missions in the event of natural disasters and other emergencies.
KT said Sunday it will be remotely controlling its KT 5G Skyship airship drone in the skies above Haeundae in Busan, South Korea from the location of the Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, through a (pre-standard) 5G network.
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“Signals capable of controlling the blip’s camera are sent from Busan to Barcelona through international circuit lines. … Visitors can control the blip’s movement whatever they see fit and enjoy the night scenery of Busan from Barcelona,” said KT officials.
KT is joining the GSMA Innovation City exhibition alongside leading brands such as Google and Huawei to present its connected devices, immersive content and services under the theme “5G becomes reality.”
The company will exhibit Skyship, a 5G-enabled real-time airborne platform for disaster management, and provide a hands-on experience for remote autonomous driving and inspection of a 5G factory zone. It will also present 5G-connected robots, AR glasses, remote support solutions for enterprises, a VR baseball park, a 360-degree video zone and a robot hotel.
KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu plans to deliver his third MWC keynote speech to unveil his 5G vision, following similar addresses in 2015 and 2017. Hwang plans to visit the exhibition halls of Samsung Electronics, Ericsson and Nokia to explore business opportunities with the major wireless equipment manufacturers.
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Meanwhile, KT’s biggest rival, SK Telecom, plans to show how 5G can greatly improve productivity in factories and offices by using AI, robots, connected devices and security solutions. It unveiled the 5G Hyper Space platform that could blur the line between the virtual and real world by allowing users to toggle back and forth between the two.
“Having copied the images of hotels and offices in the real world, those wearing the VR machine can hardly feel the difference in the virtual world,” said an official from SK Telecom. “In accordance with the commercial rollout of 5G, we will expand the service.”
According to SK Telecom, users can visit a restaurant and see a hotel room “virtually” via virtual reality goggles before making reservations. Reservations made in the virtual world would also be effective in the real world.
“Commercialization of 5G is speeding up technology integration, highlighting the importance of cooperation at the global level,” SK Telecom said. “As only a few companies have shown 5G solutions for the commercial market, we expect global telecom and ICT companies to show interest in partnerships with SK Telecom.”
The two Korean telcos will also show a system for “smart factories” connected by a 5G network. By processing enormous volumes of data at hyper speed, the system can reduce the amount of defected products and the risk of safety accidents, they said.
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Korea’s third-biggest mobile carrier, LG Uplus, will push for strategic partnerships with global telecom firms, handset makers and media companies during this year’s MWC. It revealed a service that allows consumers to enjoy sports events and music performances with advanced quality. The company said the hyper-speed network allows users to watch footage with minimum latency.
The #3 South Korean mobile carrier will present remote-controlled robots, smart drones, smart CCTV and a block chain payment service for businesses. Visitors can, moreover, enjoy baseball, golf and K-pop, as well as AR, VR and hologram content based on 5G. CEO Ha Hyun-hoi plans to meet with senior officials of major mobile operators, including Verizon, T-Mobile and Vodafone, to discuss 5G strategy and fresh business opportunities, LG Uplus said.
“LG Uplus’ 5G technologies and services will illustrate how the advanced cellular technology can change everyday lives in a better way,” the company said in a release. LG Uplus, which provides Netflix videos on its set-top boxes, expressed a hope to form partnerships with major media players to provide AR, VR, AI and Internet of Things services in connection with 5G.
LG Uplus is teaming up with LG Electronics Inc. to unveil the latter’s first 5G smartphone, V50 ThinQ, on the eve of MWC.
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Among the MWC conference sessions we’re interested in are:
Unlocking the benefits of 5G for the Enterprise Market
What’s Keeping Operator CTOs up at Night?
5G Summit 2019 — Embracing 5G Era (ZTE)
Huawei Product & Solution Launch: 5G is On
The Internet of the Skies – Connecting Drones
China Unicom MEC Edge-Cloud Commercial Acceleration Plan
Aligning 5G Technology and Policy
Cloud without Limits (VMware)
Smart Buildings & 5G: The Use Case
First 5G tele-mentored Live Surgery!
5G Cities: Connecting People, Here, There and Everywhere
IoT Debate: LPWA Let’s get to ready to RUMBLE
References:
http://www.theinvestor.co.kr/view.php?ud=20190224000155
http://koreabizwire.com/s-korean-tech-telecom-firms-to-present-5g-future-at-mwc/133090
https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/conference-programmes/agenda/#day=7808
AT&T to shut down 3G network in 2022; Verizon at end of 2019
AT&T will shut down its 3G network in early 2022 as the company shifts its focus to 5G implementation (?) and compatible 4G LTE networks. Research firm Ovum estimates that the number of devices using 3G exceeds 85 million, while AT&T reports that 3G was still the choice for 11% of the company’s postpaid users last year.
AT&T’s decision to shutter 3G, disclosed in a Wednesday regulatory filing, follows rival Verizon Communications’s warning that it will disconnect 3G cellphones at the end of this year. Verizon said in a recent filing it is “aggressively refarming 3G bands” for 4G but still needs more spectrum to keep up with its users’ demands. Verizon executive Ronan Dunne told investors at a Thursday meeting that its 5G service will reach 30 cities this year. AT&T’s 5G service touched parts of 12 cities at the end of 2018, with nationwide service expected in 2020.
The demise of 3G in the U.S. has been all but certain after cellphone carriers spent billions of dollars over the past decade to blanket the country with 4G service. That standard, also known as long-term evolution, or LTE, allows users to download data 10 times as fast as its predecessor and has paved the way for many smartphone apps that require ample mobile bandwidth.
Winding down obsolete versions is a habit for telecom companies. In the 1990s they pushed analog cellphone users to the first digital standards, and later persuaded 2G users to upgrade to one of several wireless technologies with the 3G label.
The companies are driven by necessity. Cellphone users with unlimited data plans stream more video on the go, testing the limits of what service providers can handle. Getting customers off 3G allows carriers to free up wireless frequencies for 4G signals over broader swaths of the radio spectrum.
Early 3G phones kicked off the smartphone era by giving customers a reason to use their devices for more than just talking and texting. Apple Inc.’s cellphone sales took off after it launched the iPhone 3G.
AT&T said 11% of its postpaid customers were using 3G service at the end of 2018. More than 85 million devices use 3G, according to research firm Ovum. They include smartphones, tablets and devices like vehicle-location trackers. The coming changes could also affect users of prepaid cellphone brands like TracFone that use other companies’ networks.
Telecom executives are already shifting their attention to the latest group of engineering standards known as 5G, which are expected to make video streaming and downloads even quicker. The specifications also support many more connections at once, allowing carriers to go after more types of gadgets.
The end of 4G LTE service, if it comes, is years away. ITU-R [1] and ITU-T haven’t finished writing 5G standards, and telecom companies say it will take years to make 5G commonplace. Companies are less motivated to kill 4G service because it can work in tandem with 5G, unlike previous generations that forced carriers to devote a band of wireless spectrum to one technology.
Note 1. An AT&T representative chairs ITU-R WP 5D which is responsible for the IMT 2020 (official 5G) standard. Another AT&T rep chairs the WP 5D SWG on Radio Aspects within the Technology WG. Hence, AT&T has tremendous influence and impact on IMT 2020 yet it’s marketing communications department falsely claims the company has deployed “standards based” mobile 5G.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-t-gives-3g-service-three-years-to-live-11550765221
Have a 3G phone? Here’s why it’s time to start thinking about upgrading
AT&T to shut down 3G network in 2022; Verizon at end of 2019
AT&T will shut down its 3G network in early 2022 as the company shifts its focus to 5G implementation (?) and compatible 4G LTE networks. Research firm Ovum estimates that the number of devices using 3G exceeds 85 million, while AT&T reports that 3G was still the choice for 11% of the company’s postpaid users last year.
AT&T’s decision to shutter 3G, disclosed in a Wednesday regulatory filing, follows rival Verizon Communications’s warning that it will disconnect 3G cellphones at the end of this year. Verizon said in a recent filing it is “aggressively refarming 3G bands” for 4G but still needs more spectrum to keep up with its users’ demands. Verizon executive Ronan Dunne told investors at a Thursday meeting that its 5G service will reach 30 cities this year. AT&T’s 5G service touched parts of 12 cities at the end of 2018, with nationwide service expected in 2020.
The demise of 3G in the U.S. has been all but certain after cellphone carriers spent billions of dollars over the past decade to blanket the country with 4G service. That standard, also known as long-term evolution, or LTE, allows users to download data 10 times as fast as its predecessor and has paved the way for many smartphone apps that require ample mobile bandwidth.
Winding down obsolete versions is a habit for telecom companies. In the 1990s they pushed analog cellphone users to the first digital standards, and later persuaded 2G users to upgrade to one of several wireless technologies with the 3G label.
The companies are driven by necessity. Cellphone users with unlimited data plans stream more video on the go, testing the limits of what service providers can handle. Getting customers off 3G allows carriers to free up wireless frequencies for 4G signals over broader swaths of the radio spectrum.
Early 3G phones kicked off the smartphone era by giving customers a reason to use their devices for more than just talking and texting. Apple Inc.’s cellphone sales took off after it launched the iPhone 3G.
AT&T said 11% of its postpaid customers were using 3G service at the end of 2018. More than 85 million devices use 3G, according to research firm Ovum. They include smartphones, tablets and devices like vehicle-location trackers. The coming changes could also affect users of prepaid cellphone brands like TracFone that use other companies’ networks.
Telecom executives are already shifting their attention to the latest group of engineering standards known as 5G, which are expected to make video streaming and downloads even quicker. The specifications also support many more connections at once, allowing carriers to go after more types of gadgets.
The end of 4G LTE service, if it comes, is years away. ITU-R [1] and ITU-T haven’t finished writing 5G standards, and telecom companies say it will take years to make 5G commonplace. Companies are less motivated to kill 4G service because it can work in tandem with 5G, unlike previous generations that forced carriers to devote a band of wireless spectrum to one technology.
Note 1. An AT&T representative chairs ITU-R WP 5D which is responsible for the IMT 2020 (official 5G) standard. Another AT&T rep chairs the WP 5D SWG on Radio Aspects within the Technology WG. Hence, AT&T has tremendous influence and impact on IMT 2020 yet it’s marketing communications department falsely claims the company has deployed “standards based” mobile 5G.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-t-gives-3g-service-three-years-to-live-11550765221
Have a 3G phone? Here’s why it’s time to start thinking about upgrading
Gartner: Enterprise Network Service Prices Continue to Decline
Prices for enterprise fixed and mobile network services around the globe have declined from 2017 through 2018 by up to 20%, with further declines expected through 2019. Highlights:
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Since 2012, overall network service prices in the developed world have declined by 5% to 20% annually, depending on the specific service and geography, but enterprises often fail to achieve the full potential savings.
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Prices for nonstandard or legacy network services see little decrease or even increases.
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Although network technology improvements can reduce an operator’s cost of delivering service, network service providers (NSPs) will only pass on savings to customers when they’re pressured to do so.
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By 2020, 10 Mbps Ethernet access to Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) or internet services will be priced lower than T1 or E1 access to the same services, from a premium of up to 1.5 times today’s T1/E1 price.
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By 2020, MPLS pricing in mature markets will equalize with business-grade internet services, down from the 10% to 20% premium in 2018.
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By 2020, the cost of 5G enterprise cellular services will be priced at a premium of 10% or less above 4G cellular services.
There is considerable country-to-country variation within regions. The countries with a greater degree of competition (three or more viable choices for a service) have seen larger price decreases than countries that have little or no competition. We have noted with an asterisk (*) the regions in which there is either too little data or where large variations in pricing exist, negating any meaningful “average” price trend.
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The North American telecommunications market is very mature, with highly competitive conditions. Within all five service group categories, there are more than three providers. Since the competitive landscape has seen some consolidation, the only truly viable way for Gartner clients to take advantage of these conditions is to create a competitive RFP.
- T1 or any other TDM-based access to any network services should be treated as legacy and only used when no other access services are available. These prices are not changing, and Gartner predicts they could possibly increase in the near future as providers are eager to shed those amortized assets.
- The pricing of MPLS and direct internet access, over optical Ethernet access, continues to converge with internet access typically not more than 10% to 15% cheaper than MPLS, while Ethernet services remain significantly cheaper. Broadband internet access pricing is not decreasing significantly, although average speeds are continuing to increase, as are the number of providers in the market.
- SIP trunking is fully mature, and existing ISDN lines should be replaced with SIP as soon as the contractual opportunity arises.
- Cellular is a mature service, with 4G LTE the default network technology for most voice, messaging and data plans. While 3G network fallback still is available for areas of weak 4G coverage, providers do not differentiate service plans or prices for the two technologies. Data plan cost reductions primarily have occurred due to more competitive negotiated discounts from standard or rate card prices. Standards-based 5G technology providing higher data speeds, lower latency and the ability to support significantly higher cellular endpoint density than 4G LTE will begin commercial availability in 2020 and later.
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Avoid sourcing services that are not part of provider’s standard portfolio, even if this means accelerating the depreciation of nonstandard devices or losing some functionality of nonstandard configurations.
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Migrate away from legacy network services, even if it means replacing edge devices, while seeking improved pricing from the provider in return for adopting the current offerings.
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Ensure you are fully aware of any end-of-life announcements for network services you are using and aim to migrate away from such services.
Open Compute Project (OCP) Survey: 2018 non-Board OCP revenue hit $2.56B with YoY growth=120%
Since its inception, the Open Compute Project (OCP) has worked to drive innovation in and around the data center industry, bringing together thousands of engineers from nearly two hundred member organizations. The demands on the modern data center continue to expand with the growth of IoT, security and edge computing, as well as increasing energy consumption requirements.
IHS Markit interviewed OCP members, suppliers and service providers, as well as incorporated their own in-depth industry research to determine revenue by region and vertical worldwide, as well as update their forecast through 2022. In order to ascertain a more accurate assessment of true marketplace adoption, usage by OCP Board member companies Facebook, Goldman Sachs, Intel, Microsoft and Rackspace was excluded from this study.
Among the preliminary findings:
· 2017 actual non-board revenue was $1.16 billion, just shy of the original forecast of $1.18 billion
· 2018 non-board OCP revenue tops the 2017 forecast, reaching $2.56 billion, compared to a forecast of $1.84 billion, with year-over-year growth of 120%
· 2017 Non-Board OCP revenue actuals show increased market share, from .87% to .91%, while overall Market Value dropped from $137 billion to $127 billion
· 2022 non-board OCP revenue share is expected to climb to more than 5% by 2022, at $10.7 billion, with a CAGR of 56%
· Servers, Storage and Networking are the fastest projected growth categories, with PON a potential high-growth area. Markets are just forming for disaggregated cell tower equipment, but Telco spend is expected to surpass Hyperscalers by 2021.
· The Government sector actually passed financial institutions in non-board OCP spending in 2017, while automotive and manufacturing is expected to have the highest 5-year CAGR. Healthcare is in the early stages of OCP adoption.
· There were no large changes in the forecast for regional growth – America’s still dominate due to Hyperscalers and Financial, but also now driven by Telco.
· APAC will surpass EMEA by 2020 with a CAGR of 108%, compared to EMEA at 59%.
Furthermore, the drivers of adoption of OCP are growing more diverse – cost reduction and power efficiency are still the biggest reasons why, but the market is now realizing that feature flexibility and conformance to those specifications approved by OCP provide a measure of “comfort” to the market.
“We are pleased that the adoption momentum continues and accelerates, and we value the insight provided by the study regarding barriers, challenges and opportunities. We are committed to continued improvement in the entire ecosystem to support the future growth.” stated Rocky Bullock, CEO for the Open Compute Project Foundation.
“The market ecosystem for OCP-certified equipment continues to mature, with more diversity for increased choice and an expanded supply chain allowing more tier-two CSPs, telcos and enterprise consumers to participate. A notable difference from last year’s study was the shift from direct factory purchasing to suppliers with local support, as additional market segments increased adoption,” said Cliff Grossner, Ph.D., executive director research and analysis, cloud and data center research practice at IHS Markit, a global business information provider. “OCP equipment market drivers such as serviceability, disaggregation and the flexibility to add new features took on a greater importance this year, which typically happens when a market matures and more mainstream buyers deploy.”
OCP and IHS Markit will release the full results of the research at the Annual OCP Global Summit, to be held in San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, CA March 14 – 15, 2019. This will include an Executive Track at 1:00 PM Pacific on Day 1 featuring the details of the findings to be presented by Cliff Grossner, and Vlad Galabov, Principle Analyst for Data Center Compute at IHS Markit.
References:
https://www.opencompute.org/summit/global-summit
IHS Markit: Ciena tops the list of optical equipment vendors + Cignal AI’s OFC Preview
By Heidi Adams, executive director, network infrastructure, IHS Markit
Each year IHS Markit surveys service providers, in order to find out which companies they view as the leaders of the optical equipment market. The survey also explores their perceptions of vendors in key decision metrics, like pricing, total cost of ownership, technology innovation, research-and-development (R&D) investment, and product reliability.
Following are some of the key findings from this year’s survey:
Optical equipment vendor leaders:
In brand awareness, respondents perceive Ciena, Huawei, and Nokia as the overall leaders for optical transmission and switching equipment in 2018, with no change in the rankings from last year. These results are well aligned with positioning in the global optical network hardware market in the first three quarters of 2018, where Huawei, Ciena, and Nokia were ranked as the top three vendors by market share in this period.
Ciena was the most cited leader in optical DCI, with Huawei and Infinera tied for second place. Ciena also made significant strides this year in market perception for leadership in optical disaggregation, rising from third position in our 2017 survey to first-ranked position in 2018. Coriant (now Infinera), Huawei and Nokia all tied for second place.
Purchasing criteria:
IHS Markit survey respondents were also asked to identify the leaders in purchasing criteria, including pricing, technology innovation, product reliability, service and support and investment in research and development. The top three vendor selection criteria for optical equipment purchasing decisions in 2018 were, as follows:
- Product reliability
- Pricing
- Total cost of ownership
Ciena was the leader in 2018 for service provider perception of vendor leadership in product reliability, technology innovation, management software, and investment in research and development. Huawei topped the list for service provider perception of vendor leadership in pricing, total cost of ownership, solution breadth, and financial stability. Nokia was perceived as the leader in service and support for optical networks.
Optical Equipment Vendor Leadership Service Provider Survey – 2018
This survey explores how service providers evaluate and select optical transmission and switching equipment suppliers. It covers vendors installed and under evaluation and service provider opinions of vendors, including on key vendor selection criteria.
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Cignal AI on OFC 2019–
400ZR Steals the Show:
No single topic at OFC will command as much attention as 400ZR, which is based on fourth-generation coherent technology and an OIF standard for coherent short reach DCI applications. Product development is well underway with over a dozen component and equipment companies spending in excess of $300M in this effort. The market for short reach coherent extends well beyond the DCI needs of Microsoft and Google. Derivatives (known as ZR+ or ZR plus) are emerging which are designed to meet the broader needs of network operators everywhere. ZR is the first coherent technology that will be both standardized and pluggable, and the emergence of ZR products will shake up the optical equipment landscape. One major impact is that 10G WDM will become obsolete in its only remaining stronghold- the edge of the optical network. The greater question is what role standalone optical hardware will play in the network as the performance and interoperability of coherent pluggables improve. Expect a cascade of activity at OFC from component and equipment companies as they uncover their ZR plans and demonstrate the latest optical engines, and some bombshell announcements and partnerships from the leaders in this space – Inphi, Acacia, Ciena, Cisco, Huawei, Nokia, and NTT Electronics.
While fourth-generation 400G products have been announced at OFC already for the last two years, 2019 is the year that these products start deploying for revenue. Starting in early 2019, third generation solutions from Acacia (via multiple hardware vendors), Nokia, Huawei, Fujitsu, and Infinera will join Ciena in live network deployments. Now that 400G is deployed, there will be multiple roadmap announcements at OFC seeking to leapfrog 400G and propose the next generation of coherent optical speeds. 600G is a given, but there will be 800G and perhaps 1Tbps announcements as well. Components suppliers and equipment manufacturers will show roadmaps to higher speed sixthgeneration coherent optical components in preparation for a 2020 introduction.
We expect Infinera to disclose more detail on its ICE6 R&D efforts and would not be surprised to hear Ciena talk about a successor to the Wavelogic AI now that competitive products are arriving in the market.
Disaggregation Continues, with Many Definitions:
The disaggregation trend will continue to gain strength at OFC, but the definition will continue to change. Whereas the original concept was complete separation of switching transponders, ROADMs, and perhaps even components into separately manageable elements, now new solutions are starting to look more like traditional optical equipment. Compact modular systems, which are the most visible components of a disaggregation strategy, have moved from monolithic transponder or open line systems to more complex devices that can include switching and multiple functions in the same shelf. Some systems now even have modularity via cards (although they are called “sleds” rather than “cards”), making them look more like traditional systems in everything but physical dimensions. Several large operators are skeptical about disaggregation, while several others agree with the concept but consider current solutions too difficult to manage. Regardless, the industry-wide shift to disaggregation will accelerate as implementation becomes easier and better attuned to the needs of a wider variety of customers. General availability and customer announcements for 2019 are expected from several vendors, including ADVA, Cisco, Coriant, Fujitsu, and Nokia. In addition to the compact modular announcements,
Viavi: 55 Global 5G Deployments by Year-End; Deloitte on the Shift to 5G
Viavi’s 5G Forecast:
Fifty-five commercial 5G networks will be live by the end of the year, according to new 5G deployments research from Viavi Solutions. The eclectic firm (see About Viavi below) said that 13 fixed wireless and mobile 5G network were launched in 2018 and 42 more will be added this year. “The State of 5G Deployments” says that this is particularly impressive considering that the first deployments were not expected until 2020.
Viavi said that 21 5G deployments will be in Europe, 14 in the Middle East, 10 in Asia, eight in North America and two in Australasia.
“5G represents a paradigm shift in the way that networks are designed, deployed and managed, introducing inherent complexities in the architecture as well as exacting demands on performance and latency,” Sameh Yamany, Viavi’s Chief Technology Officer, said in a press release. “The anticipated improvements that 5G offers will depend on precise operation of multiple elements throughout the network.”
The momentum seems high. A year ago, only 28 service providers said they were in 5G field trials. The acceleration has occurred, Viavi notes, despite the lack of finalized standards from the 3GPP. Those are not expected until next year.
The lack of finalized standards would suggest some fluidity in Viavi’s findings. Simply, it’s difficult to conclusively say how many networks there are if it a precise definition of what that network consists of is not yet set.
It’s also worth noting that the usefulness of mobile 5G will be limited until the arrival of mobile devices. Indeed, the 5G handset market is shaping up to be more dramatic than the accelerating network build outs. In October, Strategy Analytics said that the high initial cost of 5G smartphones – which could retail for more than $1,000 – will require a return to the subsidy pricing model.
The emergence of 5G handsets also could roil the vendor landscape. Last November, Strategy Analytics said the dominance of Samsung and Apple could be challenged.
The complete State of 5G Deployments infographic is available here. The data was compiled from publicly available sources for information purposes only, as part of the VIAVI practice of tracking trends to enable cutting-edge technology development. The State of 5G Deployments serves as a companion document to the VIAVI Gigabit Monitor, a visual database of gigabit internet deployments worldwide.
About VIAVI:
VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions to communications service providers, enterprises, network equipment manufacturers, civil, government, military and avionics customers, supported by a worldwide channel community including VIAVI Velocity Partners. We deliver end-to-end visibility across physical, virtual and hybrid networks, enabling customers to optimize connectivity, quality of experience and profitability. VIAVI is also a leader in high performance thin film optical coatings, providing light management solutions to anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, automotive, defense and instrumentation markets. Learn more about VIAVI at www.viavisolutions.com. Follow us on VIAVI Perspectives, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
US Media Inquiries:
Sonus PR for VIAVI
Micah Warren
+1 (609) 247-6525
[email protected]
References:
https://www.telecompetitor.com/report-global-5g-deployments-to-number-55-by-year-end/
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Deloitte on The shift to 5G:
First-adopter countries embracing 5G could sustain more than a decade of competitive advantage. Unfortunately, an examination of how the United States compares internationally on investments critical to 5G deployment surfaces a concerning trend. It’s critical that this trend is immediately reversed to help promote US economic competitiveness.
Almost everyone agrees, 5G will generate new products and services— but how much of this value that will be captured by carriers is uncertain.
As another era of untapped economic potential emerges with the adoption of 5G technology—where the number of subscribers and the amount of information they can consume is no longer a limiting factor, but where an unlimited number of devices and applications can exchange, process, and synthesize massive amounts of data for our benefit—investment in upgrading the underlying communications infrastructure becomes even more critical.
But unless tangible steps are taken to help rebalance the private investment case for the upgrade with the demonstrated external benefits to other industries and the public good, the United States may risk losing the leadership it gained in the previous era. The negative consequences could take decades to overcome, and other countries are already making their moves. Policy makers, carriers, and industries with the most at stake should move now to streamline policies and processes and collaborate with ecosystem players to help create efficient solutions to investment barriers.
References:
China Mobile & Huawei deploy indoor 5G at Shanghai rail station
Guests at the launch event included: Zhang Jianming, Vice Chairman of Shanghai’s Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology; Wang Guannan, Deputy Division Chief of the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission; Bai Zhengguo, Station Master of the Shanghai Railway Station; Li Xuecheng, Deputy General Manager of China Mobile Shanghai; Peter Zhou, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Huawei’s Wireless Solution; Zang Binyu, Dean of the School of Software at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; and Xiao Yuhuo, General Manager of China Mobile Tietong Shanghai.
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“Hongqiao Railway Station is leading the 5G commercial deployment in Shanghai,” said Zhang Jianming, Vice Chairman of Shanghai’s Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology. “The 5G digital indoor system will deliver a new travel experience. Passengers will feel they are getting more out of their journey. The railway station will show how 5G applications can improve the user experience and offer real benefits to the public. It will help speed up digital transformation for all sectors across the digital economy.”
“Shanghai is committed to building a Dual-Gigaband City. We are now planning field tests and pre-commercial trials of the technology. Ultimately, we will deploy 5G base stations across the whole city, and lead 5G commercial use in China,” he said.
“With Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Huawei, we have set up platforms to bring together the industry, academia, and research institutes. Through more investment in new infrastructure including AI, industrial Internet, and IoT, we will revitalize this city and build a hi-tech, intelligent Shanghai.”
As 5G industrialization accelerates, Huawei is working with partners in many industries to develop the indoor 5G industry, and enable smart buildings, remote healthcare, and smart railways. The whole world is becoming more intelligent.
Within the 5G world, the functions of mobile Internet, big data, cloud computing, and smart devices are constantly integrating and transforming. 5G is more than a next-generation technology. It is key infrastructure for the future digital world. Just as 2G transformed voice services and 4G transformed mobile Internet, 5G is the engine that will transform the world.
This vision of the future led Huawei to invest consistently in 5G R&D from 2009 onwards, paving the way for its leadership of the industry today. Huawei’s technological leadership has made it the technology supplier of choice for more and more customers. As of mid-January 2019, Huawei has signed 30 5G contracts and has shipped more than 25,000 5G base stations. Huawei possesses 2,570 patents on 5G.
China Mobile & Huawei deploy indoor 5G at Shanghai rail station
Guests at the launch event included: Zhang Jianming, Vice Chairman of Shanghai’s Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology; Wang Guannan, Deputy Division Chief of the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission; Bai Zhengguo, Station Master of the Shanghai Railway Station; Li Xuecheng, Deputy General Manager of China Mobile Shanghai; Peter Zhou, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Huawei’s Wireless Solution; Zang Binyu, Dean of the School of Software at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; and Xiao Yuhuo, General Manager of China Mobile Tietong Shanghai.
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“Hongqiao Railway Station is leading the 5G commercial deployment in Shanghai,” said Zhang Jianming, Vice Chairman of Shanghai’s Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology. “The 5G digital indoor system will deliver a new travel experience. Passengers will feel they are getting more out of their journey. The railway station will show how 5G applications can improve the user experience and offer real benefits to the public. It will help speed up digital transformation for all sectors across the digital economy.”
“Shanghai is committed to building a Dual-Gigaband City. We are now planning field tests and pre-commercial trials of the technology. Ultimately, we will deploy 5G base stations across the whole city, and lead 5G commercial use in China,” he said.
“With Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Huawei, we have set up platforms to bring together the industry, academia, and research institutes. Through more investment in new infrastructure including AI, industrial Internet, and IoT, we will revitalize this city and build a hi-tech, intelligent Shanghai.”
As 5G industrialization accelerates, Huawei is working with partners in many industries to develop the indoor 5G industry, and enable smart buildings, remote healthcare, and smart railways. The whole world is becoming more intelligent.
Within the 5G world, the functions of mobile Internet, big data, cloud computing, and smart devices are constantly integrating and transforming. 5G is more than a next-generation technology. It is key infrastructure for the future digital world. Just as 2G transformed voice services and 4G transformed mobile Internet, 5G is the engine that will transform the world.
This vision of the future led Huawei to invest consistently in 5G R&D from 2009 onwards, paving the way for its leadership of the industry today. Huawei’s technological leadership has made it the technology supplier of choice for more and more customers. As of mid-January 2019, Huawei has signed 30 5G contracts and has shipped more than 25,000 5G base stations. Huawei possesses 2,570 patents on 5G.
VSG’s U.S. Carrier Ethernet LEADERBOARD: CenturyLink #1, AT&T #2; U.S. CE port base grew >12%
Vertical Systems Group (VSG) announced that six companies achieved a position on its 2018 U.S. Carrier Ethernet (CE) LEADERBOARD (in rank order based on year-end 2018 retail port share): CenturyLink, AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum Enterprise, Comcast and Windstream. CenturyLink powered its way to the top spot in the year-end 2017 leaderboard after its acquisition of Level 3 Communications. AT&T led the U.S. Carrier Ethernet ranking from 2005-2016. Cox dropped out of the leaderboard and into VSG’s challenge tier on slower-than-market port growth.
To qualify for a rank on this 2018 LEADERBOARD, network providers must have 4% or more of the U.S. Ethernet services market. Shares are measured based on the number of billable retail customer ports in service as tracked by Vertical Systems Group.
“Despite its relative maturity, the Ethernet market continues to expand at a healthy pace. U.S. port installations grew more than twelve percent in 2018, in line with our forecasts,” said Rick Malone, principal of Vertical Systems Group. “However, revenue growth is not keeping pace with port growth due to falling prices and changing service mixes. One notable catalyst is the deployment of SD-WAN, which is resulting in customers shifting from switched Ethernet services to dedicated Internet access.”
Highlights of Vertical’s year-end 2018 U.S. Ethernet market share analysis:
- U.S. retail Ethernet customer installations grew to more than 1.1 million ports, up 12 percent from year-end 2017.
- Six Ethernet providers qualify for the 2018 LEADERBOARD, as compared to seven in 2017 and nine in 2016.
- Cox dropped out of the LEADERBOARD and into the Challenge Tier on slower than market port growth.
- Four Incumbent Carriers (CenturyLink, AT&T, Verizon, Windstream) and two Cable MSOs (Spectrum Enterprise, Comcast) are represented on the latest LEADERBOARD.
- The two Cable MSOs (Spectrum Enterprise and Comcast) had the highest port growth in the second half of 2018.
- Ethernet pricing declined in 2018 across all port speeds for the six service types tracked by Vertical (i.e., EPL, EVPL, DIA, Access to VPN, Switched Metro and VPLS).
- Each of the 2018 U.S. LEADERBOARD companies has received MEF CE 2.0 certification.
In addition to the LEADERBOARD providers, all other companies selling Ethernet services in the U.S. are segmented into two tiers as measured by port share.
The Challenge Tier includes providers with between 1% and 4% share of the U.S. retail Ethernet market. For year-end 2018, the following seven companies attained a position in the Challenge Tier (in alphabetical order): Altice USA, Cogent, Cox, Frontier, GTT, Sprint and Zayo.
The Market Player tier includes all providers with port share below 1%. Companies in the Market Player tier include the following providers (in alphabetical order): Alaska Communications, American Telesis, Atlantic Broadband, BT Global Services, Cincinnati Bell, Consolidated Communications, Crown Castle Fiber, DQE Communications, Expedient, FiberLight, FirstLight, Fusion, Global Cloud Xchange, Great Plains Communications, Logix Fiber Networks, LS Networks, Masergy, Midco, NTT America, Orange Business, RCN Business, Segra, Tata, TDS Telecom, Telstra, TPx, Unite Private Networks, US Signal, WOW!Business and other companies selling retail Ethernet services in the U.S. market.
Detailed Ethernet share results that power the Year-End 2018 Carrier Ethernet LEADERBOARD are available now exclusively through Vertical Systems Group’s ENS Research Program subscribers of @Ethernet. Contact us for subscription information and pricing.
Here’s VSG Mid year 2018 Global Carrier Ethernet LEADERBOARD:
