June 2022 Ericsson Mobility Report: 5G subscriptions increased by 70 million in Q1-2022 to reach 620 million
Ericsson new Mobility Report [1.] states that mobile network data traffic grew 10% between the 4th quarter of 2021 and the 1st quarter of 2022. For the year-over-year comparison, growth reached 40%. “In absolute numbers, this means that it has doubled in just two years (since Q1 2020),” the company wrote in its Mobility Report, released June 20th. “Over the long term, traffic growth is driven by both the rising number of smartphone subscriptions and an increasing average data volume per subscription, fueled primarily by increased viewing of video content,” the company added.
The figures are important considering that mobile network operators are rushing to add new spectrum to their networks while upgrading their networks to support 5G, especially 5G SA Core Network. Purchasing both spectrum and 5G equipment is expensive. In the US, for example, mobile network operators are collectively spending an estimated $275 billion to improve their networks with more spectrum, cell sites and 5G.
Note 1. The Ericsson Mobility Report started in 2011, when Ericsson decided to share data and insights openly to all those interested in understanding our industry’s development. Since then, the report and featured articles have seen a continuous evolution and an expanding scope.
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Speaking during a webinar to discuss the report’s findings, Richard Möller, senior market analyst at Ericsson, noted that the number of 5G subscribers worldwide had been expected to reach 660 million by the end of 2021. It now seems that the figure was less than forecast: Ericsson is now saying that 5G subscriptions increased by 70 million in Q1 2022 to reach 620 million. The 40 million shortfall is due to changes in how China’s mobile operators are reporting their 5G subscriber figures. Indeed, it has become noticeable over the past year that the Chinese operators are starting to split out “5G package customers” from actual 5G network customers.
“Now we have official numbers and we’ve adjusted our estimates accordingly,” Möller said. “China is early and so large that it affects the global number.” He noted that this adjustment does not “materially affect” the five-year growth forecast. Ericsson is therefore sticking to its estimate of 4.4 billion 5G subscribers by the end of 2027, meaning that 5G will account for almost half of all mobile subscriptions by that point. 5G subscriber growth is expected to accelerate in 2022, reaching around one billion subscribers by the end of the year. The report noted that North America and North East Asia currently have the highest 5G subscription penetration, followed by the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Western Europe. In 2027, it is projected that North America will have the highest 5G penetration at 90%. In India, where 5G deployments have yet to begin, 5G is expected to account for nearly 40% of all subscriptions by 2027.
At the same time, Möller warned that the war in Ukraine, supply chain constraints and rising inflation will affect future growth. “That’s made us take 100 million subscriptions off the current forecast. However, history has shown that mobile telephony is one of the things that people hang on to … even if the economic world turns negative,” he said.
The report’s executive editor Peter Jonsson said the current uncertainties mean that Ericsson has to be especially careful with its forecasts. However, he reiterated the point that global 5G uptake “is about two years ahead of 4G” on a comparative basis. In addition, 5G rollout “reached 25% of the world’s population about 18 months faster than 4G.”
Global mobile network data traffic and year-over-year growth:
According to Ericsson, mobile subscribers are making use of the additional network capacity and faster speeds provided by those investments. The company said that, globally, the average smartphone user is expected to consume 15GB per month in 2022. Indeed, the 5G share of mobile data traffic is growing, but not as fast as FWA (3G/4G/5G). Continued strong smartphone adoption and video consumption are driving up mobile data traffic, with 5G accounting for around 10 percent of the total in 2021.
In North America, the company estimated that average monthly mobile data usage per smartphone could reach as high as 52GB in 2027. “The data traffic generated per minute of use will increase significantly in line with the expected uptake of new XR and video-based apps,” the company wrote. “This is due to higher video resolutions, increased uplink traffic, and more data from devices off-loaded to cloud compute resources.”
Also, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) in on the rise as per this graphic:
Over 100 million FWA connections in 2022:
More than 75 percent of service providers surveyed in over 100 countries are offering fixed wireless access (FWA) services. Around 20 percent of these service providers apply differential pricing with speed-based tariff plans.
OpenVault, another vendor that tracks data traffic on wired networks in North America, recently reported similar findings. According to OpenVault, the average wired Internet customer consumed a total of 536.3GB in the fourth quarter of 2021, an increase of 165% over the firm’s findings from the fourth quarter of 2017, when consumption was 202.6GB.
Taken together, the companies’ findings paint a picture of a dramatic expansion in data demand on wired and wireless networks in North America and globally. Indeed, such increases have already sparked unprecedented demand in vendors’ networking equipment to keep pace with demands. Further, such demand has already withstood several price increases among many leading vendors.
The situation reflects the importance of telecom networks globally following a pandemic that pushed many to work and school remotely from home. And in response to the situation, governments globally have begun pushing network operators to construct networks in underserved areas, and to Internet users themselves who may struggle to afford such connections.
References:
https://www.ericsson.com/en/reports-and-papers/mobility-report
https://www.lightreading.com/5g/china-effect-dampens-interim-5g-subs-says-ericsson/d/d-id/778394?
https://www.ctia.org/the-wireless-industry/the-5g-economy
Will 2022 be the year for 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) or a conundrum for telcos?
https://viodi.com/2020/05/05/openvault-broadband-usage-47-in-q1-2020-power-users-are-the-new-normal/
OpenRoaming Enables Dublin’s Smart City Vision with Seamless, Secure, High-Performance Wi-Fi
The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) and City of Dublin today announced a successful proof-of-concept trial of Open Roaming™ in Dublin, Ireland. Initially deployed at Bernardo Square, Dame Street and the City Council’s Amphitheatre, WBA Open Roaming enables residents and visitors to log- in only once and then maintain seamless connectivity as their smartphones, tablets and other Wi-Fi devices automatically switch between different public Wi-Fi hotspots. The success of the trial will pave the way for a larger city-wide deployment.
Dublin is a high growth city. It currently has a population in the Greater Dublin Area of around 2.02 million and is anticipated to grow to 2.2 million by 2031. It houses 30% of the country’s working population and attracts over 6.6 million overseas visitors a year. It is anticipated that OpenRoaming will be initially rolled out on over 150 AP’s across Dublin city.
Dublin’s WiFi rollout is part of its digital transformation project
Now available at over 1 million hotspots worldwide, WBA OpenRoaming frees users from the need to constantly re-register or re-enter log-in credentials — all while maintaining enterprise-grade security and privacy. The WBA OpenRoaming standard also enables enterprises, device OEMs, service providers and others to provide performance guarantees and — with Wi-Fi 6 and 6E— a carrier-grade experience as users roam between different public Wi-Fi venues.
The trial, initiated by Dublin City Council’s Smart Dublin programme and supported by the WBA and Virgin Media, also involved participation from CommScope and represents a key a milestone toward achieving Dublin’s smart city goals, which include:
- Providing communities, residents and businesses with seamless access to services online, as well as high-quality connectivity
- Giving tourists and other visitors free, secure, high-performance Wi-Fi access. Once they arrive and log on to an OpenRoaming-enabled hotspot, their device is automatically authenticated for use every time it switches to another OpenRoaming-enabled hotspot. This convenience makes it easier for them to find what they need, such as restaurant recommendations, transit schedules, directions and more.
- This seamless, secure experience ensures that they have the broadband connectivity they need for interactive immersive learning, research, hybrid study and more.
The success of the trial, initiated by Dublin City Council’s Smart Dublin program and supported by the WBA and Virgin Media, will pave the way for a larger city-wide deployment.
Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance, said: “Wi-Fi is the foundation for smart cities. This successful proof-of-concept trial shows that that the City of Dublin and its residents, businesses and visitors all can depend on the WBA OpenRoaming standard to ensure that they always have convenient access to seamless, secure, carrier-grade Wi-Fi connectivity.”
Jamie Cudden, Smart City Lead, for the City of Dublin, said: “Dublin is at the forefront of a digital transformation that is serving as a model for other municipalities across Ireland and the world. Collaborations like this are key to the delivery of convenient, reliable and ubiquitous connectivity which is critical for achieving our smart city goals such as closing the digital divide and ensuring that government is responsive to the needs of citizens and businesses. This successful trial of WBA OpenRoaming is a milestone toward achieving all those goals.”
Bart Giordano, SVP Ruckus Networks, CommScope, said: “”As a founding partner in the OpenRoaming framework, we are pleased to announce with the WBA the successful launch of the OpenRoaming initiative and network for the City of Dublin. OpenRoaming brings the promise of seamless and secure connectivity to users and IoT devices all over the world. The core elements of OpenRoaming are in line with those of the Ruckus Network portfolio: cloud federation, cybersecurity, policy and automation. We look forward to expanding the City of Dublin’s network and capabilities and supporting OpenRoaming deployments worldwide. “
Aidan Darcy, VP Business & Wholesale at Virgin Media Ireland said: “It’s fantastic to be working with Dublin City Council on such an important initiative. Given the fact that we are the official provider of both the Wi-Fi and broadband infrastructure, we are able to offer cutting-edge broadband speeds and an exceptional Wi-Fi experience for residents and tourists availing of the new Dublin City Wi-Fi Zones. We’re passionate about connecting communities and, with this new initiative, we really feel we’ll be creating connections for good.”
Launched in May 2020, WBA OpenRoaming is now in Release 3, which will make the business and commercial aspects of roaming easier than ever before and importantly, cut back on hundreds of hours of legal and administrative time when establishing roaming settlement agreements.
World Wi-Fi Day – 20th June 2022:
This announcement comes just before World Wi-Fi Day (an annual WBA initiative), a global platform to recognize and celebrate the significant role Wi-Fi is playing in getting cities and communities around the world connected.
It is a unique opportunity to reflect on how we can reduce digital poverty through innovative projects that will connect the unconnected.
About the Wireless Broadband Alliance:
Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) is the global organization that connects people with the latest Wi-Fi initiatives. Founded in 2003, the vision of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) is to drive seamless, interoperable service experiences via Wi-Fi within the global wireless ecosystem. WBA’s mission is to enable collaboration between service providers, technology companies, cities, regulators and organizations to achieve that vision. WBA’s membership is comprised of major operators, identity providers and leading technology companies across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision.
WBA undertakes programs and activities to address business and technical issues, as well as opportunities, for member companies. WBA work areas include standards development, industry guidelines, trials, certification and advocacy. Its key programs include NextGen Wi-Fi, Open Roaming, 5G, IoT, Testing & Interoperability and Policy & Regulatory Affairs, with member-led Work Groups dedicated to resolving standards and technical issues to promote end-to-end services and accelerate business opportunities.
The WBA Board includes Airties, AT&T, Boingo Wireless, Broadcom, BT, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Deutsche Telekom AG, Google, Intel and Viasat. For the complete list of current WBA members, click here.
References:
https://www.realwire.com/releases/WBA-OpenRoaming-Enables-Dublins-Smart-City-Vision
Bouygues Telecom picks Ericsson for cloud native 5G SA core network
France’s Bouygues Telecom is setting the stage for the next phase of its 5G rollout by announcing that Ericsson will be supplying its 5G standalone (5G SA) core network. The strategic partnership between the companies will see the deployment of the cloud-native Ericsson Dual Mode 5G Core.
The French network operator indicated that it will launch 5G SA services in 2023, including solutions supported by 5G network slicing which requires a 5G SA network. Network slicing is a process whereby the amount of network connectivity needed for a task will be secured via a guaranteed ‘slice’ of the network – to help facilitate the broad range of expected use cases as the digitalization of France.
Sectors likely to benefit from the Ericsson-Bouygues Telecom Strategic Partnership include industry, logistics, smart transport, events and healthcare.
Bouygues Telecom’s 5G Standalone connectivity will also use network slicing – a process whereby the amount of network connectivity needed for a task will be secured via a guaranteed ‘slice’ of the network – to help facilitate the broad range of expected use cases as the digitalization of France, and the move to the fourth industrial revolution (4IE), accelerates.
Standalone 5G will also be central to use cases involving artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and automation. Sectors likely to benefit from the Ericsson-Bouygues Telecom Strategic Partnership include industry, logistics, smart transport, events and healthcare. Services resulting from the end-to-end 5G network strategic partnership are expected to be available from early 2023.
Network automation: 5G Core networks must be automated. Automation is required to handle the magnitude of tailor-made services and network slices that will be introduced with 5G. To manually or semi-automate all parts of the network is not feasible if SLAs are to be sustained. To keep up with latest software releases, it’s imperative to have a CI/CD mindset. The faster the latest network capabilities can be introduced, the faster new differentiating services can be rolled out and monetized.
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Ericsson already provides radio access network (RAN) equipment to Bouygues Telecom. The operator had previously worked with Huawei, but was forced to explore alternative options after the nation’s government effectively banned Huawei from participating in 5G networks after 2028.
Rival operator Orange has already chosen its 5G standalone suppliers in Europe, plumping for Ericsson’s core network in Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg and Poland, and Nokia’s equivalent offering in France and Slovakia.
Iliad’s Free has selected Nokia for its 5G networks in France and Italy. (See Ericsson, Nokia at front of queue for Orange 5G contracts.)
France has not explicitly banned the use of equipment from China-based vendors such as Huawei in 5G networks.
ANSSI, France’s cybersecurity agency, set a very high bar for license authorizations in 5G and previously indicated it will not renew Huawei’s equipment licenses once they run their course.
This decision has posed a logistical and financial challenge to both Bouygues Telecom and rival SFR (Altice France), which have been heavily reliant on Huawei equipment in the past. Indeed, the operators were using Huawei equipment across about half their mobile footprint, according to data provided in 2020 by Strand Consult, a wireless telecom consulting group headed up by colleague John Strand.
In 2021, Bouygues Telecom and SFR began stripping out Huawei equipment from their networks, after unsuccessful legal efforts to challenge France’s stricter security policy for future 5G networks. Bouygues Telecom has said it would have to remove 3,000 Huawei antennas by 2028 in areas with very high population density and that it was prohibited from using Huawei antennas for 5G in Strasbourg, Brest, Toulouse and Rennes.
In a rather curious twist, French newspaper L’Express reported last year that Free filed a case at the Paris Administrative Court against permits given to Bouygues Telecom and SFR to use Huawei 5G antennas. Free claimed that its own request to ANSSI for clearance to use Huawei products was rejected, but Bouygues Telecom and SFR were given the greenlight, which it argued gave its two rivals an unfair advantage.
It seems that it’s not entirely clear the extent to which France’s operators might continue to use Huawei equipment in less sensitive parts of the networks in the coming years.
Meanwhile, Free is leading the charge when it comes to the deployment of 5G-enabled base stations in France. According to the latest update from Arcep, Free has over 14,400 sites compared to Bouygues Telecom’s 7,132; SFR’s 5,721; and Orange’s 3,491. Free’s sites are all in the 700Mhz/800MHz bands.
References:
https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/2022/6/end-to-end-ericsson-sa-5g-for-bouygues-telecom
https://www.lightreading.com/5g/bouygues-telecom-picks-ericsson-as-core-5g-buddy/d/d-id/778363?
Summary of ITU-R Workshop on “IMT for 2030 and beyond” (aka “6G”)
ITU-R Working Party 5D (WP 5D) held a full-day Workshop on “IMT for 2030 and beyond” on June 14th with total 348 participants in a hybrid physical and remote/virtual participants arrangement (91 physically present in Geneva, Switzerland and 257 connected remotely).
The objective of the Workshop was to provide WP 5D delegates with an overview of ongoing worldwide research activities, initiatives, and views related to future mobile communications targeting 2030 and beyond. This Workshop is also of value to WP 5D in the development of a new Recommendation addressing IMT for 2030 and beyond.
Various organizations presented their work and/or views on the future development of mobile communication systems beyond IMT-2020, targeting year 2030 and beyond. These are summarized below. In particular, the following topics were addressed:
– Trends of IMT for 2030 and beyond, such as application, technology and spectrum aspects;
– Views on the future role of IMT in serving users and the society;
– Usage scenarios for IMT for 2030 and beyond;
– Capabilities of IMT for 2030 and beyond.
All the presentations made during the Workshop can be found on the ITU-R WP 5D website (1st reference below). Strong interests and visions towards IMT for 2030 and beyond were demonstrated by the presenters. Additionally, some items were recognized as useful in further discussion in the work in WP 5D on the draft new recommendation such as scope of Vision (terrestrial, non-terrestrial and/or fixed wireless), definition of AI for IMT Vision, usage scenarios & capabilities, and restructuring of a working document.
FIGURE 1. Keywords in the presentations and mapping with [IMT.vision 2030 AND Beyond] sections
Key messages from the workshop presenters:
European 6G Flagship from Hexa-X:
Hexa-X is the European flagship research initiative to develop the foundation and contribute to industry consensus leading to 6G. The Hexa-X vision is to connect human, physical and digital worlds with a fabric of 6G key enablers. Key values include sustainability, inclusion and trustworthiness. Sub-THz is being explored as a potential complement to the low, mid, and mmWave bands to optimize wireless link characteristics for both communication and potentially sensing, and cooperatively provide for the full set of service requirements. Possible usage of spectrum in 7-24 GHz range for mobile communications.
One6G from One6G Association:
Building on the apparent consensus in the wide community about 6G features, use cases, requirements and key enabling technologies, 6G research should go a step further and also focus on certain architectural aspects that can handle complexity stemming from the expected diversity of access types (6G radio, Terahertz, Non-terrestrial Networks), use cases and requirements. In particular, the role of mesh-networking, flat network architectures, multi-path communication should be emphasized and considered from the beginning, as these are capable both of coping with highly-variable and range-limited nature of THz links and of making effective use of user plane resources when realizing the complex use cases. A holistic approach to the network architecture, integrating all diverse subsystems into a coherent system, naturally follows from this as another important aspect.
– IMT towards 2030 and beyond from NextG Alliance:
Next G Alliance described six pillars (“Audacious Goals”) that will lead to success for IMT-2030. In order guide the path to this success, the Vision for IMT-2030 should focus on multiple layers of development to include societal needs, applications and markets, and technology development:
• Trust, Security, and Resilience such that systems resilient, secure, privacy preserving, safe, reliable, and available under all circumstances.
• An enhanced Digital World Experience consists of multi-sensory experiences that will transform work, education, and entertainment, thereby improving quality of life.
• Efficient Deployment needs to span all aspects of the architecture and must be improved for delivering services in a variety of environments, including urban, rural, and suburban.
• Distributed Cloud and Communications Systems built on virtualization technologies will increase flexibility, performance, and resiliency for key use cases such as mixed reality, URLLC applications, interactive gaming, and multi-sensory applications.
• An AI-Native Network is needed to increase the robustness, performance, and efficiencies of wireless and cloud technologies against more diverse traffic types, ultra-dense deployment topologies, and more challenging spectrum situations.
• Sustainability related to energy efficiency and the environment must be at the forefront of decisions throughout the life cycle, toward a goal of achieving IMT carbon neutral. Advances will fundamentally change how electricity is used to support next-generation communications and computer networks, while strengthening the role that information technology plays in protecting the environment.
– Vision for “IMT 2030 and beyond” from WWRF:
WWRF envisions sustainable, intelligent and affordable wireless connectivity for all for 2030 and beyond. First step towards the realisation of this vision is the requirements specification for a number of critical IMT 2030 USAGE SCENARIOS, namely
• Global Connectivity, Immersive Connectivity, Intelligent Connectivity, and Internet of Senses
Key technology enablers such as THz communications, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces, AI/ML and Joint Communications and Sensing will catalyse IMT2030 vision. Suitable qualitative and quantitative specification of IMT 2030 Key Performance Indicators for
• Sustainability/inclusion/energy efficiency
• Reconfigurability, immersive intelligence and agility
• Artificial and sensing intelligence (localization accuracy, sensing resolution, shape recognition, user tracking, gesture identification etc)
• Social KPIs, Key Value Indicators (KVIs)
will ensure solutions, tailored to the needs people in different geographic areas and a potentially large dynamic range of real world problems, with emphasis on
• under-connected regions
• increasing longer-lasting, recyclable and re-usable equipment and reducing reliance on scarce commodities
• educating and informing consumers, giving them back control (Privacy, RF safety and other issues)
– Use cases from user and system perspectives from 6G Innovation Centre at the Univ. of Surrey:
IMT2030 should be based on an open and tightly integrated 3D-Network of space and terrestrial Networks.
As 5G brought about low and guaranteed latency into telecom, IMT 2030 (6G) should bring capability for guaranteed time synchronisation.
Integration of sensing into communications and time synchronisation will enable new and smarter applications for interactive and multiparty connectivity within and between virtual and physical worlds. It will enable teleportation.
Sub-THz should be used for real time radio imaging, sub-cm and real time geolocation accuracy.
The 3D network will address important problem of ubiquitous coverage and Intelligent surfaces simultaneously solves the coverage and energy efficiency problems in build up environments.
– 6G: Building metaverse-ready mobile networks from Academic group of British Universities:
The metaverse and cyber physical continuum will allow fundamentally new use cases around digital twins and new immersive experiences. If we manage to fully map the physical world into a new digital world, autonomous machines will be able to effectively support our lives through immersive XR experiences for example, decision making will become more effective, less energy will be consumed, predictive maintenance in manufacturing for enhance productivity will be realised, and enhanced security will ensure that the evolving attack surfaces will be secured. Social inclusion, removal of inequalities and universal availability are key elements of this vision. For this, we will need new network architectures, new hardware and software solutions. Overcoming the limitations of current silicon process technologies will be crucial through for example neuromorphic computing. AI/machine learning forms the brain while connectivity forms the nervous system and sensor data establishes crucial input for enabling intelligent interactions with the environment and dynamic mapping of the environment. Ultimately, quantum technologies will enter future networks for improved processing, decision making and security, and new spectrum is required. To this end, terabit-per-second (Tbps) wireless networks can be realised using the optical spectrum. Therefore, the spectrum considerations should extend to the optical domain.
– Unlocking the potential of the stratosphere from HAPS Alliance:
The current advancements in technology have made it possible to explore the stratosphere with High-altitude platforms. Many initiatives are already underway to commercialize HAPS, making it technically feasible.
HAPS can solve crucial social challenges, such as bridging the digital divide and natural disaster recovery through flexible and timely deployment. It is also expected to be a means of providing connectivity for aerial applications that are expected to expand in the future.
While everything will be connected to the network in the 2030s, it will be difficult to solve all these challenges using only terrestrial network, and non-terrestrial network, especially HAPS, is required.
IMT for 2030 and beyond should have the capability of ultra-wide 3D coverage which will realize by using HAPS.
– Views towards IMT for 2030 and Beyond from IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group:
IMT-2030 (6G) promotion group analyzed driving forces, the future market trends, network O&M requirements, 6G use cases trends, and proposed 6G new usage scenarios and key capability indicators. 6G will transcend the capabilities boundary of traditional communication in the way of sustainable development, and finally realize the 6G shared beautiful world of “intelligent connection of everything, digital twin”.
– Beyond 5G White Paper (v1.0) – Message to the 2030s from Beyond 5G Promotion Consortium:
In this presentation, Vision, capabilities and KPIs of IMT for 2030 and beyond, contained in the White Paper of Beyond 5G Promotion Consortium, were explained. The White Pater was developed based on the investigation for a wide range of stakeholders and provides useful information for the development of Vision in WP5D. The Consortium will update the White Paper and contribute to WP5D toward the progress of the IMT-2030 process.
– IMT for 2030 and Beyond: Lessons from 5G and future perspectives for 6G from NTRA, Egypt:
IMT-2030 should be utilized as a tool to overcome the digital divide by providing useful applications for the developing countries with an emphasize on flexibility in deployment, affordability, and society well-being instead of only focusing on extending IMT-2020 capabilities such as latency and speed.
Spectrum identification is needed for IMT-2030 even in THz bands to ensure the protection of existing services, and operation in IMT identified bands should be included as one of the compliance requirements.
There are several benefits of having one IMT-2030 standard but also there is a need to encourage innovation and enable new stakeholders to participate in the IMT process.
Regardless of the development in 6G technologies, the IMT process is quite critical as it is a flexible open platform to exchange views on what the next generation of cellular mobile technology should be.
– IMT-2030 capabilities and challenges from Radio Research and Development Institute, Russia:
The aim of the presentation was to show the most important aspects that need to be implemented within IMT-2030 and challenges that may be faced while realizing these applications. The history of IMT shows that it was mostly evolving around data rates, multiple access techniques, frequency bands used, and killer applications. It is expected that IMT-2030 will also revolve around these principles, IMT-2030 though is expected to have additional features. It is imperative that IMT-2030 would the following capabilities:
• Use cases related to digital presence such as holographic communications, immersive communications and tactile Internet
• Coverage in remote areas using the satellite segment of IMT
• New frequencies above 100 GHz
• Affordable networks deployment for private industry and other applications
• Faster data rates higher than 1 Tbs
• Lower latencies less than 1 ms
• Reliable technology which would be publicly accepted without any fear of the hazardous exposure
It should be noted though that there might be several challenges related with realizing the above capabilities, such as propagation losses in higher bands, difficulties with satellite mega-constellations deployment, development of the multiple access techniques for higher frequency bands, hardware development, as well as public concerns regarding possible exposure of new frequency bands and in the environment with intelligent reflective surfaces.
– Vision flow – from goals to capabilities from Traficom & Univ. of Oulu:
Finland proposes a structured flow for the joint vision of IMT for 2030 and beyond to bring together the currently separate vision elements. The steps of the flow are 1) Goals & societal impact, 2) Users, 3) Usage scenarios and Future examples, 4) Enabling technologies, 5) KPIs/Capabilities. The goals and societal needs provide justification for technological development and later to new regulatory models and spectrum requirements.
– Network architecture for IMT-2030 from IIT Bombay:
We notice that the flow of (UE) signalling traffic in the mobile networks are quite similar to the user data traffic. They both carry information and require path through the mobile network to carry the information. In our presentation, we look at this similarity and discuss if it is possible to treat “UE signalling” similar to user service (data) in future mobile networks, i.e., if the signalling traffic and the data traffic can be treated in a similar manner by the mobile communications networks. We also explain how it is possible to achieve this goal and what are the advantages of the proposal. We find that the proposal simplifies the network architecture as well as the flow of control information within the network considerably.
– 6G Vision from TSDSI (India):
Apart from the well discussed issues that covered issues surrounding the broad technologies and mechanisms to achieve Ubiquitous Intelligent Mobile Connected Society, the below two points are essential for “bridging the digital divide” which is a key focus area for TSDSI and certain other geographies.
• Technologies that support Spectrum Sharing / Simultaneous Spectrum Use will have to be supported to lower the initial spectrum ownership cost. Today technologies such as “self-interference cancellation” makes it possible for multiple co-ownership of spectrum.
• Composable Network architectures are necessary to address issues of cost and affordability, incremental deployments, support collaborative network ownerships (Private / Public) and the intrinsic nature of some demographics that provide rich “local and hyper local” contexts.
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6G network design should address Data Ownership Granularities spanning from personal data, enterprise or group data, government ownership of data and data considered as national assets (data that is not allowed to leave the geographic boundaries) through the right choice of technologies that may include “network of networks” architecture approach, support for “data breakout” mechanisms at multiple levels of a network and any other such technology enablers.
References:
https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/study-groups/rsg5/rwp5d/Pages/wsp-imt-vision-2030-and-beyond.aspx
Development of “IMT Vision for 2030 and beyond” from ITU-R WP 5D
Deutsche Telekom CEO receives another towers deal offer
Deutsche Telekom (DT) has reportedly received another €20 billion (US$21 billion) offer for its telecom towers business, this time from a consortium of three private equity firms – KKR, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and Stonepeak Partners – according to Bloomberg.
Cellnex has previously confirmed it is bidding for DT’s towers business, with reports suggesting it has teamed up with Brookfield Asset Management to make an offer. And others are interested too, with Bloomberg reporting that Vodafone-owned Vantage Towers could emerge as a bidder, either on its own or with a partner, as could DigitalBridge. DT has been seeking some kind of deal for quite a while, with the German operator’s CEO Tim Hoettges issuing a very clear invite to all interested parties in November last year: At the time, Cellnex, Vantage Towers and Orange’s towers unit, Totem, looked like the leading candidates in terms of being a good industrial fit.
Talking about DT’s tower assets during the online Morgan Stanley European Technology, Media and Telecoms conference on Thursday, CEO Hoettges said he would “love to have an industrial partner and I’m willing to deconsolidate,” reported Reuters, though DT would need strategic influence in any joint venture, particularly related to any future M&A activity. “I prefer an industrial solution, but I always need two to tango… I’m open for partners,” added the CEO.
Europe’s struggling telecom carriers once saw ownership of these network infrastructure assets as a vital part of their business models. Now, under pressure to raise cash and cut the bill for new network investments, they’ve begun to spin off their wireless masts into separate units or sell them outright.
Private equity firms are drawn to telecoms infrastructure because of its ability to generate steady, long-term returns. KKR raised $17 billion for its latest global infrastructure fund earlier this year, while GIP is targeting $25 billion for what would be the world’s biggest pool of capital dedicated to infrastructure investments.
Cellnex, Europe’s biggest mast operator, already jointly owns towers with Deutsche Telekom in Switzerland and the Netherlands. Germany is the only major European market where Cellnex hasn’t been able to build a presence.
References:
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/kkr-gip-make-joint-bid-for-21-billion-deutsche-telekom-unit-1.1780366
In India: What if Jio, Vi, and Airtel Skip 5G and Focus on 4G?
Telcos worldwide have already spent billions of dollars on setting up infrastructure, permissions, spectrum, and more for 4G and it is also bringing them plenty of revenues. While 5G will open up a whole new revenue stream from the enterprise sector, are the telcos really desperate for it? India has yet to hold its first 5G auction which has been repeatedly delayed.
Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea (Vi), and Bharti Airtel are the only three PAN-India 4G operators in India right now. All the telcos have hundreds of millions of users in their subscriber base to whom they provide 4G network services. There are 2G users as well, but that’s a conversation for another day. Today, what I want to talk about is what if Jio, Vi, and Airtel don’t roll out 5G and just focus on 4G? Note that I very well know this isn’t going to happen. However, I couldn’t help but wonder, what if the telcos just went on with their usual 4G network services and didn’t care about 5G because of the steep spectrum price and the decision of the government to allow the enterprises to get airwaves directly in an administrative manner for captive private networks?
To be very honest, 5G doesn’t seem like the biggest deal-breaker for the telcos right now. From an investor perspective, the kind of expenditure that 5G would entail in 2022, factoring in spectrum price, among other things, doesn’t feel like a very solid option for Jio, Vi, or Airtel. Not to forget, Vi doesn’t even have the capacity to make large investments for 5G in the first place. Expenditure is not the issue; RoI (return on investment) is!
But one thing’s proven for the telecom operators – revenues from 4G networks. They have already spent billions of dollars on setting up infrastructure, permissions, spectrum, and more for 4G, and it is also bringing them plenty of money. While 5G will open up a whole new revenue stream from the enterprise sector, are the telcos really desperate for it? Well, I would argue not, despite fully acknowledging the fact that all the private companies just want to make more money. So, what will happen if the telcos really don’t go for 5G? Let’s take a look at the negatives first.
Negatives
The most obvious thing would be that consumers won’t get to see 5G anytime this year in any part of the nation. Second, enterprises would be very unhappy as not all of them might be looking to get the airwaves directly for setting up private 5G networks. Third, it would potentially affect the sales of 5G smartphones. Fourth, India will be left even further behind other nations in 5G network technology.
Positives
A delayed 5G rollout would mean that more users would start owning 5G smartphones over the long horizon and when telcos do launch 5G, it will be a more than ready market for them to monetise through retail consumers. Second, the industry and the government would get more time to sort through policies and the telcos would get sufficient room to set up a denser infrastructure.
Moreover, the telecom industry can upskill more people with knowledge about technologies such as 5G, AI, ML, and more which are going to be very relevant.
Again, it is unlikely that the telcos will miss out on 5G this year. But even if they do, I don’t think it is that big of an issue both from a consumer and an investor’s point of view. A seamless 4G experience is still something Indian consumers crave for! Hopefully, that is sorted along with the 5G rollout.
References:
NTT Docomo will use its wireless technology to enter the metaverse
Japan’s NTT Docomo will move into the industrial metaverse in the next few years by offering design and other tools powered by its own wireless technology, CEO Motoyuki Ii told Nikkei Asia.
“Games have driven the metaverse so far, but industrial applications will grow in the future,” Ii said in a recent interview.
He acknowledged that Japanese companies have lagged international peers in staking claim to the metaverse — a virtual space where people interact through avatars. But Ii sees helping companies go digital as a way to make a comeback.
For Docomo, which leads rivals KDDI and SoftBank in wireless market share but not in profitability, the metaverse offers a chance to diversify. Docomo aims to have operations beyond its core telecom business, including the metaverse, account for at least half of sales by fiscal 2025.
Jun Sawada, president of Docomo’s parent NTT, sees the metaverse as the group’s next mainstay business. “We need to plan for the post-smartphone era,” Sawada said.
Docomo will work with partners including startups to develop the industrial metaverse tools. They will be made available to a wide range of businesses large and small. By October, the carrier plans to establish a company with about 150 engineers and other staff to start the project.
For its metaverse tools, Docomo envisions a virtual space where engineers in remote locations can come together and use the tools to jointly develop products or test prototypes. These services also will employ augmented reality, in which real-world objects are enhanced with pop-up data.
The tools are meant to help manufacturers overcome staff shortages and pass on skills from experienced workers to a new generation.
Computer-assisted 3D design and development is already widespread in the automotive industry. But this process remains mostly confined to computer screens. The metaverse is expected to provide greater immersion so that engineers can better evaluate virtual prototypes.
Competition is fierce in virtual reality goggles and other wearables, with companies like Facebook parent Meta and Apple joining the fray. But bulky VR equipment has yet to reach the mainstream. Ii said Docomo aims to provide “user-friendly devices that are comfortable,” including lightweight VR glasses.
Docomo’s industrial metaverse ambitions will build on the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network, a next-generation communications infrastructure known as IOWN being developed by the entire NTT Group.
IOWN envisions optical signals replacing electrical ones as carriers of data through networks. This would multiply data transfer capacity by a factor of 125, while slashing latency and power usage by factors of 200 and 100, respectively, according to Docomo.
NTT is developing proprietary semiconductor devices using this technology, which will make possible compact and lightweight VR equipment.
Such devices could use sixth-generation, or 6G, telecommunications. Data transmission speeds on 6G are expected to be more than 10 times faster than 5G. IOWN is expected to become commercially available as early as 2025, with 6G hitting the market around 2030. NTT and Docomo intend to start an indoor 6G test with Japanese electronics group NEC and other partners this fiscal year.
Docomo already has a metaverse business for the consumer market. The company in March established XR World, where participants can experience concerts and other events. Users can enter the platform via smartphones and PCs without relying on VR goggles.
In the NTT Group vision, the metaverse will take advantage of its photonic-based IOWN (Innovative optical and wireless network), still under development, that is aimed at improving bandwidth by 125 times and delivering latency of 1/200 of a second.
Docomo sees the metaverse as an important part of its diversification strategy. It’s aiming at non-telecom services accounting for half of revenue in three years.
Docomo’s pursuit of industrial customers reflects Japan’s shrinking smartphone market and falling mobile rates. The carrier intends to shut 30% of its brick-and-mortar Docomo shops by the end of fiscal 2025. Meanwhile, it aims to draw more virtual customer visits.
Docomo became wholly owned by NTT in 2020 and delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The carrier earned an operating profit of 927.9 billion yen ($6.94 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, accounting for roughly 50% of NTT’s profit groupwide.
The metaverse market is expected to expand to $828 billion in 2028, or nearly 20 times the scale in 2020, Canadian analytics firm Emergen Research predicts. Industry lines are blurring: Japanese advertising group Hakuhodo DY Holdings has started selling virtual ads for metaverse platforms.
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The leading telecom operator in the metaverse space is SK Telecom. Its Ifland platform is one of South Korea’s two big metaverse services, with a reported 1.5 million MAUs. It has signed up Deutsche Telekom as a European partner and says it wants further partners around the world (see SKT soars into metaverse as AI businesses gather steam). Ifland is one of two services run out of SKT’s AI unit, which took in $222 million in revenue last year and is aiming to reach $1.6 billion by 2025. SKT’s thinking about the metaverse is interesting. It sees that Ifland doesn’t suck up much capex and can leverage the operator’s 5G infrastructure and customer base to grow the business. Over time, Ifland will help expand the user base and enable new subscriptions and other services.
Telcos everywhere else in the world will struggle to build a business case for a metaverse platform – but there are plenty of other metaverse roles for them to chew on, and it increasingly looks like it is going to be too big to ignore.
Consultancy McKinsey has forecast that the metaverse could generate a “$5 trillion impact” by 2030. In a recent survey of executives, it found that 95% believe the metaverse will have a positive impact on their industry.
“About a third of them think the metaverse can bring significant change in how their industry operates, and a quarter of them believe it will generate more than 15% of corporate revenue in the next five years,” McKinsey said. It urges companies to venture into the metaverse to get a better sense of what it entails.
“There is no avoiding the fact that if you want to both understand consumers and opportunities that may be available to your organization, you need to be familiar with the metaverse,” McKinsey said.
Synopsys 5G SoC enhances 5G development with new RF design flow for TSMC N6RF process
RFICs (Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits) for wireless data transmission systems, such as transceivers and RF front-end components, are becoming more complex based on the demands of our connected world. These next-generation wireless systems are expected to deliver higher bandwidth, lower latency and better coverage across more connected devices. To ensure their RFICs can meet these requirements, designers must be able to accurately measure parameters such as RF performance, spectrum, wavelength and bandwidth.
To address increasingly complex RFIC design requirements, Synopsys, Inc. today announced a new RF design flow developed with Ansys and Keysight for the TSMC N6RF process, the most advanced RF CMOS technology that offers significant performance and power efficiency boosts. The flow helps mutual customers achieve power and performance optimizations for 5G chips while also accelerating design productivity for faster time-to-market.
“Our latest collaboration with Synopsys addresses the challenges of next-generation wireless systems, enabling designers to deliver greater connectivity, higher bandwidth, lower latency and better coverage for our increasingly connected world,” said Suk Lee, vice president of the Design Infrastructure Management Division at TSMC. “With high-quality, tightly integrated solutions from Synopsys as well as Ansys and Keysight, the new TSMC RF Design Reference Flow for the TSMC N6RF process provides a modern, open approach that enhances productivity for developing these complex ICs.”
The new RF design reference flow improves design turnaround time with industry-leading circuit simulation and layout productivity performance, as well as accurate electromagnetic (EM) modeling and electromigration/IR-drop (EMIR) analysis. The flow includes the Synopsys Custom Compiler™ design and layout product, Synopsys PrimeSim™ circuit simulation product, Synopsys StarRC™ parasitic extraction signoff product and Synopsys IC Validator™ physical verification product; Ansys VeloceRF™ inductive component and transmission line synthesis product, Ansys RaptorX™ and Ansys RaptorH™, the advanced nanometer electromagnetic (EM) analysis products, and Ansys Totem-SC®; and Keysight’s PathWave RFPro for EM simulation.
RF applications include:
- Wireless communications, e.g., 5G, cell phones, WiFi, Bluetooth
- Radio broadcasting, e.g., AM/FM radio
- RF remote control, e.g., garage door opener, drones
- Remote sensing, e.g., weather or surveillance radar
- Satellite navigation, e.g., GPS, Galileo, Glonass, Beidou
- Imaging, e.g., body scanners for airport security
“To enable key differentiating advantages for 5G designs, Synopsys continues to deliver robust RF design solutions that integrate electromagnetic synthesis, extraction, design, layout, signoff technologies and simulation workflows,” said Aveek Sarkar, vice president of engineering at Synopsys. “Because of our deep collaboration with TSMC and strong relationships with Ansys and Keysight, our customers can now take advantage of the advanced features within the Synopsys Custom Design Family, using TSMC’s advanced N6RF technology for 5G applications, to improve productivity and achieve silicon success.”
“RF design customers benefit significantly from the interoperability between Synopsys Custom Compiler and PathWave RFPro in the TSMC reference flow,” said Niels Fache, vice president and general manager of PathWave Software Solutions at Keysight Technologies. “Shifting electromagnetic co-simulation left in the design process enables RF circuit designers to optimize for the parasitic effects in advanced chips and multi-technology modules for 5G and WiFi 6/6E applications. This saves days and sometimes weeks in the simulation workflow, while reducing the risk of costly re-spins in the product development cycle. Our partnership with Synopsys and TSMC gives RF customers the design tools and advanced process technology they need to ensure high performance with first-pass success.”
“Ansys is excited to collaborate with Synopsys and TSMC on an advanced reference flow for RFIC designs,” said Yorgos Koutsoyannopoulos, vice president of research and development at Ansys. “Significant complexity driven by the growing need for 5G and 6G designs, along with advanced process effects at nanometer nodes, pose a big challenge to RFIC designers. Accurately modeling advanced process effects in EM and EMIR analyses is critical to creating first-pass silicon operating from DC to tens of GHz. Working seamlessly with the Synopsys Custom Complier platform, Ansys tools such as VeloceRF, RaptorX, Exalto and Totem-SC have the highest capacity to handle the most challenging designs as well as the ability to model all advanced process effects. They provide an intuitive and easy-to-use flow for the design, optimization and verification of RF design blocks.”
Synopsys, Inc. is the Silicon to Software™ partner for innovative companies developing the electronic products and software applications we rely on every day. As an S&P 500 company, Synopsys has a long history of being a global leader in electronic design automation (EDA) and semiconductor IP and offers the industry’s broadest portfolio of application security testing tools and services. Whether you’re a system-on-chip (SoC) designer creating advanced semiconductors, or a software developer writing more secure, high-quality code, Synopsys has the solutions needed to deliver innovative products. Learn more at https://www.synopsys.com.
References:
https://www.synopsys.com/glossary/what-is-rf-circuit-design.html
Telefónica Tech to integrate Red Hat’s OpenShift platform into new enterprise cloud service in Europe and Latin America
Telecom technology integrator Telefónica Tech has signed an agreement with IBM/Red Hat to integrate Red Hat’s OpenShift platform into a new cloud service marketed at enterprises across Telefónica’s footprint in Europe and Latin America.
The integration will be marketed as the Telefónica Red Hat OpenShift Service (TROS), which will tap into the use of containers to help organizations modernize their cloud applications and drive their digital transformation. It will allow those organizations to migrate applications to hybrid cloud or multi-cloud environments using either private or public clouds from hyperscalers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
OpenShift is based on the Kubernetes container orchestration project that allows for the migration of applications across different cloud and on-premises environments. A recent report from TBR Senior Analyst Catie Merrill noted that Red Hat’s OpenShift platform has four-times as many customers as it did before IBM acquired the company for $34 billion in mid-2019.
Red Hat OpenShift differentiates itself by combining multiple hardened open source technologies to provide a more complete modern application platform, enabling organizations to use it as the foundation for current and future IT strategies. Additionally, the use of Red Hat OpenShift allows for use in any type of cloud, facilitating the creation of this Multi-Cloud service for Telefónica Tech.
This new, open hybrid, multi-cloud approach will allow Telefonica Tech to strengthen and differentiate its value proposition, and provide more flexibility to its customers in their digital transformation and application modernization in the markets where Telefónica Tech is present.
The complementary nature of cloud technologies integrated in TROS will enable Telefónica Tech, Red Hat and IBM to jointly define innovative use cases and provide high value-added professional services to customers to help them make the process more efficient, cost-effective and cost-optimal.
The strategic agreement also enables Telefónica Tech to develop additional services on TROS based on Red Hat technologies and IBM Cloud Paks so that customers can accelerate their transformation to cloud-native applications, enabling a more consistent user experience both in their own cloud and on the hyperscalers.
María Jesús Almazor, CEO of Cybersecurity and Cloud at Telefónica Tech, said: “This strategic agreement allows us to strengthen our differential multicloud offer by integrating world class technologies from Red Hat and IBM and consolidate our position as a leading partner for the digital transformation of businesses. We continue to evolve our ecosystem of alliances to enhance the digital capabilities of our professionals and to include in our portfolio the most innovative proposals in the market, fundamental aspects to continue offering the best service to our customers.”
Horacio Morell, IBM General Manager for Spain, Portugal, Greece and Israel: “This alliance enables us to take a quantum leap in our business collaboration with Telefonica Tech to continue co-creating enterprise multi-cloud and cybersecurity solutions that will enable companies around the world, across all industries, to implement their technology transformation strategies with greater speed, consistency and agility, while ensuring data control, privacy and reliability and increasing decision-making efficiency through the unique capabilities of IBM’s technologies.”
Julia Bernal, Country Manager for Spain and Portugal at Red Hat, said: “Red Hat is fully committed to helping our customers and partners optimize their business with open hybrid cloud and focus on innovation rather than simply managing their IT infrastructure. Our mission is to mitigate the complexities of modern cloud-scale IT environments and with managed cloud services they can do just that. Telefónica Red Hat OpenShift Service enables customers to free resources to create and manage applications more quickly across multiple clouds, streamlining time to market and accelerating growth opportunities.”
“It is going to be the way forward and what many customers who want to evolve their business models,” said Santiago Madruga, VP for ecosystem success in EMEA at Red Hat, in an interview with SDxCentral. “When going digital, it’s not just putting workloads on the cloud but really transforming businesses.” Madruga added that the use of OpenShift also allows for the micro-segmentation of application components that will open the door for edge distributed cloud work.
References:
https://www.sdxcentral.com/articles/news/ibm-red-hat-expand-telefonicas-cloud-push/2022/06/
https://newsroom.ibm.com/2021-09-23-Telefonica-Chooses-IBM-To-Implement-Its-First-Ever-Cloud-Native-5G-Core-Network-Platform
Globe Telecom using next-generation antennas to facilitate 4G acceleration and 5G evolution
Philippine’s carrier Globe Telecom Inc. announced it is using next-generation antennas to facilitate 4G acceleration and 5G evolution. The telco said it has completed the deployment of a new series of antennas that efficiently enables the acceleration of 4G and the evolution of 5G technology. Globe said that the antennas adopts enhanced multi-array modules, ultra-high integration architecture, and full-band technology. The deployment is seen to boost the company’s 4G and 5G network and ensure energy efficiency, Globe added.
Since the antenna is smaller than the traditional design, Globe said it makes installation easier and faster even on cell sites with limited space.
The technology combines different frequency bands and accommodate different generations of cellular technologies, including 5G.
It also minimizes feed loss and improves energy efficiency, which means Globe can maximize energy efficiencies and lower electricity utilization through antenna development and power consumption innovation.
Globe said the use of the latest technology is part of its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9, which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development.
Globe has earmarked P89 billion for 2022 capital expenditures to roll out more 5G sites and in-building solutions, upgrade cell towers to 4G LTE, add more 4G cell sites, and lay down fiber to the homes.
The company deployed 380 new 5G sites in Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, Davao, Cebu, Misamis Oriental, and Iloilo in the first quarter.
Globe is innovating with its vendor partners on the latest technologies available to improve customer experience through efficient 4G/5G network deployment.
References:
https://www.gizguide.com/2022/06/globe-uses-new-antennas-4g-5g.html