Press Release

T-Mobile and Amazon Web Services, Amazon’s cloud computing division, today are joining forces to bring 5G connectivity paired with AWS compute solutions to T-Mobile’s 5G Advanced Network Solutions portfolio. They will also collaborate on customizable, use case specific offerings as part of the new Integrated Private Wireless on AWS program. These offerings help businesses get the performance and applications they need for their unique use cases – for example, monitoring worker safety on remote industrial campuses, performing predictive maintenance on manufacturing equipment, or ensuring faster aircraft turnaround times at the airport.

“T-Mobile and AWS are coming together to do what industry-leading companies do best – make things easier for customers,” said Callie Field, President, T-Mobile Business Group. “Businesses need a combination of connectivity and compute that fits into their current infrastructure. With our flexible 5G network deployment options and AWS’s cloud compute capabilities, we can quickly provide customers a right-sized solution to make their applications – new and existing – perform like never before.”

“AWS and T-Mobile share a common desire to work backwards from customer feedback to deliver innovation,” said Adolfo Hernandez, Vice President, Telco Industry at AWS. “One of the biggest challenges in galvanizing industries and revenue for 5G services has been the lack of flexible 5G solutions that meet the compute and connectivity needs for customers. Together with T-Mobile’s innovative suite of 5G Advanced Network Solutions and our Integrated Private Wireless Program, we have the power to meet customers where they are.”

After years of industry excitement, 5G private network adoption has underwhelmed, but the potential is undeniably huge. The challenge has been the complexity and cost businesses face in unlocking that potential – requiring them to work across multiple vendors for compute, connectivity, applications, integration and more at a time of increased budget pressures. With some connectivity vendors insisting on a costly one-size-fits all approach to private networking – instead of a flexible set of private, hybrid and public networking options – it’s no wonder adoption has been slow to take off.

By working together, T-Mobile and AWS can help customers more easily discover, customize, and deploy 5G edge compute. Current AWS customers or businesses wanting AWS services can use the Integrated Private Wireless on AWS portal to explore customized solutions, browsing by industry or use case. Then they simply choose T-Mobile as their 5G provider. For U.S. businesses new to any advanced network or compute solution, T-Mobile will be able to work with them to set up a 5G public, hybrid or private network that’s already integrated with AWS’s customizable edge infrastructure and services.

How is the rise of public cloud shifting the dynamics of the US telecoms industry? Join the operators live in discussion at this year’s Connected America conference 

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News

US private equity firm KKR has agreed to extend the deadline for TIM to respond to its non-binding proposal by four weeks, giving the government more time to explore its potential ramifications

For most of last year, it looked as if the Italian government’s plan to create a single national broadband network by merging the fixed line assets of TIM and Open Fiber was finally making progress.

In May, formal negotiations between key players finally began, with a Memorandum of Understanding between TIM, Open Fiber, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP, the government-backed investor in both companies), KKR, and Macquarie Asset Management ending years of stalemate.

The group aimed to reach a binding agreement by October, but these discussions were stalled by differing opinions regarding the valuation of TIM’s fixed line assets.

To make matters worse, the new administration under Giorgia Meloni, which came to power in October, proved much less receptive to the idea of a single network, insisting that any critical infrastructure should be more firmly under government ownership.

As a result, a deal never materialised, leaving the single network plan in limbo once again.

This all changed at the start of this month, however, when KKR presented TIM a non-binding offer to purchase a stake in the company’s fixed-line business.

The offer is predicated on TIM spinning off its fixed line infrastructure into a new business tentatively called NetCo, which includes not only the company’s fixed broadband assets but also its submarine cable unit, Sparkle.

Separating TIM’s network and enterprise assets into separate units in this way is a central tenant of new TIM CEO Pietro Labriola’s plan to revitalise the operator’s finances, offering greater opportunities for outside investment.

The financial details of KKR’s offer have not been formally announced, but sources suggest the deal would take a controlling stake in NetCo, potentially valuing the business at over €20 billion. They also suggest the move would leave a roughly 30% stake free for a government-backed investor, which could also have some vetting powers over strategic issues.

TIM has been firmly in KKR’s sights for many years now, with the operator’s relatively flat financial performance leading to a share price many suggested undervalued its infrastructure assets.

Indeed, KKR’s first investment in the business came back in 2020, when the firm agreed to purchase a 37.5% stake in TIM’s newly spun-off ‘last mile’ network, Fibercop. Next year, this was followed by a full takeover offer, with KKR presenting TIM with a bid of €10.8 billion. This bid was ultimately rejected by TIM’s key stakeholder Vivendi, who deemed the bid too low.

Now, this latest bid for NetCo could see KKR finally get its hands on the invaluable Italian infrastructure it has so long pined for. However, the offer will seemingly not go unanswered by other suitors for the infrastructure unit, with Italian media suggesting earlier this month that the CDP is partnering with Macquarie for a counter bid of its own.

According to reports, the CDP would fund 60% of the bid, with Macquarie the remaining 40%.

Almost two weeks later, however, and this counteroffer has failed to materialise at the supposed deadline, a fact that saw TIM’s share price dip by 3% over the weekend.

However, the CDP may yet have a chance to present their case, with KKR announcing today that they have extended the deadline for TIM to respond to their offer by a further four weeks, following a government request.

According to TIM, the request is to give the government more time to analyse the “public aspects” of the proposed deal.

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VIEWPOINT

The requirements of consumers, both individual and those from the enterprise market, are constantly growing. In order to meet them, telecommunications companies must revise their resources and approach. How can they focus on developing innovation, and at the same time pay attention to current relationships with partners and customers?

Challenges of the rapidly growing B2B and B2C industry markets

The needs of the modern consumer are changing rapidly, which means that companies from the telecommunications industry and more must react immediately to offer products tailored to meet these requirements. Increased competition does not make it easier to reach a selected group of recipients. How can you always stay one step ahead of your competitors?

It is crucial to focus on the endless possibilities that 5G network services provide, for example, creating network slices or private networks. Monetizing the network is not only an opportunity to gain new revenue streams, but also a challenge. Let’s consider how to ensure smooth cooperation between all parties involved in the provision of 5G services, for example in a stadium. It is important to understand the role of each of them, and then automate and streamline quoting and ordering for complex products. It may be helpful to provide end-to-end solutions to enterprise customers as well as other players involved.

Simple and ready-to-automate systems

Another way to develop innovation in your company may be to use comprehensive, ready-to-use tools that will also be flexible enough to allow various modifications in accordance with the wishes of clients from the enterprise sector and more.

Catalogs, for example, will allow you to create new services easily. The current trend is the drag and drop function, thanks to which you can drag the selected item from the catalog to a new service and thus extend it. It’s just like playing with blocks and building a new shape from the same set of toys.

The real power of artificial intelligence

In digitized telecommunications companies, it is often said that the heart of a given service or system is artificial intelligence (AI). But what does that really mean? Artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) are able to support daily work carried out on the premises and in the field.

It can be said that, in the modern world, the knowledge of experts is a luxury that is difficult to access. Therefore, in order to ensure smooth operations, it is necessary to limit the need to use such experts. Artificial intelligence is perfect for this, as it allows you to automate the creation of new service topologies based on existing resources in near real time.

Discover how to make your business more innovative and have solutions to meet the growing demands of the market. Comarch has an experience in supporting telecoms in the creation of innovative value. See episodes of the campaign entitled “Creating Innovative Value in Telco” and learn more about implementing a future-proof system in your company.

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