Alternative network builder and ISP LightSpeed Broadband, which aims to deploy a new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to 200,000 premises in the East of England by the end of 2022 (rising to 1 million by the end of 2025), has shunned the traditional price hikes season by announcing a price freeze promise for customers. LightSpeed, which […]

News

Four of the largest telecom operators – Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone – have notified the European Commission about intending to start a joint venture into identity-driven advertising, which will assign digital identities to customers on networks

The concentration is under review until the 10 February pending approval from the European Commission. Copying the market of large tech companies, the EU Commission will review the credibility of this ID-network venture to uphold users’ privacy.

Operators will have to seek consent from regional mobile network users to “opt in” before leveraging their data to deliver targeted marketing and advertising campaigns.

The proposal was filed on 6 January 2023 and details have been published by the Directorate-General for Competition.

Secure “pseudonymised” tokens will be developed from an encrypted identity connected to consenting network users.

The tokenised identities, protecting the personal data of users, will optimise the delivery of personalised ads to network customers. The EC document also specifies that users across all the networks would have access to a privacy portal, containing information about privacy regulations.

All four networks will have equal shares and control over their marketing and advertising endeavours. In December, Meta’s targeted advertising plans were accepted but with a warning on adhering to privacy standards by the EDPB, a body that ensures GDPR compliance.

The largest tech companies delivering digital advertising campaigns, including Meta and Apple, are also being confined by data privacy concerns. Last year, Deutsche Telecom and Vodafone conducted trials to test-run the current proposal with a limited number of publishers and advertisers.

Article by Evie Kim Sing, originally published on IdentityWeek.net

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News

The satellite company aiming to offer direct-to-mobile internet services claims it is “years ahead” of the competition

This week, Lynk has announced the successful launch and deployment of two satellites set to serve as what the company calls ‘cell-towers-in-space’.

Using patented technology, these orbital base stations will be able to connect to existing standard mobile devices on Earth, providing 2G, 4G, and even 5G connectivity for customers.

“This launch extends Lynk’s leadership in the satellite-direct-to-standard-phone category. While others have just figured out that satellite-direct-to-phone is a big deal, we invented and patented the technology in 2017, started testing the technology in space in 2019, and now have three commercial satellite-cell-towers-in-space,” said Charles Miller, CEO of Lynk. “We are years ahead of everybody else.”

Lynk launched its first commercial-ready satellite base-station, Lynk Tower 1, back in April last year. By September, the company had received a licence to provide satellite-direct-to-standard-phone services from the Federal Communications Service and, in November, and announced tests of the world’s first mobile 5G-from-space payload.

Previously, the satellite operator had said it would aim to launch three more satellites in the near future; today’s announcement accounts for two of these devices but contains no information about the elusive third satellite.

The satellite operator has previously suggested it will launch a global commercial service in 2025, targeting the 90% of the world that they claim is not covered by terrestrial mobile networks. However, to achieve anything close to global coverage will require a lot more of these low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites; UK-based satellite rival OneWeb, for example, has said it will need 648 LEO satellites to achieve full global coverage.

Lynk has said its plans are even bigger, aiming for several thousand devices in orbit by 2025, increasing to 5,000 in the longer-term. This would give it a scale similar to SpaceX’s LEO Starlink constellation, which already has over 3,200 satellites in orbit.

To date, the company has raised over $30 million in funding, but will presumably need much more to achieve its scale-up goals.

Nonetheless, with clearance from the FCC already attained, Lynk say they are gearing up for a limited commercial launch in 2023, though a specific deadline has yet to be announced.

According to the press release, Lynk already has commercial agreements in place with 25 mobile network operators (MNOs) in 41 countries and is actively testing its technology in 17 countries on all seven continents.

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Also in the news:
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Network builder and UK ISP FACTCO has today announced that their new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network is being extended to cover three villages in rural parts of Cheshire (England), including more than 1,000 properties across Crowton, Kingsley and Norley. Construction of the new network, which is being supported by funding from the Government’s Gigabit […]

Alternative network provider Quickline, which is building a mix of Full Fibre (FTTP) and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) based broadband networks across parts of Lincolnshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire in England, has appointed Craig Fairey as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to help grow the business alongside its new rollout plans. Mr Fairey is said to bring […]

News

Reports suggest the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite telecommunications firm has closed its Alaskan test site, with locals bemoaning its services as expensive and unreliable

This week, a report from the Telegraph indicates that UK-backed satellite operator OneWeb has closed its vaunted test site in the village of Akiak, Alaska, following complaints from the Alaska Telecom Association (ATA) and local internet providers.

Akiak was one of OneWeb’s first test sites and was notable for being a keystone the company’s marketing campaign, designed to show that the LEO satellite constellation could provide internet services to one of the most remote communities in the US.

Less than a year since activation, however, and it would seem that the test site is failing to live up to expectations.

According to sources, the ATA and local providers have written to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to complain that the “service is too costly to adopt” and had been discontinued “due to ongoing technical difficulties”.

The nature of these technical troubles has not been revealed.

While this closure is surely something of a blow to OneWeb’s image, given Akiak’s prominence in its marketing campaign, the material impact to the company is likely small. While OneWeb has significant ambitions in the consumer broadband segment, its focus to date has been largely centralised on government, maritime, and enterprise broadband needs.

Furthermore, according to the operator, other rural Alaskan test site are still up and running with positive results, perhaps suggesting that the Akiak site is simply an anomaly.

Nonetheless, such a closure has shone a worrying light on the challenges OneWeb may eventually face in the consumer space, particularly given the meteoric rise of rival SpaceX’s Starlink constellation in the US and beyond.

Starlink launched commercial services to consumers in Alaska in November last year and is seemingly gaining a growing market share in remote locations. The service already covers Akiak and has reportedly been well received by residents.

In a somewhat ironic twist, after OneWeb’s loss of access to Russian Soyuz rockets last year due to the war in Ukraine, SpaceX has been contracted to launch OneWeb satellites. This week marked the companies latest launch collaboration, which saw SpaceX put an additional 40 OneWeb satellites into orbit.

In total, OneWeb now has 502 LEO satellites floating above the Earth, having said they will require 648 for full global coverage. The operator expects its constellation to be fully launched by the end of the year.

What role will satellite play in expanding broadband access to the most remote US communities? Join the telecoms experts in discussion at this year’s upcoming Connected America conference

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Cox launches mobile services to bolster fixed line offerings

PARTNER CONTENT

There is a growing urgency in the telecom industry to reduce energy consumption by adopting sustainable and environment-friendly practices.

The recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report says that the world will experience an increase in temperature of more than 1.5°C by 2040 unless and until there is a concerted effort to bring down carbon emissions.

Turkcell, a converged telecom and technology service provider in Türkiye since 1994, is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and becoming a carbon-neutral company by 2050. The rising electricity costs are also making it imperative for the company to bring down its energy use.

“Turkcell is keenly focused on sustainability goals and environmental responsibility.  Our strategy involves implementing best practices and policies that minimize the impact on the environment, such as reducing waste and emissions, conserving resources and using renewable energy. Within the framework of our sustainability approach, Turkcell commits to meet 100% of its energy needs from renewable resources by 2030, and to be a completely carbon neutral company by 2050. In order to achieve these goals, Turkcell is the first GSM operator that has ISO 50001 Energy Management System and ISO 14064 international standard for quantifying and reporting greenhouse gas emissions certificates in Turkey.” Elif Yenihan Kaya, Network Capabilities Director, Turkcell.

Teaming with Huawei

To accelerate its efforts to realize the target of carbon neutrality by 2050, Turkcell teamed up with Huawei earlier this year. Together the two companies incubated Huawei’s Green Site solution in Antalya. The project was designed not just to help Turkcell reduce the environmental impact but also to bring down its electricity costs.

In April 2022, Turkcell and Huawei jointly incubated the Green Site target network solution, designed to benefit the operator and the environment. Huawei’s Green Site solution is based on the philosophy of ‘More Bits, Less Watts’. First, it helps the Turkcell reduce power consumption, thus directly leading to savings in operational expenses. Further, the improved energy efficiency supports the migration of 2G and 3G users to 4G and 5G services. Lastly, the telcos’ efforts to reduce their carbon footprint positively impact the environment, helping them better fulfil their social responsibilities.

“We decided to work on the mutual project for green sites with Huawei.  In April 2022, based on our assessment and design, Turkcell and Huawei implemented the first AI-based green site solution in Antalya. Basically, solar panels provide green energy for the site. What’s more, the AI-based smart system manages excess solar energy generated by sunlight into the lithium batteries and supplies power to the site at night, thus maximizing the use of clean energy generated by sunlight. Solar energy accounts for more than 70% of the site’s energy consumption, reducing carbon emissions and saving electricity costs. The energy saving and carbon reduction effect of a single site exceeded our expectations. ” says Elif Yenihan Kaya.

Huawei has introduced a three-layer solution to help Turkcell boost the green efficiency of their networks and operations. This solution is designed to ensure a carbon emission and OPEX reduction.

Industry first-released NCIe indicators to measure the carbon emission intensity of the entire network

Huawei’s Green site solution provides NCIe (Network Carbon Emission Intensity), an energy efficiency indicator system proposed by Huawei and already approved by ITU-T SG5. It encompasses three layers: Radio Access Network (RAN), the site, and the equipment (BBU/RRU/antenna). The carbon emission per unit traffic is measured and tracked to evaluate how much data traffic is transported per kWh.

Comprehensive solutions to minimize the carbon emission and energy costs

Huawei Green Site solution helps bring down the operational expense for the Turkcell. It is a simplified, renewable and intelligent solution.

The all-in-one cabinet replaces the traditional shelter, thus bringing down the high energy consumption of the air conditioners and improving the site energy efficiency. Further, blade power guarantees enough space for future evolution.

The solution uses solar energy, which provides enough renewable energy sources for daily consumption. Further, anti-shadow helps in generating 10% extra electricity. Huawei’s Green site solution leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) which provides greater visibility and control, thus leading to improved overall management. The use of AI makes it possible to calculate backup hours based on weather, thus enabling solar synergy with lithium battery to avoid peak solar waste.

Professional service to improve return on investment 

Firstly, multi-dimensional evaluation service-based NCIe indicators enable the implementation of low carbon RAN strategy and focus investment in areas with the most “green” impact. Secondly, the optimal solution is simulated, and benefits are calculated through the digital design platform. Finally, the operators must use the solution for the green modernization of the entire network to maximize the impact.

In Antalya, Turkcell uses Huawei’s end-to-end Green Site solution, a high-efficiency iSolar system with AI that stores renewable energy from the sun in lithium batteries. In addition, high-efficiency rectifiers, lithium batteries, and integrated cabinets are used to migrate equipment to the outdoor cabinet, eliminating the need for shelter and an air-conditioner.

Impact of Green Site solution 

Using Huawei’s Green Site solution helped Turkcell reach its energy saving by 81%, while carbon emissions were reduced by 5.5 tons per year. The project’s success can be gauged by the fact that, on average, 70% of its daily energy consumption is from solar energy.

The two-year project involves 50 teams for the first-time delivery in Turkey. The end-to-end innovative solution sets a new benchmark for a green revolution in the country. Turkcell and Huawei have committed to creating more value through further cooperation.

“We have decided to enhance our partnership with Huawei in this project and we are planning to have 500 green sites implementation in 2022. We are expecting to have carbon emissions reduced by more than 1.3tons per site per year. Turkcell will continue to innovate in green energy and set an example for the industry.” says Elif Yenihan Kaya.

Ensuring sustainable operations is the need of the hour, and Turkcell and Huawei have set an example for other telcos to emulate and adopt sustainable practices.

 

 

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