Openreach (BT) has informed ISPreview that its Fibre Community Partnership (FCP) scheme, which works with disadvantaged parts of England, Wales and Scotland to help co-fund the deployment of new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP networks, will become available again for new applicants “early” in 2023. Projects under the FCP programme, which tend to be co-funded […]

Broadband ISP Zen Internet has today resolved a problem, which appears to have been occurring for almost two weeks, that caused some of their wholesale partners and related fibre (FTTC and FTTP) customers to suffer from performance problems (e.g. slower than expected speeds, poor latency and high packet loss). Feedback suggests that Zen didn’t initially […]

STARTUP STORIES

Essen based startup, Your Easy AI, thinks it has a solution to the skills shortages preventing so many from capitalising on artificial intelligence with software enabling development of artificial intelligence within minutes, without programming or AI knowledge. Their Startup Story is the latest in our regular series.

Tell us about your start up
The lack of artificial intelligence experts prevents many companies from realizing the potential of their data. Our software enables companies to create AI without these experts. With Your Easy AI, decision-makers can create AI that solves their business questions without prior programming or AI knowledge.

Our customers are businesses, that do not have their own (or a small) data science department and most are currently located in the DACH-Region.

What is your USP?
Existing software solutions can either only be operated by a data scientist or are so complex that normal employees cannot use them to analyse data. With our software, we empower employees to solve business questions independently.

What is your relationship with the telecom sector?
The telecom sector is a very important component of the growing AI and Auto-Machine Learning market. A partnership provides the necessary infrastructure to deploy our software, as well as ensure interoperability across platforms by utilizing cloud-based computing.

How have you got to your current stage of development?
Jan and Patrick started to work on the prototype in 2020 already. After successful prototyping throughout 2021, the company was officially founded in April of 2022. We are proud to have received support from the startup-incubators startport, and BRYCK. A few months after founding, we finalized our first pilot projects and received our first revenue. We were able to win the Unicorn-Pitch, the SlushD Cash Award, as well as the RuhrPitch. We are also very happy to have recently been accepted by the AI-Founders program!

Why did you establish the business?
The founders, Patrick and Jan, have known each other since their days in the same chess club. During Patrick’s time teaching non-parametric statistics, he realized, that the lack of data scientists is one of the biggest hurdles for companies in adopting AI for process optimization. In 2020 he paired up with Jan, who received awards for programming artificial intelligence and both started to work on a prototype that drastically simplifies the analysis process.

Who inspired you?
Wolfgang Grupp (German entrepreneur)

What does the future hold for your business?
We are planning to reach profitability in Q1 of 2023 and start to scale up after that. Future technological developments include a project to teach an AI how to program another AI.

COMPANY CV
HQ: Essen, Germany
Employees: 6
Last Funding: Private Loan, Still bootstrapping
URL: https://youreasyai.de/
Founders
Patrick Imcke, CEO & Founder
Jan Dette, CTO & Founder

Come and meet Your Easy AI at Connected Germany, 6 – 7 December 2022 – Mainz Congress, Germany

The post Putting the art into AI first appeared on Total Telecom.

Press release

Rakuten Mobile, Inc. obtained preliminary experimental test station licenses on November 10, 2022, to conduct mobile communication tests and preliminary verification in Japan using AST SpaceMobile’s low earth orbit satellite, BlueWalker 3.

AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard unmodified mobile phones. In the future, Rakuten Mobile aims to offer mobile communication services using AST SpaceMobile’s planned network to connect to smartphones in mountainous areas and remote islands that are commonly out of range of mobile communication services, as well as to strengthen communication network resilience in times of disaster.

On September 11, 2022, AST SpaceMobile successfully launched the test satellite BlueWalker 3 into orbit from the USA. On November 14, AST SpaceMobile also announced the successful deployment of the communications array for its test satellite, BlueWalker 3, in orbit.

In order to conduct communication tests between the test satellite launched by AST SpaceMobile and gateway earth stations in Japan and to perform preliminary verification with smartphones, Rakuten Mobile made applications to the Tohoku Telecommunications Bureau for a Gateway Experimental Test Station license (equivalent to a mobile base station) and to the Kanto Telecommunications Bureau for a Mobile Terminal Experimental Test Station license (equivalent to a portable mobile base station), and both applications have now been approved.

Upon receiving the licenses, Rakuten Mobile will begin to prepare a gateway earth station (equivalent to a mobile base station) in Fukushima Prefecture to test and verify direct communication between BlueWalker 3 and mobile devices in mountainous areas in Hokkaido.

To enable testing with Rakuten Mobile and other carriers, Rakuten Symphony will provide a variety of software from its Symworld™ product portfolio to AST SpaceMobile to be integrated into the company’s satellite system and enable the company’s space-based cellular broadband network. The software to be integrated includes Rakuten Symphony’s vRAN (virtualized Radio Access Network) software, OSS (Operations Support Systems) and BSS (Business Support Systems) software.

Rakuten Mobile will continue its efforts to expand Rakuten’s coverage area and improve communication quality so that customers can enjoy comfortable and convenient communication services anywhere.

Notes:

*1 Rakuten Group, Inc. has invested in and entered into strategic partnerships with AST.

*2 This is the first time in the world that the concept of a cellular broadband network transmitting from space has been announced. (As of March 3, 2020, according to AST)

About Rakuten Mobile

Rakuten Mobile, Inc. is a Rakuten Group company responsible for mobile communications, including mobile network operator (MNO) and mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) businesses, as well as ICT. Through continuous innovation and the deployment of advanced technology, Rakuten Mobile aims to redefine expectations in the mobile communications industry in order to provide appealing and convenient services that respond to diverse customer needs.

About Rakuten Symphony

Rakuten Symphony is reimagining telecom, changing supply chain norms and disrupting outmoded thinking that threatens the industry’s pursuit of rapid innovation and growth. Based on proven modern infrastructure practices, its open interface platforms make it possible to launch and operate advanced mobile services in a fraction of the time and cost of conventional approaches, with no compromise to network quality or security. Rakuten Symphony has headquarters in Japan and local presence in the United States, Singapore, India, Europe and the Middle East Africa region. For more information, visit: https://symphony.rakuten.com/

The post Rakuten Mobile obtains preliminary licenses for testing of AST SpaceMobile’s LEO satellite first appeared on Total Telecom.

PRESS RELEASE

UK broadband providers may be inaccurately valuing their businesses by up to 20 percent because they don’t have the right oversight of their networks, leaders of the UK’s alt net sector have been told today.

The industry’s typical approach to the designing, building and operating of a fibre network can result in poorer quality of data being gathered, this is because of the multiple systems that are used across the network lifecycle. The lack of an integrated network information system can also cause delays to build and, ultimately, lost revenue.

“The traditional approach to the lifecycle management of a network is silo based. This means different people, sometimes from different companies, are using different systems throughout the lifecycle. This process is error prone, lacks efficiency, and lowers the quality of the data for every step”, said Digpro’s Joel Pirard at the annual INCA Conference in Liverpool.

Inefficient data collection can cause inaccurate network potential valuations and estimates of how much capital needs to be invested into the network. According to Mr Pirard, this can lead to value under or over estimations of up to 20 percent. Inaccurate valuations can also cause problems like under or overvalued bids for networks.

“To avoid this, companies should embrace a Digital Twin for their network”, said Mr Pirard. “A Digital Twin creates a simulated replica of the network and can provide much of the information that investors, for example, would want to know.”

The Digital Twin clearly provides the data for a network owner to explain what they have invested in. Additionally, an investor might want to know where the network is, how it is connected, who the end-customer is, and the committed uptime. A Digital Twin will provide that information in a structured way.

The network model is continuously refined by all parts of the business as it is being built and updated. It is also used to expand and improve the network. All of this matters when looking at the value of the network. This is also of great importance when analysing how much it will cost to expand the network versus the revenue it will bring in.

“The network model, and the Digital Twin created from it, is the heart of the fibre network business. It is incredibly useful for all sizes of suppliers, from the largest national companies to the smaller more local businesses, as well as regional alt nets. With the Digital Twin, UK broadband providers will not only be able to estimate what the network is worth today, but also how much it will be worth in the future”, said Mr Pirard.

The post UK broadband networks may be wrongly valued by up to 20% first appeared on Total Telecom.

PRESS RELEASE

Nearly 90% of federal agencies are planning to adopt 5G, according to a new study released by General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a business unit of General Dynamics. But agencies also face several challenges, including budget and cybersecurity concerns.

The research study, Enterprise to the Edge: Agency Guide to 5G, surveyed 500 officials from civilian, defense and intelligence agencies to analyze the progress the federal government is making to deploy 5G capabilities, the benefits and challenges agencies are expecting, and what mission impacts it will have. Of the 500 officials surveyed, 40% work at federal civilian agencies, 40% at defense agencies, and 20% at intelligence and homeland security agencies.

According to the research study, most federal agencies have begun their 5G journeys and understand its impact.

89% are planning to adopt 5G, with 44% already piloting or deploying 5G.
As agencies establish 5G mission objectives, 23% expect that 5G will be highly impactful to their strategies in 2023, with that impact tripling within five years to 69%.
More than half are making 5G an investment priority in 2023.

Digging deeper, the research found that federal agencies plan to use 5G in two general categories: networking and connectivity, and mission-enabling applications.

In the near term, 77% of respondents said they planned to adopt 5G technology for improved network capability. Platform connectivity – connecting internet of things (IoT) devices to the enterprise – is second at 61%. Smart infrastructure – enabling intelligent decisions at the edge – ranks third at 50%.
Over the long term, agencies are planning mission-enablement use cases. Command and control – taking an action quickly with low-latency data processing – ranks at the top (41%). Logistics and manufacturing – managing supply chain processes – is second at 28%.

“Many agencies are still developing use cases and identifying the enabling technology that will make 5G transformative for them,” said Ben Gianni, GDIT’s senior vice president and chief technology officer. “But they know their 5G future is coming. Agencies that identify their primary mission outcomes and relevant 5G uses cases will be better positioned to deploy the optimal 5G solution cost-efficiently and with minimal risk.”

The data also showed that agencies are anticipating myriad challenges with implementing and managing 5G technology.

91% cite costs and budget as a top concern.
87% are concerned about increased cybersecurity risks due to an expanded attack surface from more remote devices.
83% identify integrating 5G capabilities into the rest of the organization as a challenge.

While budget remains a concern, agencies are starting to make 5G a priority. Overall, 58% say 5G will be an investment priority in the next 12 months, with that number growing to 79% in the next 3 years.

“The move to 5G is significant with enormous potential, and it is crucial to keep the bigger picture in mind,” said Shuaib Porjosh, director for advanced wireless at GDIT. “Investing in 5G is not only an imperative for today, as previous networks like 3G are decommissioned, but it is also an investment in the technology of the future. 6G is not far behind 5G, and the sooner agencies can position themselves to take advantage of those opportunities, the more effective they will be at driving value from the technology.”

General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defence company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems, and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $38.5 billion in revenue in 2021. More information about General Dynamics Information Technology is available at www.gdit.com. More information about General Dynamics is available at www.gd.com.

5G progress and potential will form a keynote discussion at Connected America next March in Dallas. To join in the discussion, visit the website www.totaltele.com/connectedamerica

The post Nearly 90% of federal agencies are planning 5G adoption first appeared on Total Telecom.

NEWS

Kevin would be so pleased – apologies for the obscure reference to Home Alone! The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have ruled that broadband providers should display simple point of sale labels s to help consumers to compare broadband services.

The labels which will resemble nutrition signage on food with prices, speeds, fees, data allowances and other important information.

“Broadband is an essential service, for everyone, everywhere. Because of this, consumers need to know what they are paying for, and how it compares with other service offerings,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “For over 25 years, consumers have enjoyed the convenience of nutrition labels on food products. We’re now requiring internet service providers to display broadband labels for both wireless and wired services. Consumers deserve to get accurate information about price, speed, data allowances, and other terms of service up front.”

The label must be visible before purchase and must also be easily accessible on the customer’s online account portal and be quickly produced if required. The labels must be machine-readable so that third parties can easily utilise data for comparison-shopping tools. A date for implementation is still yet to be set.

The FCC was tasked to require providers to display consumer-friendly labels relating to broadband services by The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and supersedes the previous voluntary labelling in place since 2016.

The FCC states that the move is vital to helping “consumers make informed choices and is central to a well-functioning marketplace that encourages competition, innovation, low prices, and high-quality service.”

Provision of competitively priced broadband for all is at the heart of the Connected America event. Join us in Dallas in March 2023. North American telecom operators & public sector can attend for free. Register at totaltele.com/connectedamerica

 

The post Bless this highly nutritious broadband and the people who sold it first appeared on Total Telecom.

Rural broadband ISP Gigaclear, which covers 300,000 premises in remote parts of England with their 1Gbps full fibre (FTTP) network, will this morning introduce their “lowest ever priced deal” that discounts the 100Mbps (symmetric) package to just £15 a month for the first 18-months of service (£35 thereafter). The package, which is limited to the […]

Broadband ISP Virgin Media (VMO2) saw its “busiest day ever on record for data consumption” (for gaming) on 16th Nov 2022 – trigged by the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, which pushed downstream internet traffic to a peak of 21Tbps (21 Terabits per second) and a massive 138 petabytes (PB) of data […]

New customers of UK ISP BT will, from later this morning, be able to take one of their ADSL, FTTC, G.fast and FTTP based broadband packages or TV bundles at half price for the first 6 months of service on a 24-month minimum term, including free setup. On top of that, their Full Fibre packages […]