The UK Government’s recent changes to Permitted Development (PD) rights for mobile infrastructure (here), which aimed to help extend 5G and 4G (mobile broadband) coverage in rural areas of England (e.g. allowing taller masts of up to 30 metres), appear to have been rejected in West Berkshire where the council has added new obstacles. The […]

News

The refarmed spectrum will be invaluable for improving more modern mobile services, but the accelerated shutdown timeline could present an issue for millions of 2G and 3G customers

Earlier this month, South Africa’s Communications Minister, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, proposed a framework for the shutting down of the country’s 2G and 3G networks by 2025, as part of the Ministry’s new spectrum policy.

This week, the government has approved the proposal, suggesting that this accelerated timeline will allow spectrum to be refarmed to bolster 4G and 5G services, as well as other services.

“Radio frequency spectrum is a finite natural resource that is vital to the growth of South Africa’s digital economy and communication infrastructure. The proposed policy intends to support the spectrum allocation and licensing for fixed mobile; broadcasting; aeronautical and marine; research and development; community access, and other relevant industries,” said an official statement.

“The policy also seeks to promote equity and fair allocation to contribute towards the transformation of the sector and accessibility of digital connectivity even in outlying parts of the country.”

The plan calls for 2G device licences to be prohibited by the end of June 2023, with services shutdown by the end of March 2024 and complete network closure by end of June the same year. 3G will be given a slightly longer timeline, with services shutdown by the end of 2024 and the network fully decommissioned by the end of March 2025.

These timelines seem largely in line with the nation’s mobile operators’ own plans, though this could force operators to shut down their 2G services sooner than expected.

Earlier this year, MTN said it would begin to retire its 3G network from 2025, with 2G to follow some time later due to its broader applications for machine-to-machine communications. Similarly, Vodacom has previously said that it would aim to turn off its 3G network by 2023, before its 2G network by 2024.

While 2G networks are older and can provide only limited services by modern standards, they are still accessed by millions of customers, not to mention the various M2M devices that will need to be migrated to alternative spectrum.

The scale of this challenge should not be underestimated. In 2021, for example, Vodafone data suggested that around six million 2G devices are sold every year in South Africa, with roughly 14 million customers still using 2G devices – all of whom would need to upgrade to more expensive 4G-capable devices before the shutdown is fully implemented.

Of all the South African mobile operators, it seems that Telkom is in the best position when it comes to shutting down these legacy networks, having announced in January that it had already shut down 80% of its 3G network. The decommissioning of the company’s 2G network had been announced back in March 2020.

Similar 2G and 3G sunsetting plans are being introduced by operators all over the world, striving to make the most efficient use of their spectrum assets, as well as do away with legacy technologies that are expensive to support.

Indeed, earlier this week BT gave an update on their own plans to shutdown their 3G network and other legacy infrastructure, suggesting that doing so would save them around £500 million over the coming decade.

 

Are legacy network shutdown plans moving swiftly enough in the global telecoms industry? Or are operators being pushed to move too quickly? Join the operators in discussion at this year’s live Total Telecom Congress

Also in the news:
UK telcos to face stricter cybersecurity obligations under new govt rules
Jio prepares to plough $25bn into 5G
VMO2 activates first open RAN sites in live network

The post South African sunset for 2G & 3G targets 2025 first appeared on Total Telecom.

The new UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss, yesterday entered 10 Downing Street – after replacing Boris Johnson in the post – by acknowledging that “we need to build roads, homes and broadband faster” than they have been doing so far. But it remains to be seen whether that statement is more than just a sound […]

Press Release

Both companies are now inviting select customers to join proof-of-concept activities to locate IoT devices, machinery, and vehicles

Vodafone and Topcon Positioning Group are developing a new mass-market precise positioning system that will locate Internet of Things (IoT) devices, machinery, and vehicles with a greater degree of accuracy than using only individual global navigation satellites systems (GNSS).

Vehicles, scooters, and even robot lawn mowers can be securely monitored in real-time to within a few centimetres when connected to Vodafone’s global IoT network and using technology from Topcon which corrects inaccuracies from navigation satellite signals. Location accuracy is improved from a few metres to just centimetres using Topcon’s dense European network of thousands of GNSS reference stations, especially when vehicles and devices are fitted with suitable antennas and receiver equipment.

Vodafone and Topcon have agreed to advance customer trials and Vodafone is now inviting select customers to join pilot activities in Germany, Spain, and the UK, starting this month. The companies aim to test the service, called Vodafone GNSS Corrections, using a wide variety of devices connected to Vodafone’s global IoT network – one of the largest with more than 150 million connections – and its pan-European network which covers 12 countries.

Pinpoint accuracy is critical to the mass adoption of Vehicle to Anything (V2X) technology – the ability for vehicles to speak with other vehicles, road users, and infrastructure – driverless vehicles, as well as for autonomous machinery and robots.  For example, e-bike riders could use Vodafone GNSS Corrections to provide details of their exact location and then alert other road users of their presence.

Justin Shields, Director of Vodafone Business Platforms & Solutions, said: “As new technologies like autonomous cars and connected machinery continue to evolve, Vodafone is providing the critical connections to support these new services with greater precision, more safety and at scale. Our customers want to be able to better locate their devices, and the collaboration with Topcon complements our existing asset tracking and fleet telematics solutions.”

Ian Stilgoe Vice President of Topcon Global Emerging Business said: “At Topcon, we are proud to be partnering with Vodafone to bring high accuracy correction services to enable V2X applications to operate at the accuracy needed to help improve road safety, especially for vulnerable road users.

“Topcon’s extensive history providing precision positioning solutions makes it an ideal partner for Vodafone utilising the comprehensive Topnet Live GNSS network. Vodafone’s high accuracy services can also be used to improve positioning performance of many other autonomous applications such as drones, delivery robots and safety system wearables.”

Vodafone GNSS Corrections also supports Vodafone’s efforts to improve V2X location accuracy, especially when sharing trusted data to help prevent unnecessary accidents and fatalities on Europe’s roads.  As such Vodafone is offering precise positioning as a complement to Vodafone’s new Safer Transport for Europe Platform (STEP) which allows entities to communicate with each other where no line of sight exists. Unveiled in March 2022, STEP has been successfully tested in Germany and the UK and will be made available via Vodafone Automotive and third-party apps later this year.

 

How will innovations in satellite tech help enable the IoT and autonomous vehicles? Join the experts in discussion at this year’s live Total Telecom Congress

Also in the news:
UK telcos to face stricter cybersecurity obligations under new govt rules
Jio prepares to plough $25bn into 5G
VMO2 activates first open RAN sites in live network

The post Vodafone developing satellite tech for precision positioning first appeared on Total Telecom.

The World Communication Awards 2022 has seen its fiercest competition to date, with entries from across the world battling it out to be recognised as the best of the best.

Below you will find the shortlist of companies selected by the WCA’s expert judging panel.

Congratulations to all of the entrants that have made it this far. We look foward to seeing you on November 1st when this year’s winners will be announced.

B2B SERVICE OF THE YEAR

China Unicom Global, CloudBond
KT AICC
Orange Business Services, Flexible SD-WAN with Fortinet
Singtel Software Defined Network Services
Telia Global IoT Connectivity
Telstra Enhanced Enterprise Wireless service – powered by Ericsson and Cradlepoint
Verizon On Site 5G with Celona 5G LAN

 

BEST DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME

GoldConnect
Netcracker Technology and Virgin Media O2
Orange International Carriers – Digital transformation programme
Ooredoo Group
stc WBU Transformation Journey

 

BEST NETWORK TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE

Collaborative Blockchain Industry Solution for Data Services Inventory Matching & Automated Settlement: Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier, Vodafone, Colt Technology Services, PCCW Global
Colt Technology Services & Ciena
EE’s 5G rollout
Ericsson & Telstra, Composite Orchestration of hybrid services
TDC NET-Ericsson

 

BEST OPERATOR IN AN EMERGING MARKET

Converge ICT Solutions Inc.
inwi (Wana Corporate)
Ooredoo Palestine
Telecom International Myanmar Co., Ltd (Mytel)

 

BEST WHOLESALE OPERATOR

China Mobile International Limited
Colt Technology Services
Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier
iBASIS
MTN GlobalConnect
Orange Wholesale France
Sparkle

 

CRISIS RESPONSE AWARD

BAI Communications Australia
Globe Telecom and Amdocs
Inseego and Verizon
Kyivstar
PLDT and Smart’s Crisis Leadership in Super Typhoon Rai
Turkcell

 

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AWARD

AsiaInfo Technologies (China), INC
Colt Technology Services
China Mobile Beijing & Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
CITIC Telecom CPC, AI AR Remote Hand
Digicel Group
Ncell Axiata Limited
Orange 5G Lab
Subtonomy, SubSearch
Swisscom, Plato

 

OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

Colt Technology Services
KT, DIGICO
Orange
PLDT and Smart

 

PEOPLE & CULTURE AWARD

Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier
PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin)
Sofrecom Tunisie
TalkTalk Wholesale Services

THE 5G IMPLEMENTATION AWARD

China Unicom Global
China Mobile International Limited
Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier – Ready for 5G Roaming
Ericsson’s 5G Implementation for Australian Mobile Network Operators
KT’s Ubiquitous 5G
Singtel 5G standalone – powered by Ericsson

 

THE ACCESS INNOVATION AWARD

Cohere Technologies, First MU-MIMO Software Solution
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., FTTR
InCoax Networks and PCs for People
SK Telecom & Samsung Eletronics
stc OpenAccess

 

THE BEYOND CONNECTIVITY AWARD

China Mobile & Huawei, 5G Barrier-free Calling
Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier
KT AI Service Robot
Ooredoo Tunisia, EZ
Singtel’s 5G enterprise initiatives in Singapore – powered by Ericsson

 

 THE CLOUD NATIVE AWARD

Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier, The Magenta Hub Cloud
Ericsson and TPG
Jio Platforms Ltd. (JPL)
Netcracker Technology and T-Mobile Netherlands
Robin.io with Rakuten Mobile
stc Cloud Native platform deployment by Huawei

 

THE CYBER SECURITY AWARD

Enea AdaptiveMobile Security
KT SafeNet
Macquarie Telecom Group
Nokia, NetGuard Cybersecurity Dome
SecurityGen, ACE
ZARIOT

 

THE IOT INNOVATION AWARD

Bridge Alliance, Singtel, Ericsson, APAC Multi-Domestic Connectivity Solution for Automotives
China Unicom Global
Console Connect IoT
iBASIS Global eSIM
IBM and Boston Dynamics, Mobile Edge Analytics
Telia Global IoT Connectivity

 

THE PLATFORM AWARD

Colt Technology Services, Colt On Demand
Console Connect
Comviva & Zain Jordan
Liberty Global’s ONEConnect, featuring Plume’s SaaS Experience Platform
Rakuten Symphony, Symworld
Singtel Paragon
Telefónica Colombia & Red Hat

 

THE SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION AWARD

Catel, imowi
Digicel Haiti Foundation: Educating a nation so no one gets left behind
Ericsson, Air Quality Project
Ncell Axiata Limited
Ooredoo Myanmar, SEAD Project
PLDT and Smart: Championing Safety and Wellness in the Digital World
Polycab Telecom
Robi Axiata Ltd., bdapps

 

THE SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

AsiaInfo Technologies (China), INC
China Unicom Global
Colt Technology Services
KT
Orange Polska S.A.
Turkcell
Vertical Bridge

 

WOMAN IN TELECOMS AWARD

Colt Technology Services, Keri Gilder
Converge ICT Solutions Inc., Maria Grace Y. Uy
CSG, Liz Bauer
DZS, Jennifer Yohe
Hyperoptic, Dana Tobak
Verizon Business Group, Tommi Marsans

 

STARTUP OF THE YEAR

CEO OF THE YEAR

The post World Communication Awards shortlist announced first appeared on Total Telecom.

Viewpoint Article

by Alan Nunn, Senior Consultant and Communications SME, CGI

We all understand how important fixed and mobile broadband connectivity is, but are we fully realising the benefits for individuals, communities, businesses, and our planet? Faster broadband is just the start. Lower latency, high reliability and ubiquitous coverage enable so much more.

A crisis can often be a catalyst for innovation, and we seem to be surrounded by crises today – the top three being the cost of living, energy, and our environment and climate. Already, we see innovation being developed and deployed to deliver change which can impact each of these. 

Bringing satellite and 5G technology together can enable more complete coverage, as well as providing backup when things go wrong. The Satellites for Digitalisation of Railways (SODOR) project will provide low latency, high reliability connectivity for sensors, which will enable more efficient operation of trains, bringing costs down for individuals and businesses who travel regularly. 

Satellite communications can enable real time monitoring where this was not previously possible. For example, tracking the growth of Seagrass, which can consume carbon up to 35 times faster than rainforests, as well as increasing biodiversity and helping the food chain.   

Smart Meters have given the opportunity to monitor energy usage. We are now seeing the start of an extended smart grid, where Electric Vehicles form part of the solution in storing energy when production is cheaper (sun shining on Solar arrays, wind turning offshore wind farms). These all rely on reliable communications to provide consumers with choices on how to shift their energy usage.  

Inside buildings, coverage can sometimes be challenging. The recent techUK user guide has been developed to highlight the opportunities provided by Private Networks to help provide dense indoor coverage (for example in a factory or university campus) and enable low latency and high bandwidth applications outdoors (for example in ports and logistics facilities, water treatment plants etc).  The guide identifies the following opportunities through digital transformation: 

Increased productivity and efficiency: private networks can unlock intelligence for enterprise through sensory networks. Capturing data in real time, an operational model of a factory enables predictive maintenance, identifying fixes to reduce downtime and help reduce costs. 
Advanced applications: linking an advanced private network with cloud-based IT/OT infrastructure enables several digital applications and services to be unlocked. These include wide-area mobility for autonomous and remote-controlled operations, from smart manufacturing, the use of drones and autonomous vehicles, AI, machine vision, edge computing and augmented reality. 
Internet of Things: deploying a new ecosystem of connected IoT devices is more viable for businesses. IoT technology enables manufacturers to increase the number of sensors fitted to equipment, collect more data, and measure more variables. This data collection and analysis can enable necessary maintenance to be carried out in a scheduled way, reducing downtime and minimising the impact of repairs on a factory’s performance. IoT sensor technology can be used across multiple industry sectors. 

Safety: the mobility benefits of dedicated private networks mean increased worker safety, especially in challenging or hazardous environments, including ports, mines, and off-shore facilities. Bespoke connectivity solutions designed to operate in hazardous locations ensure radio and phone communication, help control bandwidth for worker communication and can integrate safety and maintenance apps into operational systems. 

So, what are you waiting for? The opportunities for transformation are all around us, and communication is no longer a barrier to what can be achieved. Let’s use our imagination to accelerate connectivity and drive change for good.

Want to find out more about CSG and how telco networks are evolving in 2022? Join them in discussion at this year’s live Connected Britain conference 

Also in the news:
UK telcos to face stricter cybersecurity obligations under new govt rules
Jio prepares to plough $25bn into 5G
VMO2 activates first open RAN sites in live network

The post Innovation in Action – Connectivity enables the step changes we all need  first appeared on Total Telecom.

News

As BT continues to expand and enhance its 5G network, its legacy equipment remains a challenge

In the summer of 2021, BT outlined a raft of ambitious targets for its mobile network, outlining how it would expand and modernise its infrastructure over the coming decade.

Chief among these goals was enabling customers to access 5G anywhere in the UK by 2028; converging the company’s fibre, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks by the mid-2020s; and integrating a 5G core by 2023.

Now, a little over one year later, BT has provided journalists with a progress report, with the company largely on track to hit its modernisation targets.

In a media session led by BT’s CTO Howard Watson and Neil McRae, the company’s Chief Architect, the pair said the company was well on its way towards its ‘5G anywhere’ target, having already reached their interim goal of covering half of the UK’s population with the new technology, a full year ahead of schedule.

Watson later explained that the company expected traditional 5G coverage to reach 90% ok the UK’s geography, with the remaining 10% covered by alternative methods, including fixed wireless access, LEO satellites (likely via their OneWeb partnership), and even High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS).

BT’s journey towards 5G standalone architecture is also progressing nicely, with the company’s new Ericsson 5G core already live and around a million customers already migrated to it, away from the older Huawei 4G core. According to Watson, the new 5G core will be “fully launched” by 2023.

On the topic of the new Ericsson core, Watson mentioned the ongoing work to remove Huawei equipment from BT’s network, saying that the company had performed a “significant volume of swaps”, moving over 3,000 RAN nodes to Ericsson or Nokia, with more work still to do.

He added that the company was on track to meet the July 2023 deadline the government has set to reduce the presence of Huawei in their RAN equipment to 35% or less.

But beyond the expansion and improvement of the company’s 5G network, it would appear that BT’s major focus is on the removal of legacy systems, a process that will not only save them a lot of money, but also energy.

Take BT’s 3G network, for example. According to Watson, 3G currently carries just 2.21% of the company’s total network traffic, but it is so inefficient that it still accounts for around a third of the company’s RAN power consumption.

This is nothing compared to the company’s PSTN (public switched telephone network), the shutdown of which will eliminate the need for around 4,500 buildings (i.e., exchanges).

“PSDN in the exchange is the size of a football pitch, but IP is just the size of a cabinet,” explained McRae, adding that both the 3G network and PSTN were both built at a time when sustainability was not a priority.

“None of this equipment has any form of power efficiency – zero,” he said. “We want to get away from that architecture to where the network automatically adjusts to the energy it actually needs.”

In total, BT suggests that removing legacy systems should eliminate 550 GWh of energy annually, around a fifth of the company’s current 2,400 GWh annual usage. It will also save them around £500 million by 2030, with the networks overall running cost reduced by 30%.

“One of our main objectives between now and the end of 2025 is to retire the majority of our legacy technology,” explained Watson. “Fundamentally, our focus and our vision is to get to the point where we have the vast majority of our strategic focus on 5G and Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP).”

The benefits for modernising the company’s network are clear to see, but convincing customers of this fact is a whole different challenge. BT has already faced public push-back earlier this year for its incremental shutdown of the PSTN and this is likely to increase further as the company begins gradually shifting its 12 million legacy customers to newer technologies.

While the BT remains on track to hit its targets so far, the company’s journey to remove decades of older equipment is sure to remain a major challenge.

 

How will 5G standalone impact the UK telecoms industry? Find out from the experts at this year’s live Connected Britain conference 

Also in the news:
UK telcos to face stricter cybersecurity obligations under new govt rules
Jio prepares to plough $25bn into 5G
VMO2 activates first open RAN sites in live network

The post Lasting legacy: Network modernisation could save BT £500m first appeared on Total Telecom.

Deloitte has reportedly highlighted a series of “unusual accounting practices” in broadband ISP TalkTalk’s as yet unpublished annual report, which the auditors suggest could – in a reasonable worst case scenario – only enable them to meet the covenants on theirs debt by excluding more “exceptional items” from everyday costs. The budget internet provider is […]

The CEO of BT’s Consumer division, Marc Allera, has revealed that the future of their low-cost phone and broadband ISP sub-brand, Plusnet, is under assessment. The move is understood to form part of their ongoing work to turn EE – over time – into their “flagship brand for our consumer customers“. The BT Group unveiled […]

The UK Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) has today begun inviting feedback to help them choose the shortlist for this year’s “Internet Hero” and “Internet Villain” category as part of their 2022 internet industry awards event, which is due to take place on the 24th November 2022 at the Landmark Hotel in London. Last year’s […]