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Rhode & Schwarz On-demand Webinar – Interference Hunting in a 5G world

Annie Turner
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Rhode & Schwarz On-demand Webinar – Interference Hunting in a 5G world

Interference Hunting continues to play a critical role in ensuring the quality and performance of mobile networks. But different from 4G/LTE, the emergence of TDD in the C-Band/band n78 and the general complexity of 5G deployments have created some new challenges when it comes to identifying and removing network interference. In addition, the emergence of private 5G networks for manufacturing, warehouses, ports, etc. brings forth new stakeholders with more demanding performance and quality requirements.

Join us for this 40 minute On-demand webinar, in which our Interference Hunting expert Peter Busch discusses these issues in addition to answering your specific questions on Interference Hunting in 5G networks.

www.rohde-schwarz.com/MNT

blog.mobile-network-testing.com

More consolidation in UK’s alt fibre networks as Cuckoo enters Gigabit nest

Annie Turner
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More consolidation in UK’s alt fibre networks as Cuckoo enters Gigabit nest

Giganet, launched just over a year ago to shake up the broadband market, claims to cover 9 million homes

Giganet has acquired Cuckoo, which has twice been voted the UK’s best broadband provider for customer service by MoneySavingExpert. The two say they will prioritise service and customer experience as the roll-out of full fibre accelerates. Both providers have criticised other suppliers for so-called loyalty taxes, whereby existing customers pay more than new ones, and mid-contract price hikes. They promise not to increase charges during a contract, with prices frozen until 2023. 

Cuckoo will become the main consumer brand for Giganet’s residential customers, while Giganet will continue as the brand for enterprise customers, a sector the firm is keen to expand.

Gigabit itself became part of Fern Trading in May 2021, and while previously Giganet had relied on the networks of BT’s access arm, Openreach, and CityFibre offer services, Fern Trading pumped £250 million into the business for it to build out its own fibre infrastructure as well. Gigabit started in the southern and south-western counties of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and West Sussex, with particular focus on local and rural communities, with an initial goal of passing 300,000 homes and businesses.

Fern Trading is in turn owned by Octopus Investments, which at the time of the Gigabit acquisition had invested in fibre networks in the UK via Jurassic Fibre in Devon, Swish Fibre (in which Fern Trading also invested £250 million and which operates in the south of England) and Vorboss, which offers fibre to big firms and business premises in London. 

Alexander Fitzgerald, CEO, Cuckoo stated, “Cuckoo’s expertise lies in building brilliant customer experiences…Giganet are experts in building and running networks. Together we will deliver faster, cheaper, and better broadband for millions. And we’re only just getting started.” 

EC seeks concrete proof about the cost of carrying streaming video

Annie Turner
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0
EC seeks concrete proof about the cost of carrying streaming video

The legislative arm of the European Union is reportedly drafting a questionnaire for network operators

The European Commission (EC) wants telcos to provide evidence that streaming service firms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney +, YouTube and others should have to contribute to the cost of carrying their traffic.

According to Bloomberg, it is drawing up a questionnaire for network operators to establish proof of how the volume of streaming traffic has increased since 2019 and to determine the cost to telcos of carrying it

Bloomberg says it has seen a draft of the questionnaire, which includes asking streaming companies to “describe their relationships” with operators and service providers in an attempt to see if there are “market failure” in the sector.

Reports on reports

In May, Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, said that she was considering imposing capex contributions from the handful of streaming giants that collectively generate most of the traffic on operators’ networks. This was in the wake of a controversial report from ETNO, Europe’s internet ecosystem: socio-economic benefits of a fairer balance between tech giants and telecom operators, which, among others, was criticised by 34 human rights organisations.

The EU has returned to the vexed issue of how and if regulations could be put in place that requires streaming companies to pay a “fair share” of the costs incurred by the telcos the cost of constantly being obliged to increase network capacity, including the massive investment in 5G. The idea is any monies levied on the streaming giants would be reinvested in infrastructure.

However, until now the EU has backed away from taking such steps because of the thorny issue of net neutrality – the notion that all traffic should be treated the same, regardless of its origin, to avoid discrimination and suppression.

Differences of opinion

In the meantime, various European countries have developed, or are in the process of developing, their own thinking. Germany and The Netherlands want the EC to wait until publication of a report by BEREC (The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications) which is expected to analyse the state of the market and propose solutions.

In contrast, France and Italy want the EC to draft a proposal immediately to make the streaming companies pay towards the cost of carrying their content.

They will be disappointed: the European Commission is not expected to have reached conclusions from the questionnaires it proposes to send out before early 2023, and most likely it will be even later.

Let TIM and Open Fiber consolidate or Italy will stagnate – Innovation Minister

Nick Booth
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Let TIM and Open Fiber consolidate or Italy will stagnate – Innovation Minister

Paradox of competition policy that poleaxes competition

Italy could benefit from a stronger national telecoms network by merging Telecom Italia (TIM) and Open Fiber assets without compromising fair competition, Innovation Minister Vittorio Colao said on Saturday.

“What we’re keen on is a national telecoms infrastructure ensuring great performance and quality,” Colao told Italian think-tank the Ambrosetti Business Forum on Saturday. “If this were to happen by combining parts of Telecom (Italia) with Open Fiber, that’s welcome as long as competition is preserved,” Colao told Competition Policy International.

Former Vodafone UK head Colao said he was worried that lowering returns on investments have neutralised the creative capacity of Italy and Europe in the past few years. Italy’s broadband performance has lagged that of many of its fellow European Union (EU) countries.

Colao confirmed that Italy, Spain and France have called for the European Commission to create legislation that holds Big Tech firms to account. In 2021 six content publishers accounted for 57% of the traffic on Global networks, according to Sandvine. In November 2021, thirteen of Europe’s biggest mobile operators, including Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and Orange, issued a joint statement calling on Google, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Microsoft and Twitter to be compelled to make a bigger contribution to the $60 billion funding needed to create the infrastructure they dominate. 

Qatar Central Bank gives Vodafone and Ooredoo license to digitise money

Nick Booth
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Qatar Central Bank gives Vodafone and Ooredoo license to digitise money

Joining the line up for the World Cup tourist boom

Vodafone Qatar’s iPay and Ooredoo’s Ooredoo Money can now support mobile payment systems under the supervision of Qatar Central Bank’s (QCB) the FIFA World Cup Host begins to embrace digital culture.

This is a radical move, reports Coin Geek, because the government has previously banned digital assets and that particular aspect of the law has not been relaxed. By issuing the first pair of permits though the central bank could be opening the door to more mobile payment service providers. 

The QCB said the move should stimulate the growth of the financial technology sector and widen financial inclusion with approval for other digital payment service providers set to follow. The approval is part of the country’s preparation to host one of the biggest sporting events, the FIFA World Cup, in November this year. Qatar has been enlisting more payment systems for the host of tourists that it intends to accommodate. 

Last week, QCB announced that it had approved several commercial banks to support Google Wallet, allowing their clients to make mobile payments with Google Pay. The banks include Dukhan Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Qatar International Islamic Bank, and Qatar National Bank. Similarly, QCB also now accepts all digital wallet solutions for cards, such as Samsung Pay and Apple Pay. 

While it is pushing to welcome digital payments, Qatar has been enforcing a ban on digital assets trading and storage since 2020, as have other countries in the region, namely Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco and Tunisia. In June 2021 Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud , CEO of sovereign wealth fund for Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) told Bloomberg that Qatar still has no interest in digital currencies and it would concentrate its investments on blockchain. QCB Governor H.E. Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al Thani has dismissed digital assets as “too risky and volatile”. 

Instead QCB is working on a central bank digital currency (CBDC) which it hopes will help digitise payments further. First disclosed in March, the QCB said in a June progress update that the development of the digital currency was still in the “foundation stage.” The central bank governor said the QCB was still exploring the pros and cons of issuing a CBDC while looking at the right technology and platform to launch it.

Global satellite IoT subscriber base to reach 21.2 million by 2026

Annie Turner
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Global satellite IoT subscriber base to reach 21.2 million by 2026

Berg Insight’s new research predicts a compound annual growth rate of 40.3%

The new research report from specialist IoT analyst Berg Insight states that the global satellite IoT communications market is growing at a good steady pace.
 
Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the surpassed 3.9 million in 2021 and is set to grow at a CAGR of 40.3% to reach 21.2 million units in 2026.
 
“The terrestrial technologies will grow in importance in the next five years and collaborations between satellite operators and mobile operators exploring new hybrid satellite-terrestrial connectivity opportunities such as the recent T-Mobile/SpaceX agreement will become common,” concludes Johan Fagerberg, Principal Analyst at Berg Insight.
 
The report points out that only about 10% of the Earth’s surface has access to terrestrial connectivity services so there is a massive opportunity for satellite IoT communications to complement terrestrial cellular and non-cellular networks in remote locations.
 
They are especially useful for applications in agriculture, asset tracking, maritime and intermodal transportation, oil and gas industry exploration, utilities, construction and governments.
 
Crowded out there
Both incumbent satellite operators and more than two dozen new initiatives are betting on the IoT connectivity market, according to the report which covers 44 satellite IoT operators. “Iridium, Orbcomm, Inmarsat and Globalstar are the largest satellite IoT network operators today”, says Fagerberg. Iridium grew its subscriber base by 21% in the last year and reached the number one spot serving 1.3 million subscribers.
 
Originally a dedicated satellite operator, Orbcomm has transitioned into an end-to-end solution provider, delivering services on its own satellite network as well as being a reseller partner of Inmarsat and others. At the end of 2021, the company had 1.1 million satellite IoT subscribers on its own and Inmarsat’s networks.
 
At the same time Globalstar reached 0.42 million subscribers. Other players with connections in the tens of thousands include for instance Kineis in France and Thuraya in the UAE.
 
New kids on the spatial block
In addition to the incumbent satellite operators a number of new initiatives have appeared on the market recently, such as Astrocast, AST SpaceMobile, CASC/CASIC, E-Space, Fleet Space Technologies, Hubble Network, Kepler Communications, Kineis, Ligado Networks, Lynk, Myriota, Omnispace, Skylo, Swarm Technologies (SpaceX) and Totum.
 
Many of them are based low-earth orbit nano satellites. Although some rely on proprietary connectivity technologies to support IoT devices, several are starting to leverage terrestrial wireless IoT connectivity technologies.
 
Those that use 3GPP 4G/5G technologies include:
• OQ Technology,
• AST SpaceMobile
• Omnispace
• Sateliot
• Galaxy Space
• Ligado Networks
• Lynk,
• Skylo
• Starlink.
 
The following run LoRaWAN:
• EchoStar Mobile
• Fossa Systems
• Lacuna Space
• Eutelsat.
 
The Hubble Network offers Bluetooth and Eutelsat also supports Sigfox.  

Find out more about the report here.


 

Ericsson Radio 6646 to resolve mobile operator power struggle

Nick Booth
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Ericsson Radio 6646 to resolve mobile operator power struggle

New slim triple-band, tri-sector 5G radio does work of nine

Ericsson has created a new triple-band, tri-sector radio that can do the job of nine of its peers, promising stronger signals for a fraction of the cost. The Radio 6646 needs 40% less power than triple-band single-sector radios and, with its light aluminium composition, occupies only 60% of their footprint. According to Ericsson, the signals cover a broader spectrum and are broadcast more powerfully. As electricity becomes a massive issue for mobile operators, mobile operators will struggle to power masts says Ericsson.

The new radio design packs 900, 800, and 700MHz frequency bands into one compact 2G to 5G-capable radio. As mobile operators seek sustainable systems, the Radio 6646’s low-band spectrum broadens the 5G coverage and mid-band (3.5GHz) performance while using less power. This cut in energy usage is the equivalent to charging 40 electric cars, says Ericsson. 

The 60% weight-loss in the new triple-band, tri-sector radio will makes installations a lot saving time on fitting them, money on tower rental space and lowering the electricity bill. Since one Radio 6646 can do the job of nine single-band radios, those savings could be significant.

“The footprint and [low] energy consumption will be a powerful driver for 5G, and we look forward to the first deployments in Spain,” said Vicente Abad, RAN Technology and Support Manager at Telefonica Spain.

A radio with a wider spectrum, a smaller footprint and an easy-to-install form factor is an engineer’s dream, according to David Hammarwall, Head of Product Area Networks at Ericsson.  “This will simplify deployments and extend 5G coverage. Service providers can scale up 5G Standalone deployments with new applications for consumers, enterprises, and mission-critical communications,” said Hammarwall.

Radio 6646 will expand the wide-area reach, outside-in coverage from rooftops and towers to indoor locations such as offices, basements, stores, and homes. It will also increase the capacity of 5G networks, especially when combined with mid-band TDD over Carrier Aggregation and 5G Standalone (5G SA).

The new radio also supports the 700MHz band, which is expected to be one of the key spectrums for 5G SA deployments, where low bands extend the performance and reach of mid-band TDD. With three low bands combined, Radio 6646 will enhance both outdoor and indoor coverage for all mobile generations – 2G to 5G – as well as IoT. The frequencies are widely supported by devices and provide immense potential to increase growth of 5G services.

Vodacom opens Tanzania’s first 5G network

Nick Booth
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Vodacom opens Tanzania’s first 5G network

Set to broadcast from Arusha to Zanzibar

Vodacom Tanzania has launched the first ever 5G mobile network in the country. The new non-standalone 5G service will bless the 63 million people of the country with higher speeds, lower latency and exciting new opportunities in a country in which the average age is 18 and 37% of the population lives in an urban environment. The Vodafone Group subsidiary will deploy in multiple sites in Dar es Salaam with a target to expand 5G technology to approximately 230 locations in the country, including Arusha, Dodoma, Mwanza, Iringa, Kagera, Zanzibar, Mbeya and others.

The network will be available for fixed network customers through Vodacom’s 5G routers, and for smartphone users with 5G capable devices. Customers can expect to enjoy speeds of up to 400 Mbps, with plans to offer more than 800 Mbps in the coming months. Vodacom expects the network to achieve speeds of up to 1 Gbps once the 5G spectrum is made fully available. Vodacom’s CEO said this could stimulate growth in places that could use emerging technologies, like the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, as they present themselves in Tanzania.

“We are excited to unveil the latest generation of mobile and internet technology that has brought digital transformation to the world and today it is available here in Tanzania through the Vodacom network,” said Hilda Bujiku, Acting MD for Vodacom Tanzania, “This marks a very important milestone for us as a nation towards technological advancement.”

The 5G network will be available to Vodacom Tanzania’s retail and enterprise customers and Bujiku encouraged them to start exploring new opportunities that 5G provides. Customers with 5G-capable devices can expect data at 400 Megabits per second, with plans to offer more than 800 Mbps speeds in the coming months. Speeds of 1 Gbps will be achievable once the 5G spectrum is fully available, says Vodacom.

“Having been first to launch 5G in Africa, this is an exciting milestone in Vodacom’s history,” said Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub. “We are bringing the continent closer to the global digital economy. [Credit to] the Tanzanian team for bringing us one step closer to an inclusive, fully digitised future for all Africans.”

Nape Nnauye, the Tanzania Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Parliament of Tanzania appearing at the launch event as a hologram. “I congratulate Vodacom for paving the way for digital transformation in Tanzania. The government fully supports this breakthrough because we know technology has the power to transform lives and help the country achieve SDG targets in areas such as health, agriculture, energy, logistics. I call on entrepreneurs, businesses, innovators, and ministries to tap into this 5G network and transform this nation. The government pledges its support to you.”

Nokia’s backhaul boost for Austria’s Energie Telekom has 10TB optics

Nick Booth
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Nokia’s backhaul boost for Austria’s Energie Telekom has 10TB optics

Photonic engines to zoom data from homes to hubs

Austrian utility and infrastructure company Energie Oberösterreich has commissioned Nokia to build an optical transport network across 18 sites in Upper Austria after its telecom subsidiary became a victim of its own success. The telco division of the utility runs a fibre to the home service that has become so popular that the infrastructure needs an upgrade as traffic reaches 6 Terabits per second.

A networking subsidiary of Energie AG, Energie AG Telekom, runs a 7000 kilometre fibre optic network that can carry up to 6.4 Terabits per second of aggregated traffic but the workload is beginning to build now that consumers have discovered the potential services available to them. The new transport network can be scaled to tens of Terabits per second which, says Nokia in a release, will give Energie AG with ‘plenty of room’ to cater for growing demand.

“Investing in an optical transport network [could] vastly improve our customers’ experience as we continue to broaden our customer base,” said Energie AG Oberösterreich CEO Werner Steinecker. Energie AG will use the network to backhaul traffic from Fibre to the Home (FTTH) nodes in regional sites to two central sites. The installation of Photonic Service Switches (1830 PSS) and configuration of Photonic Service Engine (PSE) with Nokia network service software automation suite began in late August.

The Energie AG Oberösterreich group comprises subsidiaries and holdings that are active in multiple energy sectors, including electricity, natural gas and heating. It also runs waste disposal and water management services. The past two years have proved that omnipresent fibre is a key economic factor for any country, according to Patrick Langelaan, Nokia’s VP of Enterprise CBT Europe South. “Local and regional comms service providers can play an important role in providing this ultra-fast connectivity,” said Langelaan.

Eutelsat Konnect beams broadband to Europe at 500 Gbps from September 6th

Nick Booth
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Eutelsat Konnect beams broadband to Europe at 500 Gbps from September 6th

Thales rocket launches very high throughout satellite

Eutelsat aims to provide high-speed internet access throughout Europe, ‘even in isolated regions reports Spacewatch Global with the help of the mission with he help of a new VHTS (Very High Throughput Satellite) being launched next week (weather permitting.)

Rocket launching specialist Arianespace will propel Eutelsat’s Konnect VHTS telecoms satellite into the thermosphere on 6th September. The orbiting comms broadcasting system was built by Thales Alenia Space and will travel aboard a rocket, the Ariane 5, built by Arianespace. Konnect will be the 37th satellite launched by Arianespace for Eutelsat, since the companies started cooperating in 1983.

The 500-Gbps satellite, will provide high-speed internet access to low coverage areas in Europe as well. In terms of performance and cost, the Konnect VHTS offers a service comparable to fiberoptic networks. The spacecraft will also address the connectivity needs of telecommunications networks on land, sea and in the air, said the company.

The Thales Alenia-built Konnect VHTS carries a cutting-edge payload comprising the most powerful digital processor in the world. The technology combines agile capacity allocation, optimized spectrum use and support, and gradual network coverage deployment.

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