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Sky Mobile finally launches in Ireland 

Simon Dux
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Sky Mobile finally launches in Ireland 

The MVNO first announced it would launch in 2022 for a 2023 start, with Vodafone providing the network 

Sky Mobile has officially launched in Ireland and introduced a ‘Price for Life’ launch plan including Unlimited calls, texts and 5G data for €15 – meaning customers will pay €15 per month, for life. The MVNO also offers a 10GB plan from €10, for customers who don’t want or need an unlimited plan. The operator is planning to offer a combination of sim-only and device-based offerings. Using Vodafone’s network, Sky Mobile will provide over 99% 4G coverage and 5G coverage across the country along with 4G Calling, all of which are included as standard in Sky Mobile’s plan. 

In March 2022, Sky Ireland originally announced launch Sky Mobile in 2023 after partnering Vodafone and the only difference to that announcement is the inclusion of 5G in the packages. The delay is perhaps unsurprising given that Sky’s launch is the first new MVNO to launch in Ireland for close to a decade. The operator joins An Post and Clear Mobile on Vodafone’s wholesale network although the latter MVNO is owned by Vodafone.  

As a result of Sky’s announcement An Post announced it was extending its €12.99 mobile plan until 31 October. That plan includes 50GB of data and 500 any-network minutes, in addition to 100 minutes and 100 texts with other An Post Mobile customers, as well as 25GB and 250 minutes EU & UK roaming – all “locked in for life”.  

Sky is launching with a selection of handsets from Samsung, Xiaomi and HMD – together with a range of sim-only plans and the MVNO made several promises which it hopes will entice users to consider bundling mobile with its pay TV offers or take directly.  

Promises promises 

The first promise is if a customer takes a handset from Sky Mobile, their bills will be split between the handset and airtime costs – and once the handset is paid for, their bill will automatically reduce by the handset amount, meaning customers will never continue paying for a handset, after it has been paid for. 

The second is the ability to change data plans whenever a user needs to, through the ‘My Sky’ app. Sky Mobile customers will also be able to swap their handsets for the latest model a year before their phone contract ends, at no extra cost. Sky Mobile said customers can expect “more value” from their mobile plan, like sharing data with family and friends, discounts on handsets and rewards, including return European flights or cinema tickets. 

“Our launch plan for customers is Unlimited calls, texts and 5G data for €15 and that price is for life,” said Sky CEO JD Buckley. “Our Sky Mobile proposition has been built with our customers at its core – providing a service that is fair, flexible and transparent. We believe Irish mobile consumers deserve better than what is currently in the market, and we have launched Sky Mobile to fill that gap.”  

Sky Mobile customers who purchase handsets will have the option to pay for their handsets fully upfront or using a Credit Sale Agreement to pay for it over 24 or 36 months, with 0% APR. The MVNO said customers will also have access to worldwide roaming services, available in over 150 countries and Sky Mobile’s Roam Like Home service will be available in 44 countries including the UK and EU.  

The MVNO reckons it’s onto a winner with splitting customer’s bills between their airtime plan and handset costs. “Our research has told us that when customers come to the end of their contract with some of the other operators in the Irish market, they continue to pay more than necessary, because they are still being charged for a handset that they have already paid for,” said Sky Mobile director Aideen Chambers. 

“Our research tells us that over 300,000 customers in the market are significantly overpaying on their mobile bill. With Sky Mobile, this won’t happen. Once your handset has been paid for, your bill will automatically reduce, and you will only pay for your airtime,” she added.  

Reducing Operational Telecom Expenses Through AI Systems | White paper by COMARCH

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Reducing Operational Telecom Expenses Through AI Systems | White paper by COMARCH

Enter the Industrial Metaverse and Discover New Opportunities for 5G Monetization

There is an abundance of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions on the market, but how do you choose the ones that provide real value to your telecom business? Read the latest Comarch white paper, “Reducing Operational Expenses Through AI Systems,” to get comprehensive knowledge of the transformative role of AI and ML in enhancing the operational efficiency of communication service providers and how to incorporate this technology wisely. Discover the value of automating processes for managing complex telecommunications infrastructures, optimizing manual work, and improving service providers’ profit-to-expense ratio. Reduce operational expenses by handling tasks such as payment matching, invoice prediction, and generating traffic models for better network management.

The white paper explains how to adopt novel AI/ML-based solutions to maintain a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving telecommunications industry. Traditional automation methods, limited by inflexible rules, are being replaced by AI-driven systems capable of dynamic adaptation, offering solutions to challenges like inaccurate data interpretation and insufficient predictive capabilities. AI’s introduction into customer service, billing, and network management promises enhanced business and technical processes by automating labor-intensive tasks and enabling a more in-depth analysis of network performance.

Explore Comarch’s insights into optimizing labor-intensive processes with AI/ML techniques and its ability to adapt and implement modifications in the network as necessary, ensuring operational efficiency and alignment with your business’s strategic goals.

Download your free copy of the “Reducing Operational Expenses Through AI Systems” white paper and learn how to make smart choices for the AI revolution.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Apple and Google take AI battle to the consumer

Annie Turner
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Apple and Google take AI battle to the consumer

Apple Intelligence generated the most interest at the Glow Time event yesterday, but it still lags Google – and meanwhile, both suffer setbacks in Europe’s highest court

Yesterday Apple launched the iPhone 16 series of phones with embedded Apple Intelligence, plus the Watch 10 series and AirPods4.

Anisha Bhatia, Senior Technology Analyst at GlobalData, commented, “Apple Intelligence…stole the show at the event in Cupertino, marking a milestone for the tech giant. The new phone series is Apple’s first to be engineered from inception to fully integrate on-device…AI capabilities and includes its latest A18 series of chipsets.”

Taxing times in Europe

Apple Intelligence features including improved Siri, writing aids, Mail and notification summaries are to launch next month in US English. They will be rolled out in “localised English” in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa in December. Chinese, Japanese, French and Spanish are to follow next year.

However, Apple has already had to delay launching three new AI features in Europe until 2025, namely Phone Mirroring, better SharePlay Screen Sharing enhancements and Apple Intelligence due to regulatory uncertainties.

The European Commission is concerned about whether App Store rules breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This is because they prevent app developers from freely steering consumers to alternative channels for offers and content. Apple repeated its mantra that the EU’s regulations would force it to compromise its devices’ security.

We await developments DMA developments in Europe (the Verge’s coverage of this is well worth reading), but with exquisite timing, the European Union’s highest court, the European Court of Justice (ECJ), has ruled that Apple must pay €13 billion in back taxes.

The ruling relates to a case brought in 2016 by the Union’s Competition Commissioner, Margrethe Vestager. Ireland was accused of giving Apple a favourable deal that was illegal, in effect charging the company taxes of below 1%. The decision was overruled by an intermediate court in 2020, but the original decision has now been reinstated, meaning that Ireland is obliged to recover “the unlawful aid” it granted to Apple.

Late to the party

European regulation or no, Apple is very much viewed as playing catch-up. There was feverish anticipation about how Apple Intelligence (“AI for the rest of us”) would translate into products after it was announced by Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024, also in June.

 Bhatia notes, “Apple was the last major OEM to integrate AI into its devices…Apple Intelligence will focus on language, image, and action generation, drawing upon the personal context and will be supported by various on-device generative models. These models will dynamically learn from and adapt to individual users.

“The integration of this technology into Apple’s ecosystem will occur in a phased manner over the next few years. Meanwhile, Google will race ahead taking its Gemini AI models to 200 million Android devices by the end of 2024.”

Bhatia also points out that, “Google is…intensifying its focus on hardware, as evidenced by its expansion into retail with the opening of new stores in Boston, Chicago, and Santa Monica to enhance its presence in the consumer hardware sector, an area where it has previously shown modest results.”

She says Google is investing “substantial marketing resources” to highlight its AI capabilities and strategically “positioning itself as a frontrunner in the AI-driven consumer technology arena”.

Still, Apple can match just about anybody’s financial resources and already has an established and iconic retail chain with more than 530 shops in 27 regions around the world. Consequently, as Bhatia states, it “is well-equipped to promote its AI initiatives and showcase the power of on-device intelligence to consumers.

Nevertheless, “The upcoming iPhone cycle is crucial for Apple after multiple years of lacklustre sales, especially in China, regulatory scrutiny, and a loss in market cap to Microsoft and Nvidia on the strength of their AI business. Apple will have to upsell its AI significantly,” she concludes.

Google loses landmark European case

Meanwhile, Google too is in hot water with the authorities in Brussels. In a separate ruling, the ECJ found the search company had abused its market power by ranking its own shopping services above those of rivals, thereby giving itself “illegal and unfair advantage”. Google will now have to pay a fine of €2.4 billion.

It is possible that neither Apple nor Google will mourn the end of Vestager’s decade-long stint as Competition Commissioner which is expected to draw to a close this autumn.

Infosys, Proximus collaborate to boost new business opps and CX

Annie Turner
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Infosys, Proximus collaborate to boost new business opps and CX

Their joint offers will be available to both companies’ customers and based on Proximus’ digital identity and Communications Platform-as-a-Service solutions

Belgium’s Proximus and Infosys have entered into a strategic collaboration to jointly develop new services based on products from Proximus’ international affiliates. They include Route Mobile’s Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) and Telesign’s Digital Identity (DI) solutions.

The plan is to improve omnichannel customer engagement by combining the products with Infosys’ digital services, including AI-driven digital assistants. Digital security will be strengthened through DI and fraud protection. The solutions will be offered to both companies’ customer bases and Infosys prides itself on its global reach.

“This partnership with Infosys will make it easier for enterprises to integrate our digital identity portfolio into their fraud prevention and engagement platforms to deliver the highest levels of trust to their end users,” Christophe Van de Weyer. CEO at Telesign, explained. “It supports Proximus Group’s ambition to become a worldwide leader in digital communications by enabling trustworthy engagements globally.”

Global reach

Antonietta Mastroianni, Digital and IT Lead at Proximus Group (pictured), said, “By leveraging Infosys’ global reach and our expertise in CPaaS and DI Solutions, the collaboration will drive innovation and deliver superior customer experiences for our joint customers. We are confident that our mutual deep expertise and proven track record will be instrumental in this two-way partnership.

Rajdip Gupta, CEO of Route Mobile, stressed how the partnership “proves that Proximus Group is on track to realize its international growth ambition and is unlocking significant synergies through collaboration of its international affiliates BICS, Telesign and Route Mobile.”

Juniper predicts direct-to-device market worth $2.8bn over next 5 years

Annie Turner
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Juniper predicts direct-to-device market worth $2.8bn over next 5 years

It expects that commercial services will be launched next year but thinks operators will struggle to make a return on their investment in the associated infra

A new study by Juniper Research predicts the first year of commercial direct-to-cell services will be 2025, generating $30 million in revenue globally.

Direct-to-device (or -cell) services support cellular connections to network services directly from satellites in orbit, enabled by satellite-capable radios in devices and partnerships with satellite network operators.

Monetisation matters

However, Juniper forecasts this will grow rapidly and generate almost $1.7 billion by 2029. Despite this 8,000% growth, the study predicts that operators will face challenges in securing a return on their substantial investment in building direct-to-cell networks. (See also this analysis which explores the problems operators’ face from multiple satellite service providers and the lack of a standardised approach.)

The study identified two key challenges in maximising return on investment. The first is the low cost of low-power IoT connections. Juniper says demand for the services is coming from the need for connectivity and remote monitoring for nomadic industries, such as maritime.

Hence the report predicts that low-power connections will represent the most prominent use case for direct-to-cell. However, these connections will generate an average of less than $2.00 per month.

Commoditisation

The second challenge is the commoditisation of mobile connectivity. The study also predicts that operators will struggle to convince mobile subscribers to adopt an additional subscription for direct-to-cell services on top of their ordinary packages.

To overcome this, Juniper urges operators to focus on tailoring direct-to-cell services to nomadic travellers and remote subscribers.

The study’s author, Sam Barker said, “Operators must promote the substantial coverage their direct-to-cell networks serve and apply premium pricing for data-intensive connections for broadband and consumer use cases. This will attract users of profitable direct-to-cell services, such as mobile broadband and smartphone subscriptions.”

An extract from the new report, Global Direct-to-Cell Market 2024-2029, is available as a free download.

GSMA appoints Vivek Badrinath as Director General 

Annie Turner
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GSMA appoints Vivek Badrinath as Director General 

He will assume the role on 1 April next year, taking over from Mats Granyrd who will become Special Advisor to the board for the rest of 2025

Vivek Badrinath will become the next Director General of the GSMA from 1 April 2025, replacing Mats Granyrd who has been in the role since January 2016. Granyrd announced he would step down after MWC 2025 earlier this year. In the event, he will stay in post until the end of March next year.

Badrinath was CEO and Chair of the management board of Vantage Towers (spun out of Vodafone Group) from its inception in April 2020 until May 2023.

Prior to that, in 2016, he became Regional CEO of Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific at Vodafone and a member of Vodafone’s Executive Committee. During this time he was also a non-exec director at the GSMA representing Vodafone as well as chair of the Association’s policy committee.

Before Vodafone, Badrinath held key positions at Orange, culminating in his appointment as Deputy CEO, Innovation, Marketing, and Technology, where, “he played a crucial part in driving digital transformation, expanding market reach and improving customer experience”. From there he did a two-year, eight month stint at Nokia as a non-exec director and then spent almost five years at the Accor hospitality group.

Proud and honoured

Badrinath said in a press statement, “I’m proud and honoured to be joining the GSMA at such an exciting time in the industry’s development. I look forward to working with the GSMA board, its members, and the leadership team to extend and amplify the positive impact of the mobile ecosystem for people, industry and society globally.”

José María Álvarez-Pallete López, Chairman of the GSMA and CEO of Telefonica group, said, “I am delighted to announce Vivek Badrinath’s appointment. During our selection process it was clear that Vivek’s deep understanding of the industry and its potential make him the ideal individual to lead the GSMA into the next phase of its evolution.

“I am confident that Vivek will work, together with the Board and our excellent GSMA Leadership Team, to drive change and innovation, creating value for both the industry and society.”

Interesting times: US regulators probe possible abuse of AI market power

Annie Turner
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Interesting times: US regulators probe possible abuse of AI market power

End of the AI goldrush? WSJ says NVIDIA and others contacted by the Department of Justice – NVIDIA’s market cap already down almost $0.5 trillion in the last few days

As has been noted, when troubles come, many seem to arrive at once. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ – subscription needed) reported on Sunday that American regulators are “intervening early” to explore whether a handful of big techcos are using their position to dominate the AI market.

The companies concerned, according to the report, include the chip maker NVIDIA which is said to “own” more than 80% of the AI market. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) apparently wants to discuss the terms of its contracts and partnerships.

The paper’s unnamed sources say the probe is at an early stage and the chip maker is not under subpoena to provide internal documents.

The latest reported probe is against a backdrop of an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) into Generative AI investments by the likes of Big Tech companies such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft, and their partnerships. It was launched in January.

Cheaper access to AI chips in China

More trouble could be heading NVIDIA’s way too. On Friday, the UK’s Financial Times [subscription required] published an article pointing out that it is cheaper to rent cloud services that use NVIDIA’s AI chips in China than it is in the US.

The newspaper said this is “a sign that the advanced processors are easily reaching the Chinese market despite Washington’s export restrictions”. It cited a specific example where the cost was 40% less than in the US.

Wider consequences

A blog that appeared yesterday on the investment site, The Motley Fool, noted, “The chipmaker’s stock is down about 15% since it reported second-quarter earnings [which exceeded expectations] on Aug. 28. That’s nearly half-a-trillion dollars – $470 billion – in market capitalization wiped out in a week. It’s an incredible amount. There are only 15 companies on the planet with a market cap that exceeds what the company lost in a week. That shows just how big Nvidia is.”

Which is the trouble – the knock-on effect is huge. The hype around AI has done much to mask just how badly much of the rest of the wider tech sector is faring. Many have not picked up since landing in the doldrums in 2022.

During that year the NASDAQ Composite lost almost third of its value. Even now, many companies are still recovering from the excessive hiring and spending on equipment during the pandemic. For some this has been exacerbated as investment has been redirected into AI.

Today The Financial Times commented, “Investor exuberance around AI-focused companies has faded since the early summer, leading many commentators to predict a prolonged rotation of investor attention away from Big Tech stocks towards sectors such as financial services and industrials.”

As the curse goes, “May you live in interesting times”.

EU, UK and US sign first global, binding treaty on AI safeguards

Annie Turner
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EU, UK and US sign first global, binding treaty on AI safeguards

The European Council says its Framework is to ensure “the use of AI systems is fully consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law”

The European Union (EU), UK and US are some of the signatories of the world’s first treaty on AI safeguards. The Council of Europe describes its Framework Convention on artificial intelligence and human rights, democracy, and the rule of law as “the first-ever international legally binding treaty aimed at ensuring that the use of AI systems is fully consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law.”

The treaty was offered for signature on 5 September at a conference of the Council of Europe Ministers of Justice in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was signed by Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Norway, the Republic of Moldova and San Marino, as well as the EU, UK and US.

Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, stated, “We must ensure that the rise of AI upholds our standards, rather than undermining them. The Framework Convention is designed to ensure just that. It is a strong and balanced text – the result of the open and inclusive approach by which it was drafted and which ensured that it benefits from multiple and expert perspectives.

“The Framework Convention is an open treaty with a potentially global reach. I hope that these will be the first of many signatures and that they will be followed quickly by ratifications, so that the treaty can enter into force as soon as possible.”

The Council also said that the treaty “provides a legal framework covering the entire lifecycle of AI systems. It promotes AI progress and innovation, while managing the risks it may pose to human rights, democracy and the rule of law. To stand the test of time, it is technology neutral.” 

The Framework Convention was adopted by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers on 17 May 2024. The 46 Council of Europe member states, the European Union and 11 non-member states (Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, the Holy See, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Peru, the US and Uruguay) negotiated the treaty. Representatives of the private sector, civil society and academia contributed as observers.

The treaty will enter into force “on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the date on which five signatories, including at least three Council of Europe member states, have ratified it. Countries from all over the world will be eligible to join it and commit to complying with its provisions”.

RAN automation becomes an operator opex imperative 

Simon Dux
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RAN automation becomes an operator opex imperative 

China Mobile has said it will reach L4 (high autonomous network) by 2025 and as other operators follow, the shift in RAN spend is underway

Analysts have continued to signal a slowdown in RAN equipment spend as operators slow down their investment in 5G rollouts with the cutbacks impacting several market segments, the most recent being microwave backhaul/fronthaul.  

However, some of the telco spend has also shifted to driving opex down, which is manifesting in investment in more RAN automation. It is easy to see why. According to Ericsson, operator opex could double over the next five years without more automation across deployment and management and operations, just to support the MBB-driven changes.  

As Dell’Oro pointed out last year, while greenfield networks are clearly moving toward new architectures that are more automation-conducive, brownfield operators – i.e. most of the operators – today falls somewhere between L2 (partial autonomous network) and L3 (conditional autonomous network), with some way to go before reaching L4 (high autonomous network) and L5 (full autonomous network) – as per the TMF’s network categorisations.  

SNS Telecom & IT’s latest research report indicates that global spending on Open RAN automation software and services will reach nearly $700 million by the end of 2027. SNS believes operators are being driven by the chance to defer avoidable capex, minimise energy consumption and rebalance their opex-to-revenue ratios.  

Setting the scene  

The RAN automation market, which began with the introduction of Self-Organizing Network (SON) technology during the LTE era, is undergoing significant evolution. Initially aimed at simplifying cellular networks through self-configuration, optimisation, and healing, SON has seen limited adoption, with only a third of mobile operators employing its centralised (C-SON) form due to challenges like interoperability and scalability. However, the industry’s move towards open interfaces and virtualisation is driving a shift towards Open RAN automation, incorporating standards-based components such as RAN Intelligent Controllers (RICs) and advanced applications that enhance network programmability. 

Energy efficiency has also emerged as a key focus, particularly in the 5G era with its higher radio density. Operators are utilising AI-driven automation to balance network loads and reduce power consumption, with companies like NTT Docomo and Rakuten Mobile reporting significant energy savings. Open RAN automation is also expanding globally, with operators like AT&T, Swisscom, and Vodafone integrating new platforms to future-proof their networks. 

SNS expects investment in Open RAN automation – as opposed to the overall RAN market – to surge, with global spending projected to grow at over 125% annually between 2024 and 2027, as operators address technical hurdles and scale their automation initiatives. This will go on RIC, SMO and x/rApps, alongside the second wave of Open RAN infrastructure rollouts by brownfield operators. 

The Open RAN automation market will eventually account for nearly $700 million in annual investments by the end of 2027, according to SNS, as standardisation gaps and technical challenges in terms of the SMO-to-Non-RT RIC interface, application portability across RIC platforms and conflict mitigation between x/rApps are ironed out. 

The analyst firms believes this transition signals a broader transformation in the RAN automation market, anticipated to grow by 8% annually over the same period. This wider market for RAN automation software and services includes Open RAN automation, RAN vendor SON solutions, third party C-SON platforms, baseband-integrated intelligent RAN applications, RAN planning and optimisation software, and test/measurement solutions. 

Overcoming shortcomings 

The shortcomings of the traditional D-SON and C-SON approach, together with the cellular industry’s shift towards open interfaces, common information models, virtualisation and software-driven networking, are driving a transition to Open RAN automation with standards-based components that enable greater levels of RAN programmability and automation. 

SNS said the Open RAN automation movement is stimulating innovation from a diversified community of application developers. In addition to well over a dozen providers of SMO, Non-RT RIC and Near-RT RIC products, more than 50 companies are actively engaged in the development of xApps and rApps. 

Some mobile operators have established dedicated business units to commoditise their RAN automation expertise. NTT Docomo’s OREX brand and Rakuten Mobile’s sister company Rakuten Symphony are two examples. In the coming years, SNS also expects to see more spinoffs of academic institutes with commercial-grade Open RAN automation offerings, such as Northeastern University’s zTouch Networks and TU Ilmenau’s AiVader. 

The SMO and RIC ecosystem is exhibiting early signs of consolidation with Broadcom’s takeover of VMware and HPE’s planned acquisition of Juniper Networks, although both deals have much wider ranging implications for the AI infrastructure and networking industries. Depending on the commercial success of third party RAN automation platforms, SNS anticipates seeing further M&A activity reminiscent of the SON boom in the previous decade. 

One RIC to rule them all 

While the benefits of SON-based RAN automation in live networks are well-known, expectations are even higher with the RIC, SMO and x/rApps approach. For example, NTT Docomo expects to lower its TCO by up to 30% and decrease power consumption at base stations by as much as 50% using Open RAN automation. In February, the operator announced it will use AWS to deploy Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service Anywhere (Amazon EKS Anywhere), a container management software, on its 5G Open RAN to simplify network operation with automated cluster management tools, enabling the operator to easily run and optimise its 5G Open RAN. 

SNS said it is worth highlighting that domestic rival Rakuten Mobile has already achieved approximately 17% energy savings per cell in its live network using RIC-hosted RAN automation applications. Following successful lab trials, the greenfield operator aims to increase savings to 25% with more sophisticated AI/ML models. 

RIC-hosted x/rApps 

Outside of public mobile operator networks, interest is also growing in vertical industries and the private wireless segment. The US Department of Defense is actively exploring the potential of RIC-hosted x/rApps to enhance the ability to detect, analyze, and mitigate a wide range of security threats in Open RAN networks for both commercial and warfighter communication scenarios. Among other examples, Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Inventec has incorporated rApps for indoor positioning and traffic steering as part of its private 5G network solution for smart factories. 

Although Open RAN automation efforts seemingly lost momentum beyond the field trial phase for the past couple of years, several commercial engagements have emerged since then, with much of the initial focus on the SMO, Non-RT RIC and rApps for automated management and optimisation across Open RAN, purpose-built and hybrid RAN environments, according to SNS. 

Within the framework of its five-year $14 billion Open RAN infrastructure contract with Ericsson, AT&T is adopting the vendor’s SMO and Non-RT RIC solution to replace two legacy C-SON systems. In neighboring Canada, Telus has also initiated the implementation of an SMO and RIC platform along with its multi-vendor Open RAN deployment to transform up to 50% of its RAN footprint and swap out Huawei equipment from its 4G/5G network. 

Europe shifting as well 

Similar efforts are also underway in other regions. For example, in Europe, Swisscom is deploying an SMO and Non-RT RIC platform to provide multi-technology network management and automation capabilities as part of a wider effort to future-proof its brownfield mobile network, while Deutsche Telekom is progressing with plans to develop its own vendor-independent SMO framework. Open RAN automation is also expected to be introduced as part of Vodafone Group’s global tender for refreshing 170,000 cell sites. 

Deployments of newer generations of proprietary SON-based RAN automation solutions have not stalled either. In its pursuit of achieving L4 automation, China Mobile has recently initiated the implementation of a hierarchical RAN automation platform and an associated digital twin system, starting with China’s Henan province, according to SNS. 

Among other interesting examples, Japan’s SoftBank is implementing a closed loop automation solution for cluster-wide RAN optimisation in stadiums, event venues, and other strategic locations across Japan, which supports data collection and parameter tuning in 1-5 minute intervals as opposed to the 15-minute control cycle of traditional C-SON systems. It should be noted that the Japanese operator eventually plans to adopt RIC-hosted centralised RAN optimisation applications in the future. 

In addition, with the support of several mobile operators, including SoftBank, Vodafone, Bell Canada and Viettel, the idea of hosting third party applications for real-time intelligent control and optimisation – also referred to as dApps – directly within RAN baseband platforms is beginning to gain traction. 

A separate approach 

As a counterbalance to this approach, Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei and other established RAN vendors are making considerable progress with a stepwise approach towards embedding AI and ML functionalities deeper into their DU and CU products in line with the 3GPP’s long-term vision of an AI/ML-based air interface in the 6G era. 

Beyond AI-driven RAN performance and efficiency improvements, mobile operators, technology suppliers and other stakeholders are also setting their sights on TCO benefits and new revenue opportunities enabled by the convergence of AI and RAN, including co-hosting vRAN and AI workloads on the same underlying infrastructure to maximise asset utilisation and leveraging the RAN as a platform for edge AI services. 

(Picture source: Deutsche Telekom)

Telefónica tops ranking in Europe and Americas for telco to techco transition

Annie Turner
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Telefónica tops ranking in Europe and Americas for telco to techco transition

OMDIA’s latest global benchmarking study puts the Spanish operator group fourth in the world behind three Asian leaders

Research house OMDIA says Telefónica is the telco in Europe best positioned to transition to a technology company. In its Telco-to-Techco Strategies Benchmark ranking, OMDIA has moved Telefónica up the rankings since its last benchmark report so that it is now fourth in the world overall (behind China Mobile, NTT and SK Telecom), but first in the European and Americas.

REGISTER TO WATCH TELEFONICA GROUP’S CTIO, ENRIQUE BLANCO (pictured), GIVE THE KEYNOTE AT MOBILE EUROPE’S TELCO TO TECHCO VIRTUAL CONFERENCE PART II

The analyst firm especially highlights the success of the Telefónica Tech. Its Director of Strategy and Business Transformation, Mario Silva, explains, “At Telefónica we have demonstrated our ability to evolve from a traditional telco to a company that offers advanced technological solutions to our clients.

“We lead the transformation and evolution of the societies and economies of the countries where we operate, thanks to the development of cloud computing capabilities, cybersecurity, IoT, Data and Artificial Intelligence. We offer innovative, differential and sustainable solutions that contribute to a more digital and connected future.”

Telefónica Tech has a workforce of more than 6,000 experts from more than 60 nationalities, who collectively hold more than 4,000 certifications in digital skills.

OMDIA’s report also focuses on how Telefónica is promoting the transformation of its Networks and Systems by accelerating the Autonomous Network Journey (ANJ) program, through the transition of technology towards a disaggregated and software-based architecture.

The operator says the customer and sustainability objectives are always at the centre of its endeavours, with privacy and security. It adds that by promoting network autonomy through data management, AI and machine learning, the network will be better adapted and more resilient and sustainable. This will provide multiple benefits such as higher quality of services, better allocation of resources and lower operating costs.

The analyst firm also underlines Telefónica’s role in the global telco sector initiative Open Gateway, led by the GSMA. The idea behind this initiative is to enable companies and developers to integrate telcos’ advanced network capabilities in an intuitive, interoperable and standardised way using APIs. This also results in users gaining more digital services.

Telefónica so far has developed 10 APIs and markets Open Gateway in Brazil, Spain and Germany. The operator says this has been achieved thanks to the agility provided by

Kernel 2.0, Telefónica’s own digital ecosystem based on APIs.

This create products, services, applications and digital platforms in all the countries in which Telefónica operates. Its technology provides standardized and unified information, as well as guaranteeing data privacy and security throughout the process.

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Will 5G’s second wave deliver value?

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