When we talk about wireless connectivity, often what we’re thinking about is WiFi, however mobile connectivity such as 5G is still important for many sectors.

What happens to a business when mobile connectivity is inadequate or fails completely?

On this episode of the ITPro Podcast Jane and Bobby are joined by Paul McHugh, VP of EMEA sales at Ericsson, to discuss how wireless connectivity issues can affect businesses.

Highlights

"Businesses believe that in terms of delivering the best business outcomes that the most operational efficiency that they can, they recognize now, perhaps more so than in the past, that networking underpins that on the basis that so many of the services and the processes that they run are technology based, and the majority of that technology needs to be connected."

"Historically, when we talk about resilience in networking, we just talk about more lines, okay, more more cables, more fiber going into a location. That doesn't always offer true resilience, particularly if all of those lines ... actually terminate at the same local exchange, for example. What is much more appreciated now, and this isn't just the view of networking vendors like Ericsson ... is that to achieve true resilience in a network, you actually need a variety of types of connectivity"

Footnotes

• Three and Ericsson just launched a first-of-its-kind managed 5G service for businesses
• ePrivate 5G and partner ecosystems: The blueprint for intelligent infrastructure
• Sign up to the ITPro Newsletter

Periods of high demand, whether driven by seasonal spikes, major events, or unexpected surges in usage, are no longer just a test for end-user organizations. They are also a direct test of the partners and providers responsible for keeping critical systems running.

When things go wrong during these high-pressure periods, the impact can be significant. The 2025 cyber attack on Marks & Spencer reportedly affected its H1 2025 performance, while the effects of the Jaguar Land Rover attack rippled across its supply chain.

As IT environments become more distributed and interconnected, the responsibility for maintaining uptime, performance, and security increasingly sits with Managed Service Providers (MSPs), network providers, and other channel partners. When outages or cyber incidents occur, customers expect immediate response, rapid recovery, and minimal disruption.

From service provider to operational owner

Rapid digital transformation is sweeping across businesses, with 94% of private sector IT leaders being familiar with smart spaces. Modern environments rely on a complex mix of cloud platforms, IoT devices, remote endpoints, and real-time applications.

These systems are deeply interconnected, with network performance underpinning every business function – so the need for strong, secure connectivity has grown in parallel.

MSPs are no longer just providers; they are embedded within customer operations. When something fails, they are expected to respond, coordinate, and resolve issues as part of a broader operational responsibility.

Complexity at scale

Today’s IT environments are more complex - and more fragile - than ever. During peak trading periods, network traffic can surge unpredictably, cloud services must scale in real time, distributed workforces require secure, reliable access, and connected devices continuously exchange data across environments.

These connected systems also magnify the consequences of any network failure. When connectivity falters, the impact is immediate and widespread, affecting productivity, service delivery, and customer experience.

At the same time, every endpoint and connection increases the potential attack surface. Security and networking have become interdependent challenges that must be addressed together.

For MSPs and connectivity providers, managing this complexity is now a core part of the value they deliver.

Network connectivity to power resilience

Traditional approaches to networking, which focused primarily on uptime and capacity, are no longer sufficient. Environments must now be designed with disruption and dynamic responses in mind.

Most organizations require dependable networks to keep operations running smoothly, particularly during high-demand seasons when every minute of downtime can impact revenue and customer experience.

High-capacity 5G connectivity offers the speed, reliability, and scalability needed to support IoT devices, mobile (POS) systems, digital signage, and other emerging technologies. Its adoption can also help organizations consolidate network providers, simplifying management and freeing up budgets that can be reinvested into innovation.

Hybrid working has reshaped operations across both the public and private sectors. Head office teams, customer service staff, and fulfilment managers often operate from different locations, all relying on cloud-based systems to access sensitive information. This makes secure access an essential requirement. Robust, always-on networks ensure that all parts of the business remain operational.

Investing in network infrastructure capable of supporting emerging technologies such as AI and IoT gives businesses the flexibility to scale operations and adapt quickly during trading peaks while preparing for future innovation.

Mapping your network

To survive busy periods, leaders must treat connectivity not as a technical upgrade but as a strategic investment. Infrastructure resilience begins with understanding where weaknesses exist, whether through outdated networks, insufficient bandwidth, or fragmented security policies.

Scalable connectivity technologies, such as SD-WAN and high-capacity 5G, allow networks to adjust dynamically when demand spikes or primary circuits fail.

At the same time, managing the growing number of connected devices is critical. Platforms that centralise IoT and smart devices reduce operational complexity and prevent issues being overlooked that could lead to unpatched vulnerabilities.

Security is an essential part of resilience. Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) integrates networking and security into a unified framework, providing centralised control over access, identity, and data protection.

Combined with scalable connectivity, SASE ensures that IT teams can maintain operations, safeguard sensitive data, and respond rapidly to emerging threats, keeping systems online and customer experiences seamless, even during peak trading periods.

The power of networks

Busy periods place extraordinary pressure on networks at precisely the time when cyber threats and IT faults pose the greatest risk.

What was once considered background infrastructure is now a direct driver of revenue, brand reputation, and operational continuity.

By investing in strong network foundations today, organizations of all sizes can safeguard their most critical trading periods and build the resilience needed for long-term innovation in an increasingly digital future.

“They’re talking 6G, but most businesses are still waiting for the return on investment of 5G,” one telco journalist told me on day two of Moblie World Congress 2026.

The day before, Ericsson talked up the work it had done to prepare for the next generation of mobile connectivity, which the company claimed will not just power AI, but will be AI-native. New radios, antennas, and other forms of hardware are being built and pitched to businesses because 6G is coming.

Yet despite this being a conference about mobility run by GSMA – the clue’s in the name, really – 6G hasn’t been one of the main themes of the show. This is an AI-first conference, with those very tiresome initials adorned on every wall, at every booth, and across all the products. So we are heading for 6G, but only because we’re doing artificial intelligence to death – networks, we’re told, are feeling the impact of all our various AI demands.

This is the message vendors are trying to sell to businesses; they want you to invest that little bit more so you’re future-proofed. The same kind of future-proofing 5G was meant to give you. We should have suspected something was going to happen when the talk became 5G 2.0 or 5G advanced…

Return on investment (ROI) is a pillar of this year's MWC – particularly with AI, which is costing the world more than just money. Not only do organizations want financial gains, they also want useful services. Take Samsung’s Privacy Display, for example, where AI is used to obscure the view of the phone from the side or above. For years, vendors have talked endlessly about the ‘AI’ on their devices – often with limited use and sometimes straight-up slop – yet the most interesting AI-centric development I’ve seen on a smartphone of the last 5 years is a practical security feature.

Practicality and security are also driving changes in hardware. There were a couple of good examples of modular computing at MWC, with devices that can be easily repaired, upgraded, or even built to the users' preferences. Techo’s modular smartphone concept was a popular attraction at this year’s conference. A thin magnetic slab of a device that doesn’t even have a charging slot (such is its thinness). You add components you want through pogo pins, such as the battery or a camera system.

In a similar, yet entirely more useful vein, Lenovo showcased the T14s, its business-focused laptop that has been developed in partnership with iFixIt. I was shown a demo of how the keyboard clicks out, how the battery pops off, and even how the ports can be pulled out. The simplicity of it all was breathtaking – and there were QR codes all over it that gave you precise information for repairs. You can see the value throughout the device, as well as the value it will create for IT teams and businesses that don’t want downtime or to spend more budget on replacing whole laptops.

Another interesting piece of hardware on display at MWC was the Jolla Phone, which was built with the direct input of a community that wanted a European-developed phone. They committed to buying it – preorders of 10,000 – so Jolla built it to that community's specific demands.

Arguably, the hardest part of MWC is trying to distill what you have seen into one coherent piece. Many delegates start the week on Saturday energized and ready to learn but by Wednesday they’ve drowned in too much information to fully assimilate. Beats and specialist areas kind of go out the window the moment you set foot in the Fira. One point was crystal clear from start to end, though: businesses need to start seeing the value of AI technologies, and vendors might do well to listen to these customers more often.

For more than a decade, each new generation of mobile connectivity has arrived with bold promises: faster speeds, lower latency, and new digital experiences that would reshape industries. Yet reality has often looked different. Many organisations are still trying to extract value from 5G, and large regions of the world cannot access reliable 5G coverage at all.

Against that backdrop, talk of 6G is accelerating. Standards bodies, vendors, researchers, and infrastructure providers are outlining visions for what comes next. But the big question remains: does 6G actually matter – especially for businesses still wrestling with today’s connectivity gaps?

The answer is complicated. Early industry research suggests 6G, such that the term is understood, may not deliver a dramatic leap in raw speed compared with mature 5G networks. Yet many experts argue that the potential value of 6G lies less in headline numbers and more in how networks will behave, evolve, and integrate with intelligent systems.

A recurring theme among experts is that the real significance of 6G won’t be raw speed. In fact, early forecasts suggest the performance jump over 5G may be far less dramatic than previous generational shifts.

Ian Fogg, director of network innovation at CCS Insight, tells ITPro that early 6G discussions are still speculative because “6G is not yet a standard”. But he emphasizes that research efforts are focusing on areas far more ambitious than traditional speed boosts. “6G will enable access to new spectrum bands,” he says, “and a key focus will be what the industry calls ‘ubiquitous connectivity’, which means better integration with satellite and high-altitude platforms.”

He also highlights the role of AI, explaining that “another area is to improve the efficiency of 6G through greater use of machine learning and AI to support the AI applications of the network’s users.”

Other experts agree. Christophe Firth, partner at Kearney, explains that 6G is about more than just faster speeds.

“Its real value lies in transforming networks into AI-native systems that combine sensing and compute capabilities,” he says, adding the ambition is to deliver “safety-critical and spatially aware services, such as coordinated autonomous vehicles, industrial automation or digital twins of entire cities”.

This marks a significant reframing of what a mobile network is. Instead of simply carrying data, 6G would act as an intelligent system capable of understanding and interacting with the world around it.

Jason Gilmore, CTO at Adalo, puts it more simply: “Even if 6G does not bring a huge leap in raw speed over 5G, there is real value in moving forward with its development.” The key, he says, is “native AI integration built directly into the network,” enabling “truly autonomous systems” and “AI-powered edge computing everywhere”.

Where previous generations were defined by user experiences like streaming with 4G and low-latency Internet of Things (IoT) networks with 5G, 6G is shaping up to be defined by network intelligence.

Is 6G real progress, or just the next hype cycle?

Every new generation of mobile technology has arrived with bold promises, and several experts caution that 6G risks following the same pattern.

Fogg argues it’s “really too early for 6G hype,” noting that formal standards work began only recently and that the industry is cautious not to repeat the overpromising that hampered early 5G adoption. “I expect, if anything, 6G will be under-hyped by the time it arrives.”

Others are more skeptical. Panayot Kalinov, senior software developer at Casinoreviews.net, notes that “much of what’s being said about 6G feels like hype,” even though real research continues behind the scenes. He says vendors often “latch onto the term to keep investors excited”.

Alex Kugell, chief technology officer at Trio, agrees that some 6G narratives are designed to maintain investment cycles rather than address real business needs. “Much of the hype feels like a strategy to keep investment flowing,” he says, stressing that “businesses do not just need more speed. They need reliability, traceability, and built-in compliance”.

Matt Beucler, CEO at Plura AI, adds the telecoms sector hasn’t seen a truly transformative leap since the move from 3G to 4G. “Big promises often disguise small, incremental changes,” he explains. “Jumping to 6G without finishing the job on 5G is not just impractical – it’s wasteful.”

But not all questions surrounding 6G are negative. Many experts argue that meaningful innovation is happening, just not at the headline-grabbing level. As Firth puts it: “There is substantial and legitimate research underway on 6G, but there is also a lot of hype, making it harder to separate real, lasting innovation from speculation.”

Businesses still need 5G to work properly first

A strong consensus emerges among experts: before organizations even think about 6G, they must extract the full value from 5G.

Gilmore explains that many regions “still do not have reliable 5G coverage,” meaning companies would make far more progress by “concentrating on optimizing 5G first.” He says improving coverage, integrating legacy systems, and boosting IoT scalability with 5G “delivers benefits you can measure right now”.

Gökhan Tok, senior manager, space and connectivity at Access Partnership argues that IT leaders should focus on delivering results first.

“Meaningful connectivity and digital inclusion is more important than numbers of generations,” he tells ITPro, warning that having 6G in urban centres “wouldn’t mean much if there are still dark spots in the outback or rural and remote areas where people are not part of the digital inclusion”.

Several experts also highlight the need for stronger private networks. “Most financial systems struggle not with bandwidth but with gaps in data integrity and end-to-end visibility,” he says. What’s needed is “reliability, traceability, and built-in compliance.”

Beucler adds that “what’s needed is stable, secure, low-latency networks,” which he says 5G already promises but doesn’t yet consistently deliver. Businesses should “extend 5G infrastructure, integrate edge compute, scale private networks, and focus on compliance and reliability.”

The message from across the industry is unmistakable: 6G may be coming, but the real work – and the real value – is still with 5G.

So, does 6G matter?

The answer is both yes and not yet.

If 6G is evaluated purely on speed, it is unlikely to justify the hype. Many of its most ambitious use cases either duplicate 5G promises or require enormous infrastructure shifts that may take a decade or more.

But if the industry succeeds in building AI-native, sensing-enabled, highly programmable, globally integrated networks, then 6G could be transformative. It could become the intelligent fabric underpinning autonomous systems, industrial coordination, hyper-precise connectivity, and truly seamless global communication.

For now, though, the strongest expert consensus is this: businesses should focus on optimizing 5G, coverage, reliability, edge computing, private networks, IoT security, and compliance, before looking toward 6G.

“Getting private networks, edge orchestration and network slicing right will deliver tangible value while laying the groundwork for a credible future 6G rollout,” says Firth.

6G may one day matter enormously. But today, what matters most is making the networks already in place deliver on the promises we’ve been hearing for years.

Following Ofcom’s latest spectrum auction, EE, O2, and VodafoneThree have each secured new mmWave spectrum – 800 MHz in the 26 GHz band and 1 GHz in the 40 GHz band – committing to pay £13 million each for this spectrum. The £39 million auction signals a major step in strengthening 5G capacity in the 68 designated high-density areas.

This development paves the way for faster, more resilient wireless broadband experiences. This opens doors to next-generation connectivity models such as Fixed Wireless Access (FWA). mmWave bands, particularly 26 GHz and 40 GHz.

The 26 GHz and 40 GHz bands together account for about 57% of all licensed UK spectrum (excluding the EHF bands). So, with 3 GHz of spectrum available in each band and a technology-neutral licensing model, these frequencies are designed for high-density, high-demand environments where sub-6 GHz simply runs out of room.

While fiber remains the long-term backbone of UK connectivity, licensed mmWave provides a faster, more flexible route to deliver gigabit-capable connectivity, particularly in dense urban areas where fiber deployment can be slow and expensive. With fiber deployments facing physical and economic constraints in many urban environments, FWA emerges as a flexible, high-speed alternative that can accelerate coverage, power AI-driven innovation and future-proof enterprise networks.

Shared Access (SAL) and Local Access (LAL) licenses for smaller providers

Ofcom’s two-tier licensing model has redefined how smaller operators can access and monetize high-capacity spectrum. The SAL offers an affordable, predictable path for WISPs and alternative operators – with fixed annual fees, indefinite renewals, and immediate deployment rights. It’s designed for scalability in suburban and rural markets, giving providers the confidence to expand coverage without major capital exposure.

Meanwhile, the LAL, while more complex, provides flexibility in high-density areas where shared access is restricted. The model can enable temporary use of unused spectrum held by mobile network operators, creating short-term opportunities for targeted enterprise or private 5G projects.

Combined, SAL and LAL provide a more inclusive framework – empowering small enterprises to participate in the mmWave ecosystem without the prohibitive costs of full-scale spectrum auctions.

Licensed spectrum: Reliable and scalable

Licensed spectrum fundamentally changes the economics and credibility of wireless internet service providers (WISPs). It eliminates the unpredictability of interference common in unlicensed bands, creating cleaner and more stable network conditions – a must for enterprise-grade and gigabit-class services.

This is especially important when competing against fiber-based broadband. This consistency allows WISPs to position themselves as credible fiber alternatives, capable of delivering the performance and uptime required in today’s digital economy.

From an investment point of view, holding licensed spectrum reflects a commitment to long-term stability. Banks and investors view the use of licensed spectrum as a cornerstone of carrier-grade service, which assures regulatory protection against signal disruption, competitive erosion, countering subscriber churn, making business models and ARPU forecasts more robust.

Key challenges and how new innovations are addressing them

Operating at mmWave frequencies has traditionally come with constraints: limited line-of-sight range, higher equipment costs, and sensitivity to environmental factors like rain, plus an inability to penetrate within buildings. However, modern radio design and implementation advancements are assisting network operators and system integrators in dodging some of these constraints.

New 3GPP-compliant, self-aligning radios and intelligent network management systems are simplifying deployment, improving link stability, and reducing operational overheads.

At the same time, advanced planning tools and adaptive beamforming technologies are enhancing planning precision and ensuring reliable link performance, even in difficult terrains. On the commercial side, the availability of flexible licensing models and modular deployment strategies allows WISPs to scale networks incrementally, aligning investment with demand.

Together, these innovations are changing mmWave from a niche technology into a viable, cost-effective platform for high-capacity wireless service delivery.

Telco-as-a-Service (TaaS) and neutral host models

The UK’s changing mmWave space is giving rise to a new era of collaboration between large spectrum holders and agile connectivity providers. TaaS and neutral host models are redefining how network infrastructure and spectrum are shared, shifting the industry away from ownership toward partnership.

Under these models, larger operators holding spectrum licenses can offer access to radio spectrum assets, infrastructure, and even core network capabilities as a managed service to smaller operators. Conversely, WISPs owning SALs in rural areas could offer their Gbps of deployed capacity back to larger operators as a TaaS play.

This flexible approach offers a two-way street that helps the larger license holders monetize underutilised assets while enabling smaller players to deliver services in markets that might otherwise be inaccessible.

For WISPs, it also means faster entry into high-density areas without the cost and complexity of acquiring exclusive licenses. Meanwhile, enterprises can benefit from access to bespoke private 5G or FWA solutions through a single, flexible platform.

Ultimately, TaaS and neutral hosts are transforming licensed mmWave from a closed ecosystem into a collaborative space – where connectivity is turning into a service more akin to a utility, not just a spectrum asset.

Licensed mmWave isn’t an overhead – it’s an enabler. It may not be the simplest route to connectivity – but it is becoming one of the most strategic.

Rather than viewing licensing as an administrative overhead, forward-thinking WISPs and enterprises are treating it as a catalyst for innovation. It provides an opportunity to deliver fiber-grade performance without the constraints.

Private 5G adoption is on the rise. Since its introduction to the market in 2021, this technology and its corresponding partner ecosystem have matured significantly. In fact, analyst firm Gartner's research states that the market for network equipment and services for 4G and 5G private managed networks will reach $45.3 billion by 2033, up from $2.2 billion in 2023. And Omdia estimates high double-digit growth globally – up to 17.3% CAGR by 2029.

What is driving this increased demand? It stems from enterprise digital transformation strategies, AI deployments, and the rising number of smart devices being implemented. Private 5G offers reliable connections, low latency, inherent security, and the ability to handle large amounts of data. Enterprises benefit from greater operational efficiency, better employee decision-making, and improved customer experience.

This opens up new applications and use cases across the enterprise as data can easily – and securely – be transferred, analyzed, and used for real-time decision-making on factory floors, computer vision monitoring of production lines or shipping yards, and improving worker safety.

The evolution of the private 5G device ecosystem is propelling further adoption and use cases across the enterprise. With the growth of device types ranging from industrial IoT sensors to automated guided vehicles and collaborative robots (Cobots), the race is on to implement a network that can handle the needs of Industry 5.0 transformations.

Enterprises are turning to system integrators and channel partners for solutions that can address their use case needs rather than just implementing a technology solution. This focus on what the solution can do, rather than the technology itself, is pushing forward partnerships that create a dynamic and innovative ecosystem.

Private 5G ecosystem accelerates digital transformation and innovation

System integrators, traditional telecom providers, device manufacturers, and channel partners are coming together to address the needs of enterprises. It is about how to enable new implementations and use cases specific to vertical markets, including healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing. For instance, serverless infrastructure solutions are easier to deploy and less expensive for many of these industries.

Security is a key use case where partnerships between industry leaders offer enterprises a more advanced solution. Palo Alto Networks - which has partnered with NTT Data to enhance private 5G security in industrial and operational technology (OT) environments - stated in its 2024 State of OT Security report that 70% of industrial organizations experienced a cyberattack on their OT environment in the last year, with 25% of these leading to operational shutdowns and disrupting business continuity.

Edge AI and physical AI deployments are driving additional innovative use cases for digital transformation. For enterprises to fully take advantage of AI-based solutions, they may need a secure, low-latency private 5G network to transfer data and 5G-enabled devices to collect that data at the edge. Some 74% of CIOs are under pressure to implement AI strategies, according to Gartner, yet many struggle to define a clear return on investment. While data is abundant, transforming it into actionable insights remains challenging.

Manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and other vertical industries specifically seek companies whose partnerships offer a full-stack approach to edge AI and physical AI, combining connectivity, compute, and intelligence in a seamless package. Omdia states that manufacturing, mining, and ports are among those industries with the highest deployment of private networks in 2024.

For instance, NTT Data is deploying a private 5G network throughout Hyster-Yale Group’s manufacturing operations. Hyster-Yale Group is using NTT Data’s device-as-a-service to gain visibility into assets and materials and improve communications within its facilities. This network works with Zebra Technologies’ handheld mobile computers and tablets to track assets and materials as they enter and exit manufacturing sites and connects engineers, onsite teams, production lines, and materials storage locations.

Partnerships drive forth a new level of collaboration

Adoption of private 5G is not only related to the use cases within an enterprise and the partnerships between technology firms. Channel partnerships, such as those that offer more traditional telecom services and other system integrators, are creating innovations on how enhanced connectivity is brought to market.

One instance is Eurofiber, a provider of open digital infrastructure and cloud solutions, which recently partnered with NTT Data to bring a mobile private network 5G service to businesses in the Netherlands. Partnerships such as these offer enterprises various options for finding the right network connectivity that meets their needs.

Private 5G networks are advancing enterprise digital transformation and serving as the underpinning of the next wave of innovation in Industry 5.0. Enterprises value these private networks due to improved reliability as they provide higher bandwidth, real-time communications, and support for a large number of connected devices.

As the private 5G ecosystem continues to expand, driven by IoT devices and edge computing demands, collaboration between technology partners will only continue to grow. These alliances will combine technology solutions with service offerings to deliver unparalleled enterprise support – they are driving new forms of innovation within enterprises and how connectivity can be brought to them.

Telefónica has resolved an issue that caused a widespread mobile network blackout across Spain, with all major providers including Vodafone, O2, Orange, and Movistar affected.

The outage, reportedly linked to a network update issued by Telefónica, began around 5am local time, per the website Downdetector. Customers across the entirety of Spain were unable to make phone calls, access mobile data, or send SMS.

"This morning we had an incident that affected the fixed communications services of some companies and public services," said Telefónica, in a statement shared with ITPro.

"We have been working from the outset to restore these services, which have now been fully recovered. We have activated the incident management committee, we have isolated the affected nodes and we have deployed field staff to resolve specific cases arising from this incident, which has now been resolved".

During the outage, 112 emergency calls in certain regions were also impacted.

Regional governments scrambled to alleviate the impact of these emergency service disruptions. According to the English edition of Diario Sur, the governments of Aragon, the Basque Country, and Valencia have been forced to issue alternatives to 112 to serve citizens during the outage.

Spain’s critical infrastructure once again impacted

The outage comes less than one month after a catastrophic power outage plunged Spain and Portugal into darkness and froze businesses and critical processes such as public transport and airports.

Initial reports that the outage could have been caused by a cyber attack were played down in the weeks after the attack, though as recently as last week Spain continued to demand more information from power suppliers to rule out cyber criminal activity as a cause altogether.

In either case, today’s outage underlines the capacity for software changes to impact critical national infrastructure (CNI) such as phone and mobile networks.

This article has been updated to include the latest information on the outage.

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Motor racing is a challenge for all involved, but some races push engineering teams to the technological limit, necessitating new approaches and innovations to finish the course – let alone set record times.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is one such event. Held since 1987, the biennial event sees teams from all over the world run solar powered cars from Darwin in the north of Australia to Adelaide on the country’s southern coast. The 3,022 km route across the outback takes days to complete.

Finishing the event in any year is an accomplishment and perhaps no team knows this better than Sunswift Racing, the University of New South Wales’ (UNSW) solar racing team, which has entered the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge on 11 separate occasions and won in 2023.

Throughout the race, the team has to constantly broadcast data between the solar car and the convoy so the team can track the car’s battery percentage, cell voltages, phase currents, and health of onboard systems.

“If we lose data for even a moment, if something were to happen with the car or there were warning signs being thrown up that something might be occurring, we lose access to that, we lose access to data we need to execute our strategy as we'd wanted to to run the car as efficiently as possible,” says Luke Tedesco, project officer at Sunswift Racing and a recent computer science graduate at the UNSW.

“So you need permanent, constant connectivity to get second by second data in a situation and in conditions where you're not really set up for that necessarily.”

All of the team's kit, including laptops, tablets, and dash cams, also needed reliable internet connections.

To achieve this, the team worked with Ericsson to set up a lightweight, low latency mobile solution for 5G connectivity on the move. In part, this meant carrying Cradlepoint in-vehicle wireless wide area network (WWAN) routers in the convoy cars that drive ahead and behind Sunswift 7, which the solar car could connect to via an onboard receiver.

As an added challenge, for Sunswift 7 the team wanted to livestream the entire race online, necessitating a constant upload speed of around 32 Mbits/sec – even in the most remote stretches of the outback.

The specific model used, the Cradlepoint R1900 Ruggedised 5G Edge Router, is capable of connecting to low-Earth orbit satellite broadband in areas without any traditional connectivity.

When crossing the outback, Sunswift Racing and Ericsson leveraged this to connect to the Starlink network, with the rear convoy car carrying a Starlink dish that helped keep all data flowing uninterrupted throughout the race.

“You've got to remember that it's probably easier, nowadays, to livestream from the Moon than it is through the center of Australia,” says Richard Hopkins, professor of practice at UNSW who has acted as team principal at Sunswift Racing since 2018. “So we're choosing to introduce technology at its extremes and to be able to achieve that is quite exceptional.”

Hopkins pays tribute to the hard work of the 100 undergraduate students, across engineering and business, who make up the Sunswift Racing team. Starting out as an extracurricular project, in 2020 UNSW made the decision to offer the race as an elective subject, meaning all the students who work on the car are given the opportunity to stay with the team from their second year until their graduation or on into their Master’s program.

This empowers them with skills in the renewable energy and sustainability spaces, generates interest in the university, and educates the industry partners as well as the students, Hopkins says.

“The project, I think, creates an opportunity, a unique learning experience that makes these students extraordinarily employable and career ready, that's one of the intentions of it.

Far from simply acquiring ready-made components from partners like Ericsson, the Sunswift Racing team collaborates closely with them and seeks to solve challenges that the industry partner can’t solve at the outset.

In the future, Sunswift Racing is targeting new innovation success with Sunswift 8, a car which will be powered by a mixture of solar and hydrogen fuel cell technology. The team are eventually aiming to integrate Ericsson’s technology into a car that can be productionized, rather than continuing to iterate prototypes.

“We're going closer, once again bridging that gap between the Jetsons of old and the reality of the world that we're living in today, that's very innovation hungry” Hopkins says.

He says Sunswift and Ericsson’s solutions could in the future help the Australian State Emergency Service (SES) to operate during bushfires, floods, and cyclones.

“I'm not being too melodramatic but if the help we can provide through these solutions to problems can help save lives, then I think that's a realistically good reason for doing what we're doing.”

The mobile industry is predicted to be worth $11 trillion in the next five years, with six-in-ten people globally now connected via mobile services — and closing that usage gap could boost economies by an additional $3.5 trillion.

That's according to a report launched at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, held in Barcelona this week.

According to the Mobile Economy Report 2025, mobile technologies and services generated 5.8% of global GDP last year, worth $6.5 trillion in economic value — and by 2030, that's predicted to rise to 8.4% of GDP and be worth nearly $11 trillion to global economies.

"Our industry connects nearly six billion people, and powers economies worldwide," said Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA, the organization that runs MWC. "And, at MWC, over 50% of attendees come from outside the mobile ecosystem, a clear signal that industries recognize the vast opportunities our networks create."

The report found that 4.7 billion people, or 58% of the world's population, were using mobile internet by the end of 2024. That's expected to continue climbing to 5.5 billion users, or nearly two-thirds of the world, by 2030.

However, the report noted that adoption is starting to slow, with 110 million people using mobile internet for the first time last year, down from more than 200m in previous years, with Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa posting the lowest take-up rates of 29% and 50% respectively.

"Of the 3.4 billion people who remain unconnected to mobile internet, almost 90% live in an area already covered by mobile broadband but do not use mobile internet," the report noted.

"With mobile internet adoption outpacing network expansion, this usage gap has continued to shrink, standing at 38% by the end of 2024."

Of the existing mobile connections, two billion are on 5G, with 5G expected to completely overtake 4G by 2028 and make up 57% of total mobile connections by 2030.

Closing the mobile usage gap

To close that usage gap and tap into $11 trillion in economic value, Granryd said in his opening keynote that the industry must complete its transition to 5G Standalone — a network design that works without 4G, offering better resiliency, efficiency and speeds.

According to a separate GSMA report, 5G Standalone will drive 70% of enterprise revenue expansion in the next five years, worth as much as $127 billion in value.

Similarly, figures from the Mobile Economy 2025 report show 60 operators are already offering commercial 5G services on Standalone networks, led by Asia and Europe.

Beyond 5G Standalone, Granryd called for the industry to consider new revenue models to harness the potential of AI and Open Gateway APIs, which is a framework for giving developers access to operator networks to create new services and applications as well as tackling fraud.

As of last month, the report noted, the GSMA Open Gateway project had signed up 72 operator groups that make up nearly eight in ten mobile connections globally.

Granryd also called on operators to keep up with AI, with the report noting that early deployments of AI in mobile technologies have focused on internal solutions to improve network performance and customer services.

This has primarily focused on areas such as energy optimization and in call centers, but AI could power customer-facing solutions and open up new revenue opportunities, in particular in enterprises.

"This week will shine a light on those opportunities – from 5G to AI and many more – and their role in helping us unlock new markets, drive innovation, and shape the future of the global digital economy,” he added.

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I always feel that the ‘C’ in Mobile World Congress (MWC) should be ‘Conga’. You get a real sense of chaos and excitement as various PR people lead you through a dizzying flurry of tech announcements, briefings, and keynote speeches.

You have enough time to take in about 10% of what’s happening across the Fira Grand Via’s eight Halls. The bigger companies take over halls one to three, which leaves every startup imaginable fighting for spaces across halls four, five, six, and seven. If you manage to wade through all that and reach hall eight, all you win is the view of a concrete wall.

Mobile connectivity is the main deal with MWC and every time I have attended, the conference feels like we’re checking up on the progress of 5G. Since 2018, when it was the next big thing, it has dominated the show. If you remember 2019, it was fitted into smartphones, governments were talking up rollout plans, and things like the Internet of Things (IoT) were on the cusp of being revolutionized by it. However, I recall MWC 2023 being about fully realizing 5G – like we had all forgotten what it was meant to do. It was all 5.5G and the Metaverse (remember that?). I’m starting to doubt 5G will be fully realized before 6G arrives.

Part of the issue is that we had that big MWC break in 2020; we had more important things to worry about (let's not go into it again). That could arguably account for the stuttering rollout of 5G. There was a virtual return of the conference in 2021 which wasn’t quite the same, but since 2022, MWC has come back stronger; over 100,000 people attended in 2024.

And what about 5G? Well, it’s still one of the main themes of the show. ‘5G inside’ is about the next phase of its rollout; what will drive its evolution and how it can become a more ‘versatile, reliable, and ubiquitous’ network, according to the MWC website. Which is odd as that was what everyone thought 5G was going to be from the get-go.

“The question for telcos remains how to monetize 5G and leverage AI to enable other verticals to modernize, from Industry 4.0 to AI-powered cybersecurity via drone-as-a service options,” Forrester VP principal analyst, Thomas Husson, explains to ITPro.

The nod to generative AI is understandable as it will have its place at the conference, as it does now with all events. Under the theme of ‘AI+’, speakers and sessions will focus on the practical deployments and impact of generative AI. The aim is to understand how it will create new levels of ‘natural interaction’ between people and computers – essentially, how it will develop more personalized experiences.

Husson also suggests that telecom operators will begin to use their distribution channels to strike deals with various AI players, such as DeepSeek, OpenAI, and Google.

There is a skeptic in me who balks at the idea of generative AI being shoehorned into MWC. You can argue that it’s there purely because it’s the buzzy trend of the moment, but where AI is now has a lot to do with 5G. The speed and bandwidth of 5G networks have provided the infrastructure needed for AI systems to process and analyze vast amounts of data – where would generative AI be if not for the capability to compute at such volume?

And what of the new geopolitical landscape? MWC has seen its fair share of protests and there’s no shortage of talking points in 2025. The impact of generative AI on the workforce, the global skills shortage, groundbreaking elections, tariff wars, and, of course, the return of President Trump. One way or another they all have an impact on business and technology, and it feels unlikely that it won’t be mentioned in some way at MWC.

As ITPro’s reviews editor, I will be hoping to see some new office hardware – laptops, monitors, tablets, PCs – though I’m not expecting much in this regard. There aren’t many hardware launches at the event these days, as vendors mostly make announcements on their own terms and most of what’s new has already been seen at CES. I will be there from day one, so please do reach out to me – bobby.hellard@futurenet.com – and share your experiences with ITPro.

The UK’s competition watchdog has cleared Vodafone’s proposed merger with Three.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ruled that Vodafone’s merger with Three should be allowed to proceed if both companies sign binding commitment to invest millions to roll out a combined 5G network across the UK.

After an 18-month long deliberation, the £16.5 billion merger will go ahead, constituting the largest UK network deal in history.

In a statement reacting to the CMA’s ruling, Vodafone described the merger as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the UK’s digital infrastructure”

The two parties, currently the UK’s third and fourth largest network operators, have committed to invest £11 billion to create "one of Europe’s most advanced 5G networks” which it said will reach 99% of the UK population.

Over 50 million customers will benefit from significantly better quality, reliability, and enhanced capacity for handling increasing data demands, Vodafone claimed.

The CMA said the joint network upgrade plan, set to take place over the next eight years, will boost competition between the remaining mobile network operators in the long term.

“It’s crucial this merger doesn’t harm competition, which is why we’ve spent time considering how it could impact the telecoms market,” said Stuart McIntosh, chair of the independent inquiry group leading the investigation.

“Having carefully considered the evidence, as well as the extensive feedback we have received, we believe the merger is likely to boost competition in the UK mobile sector and should be allowed to proceed – but only if Vodafone and Three agree to implement our proposed measures.”

Vodafone chief says deal takes the “handbrake off” UK telecoms industry

Margherita Della Valle, CEO at Vodafone welcomed the decision, declaring it has created “a new force in the UK’s telecoms market”.

“Consumers and businesses will enjoy wider coverage, faster speeds and better-quality connections across the UK, as we build the biggest and best network in our home market,” she claimed.

“Today’s approval releases the handbrake on the UK’s telecoms industry, and the increased investment will power the UK to the forefront of European telecommunications.”

Paolo Pescatore, TMT analyst and founder at PP Foresight, praised the CMA’s diligence when investigating the proposed merger, stating it is now down to Vodafone and Three to hold up their end of the bargain, which should benefit customers.

“The CMA has done a thorough job of highly scrutinizing this deal, it’s now up to both parties to deliver on their promises. That should mean wins for UK plc – bringing much needed investment in the network – and for consumers in the form of better services,” Pescatore said.

“Let’s not forget that VMO2 is one the beneficiaries as it will get some of the excess spectrum from the combined merged entity.”

Pescatore added that while the CMA’s decision has been released, there will be a number of hurdles Vodafone and Three will need to negotiate before they and their customers can begin to reap the benefits of the deal.

“A decision may have been made today but it’s still a waiting game. The bottom line is it will take many years before the full merits of the deal are realised, and there’s a lot of tough decisions to come. Merging two networks is no easy feat. While there are past examples with BT/EE and VMO2 to draw upon, it’s not going to be smooth sailing,” he explained.

“Overall, it’s a big deal for both players, arguably even more so for Three given its business model would have been unsustainable in the long term.”

He raised some doubts around the pair’s commitment to upgrade their 5G network in the UK, however, adding that 5G is already widely available and EE remains the clear industry leader.

“Network leadership will make or break the success of the deal. How much of the so-called promises will be spent on actual networks, when 5G is already widely available. For now, EE still remains the benchmark when it comes to network leadership based upon recent developments and on fibre rollout through Openreach.”

The UK ranks last of 15 countries on both 5G availability and download speeds, despite both the previous and present governments repeatedly stating ambitions to improve.

A new paper from the cross-party think tank Social Market Foundation (SMF) found that UK users are receiving 5G coverage just 8% of the time – compared with 43% in India, 38% in South Korea, and 31% in the US. Only Japan and New Zealand have lower availability, at 7%.

Download speeds, meanwhile, put the UK at 21st out of the 25 countries at 118Mbps. South Korea hits 437Mbps, by comparison, with India at 281Mbps and New Zealand at 260Mbps.

"It is concerning that the UK is at rock bottom among several emerging and developed economies on 5G connectivity," said Richard Hyde, senior researcher at the SMF. "Until it changes, this will continue to be a significant hindrance to the government's growth agenda, by denying us major productivity increases, which widespread 5G can help deliver."

The report shows that there's been little improvement over the last couple of years, with research from Ookla in 2022 showing the UK well down the 5G performance rankings with speeds half those of Norway, Saudi Arabia, and a third of those in the UAE. This is despite the last government's stated aim in 2023 to have nationwide standalone 5G coverage in all populated areas by 2030, as part of its Wireless Infrastructure Strategy.

Since then, minister for data protection and telecoms Chris Bryant has committed to improving the UK's digital infrastructure as a key enabler for economic growth, in his speech to Connected Britain 2024. Which was welcomed by the SMF.

"It is reassuring that the government has recognized the importance of infrastructure to growth, but there are a range of obstacles that will need to be addressed to ensure 5G mobile can play its role in contributing to growth," said Hyde.

The SMF suggests that there's great scope for the private sector to invest more in next-generation mobile connectivity – but that factors including previous policies towards the mobile telecoms sector have unintentionally been hindering investment.

For example, it says, that measures aimed at making it cheaper for mobile network operators to operate mobile masts have resulted in less land being supplied for infrastructure, and an unprecedented rise in the number of disputes between landowners and infrastructure builders – along with expensive legal disputes.

"There is near-universal agreement that dramatically improving 5G connectivity is essential in order to safeguard the UK's global competitiveness and drive economic growth," commented Thomas Evans, executive vice president of APWireless.

"We believe the government should look closely at the SMF's initial research as it seeks to meet its objective of attaining the fastest economic growth in the G7. By considering these issues in the round the government has an opportunity to secure vast economic and social benefits across the country."

NASCAR has built out Wi-Fi 6 networks at its tracks to improve the race-day experience for fans and help it provide new services and insights.

Because NASCAR racetracks are so large, providing connectivity is a very different challenge to delivering Wi-Fi in a sports stadium. It’s more like delivering connectivity at a music festival or golf tournament as these racetracks are some of the largest sports venues in the country based on fan capacity – but may only be used twice a year.

Daytona International Speedway has a 2.5-mile racetrack and needed nearly 2,100 access points from Extreme Networks to complete the coverage, making it one of the largest US venues with outdoor Wi-Fi.

Some of NASCAR’s venues are located in rural areas and previously did not offer Wi-Fi, but fans at sporting events increasingly expect to be able to connect and share the experience from every venue. So NASCAR has embarked on a vast connectivity project, with new wireless access points bringing near comprehensive coverage for the sites.

As a result of the new network infrastructure now fans can use their mobile devices to access real-time, live-streamed video and audio feeds from drivers and race officials.

In addition to the wireless access points, venues like the Daytona International Speedway also use Extreme’s ExtremeCloud IQ and ExtremeAnalytics to manage its network. These tools provide venue staff with data that can streamline crowd management, like monitoring traffic flow or performing data analytics on the queues at concession stands. To implement this, NASCAR turned to Verizon Business as its technology integration and managed services lead for the project.

Bringing the new network to life

The new network has the bandwidth to support mobile payments, digital ticketing, and in-seat ordering from concessions, on top of high-quality audio and video broadcast systems.

“Not only did we install Wi-Fi into our venues, we also used it to upgrade the basic infrastructure like running fiber through all these facilities for whatever we want to do in the future,” explains John Martin, VP of Media and Event Technology at NASCAR.

The Wi-Fi 6 network has so far been deployed at 11 venues including Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Richmond Raceway, and Talladega Superspeedway.

“Eventually you are going to have to take out that access point and replace it with something else, but you’ve got the infrastructure to do whatever you want,” Martin tells ITPro.

“So, it really became an infrastructure project where the end of it was an upgraded stronger network, but we also looked at those key areas back of house. We upgraded the network at the administration buildings and for the first responders, for the folks who provide the food, the other things you need to make sure are working.”

Martin says the key to success for the project was not only careful planning but also talking to the people on the ground. “The planning is everything. You have to design it, then you need to take it to the folks who work there. That was one of the secrets we learned,” he says.

For example, while the network design might look right on paper, talking venue staff would reveal important details. Those workers have a better idea of how fans congregate and where, at any given point in the race, or how less obvious obstructions – like a stack of hotdog buns on race day – might obscure the signal from a particular access point.

“We had to take the time and ask everyone. You get unbelievable insights. Those are the things that we learned along the way,” he says.

Another issue was that each of the NASCAR racetracks is unique. “We did this over 11 different venues and each of these venues is pretty large. You think it can be a cookie-cutter rinse-and-repeat but it’s not: each venue is different,” he says.

At Darlington, for example, there are four different designs across five grandstands, each built in a different decade by a different construction company. The design team had to consider this, rather than simply duplicating one network design for all the grandstands, which made the rollout very different from something like a baseball stadium.

A network fit for the fans – and the future

Martin adds that upgrading the facilities and ensuring the fan experience at the venues is top quality also paid off in a number of other ways.

NASCAR now has a better way to form connections with everyone who attends a race. It might previously have had the contact details of the person who bought tickets, but not anyone else in the group with them. Now, if fans want to use the Wi-Fi they need to share their email address which allows NASCAR to contact fans that it would previously not known.

“They had come to our facility, they’ve enjoyed it, but they were never in one of our databases. So we were able to get some people who are true fans are into the sport, so that has really helped our marketing efforts,” Martin says.

The new network has also helped NASCAR to understand more about what its fans enjoy and want to share on social media during the event.

One of the classic elements of the day happens just before the race starts – the flyover. While the planes that make up this classic pre-show spectacle are different at every race, one thing stays the same each time: it’s the moment of highest stress for the venue network, as fans take photos and share videos of the event.

“Everyone is posting it to their social feeds,” Martin says. “It really is a top moment and you have to be ready for that, it spikes and you’ve got to handle that much data.”

“That’s the highest load on our network during a NASCAR race when that happens. I thought that was an interesting data point we figured out and a side benefit for return on investment.”

The network also opens up new opportunities for NASCAR around new services for fans like adding more video and audio into its smartphone app. “It’s one of the few times the technology is slightly ahead of the use cases,” Martin adds.

Comms infrastructure firm Boldyn Networks is planning a 5G Innovation Lab in the Port of Blyth, with the help of a half-million-pound investment from the North East Combined Authority's 5G Innovation Acceleration program.

The company will design and build a secure, high-bandwidth private 5G network that will become a testing ground for Industry 4.0 where businesses can test new ideas, learn about 5G, and develop their services. 

The hub will have access to high-speed connectivity, innovation facilities, and co-working spaces, allowing local firms, many in the energy sector, to test and demonstrate their technologies in real-world conditions. 

"We are delighted to welcome the first ever 5G Innovation Lab to Blyth. At the Port of Blyth, we pride ourselves on offering turnkey solutions to our customers," said Alasdair Kerr, commercial director at Port of Blyth. 

"The Innovation Lab will provide a unique digital offering, enabling the exploration of innovative 5G technology solutions for the offshore renewable energy sector from a state-of-the-art facility on site."

Local organizations will also be involved in the project to help businesses in the region scale up, innovate, and access funding for 5G innovation. Educational institutions including Bede College and Advance Northumberland are planning to introduce a more digitally skilled curriculum for their STEM students, along with industry-specific training.

"This project will remove barriers to accessing, testing, and piloting 5G technology solutions for manufacturing and services companies within the Port of Blyth, regional ports, and the wider North East region. It demonstrates the Combined Authority's commitment to growing our region's innovation potential – to create high-skilled jobs, grow our green economy, and support offshore energy to get us to net zero," said Nick Kemp, portfolio holder for economy at the North East Combined Authority and leader of Newcastle City Council. 

"The project complements the work already being done by the ORE catapult in robotics, autonomous systems, big data, AI, and next-gen tech – and will reduce the likelihood that businesses based in the region fall behind the curve on 5G adoption."

Port of Blyth is the port operating division of Blyth Harbour Commission, an independent statutory trust established in 1882, and is a major hub for the offshore energy industry.

Earlier this year, the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult started work on a £6 million Technology Development Centre (TDC) in Blyth, offering testing, validation, and demonstration facilities for small and medium-sized companies working on products and services for the offshore wind industry.

The new 5G facility will, said Boldyn, boost the development of 5G-based solutions for the offshore energy sector, along with other local industries such as containers, dry bulks including coal, aggregates, and cement, and marine fuels.

"The new hub will unleash the region's potential, paving the way for new digital solutions that support a smarter and greener future for the UK," said Fionnuala Furmston, head of UK sales, private networks, at Boldyn Networks.

A network outage at Australian telecoms giant Optus left millions of Australians without internet access. 

Optus, the second largest telecoms provider in the country, said more than 10 million people had been affected by the disruption, including businesses. 

Payment systems used by thousands of businesses were taken offline during the incident, with Australians also experiencing transport delays and finding themselves unable to access vital services. 

Scores of people were also unable to contact the emergency services. 

The Optus network outage appears to have had a cascading effect across other Australian carriers, with Aussie Broadband and Moose Mobile customers unable to access services. 

The exact cause of the disruption is yet to be determined. However, Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin attributed the outage to a “technical fault”. 

The firm said there is no evidence at this time that the outage was caused by a cyber attack and it will continue to investigate the incident. 

“What I can say is that it was a technical network issue, and that our teams have worked very, very hard to get services restored as quickly as they possibly could,” Rosmarin told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).  

Optus network outage: Possible causes

The nationwide outage bears some similarities to a previous incident in which Facebook services were taken offline, according to experts.

Speaking to the Guardian Australia, Matt Tett, managing director of network analysis company Enex TestLab, suggested the issue could be due to issues with Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). 

BGP is designed to exchange routing between internet systems and determines the best network routes for data transmission across the internet. 

At the time of the outage, Cloudflare recorded a spike in BGP announcements, suggesting this could be the cause of the incident. 

“Mobile & NBN #Internet services are unavailable for millions of Optus customers across Australia,” Cloudflare said in an advisory. “Cloudflare Radar data shows traffic dropping around 16:45 UTC, reaching a state of near-complete outage within a half hour. 

Facebook and its sister platform Instagram were knocked offline for more than five hours in 2021 due to a BGP-related incident.  

The company attributed the outage to a configuration change in routers that were used to direct network traffic between data centers.

The widespread rollout of 5G has brought a number of benefits to businesses, with faster speeds and lower latencies available across populated areas. The technology also serves as a backbone for new and emerging technologies, like the Internet of Things (IoT). 

For work environments that require extremely precise speeds, or more specific use cases, however, generally available 5G can’t quite match up to the promise of 5G private networks, which have emerged as a clear choice.

Private mobile networks are accessible within a limited range and made to order. Organizations would normally purchase these through agreements with mobile network operators (MNOs), which already have access to relevant spectrums and can supply equipment. 

In some cases, firms purchase specific spectrum allocations for private use, though this is not a prerequisite for establishing your own 5G private network and can be costly.

5G private networks are growing in popularity

Before 5G rollout, few firms had access to private networks. Private LTE was mainly used for network resilience purposes around critical infrastructure, or companies seeking secure networks such as government contractors. But 5G’s low latency and high throughput has opened up a range of use cases for private mobile networks.

Mobile private networks continue to rise according to the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), which notes both LTE and 5G private networks are driving this growth.

A chief beneficiary of this technology has been manufacturing, with the sector using 5G private networks in widespread digital transformation revolving around Internet of Things (IoT) devices, edge computing, and autonomous factory robots. It’s been a key pillar of Industry 4.0 – or the fourth industrial revolution.

Public 5G vs Private 5G: What’s the difference?

“By and large public 5G networks address consumer use cases, or enterprise mobility, i.e. 5G use in the “carpeted” corporate environment (offices) for collaboration and unified communications use cases,” Sylvain Fabre, senior director, analyst at Gartner tells ITPro.

“In contrast, private 5G is predominantly targeting industrial scenarios, where high reliability and performance are required, such as in industrial manufacturing. These industrial sites are not typically well covered by the public network, and enterprises keen on predictable performance will prefer the certainty afforded by having their own network, designed to their exacting requirements, uncontended and within their control.”

Fabre notes there could come a point when network slicing, a process whereby a large network is separated into layers fulfilling specific purposes, is used on the 5G public networks to deliver private networks. He notes this is already underway by Dish Wireless in the US, and that it could provide enterprises with cost-effective 5G private network options.

How is private 5G already making a difference?

Private 5G installations are really useful in ports or transportation hubs, as well as so-called ‘smart ports’, which have sprung up across the UK. The Port of Southampton deployed a 5G private network in 2021 with help from Verizon, with an aim to improve network security and speed, as well as to enable detailed shipping analytics.

“Private 5G, is unlocking really exciting technologies today,” said Andrew Quinton, senior manager/principal architect of 5G solutions at BT on an episode of the ITPro Podcast.

“You know, I've seen examples of augmented reality, I've spoken to a number of operators of automatic guided vehicles (AGVs). It’s a real acceleration of technologies that have always been on the fringes but are now really being unlocked with 5G, and in particular private 5G, in smart ports.”

How does private 5G spectrum allocation vary across the world?

James Robinson, senior analyst at Assembly Research tells ITPro although Ofcom’s shared access license framework through which firms can buy access to specific bands got off “to a bit of a slow start”, it’s now making more progress. He adds this is also becoming more common in other regions.

“Indeed many other regulators have been thinking along similar lines. Norway has recently opened up the 3.8-4.2GHz spectrum range to private standalone 5G networks, while France has slashed annual license fees paid by industries using 2.6GHz (TDD) spectrum in 4G/5G private networks.”

In its paper on millimeter wave (mmWave) allocation, Ofcom acknowledged the growing demand for mmWave in 5G private networks and notes the technology could be transformative for broadcasts, 5G smart factories, and on-site virtual reality. In light of this, 650MHz of the 26GHz band has been set out for use in shared access licences, allowing enterprises to make use of the technology once the auction has taken place.

While welcomed across the industry, the UK has allocated less than some other territories. For example, the Finnish regulator specified 850MHz should be specifically set aside for Industry 4.0. Ofcom acknowledged while 850MHz might offer better access if multiple firms wanted to utilize 400Mhz within 50 meters of one another, this didn’t outweigh the limitations the larger allocation would incur on wide-area developments.

Will 5G private networks become an enterprise fixture any time soon?

Although hopeful about the benefits of 5G private networks, chief analyst and CMO at CCS Insight, Ben Wood, cautions the technology has to overcome commercial and technological hurdles to become widespread.

“Who is leading that interaction with the enterprise to understand their needs? Who's deploying the network?" he asks. "Who does the enterprise call if the network goes wrong, and what's the enterprise paying for?

“We're seeing as a service model being proposed by operators and their solutions partners so that all of the equipment and services are wrapped into one piece. That doesn’t necessarily require the enterprise to have a big heavy CapEx injection upfront in order to deploy the network and get going.”

Fabre notes business models remain unclear, and the lack of outcome-based pricing is holding private 5G back from wider adoption.

It’s clear 5G private networks offer a range of benefits for enterprises, and are on the rise across a number of sectors. Wood tells ITPro that CCS Insights estimates between 85 and 100 5G private networks – investments over £86,000 – exist in the UK, but that there’s “enormous potential” for many more.

Until regulatory and pricing models become more stable, investors might balk at the upfront cost of 5G private networks. But it’s clear as technology like network splicing becomes more sophisticated, and MNOs begin to expand their catalog of services, the technology that’s already revolutionizing factory floors will become widespread on business sites.

The UK government has announced a new fund for businesses of up to £160 million ($202 million), intended to spur the development of new low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations.

The Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit scheme (CLEO) would provide organizations and academics with funding to accelerate development into next-generation LEO communications.

Examples of innovations in the sector include using artificial intelligence (AI) to make data transfer more efficient, improving satellite hardware entirely, or improving interoperability of satellites to prevent vendor lock-in with satellite operators.

It is hoped that the funding will support hundreds of LEO satellites to be launched, which could go a long way toward supporting satellite broadband and eventually expanding 5G access.

“Tackling the digital divide is at the heart of empowering our citizens wherever they live, and by investing in the vital research and development that CLEO would facilitate, we can level up our country while growing the economy through high-quality jobs,” said Michelle Donelan, science, innovation, and technology secretary.

“This proposed record investment is also potentially a huge opportunity to harness our reputation as a world leader in innovation and R&D investment, supporting leading UK businesses to deliver the next generation of satellites and positioning the UK as a true space superpower.”

Up to £100 million ($127 million) could be made available through a direct government grant, with a further £60 million ($76 million) potentially available through the European Space Agency’s (ESA) UK-backed Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) program.

ARTES funding was used for the government’s £15 million ($19 million) satellite tech competition in October 2022, which aimed to support businesses proposing new satellite constellations or ground systems.

Although the funding has been specifically tied to the research and development of new satellites, no specific money has been allocated for launching this hardware. 

The final grant amount has not yet been agreed upon, with £160 million ($202 million) proposed as a maximum dependent on internal conversations.

What are the benefits of LEO satellites?

LEO satellites could be used to dramatically increase rural connectivity, as they can be coupled with receivers on the ground to provide data speeds as high as 200 Mbits/sec to the most remote premises.

Unlike many communications satellites, LEO satellites are not geostationary so can only provide connectivity for as long as they are over a given area. This is not a problem, so long as each one forms part of a larger constellation of satellites that work in tandem to give users seamless connectivity.

Due to their remote nature and uptime potential, LEO satellites make an excellent backbone for traditional communications networks and critical national infrastructure. 

They could be employed by governments and businesses to ensure that key networks experience zero downtime even in the most adverse circumstances.

In the US, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has engaged firms such as Intel, SpaceX, and Amazon to work on an extensive LEO network to facilitate military, government, and civilian data transfers.

The design phase for the project will last until late 2023, with the second phase set to run well into 2025 with an aim to eventually support 100 Gbits/sec connections.

SpaceX has worked with the UK government in trials to demonstrate the usefulness of LEO satellites in rescue operations, and a May 2022 government consultation found that 43% of businesses had explored satellites as an alternative to fixed broadband.

The Ukrainian government has made heavy use of SpaceX’s Starlink in its fight against Russian invaders, with the service providing a steady back-end to critical systems even as Russia has bombarded traditional communications infrastructure.

But The New York Times reported that SpaceX tried to drop its initial free Starlink offering to Ukraine in September, and at that time asked the US Department of Defense to provide $400 million to keep the service running for another year.

The same report alleged that Elon Musk has overseen efforts to geofence Ukraine’s Starlink connectivity. In practice, this may have prevented Ukrainian troops from accessing the internet when in zones of the country occupied by Russia.

Actions of this kind could convince governments and private organizations to invest in a wider range of LEO options, to avoid becoming reliant on the mercy of any one satellite communications network such as Starlink.

5G continues to roll out across the UK at pace, delivering high-speed data access for businesses and consumers alike. 

But while 5G alone is a step forward for connectivity, and has helped to boost data availability for businesses across the country, firms can also deploy it in more tailored approaches to help meet specific business needs.

Companies with large campuses, or those that are looking to supply the low-latency connections needed for edge computing, are increasingly investing in private 5G networks. 

In this episode, Jane and Rory are joined by Sandeep Raithatha, head of strategy, innovation, and 5G IoT at Virgin Media O2 to unpack the use cases and benefits of 5G private networks, as well as the effect they could have on the UK business landscape.

Highlights

“Where 5G private networks can come to their strength is when you start to deploy and adopt some of these more advanced use cases. So, autonomous guided vehicles often known under the acronym of AGVs, or even more recently we’ve seen … autonomous mobile robots as well.”

“I'd say the UK is definitely one of the key areas where private networks are likely to see some success and growth. Obviously, beyond the UK, the US has had a lot of success purely because of the environment and spectrum availability through technological CBRS”

“I think all businesses, across all those sectors, can really benefit from a private network. Because those use cases … whether they're driving automation, health and safety, monitoring of employees and staff, to understanding assets and your items that you might have across your businesses are all valid and important business drivers for transformation and change, regardless of the size of the organization.”

Footnotes

• What is 5G and how far are we from rollout?
• HPE eyes private 5G expansion with Athonet acquisition
• LTE vs 5G: What's the difference?
• Nokia and Kyndryl extend partnership to develop private LTE, 5G for industry 4.0
• What is edge computing?
• The pros and cons of facial recognition technology
• Ofcom approves 5G mmWave, but what are its benefits?
• Amazon to introduce first fully autonomous robots across its warehouses
• The IT Pro Podcast: The power of smart ports

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Communications service providers can harness a range of benefits by building out 5G networks using cloud-native elements such as microservices and containers. These include reducing capital expenditure, making networks more scalable and flexible, and improving network stability.

Moving mobile network services to the cloud, however, is not without its complications. Those with large legacy security plans, or with complex network layouts, could face the prospect of being exposed to vulnerabilities as part of their cloud migration.

In this episode, Jane and Rory speak to Bart Salaets, EMEA Field CTO at multi-cloud security company F5, to find out how telcos and other businesses can securely adopt new network architectures.

Highlights

“Skill-wise it is a big step because this requires a completely new set of skills that telcos have to invest in, these are skills that they typically didn’t have. Running a cloud network is very different from running a traditional network.”

“What we see is that we can leverage a lot of traffic management and security capabilities from the IT world in this new telco 5G service-based architecture. But there are some tweaks that have to be done to make it fully capable to deal with all the protocols and functions that you need in those environments.”

“If you build a network with standalone discrete devices, where every device does a specific function and is managed by a particular team, in some ways it's easier to protect than if you built a much more open cloud infrastructure where many people are coming together, putting their stuff on it.”

Read the full transcript here.

Footnotes

• What is Kubernetes?
• What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
• What is zero trust?
• What is 5G and how far are we from rollout?
• Building human connections key to cloud-native success
• Microsoft announces new tools to help CSPs go cloud native
• Vodafone taps Oracle for its cloud-native standalone 5G network
• Cloud-native tools are becoming more popular in Europe than the US
• Google Cloud joins TM Forum, aims to foster telco innovation

Subscribe

• Subscribe to The IT Pro Podcast on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe to The IT Pro Podcast on Google Podcasts
• Subscribe to The IT Pro Podcast on Spotify
• Subscribe to the IT Pro newsletter
• Subscribe to IT Pro 20/20

For more than two decades, 3G has been an essential part of mobile connectivity. With the introduction of the networking standard in 2001, devices could download and upload data at faster speeds than ever before. It allowed organisations to hold proper mobile video conferencing for the first time, and empowered consumers and businesspeople alike to browse the internet on the go.

Predating the first smartphone by five years, the technology paved the way for what we have come to know as mobile broadband and continued to play an important role even as 4G and 5G entered the scene.

In recent years, however, countries have begun to shut down 3G networks in a process known as the 3G sunset, with those who haven’t done so yet urged to adopt 4G and 5G instead.

Why is 3G being shut down?

The primary reason that 3G is being sunsetted is to free up resources for 4G and 5G capacity.

The move will free up teams within telcos to focus on newer architectures, allowing for greater focus on testing and development, such as Vodafone and Ericsson’s network slicing trial.

Reduced network cost is also a considerable benefit of this process, as MNOs won’t have to spend time and money maintaining their 3G infrastructure. With newer networks boasting more efficient energy usage, it also provides a measurable saving on energy costs for telcos.

Also on the chopping block is 3G’s predecessor, 2G, even though it’s relied upon for basic services in a way that 3G never was and is still used by some internet of things (IoT) devices. From legacy smart meters to diagnostic equipment, there are a few more holdouts with 2G than one might expect, which has kept the now ageing networking protocol from being axed just yet.

“3G sunset is a done deal,” Ben Timmons, senior director business development at Qualcomm tells IT Pro. “2G is a bit harder, particularly in the UK because of smart meters and various other IoT devices that are still using general packet radio service (GPRS).”

What impact will it have on businesses?

If anyone is worried that crucial 3G systems could break when the 3G sunset occurs, they needn’t be as very few businesses still rely on older networks for their connectivity needs. For example, Vodafone states that less than 4% of its data traffic in 2021 came from 3G – a 26% drop since 2016.

Alongside consumers shifting to 4G and 5G devices, this drop-off is driven by the fact businesses have been preparing for the 3G sunset by migrating equipment and services to newer networks.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in rural areas, however, are more likely to be impacted by the change in the short term, as many struggle to receive adequate data under current conditions. The sunset could exacerbate the ongoing crisis in rural connectivity, with services withdrawn before fibre broadband can fill the gap they leave. Satellite broadband could be key for these remote organisations, although greater expansion of 4G and 5G network coverage in these areas will be necessary to bridge the digital divide experienced.

Where – and when – will 3G shut down?

The soonest UK businesses can expect the 3G sunset to happen is by the end of 2023, the deadline that Vodafone is working towards, while those using the EE and Three 3G networks will lose access at different points in 2024. O2 is an outlier in that it has not indicated a specific deadline, but is supportive of government sunset targets.

The UK government has stated that 2G and 3G services will cease by 2033 at the latest. MNOs may shut down networks prior to this date, particularly as continued network costs are balanced against the ongoing expansion of 5G across the country.

Worldwide, efforts to retire 3G are continuing apace and as of September 2022, the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) has identified 142 operators that have either started or completed 2G and 3G shutdowns. Of the 142, 24 had completed 2G shutdowns across 15 countries, versus 28 that had shut down 3G networks across 17 countries.

In the APAC region, things are moving at a much more rapid pace. Japan entirely abandoned 2G as far back as 2012, the same year 4G services were first launched inthe country, making 3G the country’s oldest network protocol. MNOs across Singapore and South Korea, meanwhile, have all shut down their 2G networks.

In the US the 3G standard has been completely retired, as the final holdout, Verizon, ended 3G support at the start of 2023. The firm had intended to shut the network down in 2019, but twice extended the deadline to reduce disruption to its customers.

Network availability across the EU is a mixed picture, with some countries ahead of the UK on sunsetting. Germany, Italy and the Netherlands have all discontinued 3G access, and MNOs in 22 EU countries have plans to switch off, or have already switched off, their legacy networks according to data regulatory intelligence provider Cullen International.

Throughout the EU, 3G is expected to have been retired by the end of 2025, a comfortable deadline which ensures that companies and consumers within the bloc can ditch older devices for newer 4G or 5G models.

The second-largest mobile network operator in India, Bharti Airtel, sunset its 3G services in mid-2022 despite the country’s 5G rollout being far from complete. It stated it was diverting focus to providing the best 4G network it can, while expanding its 5G presence, instead of maintaining legacy networks and expensive infrastructure. The company is attempting to

"We are now coming below 100 million – one of the smallest pool (sic) of 2G customers. But we can't leave them stranded,” Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal told Mint.

“I would love to switch off the network and save all the investments that go in 2G but there are a large amount (sic) of customers who need to upgrade to 4G, 5G phones but for that device prices are currently prohibitive.”

In the very near future, it may be hard to get a 3G signal anywhere in the world, but this loss will be far outweighed by the benefits of next-gen networking such as 5G, and eventually 6G.

As 5G rollouts continue across the world, regulators are seeking to auction new, high-frequency spectrums classified as millimetre-wave (mmWave). After much consideration, Ofcom has ruled in 2023 it will make mmWave spectrum available across the UK to improve data capacity and speeds, and boost innovation across various industries.

These frequencies have long been seen as impractical, as they offer far weaker building penetration than mid-band 5G and are inherently short-range. But due to the vast speed and capacity improvements achievable, the coming years will see 5G mmWave become ubiquitous across the UK 5G network, and used widely by enterprises.

Although some of its characteristics are shared with conventional 5G, it’s worth knowing just what sets it apart from the 5G mid-band, and how it can best be harnessed for the benefit of businesses.

What is 5G mmWave?

MmWave, sometimes known as the millimetre band, is the band of radio frequencies between 24-100GHz. It offers marked improvements over the current sub-7GHz bands used for 5G in countries such as the UK, with far greater stability in congested areas and download speeds in crowded venues comparable to that of peak mid-band speeds.

The Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) had previously identified 26GHz as the high-band third of its ‘pioneer bands’, the list of 5G spectrum allocation recommendations for Europe that the group published in 2016. 28GHz is the band already in use by mobile network operators (MNOs) in the United States and Japan.

Ofcom has identified 26 GHz (24.25-27.5 GHz) and 40 GHz (40.5 GHz-43.5 GHz) as the bands that it will allocate for mmWave, in line with the precedent set around the world.

What are the benefits of 5G mmWave technology?

Experts claim once 5G mmWave has been properly implemented, businesses will begin to experience the 'full potential’ of 5G. That’s a bold statement, but higher wavelength 5G does offer a range of benefits to complement existing 5G infrastructure and rectify existing 5G networks’ major deficiencies.

The headline benefit of 5G mmWave, particularly on an individual level, is far higher rates of data transfer. Users should expect multiple GB/sec up and down on 5G mmWave-enabled devices, which is perfect for streaming ultra-high-definition video such as broadcasts or surveillance feeds. It also supports massive data transfers that current 5G bandwidth cannot accommodate; this is necessary for effective cloud computing and real-time analytics in environments like smart ports and smart cities.

Another benefit is that with 400-800% improvements in network capacity, cost per bit also decreases. In this way, 5G mmWave proves itself as an economic boon for enterprises, as the cheapest and most effective option in key environments.

Enterprises will also benefit massively from 5G mmWave’s improved throughput in high density areas, which allows for better network connectivity in transport hubs and factory floors. Mid-band 5G struggles to supply connections to devices in environments of high network congestion, as in poor latency for equipment such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices and autonomous vehicles.

A Bell Labs study commissioned by Qualcomm noted 5G mmWave is up to 75% more cost-effective than mid-range 5G at serving network capacity in congested areas. MNOs can take advantage of these unique properties to take pressure off mid-band infrastructure, while improving the experience for customers.

Verizon has already demonstrated this, having deployed mmWave tech in more than 60 stadiums across the United States. At Super Bowl LVI last year, Verizon used 5G mmWave to deliver network connectivity for over 70,000 attendees, maintaining a downlink peak throughout of over 3Gbits/sec, an uplink peak throughout of over 170Mbits/sec, and an average 10ms ping latency.

The same Bell Labs study showed with its increased bandwidth and throughput, 5G mmWave requires fewer small cell towers in congested areas. MNOs deploying 5G mmWave could see energy consumption reduced by up to 70%, in a win for costs and sustainability.

Are devices 5G mmWave-ready?

The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) recognised 178 mmWave-enabled devices at last count, and notes this ecosystem is expanding. As more territories complete spectrum auctions and the benefits of 5G mmWave are realised, it's likely this number will increase to meet demand.

For consumers, this may go unnoticed, but businesses will have clear opportunities to upgrade existing network devices and campuses to make best use of 5G mmWave. Even devices as simple as business smartphones can benefit from the new network technology.

Manufacturers throughout the supply chain are working on ensuring interoperability and efficient 5G mmWave use is enabled on future handsets and laptops, and business networks will continue to adapt to the benefits of the new technology.

Where is 5G mmWave being deployed?

In the UK, plans for mmWave deployment are in the hands of Ofcom. The regulatory agency ruled in 2023 it would make mmWave spectrum available.

“We do expect there to be a mix of licensing, it’s probably not going to be national licences like we have in other European countries like Spain or Finland,” Lugi Ardito, senior director of government affairs at Qualcomm tells IT Pro.

“We expect Ofcom actually to have a set of licences for very high-density areas with a national-wide footprint, and then in addition to that there will be some local licences as well.”

Ofcom anticipates mmWave rollout will primarily be in high-density areas such as towns, cities, and travel hubs. With this in mind, it's suggested auctions for citywide licenses, with specific structures for these to be decided through the consultation. These will cover 25.10-27.5GHz allocation, while 24.45-25.10GHz will be allocated through Ofcom’s Shared Access framework in high density areas on a first come, first served basis.

Lower density areas will be awarded 24.45-27.5GHz through the framework, while the bottom 200MHz of the band (24.25-24.45GHz) will be reserved for Ministry of Defence (MoD) access.

For the entire 40GHz band, Ofcom is proposing citywide licenses obtained via auction and for operators in the rest of the country to be allocated licenses on a first come, first served basis.

In addition to MoD concerns, Ofcom has noted that existing 26GHz and 40GHz users will need to cease activity on those spectrums to prevent “harmful interference”. The latter was not previously expected to be used for future mobile networks, and as such it is in use by MNOs who will now have their access revoked.

In addition to the UK, Austria and Norway are expected to conduct auctions for the 26GHz band in 2023. Countries that have already conducted auctions of this kind in the EU include Italty, Spain, Germany, and Finland, while France will take part in these at a later date. In the US, which adopted 28GHz as its band for mmWave, MNOs such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and US Cellular have already deployed 5G mmWave across cities and congested hotspots. The same is true of Japan, which has deployed 5G mmWave as part of its 5G standalone (SA) network.

Other countries and territories are developing mmWave at pace. In October 2022, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) became the first B2B enterprise to be awarded an mmWave licence in China. It intends to use the technology to connect its wired and wireless manufacturing floors.

There’s little doubt the challenges the UK and other nations have faced in 2022 are continuing into 2023, and there’s every likelihood that they’ll extend into 2024 too. Supply chain disruption caused by COVID-19 has continued, and we face economic uncertainty due to issues with energy supply and cost and wider inflationary pressures. Both businesses and consumers are watching spending. The telecoms industry faces these pressures too, and more, knowing there’s little or nothing they can do about them.

In a recent report, EY describes a range of pressures on the industry over which it does have agency. From an insufficient response to customers during the cost of living crisis, through failure to improve workforce culture and ways of working in the face of a talent crisis, poor management of the sustainability agenda and an inability to take advantage of new business models, the report describes ten challenges the sector needs to stand up to.

The challenges facing the telecoms industry

Where there’s economic uncertainty, firms move into situations in which while some fail, others will grow. M&A activity can increase, with buyers gaining more power as sellers become more stressed and keen to sell. “The top pain points for telcos this year will include cut-throat competition in major European markets,” Kester Mann, director, of consumer and connectivity, at analyst firm CCS Insight tells IT Pro. He adds that “2023 could prove a pivotal year for operators’ ambitions to consolidate”.

If we move away from the strategic level and look more closely at some specifics we can begin to understand the complexity of the situation. For example, there are challenges around 5G rollout – Internet of Things (IoT) deployment that’s associated with it – and the 3G switch-off.

Phil Beecher, President of Wi-SUN Alliance tells IT Pro the question of whether the economics of 5G stack up is a significant one for telcos. “Will 5G networks provide sufficient coverage and be sufficiently resilient to support the rollout of large-scale IoT networks, for example within the context of smart city applications?” he asks. His answer? “As a standalone technology, 5G is not ideal to support networks that need to stay up and running in the event of sustained power outages or extreme weather conditions, such as flooding. It is also questionable whether it will be economic to provide 100% coverage across an entire city, something necessary for IoT networks.”

James Gray, director of Graystone Strategy adds another perspective to the 5G rollout debate, telling IT Pro in 2023. “The debate on monetising 5G will still be prominent,” he says. “It’s becoming more and more urgent to get an ROI on the investment as the recession hits, but there’s still a need for critical mass adoption of the innovations being touted.”

At the other end, the upcoming switch off of 3G is not without its own problems. “I think the impact on consumers and business users and the IoT is underestimated,” Gray adds. “It needs to happen but there are M2M devices of significant quantities caught up in this migration. IoT providers need plans in place quickly. This doesn’t just affect operators there is a whole value chain of service provides, dealers and solution providers that need to ensure their customers and critical services they support are not impacted.”

How telecoms firms can find a way through

It’s not all doom and gloom, and there are some strategic moves telecoms firms can make to find positives. Mann says CCS Insight’s research shows positive trends in businesses’ IT investment plans over the next 12 months. Nearly 85% of senior leaders across the US and Europe point to an increase in planned spending, including almost a quarter who say investment will increase by more than 15%. Meanwhile, only 12% say it would be unchanged and less than 5% say it would fall. There’s surely headroom for some of this investment to be around telecoms.

Gray points out that MVNOs – a key part of the provider network – may benefit. He tells IT Pro there’s “huge potential for MVNOs to grow their businesses” and win over customers who might not have considered moving away from incumbents. These businesses grew during COVID-19, he continues, so they’ll be bullish about growing in a recession.

Where 5G is concerned, there’s potential for what’s currently a niche activity to grow. “As 5G is now pretty good in some areas of the country, people could be tempted to cut their broadband service altogether in favour of it,” Gray adds. “That’s probably the most significant catalyst for making 5G pay.”

Telecoms firms have invested heavily in infrastructure over recent years. They couldn’t have foreseen the significant economic pressures combined with the continued challenge of finding and retaining staff – including in technical roles. This has hampered their capacity to work with both businesses and consumers.

These challenges are significant, and they’re spread across technological, financial and wider socioeconomic levels. But if telecoms firms take time to understand these challenges, they can work to find a way through. At the end of every one of their issues is a customer, and so the last word should focus on this. “Customers are going to shop around and so loyalty and retention activity needs to be dialled up,” Gray says. That means finding and focusing on what the market wants – and focusing hard throughout 2023 and beyond.

There’s something frighteningly all-consuming about Mobile World Congress (MWC) that makes it both a fascinating and draining experience. There are eight halls jam-packed with bright lights, spectacle, and unparalleled technological advancements. Each year I come to see it all, and each year I leave having only seen about a third.

This year’s theme was ‘velocity’ accompanied by the tagline ‘unleashing tomorrow’s technology today’. Concepts like the metaverse, artificial intelligence (AI) and 6G were showcased everywhere. But everything was tied together with environmental concerns, with most offerings pitched as a solution to tech's ever-growing carbon footprint.

Embracing green technology

The problem is getting worse. The amount of data businesses generate annually by 2030 will be measured in "yottabytes" according to Huawei’s storage expert Dr Peter Zhou. The term is already available, if not quite yet needed; it's the largest unit recognised by the International System of Units (SI). Data was only ever going in this direction, and we’re already storing so much that it’s harming the planet. This problem hangs over the industry and technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and the metaverse, which heavily rely on sensor technology and AI.

Huawei used MWC’s day zero event to present a cohort of green tech initiatives. The head of climate action for GSMA, Steven Moore, spoke about the shelf life of our mobile devices – none of which are anywhere near 100% renewable. He called for manufacturers to push for longer life spans, suggesting even a one-year extension would equate to taking 4.7 million cars off the road. Similarly, Orange’s SVP of operations and network economics, Emmanuel Chatard, urged normalising the use of secondhand equipment in mobile networks.

While that may help to reduce e-waste, we face a more daunting challenge in the form of power consumption – particularly on mobile networks. As many already know, 5G drains a phone’s battery very quickly. Part of this is the phone itself searching for the best signal, but our network signals are also working much harder than they need to.

How 6G networks will utilise AI

6G is expected to massively increase data consumption and speeds with virtually zero latency, according to principal research scientist and co-director at Telefonica Research, Nicolas Kourtellis, speaking on stage at MWC.

There’s a new generation of mobile networking technology roughly every ten years, with 6G slated for approximately 2030. To counter 5G’s deficiencies, however, Huawei is currently looking at something called 5.5G, which is predicted to improve sensing technology and power efficiency. Ultimately, though, it’s the midway point in the journey to 6G, and that’s where things get a little more exciting.

Several elements will make ssmart and superfast 6G a reality, including low latency, AI and advancements in sensor technology. Huawei believes 6G networks will need to be so embedded with AI that they could actually be categorised as AI systems in their own right.

Part of the intelligence will be used to manage beamform signals, which is what transfers data to devices. And, with 6G, the network will be smart enough to moderate that signal, automating it in a way that’s low in latency and more efficient. If Huawei is correct, 6G will be both a technological advancement and a radical solution to the rising carbon footprint of mobile telecoms.

Using technology to work smarter not harder

Using AI to save the planet is a bit counter-intuitive, though, in that AI computation is extremely power-hungry. The idea we can use power more efficiently with one of the greatest culprits behind tech’s massive carbon footprint seems bizarre.

“I think that’s the interesting part,” Carmen Fontana, a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), tells IT Pro. “These processors get smarter and smarter, they can do more, but they’re also big energy consumers.”

Fontana, who is also VP operations at Augment Therapy, ays these same power consumption issues have plagued blockchain.

“We can do all these cool things, but it’s terrible for the environment. So I do think that these chip processors, or the general cloud environment, have to be smarter and make that a priority versus just more and more power,” she continues. “On the flip side, we can use a lot of these connected devices in applications like utility grids to make them smarter about how we use the utility grid. Maybe we’re counteracting the use of the chips, but also it will allow us to be more efficient with our use of the electrical power.”

There is another layer here; not only are these initiatives beneficial to the environment but they can be harnessed to cut costs. Economic woes, which are fuelling the cost of living crisis, are hitting the global economy and supply chains. The tech industry is cutting jobs, and businesses, particularly in the UK, are contending with shrinking budgets. Sustainability aside, as important as it is, we all need technology to help us do more with less, and to work smarter and not harder.

Microsoft has announced the public preview of new cloud tools to boost the adoption of cloud-native 5G, run network functions such as vRAN, and manage subscriber data more efficiently.

Azure Operator Nexus is a hybrid, carrier-grade cloud platform intended to bolster telcos in running a range of network operations. It can provide the runtime necessary for carrier-grade networks, with optimised container support and failure domain scheduling support to provide scalability and long-term reliability across a core network.

Microsoft made the announcement during this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, where it additionally announced new AIOps tools Azure Operator Insights and Azure Operator Service Manager.

The former is used to draw insights from network traffic via machine learning (ML), while the latter simplifies network configuration into one end-to-end set of operations on Azure.

Azure Operator Service Manager also combines analytics and cloud orchestration to help network operators improve efficiency and reduce downtime.

AT&T is already using Azure Operator Nexus, and the service can now expand to a range of telco customers. Connectivity firm Comtech has also announced that it will join the Azure Operator Nexus Ready Program to give its customers greater cloud flexibility.

“One of the key benefits of a hybrid cloud infrastructure is its ability to provide harmonised observability for both infrastructure and applications,” said Yousef Khalidi, corporate VP of Azure for Operators at Microsoft.

“This means one can easily monitor and troubleshoot any issues that may arise, ensuring systems are running smoothly and efficiently.

“The platform collects logs, metrics, and traces from network function virtualisation infrastructure (NFVI) and network functions (NFs). It also offers a rich analytical, AI/ML-based toolset to develop descriptive and prescriptive analytics. Our goal with this observability architecture is to securely bring all operator data into a single data lake where it can be processed to provide a global-network view and harvested for operational and business insights. “

Microsoft claimed that analysis by consultancy firm Analysys Mason found that a telco looking to deploy a cloud-native 5G standalone (5G SA) network via Azure Operator Nexus could see a 38% decrease in the total cost of ownership over five years, compared to doing it on its own.

Microsoft has also launched two new services which pair with Azure Operator Nexus, and seek to empower telcos with unified AIOps run through the cloud giant’s powerful public cloud network.

Google Cloud has also used MWC as a platform to launch three new telco products aimed at cloud service providers (CSPs).

These include Telecom Data Fabric, Telecom Network Automation, and Telecom Subscriber Insights, which aim to help customers deploy, manage, and analyse networks through a hybrid cloud model.

Telecom Network Automation will allow telcos to speed deployment through automation tools grounded in Kubernetes, and has already been used by telco titan Bell Canada to restructure its 5G core network.

Telecom Data Fabric and Telecom Subscriber Insights, meanwhile, allow CSPs to form a strategy around big data analytics drawn from Google Cloud’s BigQuery architecture.

An additional update to Google Distributed Cloud Edge will now allow telcos to connect the edge of their RAN to Google Cloud.

AWS has its own service, AWS Telco Network Builder (TNB), which CSPs can use to provision networking resources based on their individual requirements. Like its rivals’ services, TNB allows customers to view and manage these networks from a centralised dashboard.

HPE has announced its acquisition of mobile core network provider Athonet - a move that will expand the firm’s enterprise network reach and bolster the Greenlake platform.

The industry giant stated that the move will consolidate its edge offerings and harness Athonet’s industry standing to provide improved 5G private networks, leading to faster deployments for B2B customers.

Cloud service providers have been identified as those that could benefit from these services the most. HPE will now be able to offer telcos and other organisations in the sector private 4G and 5G networks with enhanced network orchestration and automation included.

HPE expects the transaction to close at the beginning of its Q3, subject to regulatory approvals. At some point after this the firm’s services will be integrated into HPE’s Aruba portfolio, allowing IT managers to control private 5G through HP’s unified console and make use of the platform’s AIOps.

The monetary value of the deal will not be disclosed at this time, HPE told IT Pro.

Athonet is based in Italy and has served 4G and 5G mobile core networks to more than 450 customers and partners around the world. It is versed in private and public sector deployment, and the integration into HPE's business is set to deliver more complete private network coverage.

HPE identified private 5G as one of its priorities for the future and with Athonet these services are being brought to HPE Greenlake, the company’s edge-to-cloud platform.

Through Greenlake, private 5G and Wi-Fi will be available through a monthly subscription model, alongside consumption models that will allow enterprises to adopt private 5G through the platform’s networking as a service offerings.

“Telco customers are looking for simpler ways to deploy private 5G networks to meet growing customer expectations at the connected edge,” said Tom Craig, global vice president and general manager of the Communications Technology Group at HPE.

"At the same time, enterprise customers are demanding a customised 5G experience with low latency, segregated resources, extended range and security across campus and industrial environments that complement their existing wireless networks.

"With the acquisition of Athonet, HPE now has one of the most complete private 5G and Wi-Fi portfolios for CSP and enterprise customers – and we will offer it as a service through HPE GreenLake.”

Once it has been brought into Aruba, Athonet will sit alongside firms such as SD-WAN business Silver Peak, which was acquired by HPE in September 2020.

Private 5G networks offer enterprises a range of improved services and are a key support for systems such as internet of things (IoT) devices, edge computing, industrial robotics, telematics, and advanced data networking.

An IDC forecast from March 2022 predicted that the private 5G market will reach $1.6 billion (£1.3 billion) annual value by 2026.

These networks are increasingly being rolled out amongst enterprises, particularly those with the need to supply high throughput to controlled environments such as manufacturing floors and transportation hubs.

Nokia and Kyndryl announced an extended partnership on private 5G, with an eye on expanding operations within the £418 billion Industry 4.0 market.

The University of Sheffield has announced it will be the home of the UK’s first national 6G research facility.

The facility is set to open in January 2024 and is tipped to support the UK’s ambitions in becoming a world leader in 6G technology.

It will house “specialist equipment” to be used by academics and industry partners on collaborative development projects, the university said.

The facility’s equipment will support research into “many aspects of 6G radio systems”, including candidate waveforms, transmitter and receiver circuits, digital acquisition and signal processing, and antenna arrays.

It will also facilitate research into over-the-air (OTA) propagation measurements and multiple OTA transmissions simultaneously, a key capability in developing the most cutting-edge solutions.

“6G is the next generation of telecommunications technology and has fast become a strategically important area for research and development,” said Professor Timothy O'Farrell, professor of wireless communication at the University of Sheffield, who will direct the new facility.

“If the UK is to maintain its place as a global leader in telecommunications then we need the specialist equipment that our academics and industrial partners can use to innovate and develop next-generation 6G technologies.

“The national facility we are creating at the University of Sheffield will play a huge role in the UK's 6G capabilities.”

The facility will build on the University of Sheffield’s existing research into 5G, which is supported by its millimetre wave (mmWave) measurement facility.

Like the inbound 6G site the mmWave research facility is also open to both industry and academics.

It supports the testing and measurement of 5G systems, and communications related to the internet of things (IoT) and autonomous vehicles.

The university also hosts the DECADE project which is responsible for researching small cells for the purposes of boosting performance in other areas like spectrum efficiency, bandwidth expansion and Wi-Fi traffic offloading.

Sheffield's most notable 5G research includes that into 3D-printed radio antennas to bring 5G and 6G to rural communities. It's also involved in a combined effort with the University of York and DCMS to research the ways in which radio base stations communicate with each other, with the ambition to reduce reliance on single suppliers in the UK’s telecoms network.

State of 6G in the UK

The current most recent iteration of wireless mobile networking technology is 5G, which in the UK went live in 2018.

5G is still yet to reach its full maturity and has seen numerous stumbling blocks in its wide-scale rollout, namely the myriad conspiracy theories related to its masts.

There is no definitive launch date for 6G but speculation from the likes of Nokia and Ericsson - two of the major companies involved in the development of mobile networking hardware and standards - have said it won’t be accessible until at least 2030. Other estimates suggest an even longer wait.

The research lifecycle for 6G is still in its infancy, but the main benefits of 6G will be similar to those touted around 5G’s launch - faster speeds and lower latency.

6G is expected to be around 10x faster than 5G, capable of delivering download speeds of 100 Gbits/sec and also transmitting data with one microsecond of latency (0.001 milliseconds).

It’s also expected to increase the network ceiling by 20 times.

Speeds like the ones predicted by industry giants could open up research into new capabilities in AI, IoT, as well as augmented reality and many other areas.

Given its infancy, the full potential of 6G is yet to be truly realised and likely won’t be until more research facilities like the one being built at the University of Sheffield are up and running.

Nokia and Kyndryl have announced a three-year extension to their global edge partnership, focusing on industry 4.0 the development of LTE and 5G private wireless networks.

Since the companies joined forces, they have established more than 100 'engagements' with companies around the world. The nature of these engagements has ranged from the initial advisory and testing stages to the full implementation of solutions.

Around 90% of these have been with companies in the industrial manufacturing sector, including energy, mining, and petrochemical firms.

Kyndryl and Nokia aim to expand the adoption of leading-edge technologies in this sector and others, with Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) platform enabling quick and widespread adoption of wireless assets.

The companies have also committed to the launch of a lab in Raleigh, North Carolina alongside cyber security firm Palo Alto Networks. This will seek to develop auditable wireless networks with the advanced security capabilities necessary for critical industrial networks.

Kyndryl and Nokia cited their implementation of a private wireless network with edge computing at Dow Chemical’s petrochemical processing plant in Freeport, Texas.

Dow Chemical, one of the world’s largest chemical producers, worked with Kyndryl and Nokia to improve safety and efficiency across the site.

In 12 months, the companies have established a private LTE network that covers the entire complex, with a zero trust and containerised solution for the management of security profiles.

Site operators and engineers can now communicate in real time and make use of vehicle telematics, video and audio feeds, and tracking for increased safety.

The two companies first announced their edge computing partnership in February 2022, with an aim to digitalise enterprises and tap into the $510 billion (£417.9 billion) industry 4.0 market.

“Kyndryl and Nokia have a shared vision for digital transformation, and as leaders in our respective industries we are driven to grow this market together,” said Chris Johnson, head of Nokia's global enterprise business.

"We are excited to build upon our existing success and strengthen our alliance targeting more enterprise customers across multiple industries.

“The two companies are currently exploring and developing new, integrated solutions and services for edge, cloud, IP networking, optics, fixed access, 4G, and 5G core and network operations software technologies, which can address the growing demand for mission-critical, industrial-grade wireless networking.”

A study by Grand View Research projected that the private 5G network market will grow to $41 billion (£33.6 billion) by 2030, driven in part by massive investments made by the industrial manufacturing sector.

The benefits that private 5G networks can bring to the transportation and logistics industry are also expected to accelerate adoption of the technology.

5G private networks and edge networks have a clear role to play in advancing the ‘smart ports’. Already, sites such as the Felixstowe Port in Suffolk have adopted 5G networks to more efficiently process data, and enable the widespread use of internet of things (IoT) devices.

5G holds major potential for businesses, from improved speeds and the technology it enables such as the Internet of Things. But to unlock its true potential, and lay the groundwork for 6G, a number of new technologies have to be tapped.

To grasp opportunities like open RAN, network slicing, and private network environments, radical overhaul is necessary, to drive both innovation and revenue growth. Networking has never been more important across every aspect of life, and telcos hold a unique opportunity to win tomorrow with the right infrastructure investments today.

This week, we spoke to Manish Vyas, President, Communications, Media & Entertainment and CEO, Network Services at Tech Mahindra, to outline the future of the telecommunications industry, 5G/6G, and the opportunities provided by leading edge methodology.

Highlights

“And it's very clear that as they write, curate and architect software differently, it's going to just make deploying newer technologies, whether it is 6G, or it is anything around new products or new artificial intelligence type platforms, it will just become better because you just won't be able to drive a fast car on a very, very slow highway, right? And highway, in this case, is a high quality, open digital, very flexible digital architecture.”

“5G is really more of an overhaul, of not just the network, but also of the OSS and BSS. And unless everything is completely overhauled, and changed and dramatically transformed, one will not be able to derive the value from slicing as much as people want to, because we are as good as the weakest link in the food chain, right?”

“Some countries are already experimenting saying "okay, this is not just a spectrum licence, revenue opportunity for us. Maybe there is a lot more that can be done here". So I'm truly excited, so for anybody who says that hey, telco is an old industry, I like to say "wake up, telco is a very new industry", because our ability to connect, and their ability to connect and and create more value in this food chain is like tremendous. It's phenomenal.”

Read the full transcript here.

Footnotes

• What is 5G and how far are we from rollout?
• What is 6G and how far are we from rollout?
• How will 6G transform the workplace?
• What 5G rollout failures mean for 6G
• What are the pros and cons of AI?
• UK and India align closer with tech investments ahead of FTA negotiations
• Cutting-edge 5G Open RAN lab set to open in the Midlands
• Vodafone partners with industry giants to develop Open RAN network
• UK government initiative will fund disruptive telecoms tech
• Vodafone and Ericsson complete UK's first 5G network slicing trial
• Nokia and Google score breakthrough in Android 13 network slicing
• Marketing and finance skill shortage is holding channel partners back – BT Wholesale

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This automatically-generated transcript is taken from the IT Pro Podcast episode ‘Making sense of the telco transformation'. We apologise for any errors.

Rory Bathgate

Hi, I’m Rory Bathgate and you’re listening to the IT Pro Podcast, where this week we’re looking at the future of telecommunications. The switch from 4G to 5G is ongoing, and it carries transformative opportunities for businesses around the world. With one eye on 6G development, researchers and telcos are working to release the full potential of 5G. Additionally, as rollout is disproportionately centred in the global north, work is still ramping up to expand this next generation of communications equally in underserved areas. Today, we’re speaking to Manish Vyas, President, Communications, Media & Entertainment and CEO, Network Services at Tech Mahindra, to discuss the future of the telecommunications industry, 5G/6G, and the opportunities provided by methods such as network slicing.

Manish Vyas

It's a pleasure. Thank you so much for having me.

Rory

So starting broadly, what are some of the key patterns that you're noticing right now in how the telecommunications industry is transforming?

Manish

Well, I think it's been, it's been a rather tumultuous time for the industry in the last ten odd years, I would say. Where the industry has tried many different things, to try and find that proverbial next billion dollar opportunity from a revenue standpoint. And, you know, because the last phase of exponential growth in the industry happened as the wireless business was booming, right, you had more customer ads, more applications, more data traffic. And then there was a period of time when the service providers were looking to diversify, and look into and look and get into more adjacencies of sorts, whether it is media, whether it's broadcast, whether it is the quad play, and so on, and so forth. Now, I'm not saying that all those experiments have failed. But at the same time, what I particularly like this phase of the telecom transformation, is it is extremely focused. So if there is one thing that the telcos are trying to do, is they're trying to keep things very simple and keep things very focused. Focused around access and building better networks, focus on the core customer experience aspects, and continue to build an ability to serve with both fixed and mobility type of solutions. So that's part one. The second transformation that I'm noticing, so one is the transformation of, of culture of mindset of strategy. And the second transformation at a technology level that we are seeing very clearly, is the adoption of open and digital architecture is more or less becoming all pervasive across the board. So it's very clear that the almost every single service provider that we speak to recognises that their success in continuing to build world class networks, and their success in continuing to build and offer world class products, and their success in continuing to offer world class customer experience is predicated upon the kind of digital platform that they build. So, I would say that's the second one. And that would essentially lead to many, many opportunities for the industry as a whole, and for the ecosystem. And the third transformation that I'm noticing very clearly that is underway, is more around, you know, looking to drive an ecosystem play. The telcos recognise that not all inventions have to be done in house. So they are taking a more practical partnership based approach, particularly as they look to monetize 5G and beyond. Right, so they don't think that everything should be done by themselves. They are very open to partnering with software companies, with market makers, with integrators, and try and look for opportunities to serve the customers better. But they they do their bit, but not necessarily the whole thing. So I think that these are the three fundamental transformational issues that said, if since you asked for three I'm giving you three but if I may add a fourth one is I think there is an element of cost and optimization. You can't ignore the fact that the cost to serve has to continuously go down, as we go forward, and that always will remain a priority for the service providers.

Rory

And do you think that these, all of the changes that you've identified, are kind of reflective of the direction that the industry is going in over the next five to ten years?

Manish

Yeah, I think the industry is really focused on these changes, and these transformation backs. You will keep hearing more and more words like 'simplicity', you will keep hearing more and more about open and digital, you will keep hearing more and more about, you know, driving a lot more partnerships that they will announce. I think it's about — everybody is in that direction, the question is really about, at what speed are they driving it? And I think it varies from market to market, operator to operator. So the variance is only in the speed, and how do they prioritise some of these things. But broadly speaking, that's the direction that we are seeing.

Rory

So, 5G is the focus right now. And we have a lot to discuss about 5G over the course of this episode. But with half an eye on 6G, do you think that the groundwork is being laid right now, to allow for 6G rollout by 2030? I know that that's a goal that a lot of different operators are setting right now.

Manish

I would think so. You know, I am someone who has now, in the capacity of being an engineering company, and an integrator and a managed service provider. You know, our company has been serving the industry for 32 years, I have been here for 22. So I must say, with a degree of certainty that we have seen a few inflection points in the industry, more than one. We have seen the changes, the disruptions that have happened. And with hindsight, as the point of advantage, one thing I can fairly safely say is that the evolution on both the compute/software, as well as on the telecom network technology, I think is a unstoppable train, right? This will continue to move. So if anybody thought that 5G was the panacea and the answer of everything, clearly, we're wrong then and wrong now. It is just another evolutionary step, a different evolutionary step, a big, massive step change, which is why there was so much excitement and there is so much excitement about 5G. And it will only keep improving by the day. But your key question is without getting too much into details on 6G, or 5G at this point, is the foundation being led, being laid beg your pardon, for potential 6G in a decade or so? I think so, and maybe more needs to be done there. Because ultimately, as we have seen in practically every single industry, not just in telecom, more so in others than in telecom, that software is at the heart of any change. If one reads any report that is relevant to this to this topic, it would say that 70% to 50% of all spend, that the CFOs will make available for the company, will be around tech in every industry. If that were true, and one were to believe that, and I do want to believe that, based on what we have seen in the last two, three years, particularly with the digital tsunami, it's very, very clear that service providers will have to continue to build a very strong digital software based platform so that they could run their operation better. They could build new technologies faster, and they could imagine new products and services faster. And it's very clear that as they write, curate and architect software differently, it's going to just make deploying newer technologies, whether it is 6G, or it is anything around new products or new artificial intelligence type platforms, it will just become better because you just won't be able to drive a fast car on a very, very slow highway, right? And highway, in this case, is a high quality, open digital, very flexible digital architecture.

Rory

Fantastic, yeah. Just to circle on that point of architecture, I know that earlier, you mentioned open architecture. And then it to also expand on this idea of maybe the more digital software side of things, as opposed to the hardware side of things, Open RAN offers a number of interesting use cases. What kind of work is being done in that space by Tech Mahindra, currently? And what kind of opportunities do you think open RAN offers with things like manufacturer collaboration in the future?

Manish

Yeah, no, I think look, anything open I would take a position that it is good for the industry. Granted that, one doesn't have to read less secure with open, because security is at the at the heart of any any architectural discussions we do. More security is at the heart of any discussion going forward, no doubt about it. But what we have been doing is our, we really do two things. One, is an advisory type of a role, where we are essentially helping build the architectural frameworks, and provide the do's and the don'ts as we continue to deploy more open technology, including open RAN. We of course played a very vital role in initially nurturing the industry, even with an investment into one of the open RAN companies back then. But more significantly, what we are doing is, we are offering the integration, and certification and interoperability capabilities. Over the last four or five years, we have built about 12, state of the art laboratories. These are essentially networks inside a large room. Every element of the network, practically every possible mainstream technology, and technology provider is inside these labs, right? You know, barring maybe one or two, everybody's there. And we continue to test ourselves, and at the behest of our customers, the ability to integrate an open network architecture, from RAN to the code, to the downstream closed loop automation, all the way to the cloud integration. That's what we do and we've, you know, we have significantly gained in our network business, as a result of these aggregations that have happened. You know, it's close to a billion dollar business that we do, just around the network integration and network managed services for the carriers, and a business that is growing pretty rapid clip.

Rory

So jumping off your point, about the usefulness of these going forward, and the work that you've already been putting into developing some of these technologies. Another similarly, useful innovation right now is network slicing. Specifically, in regards to OSS/BSS slicing, I wonder if just to start off with for those who don't know, you could outline the specific network priority in brief, and then maybe talk about why that's why that could be a key business use.

Manish

No, absolutely it's a great question. And you know, network slicing, ever since people started talking about 5G network slicing more or less became synonymous as one of the major attributes and benefits that people will derive out of 5G. Now, has it happened? Probably not yet. But are the advantages of network slicing and what network slicing really is all about, I think that need is being fairly understood. Because at a technical level, network slicing essentially uses principles of what I would call as the 'modern cloud architecture'. In a simpler term, think of it as we are running multiple logical networks, virtually independent business operations, but all on one single common physical infrastructure. Now, as you do that, the opportunities that exist are, you know, one can offer a lot of bytes, and different service level agreements for different customers, for your partners. You know, but one can offer a slice as a network capacity. And as a use case, if, for example, someone is running a very specific workload in a factory, or mission critical factory, one can request for a slice to be dedicated end-to-end for that one use case for a period of time. And of course, the service provider can charge differentially for that capability that you offer. So, I think the opportunity from slicing is indeed, very deep, very wide. It brings in an element of change in how the relationship between a telco and the customer, and the problem solving that a customer is able to do themselves. That, I think, is a fundamental issue and something that will be absolutely a gorgeous change that will happen as and when it happens. The question, and your real question is, so what are the potential roadblocks today in deriving true value from slicing? And I guess it's a very long answer, maybe a very complicated set of parameters that drive that. But since you specifically asked about OSS, you're absolutely right, that OSS is you know, is that orchestrator set of systems that will help automate and the ability to create these and manage these slices, from design to deployment, all the way to managing and assuring you know, that these slices are working as designed and as desired. Now, that I think is something which there is lot of work that needs to happen in the OSS side. You know, one will need to — and which is why I have been saying for a long time, don't look at 5G just as another next generation of radio evolution. 5G is really more of an overhaul, of not just the network, but also of the OSS and BSS. And unless everything is completely overhauled, and changed and dramatically transformed, one will not be able to derive the value from slicing as much as people want to, because we are as good as the weakest link in the food chain, right? So slicing is really not about driving cost savings, because that was one aspect that people were initially hoping and thinking. It's really more about offering a differential capability to customers, in a different capacity to customers, and thereby deriving greater revenue and greater profits, right? So the business case is not in cost, the business case is in the revenue and enhance the you know, and a differentiated experience and the profit from that.

Rory

Thank you. So would you say that currently as it stands, development in network slicing kind of has to go up at the same time as development in AI, and development in automation, for this OSS back-end in order to become really effective?

Manish

Yes, that is correct. That is absolutely correct, because I think the developments have to happen and it's like a jigsaw puzzle. Every piece of this puzzle needs to fall in place. That will take time, you know, the customer needs will have to evolve. The use cases need to become more apparent. The 5G rollouts and deployments have to be complete, as much as possible on an open architecture. The BSS systems, which manage the customers and the transactions, and the commerce aspect has to be in place. The OSS closed loop automation, and the ability to offer in an automated fashion, in a cognitive fashion, it's not just automated, that needs to happen, so a lot more needs to be done here. But the concept is absolutely spot on, it is done. We have all benefited from it in the cloud world, in the retail world, in the hyperscaler world. There is no reason why one can't derive those benefits out of a telco world as well: it will happen.

Rory

It's interesting that one of the points that you just mentioned was, that specific use cases will arise, but they haven't all arisen yet. Would you say that sort of, attempting to implement network slicing right now even in say, Europe, with fairly good 5G rollout on the whole would almost be a waste of time, considering that there aren't currently all of the use cases, and you don't want to roll out a system if you're not able to anticipate all of those use cases.

Manish

This is one question Rory, that I would rather always, always be reluctant to answer, because I just don't know whether the chicken came first or egg.

Rory

Okay, yeah.

Manish

I wouldn't know. I think, you know, I'd actually like to take you back to history, maybe about 12 years ago or maybe 15, when iPhone launched, or as Steve Jobs launched his first iPhone. He named it as 3Gs, in many ways it was a tribute to the 3G networks at the time. Right. So the network came first, phone and smartphone as an application, and the use case came later. The next phase of evolution happened exactly the reverse way. So I don't know what's going to drive what, whether it will be you know, the use cases will drive and come and compel people to continue to innovate on the network and the telecom side, or, you know, the technology will be available, and people will find a way to innovate and build applications on top of it. I think the jury's still out on that, and as much as like you, I'm waiting in the wings to keep and contributing to it in our own small ways to see what happens, how it unravels.

Rory

Well, it's very exciting, and hopefully will offer some incredible, incredible use cases. So you mentioned that, obviously, 5G rollout is nowhere near complete worldwide. I know that India's 5G spectrum auction happened fairly recently, and that the future of 5G also holds things like And mmWave auctions, spectrum negotiation with entities like satellite operators, and also large stretches of the global south are still entirely lacking 5G coverage. So in a sort of broad sense, do you have any insights or predictions you can give on on rollout going forward? Or specifically on regulatory action going forward on on some of those, some of those auctions or maybe some of those standards that are on the horizon?

Manish

No, I don't have too much of an insight from a regulatory standpoint. And we have a group that works pretty deeply on the standards aspect now, increasingly. At the same time, I would say, I think what we've witnessed and you mentioned India, I think it's a telltale sign of things to come with how US responded with the 5G challenge. With the whole marketing blitz that the Indian government did around 5G, I think it is very, very clear that pretty without batting none, the governments of the world of every country do recognise that sometime back, I don't know when that happened, but some time back eight, nine years, six years ago, we did enter a new generation where technology and digital is going to determine politics. It's going to determine the economy, it is going to determine education, it's going to determine the development of youth, and every aspect. And hence, it is a, you know, when Australia, for example, launched a broadband network, it became a massive issue politically, you know, however you executed in a certain period of time, probably determined who was running the government. You know, 25 years ago, if you thought that how somebody ran telco networks will determine who will become the prime minister of a country, I don't think you would ever havae thought about it. So I think it's at the heart of it, the very heart of an economic, I would say even community development activity, and hence, will the regulators be a lot more active in deciding and determining what needs to be done? Yes, I think things will continue to change. Some countries are already experimenting saying "okay, this is not just a spectrum licence, revenue opportunity for us. Maybe there is a lot more that can be done here". So I'm truly excited, so for anybody who says that hey, telco is an old industry, I like to say "wake up, telco is a very new industry", because our ability to connect, and their ability to connect and and create more value in this food chain is like tremendous. It's phenomenal.

Rory

Mentioning governments, mentioning elections, obviously, there's a huge divide and there will necessarily be a divide between public sector and private sector communications networks. And is that currently being reflected in development cycles? I know that the public sector tends to lag behind in some areas of development, and I know that also that some of the leading edges of 5G use, like in local area networks or wide area networks are being done on private networks for private organisations. But do you think that the necessary research and development is being done in the public sector networks as well?

Manish

Yeah, I think so. But you're right, I mean, I think the manifestation or the adoption, rather, of any new tech is likely to be you know, from a mainstream standpoint, that is going to be likely in the private sector more. Now, there are going to be some specific parts of the governments in every major country, where they probably will be the adopters, or even creators of new technology faster, because of the mission criticality aspect of it, whether it is the defence, or space or some of those areas. But when it comes to mainstream government, mainstream public and mainstream private, it's very clear that the adoption, you know, for the sheer economic and shareholder value creation standpoint, the adoption will be faster in the private sector. The other question, probably you asked about is the private network adoption? I think the jury's still out on that one also, right? We don't know. We have started seeing a lot of experiments, a lot of pilots, some scaled, but we'll have to see how that pans out, as there has to be a cost benefit analysis of that, and that will take some time.

Rory

So when we're talking about these rollouts, these pilot schemes, what are some of the, and on a wider scale as well, what are some of the standout constraints or hurdles that you've identified that Tech Mahindra has identified, be that regionally or or internationally for 5G right now? Some of the biggest problems?

Manish

Yeah, that's a great question. I mean, the hurdles are at different levels, there are hurdles that are involved in the rollouts of the networks, there are hurdles that are in the implementation of the digital architecture and software. So that you're creating a platform for seamless addition, deletion of new capabilities. I would say, if I were to maybe bring out two hurdles, two aspects that have, if we are not there, we could have moved even faster. And which are common across the board. One, I think is talent, right? I mean, we have seen an unbelievable, unprecedented type of talent glut in the industry. You need more talented digital technical network people than one can produce at this point in time across the world. I often say that while the pandemic may have induced a talent crisis, the talent crisis now is endemic, per se, right? And because of the earlier points we were saying, which is the sheer need of more software and more technology people out there. And the second, very specifically to 5G, I would still say is I there is no clarity yet on the monetization, the scale of monetization aspect. And with when things are not very clear, you end up taking very cautious steps forward. If you don't know whether when you run fast, whether you will end up on a you know, on a T junction that you'll have to suddenly make a left or a right curve, you don't know that and because you don't know that, you're trying to move rather very cautiously at this point. So I think those two would stand out to me as common links, but specifically in different parts of the food chain, there will be different things that slow things down.

Rory

Right. But it sounds like on the whole, on that point of business use that the value that can be can be derived from 5G, as you've outlined across the episode, there are quite a few different areas that people can feel hopeful for that businesses can can look towards like network slicing as one example, that 5G can can really drive revenue with going forward.

Manish

Oh, absolutely. I think there are tremendous, tremendous values we just went live yesterday in one of our group company factories, where we build a 5G based, 5G look alike network and the use case inside the paint shop of that automotive plant. And we got 99.9% accuracy results very quickly. So I think the benefits of once you connect devices and people with data, and add automation on top of it I think, you know, one just doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that the benefits are immense, immense.

Rory

Just to end on, I was wondering if you could outline a couple of ways in which service providers if any service providers are listening to the podcast right now, in which they can accelerate transformation, while addressing specific network requirements be that in any of the ways you've mentioned already, or in a more abstract, strategy driven way.

Manish

I mean, to advise people that I take advice from, I think, would be rather hard. I have a deep deep respect for the telco service providers, technologists, particularly people who lead these units there. I can tell you, it's not an easy job for them that they have. But across the world, we are seeing some amazing change agents, change agent leaders. Someone I watch very, very closely is right in UK, for example, where they are really driving I would say multiple step changes all at the same time. And I agree with, you know, these steps because this is a large train, it's a huge train, very bulky train. And if we continue to push it, you know, we're hoping to try and take it forward, it will move. But if you want to make significant transformation, you will have to change lots of things while the train is still on the move. So I think this transformation is multi-pronged, it's not easy. I think the only thing that I am trying to do as a leadership team here, is to stay focused on simplifying the journey of this transformation. Keep things simple, you can't do everything. No one company, no one person can do everything, but multiple things needs to be done at the same time. So if anything, stay focused on it, and I hope you know that the CFOs of the telcos will continue to find money to help these transformation initiatives across the key telcos across the world. So, I think it's a very significant change, not just for the industry. I will even take the liberty and say for how the, the communities and the countries live, work and play together.

Rory

Fantastic. Well, Manish, thank you so much for your time.

Manish

Thank you so much, Rory appreciated this time. Enjoyed it.

Rory

As always, You can find links to all of the topics we've spoken about today in the show notes and even more on our website at itpro.co.uk. You can also follow us on social media, as well as subscribe to our daily newsletter. Don't forget to subscribe to the IT Pro Podcast wherever you find podcasts. And if you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and a review. We'll be back next week with more insight from the world of IT but until then, goodbye.

Ericsson has announced plans to create a new 6G research unit in the UK as part of a multi-million-pound investment into a location that's yet to be decided.

The telecommunications company is set to invest tens of millions of pounds over the next ten years in a programme focussing on 6G research. It will explore areas such as artificial intelligence, network resilience and security, cognitive networks, and energy efficiency.

The programme will involve 20 researchers and it intends to support PhD students who will get to work with academic and industry partners on 6G research projects.

Ericsson is still assessing a number of potential sites for the unit and said it is too soon to confirm a specific location. It said that its global research team were in the UK last week looking at potential areas.

The Swedish company expects 6G to become available in the 2030s and build on the capabilities of 5G. It predicts the new technology will deliver new use cases including precision healthcare, intelligent autonomous systems, and smart agriculture.

Ericsson has previously identified other use cases that will require 6G such as holograms, which could be augmented by touch. Another is that 6G will widen the capabilities of internet of things (IoT) devices, not only allowing them to share sensor data but also carry out intelligent decision-making.

“Ericsson's investment is a huge vote of confidence in the UK's innovative telecoms sector,” said Michelle Donelan, secretary of state for digital, culture, media, and sport (DCMS).

“This pioneering research unit will create new jobs, support students, and bring together some of our country's finest minds to shape the future of telecoms infrastructure in the UK and across the globe.”

Donelan added that the government is set to publish a strategy underlining how the country will harness 6G to deliver more for people and business, although no exact time frame was given.

In 2021, Ericsson invested 18.1% of its annual global turnover in research and development (R&D), roughly SEK 42.1 billion (£3 billion). It has a total of 21 R&D centres across Europe, including Finland, Germany, France, Ireland, Spain, and Sweden. These units are carrying out more than 100 joint R&D collaborations with universities and academies.

Although countries around the world are currently rolling out 5G technology, many are now investing in 6G research. India, for example, stated in May 2022 it was aiming to roll out 6G technology by the end of the decade, even though it was still introducing 5G to the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government had created a task force specifically for the 6G launch, although didn’t say what the technology would be used for.

The UK also announced a partnership with the Republic of Korea in July 2022, aimed at boosting 5G and 6G development. The UK was set to put forward £1.6 million to create R&D of interoperable solutions like Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) technology, which was to be matched by £2.1 million from the industry.

Additionally, in November 2022, Japan was set to create a £400 million fund to support 6G research. The government was reportedly set to create a fund which would provide financial support for research into this technology for a number of years.

When 5G was introduced in the UK, the communications regulator Ofcom set its sights on the island being a beacon for next-gen technology. Indeed, former prime minister Boris Johnson regularly made grand promises for the tech sector, with 5G and full-fibre broadband among his administration’s most common tech talking points.

Even before Johnson got into Number 10, though, Ofcom itself had assessed the potential of future 5G networks, declaring “5G could enable new companies to enter the market and offer new service to businesses and consumers”. Yet, recent news that Vodafone and Three have found it necessary to merge due to crippling costs, low adoption, and unachievable coverage targets, indicates the market is stumbling.

Although some attention has now turned to its successor, 6G, given the current landscape, customers may be forgiven for feeling let down. As CCS Insight analyst Kester Mann explains, 5G had a lot to live up to when it launched. “There was such a long build-up for 5G; so much hype and expectation, and it was a big story at Mobile World Congress (MWC) year-on-year,” he says.

“We heard all this about connected autonomous vehicles, drones, and enterprise use cases, which may eventually happen,” he adds. “Obviously the consumer market was the first to receive 5G but the industry never really had a compelling use case or reason to encourage people to upgrade to a new 5G smartphone, or to take 5G services."

Plugging the 5G demand gap

CCS Insight research into the perceptions of 5G, Mann continues, shows the challenge for operators is that people don't feel that they need it. This view marries up with that of Richard Thurston, research manager for 5G strategies at IDC, although he does suggest use cases are still incoming.

“Initially there had been a lot of focus on 5G being faster, offering reduced latency or supporting a greater number of simultaneous Internet of Things (IoT) connections, which is all true, but businesses – and that’s the sweet spot – will be focused on business outcomes, so it’s essential for the mobile industry to look at use cases that deliver those outcomes," Thurston tells IT Pro.

“The good news is these use cases are continually coming and all sectors are benefitting, be that retail, healthcare, manufacturing or transport, which are enabling the creation of new products and better ways of working."

He adds that IDC forecasts show 5G adoption is in a growth phase in the UK, with 29.4 million 5G connections projected by the end of 2022, and 5G eclipsing 4G in 2024. "It’s important to be realistic; businesses have real challenges to solve given what we’d call the storms of disruption," he continues. "There’s rarely a specific silver technology bullet. It’s more about delivering the right solution for the customer.”

Overcoming geopolitical obstacles

These 'storms of disruption' have come frequently for the tech industry, and it’s fair to say that the 5G rollout has been plagued with obstacles.

Even before 5G's launch in June 2019, US president Donald Trump set his sights on Huawei, a leading network infrastructure vendor. He banner the Chinese networking giant as part of a trade war, before applying pressure on the UK to follow suit.

The ensuing years saw the UK ban Huawei from using its technology to form any part of the UK's 5G infrastructure. Next came a global pandemic, a semiconductor chip shortage, and a shift in enterprise attitudes which place a newfound focus on working from home rather than travelling – which have all hampered 5G appetite.

Inflation and the cost of living crisis are other major issues telecoms companies must now contend with, Paolo Pescatore, telco analyst at PP Foresight, adds. Although 5G adoption may look like it’s continuing to increase, he says, it won’t be seen as a sought-after feature.

“Major uncertainty in the market awaits,” he says. “Prices are heading in the wrong direction with consumers feeling the pinch and tightening their belts. We’ve seen businesses increase prices across all industries, and cost increases inevitably get passed onto consumers.

“People will be forced to make decisions over coming months on their devices, services and subscriptions. Some will downgrade, others cancel altogether, some will be happy to sign up to premium bundles provided they add significant value."

Despite this, Pescatore says 5G adoption will naturally, albeit gradually, expand as people upgrade their devices. Ultimately, consumers want ubiquitous connectivity.

Thurston agrees that inflation also threatens to become another challenge for networks to overcome, with device supply chain issues, the energy crisis and high levels of inflation continuing to affect all industries. “In terms of the future,” he adds, “sustainability will grow in focus and operators will be faced with the conundrum of managing costs while mobile data consumption and energy prices increase, so they are looking for improved power-saving features in network equipment.”

6G must target the enterprise

Despite the challenges facing the 5G market, if you've been lucky enough to attend MWC anytime over the past three years, you'll have noticed 6G is already a major talking point. With the rollout of 5G seemingly struggling, though, in a market of apathy and incomplete offerings, what lessons can the industry learn? Mann and Pescatore agree the answer lies in the enterprise.

“It's great to look at what's next, and I'm sure we'll hear more about 6G in the coming years, but we've hardly scratched the surface of the 5G opportunity,” says Mann. “I think the operators will want to get as much out of 5G as they can and, although it hasn't got going on the consumer side, the industry has a lot of hope on the enterprise side.

“One angle we've been talking about at CCS is whether it was a mistake for 5G to target consumers first – bearing in mind expectations haven't quite been matched. So for 6G, maybe there’s an opportunity to lead with the enterprise side, rather than the consumer side.”

“We are still at an early phase of 5G rollout,” adds Pescatore. “But, ultimately, 5G opens up new use cases in the enterprise segment. The merits of 5G will better serve enterprises that need ultra-low latency, robust, and fast dedicated connections for their connectivity needs. Network slicing, for example, provides telcos with significant means to recoup their investment in 5G.

Although margins are being squeezed, major investment is still needed for network rollout and spectrum, with the business model for 5G in the consumer world remaining unclear and unproven. This should be taken into account in the future when operators roll out technologies like 6G to transform the workplace. This is because the industry needs to avoid the same mistakes that were made over the course of the last few years to ensure viable services are more accessible and affordable.

Japan is set to establish a $450 million (£400.2 million) fund to support research into 6G as countries around the world are looking to dedicate more resources to the emerging technology.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is set to dedicate 66.2 billion yen in a second budget for 2023 to create the fund, according to Nikkei Asia. It will be set up and live in the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, and look to provide financial support for 6G research and development for a number of years.

The ministry added that 70% of the global market for mobile base stations belongs to three overseas companies: Huawei in China, Ericsson in Sweden, and Nokia in Finland.

The sector is dominated by these foreign rivals, although some organisations in Japan are competitive when it comes to some of the components used in the base stations.

Although 5G technology is still yet to be rolled out across the globe, the industry has started to gear itself up for 6G. The new technology is expected to be ten times faster than its predecessor, offering peak data rates at 100 Gbits/sec. However, the technology is still early in its research and development cycle, meaning there are no official standards for it.

This hasn’t stopped countries around the world from beginning to invest in it, however. Aside from Japan, India declared in May 2022 that it was hoping to roll out 6G technology by the end of the decade. Despite this, it didn’t outline what the technology would be used for or explain how it would help the country.

Additionally, the UK and South Korea announced in July 2022 that they would collaborate on 5G and 6G development. The UK invested £1.6 million into a competition totalling £3.6 million, alongside South Korea. The money was set to be used to create research and development of interoperable solutions like Open Radio Access Network technology.

Lastly, the US teamed up with Japan in January 2022 to work on creating international standards in unmanned technology that uses 6G. The pair were hoping to prevent Chinese companies from dominating the field, as there’s fierce competition from companies like Alibaba, Tencent, and Huawei.

This automatically-generated transcript is taken from the IT Pro Podcast episode ‘The power of smart ports'. To listen to the full episode, click here. We apologise for any errors.

Rory Bathgate

Hello, I’m Rory Bathgate

Bobby Hellard

And I’m Bobby Hellard

Rory

And you’re listening to the IT Pro Podcast. The internet of things can leave firms feeling all at sea — which is why this week, our first port of call is smart ports.

Bobby

Using the newfound speed of 5G networks, and more sophisticated local networks than ever before, a number of smart port trials are ongoing worldwide. By tracking movements of cranes, crates and transport equipment, metrics such as operational speed and maintenance needs can be tracked in near real-time to inform management decisions and use of resources.

Rory

In today’s challenging economy, and with the looming climate crisis, it’s essential that the supply chain can be maintained at low cost, and with as little carbon footprint as possible — all this could be leveraged through smart ports.

Bobby

With logistics hubs and technology largely failing to keep pace, it is more important than ever that IoT devices, image recognition and connectivity is used to improve efficiency. Joining the show this week to discuss all things smart ports is Andrew Quinton, Senior Manager/Principal Architect of 5G solutions at BT.

Rory

Andrew, it’s a pleasure to have you on the show.

Andrew Quinton

Thank you for having me.

Rory

So I had the pleasure of hearing you talk at Connected Britain 2022, and just right off the bat: at the conference, you said that some ports are completely disjointed in the UK. Could you give a brief overview of the kind of supply chain issues that ports and logistics hubs are currently facing?

Andrew

Yeah absolutely. I think it's important to know a lot of ports are managed as independent businesses. They’re not a government organisation, they're not run by central groups of the handful of key operators. And what we see is a lot of the ports themselves operate in their own ecosystems, but they engage with much wider economies and much wider operators beyond their gates and their fences. So, whether it's the ships and the boats, and the maritime agencies coming in, or whether it's the freight forwarders and the trucks going in and out, or just the cargo and who that cargo belongs to, and where it’s destined for. They're all independent islands and silos operating within a port environment. So it can feel, with these different organisations and different agencies, quite disjointed at times from a technology perspective.

Rory

So on that point, are smart ports a matter of improving existing systems, or is it a case of identifying where systems that don't currently exist could be implemented?

Andrew

Yeah, I think it's a bit of both actually Rory. I mean at the end of the day, smart ports and ports themselves are widely important. At the end of the day, close to something like 95% of all of our trade goes through our ports in Britain. So there is a lot of cargo with a lot of items, there's a lot of people that travel through our ports on a daily basis. I think when it comes to technology, we need a slightly more modernised view. I think you know, the vast majority of ports, 80% of ports continue to operate your manual legacy solutions, they’ve got a lot of old equipment, and these are critical maritime services. And so, what we've seen over the last, I'd say the last two or three years, and certainly with the pandemic as well, we've seen projects and programs perhaps five years, five years in the making have been shortened down to just months. So a real acceleration of transformation and technical strategies with imports environments themselves. And we've seen this with an absolute shift, to things like connectivity, and 5G, IoT, like you said at the start of the session, that's the start. I think ports themselves can do things at start themselves, and the middle, but longer term we've got to start seeing how technology and the advancement of port operations expands to other organisations. What I mean by that is, if you're a freight forwarder, or a maritime ship operator, when your assets, your trucks, your boats, your ships, when you arrive at a smart port, or a port 4.0, how do your systems interact? At the minute, it’s kind of clipboard and paper-based trails. So how do those systems interact, and how can what freight forwarders and cargo operators do interact with the smart port environment. And how can a smart port environment cater for those different environments, different businesses, different ways of working? So we do see that as a challenge. But as I say, we are seeing a lot of traction with ports around the UK. There is a real desire from within port operators and businesses to modernise, and really focus on, I think three things: they're looking for efficiencies clearly, you know, in a competitive environment and it's an increasingly competitive environment. Efficiencies are always important. I think transparency, and transparency can be two things, that could be data transparency. So just starting to understand how the port operates. What's coming in? What's coming out? How long are the cranes running for? Everything from energy consumption to where the people are deployed, to really understand data and make data let decisions. But also things as well, transparency of things, transparency of assets, transparency of cargo containers, people as products, all of that is really important. But also on top of that, people areas like health and safety and the colleague environment. That's the third thing, that's really important to smart ports, that they're trying to address in parallel to those two other areas

Bobby

So, AI computer vision has been singled out by BT as a technology with the potential to revolutionise smart ports and transport hubs. What is it about image recognition that makes it so useful within smart ports?

Andrew

Well, that's a really good question. So, you know, digital vision from BT is an area of computer vision that I hold close to my heart. I've spent the last 12 to 18 months working with computer vision operators, and starting to really look at how AI-enabled video can help a variety of different industries with smart ports especially. When it comes to computer vision there are almost two ends of the spectrum. There's a people, and traffic kind of spectrum. And this could be ranging from very basic, very important, things like health and safety, PPE compliance. Yeah, that sort of thing, is really, really important to ports, for the safety of people on them. It could be traffic. We've seen examples of course in the Middle East that have deployed AI-enabled video to start to understand traffic profiles across their site, because what they found is traffic built up at certain points of the day, certain directions, and that was having a knock on effect. So ships were being delayed from being unloaded successfully, and a whole host of issues can start to start to occur with those very sort of basic issues, such as traffic. So people and traffic, that one end of the spectrum, but it goes right across to the other end of the spectrum when we start to look at objects, whether that's villagers, whether that's water quality, whether that's… we're looking at things like drones, and being able to inspect cranes. We've seen some examples with turbines, where drones can inspect the quality and look for fractures and issues around objects on turbines. It can be a whole range of different active different areas. We're also seeing examples with OCR technology, and checking on cargo containers and just tracking the whereabouts. We've seen ports where they're unloading containers from RORO ferries, and they're having to store them, and that's quite an intensive area for them because it takes a lot of land, and land’s a vital asset of any port. So being able to effectively stack cargo containers, or trailers with containers, and being able to understand and locate them quickly using things like OCR technology is really important. So AI across that spectrum, from people, to traffic, right across the objects to check out damage. All of that is, you know, super important and what we see as a real big potential use case for digital vision, for computer vision, in a smart port environment.

Rory

That's really interesting. It sounds like especially with OCR what we're seeing here, is a technology that can be implemented to allow vision over things like crates, without having to then have the suppliers adopt that technology as well. Especially if you're reading characters on the side of, a container for example, you don't need things like trackers on every container. So, do you think that solutions like computer vision can improve the supply chain from end-to-end with minimal footprint?

Andrew

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it takes a bit of sort of, pan supply chain adoption and things, but I think giving people visibility — I talked about transparency earlier — giving people transparency of where their assets are, where their containers are. Obviously, you know, there are drawbacks, and then, you know, a lot of containers have seen better days, it's not always easy to read them, but there are specialist AI organisations, that can help with that and looking at OCR containers. So it's not foolproof by any stretch, but it starts to build that picture, starts to give that level of transparency and visibility at key points. And I think, just taking that a step further, we talk a lot about transparency of where your assets are. So whether it's containers, or pallets, or just items you’ve ordered in the post, that’s been around for quite a while now, if you order something online it can probably tell you it's three stops away. So understanding where assets are across the supply chain isn’t a huge advancement. And there are still improvements to be made, absolutely, but where our thinking is at the moment is, actually how do we take that the next step further and start thinking about secure supply chain, and the impact on my business? What I mean by that is: if I know that I got a shipping container, and it’s just arrived at one of the UK ports, that's great/ I know my containers are there, I know my objects are there. But actually, if I need them to be on the M4, or on the M1, or in my warehouse by now, because they’re running late, I need to understand what the knock-on effect is to my organisation and my business. Have I got stock? Do I need to source something short-term? So it’s starting to take that supply chain visibility, starting at ports, but then really focusing on how it can impact your business, and actually having that all within the cloud, within an AI-enabled system to provide business with that information that allows them to make meaningful decisions and quickly. That's, a big step forward where we see supply chain visibility and asset transparency going.

Bobby

So, how would that work with other companies that are waiting for their goods to come across? Because they would need to be able to access that system, wouldn’t they?

Andrew

No absolutely, a lot of this, a lot of this hangs on organisations being willing to come together and share data. And the first step as we talked about, is getting that data off of paper, off that clipboard. I was at a port recently, and it's a fantastic environment, you know, and it's always on the go. But it starts off with trucks arriving at the gate, and there's a chap on the gate who writes down the registration number, gives them a little ticket, and tells them where to go. And actually, one of the most expensive elements of that isn't actually the chap handing out the tickets, actually the pieces of paper and the triplicate books that you used to be able to get, they're really hard to come by apparently. But actually just having, you know, thousands of pages of these little bits of paper being handed out every year, I mean, you can see where things like ANPR systems with computer vision can help direct traffic with digital signage. You can see straight away where there's, there's opportunities there to improve and allow that chap then to be, you know, positioned elsewhere. There is a skill shortage right? There is a shortage of people, this is not about displacing people, this is about using technology to augment the staff and resources that we've got to really make that difference. But any technology at any start has to be shared across multiple organisations, with the data as well, it's going to be vital. And I think that's probably one of the bigger hurdles we’re going to come across. But then we are starting to see advancements with freeports, and we are starting to see organisations come together in circles of trust. And it's really interesting to see how technology can start to support those environments, where you see multiple organisations, including the government, whether it’s HMRC or the relevant agencies start to share data across these environments. So there’s definitely a desire, there's definitely a start, and I think we’ll start to see more and more of that continue.

Rory

Fantastic. So, more generally, do you think the UK is in a place right now where the network can support, let's say, a plethora of smart ports, smart hubs, or is more 5G infrastructure needed first?

Andrew

Yeah, it's a really interesting question. I think when you're talking about the environment that we're seeing in ports, where you've got a lot of metal things, whether it's areas where containers are stored, whether it's cranes. Hey, guess what? Those things that float in on the ocean are made of metal too, so there's quite a lot of metal in those environments right? So, actually, whereas public 5G, and public cellular connectivity could play its part, what we’re seeing actually is a real desire to focus on 5G private networks, and genuine 5G standalone networks. And I think then, when you plan and design them effectively, you will start to see the benefits of 5G in a port environment that perhaps on its own, the public cellular network couldn’t really do on its own. It's also important to note as well, that no two ports are the same. And there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for ports. We've seen that, you know, automating container ports, with sensors and crane management, that's a very different proposition to cruise ship terminals and ferry terminals, where perhaps you need more high speed Wi-Fi, and public cellular connectivity for video calls and general consumer conversations. But there are 5G applications as well: for example, we've seen at ferry terminals and cruise ports where you know, hundreds of pallets of supplies are loaded, there's barcode scanning. There's a lot of to-ing and fro-ing with data, 5G has a part to play there as well. But definitely no, no ‘one size fits all’ for a port environment when it comes to private 5G. But planned effectively, it is a really, really fantastic technology to put in a smart port. And we’re seeing some really great examples. Port of Tyne recently is going through a transformation now, with us, with private 5G. And they see the 5G network as a real opportunity for a test bed, and innovation platform for organisations to come and start to test what they hope is the sort of next wave of technology. To utilise all the good stuff that comes with 5G, you know, well-documented things around the high bandwidth, the lower latency, but there's more exciting things to come with 5G. We've only really hit the tip of the iceberg.

Bobby

Before long, you'll have 6G to work with.

Andrew

Absolutely, yes. Let's figure out 5G first. Yeah, I do see. You know, I do see a lot of commentary around 6G as well, and Wi-Fi, and all that good stuff. But yeah I think 5G, certainly private networks especially, we’re just starting to see the benefits of them, and actually there are a lot of exciting things that we can do today. And that's the other thing: 5G, private 5G, it's unlocking really exciting technologies today. You know, I've seen examples of augmented reality, I've spoken to a number of operators of AGVs, you know, automatic guided vehicles. A real acceleration of technologies that have always been on the fringes, but are now really being unlocked with 5G, and in particular private 5G, in smart ports.

Rory

So the leading edge of some of this technology almost, outside of the consumer eye, it's really being pushed on a logistics level.

Andrew

Absolutely. I think it's really interesting actually, out of a lot of different verticals and industries we're seeing quite a lot of interest and take up from port operators in 5G and private 5G. And that is, primarily, because of the use cases that they unlock. We don't typically go and deploy a private 5G network just for connectivity’s sake. No one really deploys private 5G to connect laptops up. It doesn’t work from a business case perspective. However, when you start to look at the use cases that it unlocks, that ranges, as I said, earlier from things like AGVs, right through to asset tracking, or augmented reality. All of those things start to provide efficiencies, transparency, and then, health and safety benefits to organisations. And at that point there’s a tipping point, that we see the business case really start to come into its own and provide that return on investment.

Bobby

So, what kind of real-time or near-real-time insights can those who implement these systems expect to see?

Andrew

So it's all about data. I think one of the really exciting examples I've seen recently, is one of the projects we did on the East Coast. And it was deploying IoT sensors across of a variety of different platforms. There were quite modern cranes, from the last sort of two or three years, but there were other cranes that were from the 1960s and still going strong. And again, they were being sweated, long into the future. And there's trucks, there's hoppers, there were forklifts, there's RTGs (rubber tyre gantries), a whole host of different things that you can connect IoT sensors to. And in this particular example, we connected them up to a lot of cranes, trucks and warehouses. And what we started to see and what we were able to demonstrate for the customer, was a real in-depth view of how their port operated. They started to see where cranes were running, and how often they were running, and how much cargo they were moving. Where the trucks and the lorries were parked, or where have their engines running, waiting for a birth to become free. And they started to look at things really, really basic things, but really crucial to port operations, such as hydraulic temperatures and pressures, AdBlue levels. And they were starting to make decisions, and get ahead of the curve, in terms of what they could do with this data. You know, when do they need to top up the fuel tank? When do they, you know, when do they need to top up the AdBlue tank? Actually, you know what, between 12 and 12:30, 1 o'clock, the cranes tend to be on a downtime because the chap’s probably having a break, or there's a break in the schedule and there isn’t a ship birthed at that moment in time. So lots of data coming together, on our data exchange, our IoT platform, started to give insight to how their port was operating. And it's the only when you start to take data from a crane, from a truck, from a warehouse and start to pull that together. So you start to get meaningful pieces of data, from that. You start to understand how these different disparate parts of your operation impact each other, and that leads to real data-led decisions there, which is super important for efficiencies, and through that real-time data collection.

Rory

And on a macro scale, you're talking about data insights, you mentioned earlier that no two ports are the same. Do you think that based on that IoT devices can be deployed more generally to improve efficiency, let's say in between different transport hubs, or will each solution need to be quite carefully tailored to individual site needs?

Andrew

Yeah, I think it's the latter. I think you've got to look at individual sites, and individual use cases, and tailor the solution. The actual IoT sensors themselves, are you know, they're really clever things. Yeah you can, you can attach them to a variety of different environments. I mean, we put sensors on 1960s cranes, and we made them much smarter in terms of the data they're able to provide. So the sensors themselves are fairly flexible, whether you're using them for inventory management or asset tracking, or just things like asset geofencing, and where is it? Where is it on your location? The sensors themselves are fairly standard, common items, but it’s only when you start to understand an actual customer, an actual port environment, and what’s important to them, do you really start to tailor a solution. And as I say, no two ports are the same. Some ports are very focused on people, passengers; some are, you know, fish terminals they deal with fish. So things such as refrigeration temperatures and reefer units, that's really important to them. Being able to make sure that the cargo is stored, and handled, in a correct environment. And actually, you know what, refrigeration and temperature’s probably, a really, really good example of a piece of data that you would actually want to start to see across the supply chain. So, as soon as you know, something’s caught, and brought ashore, and processed, obviously it'll be refrigerated and kept correct. As soon as it’s loaded into a truck, again the refrigeration, the temperature, all of that is really, really important. And I think as a customer and I'm not talking necessarily about a consumer, this could be a supermarket for example, or a fish wholesaler. Having an understanding that, end-to-end, that the fish that you're bringing in has been correctly stored at the right temperature is really important. I think another huge example where temperature, and which we've seen this very recently, which is hugely important, is for vaccines. And we've seen this at airports for example, where we've, I spoken to a freight forwarder organisation at Heathrow recently, and they are involved in moving some of the Covid vaccines that needed to be fairly chilled, for want of a better word. And, you know, the moment it arrives in their warehouse from the truck, the moment they load it onto an aeroplane, and then even when it moves from one aeroplane to another because you know, quite often they're not end-to-end, the temperature, the condition is vitally important to make sure that you know that vaccine is is kept correct. So, really good, example of a piece of data that, you know, it's not that hard to collect through IoT, through sensors. And there are still a lot of clipboards, and paper and manual checking your temperatures I've seen, but that's a really good example of end-to-end data being used in a specific use case for specific environments. So yeah, a combination of the two Rory, I’d say.

Bobby

So can IoT campus solutions address the logistical issues across the UK, or internationally, or do they simply offer localised efficiency improvements?

Andrew

I mean, clearly there is localised benefit, yeah. But I think what we seeing is, when it comes to supply chains in general, they're all heavily interlinked. When goods arrive from the ship to the being unloaded, to being taken on the road and delivered to a customer, or a manufacturer, or wherever they go, that whole process is a hugely interlocked in a lot of different ways, whether it's coal for a power station, for example, or whether it's cargo containers for the construction industry, these are all industries that rely on closely-knitted, secure supply chain environments that are very much interlinked. And I think with IoT and with technology, as we talked about, I think bringing those closer together will help those end users immensely to plan their business, plan how they operate. So, yeah, you know, I think in short that those things can bring efficiencies, they can bring benefits to the end-to-end supply chain, and indeed the businesses that consume them. And of course, there are going to be local efficiencies, whether that's through the level of automation, or teleoperation we've seen, that we can bring. Local ports, and local environments can enjoy those efficiencies too.

Rory

And in terms of bringing in efficiency for localised areas, aside from the implementation of hardware, we've talked about network load a bit, but is the implementation of a network that's capable of handling that amount of data load, is that something also something of a stumbling block, particularly in areas with a lot of legacy architectures? Shall we say like, clipboards? It is a lot of the groundwork there really setting up a system that can handle that kind of data load?

Andrew

Yeah. No, I absolutely there is, I said earlier, I think 80% of ports continue to rely on manual, legacy, you know, systems. And a lot of paper, a lot of clipboards. What we do see with IoT and the platforms that support them, and including the connectivity with 5G, there is the ability to handle large amounts of data, very, very quickly, and process that data and come up with some sort of decision on the back of it. And so the actual technology itself is good, you know, it's available now, we've seen some great deployments and we've seen some good benefits for customers. I think the challenge that we face, we talked about earlier around sharing data between different players in the industry, that’s clearly one. But very much basic is getting that data digitised, that whole digitisation journey is the process of how you move to the IoT world, the 5G world. It’s bringing the people with you as well. You know, it's really, really important that people are on the journey with this. What we found is processes and systems in port environments have evolved. They've evolved over many, many years of lots of really experienced people. They're not predictable environments. They can be quite, you know, they're noisy. They can be quite dangerous at times, there’s a lot of activity happening. And so the people that stitch those processes together with paper has grown over time. And so it's really, really important that when you look at these environments, and speak to the people, you start to understand, really how those environments actually work. And I think that is the real challenge. We, recently visited a port where we were looking at teleoperation of some heavy plant, and it's only when the actual operator of the heavy plant, who was one of the tenants on-site, came down to see us that they really started to give us a much detailed insight on how their operation actually worked, and actually how we could then tailor the technology and the solution around it to meet their needs. It's only when you really sit down and speak to people, and really start to understand those processes that you can effectively plan solutions that are actually gonna do what they say on the tin. And I think that's really important for any engagement report, or any environment, the technology is great, you know, the IoT and the 5G. It is very capable, it is very exciting, but it starts with that digitisation journey with people, and understanding what the sort of as-is current environment is at any given time. So that's really important.

Bobby

Just going back to something you mentioned earlier about drone use. Is that something becoming more popular in ports?

Andrew

Yeah, no, absolutely. Drone use in ports is growing, definitely. We're seeing, we actually ran a trial on South Coast recently, with one of the port operators, and they found using drones and deploying them really, really useful. I think when it comes to drones, there were three major areas of operation, or useful business cases. One of them was around port operations and we saw examples, whether that is inspection, which is what I talked about earlier. The biggest area around inspection is rust, you know, these environments are next to the sea, right? And a lot of metal, and a lot of seawater and fresh sea air, rust will appear in areas that is quite hard sometimes to see. So drones looking for things, like rust, was really important. Just things like moss and vegetation, and just you know general upkeep of buildings is a big task on these big warehouses, so that inspection piece was really important. We've also seen drones being used in place of people for, we've seen hoppers, for example, if they've gotten jammed or issues, where typically some all have had to go in and had a look and not a particularly nice, safe clean environment. But drones can start to understand, or start to look at where issues are. We’ve also seen quite exciting cases around 3D assessments. And so when ships are unloading or perhaps loading, you can use drones to do a bit of a 3D hold assessment, start to understand shipping capacity. And again, that's quite a new innovative use of drones. So port operations and drones is really important. I think the second area though is around the sort of policing and security, and two really, really clear, examples around, whether it's the sort of maritime and land surveillance piece, whether it's security on site. But we're actually seeing opportunities to use drones for search and rescue operations as well, which is hugely important. Being able to use drones, and work with other blue light services, during those search and rescue missions has been really useful to see. I think the final thing is around property, and property maintenance. It's a little bit like what I talked about with operations and inspection but, sometimes when ports are expanding, or they're building, getting overhead area imagery typically has been something they've had to get third parties in to start to understand how the port environments evolved over time. So I think property and indeed marketing, you know, they want to do some marketing material, all of those types of use cases and more in fact, we're seeing with the use of drones. And I think they're going to start to grow as the use of drones becomes, you know, we see that more and more. So very much operational security and indeed, just helping the operation move forward, is where we see drones being used in ports,

Rory

Great. Andrew, thank you for being on the show.

Andrew

Brilliant. Thank you for having me, really enjoyed it, and thanks very much.

Rory

You can find links to all of the topics we've spoken about today in the show notes and even more on our website at itpro.co.uk.

Bobby

You can also follow us on social media, as well as subscribe to our daily newsletter.

Rory

Don't forget to subscribe to the IT Pro Podcast wherever you find podcasts. And if you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and a review.

Bobby

We'll be back next week with more insight from the world of IT but until then, goodbye.

Facing the triple threat of supply issues, tough economic headwinds, and the climate crisis it’s vital that the supply chain can run at low cost, and with as little carbon footprint as possible. Implementation of smart ports using the internet of things and 5G could hold the answer.

Using fast local networks, smart port tech can track crane movement, metrics such as operational speed and maintenance needs, and the location of resources in near real-time to provide valuable operational data. This week, we’re joined by Andrew Quinton, Senior Manager/Principal Architect of 5G solutions at BT to discuss all things smart ports and expand on the benefits already demonstrated in active port environments.

Highlights

“They're all independent islands and silos operating within a port environment. So it can feel, with these different organisations and different agencies, quite disjointed at times from a technology perspective.”

“It's also important to note as well, that no two ports are the same. And there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for ports. We've seen that, you know, automating container ports, with sensors and crane management, that's a very different proposition to cruise ship terminals and ferry terminals, where perhaps you need more high speed Wi-Fi, and public cellular connectivity for video calls and general consumer conversations.”

“So the sensors themselves are fairly flexible, whether you're using them for inventory management or asset tracking, or just things like asset geofencing, and where is it? Where is it in your location? The sensors themselves are fairly standard, common items, but it’s only when you start to understand an actual customer, an actual port environment, and what’s important to them, do you really start to tailor a solution.”

Read the full transcript here.

Footnotes

• What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
• BT and ABP's Port of Ipswich trial IoT solution to digitise port operations
• UK’s largest port to deploy 5G and IoT tech
• BT to invest almost £100 million in innovative 5G and edge business use cases
• How to use IoT to meet sustainability goals
• How AI can help – and hinder – the supply chain crisis
• Mapping an entire country: Meet Singapore’s digital twin
• Port of Southampton becomes Verizon's first private 5G customer in Europe
• The UK's IoT proposals are riddled with ‘astonishing’ gaps
• IoT security market to hit $59 billion by 2029

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The next generation of connectivity is on the horizon, promising to offer lightning fast speeds that will change the way people use their devices. The innovation of 6G isn’t just about speeds, though. The next generation technology will go far beyond 5G’s capabilities, opening the door to multiple use cases difficult to imagine today.

In the business world, 6G will be game-changing for the metaverse, enabling holographic meetings without the need to wear a headset. More broadly, 6G has implications in industrial settings, where it will drastically boost productivity in factories and allow access to machinery even when workers are off-site.

It’s early days yet, but 6G’s possibilities are so vast that Nokia’s CEO Pekka Lundmark predicts the technology could make smartphones obsolete. When 6G arrives in 2030, “the smartphone as we know it today will not be the most common interface,” according to Lundmark, adding “many of these things will be built directly into our bodies”.

Although 6G is at an early research stage, and standards have not been set, the technology’s possibilities are certainly exciting.

What will widespread 6G look like?

The current generation of cellular technology, 5G, offers higher bandwidth and lower latency, enabling use cases including large scale Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual reality (VR). When 6G eventually launches, it is expected to be up to 100 times faster than 5G, at approximately 1,000 Gbit/sec.

Nokia’s 2021 white paper ‘Extreme massive MIMO for macro cell capacity boost in 5G-Advanced and 6G’, details how the mid-spectrum bands hosting 6G networks will provide around 20 times more capacity compared to 5G in the 3.5GHz band.

Beyond speed, 6G will be “a fully integrated system that allows for instantaneous communications between devices, consumers, and the surrounding environment”, says futurist Bernard Marr. He adds 6G-enabled enterprise technologies will “transform the way companies process information, communicate, make decisions, and train employees”.

Taking this into account, 6G use cases include holoportation – described by Microsoft as “3D capture technology that allows high-quality 3D models of people to be reconstructed, compressed and transmitted anywhere in the world in real time” – and large-scale digital twin technology. This could reshape the way people interact with each other at work, says Sylwia Kechiche, principal analyst, enterprise at Ookla.

She paints a picture where meetings are held in virtual spaces, with digital representations of people and connected things. “Such immersive working could enable optimal levels of efficiency and productivity; large amounts of sensors will continuously send information and combine it with contextual data,” she envisages. “This can then be analysed in real-time, simultaneously looking at past events to help with problem solving by recommending the best course of action.”

As 6G rolls out, online experiences should become more powerful, says Jessica Ellis, director in applied 5G at Deloitte. She cites the example of the metaverse. “With such extended reality, users can imagine walking down a virtual high street, witnessing life-like people, entering well-known businesses, and participating in an interactive experience. These advancements will blur the lines between virtual and reality on a scale we can’t quite comprehend right now.”

With 6G becoming widespread, the business world and the way we work, meet up and network will start to change. Online meetings could see a full mobile hologram of the other person beamed into the room, adds Ellis.

Instead of spending hours on 2D Zoom or Teams meetings, people will meet in 3D digital spaces, where avatars will have “real” eye contact and express body language in real-time, says Marr. “If we need to hold a one-to-one meeting, we could simply switch all the participants out, and find a quiet virtual space to connect.”

6G will have the ability to enable hundreds of millions of simultaneous users to access multiple different metaverses in parallel. At the same time, photo-realistic 3D graphics will be rendered “almost instantaneously”, says Rohit Talwar, futurist and CEO at Fast Future. “This means a banking assistant would be able to visualise a client’s entire account history and resolve complex service issues and requirements face-to-face inside a metaverse.”

With the help of 6G, employee training will evolve too via immersive VR and augmented reality (AR) experiences, Marr says.

Mapping the major upgrades between 5G and 6G

5G is already enabling a host of use cases including IoT applications across transportation, healthcare and farming. 6G is set to bolster this even further, resulting in better productivity and efficiency – especially in industrial use cases.

In industrial settings, 6G will enable latency of nano-seconds with adaptive meta-materials, including surfaces that can become part of the network, says David Lessin, director, network operations and research at ISG.

Factories are likely to have more robotics on production lines, and these will be communicating with logistics and entire supply chains, says Ellis. This could lower operational cost and save time, as well as reducing the environmental impact.

Intelligent and autonomous machines enabled by 6G will require fewer people in industrial environments, allowing employees to work remotely, adds Derek Long, head of telecoms and mobile at Cambridge Consultants. “The environment becomes safer as people are moved from the shop floor to control rooms,” he tells IT Pro. “The shop floor can be reconfigured as people are not going to be so involved, and machines will be located more closely together, with production lines designed around efficient flow.”

The vision of a smart city, where all public services are integrated, could also become reality when 6G enters the fray. “Autonomous vehicles could scale – especially emergency services vehicles and logistics for long journeys – with zero risk of drop out,” Ellis predicts.

Meanwhile, 6G will change your commute to work, via real-time, 4D maps to manage extreme traffic in future cities, including autonomous vehicles. “Your journey will improve with the help of highly accurate sensors in vehicles and at base stations that can navigate and give you the fastest, most comfortable commute,” Marr explains.

Multiple verticals will benefit but, in particular, 6G will revolutionise healthcare, Marr continues. “With lightning fast data speeds, we’ll have smart sensors that float through our bloodstream and monitor and measure every aspect of our health. These connected devices will continuously collect data and analyse information to make recommendations and predict health issues before they arise.”

The scale of the predictions are huge, but 6G’s future isn’t set in stone, and nobody knows with certainty what the technology will materially look like when it takes hold from approximately 2030. While 6G could open up multiple doors for businesses and employees, the reality is likely some way off. Indeed, 5G rollout has so far been fairly slow, and many of its use cases are still yet to reach their full potential.

Sateliot has joined forces with IoT M2M Council (IMC), the largest trade group dedicated to the global IoT/M2M sector.

The partnership is aimed at building awareness for Sateliot’s novel technology that merges low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity with conventional cellular networks under standard 5G protocol.

According to the council, the combined connectivity service allows for ubiquitous global coverage at a fraction of the cost of traditional satellite connectivity. The industry-first solution can also be availed as part of Sateliot's Early Adopters Program (EAP).

"We welcome Sateliot and its unrivaled new technology to the IMC Board of Governors, and we expect to be hearing a lot more about it – and LEO technology in general – in the coming months," said IMC Chairman Romil Bahl.

“For its part, the IMC provides template RFPs to help its rank-and-file membership source IoT technology, organizes educational events, and provides tools to help assess IoT readiness,” added Bahl.

Sateliot launched its first satellite in March 2021. A broader constellation is scheduled to be launched by the first quarter of next year via Space Exploration Technologies Corp (also known as the SpaceX program).

"Our solution allows the same few-dollars NB-IoT RF module that works over cellular to connect, without any change in hardware, to our constellation of satellites, allowing basically seamless everywhere connectivity," said Sateliot CCO Gianluca Redolfi.

"We look at the IMC as an ideal platform to establish thought leadership in crucial vertical markets – IMC membership will drive awareness among buyers of IoT technology."

Ericsson has unveiled a new triple-band, tri-sector radio that can take on the function of nine single-band radios at once.

Dubbed Radio 6646, the new device furthers Ericsson’s tri-sector products’ multi-band capabilities by combining 900, 800, and 700MHz frequency bands.

The low-band spectrum capability will significantly boost both 5G coverage and mid-band (3.5GHz) performance in an energy-efficient way, according to Ericsson.

Radio 6646 also reduces energy consumption by 40% and site footprint by 60% in comparison to the firm’s triple-band single-sector radios. The enhancements translate to increased yearly energy savings, lower deployment costs, and a smaller carbon footprint.

“Ericsson’s new Radio 6646 will offer a highly compact and flexible solution to expand 5G coverage in a very cost-efficient manner while being economical and sustainable – the footprint and energy consumption achieved are something we believe 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.

As for coverage, Radio 6646 can rooftops, towers, and indoor locations such as offices, basements, stores, and homes alike. The new radio also supports the 700MHz band, touted as one of the key spectrums for 5G Standalone deployments. When paired with mid-band TDD over Carrier Aggregation and 5G SA, the device vastly improves the capacity of 5G networks.

David Hammarwall, head of product area networks at Ericsson, said: “Our new energy-efficient radio uniquely combines spectrum capabilities in an easy-to-install form factor. This will simplify deployments and extend 5G coverage, starting in Europe. With this latest innovation, service providers can scale up 5G Standalone deployments with new applications for consumers, enterprises, and mission-critical communications.”

Telstra and Ericsson have joined forces to launch fully automated 5G network slicing service orchestration for commercial networks, considered an industry-first.

Using Ericsson Orchestration and Inventory solutions in conjunction with 5G RAN and dual-mode 5G Core, Telstra will offer enterprise customers a new suite of differentiated services that promise all-important network characteristics, including high throughput, low latency, and resilience to facilitate organizations’ digitized operations and processes.

The firm had previously worked with Ericsson to enable edge computing in virtual and hybrid 5G private network environments via Local Packet Gateway. The technology, first deployed in Australia, makes for efficient use of bandwidth, in addition to offering low latency through data localization.

LPG by Ericsson is supported by the firm’s Idaho-based Cradlepoint’s 5G enabled routers and adaptors and comprehensive cloud management service Netcloud.

“Ericsson has developed its Orchestration and Local Packet Gateway solutions to help forward-looking customers such as Telstra deliver sought-after enterprise services via automated network slicing and edge use cases,” said Emilio Romeo, head of Ericsson, Australia and New Zealand.

“With many decades of close strategic partnership between Ericsson and Telstra, we are proud to have helped deliver these capabilities into Telstra’s commercial 5G network to achieve leading 5G service creation capabilities,” added Romeo.

Per reports, the Ericsson Local Packet Gateway is on display at Telstra Vantage at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney from 31 August to 1 September 2022. Telstra is demonstrating the technology via a live 5G remote-controlled car.

Earlier this year, Ericsson teamed with Qualcomm and Thales to test and validate 5G non-terrestrial networks (5G NTN).

Nokia and Google have successfully trialled the use of network slicing, to allow for simultaneous connection to 4G and 5G networks on Android devices.

Network slicing is a method by which a network is separated into a system of logical networks operating on a shared infrastructure, each configured to fulfil a specific purpose. For example, a slice with heightened security could facilitate the transfer of sensitive information, while a low latency slice facilitates a large video conference.

The companies have successfully trialled a solution known as UE Route Selection Policy (URSP), which allows devices to connect to multiple network slices simultaneously, and dynamically switch between slices in use.

This can be activated in real-time, and will enable devices to always connect to the optimal slices for the tasks they are performing. Operators will also be able to provide customers with personalised network slicing services, such as dedicated high-speed slices for enterprise traffic.

Once the solution has been deployed, Android 13 devices will be able to access a range of 5G network slicing services, which operators can tailor to customer needs.

The technology was demonstrated using a Google Pixel 6 Pro running Android 13, undertaken at Nokia’s network slicing development centre in Tampere, Finland. Also included in the trial was novel functionality for LTE-5G New Radio slice interworking, technology that will give operators the ability to use the full extent of spectrum and coverage.

All LTE, 5G standalone (SA), and 5G non standalone (NSA) devices are supported by Nokia’s network slicing solution, allowing operators flexibility to offer network slicing over 4G and 5G and saving businesses from having to invest in new hardware to utilise the system’s benefits.

“New application-based URSP slicing solutions widen operator’s 5G network business opportunities” stated Ari Kynäslahti, head of technology and strategy at Nokia Mobile Networks.

“We are excited to develop and test new standards-based URSP technologies with Android that will ensure that our customers can provide leading-edge enterprise and consumer services using Android devices and Nokia’s 4G/5G networks.”

Nokia is a leading innovator in 5G networking, having been among the first to develop network slicing technology. Last month, the company announced that along with BT it had demonstrated four carrier aggregation on a 5G network, a European first that could lead to faster and better optimised 5G across the UK.

It will also lead the 6G-ANNA project in Germany, which seeks to advance end-to-end 6G architecture and wider network capability across Germany and the EU.

NEC Corporation and Fortinet have joined forces to offer secure 5G networks for communication service providers (CSPs).

Under their global agreement, NEC and Fortinet will set their focus on a series of key network security use cases and services, including radio access network (RAN), mobile roaming, and Gi-LAN/N6, to help service providers gain a comprehensive view into users, applications, and threats.

Fortinet’s high-performance security solutions, featuring automation and AI-driven threat intelligence, will add to NEC’s carrier-grade services spanning over 150 nations, as part of the deal.

"5G success and growth depends on service providers' ability to deliver innovative enterprise-facing use cases while meeting their security requirements," said John Maddison, EVP of products and CMO, Fortinet.

“We’re pleased to partner with NEC to deliver the required solutions and expertise to facilitate enterprises' 5G adoption and CSPs' success," added Maddison.

NEC Centers of Excellence (CoEs) and NEC Open Networks will also be leveraged to meet the unique and often dynamic requirements of CSPs.

“The global partnership with Fortinet is a perfect fit for NEC Open Networks’ ecosystem to enable our services to meet the customer’s urgent and diverse needs for network security in the 5G era,” said Hideyuki Ogata, general manager, service provider solutions department, NEC Corporation.

“NEC CoEs already have rich experience in network security, including the recent success with Fortinet for CETIN and others. This partnership promises to further enrich our service portfolio facing customers as a global network integrator.”

Earlier this month, Fortinet launched the “fastest” compact firewall for hyperscale data centers and 5G networks.

BT and Nokia have announced the successful combination of four carrier components (4CC) in a 5G standalone network (SA), marking a major step towards greater 5G connectivity on its EE network and a first for Europe.

In a blog post, the telecommunications giant celebrated the successful test and the potential it carries for future networking. Carrier aggregation, in which multiple carrier bands are merged to form a stable connection, can provide dramatically improved bandwidth and speeds not capable on any of the carriers on their own.

The majority of 5G networks across the UK use existing 4G infrastructure, making them ‘non-standalone’. Successful implementation of BT’s new 5G SA would grant businesses and consumers widespread network speed improvement and open a new door for creative use of authorised bandwidths.

In another European first, the trial was successfully performed not only in lab conditions but also from a radio mast at BT’s Adastral park in Suffolk. Proof of a working 5G standalone network utilising 4CC is a major step forward for UK 5G, particularly as the team was able to run the 5G network on EE’s existing radio spectrum.

Pre-5G network standards such as LTE-A use carrier aggregation to combine up to five networks together to reach a total speed equivalent to ‘true 4G’. In the case of the announced tests, low and mid-band radio channels in the frequencies 2.1, 2.6, 3.4 and 3.6 GHz were combined using Nokia’s 5G radio access network and a MediaTek M80 5G modem.

“Our trial with Nokia is another demonstration of building the most advanced network for our customers,” stated Greg McCall, managing director of service platforms at BT.

“5G Standalone, coupled with edge compute, will unlock new opportunities for customers looking to develop new services. Furthermore, this technology showcases what’s possible for devices in the future in terms of supporting carrier aggregation, which is an important part of customer experience.”

The rollout of the UK 5G network has seen several setbacks, most notably the government’s 2020 order for BT to remove all Huawei equipment from its core network by January 2023. BT has since stated that it may not be able to meet this target and has asked for an extension citing the impact of covid on the removal process.

There is also growing industry interest in the use of millimetre wave (mmWave), generally defined as the bands between 24-100GHz. BT EE has indicated that they are seeking whole market approval for mmWave, which offers high speeds and little interference, and is currently seeing success utilising the lower end of this spectrum for fixed wireless access such as in stadiums and conference centres.

However, Ofcom has yet to auction off the mmWave spectrum, and BT will face stiff competition from satellite operators when the time comes, with many questions remaining around the best use cases for the 40GHz band. Even as 5G is yet to be properly capitalised upon, the government is working towards 6G through programs such as its recently announced collaborative research scheme with South Korea.

Despite setbacks, BT has several plans in place to dramatically expand its 5G network as well as to boost network technology development. In May, it announced a partnership with Swedish multinational Ericsson to develop private 5G networks for commercial clients.

BT also signed a memorandum of understanding last year with UK satellite communications company OneWeb, in the interest of improving broadband reach for rural customers such as small to medium businesses (SMBs). OneWeb seeks to provide global broadband internet services by the end of 2023 through the use of its low earth orbit satellite constellation, and last month entered into merger talks with French satellite operator Eutelsat.

Reliance Jio has spent $11 billion in India’s $19 billion 5G spectrum auction, emerging as the telco which spent the most money on new spectrum.

India’s government is hoping to begin the rollout of 5G by October this year and has held an auction over the past week selling parts of the 5G spectrum, which ended yesterday.

The country’s telecoms minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said that companies bought 71% of 72GHz spectrum offered in the auction, as reported by Reuters. Other Indian telcos took part, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and a unit of Adani Enterprises.

Bharti Airtel won spectrum worth $5.4 billion while Vodafone won $2.4 billion. Adani, meanwhile, purchased spectrum worth around $27 million, with the company aiming to enter the private 5G network space instead of consumer services.

"We understand that the spectrum purchased is good enough to cover all the circles in the country," said Vaishnaw, referring to geographical areas of coverage. He added that India's 5G coverage will be very good over the next three years.

To help the telecoms sector which is low on cash, the government said it would allow auction winners to pay the amounts owed in 20 equal annual instalments.

In India's telco sector, Reliance Jio triggered a price war in 2016 which caused Bharti Airtel and Vodafone to both report losses in recent years, as well as being squeezed by spectrum dues from earlier auctions. Despite this, Bharti Airtel has made a profit recently thanks to mobile data price hikes.

"This spectrum acquisition...has been part of a deliberate strategy to buy the best spectrum assets at a substantially lower relative cost compared to our competition," Bharti Airtel chief executive officer Gopal Vittal said.

Reliance Jio said it would be ready to roll out 5G across India in the shortest period of time, without giving any specifics.

There are wide disparities in the rollout of 5G across the Asia Pacific region, according to a report from GSMA published in April 2022. Korea and Japan, for example, were among the first in the world to test and launch commercial 5G networks. However, other parts of APAC suffer from a lack of spectrum availability and cross-border coordination.

Countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam will require enhanced roadmaps, said GSMA. However, it praised India for moving ahead with a robust consultation programme as it develops its plans for affordable connectivity.

“The most successful countries are those with a defined plan for 5G deployment,” said the GSMA’s head of spectrum, Luciana Camargos. “Across APAC, we see a wide disparity in countries’ readiness for 5G, and the key differentiator is spectrum management.”

Can there be such a thing as too much competition? Having four major mobile networks might be one too many for the UK, if Three CEO Robert Finnegan is to be believed. In a recent financial results announcement, he characterised the UK market as “dysfunctional”. Why? Because the fierce competition between networks is making it harder to roll out 5G and improve Britain’s mobile infrastructure.

“As things stand, the UK does not have the quality of mobile infrastructure it deserves,” said Finnegan in a statement. “Investment is spread too thinly across too many players, meaning our networks are sub-par by international standards.”

Finnegan has a ready-made solution: consolidation. In his view, government regulators should allow two of the four major networks to merge. “Moving from four to three mobile players in the UK would mean better, smarter investment in the networks which would, in turn, improve the quality and scale of connectivity in Britain and would unleash more competition,” he said.

The small player problem

Steve Lowe is a product director at Gamma Telecom and has spent more than 20 years in the telecoms sector. While he finds Finnegan’s characterisation of the mobile market a tad over the top, he does agree the smaller operators are at a competitive disadvantage. “Dysfunctional is quite a strong word, isn't it?,” he says. “I think we're entering a period of uncertainty, there's a lot of change occurring. Continued investment is required in networks and the rollout of 5G is quite significant.”

He points to how Three has had an expensive few years. Only last year, the company paid the government £280 million for a further tranche for 5G spectrum and then spent another £784 million to build infrastructure so customers can actually use it. Indeed, 5G monetisation, too, is proving a headache for operators.

Although every network is having to splash out – as Three only has a 14% share of the UK mobile market – it’s at a structural disadvantage, given the cost of the upgrade is higher on a per-customer basis than for the larger operators. “If you've got to put that level of investment in, then you need your unit cost to be comparable with the competition,” says Lowe.

Finnegan’s argument is that if regulators let Three merge with another of the major networks, it’ll make it easier to invest. But what he doesn’t say is that there could be a downside too.

Paying the price

“The burning question is: will customers benefit from better infrastructure or will they actually end up seeing higher prices, because there's fewer players on the market?” says Kester Mann, a mobile industry analyst at CCS Insight. He argues that, in recent years, British customers have had it pretty good.

“Europe is a very competitive market,” he said. “Prices are very low, compared with somewhere like the US and it's a tough environment for operators to get a return.”

The fierce competition is evident from our data packages. “If you look at the Ofcom data, the average contract customer for a while now has been bubbling along [paying] about £20 a month,” says James Gray, managing director of telecoms consultancy Graystone Strategy and a mobile industry veteran, having previously held positions at Three and Vodafone. “I can get significantly more data if I spend £20 now than I could two, three, four or five years ago, and that is as a result of competition.”

Consolidation, if allowed, would reshape the entire UK market, as it would impact not only the big networks, but also the mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) such as Tesco Mobile and GiffGaff, which don’t own their own infrastructure, and instead lease capacity from the big players. “Longer term, in removing one of those network operators, you've also removed one of those hosts for the MVNOs and the MVNOs are normally challenger brands,” says Gray. “So, it significantly changes the market dynamics.”

What would happen if one of the major networks was suddenly removed from the equation, if the big four were to become the big three? “If there's less supply side and there's equal or growing demand side, that's pretty much a good recipe for taking you up the price scale,” says Gray.

Consolidate to accumulate

This isn’t the first time Three has advocated shrinking the market. “The European competition authority blocked a Three and O2 merger a few years ago, then they turned around in 2020, and said, actually, that was the wrong decision, we shouldn't have done it,” says Lowe.

By then, however, it was too late for Three. O2 has since been acquired by Virgin Media, which didn’t previously have a fully-fledged mobile operator to call its own. If a similar deal between Three and another network were tried again, Lowe thinks it might be more successful. “I think the competition mood music may have changed slightly, and I think Ofcom are gradually taking a softer approach as well,” he says. “I think they'll look at a potential merger in a different light.”

This means it could be looking good for Three, if it can find a partner. “My interpretation of the stall they set out is ‘we would like someone to buy us please’,” says Gray. “I don't think they're suggesting they want to go and buy somebody else.”

However, when it comes to potential suitors, the options are limited. EE is already fully owned by BT, and O2 is now part of Virgin Media, which would make any further acquisitions impossible. That leaves only one obvious partner: Vodafone.

Gray thinks Three and Vodafone could be a strong marriage. “Vodafone is quite strong in enterprise and older consumers like myself,” he says. “Three is much more of a challenger brand focused on younger and more value-conscious consumers. Three hasn't got a significant enterprise customer base, so you could see that might be quite a good match.”

In fact, there’s precedent for this exact combination, as, back in 2009, the two companies merged their operations in Australia.

Looking further afield

Another option could be to merge with a larger company in a different field, to potentially bring in more money to invest, without having to shrink the market to three major operators. “Those sorts of deals would be looked upon much more favourably by regulators,” says Mann.

“For example, Virgin Media/O2 and similarly, BT buying EE six years ago. Of course, it was investigated by the competition authorities, but it never really came close to being in any doubt because it's a merger from two separate markets. Something like Sky and Three, or TalkTalk and Three would have a greater regulatory opportunity of getting through,” Mann adds.

Even so, if regulators allow it, Vodafone still seems like the most likely buyer, because it has a quality that Vodafone and Three veteran James Gray knows well. “Vodafone is an acquisitive organisation,” he says. “Vodafone started as a network in the UK started above a curry house in Newbury. It's now a massive global brand and it's done that by buying assets around the globe. Acquisition is in the Vodafone DNA and acquisition is how Vodafone has grown to the huge global brand it is now.”

Eutelsat and OneWeb are engaged in discussions to create an all-share combination between the two companies, to create one joint communications entity.

French satellite operator Eutelsat confirmed the talks in a July 25 press release, after days of rumours about a potential merger between the two. OneWeb’s primary endeavour is its low earth orbit satellite constellation, through which it seeks to provide broadband internet across the world.

Eutelsat has 45 years of experience within the sector, and the ability to bring large-scale funding to the comparatively small OneWeb. If completed, the deal would represent a major consolidation of communications infrastructure, with the new entity will be the world's first to operate both low Earth orbit (LEO) and geosynchronous equatorial orbit (GEO) satellites.

The finished arrangement would see OneWeb and Eutelsat shareholders each holding 50% of the newly formed entity’s shares.

The British government invested £416 million in OneWeb in 2020, to save the company from bankruptcy. At the time, the deal was criticised due to OneWeb’s inability to provide GPS services seen as crucial to the UK following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

Through a stake-backed investment bank, the French government currently has a 19.9% stake in Eutelsat, resulting in the merger bringing together French and UK governmental interests.

The OneWeb constellation currently stands at 428 satellites, around two-thirds of the 648 that was hoped to be in operation by the end of 2022. In March, OneWeb shelved plans to work with Russian space agency Roscosmos after it demanded that the UK government sell all its shares in the company.

In 2021, OneWeb and BT announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore providing stable internet connections to rural customers in the UK using its network of low LEO satellites. It is hoped that the network will provide for those in remote areas without existing cable infrastructure.

Satellite internet is a hotbed of innovation and rivalry right now, with SpaceX’s constellation of Starlink satellites growing by the month and recently gaining FCC approval to provide internet to moving vehicles. The company is currently engaged in a very public dispute with the DISH Network, whose proposals to share the 12GHz band for 5G services it claims will unacceptably disrupt Starlink services.

In contrast, OneWeb announced an agreement with SpaceX to launch some of OneWeb’s remaining satellites earlier this year. The two companies have indicated that they do not consider their respective interests to conflict.

“The combined entity would be the first multi-orbit satellite operator offering integrated GEO and LEO solutions and would be uniquely positioned to address a booming ~$16bn (2030) Satellite Connectivity market,” said Eutelsat in a statement.

“OneWeb is one of the two only global LEO networks and has experienced strong momentum over recent months, with service expected to be fully deployed in 2023.”

Verizon has ramped up its 5G ultra-wideband (UWB) network with 100 MHz of C-band spectrum, an almost two-fold increase over the firm’s 60 MHz offering.

The move comes after a recent successful trial wherein engineers achieved 1.4 GBPS peak download speeds nearby active cell sites, and 500 Mbps at locations further away from the towers.

The new spectrum will account for significantly higher speeds, better performance, and greater availability, according to Verizon.

“This increase from using 60MHz to 100 MHz of C-band – which we will ultimately have available in many markets across the US – allows us to support more network traffic, deliver even better performance to our customers and add new products and services on top of the mobile and fixed wireless access solutions we provide today,” said Kyle Malady, EVP and president of Global Networks and Technology.

“Reaching new levels of innovation and digital transformation in our society requires a fundamental transformation of the networks our world runs on. The continued evolution of our network is paving the way for this tremendous growth,” added Malady.

What’s more, the new spectrum has been made available to customers in certain markets several months earlier than projected following agreements with satellite providers. The clearance for the C-Band spectrum was originally due in December 2023.

Hinting at additional availability, Verizon claims customers will have access to 140-200 MHz of C Band spectrum across the nation in the near future.

In a first, Ericsson, Qualcomm, and Thales have teamed up to test and validate 5G non-terrestrial networks (5G NTN).

The global telecommunications standards' body 3GPP had given green light for the same in March.

Besides examining various technology components vital to enabling 5G non-terrestrial networks, including a 5G smartphone, satellite payload, and 5G network pieces on the ground, the trio will work to ascertain whether the proposed 5G NTN can be sustained in a smartphone form factor. The move will ensure future smartphones can double as satellite phones.

The preliminary 5G NTN tests will commence in France, which is home to a vast majority of European space-focused facilities.

As for the test strategy, Ericsson will verify a 5G virtual RAN (vRAN) stack, tailored to handle radio signals propagating from fast-moving LEO satellites.

Thales is set to verify a 5G radio satellite payload suited for deployment on LEO satellites, while Qualcomm plans to ‌demonstrate the use of 5G NTN in future‌ ‌smartphones through test devices.

“The result could effectively mean that a future 5G smartphone could use 5G connectivity anywhere on Earth and provide complete global coverage for wideband data services, including places normally only covered by legacy satellite phone systems with limited data connectivity capabilities,” explained Ericsson.

“The space-based network could also be used as back-up support to terrestrial networks in the event of major network outages or disasters.”

“The expected security capabilities of 5G NTNs mean that national government communications may be a main use case, to enhance safe and secure national security and public safety government networks,” added Ericsson.

DISH, along with the 5G for 12GHz Coalition, shot back at SpaceX’s unproven claims that using the 12GHz spectrum would interfere with its Starlink network, branding the firm ‘anti-5G’.

In late June, SpaceX called on its Starlink users to file objections with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in a bid to prevent DISH from accessing the 12GHz band for 5G services. The company wants exclusive access to the 12GHz spectrum, as it claims that allowing rival companies to use the wavelength will render its Starlink space broadband service unusuable.

The company, specifically, claimed DISH Wireless' use of the 12GHz spectrum could cause "harmful interference" to SpaceX’s fleet of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, while also expressing concern about potential outages.

“If DISH’s lobbying efforts succeed, our study shows that Starlink customers will experience harmful interference more than 77% of the time and total outage of service 74% of the time, rendering Starlink unusable for most Americans,” SpaceX stated.

However, the 5G for 12GHz Coalition denied the allegations, stating the commercial space firm endeavored to misdirect the consumers and the FCC with “nationwide conclusions based on results it generated from a single cherry-picked partial economic area (PEA): Las Vegas, NV.”

“This tactic, which is commonly used by Elon Musk, is not only disingenuous, but it promulgates an anti-5G narrative that is harmful to American consumers who deserve greater competition, connectivity options and innovation,” the Coalition writes in a statement published on Thursday.

SpaceX didn’t mince words in its own letter to the FCC, claiming “DISH never lived up to its repeated promises to deploy a new terrestrial network using the exclusive licenses already stored up in its warehouses”, and that the commission “simply cannot gift more spectrum to any operator with this track record of broken promises and stranded consumers".

Nokia has forged a strategic, multi-year alliance with Ice to facilitate the latter company's 5G network expansion in Norway.

The Lyse-owned Norwegian mobile operator caters to over 700,000 customers, representing 95% of the country’s population. Fibre broadband provider Altibox, also owned by Lyse, also adds to the nations digital infrastructure.

Besides 5G network expansion, Ice’s new deal with Nokia is aimed at enabling new fixed and mobile services by Lyse Group in previously untapped regions.

Per the accord, Nokia will offer solutions from its energy-efficient AirScale portfolio to support varied spectrum bands. Single RAN, AirScale base stations, and 5G Massive MIMO antennas are among the Finnish phone maker’s offerings.

In addition to enhancing Ice's 5G coverage and performance, the aforementioned solutions permit a wide range of deployment scenarios, from dense urban to wide-area connectivity.

NetAct, Nokia’s field-proven network management system, ‌will‌ ‌further‌ ‌streamline‌ ‌operations. The firm is also offering optimisation and technical assistance. Up to 3,200 base stations will be upgraded and an additional 3900 will be deployed.

“This is a particularly exciting phase for Ice as 5G is picking up pace in Norway and is establishing a competitive position in the market,” said Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia.

“We are proud to continue our journey as its long-term partner. We have already made great progress with the deployment of 5G services across the country and this new deal will extend coverage to new areas while improving the coverage and performance of the existing footprint. Our industry has a big role to play in the green transition of societies, and our energy-efficient AirScale portfolio supports Ice’s commitments to sustainability,” added Uitto.

Nokia and Contela announced the completion of their first private 5G interoperability trial in South Korea.

The trial, conducted at Nokia Korea's Private 5G Open Lab, between Nokia Radio Access Network (RAN) and Contela's Core solutions, will aid the companies in providing diverse, local, and customized solutions for public sector organizations in Korea.

The news follows Nokia and Contela’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed earlier this year.

Korean enterprises can now opt between Nokia's industrial-grade Core or Contela's optimized Core solution, depending ‌on‌ ‌their‌ ‌business needs.

"We are pleased with the successful completion of the interoperability trial using Nokia RAN and Contela core solution, commented Dr Soon Park, CEO of Contela.

“The trial will further advance the growing private 5G ecosystem in the country and will provide new solutions and applications to our customers in line with their requirements. Nokia technical leadership coupled with our proven expertise will accelerate the development of South Korea's private 5G market."

Nokia customer team head of enterprise Josh Lee said, "The successful completion of the interoperability test enables us to offer diverse and advanced Industry 4.0 solutions for private 5G deployments.”

“The interoperability between our RAN and Contela's core solution allows us to offer more options to the enterprises thus enabling them to leverage the benefits of 5G to gain a business edge. We are looking forward to inviting local players to our private 5G Open Lab for the development of the private 5G ecosystem in Korea," added Lee.

Airports in Australia have flagged concerns around 5G services in specific spectrum bands interfering with radio altimeters in planes.

Airport operators made the comments in various letters to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which is currently consulting on the reuse of 3.7Ghz-4.2Ghz spectrum to support 5G services, as reported by IT News.

Australian airport operators and authorities are now seeking zoning restrictions with assurances that certain reuses of the spectrum won’t interfere with essential plane systems, especially those used for landing in low visibility like radio altimeters.

Sydney airport authorities, for example, highlighted that radio altimeters measure the height of an aircraft above ground level when it is operating at low altitude on approach to an airport’s runway.

The authorities flagged that 5G telecommunications systems in the 3.7-3.98GHz band could cause harmful interference to these radio altimeters. This could restrict an aircraft’s ability to operate in low visibility conditions, increase an aircraft’s landing distance requirements, and make its traffic collision avoidance system unavailable.

As part of a solution, the authorities suggested establishing a 5G exclusion or reduced operating area around airports, reducing transmitter power around airports, tilting the angle of 5G towers downward to reduce potential aircraft interference or fitting more modern altimeters to existing aircraft.

Melbourne Airport echoed this and said that it seeks an outcome that ensures the safety of aircraft and passengers.

“International airlines are required to comply with the regulations of their home state. Any failure to meet safety requirements, or where the correct function of the radar altimeter may be adversely impacted, this could result in international airlines choosing or being directed to limit their aircraft operations to Australia, reducing capacity and access to international markets,” warned Jai McDermott, chief of Ground Transport, Public Affairs & Sustainability at the airport in a letter to ACMA.

“This outcome has already been experienced in the United States with an international operator significantly limiting flights to several major airports due to concerns with 5G interference on aircraft systems,” added McDermott.

In January, mobile operators AT&T and Verizon agreed to postpone the rollout of 5G around several US airports following warnings of “major disruption”. The deployment of parts of each network’s 5G spectrum was meant to be switched on throughout the country on 19 January, but the operators decided to temporarily exclude airports from the rollout following protests from airline operators and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This was because there were fears the spectrum would negatively impact radio altitude metres, which could have led to disrupted flights.