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This week, Ericsson has announced that it is seeking to reduce its company headcount in Sweden by 1,400 people, having agreed with trade unions to implement a voluntary redundancy scheme.
Exactly which departments of the business will be most affected by these cuts is not yet clear.
Ericsson currently employs around 15,000 people in its home country, with its global workforce totalling around 100,000 staff.
These cuts should not come as too great a surprise. The global economic situation, with high inflation and a myriad of supply chain issues, has left operators wary about scaling up their expensive RAN equipment rollouts, with Ericsson seeing a corresponding dip in revenue.
As such, at the end of last year, Ericsson announced that it would look to implement major cost-saving measures across its business, with the aim of saving 9 billion kronor (roughly $870 million) by the end of 2023. Naturally, this process was to include job cuts, though the specific details were not announced at the time.
Now, Ericsson has shared some further details of the process, which also includes cuts to consultants and other streamlining measures.
“As previously announced, Ericsson has accelerated cost improvements at a run-rate of SEK 9 crowns globally by the end of 2023, of which 70 percent in cost of goods sold and 30 percent in SG&A. The cost savings cover various areas such as reduction of consultants, streamlining of processes, reduced facilities, etc. As previously announced, it will also include headcount reduction,” explained the company in a statement.
According to Reuters, additional cuts in other markets are expected to be announced in the near future.
It is worth noting here that Ericsson is not the only technology company to be making major job cuts in recent months. Meta, Google, and Microsoft have been among the litany of major tech firms to announce significant layoffs since the start of 2023, with the economic downturn biting into revenues worldwide.
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Also in the news:
AT&T signs up to use Frontier’s fibre to connect mobile towers
UScellular urges customers to put down their phones in latest initiative
VMO2 and Vodafone give rural Scotland a 4G boost
A data center buildout, a new DCI service, a certification, and a testing collaboration:
The GSM Association (GSMA) is keeping up the pressure on India’s decision-making bodies to identify and support 6GHz band spectrum for 5G.
According to a letter to the Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, quoted by India’s Economic Times, the GSMA, which represents mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, said: « The 6GHz range is the primary mid-band spectrum to meet the needs for 5G expansion and its timely availability will drive cost-efficient network deployment, help lower the broadband usage gap and support digital inclusion. »
This is the GSMA’s second letter on the subject in three months. In addition, GSMA Director General Mats Granryd, during a visit to India last month, asked Vaishnaw to identify the 6425-7125MHz range frequencies for wireless services.
He’s not alone. In December the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) recommend that the most optimal allocation for the country in the 6GHz band would be to identify the entire 5925-7125MHz spectrum in the 6GHz band for mobile applications
Currently, part of the 6GHz band is used in India and other countries for satellite services and some representatives of the satellite industry are concerned about potential interference from terrestrial services.
The Wireless Planning and Coordination wing (WPC) of India’s Ministry of Communications last year formed a committee to draw up a strategy for identifying the 6GHz band for mobile services. WPC is the national radio regulatory authority responsible for frequency spectrum management, including licensing.
Given the size and influence of the Indian market, this issue will no doubt continue to generate headlines, not least because the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), at which the global use of radio frequencies will be reviewed and updated, is due to take place in Dubai at the end of this year.
The GSMA noted in a recent blog: “One of the measures of WRC-23’s success will be in its ability to secure 5G’s future in the identification of 6GHz spectrum. With it, the conference can deliver fast, affordable mobile broadband to all parts of the world, lower the usage gap and narrow the digital divide.”
Nor is satellite the only industry outside cellular competing to use 6GHz. Collaboration forum the Wi-Fi Alliance recently voiced its disappointment with the decision by Mexico’s Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT) to open only the lower portion of the 6 GHz band for license-exempt applications such as Wi-Fi.
According to a report from Sky News, VMO2 is among a number of players interested in purchasing UK altnet Trooli, with analysts suggesting the deal could carry a price tag of over £100 million.
Rumours about a potential sale have been swirling since at least two weeks ago, when it was reported that the company had appointed business sale and restructuring specialist David Duggins to their Board.
Founded back in 2003, Trooli has grown to become a significant player in the UK’s fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) ecosystem.
In August last year, the company announced they had achieved coverage of roughly 275,000 UK premises with FTTP, primarily focussed on rural and semi-rural locations in Berkshire, Dorset, and Kent.
Trooli said at the time that they aimed to reach 400,000 by the end of the 2022, with their ultimate goal being to pass one million premises by the end of 2024.
Around this time last year, it seemed that Trooli’s upward trajectory was set to continue, with reports suggesting that the company was planning to raise £200 million via an equity sale to further accelerate its rollout.
More recently, however, it seems that Trooli’s ambitions may have been reined in by the pressures of the global economy, with rising inflation, soaring energy costs, and a stuttering supply chain all contributing to a slower and more costly rollout programme.
Against this backdrop, it should come as little surprise that investor appetite for backing fibre infrastructure companies like Trooli has waned in recent months.
As a result, a sale of Trooli could be the most interesting option for the company’s shareholders, with the move offering VMO2 a cost-effective way to expand its nationwide footprint.
How is the altnet landscape changing in 2023? Join the fibre ecosystem in discussion at this year’s Connected North even live in Manchester
Also in the news:
AT&T signs up to use Frontier’s fibre to connect mobile towers
UScellular urges customers to put down their phones in latest initiative
VMO2 and Vodafone give rural Scotland a 4G boost
Some metro fiber, a new data center, a bit of network slicing, and some FTTH: … [visit site to read more]
Some metro fiber, a new data center, a bit of network slicing, and some FTTH: … [visit site to read more]
Frontier and AT&T today announced a deal that will enable AT&T to deploy wireless infrastructure in Frontier central offices and connect to Frontier’s blazing-fast fiber network. This will improve the resiliency, reliability and speed of the wireless service that AT&T offers to its customers. AT&T is the first tenant to rent space in Frontier’s hyper-local offices and will utilize Frontier’s fiber-optic network to connect with its cell towers that are in Frontier’s network.
Frontier’s footprint is complementary to AT&T’s existing network, which will help accelerate the company’s 5G deployment. AT&T will tap into Frontier’s fiber-to-the-tower (FTTT) infrastructure to connect to AT&T’s wireless cell towers.
This deal is an extension of AT&T and Frontier’s 2021 agreement that brought the two complementary fiber networks together to power business customers nationwide.
”Fiber is central to our wireless strategy and to our overall connectivity approach,” said Cheryl Choy, Senior Vice President, Network Planning & Engineering, AT&T. “This expanded collaboration with Frontier is a win for both companies, as they can fully utilize their fiber infrastructure, and we can continue to ensure our wireless services are powered by the unparalleled capacity of fiber optic networks.”
“We’re excited to collaborate with AT&T in strengthening their wireless service with our fiber infrastructure,” said Vishal Dixit, Frontier’s Chief Strategy Officer & EVP Wholesale. “As one of the largest fiber builders in the country, our fiber infrastructure offers an attractive opportunity for tech companies to use this future-proof foundation for their wireless services. This is another example of how innovation is helping to transform Frontier.”
Want to keep up to date with all of the latest telecoms news from across the US? Join the experts in discussion on the industry’s hottest topics at this year’s live Connected America conference
Also in the news:
China Mobile and China Telecom withdraw from Sea-Me-We 6 project
CityFibre’s network up and running in Inverness
KDDI selects Samsung for its 5G Standalone core
UScellular, the fourth-largest full service wireless carrier in the country, this week announced “Let’s Find US,” its goal is to inspire people, who on average spend more than five hours a day staring at their phone screen, to reset their relationship with technology. “Let’s Find US” is focused on being a leading voice in addressing the problem of over-connection.
It all kicked off last night with “Missing the Big Game,” a first-of-its-kind AI application that shared real-time data of how many fans in the stadium were looking at their phones instead of the field. This social experiment revealed that, even at the biggest, most exciting sporting events of the year, we are all still over-connected:
“Let’s Find US”: Phones Down For 5
UScellular’s “Let’s Find US,” includes a deeply personal experiment called Phones Down For 5. It challenges people to voluntarily stop using their phone to reveal how addicted they are to it. The challenge is built on a simple action: taking a phone break for 5 days, 5 hours, or even just 5 minutes, to reset your relationship with technology.
The company is inviting everyone to participate in Phones Down For 5 by going to uscellular.com/findus to set a personal goal and share their experience using #PhonesDownFor5. The website will also offer tips to successfully make the most of the Phones Down For 5 challenge, including putting your phone where you can’t see it, turning off notifications, getting creative, and spending time outside.
“Through “Let’s Find US,” we are addressing the serious issue of over-connection with technology and lack of connection with one another,” said Eric Jagher, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for UScellular. “At UScellular, our goal is to help people connect to what matters most. We want to inspire connection by inviting everyone to have a reset moment with technology, the first step in having a healthier relationship moving forward.”
UScellular’s “Let’s Find US” is also being brought to life through a fully integrated advertising campaign featuring a brand TV spot entitled “This Isn’t US,” captivating out of home advertising, social media, influencer activations, and additional programming launching throughout the year to inspire people to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with each other.
Are operators doing enough to ensure their customers maintain a healthy relationship with the technology their connectivity enables? Join the experts in discussion at this year’s live Connected America conference
Also in the news:
China Mobile and China Telecom withdraw from Sea-Me-We 6 project
CityFibre’s network up and running in Inverness
KDDI selects Samsung for its 5G Standalone core
