According to a number of recent reports, Saudi Arabia’s new Red Sea International Airport has become an early example in the region of the benefits of neutral host technology.

Advanced Communications and Electronics Systems (ACES), a neutral host digital infrastructure provider, and Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind two ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala, have joined forces “to revolutionise the connectivity experience”, as they put it, at Red Sea International Airport (RSI).

Simply put, this is a deal that will provide indoor 5G coverage for all mobile network operators in Saudi Arabia, but without the clutter of individual rollouts.

That’s because, under the neutral host model, ultra-high-speed 5G coverage is delivered through a robust shared infrastructure, ensuring seamless connectivity for subscribers of all licensed service providers in the country. This means that the services of operators like STC, Mobily, Zain, Virgin Mobile, Lebara, Salam Mobile and Red Bull Mobile can all be received inside the airport via a shared system.

The project partners explain that the introduction of the new indoor 5G shareable solution at Red Sea International Airport enhances the overall 5G network performance. An estimated 80% of mobile data usage happens indoors, so it certainly helps that the ACES neutral host solution empowers mobile network operators to deploy indoor networks quicker, providing their subscribers with a superior indoor 5G experience characterised by ultra-high speeds.

The Red Sea International Airport is a very recent development but is now operational, receiving its first flights last month, and the first two hotels are taking bookings.

Upon full completion in 2030, the destination will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The destination will also include luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment, food and beverages, and leisure pursuits.

News 

The move is Vodafone’s latest step towards consolidating and simplifying operations, after new CEO Margherita Della Valle described the company’s recent performance as “not good enough” 

Vodafone has announced that it intends to form a strategic partnership with Accenture, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) confirming their objectives. 

According to the duo, the purpose of the partnership is to “commercialise Vodafone’s shared operations to accelerate growth, enhance customer service and drive significant efficiencies for Vodafone’s operating companies and partner markets, as well as create new career opportunities for its people.” 

Specifically, the partnership will develop Vodafone’s internal IT and networking unit “Vodafone Intelligent Solutions” (VOIS), which supports Vodafone’s operating units and service provider partners, and has over 31,000 staff in various locations. This will be achieved through the use of Accenture’s digital solutions and platforms, as well as their expertise in the field of AI. 

As part of the partnership, Accenture will invest €150 million in VOIS, giving them an undisclosed stake in the business. Vodafone will retain both majority ownership and control of the business unit. 

“Today’s announcement is a significant development for Vodafone as we change and simplify the way we work to better serve our customers and drive growth,” said Margherita Della Valle, Group CEO, Vodafone. 

“This move speaks to their ambition to work in entirely new ways, reduce structural complexity, open avenues for growth, create better experiences for their customers and provide additional career paths for their people,” said Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture in a statement. 

As noted in the press release, the partnership will leverage the brands, investments, scale, strengths, and expertise of both companies to build a more agile and efficient organisation that will enable its strategy to focus on customers, simplicity, and growth. 

The partnership is subject to the completion of final agreements, which are expected to close in Spring next year. 

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New York City is one of the biggest commercial markets in the world, but it has long been one of the most difficult places to build infrastructure.  Manhattan is one thing, but few providers have historically been brave enough to venture out to the other boroughs like Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx in force.  With us today is Doug Turtz, who took over at Skywire and Xchange Telecom earlier this year.  Rebranding under the moniker ‘Skywire powered by Xchange’, the company is gearing up to take its hybrid fixed-wireless and fiber approach to a wide swath of underserved destinations around the metro area. … [visit site to read more]

News

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking SpaceX to provide extra information to assure the regulator their new services will not interfere with existing terrestrial mobile networks

Earlier this week, the FCC sent a list of additional questions to SpaceX as part of their ongoing review of whether to approve the satellite operator’s direct-to-mobile service in the 1,990–1,995MHz (space-to-Earth) and 1,910–1,915MHz (Earth-to-space) spectrum bands.

Chief among these concerns is whether these new services would cause interference for existing terrestrial mobile networks, particularly in geographic areas where T-Mobile is licensed to operate on the same bands. As a result, the FCC is asking SpaceX to conduct an interference analysis and provide a map with projected beam coverage for the US.

The FCC is also asking the operator for more information about how SpaceX would turn off satellites if they were found to be causing interference with terrestrial services, as well as how this switch off would affect customers in adjacent areas.

“If SpaceX is required to cease operations due to harmful interference when the satellites are serving populated areas that already have full terrestrial coverage, how will this be accomplished with multiple satellites or multiple coverage areas simultaneously? How would the cessation of service in those areas potentially affect service to adjacent unserved or underserved areas? How will SpaceX prevent operation of a handset that is outside the service area of its partner terrestrial operator?” asked the FCC.

The FCC had been reviewing SpaceX’s application for its Starlink constellation since February this year, when SpaceX first revealed its ambitions for commercialising direct-to-mobile services.

Since then, SpaceX has pushed for rapid approvals from the FCC, posting on its website that it hopes to launch the new services as early as next year. The service will initially support only text messaging, with voice and internet services to be added in 2025.

However, SpaceX has received opposition to its plans from various players in the US telecoms market, most notably DISH and AT&T, who argue that SpaceX is not following correct regulatory procedure in its attempt to fast track its service to commercialisation.

Also in the news:
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Vodafone Germany accelerates railway 5G deployment 
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News 

The termination will be effective from 3 December  

Qualcomm and Iridium Communications have ended a deal that was set to provide satellite communication services to mobile phones. 

The partnership, which was confirmed in January, had planned to enable satellite messaging and emergency services in smartphones powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Mobile Platforms, which would be delivered through Iridium’s satellite constellation. 

The emergency messaging was expected to launch in the second half of this year for premium Android smartphones in select regions.  

However, although the technology developed by the partnership was successful, smartphone manufacturers have not included the new technology in their new devices, so the partnership has been terminated by Qualcomm. 

“While I’m disappointed that this partnership didn’t bear immediate fruit, we believe the direction of the industry is clear toward increased satellite connectivity in consumer devices,” said Iridium CEO Matt Desch in a press release. 

“Led by Apple today, MNOs and device manufacturers still plan, over time, to provide their customers with expanded coverage and new satellite-based features, and our global coverage and regulatory certainty make us well suited to be a key player in this emerging market. User experience will be critical to their success,” the statement continued. 

Iridium also confirmed that they are now seeking to work directly with smartphone manufacturers, developers, and chipmakers for existing and future service plans. 

The Iridium share price fell by 8% upon the news. 

Direct-to-mobile satellite services are becoming an increasingly hot topic across the telecoms ecosystem. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is currently seeking the approval of the Federal Communications Commission to fast-track its own direct-to-mobile satellite service. Meanwhile, the company’s rival AST SpaceMobile continues to make its own breakthroughs, notably making the first 5G call from space back in September. 

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The financial size of the deal has not been disclosed 

Cellnex and Boldyn Networks have reached an agreement that will se Boldyn will acquire Cellnex’s private networks business unit. 

The acquisition will primarily consist of Cellnex’s Finnish subsidiary Edzcom, which designs, builds, and operates private 4G and 5G networks. The company already has operations in various industrial sectors including oil and gas, mining, energy, ports, and manufacturing across multiple European markets.  

Cellnex itself only acquired Edzcom in 2020. 

Boldyn Networks, meanwhile, are one of the largest neutral host providers in the world. As such the company is well positioned to further accelerate Edzcom’s growth, according to Cellnex’s global innovation, business development and technology director Oscar Pallarols. 

“Boldyn Networks is the ideal operator to usher Edzcom into a new phase of expansive growth. Given that private networks are among Boldyn’s core activities, they are undoubtedly the ideal partner for Edzcom in this next phase of their growth,” said Pallarols. 

“Edzcom’s team capabilities, impeccable reputation and recognised expertise are an important addition to our team to capture the potential of this market across continents,” addd Igor Leprince, Group CEO of Boldyn Networks in a press release. 

“From venues and wind farms to ports and manufacturing sites, we are building upon being the partner of choice for 5G private and converged network infrastructure projects.” 

The move will serve to further enhance Boldyn Networks’ presence in multiple European markets, most notably in Finland, Spain, Germany, Sweden, and France. 

The sale seems a natural fit for Cellnex, which is seeking to reduce its large debt pile, which stood at €17.2 billion in Q2 after years of intense M&A. This including major acquisitions such as the takeover of CK Hutchinson’s European towers in 2020 (worth €10 billion).  

More recently, however, the company has shifted focus on consolidating its existing business units. In September, Investment company Stonepeak acquired a 49% stake in Cellnex Nordics, which raised €730 million of capital for Cellnex. 

The deal is subject to standard regulatory approval and is set to be completed by the end of Q1 next year. 

Want to keep up to date with the latest developments in the world of telecoms? Subscriber to receive Total Telecom’s daily newsletter here      

Also in the news:
Transforming anonymised data into valuable business insights
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This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Mikko Jarva, Head of Portfolio & Architecture, Network Monetization Platform at Nokia

With 5G deployments now widespread in many markets, telecom network providers are ushering in a new era to enable the building of new and improved software applications that enrich the network experience of business customers and consumers while generating new revenue streams. … [visit site to read more]