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[Barcelona, Spain, February 27, 2024] During MWC24, Huawei, together with global carriers, industry organizations, and academics, held the Digital Operations Transformation Summit 2024 to discuss how carriers accelerate digital operations transformation. Mr. Bruce Xun, President of Huawei’s Global Technical Service Dept, said, “The ’Telecom + AI’, formed with telecom cognition, digital and AI, will bring new operations mode and new service growth to carriers, creating tangible business value.”
Bruce Xun, President of Huawei’s Global Technical Service Dept.
Telecom + AI: Accelerating Transformation from Telco to Digital Intelligent Service Provider
AI has become a technology hotspot sweeping the globe. When it comes to unleashing the full potential value of AI, carriers have unique advantages based on ubiquitous connections, over 100 billion data records per day, billions of entries of telecom knowledge, decades of telecom operations experience. “Digital twin + AI” can create new operations mode, and “Converged data + AI” can drive new service growth. The in-depth collaboration of telecom and AI will accelerate carriers’ transformation to digital intelligent service providers.
Digital Twin + AI: Creating New Operations Mode Along the Customer and Employee Journey
Along the customer journey, each operation activity focuses on customer experiences, which drives the evolution of the operations mode from network- oriented to customer- and service-oriented. Every customer can perceive the value brought by the new mode. Huawei has developed the innovative SOC + NOC intelligent O&M solution with a carrier in Asia Pacific, where O&M activities were planned, prioritized, and executed according to the actual impact on the customer. This has reduced traffic loss by 15% on average.
Along the employee journey, the new operations mode will empower every
employee by providing each of them Copilot to help them improve both efficiency and effectiveness. Mr. Xun shared many Copilot best practices for different employee roles. For example, broadband on-site and cross-selling engineers can use Copilot to accurately locate faults and solve 85% of the issues within 30 minutes. This improves the success rate of cross-selling by 10%. With assistance of Copilot, agents in the Contact Center can gain an in-depth understanding of customer requirements and satisfy customers with one-stop solution. This improves the FCR (first call resolution rate) by 30%.
Converged Data + AI: Driving New Service Growth from Connectivity as well as Beyond Connectivity
Connectivity services are the core business of carriers. Utilizing AI to analysis massive operation data, carriers can provide personalized, precise, and convenient services, maximize network monetization through multi-dimensional product design and on-demand marketing. In addition, new growth ecosystems can be built through new products, platforms, and devices. For example, intelligent payment and micro-finance solution can improve the performance of carriers’ mobile finance services. In 2023, Huawei supported a carrier in Ethiopia doubled the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) of Mobile Money and increased the total revenue by seven times.
Mr. Xun emphasized that “Telecom + AI” will accelerate carriers’ digital operations transformation. Telecom cognition is the core which includes telecom knowledge, decades of experience, and best practices. Digital is the cornerstone which includes high-quality data with suitable platforms and sufficient digital talent. AI is the accelerator which contains discriminative AI and GenAI. Combination of the three key factors will accelerate digital operations transformation and achieve breakthrough to create enormous business value.
Over the past year, Huawei has released best practices of digital operations transformation for various scenarios by working with global carriers. These practices have supported carriers achieve operations excellence, deliver ultimate user experiences, and increase the revenue from new services. Currently Huawei Services has over 20,000 experts, including more than 200 AI and data scientists. In the transformation projects, we supported global carriers implemented data governance from single-domain data to converged data to digital twin, as well as knowledge governance from documents to knowledge to high-quality corpus and vector data base. Huawei continues to make long-term investments in digital operations transformation in which we will explore, innovate and build best practices in hundreds of transformation projects.
MWC Barcelona 2024 will be held from February 26 to February 29 in Barcelona, Spain. During the event, Huawei will showcase its latest products and solutions at stand 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1. With the 2024 commercial launch of 5.5G, Huawei is collaborating with operators and partners around the world to pursue exciting new innovation in networks, cloud, and intelligence. Together, we will drive 5G business and foster a thriving industry ecosystem, creating a new era for intelligent digital transformation. For more information, please visit: https://carrier.huawei.com/en/events/mwc2024.
EXA Infrastructure said today that it plans to introduce a new hybrid route across the Atlantic. The move will give them a new, lower latency path between New York and London. … [visit site to read more]
FiberLight this week announced two new paths from Dallas down into northern Mexico. Working with partners MDC Data Centers and NeuLink, they are offering fiber routes connecting Dallas with both Querétaro and Monterrey. … [visit site to read more]
Direct-to-phone satellite operator Lynk Global announced on Monday it has successfully tested its Sat2Phone technology in Argentina for the first time in collaboration with Telefónica.
Lynk Global said the test was conducted in Patagonia – said to be one of the most remote regions in the world – via Telefónica’s business units Telefónica Argentina and Telefónica Global Solutions (TGS).
Lynk said its Sat2Phone technology – which enables mobile users to connect to the network direct to its constellation of LEO satellites using standard mobile phones – could enable Telefónica to offer its subscribers enhanced geographic coverage, including extending rural coverage in areas where it is nearly impossible to deploy terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure, such as jungles or mountainous areas.
In addition, the Sat2Phone technology could be used as a back-up to ensure service resilience and provide always-on connectivity to IoT networks.
“[Patagonia] welcomes thousands of visitors every year and thanks to this collaboration, we can help them stay connected via Lynk’s satellite constellation using their existing Movistar subscription,” said Lynk’s chief commercial officer Daniel Dooley.
Gustavo Arditti, satellite business director of TGS, noted that Argentina is the second largest country in South America and the eighth largest in the world by land area, with a diverse geography including the Andes mountain range in the west.
“Given the vast expanse of Argentina, the use of Sat2Phone will ensure that people can stay connected using any unmodified phone, which is a cornerstone of our strategic roadmap,” he said.
Lynk currently has three LEOsats in orbit to support its Sat2Phone service, out of a planned constellation of 5,000. The company says it has regulatory approvals in at least 30 countries to offer the service, and has signed commercial agreements with 36 MNOs around the world. Lynk currently offers cell broadcast (emergency) alerts, and two-way SMS messaging, and intends to launch voice and mobile broadband services in the future.
Lynk has two more satellites scheduled for launch in the first quarter of this year via SpaceX. The company currently aims to have enough satellites for global coverage in 2025.
SAPEON , a global AI semiconductor company, proudly announced their partnership with DOCOMO Innovations, INC. based in Silicon Valley, a subsidiary of Japan’s largest mobile operator, NTT DOCOMO, INC..
This collaboration marks a significant step in expanding AI services, focusing on cost reduction, enhancing internal operations, and accelerating the development of innovative AI solutions. SAPEON and DOCOMO Innovations have entered into an agreement to explore various applications, including Large Language Models (LLMs), image and video processing, and computer vision AI applications. They will conduct Proof of Concept (PoC) to solidify these advancements.
As a part of this initiative, DOCOMO Innovations has commenced testing of SAPEON’s newly launched AI semiconductor, the X330 which enables them to test customized models and Large Language Models (LLMs). This follows, after having tested the SAPEON X220, which has been proven to have high performance.
This cutting-edge service will be instrumental in multiple sectors, including healthcare, finance, insurance, and call centers, enhancing functions like voice recognition, converting conversations to text, and automated responses. SAPEON ‘X330’ is an AI semiconductor for data centers that provides more than 4 times the performance and more than 2 times the power efficiency of our existing product the X220.
SAPEON plans to target AI service model development companies and data center markets with the X330, which boasts enhanced capabilities which support Large Language Models (LLMs). SAPEON is currently conducting X330 prototype testing and reliability verification with key customers, and is gearing up for mass production to meet growing demand.
SAPEON completed the development of the semiconductor design asset with intellectual property (IP) for autonomous driving and has obtained the functional safety standard (ISO26262).
Looking ahead, we are preparing to launch high-performance edge AI semiconductors. SAPEON plans to provide customized solutions using its AI semiconductors in various industries, not only in data centers.
Soojung Ryu, CEO of SAPEON commented, “SAPEON is at the forefront of AI semiconductor development and has played a leading role in driving the advancement of related markets. We are proud to be the first enterprise in Korea to develop AI semiconductors for data centers in 2020.” Following our announcement, “we are excited to collaborate with DOCOMO Innovations to engage with a broader customer base”.
Yoshikazu Akinaga, President & CEO of DOCOMO Innovations commented, “As a leader in technological innovation, DOCOMO Innovations is committed to embracing new platforms and an open approach, enabling us to persistently push the envelope and innovate in order to provide our customers with unparalleled solutions. We are diligently evaluating SAPEON’s technology and excited about the potential collaboration with them to pioneer a new generation in the AI world.”
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Also in the news:
VMO2 records £3.3bn loss as interest rates begin to bite
Verizon to trial private 5G networks at NHL stadiums
From humble beginnings: The amazing journey of Hormuud Telecom CEO Ahmed Mohamud Yusuf
With MWC underway, a whole bunch of collaboration is being announced. Here is one bit of consolidation and a series of technology partnerships from different parts of the globe to keep up with: … [visit site to read more]
Cloud-native network infrastructure vendor Mavenir announced on Friday it is in the advanced commercial phase of an Open RAN network pilot deployment for Indian telco Vodafone Idea (Vi) that will support its planned 5G rollout.
Mavenir said the project started in September 2023 and deployment is now underway. The Open RAN network pilot covers key launch sites and is currently carrying live commercial traffic ahead of a planned large-scale deployment.
Under the project, Mavenir is providing a complete, end-to-end cloud-native Open RAN system for Vodafone Idea. The solution includes a distributed unit (DU) solution based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and Mavenir’s OpenBeam Radios, centralized unit (CU), remote radio unit (RRU) and RAN software.
All of the software is running on Red Hat OpenShift, Red Hat’s hybrid cloud application platform powered by Kubernetes, which Mavenir said is optimised for deployment in urban environments.
The pilot marks the first O-RAN-compliant deployment into Vodafone Idea’s network. While the official announcement doesn’t mention 5G, it does say the deployment is utilising the 3.5 GHz band, the 24.25-27.5 GHz millimetre-wave (mmWave) bands, as well as the 2100-MHz band, to support a nonstandalone (NSA) architecture.
Last month, according to ETTelecom, Vodafone Idea CEO Akshaya Moondra told investors during a third quarter earnings call that Vi is in discussions with various technology partners to finalise its 5G rollout in July or August, which includes implementing vRAN and Open RAN technologies.
Rival telcos Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have completed their 5G rollouts already, but neither has deployed Open RAN technologies to date, having said in the past that the Open RAN ecosystem isn’t mature enough or cost-effective enough yet.
Commenting on Friday’s announcement, Vodafone Idea CTO Jagbir Singh said the Open RAN deployment with Mavenir “is in sync with our technology transformation roadmap and enriched vendor ecosystem. Working in partnership with […] Mavenir, we see a major role ahead for Open RAN technology in delivering the network enhanced capabilities, better TCO and open interfaces that will push the industry forward in new ways.”
Bouygues Telecom, the telecoms unit of French conglomerate Bouygues, has announced that it has signed an exclusivity agreement with La Poste Group, to purchase La Poste Telecom for €950 million.
This total is set to be adjusted according to the timing of the transaction itself, with current estimates sitting at approximately €963.4 million.
Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) La Poste Telecom is currently 51% owned by La Poste Group, with the remainder (49%) owned by Bouygues rival French telco SFR.
Bouygues will buy 100% of the company.
La Poste Telecom currently serves 2.3 million customers, generating roughly €300 million in annual sales, via a wholesale agreement with SFR. This agreement is set to expire at the end of 2026, at which points the La Poste Telecom customers will be migrated to Bouygues own mobile network.
According to Bouygues, while this will entail integration costs, it will not require the deployment of additional network capacity.
Bouygues Telecom currently has over 23 million mobile customers, which the company expects to grow as a result of the new deal by leveraging La Poste’s distribution network and benefitting from a brand that is strong and recognised for its values of “trust and proximity.”
“Thanks to this agreement, Bouygues Telecom will be able to increase its customer base and strengthen its position in both mobile and fixed services drawing on La Poste’s distribution network throughout the country,” said Benoît Torloting, CEO of Bouygues Telecom in a press release.
“Bouygues Telecom will bring its expertise and the quality of its fixed and mobile infrastructures to La Poste Mobile, on which La Poste Mobile will be able to draw to continue its development,” he continued.
The transaction is subject to standard regulatory approval, and is expected to close by the end of the year.
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Also in the news:
VMO2 records £3.3bn loss as interest rates begin to bite
Verizon to trial private 5G networks at NHL stadiums
From humble beginnings: The amazing journey of Hormuud Telecom CEO Ahmed Mohamud Yusuf
A new report from connectivity testing company MedUX has found that London’s 5G network speeds and performance fall significantly behind those of other major European capitals.
The 5G Quality of Experience benchmarking study reveals that in 2023, out of 10 cities tested, London ranked last across key metrics such as speed, reliability and overall user experience.
The report shows that Londoners suffer from both lower download and uplink speeds compared to their European counterparts. The city’s average download speed of 143 Mbps is 75% lower than best-in-class Lisbon at 528 Mbps, and considerably lower than that of its European peers with Porto at 446 Mbps and 326 Mbps for Barcelona. Munich in Germany, the second-worst city for 5G download speeds, had average download speed of 259 Mbps.
The company also adds that London has the second lowest reliability (service consistency) and accessibility (time-to-content) scores across Europe. This means that for 5G users in London, accessing websites will take longer than in Europe, watching movies on the go is more likely to result in lagging and drop outs and anyone gaming is more likely be frustrated by slow response times.
This is in stark contrast to Berlin, which has emerged as Europe’s 5G performance leader. Berlin’s success in 5G deployment is attributed to several factors, with the report giving the German capital an overall Quality of Experience (QoE) score of 4.69 out of 5.
MedUX says the city boasts the highest 5G coverage among European cities, with 89.6% of its population having access to 5G. This extensive coverage is complemented by Berlin’s network consistency and low latency. Its 5G infrastructure provides Europe’s best overall 5G streaming experience, with an average latency of less than 40 milliseconds.
MedUX Chief Marketing Officer Rafael Galarreta pointed to the UK’s decision to ban Chinese telecoms giant Huawei from its 5G infrastructure as a possible reason behind London’s lagging 5G network.
“This delayed deployment has likely affected overall coverage, availability, and user experience, particularly considering that the Huawei ban came after the initial rollout had already commenced,” Galarreta told CNBC.
UK telecoms operator BT Group estimated it would cost around £500 million over 5 years to remove existing Huawei gear and replace it with other vendors’ equipment. The lack of suitable vendors and the right equipment to replace Huawei gear has been a major issue. Such added capital costs and distractions for telecom operators like BT and Vodafone appear to have slowed London’s 5G rollout at a critical time. In contrast, Germany has based its decisions on which vendor to use in its networks on the equipment’s technological capabilities and internationally recognised security standards.
German operator Deutsche Telekom has also won the Mobile network test in Germany for the thirteenth time, with an outstanding rating. The annual test held by German magazine Connect, in partnership with Umlaut (an Accenture company) is regarded as one of the most important and widely recognised benchmarks in the industry. Deutsche Telekom led in all urban and rural regions in all categories bar one, hitting 99% and over in all categories.
More broadly across the continent, the EU has set up a program called the ‘2030 Digital Compass’, which sets out a vision for the EU to successfully achieve a digital transition by 2030. As part of the proposal, it stipulates that by 2030, “All European households will be covered by a Gigabit network, with all populated areas covered by 5G.”
The EU’s Digital Compass is an ambitious plan for digital transformation and inclusion. Faster data speeds, lower latency, and increased connectivity are essential to achieving almost every goal outlined in the plan. The mechanism for tracking the progress of this ambition is a system looks at “a structured, transparent and shared monitoring system based on the European Union’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) to measure progress towards each of the 2030 targets.”
However, using the EU’s own measure, on the DESI chart showing overall 5G coverage, the bottom 5 ranking countries are all countries which have placed some degree of restriction on Huawei.
Source: EU Commission, 2023. DESI 2023 dashboard for the Digital Decade. https://digital-decade-desi.digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/datasets/desi/charts
The 19th European 5G Observatory report, a website supported by the European Commission, which analyses the latest figures measuring achievements towards EU 5G targets, also shows these 5 countries at the bottom of their ranking table.
Fair Competition or Further Delay?
Restricting fair competition goes against the EU’s rules, whereas competition between companies benefits customers and spurs companies to innovate. The right for mobile operators to choose the equipment used in their networks, based on its technical capabilities and verified security standards is essential to ensure that they can offer customers the best quality of user experience, no matter where in Europe they are.
Ongoing Huawei restrictions continue to hold back the UK’s 5G roll-out with additional costs and delays looking likely. That leaves Londoners suffering the consequences, facing slow and unreliable service. So, whether it’s video calls with friends, online shopping, navigating with augmented reality maps, streaming content or gaming on the move, Londoners are getting a raw deal.
The report highlights the impact on users that politically motivated and overly restrictive regulation can produce. This goes a long way to explaining why many European commentators view London as cautionary tale for future 5G delivery.
