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INTERVIEW

Marcello Del Brenna, CEO Prysmian UK, shares his thoughts on the increasingly crowded space available for the UK’s energy transition and the deployment of broadband networks.

Prysmian is using its global experience in broadband rollout to develop smaller, higher quality pre-connectorised products to help networks meet the increasing demand for fibre connections at a time when the UK is experiencing a skills shortage.

Furthermore, Prysmian acknowledge that we’re in the first part of the big full fibre wave and we’re accelerating. In parallel, Prysmian are developing new products – cables, connectorisation, connectivity, to get the cables to the end users’ home – this is the second wave.

This interview was conducted at Connected Britain 2022, the event will return to London in 2023 – find out more here

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STARTUP STORIES

We’ve met Net AI before but things have moved on for this startup spun out of the University of Edinburgh, including attending MWC earlier this year.

Tell us about your start up
Net AI is a network intelligence company whose mission is to develop a market-leading deep traffic analytics platform that can drastically reduce CAPEX/OPEX/TCO for mobile operators and enable new high-margin revenue streams.
Our customers are mobile network operators, telco OEMs, and professional services companies with a global presence.

What is your USP?
Net AI has developed a family of cloud-native software solutions that build on years of research at the intersection of mobile networking and artificial intelligence conducted at one of Europe’s leading computer science research centres, the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh.

Our key differentiator is a combination of a patent-pending stream decomposition and analytics framework and an AI-based prediction engine, which facilitates real-time and predictive insights into per-service network usage on a real-time basis, fuelling the automation of network and compute resource management. Our products are fully automated, scalable, encryption-agnostic, and deployable with emerging Open RAN and 5G architectures.

What is your relationship with the telecom sector?
We are engaging with 1) mobile network operators who seek to meet their customers’ demand in a cost-effective way using intelligent solutions; 2) cloud computing companies that recognise their customers face new challenges that can be tackled with AI solutions, but AI may not be their core business; and 3) system integrators that seek to understand what services are relevant where, how to automate operations, and how to mitigate high customer churn.

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How have you got to your current stage of development?
We raised £750,000 pre-seed investment in October 2021, led by Techstart Ventures, with Nauta Capital, Creator Fund, Old College Capital, and Edinburgh Technology Fund also participating. We also received support through grants from Innovate UK and Scottish Enterprise, and we were part of the AI Post-covid Accelerator funded by the Scottish Funding Council and hosted by the Bayes Centre.

Why did you establish the business?
As networks are increasingly built-in software, we believe real-time and predictive traffic analytics can revolutionise the management and monetisation of mobile networks. In addition, AI-driven traffic insights can drastically improve energy efficiency of mobile infrastructure, which already contributes an important fraction of the global carbon emissions. Not least, we believe everyone should have equal job and education opportunities and affordable mobile connectivity can enable this, which is another reason for establishing our business.

I am an engineer by training and have been a faculty member at the University of Edinburgh for the past 9 years, where I have pioneered the use of deep learning for tackling challenging problems in the mobile networking space. This line of research can bring important commercial and societal benefits, and that’s why I decided to spin-out Net AI.

Who inspired you?
In similar measures: Nikola Tesla (pioneer of the alternating current electrical system and wireless communications), Robert Moog (inventor of the synthesiser), and Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)

What does the future hold for your business?
We plan to take a share of the global network automation market, which is expected to exceed $28bn by 2028.

COMPANY CV
HEADQUARTERS: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 8
LAST FUNDING TYPE: pre-seed
URL: https://netai.tech
FOUNDERS:
Paul Patras
Mark Chapman
Marco Fiore

Net AI will be in the Startup Village at Total Telecom Congress in London on the 1-2 November 2022. Meet them there by requesting your ticket

PRESS RELEASE

EdgeConneX has announced the formation of a joint venture with Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group, one of the Philippines’ leading conglomerates, to address considerable and rising data usage in the Philippines. The joint venture will leverage Aboitiz’ century-long local market expertise and its groupwide land and power assets with EdgeConneX’ global data centre platform, build, and operational capabilities.

The exclusive partnership focuses on building a network of hyperscale data centres across the Philippines. The first two data centres focus on the Manila metro area, with a connectivity-focused facility adjacent to the local internet exchange (IX) and a secondary hyperscale campus facility also located in the greater Manila area. The partnership will look to tap AIC’s land bank of 1,400 hectares of prime industrial real estate and AboitizPower’s diversified renewable energy capacity, which the company aims to triple by 2030.

“There is great excitement about the partnership and the incredible market opportunity the partnership enables,” commented Cosette V. Canilao, Aboitiz InfraCapital President and CEO. “The Philippines is underserved and seeing high domestic data demand growth relative to Southeast Asia. Our market size, favorable demographics, and proliferation of subsea cables make the Philippines an ideal destination for data centre investments. We also have access to prime real estate in both city centres, such as Manila, as well as emerging economic hubs like Batangas. We’re thrilled to have a premier global data centre partner in EdgeConneX.”

“In AIC, we have the ideal partner in the Philippines,” said Randy Brouckman, CEO of EdgeConneX. “They possess the local assets and expertise required to build out critical digital infrastructure that can best support our customers across the entire country. We look forward to investing in the digital economy of the Philippines and meeting our customers’ needs throughout the region. They complement our capabilities required to successfully capture this market opportunity.”

“Asia is a major focus area of investment and growth for EQT and EdgeConneX,” stated Jan Vesely, Partner at EQT Partners. “The data usage in Asia is expected to grow exponentially over the coming years, meaning that the underlying digital infrastructure must scale-up to meet increasing demand, thus creating compelling opportunities for investments. Whether through M&A or joint ventures such as this one with Aboitiz, we look to continue steadily building out the EdgeConneX global platform in Asia in collaboration with leading local partners.”

“The Philippines has consistently flown under the radar until just the last few years,” stated Jabez Tan, Head of Research, Structure Research. “The conditions are ripe for colocation providers to jump in and win business. In the last 12-18 months, data centre operators, real estate developers, and investors have circled the market in anticipation of the expected demand. And the underdeveloped competitive landscape leaves the door open for tremendous opportunities and long-term growth potential.”

Interested in this story? You might enjoy the Playing the data game sessions at Total Telecom Congress – Find out more here

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Press release

GSMA has released its 2022 Mobile Economy Report for Europe.

Mobile technologies and services contributed Eur757 billion to European GDP in 2021, but Europe’s ambitious Digital Decade goals remain threatened by slower 5G rollout compared to competitor markets, a new report by the GSMA revealed today.

The 2022 Mobile Economy Report Europe shows that at the end of June 2022, 108 operators in 34 markets across Europe had launched commercial 5G services, with consumer take-up continuing to grow steadily, now reaching 6% of the mobile customer base. Norway leads in adoption of the technology, with 16% now using 5G, but positive momentum is also evident in Switzerland (14%), Finland (13%), the UK (11%) and Germany (10%).

However, tough market conditions are leaving Europe trailing its global peers. The report predicts that by 2025, the average adoption of 5G across Europe will hit 44%, with the UK and Germany expected to have the highest 5G adoption rates in Europe at 61% and 59% respectively. However, that rapid growth is outpaced by other world economies, with South Korea expected to hit 73% in the same time period, whilst Japan and the US are likely to achieve 68% adoption.

The pace of 5G coverage expansion across Europe will be a key factor in the transition from 4G to 5G, an important step towards the achievement of Europe’s Digital Decade goals. Although 5G network coverage in Europe will rise to 70% in 2025 (from 47% in 2021), nearly a third of the population will remain without 5G coverage. This compares to 2% or less in South Korea and the US.

Meeting Digital Decade Goals

In 2021, the European Commission (EC) set out its vision for Europe’s digital transformation by 2030 in the Digital Decade framework. The strategy promised to deliver tangible benefits for EU economies through the development of digital skills, digital transformation of business, sustainable digital infrastructures and the digitalisation of public services.

As economies digitalise, the lynchpin to ensuring success is the acceleration of 5G in Europe for traditional industry and manufacturing to remain competitive. To meet the EC’s 2030 goals, it is vital for policymakers to create the right conditions for private infrastructure investment, network modernisation and digital innovation.

Daniel Pataki, GSMA Vice President for Policy & Regulation, and Head of Europe, said: “Europe is adopting 5G faster than ever before, but greater focus on creating the right market conditions for infrastructure investment is needed to keep pace with other world markets. This should include the implementation of the principle of fair contribution to network costs”.

Industry Impact

The report also examines how European operators are progressing with the rollout of stand-alone (SA) 5G networks, noting that 5G SA services in Europe are now available in Finland, Germany and Italy. Further deployments are expected in the next few years. The added functionality enabled by 5G SA is key to delivering on the 5G promise of fully supporting advanced 5G use cases.

European operators are also at the forefront of cutting-edge, energy-efficient technologies and the use of renewables, with many already reaching 100% renewable electricity use across their footprints, powering their network infrastructure, data centres and other sites.

News

Verizon Business and Extreme Networks, Inc. have announced a partnership to deploy wireless connectivity solutions at Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium.

Extreme Networks, a global leader is cloud networking, had previously announced that it had secured a deal with Liverpool FC earlier this year.

The deployment is scheduled to begin later this year and will include innovations including Extreme Wi-Fi 6 access points delivering low latency Wi-Fi connectivity. Enhanced connectivity across the stadium will enable new fan experiences such as mobile ticketing, cash free concessions, video streaming and new immersive experiences.

Liverpool FC will also benefit from real-time data insights looking into foot traffic, app usage and popular concessions in the stadium.

Extreme Networks and Verizon Business have already committed to numerous partnerships this year to deliver connectivity solutions to large venues and stadiums in Europe and APAC.

Massimo Peselli, CRO, Global Enterprise & Public Sector at Verizon Business commented: ““We’re excited to be joining forces with Extreme to transform Anfield into a place where the digital experience in-stadium is best in class. As we continue to bring our expertise to major venues around the globe, we’re making innovative fan experiences a reality, shortening queue times, streamlining matchday operations and more.”

Norman Rice, COO at Extreme Networks added: “We’ve set the bar for what great looks like when it comes to the connectivity needed to drive fan engagement and operational excellence at world class venues. Partnering with Verizon on yet another deployment means that Liverpool FC will be able to offer immersive, next-generation experiences off the back of reliable, high performing connectivity. Additionally, automation and intelligence will empower Liverpool FC to create innovative, personalised experiences for fans, while ensuring stadium operations flow smoothly.”

NEWS

As the price of energy soars across Europe, Orange has revealed a plan to save 20 MW of power this coming winter

With the Russian invasion in Ukraine resulting in a stymied flow of gas to Europe, energy prices are rising sharply across the continent. With an energy crisis on the horizon, households and telcos alike are scrambling to come up with solutions to lower their energy bills and Orange thinks they have one.

This week, Orange has announced a multifaceted energy saving plan in France that aims to save around 20 MW of power over the coming winter, around the same amount as the instantaneous consumption of a medium-sized city of 40,000 people.

The plan revolves around reducing its electricity consumption at peak times by between 5% and 10% for one hour each day. At this time, the several thousand fixed network installations will be operated by electric batteries.

According to Orange, the plan should have no negative impact on their customers.

“In an uncertain geopolitical and economic context, we share the French government’s concerns and we have developed a concrete plan to support the national energy saving initiative,” said Christel Heydemann, the new Orange CEO, who took over the role at the start of the year. “By offering to cut consumption at several thousand technical sites for one hour, we will reduce our instantaneous power requirements by up to 10%, without impacting the service offered to users. But I must point out that networks are crucial for an effective society. We must work together to avoid load shedding measures this winter.”

Additional measures to ensure Orange’s energy consumption will be reduced include setting its offices’ ambient temperature to 19°C, shutting off store window lighting no later than 30 minutes after closing, and potentially closing some of its “quieter work spaces” on days when they have few visitors.

Beyond moving to reduce their own power consumption, Orange will also be encouraging its customers to do likewise, including sending them SMS messages promoting energy-reducing tech behaviours like enabling standby mode for their Livebox and TV set-top box.

Further customer support will also be introduced in the form of services and offers aimed at helping customers to reduce their energy footprint.

Also in the news:
Optus confirms 2.1 million customers affected by cyberattack
Cloud Metro: Reimagining metro networks for sustainable business growth
Vodafone UK and Three confirm talks over a potential merger

Startup Story

Developing workforce skills is an ongoing issue for CSP’s. LabLabee have developed the first telco cloud interactive learning platform, enabling employees to gain the skills they need while saving money, effort, headaches, and months of time. LabLabee partners with you and helps you prepare the migration of telco to the cloud, with dedicated and tailored labs without any client constraints. This is their Startup Story.

Tell us about your start up
LabLabee is an interactive, on-demand, and gamified telco cloud-based skills platform. Telco cloud is a new solution revolutionizing how applications are created, delivered and how the world communicates.

As “Learning Catalysers”, LabLabee believes its role is to make learning and training on these technologies easier, more accessible and more attractive for both students and professionals.
Theory has never been enough and that is why LabLabee promises to deliver real-world practice with real-world use cases, built, validated and reviewed by telco cloud experts. The problem is global, and we are a SaaS platform

What is your USP?
Today if you want a lab, you have to buy very expensive hardware and you have to add cost of installation and maintenance

What is your relationship with the telecom sector?
We are helping telcos and industrials to adopt Telco Cloud through an online virtual skills platform

How have you got to your current stage of development?
LabLabee has recently announced their first funding round. Details are here

Why did you establish the business?
We faced the issue to get labs in Telco multiple times as engineer, manager and expert. If you compare with computer science, if you want to start in python dev you can get online terminal and start to work with use cases, in Telco it is quick difficult

What does the future hold for your business
Create a marketplace of virtual labs in Telco Cloud space, you can compare between the 5G of Nokia and Huawei from one single platform

COMPANY CV
HEADQUARTERS: Paris
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 15 (Global)
LAST FUNDING TYPE: Preseed 1.4M – Lead brighteye
URL: https://www.lablabee.com/
FOUNDERS:
Samir Tahraoui
Mahfoud Sidi Ali Mebarek

You can meet LabLabee in the Startup Village at Total Telecom Congress in London, 1-2 November 2022. To confirm your seat for the event visit www.totaltele.com/congress

News

Following a cyberattack on Australian telco Optus last week, the operator has now confirmed that at least 2.1 million customers have been exposed because of the data breach.

In a statement made today, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, CEO of Optus, detailed the actions that the company has undertaken post-attack to discover the extent of the damage.

Whilst it was feared that up to 9.8 million individuals could have been affected, the analysis of the breach has revealed that 2.1 million customers had an ID number exposed and now may need to take further action. The ID numbers of 900,000 of those exposed had expired and Optus is still consulting with relevant authorities over whether further steps will be required in those cases. Bayer Rosmarin confirmed that all affected customers have been contacted by Optus.

Optus has since commissioned Deloitte to carry out an independent review of the data breach. The board of Singtel-owned Optus unanimously supported Bayer Rosmarin’s call for the review.

A partnership between MGM Resorts International and ExteNet Systems will see guests offered enhanced mobile connectivity through a programme to design, build and operate signal and connectivity solutions for MGM Resorts US-wide – the largest neutral host project in the country.

The project will include MGM’s Las Vegas’ casinos where an expanded 5G service will support connectivity for nearly 200,000 visitors daily. Rich Coyle, ExteNet Systems Chief Executive Officer said “The addition of greater connectivity will further enhance MGM’s world-class offerings for guests and support upcoming plans and development with future-ready solutions.”

The project will cover 25 MGM properties, consisting of 54 million square feet, more than 43,000 guest rooms, and more than 70 million visitors annually and will be completed before the end of 2024.

ExteNet is part of DigitalBridge’s portfolio of digital infrastructure companies which also includes shareholdings in the likes of Zayo Group, Vantage Data Centers, FreshWave Group and Boingo Wireless.

Marc Ganzi, CEO of DigitalBridge described enhanced 5G services as “a competitive differentiator for hospitality and gaming companies”