Four technology deployments by global operators to catch up with: … [visit site to read more]

Orex Sai – the Open RAN joint venture between NTT DoCoMo and NEC – says it has been selected by Cambodia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications for a project to deploy a 4G Open RAN test network.

According to a statement from Orex on Saturday, the JV will deploy its 4G Open RAN solutions at an unnamed “large commercial facility” in Cambodia as a demo to verify the technology’s ability to provide stable voice and data communications.

The network will also be used to test AI-powered solutions developed for commercial facilities by NTT Data Malaysia to trial potential use cases for 4G in such environments, and demonstrate the ability of Open RAN to support them.

Orex Sai was established by DoCoMo and NEC in April 2024 to integrate Open RAN hardware and software from partners into tailored “Orex Packages” for telcos. Under the Orex Packages framework, Orex provides a full-stack service that includes planning, construction, system verification, maintenance and operation.

Orex said that if the demo goes well, the company will introduce its Orex Packages to the Cambodian market.

Orex Sai also hosted a workshop on Open RAN and other topics on Monday at the Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology (CADT) to help develop local skillsets for Open RAN technologies.

While the chief pitch for Open RAN has typically been to provide telcos with an alternative to vendor lock-in and potentially lower costs, Orex is also pitching its Open RAN solutions – at least in Cambodia – as a security measure for digital infrastructure and a way to mitigate supply chain risks.

“Supply chain risks due to changes in the international situation and concerns about ensuring security in cyberspace have become apparent. Concerns have also been raised about the security of digital infrastructure in terms of security, openness, and transparency,” Orex said.

Orex said that because Open RAN enables various vendors (rather than a single vendor) to supply base station hardware and software, this “will make it possible to reduce supply chain risks, build a flexible and highly scalable wireless access network, and optimize prices by activating the base station market.”

Over the past decade, we have seen infrastructure investments in Latin America growing rapidly but with most of it going into data centers and subsea cables.  But markets across the continent are maturing, and EdgeUno sees an opportunity.  The infrastructure and cloud provider plans to leverage its footprint across the continent as it builds out diverse, new, longhaul terrestrial fiber between the markets it serves.  With us today to talk about their approach and the opportunity they see is CEO Mehmet Akcin. … [visit site to read more]

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ZTE has unveiled the innovations of its RAN multi-agent collaboration solution with China Mobile during the China International Information and Communications Technology Exhibition (PTEXPO) in Beijing.

The multi-agent collaboration solution introduces AI large models into the end-to-end operation and maintenance of mobile networks for the first time, yielding impressive performance and efficiency improvements across various locations in China. This represents a significant leap forward in network digitalization and intelligence.

Through the extensive deployment and development of 5G, China Mobile has built the world’s largest mobile network. This expansion has led to increasingly complex network structures and diverse applications, demanding higher efficiency in network operations and maintenance. With the deep integration of 5G with AI+, the introduction of large models is revolutionizing the telecom industry.

The innovations of RAN multi-agent collaboration solution, unveiled at this event, are built upon the latest AI large model tailored for the telecom industry. By harnessing multi-agent collaboration, the solution leverages the network’s native AI atomic capabilities, empowering the network operation and maintenance platform, and exploring a new paradigm for intelligent network management.

The RAN multi-agent collaboration solution seamlessly integrates telecom knowledge, structured data, and network capabilities, enabling accurate understanding and intelligent decision-making in complex operation and maintenance scenarios through multi-agent collaboration and orchestration. This transformation shifts from the traditional « people+tools » model to a new self-orchestrating intelligent service model. The new approach improves the network’s adaptive capabilities and self-service levels, promotes the synergy among various intelligent technologies, and drives the overall advancement of network intelligence. Furthermore, this solution explores new business models and application scenarios, fostering effective integration of 5G-A and AI, expanding the 5G-A industrial ecosystem and enhancing overall industrial value.  

In the journey of network transformation driven by « 5G+ » and « AI+ », ZTE and China Mobile collaborate closely to address the challenges posed by ultra-large-scale mobile networks, complex structures, stringent professional requirements, and high performance and security demands, aiming to establish a new paradigm in mobile network operation and maintenance. Since 2023, ZTE and China Mobile have actively promoted the AI multi-agent collaboration solution for network operation and maintenance, showcasing its effectiveness at major events across China, including the Wuzhen Internet Conference, concerts at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, the Jin’an International Tennis Open, the Xi’an Great Tang All Day Mall, and various events in Beijing. At a concert held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, the solution achieved a 30% reduction in manpower required for network performance assurance. Similarly, at the Xi’an Great Tang All Day Mall, it facilitated a 20% increase in network traffic while significantly enhancing user experience. These improvements highlight the solution’s capability to enhance operation and maintenance efficiency while improving network performance and user perception.

The unveiling of the multi-agent collaboration innovations marks a significant milestone in the network intelligence strategies of ZTE and China Mobile. Moving forward, both companies are committed to deepening their partnership to drive breakthroughs in key intelligent technologies, explore diverse application scenarios, provide robust technical support for the advancement of telecom industry, and facilitate digital transformation across various sectors.

www.zte.com.cn

Costa Rican regulator Sutel has reportedly restarted the country’s 5G spectrum auction process, following the dismissal by The Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) of most of the objections of Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (Grupo ICE), the Costa Rican government-run electricity and telecommunications services provider.

There was apparently an error in the annex to the specifications, relating to coverage guarantees. This was one of ICE’s objections and one of the few to be accepted. The error has now been corrected.

However, ICE also objected to spectrum caps, which effectively mean that it can’t compete for more mid-range spectrum – that is, spectrum from 1GHz to 6GHz. This, along with most other ICE objections, has been rejected.

In fact ICE has so far held up the auction process with this argument twice, most recently at the end of September, although there had also been earlier objections from operators Claro and Liberty.

Now, however, Sutel aims to resume with the new deadlines and will be able to receive applications from bidders interested in the spectrum. 

In fact on 24 October, Sutel published the notice of the 5G tender in the country’s Official Gazette, through which it restarted the remaining period of 12 working days granted for the receipt of offers from those who want to participate in the bid.

Once this part of the process is complete, Sutel will proceed with the evaluation and pre-selection of offers to define who will be the eligible bidders. Once the pre-selection is formalised, the start of actual bidding for spectrum will be scheduled.

As long ago as February last year we reported that all three Costa Rican operators – Liberty, Claro and ICE – had shown interest in acquiring new spectrum for mobile services in the country. APM Terminals, ICE and Liberty were also reportedly interested in implementing private mobile networks, as were a number of cooperatives.

One bit of M&A and three organic expansion moves from around the industry to finish off the week: … [visit site to read more]

How progressive digital approaches are helping telcos resolve five of their biggest supply chain headaches

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by SAP’s Gary Pan … [visit site to read more]

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has reportedly kicked off a pilot programme to allow foreign investors to operate wholly-owned data centres and other telecoms-related services in select locations.

According to a report from state-owned Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday, the pilot opens up “value-added telecom services” in four designated free-trade areas in Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan and Shenzhen.

Under the pilot, foreign firms are allowed to operate their own data centres, and also engage in online data processing and transaction processing within the four free-trade areas, the report said

The MIIT also said foreign companies will also have greater access to China’s cloud computing service markets under the scheme, the report added.

The MIIT said it will monitor the pilot programme’s progress “and expand its scope at an appropriate time.”

The MIIT first announced the pilot programme in a circular released in April 2024. Xinhua reported at the time that the value-added telecom services to be opened up under the programme included “internet data centres, content delivery networks and internet service providers, online data processing and transaction processing, information publishing platforms and information delivery services excluding services related to internet news information, online publishing, internet radio and television, internet culture management, and information protection and processing services”.

Outside of the pilot programme, such services are limited to domestic companies. At most, foreign investors must enter a joint venture with a local firm and cannot own a controlling stake in the JV.

The MIIT claims that 2,220 foreign-invested companies have been licensed to operate telecom businesses in China as of the end of September 2024.

Wang Zhiqin, deputy director of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, told Xinhua the pilot would further facilitate integration of digital technologies with various sectors, as well as “align domestic industry systems and regulatory frameworks with high-standard international economic and trade rules.”

The MIIT also said that the programme would further diversify China’s market supply and enable it to export its digital economy innovations.

Xinhua also reported that HSBC’s wholly foreign-owned fintech subsidiary, HSBC Fintech Services (Shanghai) Company Limited, is already getting ready to apply for an internet content provider permit that it says would help it enrich app content and advance its digital business transformation.

According to state-owned newspaper China Daily, Tesla has also applied to be part of the pilot, which will enable its Gigafactory in Shanghai to access China’s cloud computing services. Siemens’ digital health subsidiary, Siemens Healthineers, has also joined the programme, the report said.

Five bits of last mile news: … [visit site to read more]