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.

Press Release

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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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.”

News 

The deal is expected to begin around 2026 

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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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.

Press Release

Verizon Business and Audi AG today announced a partnership to build a state-of-the-art private wireless network and tech-testing environment at Audi’s automotive test track in Neustadt, Germany. The dynamic, multi-core wireless network is designed to duplicate network conditions in key markets around the world, with custom-built replicas of Verizon’s U.S. public network, local European networks, and the roaming network of Audi’s MVNO partner in Asia-Pacific. Audi and other brands from the Volkswagen Group have access to the track and network.

As the automotive industry continues its evolution toward software-defined vehicles, the geographic flexibility of the Neustadt test-track network gives Audi a competitive advantage in the global market by streamlining its multi-territory R&D test cycle, better replicating driver/passenger experiences around the world, and providing access to the latest network and application technology. Testable applications include voice, video, safety, autonomous mobility, vehicle-to-cloud communication, OEM-customer interactions, cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) features and functionalities, and more.

To achieve this blend of geographic flexibility and technological capability, Verizon Business tapped into a robust ecosystem of partners. The network uses a dual 5G and LTE Modular Private Wireless platform from Nokia, C-V2X and private MEC infrastructure utilizing AWS Outposts from Amazon Web Services, and real-time video and data-transmission technology from Smart Mobile Labs (stream management and distribution, full HD streaming, push to talk, push to video, stream recording, et. al.).

“Our needs for this test track were complex and multi-dimensional, encompassing many technologies, geographic network conditions, and industry trends. Verizon Business was able to provide a complete solution that will take time and cost out of the testing cycle and give us a competitive advantage in the global marketplace,” said Petr Kozak, Head of Development Infotainment, Connectivity, Data Management and Artificial Intelligence, Audi AG.

“This is about much more than equipping a work site with a private network. This is about bringing network conditions from around the world to one test facility, allowing Audi to exceed the already lofty demands of the mobility market looking years into the future,” said TJ Fox, SVP of IIoT and Automotive, Verizon Business. “Increasingly, vehicles are not just about transportation, but a means of communication, entertainment, education, and work — effectively, rolling cell phones and high-powered computers. That means the vehicle of the future will be packed with technology that needs to work under many different sets of network conditions, and Audi and Verizon Business are solving for those needs with this state-of-the-art facility.”

Verizon Business has end-to-end responsibility for the delivery and support of the high-performance, stable and secure private LTE/5G network, which can be adapted to the developments of the 3GPP standard over time.

Want to keep up to date with all of the latest developments in the German telecoms market? Join the industry in discussion at Connected Germany live in Munich

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News

The growth of Dish’s 5G coverage masks the company’s ongoing struggles, including customer acquisition, leadership stability, and $26 billion in debt

This week, Dish Network has confirmed that 5G voice services are now available to over 200 million American’s nationwide, with the company hailing the achievement as another step towards becoming the bona fide fourth national mobile operator.

Dish has so far spent around $6 billion on expanding its 5G network across the US since 2019, seeking to catch up with the enormous scale of the country’s dominant mobile trio: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

“At DISH, we firmly believe in the transformative power of communication, and as the 4th nationwide wireless network, we are bringing competition to the wireless industry and more choice to U.S. consumers,” said John Swieringa, president of Technology and COO, EchoStar. “We are proud to now offer 5G voice to over 200 million Americans nationwide, as we continue to expand, optimize, meet milestones and advance the Boost Wireless Network buildout in alignment with our network development plan.”

It should be noted, however, that of more than 200 million potential customers, Dish is currently serving only 7.5 million. In fact, this number is down around 1.5 million from the 9 million customers the business inherited from its purchase of Sprint’s wireless business Boost Mobile back in 2020 as part of the Sprint–T-Mobile merger.

In fact, this news of network expansion actually comes at quite a troubling time for the company, which is facing major challenges not only with customer acquisition and retention, but with debt financing and even leadership.

Dish’s wireless retail chief, Michael Kelly, notably resigned at short notice earlier this week, having been in the role less than a year. He is the latest in a number of executives to jump ship, including Stephen Bye (chief commercial officer), Dave Mayo (chief technology officer), and Jonathan Sipling (chief marketing officer), all of whom left since the start of 2023.

With no clear path to profitable growth for Dish, the company owner Charlie Ergen made the move to recombine Dish with its parent company EchoStar at the start of this year, with Ergen suggesting the move would “generate significant cost and revenue synergies”. Onlookers, however, felt that the merger was more likely related to mitigating the impact of looming maturities on Dish’s $26 billion debt pile.

In conclusion, while Dish’s 5G network continues to grow steadily, its ambitions of becoming a fully-fledged fourth national mobile operator are beginning to look overly optimistic.

Want to keep up to date with all of the latest developments in the US telecoms market? Join the industry in discussion at Connected America live in Dallas

Also in the news:
VMO2 records £3.3bn loss as interest rates begin to bite
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From humble beginnings: The amazing journey of Hormuud Telecom CEO Ahmed Mohamud Yusuf