Press Release

BT Group has unveiled a pioneering new technology, designed to be a more reliable, quality-focused and sustainable way of delivering live content over the internet. Multicast-Assisted Unicast Delivery (MAUD) technology is aimed at improving viewer experiences and increasing the efficiency of the complex journey that content takes to reach them. Major broadcasters, including the BBC, will be involved in evaluating and potentially trialling the technology to support a range of live content.

Unlike traditional ‘unicast’ delivery, where each viewer watches the action via a dedicated, personal internet stream, MAUD technology uses ‘multicast’ to group those single streams into one shared one, directing it to those that want to watch the action. MAUD has a further significant advantage over ‘ordinary’ multicast streams, as its integration is made completely transparent to the player application. This means content service providers don’t need to modify their customer apps to take advantage of this technology – saving time and money.

Removing the need to select and serve millions of individual streams to viewers substantially increases the efficiency of content delivery, but also reduces environmental impact and overall costs for broadcasters, Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and internet providers. MAUD technology uses up to 50% less bandwidth during peak events, reducing energy usage through the use of fewer caches. By freeing up internet capacity, it will help to deliver a higher quality of experience for both live and non-live content.

Howard Watson, Chief Security and Networks Officer at BT Group said: “MAUD is a major breakthrough in how we deliver content over the internet. Developed in our world leading labs at Adastral Park in Suffolk, MAUD could be a key solution to how we manage ever increasing traffic loads. By combining individual streams, MAUD delivers a more reliable, consistent picture, no matter whether customers are watching over Wi-Fi, fibre or mobile networks.”

Paolo Pescatore, Founder at PP Foresight, said: “Whether it’s the Euros or Eurovision, gaming over Twitch or gigs from Glastonbury, data shows that audiences still value the live experience even in the on-demand era. With live sports and events driving peak network demand to new heights, it’s great to see innovation ensuring that high-quality, premium live content can reach the widest possible audiences across multiple types of device, and to be possible in an increasingly environmentally sustainable manner.”

The launch of MAUD comes as BT Group publishes new research that shows the UK public’s appetite for watching live content is undiminished, despite the growing popularity of on-demand content services. A survey into the viewing habits and priorities of the British public found 90% still consume live content – primarily news and sport – via television, with more than half doing so at least once a day.

Those watching also prioritise their viewing experience; despite new service innovations, more than 9 in 10 viewers believe picture quality and reliability are paramount, outstripping interactive features, commentary and stream syncing by nearly 3.5 to 1. When it came to sport, viewers still preferred picture quality and reliability over latency – the time it takes for the live action to reach the screen.

MAUD was developed by the Content Delivery Research team at BT’s Research Labs, based at Adastral Park in Suffolk. The goal was to create a solution for efficient live streaming that was sensitive to the needs of the various organisations in the content delivery path. The MAUD solution was presented to broadcasters at the International Broadcasting Conference in Amsterdam earlier this year with multicast described by an Analysys Mason paper from September – produced for Ofcom – to be, in principle, the most ‘technically efficient technology for IP-delivery of live content.’

Innovation in media will be a hot topic at the Total Telecom Connected North event in Manchester on the 22nd – 23rd April 2024. Find out more at totaltele.com/connectednorth

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Daria Batrakova, Director Business Line Telecom Solutions at FNT Software

Network inventory is a pivotal tool in driving operational efficiency for telecom operators. With the ability to manage and optimize a variety of network assets, such solutions present operators with a platform to better navigate the complexities of current and future … [visit site to read more]

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.

Press Release

Pioneer Consulting, the full-service submarine fiber optic telecommunications consulting and project management company, announces it has expanded its Core Team by hiring a rising industry leader in subsea telecommunications, Jonathan “Nathan” Javier, as Director of Client Solutions. As a new Core Team member, Javier will be pivotal in expanding Pioneer’s global footprint and addressing the needs of Pioneer’s growing customer base.

As the company’s first employee based in Asia and with over ten years of experience, Nathan is uniquely qualified to support Pioneer’s plans for the region. Most recently, he spent four years helping build out the Asian submarine cable portfolio for Meta, working on key projects such as SJC2 and BtoBE/CAP-1. Prior to Meta, he served at Globe Telecom in various engineering roles.

“The cable industry in Asia is expanding rapidly, and we are pleased to welcome regional industry expert Nathan Javier to the team. With boots on the ground in the Philippines, Pioneer is even better positioned to engage with current and future customers in the region,” said Gavin Tully, Managing Partner at Pioneer Consulting. “Nathan brings an impressive portfolio of experience and a fresh perspective to our organization, and the subsea telecom industry stands to benefit from adding young talent.”

“I am delighted to join the company to support the growth and development of critical infrastructure for subsea telecommunication systems,” said Nathan. “I look forward to helping continue the incredible work that the Pioneer team has already done and is positioned to accomplish over the coming months.”

Nathan will work from his office in the Philippines, where he will build and strengthen regional and global partnerships through business development and relationship management.

Submarine Networks EMEA, the leading annual subsea connectivity event will be back in London on 29th – 30th May 2024. GET INVOLVED

Is the long-running saga of the five broken undersea cables linking Vietnam with the world now over? Regional reports suggest it may be, at least for now.

Repair efforts have apparently now finished on all five broken undersea cables linking Vietnam with the world, according to a representative of an ISP in Vietnam this week who was not identified.

The Intra-Asia (IA), SMW3, and Asia Pacific Gateway (APG) cable systems were restored in late May and September. SAAG (Asia, America Gateway), a 20,000-kilometre submarine communications cable system connecting Southeast Asia with the United States across the Pacific Ocean via Guam and Hawaii, was fixed in early November. Finally The AAE-1 (Asia-Africa-Euro 1) cable, which broke down on September 27, was fully restored in late November. 

But, says news resource VietNamnNet, over the next few years the country will have at least four and as many as six new undersea cables. The Vietnam Telecommunications Authority (VNTA) suggests the new cables will be available by 2030.

We reported earlier this year on the imminent arrival of two of these: SJC 2 and ADC. State-run Viettel hopes to use the ADC cable by the end of the year. Another state-owned telecommunications company, Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group, plans make use of the SJC 2 cable.

Last month saw FPT Telecom, a subsidiary of Financing Promoting Technology, the largest information technology service company in Vietnam, approve an investment initiative for the ALC undersea cable project.

Cable issues have been in the news for some while in Vietnam. As regular readers may be aware, four (out of five) undersea cable routes used by Vietnamese carriers were experiencing issues as long ago as January this year.

Three vendor announcements and a data center collaboration: … [visit site to read more]

Press Release

Ekinops, a leading optical transport and network access specialist, today announced the selection of its Ekinops360 optical transport platform by Deutsche Glasfaser in a multi-year contract to modernize and unify its optical transport network infrastructure throughout Germany.

Deutsche Glasfaser (DG) is a leading competitive service provider in Germany, serving nearly 1,800 municipalities with over 1.2 million households and adding around 40,000 new homes passed per month. DG is expanding rapidly by organic growth. Recognizing the need for a unified network to simplify operations, DG sought a new flexible, modern optical transport infrastructure that could not only automate its service provisioning and speed its time-to-market, but also lower its capital and operational expenditures as it scaled.

After considering multiple competitive bids, DG selected Ekinops as a single vendor for deployment of the Ekinops360 portfolio across all tiers of its optical transport network including the Core, Aggregation, and Central Office (street cabinet). Ekinops’ FlexRate™ 100G to 400G coherent solutions are being introduced with its advanced colorless and gridless ROADM architecture. Enhanced by Celestis NMS management system to provide flexibility, ease-of-use and the seamless support of Alien wavelength services. Ekinops ETR (Extended Temperature Range) solutions are being deployed in central offices to extend capacity as close to the customer as possible and to support the deployment of 10Gbps XGS-PON access technology as standard across DG’s network.

“As pioneers of fiber rollout in Germany we have always sought to employ state-of-the-art technology in our network,” commented Pascal Koster, Chief Operating Officer of Deutsche Glasfaser. “The Ekinops360 gives us the ability to streamline our operations with a single end-to-end system that meets our ambitions to be even more efficient and responsive.”

“Deutsche Glasfaser is an innovative, forward-thinking service provider that is heavily invested in expanding Germany’s digital capabilities, even into its smallest communities” said Frank Dedobbeleer, Chief Revenue Officer, EMEA & APAC at Ekinops: “The Ekinops360 provides both the technological and economical basis for DG to accomplish its project objectives and we are pleased, as a strategic partner, to support DG.”

Connected Germany is taking place right now! Keep up with all of the action from the German telecoms market with #ConnectedGermany

Also in the news:
It’s time for action: COP28 and keeping 1.5°C alive
Mitratel snaps up 803 telecoms towers for $113m
Sateliot partners with t42 to sign 5G IoT Maritime deal

News 

The move aims to increase the EU’s presence in the global cloud computing market 

The European Commission has this week agreed to provide €1.2 billion in state funding for cloud computing.  

The funding will support a European cloud computing project in an attempt to increase the EU’s presence in the global cloud computing ecosystem. Currently, the international cloud market is dominated by US firms, such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. 

The project, which is named IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services (IPCEI CIS) has so far been backed by seven counties: France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. 

As part of the project, 19 companies including Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica Spain, Orange, and Telecom Italia will undertake 19 projects, working closely together to develop together the first EU-wide and interoperable multi-provider cloud edge continuum in Europe. 

“The participating Member States provide up to €1.2 billion in public funding, expected to unlock an additional €1.4 billion in private investments,” said Commissioner Didier Reynders (who is in charge of competition policy) in the European Commission’s statement. 

“The IPCEI will provide for highly ambitious research, necessary to enable the uptake of innovative data processing applications and services for European businesses, public administrations, and citizens,” he continued. 

The Commission stated that at least 1,000 jobs are set to be created during the research and development phase of the project, which will run between 2023 and 2031. The image below highlights the structure of the project. 

IPCEIs are designed to boost the economic growth and competitiveness of the EU by combining research, finances, and business acumen across member states. The European Commission has approved six IPCEIs since 2018, with the projects covering batteries, hydrogen, and microelectronics and communication technologies. 

The first results of the project are expected around 2027. 

Want to keep up with all of the latest telecoms news from around the world? Sign up to receive Total Telecom’s daily newsletter  

Also in the news:
It’s time for action: COP28 and keeping 1.5°C alive
Mitratel snaps up 803 telecoms towers for $113m
Sateliot partners with t42 to sign 5G IoT Maritime deal

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.