Edoardo Pescosolido

5G is halfway through its lifecycle as a one-generation solution, but why is its growth so difficult in the UK? Operators have never really understood the business model of 5G and have tried to replicate the success of the network pipeline operations of the 3G and 4G era. They wasted lots of time.... https://lnkd.in/edMBBFUm It's time to rethink your application business. https://lnkd.in/ejt54TC3

1

I’m seeing a slow but definite trend in the #mobile industry, in realising that “network-aware applications” are at least as important as “application-aware networks”. I’ve been expecting and hoping for this for a long time - I think I first wrote about it at least 10 years ago. The distinction is important. Application-aware networks represent the classical centralised MNO / 3GPP version of intelligence. The network somehow recognises applications, devices and flows, and then applies “policy” to manage them. This maps to concepts such as DPI (deep packet inspection), attempts to “optimise” video traffic in the network by throttling or other mechanisms, and perhaps attempting to charge or offer extra QoS to specific apps. Network-aware applications centre on the device, OS, apps and servers understanding the network environment. They can then modify the application’s or user’s behaviour and perception. This could mean using adaptive codecs, pre-fetching data, or just warning the user of poor network conditions. There are many challenges with the network-side approach - encryption and proxying make it hard to understand applications. Actual use-cases and importance don’t map to flows - is a cat video actually for entertainment, a vet’s training session, or a political advert? Devices may use multiple networks (especially 5G and WiFi), so one network will only see a proportion of traffic / application workloads. AI apps will make all this even harder. So it’s great to see telcos and their vendors take network-aware app approaches more seriously. Some key early signs: - lots of action on #L4S (low latency, low loss, and scalable throughput) which acts to reduce packet queues, increasing application performance. Essentially it gives a feedback mechanism for packets to report on their journey and let the app/device adjust their traffic accordingly - CAMARA is working on an API called Connectivity Insights, by which a #5G network can tell an application whether its demands for throughput / latency can be met. It’s not yet commercialised but is being advocated by Verizon and others - Some vendors offer capabilities in #private5G networks or API abstraction layers that can provide insight into network congestion or performance expectations (eg Shabodi & Nokia) - IETF is working on a protocol called “Securely COmmunicating NEtwork PROperties” or SCONEPRO to enable video apps’ internal mechanisms and operators’ network traffic shaping to work collaboratively for optimal QoE. That’s a lot better than the current attempts to second-guess each other or behave independently & sometimes antagonistically - Some #6G visions (eg from Qualcomm) pushing more network intelligence towards devices vs heavyweight core All in all, this is moving in the right direction. But I suspect it’s going to be a long journey, especially for the mobile industry to recognise that the network cannot be the only (or even main) provider of policy, adaptivity or enforcement.

159

38 Comments

Very interesting debate held between Openreach, NexFibre, and CityFibre earlier at #Connectedbritain Interesting topics from market conditions, landscape of investment, and the consolidation of the Alt-Net market…. Although they didn’t agree on all points, what was evident is the future of network deployment is very positive, with lots still to do and the need to do it faster. #openreach #nexfibre #cityfibre

49

"Unlike consumer 5G, which has failed to live up to its hype, private 5G appears to be delivering a positive impact for those that have invested in it" - from the article. I don't 100% agree that the consumer 5G didn't deliver. There are use cases in eMBB (and spectral efficiency) and FWA that many of us are benefitting today. Maturity of XR (AR/VR/MR) will come in later stages depending on ecosystem. However, I definitely can agree to the private5G momentum. From article - 78% of enterprises covered in the report made a positive return-on-investment (ROI) within the remarkably short period of just six months.  #ItIsNotJustConnectivity. #ItIsAnEdgeUseCase - 65% of respondents achieved a 10% improvement in the safety of personnel and 79% reported at least a 10% reduction in their carbon and other industrial emissions. - 39% of enterprises with a private 5G wireless network have since deployed on-premises edge IT systems while 52% intend to do so as quickly as possible. #TechnologyConvergence #CT #OT #IT Gary Barton, research director, enterprise technology and services at GlobalData, added: “Private wireless technology has clear benefits for connectivity and great return of investment. But more is to come with the deployment of AI, new analytics tools, and edge platforms. These technologies will help enterprises prepare for the future challenges, as they keep driving industrial transformation.” 

17

This is a great potential way to monetise 5G networks for MNOs – network slicing with different charging models depending on capacity used. @Vodafone trailed the approach at this year’s #Glastonbury Festival This sort of deployment of networks would allow much more flexibility for vendors as well as reducing the risk of fraudulent transactions costing business’ money. Also amazing is that according to Vodafone, 200,000 people attended this year’s festival, generating 225 TB of data across its network — a year-on-year increase of 33% - massive numbers! #connectivity #networks #investment #innovation #mnos #2g #3g #4g #5g #business #enterprise #UK #towers #masts #growth #mobile #mobilenetworks #telecoms #telecommunications #technology #slicing https://lnkd.in/eQdisy2f

15

2 Comments

At Telecom Infrastructure Partners (TIP) we are building the largest and most prolific global mobile and digital site lease and infrastructure aggregator in history. The reality is that, outside the United States and the UK, mobile and digital site lease aggregation really hasn’t been tried at scale. Only some “low hanging fruit” has been picked by “boiler room” sales types sending term sheets en masse. This is why only hundreds of investments have been made — even in jurisdictions with literally tens of thousands of sites. The UK is the world’s only jurisdiction with professionally licensed mobile site lease advisors: chartered surveyors. This is because, unlike in the rest of the world, renewing and renegotiating site leases is a bit of a cottage industry, historically based on the UK Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. In the UK many leases are renewed based on “Open Market Valuation” rather than mere inflation increases. Often advisors to property owners are in fact paid by the tenants (operators and tower companies) to renegotiate. At TIP we don’t hire salespeople and we don’t do sales training. A sale is when I give you a vacuum cleaner and you pay me. We are, first and foremost, world-wide investment advisors, just like the chartered surveyors in the UK. The fact is that an individual lease is a bad investment. Mobile site lease tenants are the only commercial lease tenants in the world who determine lease rates. In no other area of commercial leasing would the tenant have the gumption to try to set the rates. Mobile site leases can be terminated at will by the tenant, and tenants that stay often try to negotiate the rent down. Some investment! No wonder that no banker in the world will lend against an individual site lease! Luckily, portfolios of sites are GOOD investments (portfolio theory). Bankers WILL in fact lend against thousands of of sites in a single portfolio. Which means that lease aggregators can create significant value in the mobile telecommunications ecosystem. We can contribute literally billions of Dollars/Euros/Pounds to mobile network buildouts. We invite investment professionals, operators and infrastructure companies to work with us to create value in powerful ways not seen before. Because we are all stronger together! Find us at www.telecom-ip.com. #peoplefirstculture #youbeyou #professionalservices #continuouslearning #continuousdevelopment #thinkglobalactlocal #globalgrowth #exponentialgrowth #telecominfrastructure #telecoms #infrastructureinvestment

55

8 Comments

#Starlink group data is kicking off today. This reminds me of the early days of mobile in the UK when MNO's would allow resellers to create their own bundles. My understanding is that there are rules around the intent of splitting data. If a reseller is selling to an organisation that has multiple ships but with different data requirements, that the data can be bundled across all the ships to allow for varying usage and antenna counts. Makes sense. However, splitting bundled data between companies may be another matter... Obviously this depends on the interpretation of the individual resellers contract with SpaceX. These will vary. Anyway, here's the original announcement from KVH Industries, Inc. Here's the link for the latest announcement on KVH's financial results, makes interesting reading: https://lnkd.in/ebKJCX_S Posted 5th August 2024 https://lnkd.in/eHFgDJrr

14

1 Comment

Last night I posted about an RCS spam message that I had received. The post is here: https://lnkd.in/gKHgZFM9 . I can honestly say that I was surprised by the reaction it has received. Since then, I've had the chance to do a little more digging with my XConnect colleagues. There is a lot more to this spam than initially meets the eye. So, on the face of it, I recieved an RCS message from a +1 number which I assumed was a US mobile number. Simple enough but not actually the case. What we have found out is that: 1) The number is not a wireless number 2) It is not owned by a recognised MNO 3) It is a text enabled wireline number owned by a seller of wholesale numbering services 4) This provider allows its customers to then port those numbers away to another provider and will supply a letter of authorisation to enable this transaction   So, all in all, this looks incredibly risky from an RCS security perspective. I for one don’t want to receive P2P RCS messages from non-mobile networks ever. The fact that they are encrypted means my operator can't scan and validate them - it is all in Google's court, based upon the messaging client on the device. If they are RBMs then it is another matter. My big question is, who controls which carriers are able to access the RCS ecosystem and what controls are in place? We know that MNOs get to vet who can send RBMs to their subscribers but did somone in Vodafone UK (my provider) get to approve this pretty niche US provider of numbering services connecting directly to their subsribers? Clearly there is a huge vulnerability here. Addressing a point raised on the previous chat - let’s be clear, SIM gateways are not involved in this – these are text enabled wireline numbers that are most likely controlled by computers with no radio interface to worry about. Frankly, this should be terrifying!   Finally, nearly a day after I received this spam message, the link is still working on my phone and the Google messaging client is not blocking it.

9

4 Comments

There's been a lot of publications about the #3G switch off, and this one I found pretty interesting. Vodafone, who completed their 3G switch off in February this year highlight that data transmission over #5G uses 7% less energy than that of 3G. This allows the network to connect more devices (and people), with faster speeds, a more reliable service and using far less energy to do so. EE have also completed their 3G switch off, with VMO2 to follow and eventually 3UK who do not have a 2G network (which the MNO's are presently retaining for some voice and other services). #MobileNews #MobileNetworks #UKtelecoms https://lnkd.in/dcCYXeJi

10

Interested to read the TechUK - Top 7 tech priorities for the whichever new Govt come in next (bets are on October General Election in UK). Whilst they are all laudable aims, it is further into the report on page 8 that stands out namely; - £5.69bn pay rise for the British people through reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy - desperately needed and we need to do better as an industry - £2.1bn Ensure the NHS is ready for the future (digitising the NHS/Social care) - tried before but we need to get this right - Reduce the cost of reaching net zero (digitising the National Grid to get good energy data, reducing capital investment by £17.6bn a year!) Looks like it should be a no brainer but this is a complex picture depending on who is generating the power and how. - Support productivity investments for the 600,000 SMES (not just plant capital costs they have today) - Lastly but most importantly - improve safety and trust in technology as online fraud. ransomware etc. gives technology a bad name and needs more urgent attention. https://lnkd.in/d_FT-UTB #zayo #zayoeurope #zayosecurity #techUK #UKGovt

7

1 Comment

Openreach, the UK digital network provider owned and run at arm’s length by BT Group, is taking a significant step towards a more agile and automated future with the deployment of Nokia's Altiplano Access Controller platform across its fibre network. This move is important for the continuing shift over to Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and its potential to revolutionise fixed and fibre connectivity in the UK. Why this matters: ▪ Enhanced Network Automation: Altiplano's SDN capabilities will enable Openreach to automate network management tasks, improving efficiency and reducing operational costs. ▪ Improved Network Visibility: The platform should provide real-time insights into network performance, enabling proactive identification and resolution of issues. ▪ Increased Agility: SDN allows for dynamic provisioning of services, enabling Openreach to respond quickly to customer demands and market changes. It's probably very obvious why this is all very useful but providing fibre to the premises in both domestic and business environments is becoming increasingly mission critical for many. Adding in this level of control to large parts of the network should mean that the service is more reliable as issues are identified and resolved earlier and more quickly. That said, its not an easy integration process and is likely to take longer than many anticipate. The good news is that once it has been deployed it will be available to all providers who utilise Openreach network for their networks. In reality that is most of the broadband networks in the UK. #Openreach #Nokia #Altiplano #SDN #Fibre #Connectivity #Innovation #Telecommunications #UK

36

A good business ISP will be able to segment your 1Gbps Internet access so that some is directed straight to your cloud provider. This means you get the benefits of a direct link without having to install a completely separate circuit.

1

Driving penetration is now the number one focus for the Altnets in the UK. The average consumer take-up across altnet networks is currently at 16%, half that of Openreach at 32%, despite the collective footprint of challengers now equalling that of the incumbent. We explore why this is and what needs to change to address it. I'm very happy to talk to anyone with a view on the situation and ways it can be addressed. In Part two (watch this space) we will provide valuble insights and actionable recommendations to drive penetration from some of the very best practice.

8

How did MS3 Networks Limited bring free market competition to the peculiar telecoms island of Hull? Check out my latest industry interview with CEO Guy Miller to find out: https://lnkd.in/eX4hiE3D Big thanks Guy for a fascinating and unique insight into the very peculiar telecoms island of Hull, and how MS3 Networks has successfully built a full fibre Alt-Net there to compete with the incumbent, KCOM, significantly boosting free market competition.   MS3 has built to just over 200k premises, of which about 130k are in Hull and about 80k are in Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Immingham, and Mexborough. Guy tells me that Hull is more profitable than the Openreach areas, because although building in Hull is twice as expensive, MS3 enjoys three times the market penetration. With 15,000 customers on the network currently, MS3’s overall market penetration is about 7%, but that rises to 29% for areas that have been built for between 2 and 3 years.   Unlike many Alt-Nets, MS3 is wholesale only, and has around 50-60 partners, which guy says is probably too many. His “utopia” is to move towards a smaller number of bigger Layer 2 partners, with the current Layer 3 partners connecting via the Layer 2 partners. The impact of Ofcom’s/The One Touch Switching Company’s new consumer broadband switching regime was interesting to hear about, as MS3 used to take orders on behalf of its partners, but this is not allowed under One Touch Switch.   MS3 has just last week managed to get some access to KCOM’s ducts and poles, after a long struggle. This will allow MS3 to get to some of the more outlying areas of the Hull licensed area, and deliver on its ambition to cover all 210k premises.   Guy comments on MS3’s original ambition of a half-million premises network build, telling me that they didn’t anticipate there being 100 other builders when the ambition was set. He admits that building another 300k premises at this point would not be a good idea, and so acquisition would be the only sensible route to reach the original ambition.   Guy goes on to talk about the financial strength of MS3, in a market with its fair share of financial worry currently. MS3 is debt free, which is very unusual in the Alt-Net world, and Guy claims that MS3 will not only be EBITDA positive very shortly, but that it will be the first Alt-Net to be cash positive.   Finally, Guy talks about the spot of bother he’s had with telegraph poles in Hedon. #fullfibre #altnet #gigabit #hull #freemarketcompetition Zen Internet

73

3 Comments

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) today are exploring new and different ways to unlock the untapped potential and revenue streams of their networks. A key to this is having the ability to deliver differentiated services on 5G standalone. But how do you enable premium services in your network in the first place? The first episode on Differentiated Connectivity in Ericsson’s Tech Unveiled series carries great insights and know-how on the subject, giving operators a blueprint to get there. How do you think technologies like network slicing and differentiated connectivity as a whole will change telco offerings in the future? 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gqueYpnE #TeamEricsson #5GSA #NetworkSlicing

10

Ever wondered how technology can truly transform public services? 🤔 Why is this important? We're not just talking about cloud solutions; we're talking about reimagining how government services can work for citizens. With 3 enterprise-grade software solutions and 26 specialised support services, we're bringing real innovation where it matters most.   As Wayne Kay, our EMEA Regional VP, puts it: "We bring proven expertise in driving digital transformation at scale, with a deep understanding of public sector requirements."   Read all about it here: https://lnkd.in/eNA67V8e   #TTECDigital #InnovativeSolutions #CloudStrategy #GCloudFramework  

9