Scott Bailey

Explore how a European tier 1 mobile operator has successfully overcome the challenges of rolling out its nationwide 5G network using innovative network testing solutions, addressing: 🔹 5G site and cluster performance validation before activation 🔹 5G network benchmarking against competitors 🔹 Identification and resolution of network issues 🔹 True customer experience measurement Download the case study and learn from a real-life example how to streamline your network testing processes ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dhZBdxiF #NetworkTesting #5G

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More consolidation in the UK Fibre market with Netomnia and Brsk announcing a merger. Not a surprise given the amount of altnets in the market, and a trend that mirrors the MNO landscape of consolidation in order to pursue growth. Will be interesting to see what happens next. #connectivity #networks #merger #investment #innovation #mnos #fibre #business #enterprise #altnet #UK #fibre #property #realestate #growth #telecoms #telecommunications #technology

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Interesting article by Mike Dano about mobile voice. But wow. 15 years after I started running “Future of Voice” workshops & advising on voice applications “beyond the call”, parts of the mobile industry are finally starting to wake up to the idea that there could be options beyond basic telephony. ☎️ But these use-cases are still the same old “session” and call-centric ideas. And they’re stuck in the trap of thinking that IMS is a platform. They’re blending dead-end phone calls with undead zombie RCS 🤦🏻‍♂️ As a reminder, IMS was already obsolete in 2006 and yet here we are, nearly 20 years later, still trying to pretend it’s a suitable basis for voice innovation… just because operators were forced to deploy it to support the deeply-flawed VoLTE. 📞 Meanwhile the real world of value in voice communications has bypassed telcos. Look at the world of non-call voice, from chatbots & smart speakers, to in-game voice chat and even podcasts. There are no 5G microphones at 5G conferences, for instance. 🎤 I’ll have to do a deep dive on this at some point, but I’ll note that the GSMA “5G New Calling” paper doesn’t once mention the words “acoustic”, “echo” or “noise”. This should give a warning of how much they understand the broader world of audio communications and human voice experience. A further warning of irrelevance should be its use of the term “OTT” and its insistence on the 140 year model of a “call”. 🔊 (Edit: a historical note that in the 1890s, it was already possible to get one-way "streaming music" via phone networks, aka The Theatrophone. No, it wasn't monetised by telecom operators, beyond the user paying for a phone call as access) #5G #standards #VoLTE #GSMA #RCS #mobile

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What types of training does the OSS / telco industry need? What do you need? I’d love to get your perspective on this. In recent times, quite a few people have reached out to suggest that PAOSS should create a comprehensive OSS/BSS training programme because there’s nothing really suited to their needs available on the market today. This has really got me thinking. I previously hadn't really thought it was much of an issue. Yes, there's a lack of ubiquitous OSS/BSS training courses. However, PAOSS has quite a few different courses already available, some free, some paid, but in all honesty, there’s never really been much take-up to date. There are possibly many reasons why that could be the case, but I'm now really curious whether there's a latent demand. As a result, I've recently reached out to a few trusted experts to ask their opinions. I’ve had some really interesting replies. There’s quite a range of different thinking about the types of materials that are needed – from beginner / entry level (to help overcome the burden of getting new starters up to speed quicker), to transformation methodologies / guidance, to architectural principles, to cutting-edge technology summaries, to mastery-level materials – from online to course-work to class-work – from no support materials to lots of support materials (e.g books, training guides, cheat-sheets, etc) – from generic to highly specific - for carriers or for vendors - for Tier-1 operators through to smaller network operators. Some have suggested that they don't want to pay much for training or don't have spare time - therefore the better way would be to create courses designed for organisations (eg carriers or vendors, or maybe even universities) to train their people. Others have pointed to their willingness to invest in their own learning in other areas such as networks, coding, cloud infra and more. I've also heard that some organisations are great at investing in the training of their staff, whilst others don't prioritise it at all, expecting their teams to learn on the job (OJT). In short, there hasn't been much commonality at all across these many discussions, other than to say that OSS training is widely desired because we all seem to be an inquisitive bunch of learners. I'd even argue that the nature of the industry and proliferation of technologies requires us to be endless learners to stay relevant. I'm even more intrigued now. What exactly does our industry need? How should we design the learning pathways to take the industry to the next level? We recently talked about the Ninja Academy, but this goes much further / wider. If you have any thoughts that might help clarify the situation, please share them in the comments below or via direct message. Your Insights Are Crucial! Please also leave me a note if you'd be willing to share your knowledge by participating in a training needs survey. I'd be delighted to share a summary of the survey findings with you

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Latest #BTwatch Weekly Briefing: 📈 Openreach Fibre Build Director Georgia Grimes laid out the latest FTTP progress 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The final Scottish 4G Infill mast was hooked up to EE’s network 🌧️ Openreach and nexfibre jointly dampened expectations of imminent 25G PON and 50G PON launches 🌐 Full briefing includes updates on ambitions to offload Irish business, confirmed legal panel, key new hires and partnerships, and much more... Read the full briefing: https://lnkd.in/eiQM7NYg ⚡ Weekly Briefings are new for 2024, crafted exclusively for those who need to be in the know by our authoritative editors and analysts. Subscribers get the full picture in one place online or by newsletter. Now available for Digital Infrawatch, Vodafonewatch, BTwatch, Deutsche Telekomwatch, Telefónicawatch. From TelcoTitans — #1 for EMEA Telco & Digital Infra Leaders. #TelcoTitans #Telecoms #BT BT Group #Openreach #EE #UK #Network #Fibre #ConnectedNorth #4G

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The UK mobile networks are very shoddy most of the time, with more not spots than hot spots , but this is the fastest 5G speed test I have seen . The THREE network in Barry, South Wales , somewhere close to the mast I assume 🤔. Have you seen faster over a 5G SIM?

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New data from UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has shown further throttling back on rollout plans by the country’s fibre players, amid more constrained financial circumstances. Read the full article on TelcoTitans: https://lnkd.in/gwYDeUgC #TelcoTitans #Telecoms #UK #Fibre #FibreCos #Network #Ofcom #BDUK

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Ofcom's New Guidance To Stop Fibre Product Confusion Comes Into Effect Today 👀 Back in December 2023, Ofcom announced they were issuing new guidelines to improve broadband information for consumers. Broadband providers must clearly describe the underlying technology of their services using terms like ‘cable,’ ‘full-fibre,’ or ‘copper’ at the point of sale, contract information, and summaries. The term ‘fibre’ alone is now considered ambiguous and should not be used to describe underlying technology. These changes aim to help consumers make informed choices and will take effect today - September 16, 2024. Selina Chadha, Ofcom’s previous Director of Connectivity, added these comments back in December 2023 when Ofcom first announced the movement: “Today’s guidance is designed to address customer confusion surrounding the different network technologies underpinning broadband services. By requiring clear, straightforward information on network technologies, consumers will have a better understanding of the characteristics of their broadband service, so that they can compare services more easily and choose the best one to meet their needs.” The “altnet” industry has been calling for such changes since the start of the “Full Fibre Boom”, we recently had Alistair Goulden, Founder Of Swish Fibre (now part of the AllPoints Fibre) family, on the Fibrenews Podcast, where we discussed his efforts to launch a national campaign to raise awareness around “Fake Fibre” back in 2021. At Fibrenews, we created our own content to support consumers with understanding the difference between “part fibre” & “full fibre” (link to both in the comments). The action to support consumers and ISP’s is long overdue, and Jarlath Finnegan, CEO of AllPoints Fibre made a statement calling for the ASA to take action whilst Ofcom leads the charge and creates the formal awareness: “Ofcom’s new industry guidance is welcome. We have been saying for some time that consumers are being misled by providers who sell part-copper connectivity as ‘fibre’. We now need the Advertising Standards Authority to immediately follow suit. It’s little surprise that consumers aren’t engaging more heavily with the market when terms like ‘fibre’ are being used in an unclear way.” Full article in the comments 👀

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A topic that is coming up increasingly regularly for me is timing and synchronisation for networks. Especially for #5G RAN, but I’ve also seen it talked about for cloud recently as well. I’ve been meaning to do a deep dive sometime, so this post is a nudge to myself, as well as a note for readers. Key points: - radio elements need to know accurate timing, down to the level of microseconds or nanoseconds. This is harder than it sounds. - there are various functions, but a key one is to make sure that #radios which use TDD (time division duplexing) all coordinate their uplink and downlink time slots to avoid interference with neighbours. TDD uses the same band for up and down transmissions in sequence - so getting the timing right is essential. - timing is especially essential for capabilities such as low-latency and deterministic-latency connections. TSN = time-sensitive networking - a common way to get access to accurate time is to use a GPS #satellite receiver (or other #GNSS system), as they broadcast highly accurate signals with a known timing configuration. - However GPS has various issues. It can be costly to have a receiver for each site, it doesn’t work indoors, and it can be prone to jamming or spoofing. The latter is becoming a critical area in some regions with conflicts or major geopolitical issues. - The key alternative is to distribute #timing signals over another network - typically fibre transport networks, but I also see discussion of using other wireless systems, including private networks & indoor wireless including WiFi - IEEE’s 1588 PTP (precision timing protocol) is a key enabler here - Timing also has a clear overlap with cloud-controlled radio networks (eg #OpenRAN) and also has to align with cloud-native core networks, especially for delivery of services such as 5G URLLC which has timing / latency as a central feature. There was a good post by Mike Dano with an interview with a DISH Network spokesperson this week on this topic - This is also an issue for private networks or deployments of small cells, especially if the backhaul is over basic broadband networks or normal building LANs. It was one of the challenges with the original (3G / 4G) home femtocell deployment model. - The cost and indoor issues are also particularly challenging for timing #synchronisation for #private5G - Timing is so important that it needs its own testing, monitoring, cybersecurity & assurance systems to make sure it works with absolute reliability This is an area I can’t claim to be an expert in, but am keen to continue building knowledge around. The future may feature some #quantum timing solutions but that’s even further outside my normal area. In the comments I’ve linked to a really good Light Reading podcast with a Ciena exec about timing distribution, but I’ve also had relevant discussions about this with various others including clients Spirent Communications , Shabodi & Airvine recently. #networks #smallcells #privatenetworks

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Thursday School: Spectrum Access : Improved Opportunities and Outcomes? Access to spectrum is the lifeblood of Mobile Networks. There are currently a number of initiatives in the UK and elsewhere aiming to improve access to spectrum for non-MNOs, largely recognising that these mechanisms have positive effects of society. The mechanisms vary, from CBRS, Local Access Licensing, Campus Spectrum, Shared Access (Lightly Licensed) and now new initiatives in Spectrum Sandbox. Looking, for example, at the proliferation and use of Shared Access Spectrum, we can see that the numbers and distribution are broadly good. 890 - mostly outdoors - licenses issued right across the UK. But what are they used for? The major use is different slants of Private Networks. Private Networks add coverage and capacity in unserved and underserved locations. They maybe Neutral Host Networks – deploying publicly accessible spectrum – Host Private Networks – deploying spectrum for exclusive use of the deploying body or landlord – or a Hybrid, deploying spectrum for both. For Neutral Host, integration with MNO systems and processes is needed. Freshwave’s Omni solution announced yesterday is an example of this, as well as Shared Access, Boldyn Networks, Dense Air, Cellnex UK, Wireless Infrastructure Group, NET CS and many others. For Host Private Networks, integration with Enterprise IT systems and processes is needed. Industrial and FWA are 2 examples of this. For Hybrid, it’s clearly both. A campus network could be a great example, opening up Private Land for Public Mobile Access, but also allowing connection and processing of private data, such as sensor data, CCTV cameras (optionally including Video Analytics/Computer vision). But it’s clear from measures to further improve access, that the spectrum access is adding value and will continue to do so!  #InvisibleInfrastructure #EveryDaysaSchoolDay #Mobile 🤳🏼 #Telecommunications Previous Post: https://lnkd.in/epakF_6T

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New Ofcom rules demand clarity on broadband tech. No more 'fibre' confusion! At Grain, we've always been crystal clear: our network is 100% Full Fibre. Read our blog to learn more: https://zurl.co/1UVe #BroadbandTransparency #NoFakeFibre

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Do you intend deploying Extended RAN Access at Scale ? What kind of challenges do you think you will see ? Here are my customers top three challenges and the questions they are asking me... ➡Meeting the business Cases Challenges 🔹 What are my options and could disaggregated, open RAN and deploying at the EDGE help me ? ➡Site Acquisition and Regulatory challenges 🔹 How do we meet local authority requirements with new and existing street infrastructure ? ➡Deployment Scenarios 🔹 There are so many different scenarios to think about 🤦‍♂️. What if we had a design approach that included a flexible toolkit allowing us to addresses most of the deployment scenarios, in an industrialised and automated way whilst meeting the regulatory requirements....... this would allow us to deploy at scale ? Can your Telecom Streetworks Solutions help us with that ? I'm looking forward to attending Fyuz 2024 at the Convention Centre, Dublin, from November 11-13. I’d love to have a chat with you on the above topics and more. At Alpha Wireless, we’re always exploring new ways to support and advance telecom networks, and I look forward to connecting with industry peers. If you’re attending, feel free to schedule a meeting: https://lnkd.in/eaA7pTtU #Fyuz2024 #5G #Innovation #NetworkDensification

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I recently came across an unusual news story regarding the UK operator 3. In 2023, their 5G outdoor coverage stood at 60%. However, after implementing Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) in the 4G sub-6GHz spectrum, they claimed that coverage increased to 78%. Strangely, they admitted that the 18% coverage boosted by DSS did not deliver a comparable 4G experience to 5G users. I'm guessing that 3 was aware of this discrepancy beforehand but proceeded with the cheaper option to meet OfCom's coverage requirements. Such technological shortcomings can be easily identified during technology evaluation and addressed with a proper technology strategy. #5g #dss #4g #ofcom #csp #mno https://lnkd.in/gBciwbGZ

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Time to get back into the swing of industry news with the latest #fibre updates! Explore our Telecom Digest, dive into the #insights from our Policy & Regulation Committee, and check out the upcoming #events by the FTTH Council Europe. Stay informed with the latest edition of Fibre Horizon ➡️https://lnkd.in/d_SExcmA

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I think #6G will need a complete rework of the idea of localised roaming and network interconnect. There will be multiple scenarios and greater frequency of devices switching to alternative networks from an MNO, or connecting to other users locally. This fits the #6Greset concept. There are two sets of scenarios, with some overlap: 1) User switches to (or combines) a local network, for improvements in coverage, performance, cost, energy use or privacy 2) User connects to another user or resource locally "at the edge" without traffic going via a distant point. This improves latency, congestion, coverage etc as well. Some use-cases and scenarios: - Local roaming & federation onto indoor #WiFi for better coverage, lower energy consumption and (often) reduced latency to cloud-based applications - Local interconnect with 3rd party networks such as #neutralhost for urban densification, remote / rural and indoors - Both roaming and local interconnect between public and private #5G / 6G networks at a site - for instance for IoT devices moving outdoors from indoors - Local breakout or local interconnect between two different MNO networks, for instance for low-latency communications or gaming between two users at the same venue - Direct device-to-device (or "sidelink") connectivity, for instance for sending files and images/video locally in a similar fashion to AirDrop or casting to a TV. Also for public safety and #V2X at longer ranges - Direct peering (and perhaps radio coordination) between Wi-Fi networks, or between #private5G networks - either locally or as federations - Extending a device's Wi-Fi hotspot capability to offering a 5G / 6G local hotspot in unlicensed spectrum - Localised use of satellite or HAPs connections in particular regions (eg small dead zones) - Various proximity-sensing and positioning use-cases - Alternative local technologies such as Bluetooth, UWB, light - even USB cables - Links to #edgecomputing, #NetworkAPIs and AI A lot of different things will get blended into each other here. Arguably this is actually multiple categories, with a plethora of standards involved. But what I'm seeing is a "superset" of localised network events. There's no real parallel in #5G. That has lots of architectural and regulatory implications. Are any of these things billable? Does lawful intercept apply, and if so where and how? Is the 3GPP core involved, and if so, for control or user planes, or both? What about shared #OpenRAN CU & DUs? What happens if there's a conflict between (say) energy efficiency and privacy, or coverage vs. regulatory control? How much is driven by device or OS connection managers, vs the network(s)? Will there be huge volumes of signalling? This is outside traditional #mobile & IMT / #5G thinking. Some 6G visions talk about Network of Networks - this is what it implies, I believe. ⏰ This will be covered at my Nov 28th "6G For The Real World" workshop Early Bird ends this week - see Eventbrite link in comments⏰

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FTTP, FTTx, FTTC and FTTN - we understand these types of fibre optic cables can be confusing to differentiate! Fibre optic cables are like tiny glass wires that supercharge your Internet speed. They offer more bandwidth than copper cables, making your connection lightning-fast. Don't stress about choosing the right type of connection – we've got you covered! Dive into our helpful slides below ⬇️

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