Telcos competing with hyperscalers on emerging services ‘unrealistic’

Telcos have various irons in the fire for strong future potential, from digital gaming and online video to eHealth and financial services – but they will continue to feel the pinch from Big Tech hyperscalers.  

That is the verdict of analyst firm Omdia who argues in its latest report that while telcos have already invested in areas around TV and online video entertainment, there are other markets to explore, but competing with hyperscalers is ‘unrealistic’. The report,...

13 April 2023 | Operators

Nokia rebrands at MWC to tout ‘networks meet cloud’ vision

Nokia has shown off a new logo and brand at MWC Barcelona – and says the time is right to assert what it believes is a strong hand in the networking technology space.

“We’re unleashing the exponential potential of networks and their power to help reshape the way we all live and work,” the company said in a breathless tweet. The more measured version, from Nokia president Pekka Lundmark, notes that this move is a culmination of the past couple of years, in which the company...

28 February 2023 | 5G

Vodafone builds first UK ‘standalone’ 5G network for Coventry University

Vodafone has claimed an industry first with the launch of the UK's inaugural 'standalone' 5G network built for Coventry University.

Coventry, which maintained its top 15 ranking in the Guardian's most recent university league tables, was recognised by the operator for its 'innovation and excellence in digital teaching'. The network will be used to trial virtual reality (VR) learning technologies for student nurses and allied health professionals.

The announcement was...

6 July 2020 | LTE

Small Cell Forum publishes two new 5G physical layer API specifications

The Small Cell Forum (SCF) has published a set of key documents that are focused on stimulating a competitive ecosystem for 5G-era small cell hardware, software and equipment vendors. 

These new documents, which extends last year’s 5G Physical Layer API specification, allow small cells to be assembled using components from different vendors to address a mix of 5G use cases relatively easily.

The new release also includes two new specifications, SCF223: 5G NR FAPI...

14 April 2020 | Hot Topics

The Connected Consumer Cloud – One place to rule them all

With the doors now open for competitive 4G offerings from the major players, the proliferation of consumer content cloud services is one that operators are looking to, to drive loyalty and value. With 89 per cent of consumers saying they would value the ability to share content anywhere, across devices, secure content services are the key to not only gaining new customers, but to retaining and growing existing bases.

The cloud is a term that has not only become part of an IT...

11 June 2013 | Operators

Will 4G pave the path for growth?

European telecom operators saw revenues down by 3.8% in 2012. Will 4G reverse the trend?

Although 4G will quickly become essential, it will not revive the sector’s revenues.

In fact we expect that despite 4G, revenues will continue to decline in Europe: -1.8% per year on average by 2016.

The sector could return to growth if LTE smartphones generated data ARPU of EUR17/month by 2016 i.e. EUR7 higher than today’s...

3 June 2013 | LTE

Fragmented networks: Too many cooks spoil the broth

Everyone is clamouring to have a piece of the LTE pie, but in a bid to share slices equally, are we just confusing processes and more importantly, consumers?

It’s an exciting time for mobile operators and with many still to deploy LTE, the benefits of getting into the market continue to outweigh the  potential pitfalls.

More than 200 operators in 75 countries are predicted to have launched an LTE network by the end of 2013 and LTE connections is forecast to exceed...

31 May 2013 | LTE

How clued up are consumers on smart meters? [infographic]

For the utilities sector, smart metering is a hugely important step to inform consumers of where their money is going – especially with continually rising bill prices – as well as saving energy overall.

And in terms of the ever-growing Internet of Things, the smart meter is seen as the first step to creating the smart home.

In the UK, smart metering has been a major issue of late. Earlier this month it was announced by the government that the rollout of smart...

28 May 2013 | Operators

Research indicates lack of progression for women in wireless industry

The issue of the number of women in senior technology positions, in 2013, should theoretically be so far advanced that it shouldn’t be considered an issue.

Yet a “benchmark” study from the Women in Wireless (WiW) group in association with Telefonica has revealed that “organisational culture” is a key factor in the underrepresentation of women in senior business roles within the sector.

Two out of three respondents to the survey believed that the...

24 May 2013 | Research

Huawei snaffles major LTE deal with Wind

Huawei, the major Chinese operator, has been picked by Italian mobile operator Wind to lead the charge for a €1bn (£854.1m) network based on LTE.

As reported by Bloomberg, Wind expects to build the infrastructure, with Huawei and network engineering firm Sirti, for the network over five years. The move could be seen as something of a coup for both players, given that Wind is currently the third largest mobile operator in Italy.

Wind competes with Vodafone Italy and...

15 April 2013 | LTE