All articles by Ken Wieland – Page 17
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Venturing & InvestmentsDeutsche Telekom’s EAN co-pilot gets cash boost
Investor vote of confidence in SkyFive, which provides the European Aviation Network — backed by Deutsche Telekom — with air-to-ground kit.
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Products & ServicesTVision relaunch blurred by carriage disputes
New live-TV streaming service raises hackles of media partners over how channels are distributed. Sievert does not see TVision as a profit pool, or loss leader, but way to stimulate demand for 5G and fixed wireless broadband. TVision Home to shutter on 30 December 2020.
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M&AVi cashes in from Indus Towers–Infratel merger
Vodafone’s loss-making JV in India gets a much-needed cash boost from sale of Indus stake. Vi reportedly in talks with private equity investors to raise more funds.
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Network & InfrastructureVodafone hits open RAN trail in rural Ireland
Modest rollout of 30 sites planned initially, supporting 4G. Supplier partners include Comba Telecom, HP, Parallel Wireless, Supermicro, and VMware. Operator keen to include automation vendors in the open RAN ecosystem.
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Network & InfrastructureOrange CEO open to pan-European TowerCo idea
Stéphane Richard sees “interesting opportunity” in possible tie-up with Deutsche Telekom or Vodafone. CEO wants to do “something smarter” with tower assets than selling masts to accumulator Cellnex.
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Public AffairsDeutsche Telekom exec blames regulators for “miserable state” of European market
VP of European Affairs launches no-holds-barred attack; wants regulation to be “enabling” rather than “value-destructing”. Exec calls for rethink on spectrum auctions, wholesale roaming, and mobile termination rates.
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Public AffairsBrazil’s telcos don’t play ball with US Clean Network plan
Mobile network operators refuse to meet senior US official to discuss exclusion of Huawei’s 5G kit. Vivo’s apparent snub at odds with Group, an apparent supporter of the Clean Network initiative.
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Strategy & ChangeIoT.nxt rejigs management to further exploit Vodafone links
Vodacom acquisition anticipates faster international growth, prompting operational changes along territorial lines. Among the trio of internal appointments is Mark Beets, handed responsibility for developing business with Vodafone’s Partner Markets organisation.
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Network & InfrastructureGreece’s big three meet 5G deadline
Cosmote, Vodafone, and Wind Hellas submit applications to participate in multi-band spectrum auction.
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Network & InfrastructureVodafone in “no rush” to deploy XGS-PON
Cornaglia says GPON fibre architecture is “probably sufficient” to meet bandwidth needs until 2025. Executive sees some promise in TWDM-PON technologies in longer term, but high costs and system instability causes for concern.
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Partnerships & AlliancesDeutsche Telekom sheds its TIP spectator tag
Group backs OpenBNG, a new transport initiative from OOPT project group, champions new O-RAN/TIP lab in Berlin, and involved in technical RFI for OpenSoftHaul solution. DT is absent, however, from new Solution Groups, focused on “end-to-end” virtualised networks.
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Network & InfrastructureVodafone UK unveils plans to kick-start open RAN
OpCo commits to 2,600-site rollout; suppliers in evaluation stage. VfUK aims for at least 20% of UK sites based on disaggregated architectures, but not until 2027. Timeline dovetails with Huawei kit removal roadmap. Investment geared towards encouraging more participation from operators, suppliers, and government to get open RAN ball ...
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Partnerships & AlliancesVodafone Portugal strikes network-sharing deal with NOS
Two agree on mixture of passive and ‘active’ sharing of mobile networks, but not spectrum. Both parties insist they can reduce costs without surrendering autonomous, strategic decision-making.
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Network & InfrastructureEricsson joins Nokia in 5G RAN mix
Swedish supplier claims it will handle 50% of EE’s 5G traffic. Vendor stockpiles antennas ahead of Brexit to meet projected UK demand. BT’s Watson talks optimistically about reshaping networks for the future in the absence of Huawei.
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Network & InfrastructureDeutsche Telekom teases LTE-M expansion
Austria apparently in LTE-M prep phase. Trials underway in Poland, Hungary.
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Network & InfrastructureAI-equipped drive-bys help Deutsche Telekom snip fibre costs
Group continues to shop around for cost-saving innovations and lauds AI as a way to drastically reduce FTTP planning times and costs.
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Venturing & InvestmentsT-Mobile US sets up corporate VC fund for 5G
T-Mobile Ventures formed in collaboration with Touchdown Ventures. Targets “early-to-mid-stage” companies. Aims to develop “breakthrough” 5G products and services. Mojio and Circle already part of T-Mobile Ventures’ investment portfolio.
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Suppliers & SCMBT partner Toshiba bullish on quantum security (eventually)
Japanese vendor takes long-term view on QKD market, anticipating a hefty 25% share and $3bn revenue by 2030.
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Partnerships & AlliancesT-Systems talks up mainframe business and IBM ties
New mainframe training programmes in place to replace old hands who will shortly retire. T-Sys has “thickest deal pipeline” in mainframe business since 2012.