O2 UK to use OpenRAN to improve indoor connectivity
O2 has tested Vilicom’s OpenRAN technology to make it cheaper for businesses to get 4G and 5G indoor coverage. Vilicom, together with cloud network provider Mavenir, offers the virtualized OpenRAN-based connectivity-as-a-Service (CaaS) platform. O2 said it was the first operator to test the platform and said it was doing so well, that they will connect the trial version to their live network next year. O2 is of the opinion that the virtualized platform would lower indoor cellular network costs and space needs, which it said would become very important to UK PLC after the coronavirus.
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A peek into Microsoft’s edge compute ambitions
Judson Althoff, Microsoft’s EVP of Worldwide Commercial Business, unveiled some of the company’s ambitions at a UBS Global TMT virtual conference. According to Althoff, Microsoft is increasingly introducing edge computing capabilities. Some of the uses he mentioned that are applicable to Microsoft edge compute were precision agriculture, factory operations and private 5G networks. With regards to private 5G networks, the company acquired both Affirmed Networks and Metaswitch this year, and appears to be planning a business with 5G private wireless offerings. Microsoft is also looking at new opportunities by using automated factories to take advantage of edge computing.
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Aculab introduces Aculab Cloud
Aculab, a provider of advanced speech and signal processing technologies powered by APIs, announced the latest advances in its Aculab Cloud communication platform as a service (CPaaS). Aculab Cloud deployment services have been designed to be fully flexible and can range from reviewing hardware code to writing and deploying Aculab voice, SMS or fax programs as a fully managed service. From day one, Aculab Cloud was designed to keep call delays to a minimum by employing a regional, local cloud architecture. Instead of a single cloud that spans the globe, Aculab’s solution consists of several clouds divided into regions.
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SK Telecom demonstrates slicing on its 5G
SK Telecom (SKT) stated that it is the first carrier to demonstrate network slicing on its commercial 5G network, which it plans to deploy in all of its base stations in order to provide customized services. Up to eight slices can be supported at one time. In a statement, SKT explained that this approach would allow network resources to be tailored to specific programs and services, drawing attention to the government’s recent support for this capacity, as these services are expected to become more important. The operator has also developed an integral management platform that can manage and control all individual sections for real-time quality monitoring.
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TIM to buy BT Business Units in Italy
TIM has announced that it is buying selected BT Business Units in Italy that serve the Public Administrations and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The Public Administration Business Unit offers communication services to several ministries and national government agencies, as well as regional and local authorities. The SME Business Unit provides connectivity and cloud services to small and medium-sized businesses in Italy. The acquisition of the Public Administration Unit will allow TIM to expand the range of its communications infrastructure and services. The contract also covers customer service in the SME Business Unit that is provided by BT’s Palermo Contact Center.
Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y48pmalu
