Securing a nearly $2 billion loan, Reliance Jio fortifies its ambition in the 5G arena. The funds will enhance Jio’s growth with the acquisition of leading-edge Nokia 5G equipment. Planning one of the fastest 5G rollouts, it’s further partnering with Samsung and Ericsson. Please note, success breeds competition and Bharti Airtel isn’t far behind.
Nvidia aims to convince telecoms to use its GPUs in 5G networks, citing NTT Docomo’s recent GPU-accelerated 5G launch in Japan. Yet, the role of Nvidia’s GPUs in telecom remains unclear. Meanwhile, the FCC breaks a two-year deadlock, reigniting net neutrality debates. Telefonica Germany partners with Skylo for global IoT connectivity, expanding options for businesses and consumers. Nokia explores rugged 5G devices for harsh environments, catering to specialized industries with challenging conditions.
Amid growing inflation and swelling telecom budgets, the advent of 6G brings in costly implications tied to Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment. As these financial implications loom, The Next Generation Mobile Network (NGMN) Alliance proposes a different approach to 6G implementation that may spare existing 5G infrastructure from unnecessary renewal. They advocate an operator-driven decision process in refreshing the 5G RAN, maintaining that 6G upgrade should not compromise 5G user experience and should be software-upgradable on existing network elements. As 5G capex reaches its peak in markets like the U.S., NGMN’s stance could potentially redefine traditional strategies in introducing new generations of mobile technology.
Telecom equipment expenditure in North America experienced an unexpected downturn in the first half of this year. Despite global telecom hardware revenues remaining steady, North America’s marked decline significantly impacted the total number. In contrast, other markets, particularly Asia-Pacific, showed robust growth. The reasons behind North America’s decline extend to slowing 5G expenditure and reduced spending on broadband access equipment. Looking ahead, no major global alterations are anticipated, though the volatility of the telecom industry hints at potential changes.
Reliance Jio Infocomm is arming itself with a significant offshore loan around $2 billion to fuel its 5G ambitions, with sources pointing towards Swedish telecom giant Ericsson as a potential gear supplier. A noteworthy credit safety net from Sweden’s EKN credit agency plays a crucial role in this strategic play, while banking behemoth BNP Paribas is slated to disburse a massive chunk of the offshore funding.
The US government has recently provided clarity regarding foreign equipment purchases under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) programme. The emphasis is on minimizing exceptions to ‘buy American’ rules, particularly reflected in the fibre-optic sector. Notwithstanding, one significant provision allows sourcing glass used in fibre optics from overseas. This comes as a relief for firms worried about supply sufficiency and costs. The spotlight of foreign vendors, meanwhile, is potentially electronics, with proposed exemptions including most semiconductors.
Ericsson, the global telecom giant, has just shattered 5G records, achieving an incredible 5.7Gbps download speed by ingeniously blending three frequency bands. This breakthrough, a result of Ericsson’s advanced hardware, software and RAN coordination, opens a new horizon in performance boost and superior connectivity for 5G users. This latest success cements Ericsson’s spot at the forefront of the race for ultra-high-speed connectivity, even as competitors also explore the potential of carrier aggregation.
Amid declining telco capital expenditures impacting vendor profits, private cellular networking shines as a beacon of hope. Recent research reveals a significant 60% YoY increase in Q2 revenues for private cellular networking equipment, offering new revenue streams for industry giants like Ericsson and Nokia. However, with greater benefits come complex challenges that, if overcome, could potentially catapult the market worth to a substantial $7.7 billion by 2027.
As Rakuten Symphony’s CEO, Tareq Amin, unexpectedly departs, it heightens the mystery around the company’s subdued performance this year. Despite a promising start and securing a deal with Germany’s greenfield mobile operator 1&1, Symphony’s momentum appears to have plateaued. Yet a recent MoU with Veon to explore Open RAN solutions offers a beacon of hope. Amidst tricky market conditions and scarce major RAN deals, all eyes are now on acting president Sharad Sriwastawa to breathe new life into Symphony.
Cybersecurity landscape has been rapidly changing, as hackers abandon phishing for exploiting software vulnerabilities, a trend illuminated in a study by Akamai. The study revealed a dramatic 143% increase in victims during Q1, predominantly due to surging incidents of zero-day and one-day vulnerabilities. Surprisingly, smaller organizations, particularly those within manufacturing, business services, retail, construction, and education sectors are often targeted.
