Wireless Networks

iBASIS, a provider of communications solutions for operators and digital players worldwide, and Sequans Communications, a developer and provider of 5G/4G chips and modules, have announced during MWC 2023 that Actility, a leading provider of IoT connectivity platforms, has chosen iBASIS and Sequans to roll out programmable cellular IoT solutions with eSIM and iSIM.

NVIDIA, a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) computing, is developing a new AI-on-5G solution that combines 5G vRAN, edge AI and digital twin workloads on an all-in-one, hyperconverged and GPU-accelerated system. Built with NTT DOCOMO, Fujitsu and others, the all-in-one solution enables telcos to deliver immersive graphics, metaverse applications and computer vision from a single server.

New figures from GSMA Intelligence, announced during MWC 2023, show that 5G connections are expected to double over the next two years, expedited by technological innovations and new 5G network deployments in more than 30 countries in 2023 alone. Of the new networks to be deployed in 2023, it is expected that 15 will be 5G standalone networks.

Intracom Telecom, a global telecommunication systems and solutions vendor, has announced the launch of its new millimetre wave (mmWave) MU-MIMO Terminal Station, the WiBAS G5 GigaConnect. The company is displaying the product at its stand during MWC  2023.

MTN South Africa (MTN SA) has selected Nokia as one of its 5G radio access network (RAN) equipment providers.

Network software provider Mavenir has introduced its Virtual Cell Site Router (vCSR), at MWC 2023. It’s a solution that moves the cell site routing functionality into a containerised virtual function inside the Open RAN DU server (running on COTS hardware).

Operator Ooredoo Qatar has selected the ASSET 5G planning solution from TEOCO, a provider of analytics, assurance, planning and optimisation solutions to over 300 operators worldwide, to optimise its 5G network.

Etisalat by e& will use Nokia’s IP solution to upgrade its IP core capacity and enable transport slicing capabilities, ensuring a superior and more resilient 5G experience for its customers.

As 5G development gains momentum and 5G networks scale up, 5G technologies have been widely used, unlocking tremendous business value. In the consumer market, 5G technologies have significantly improved user experience and altered user habits.

Operator Tigo Tanzania and vendor Ericsson have entered a partnership to launch 5G and to fully modernize and expand the existing Tigo 4G network across Tanzania.

Brazil’s CADE (Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Economica / Administrative Council for Economic Defence) has cleared an amendment to the network sharing arrangement between Vivo and TIM Brasil.

Orange Madagascar has signed a ten-year Network-as-a-Service (NAAS) deal that will see infrastructure provider AMN Group deploy a minimum of 500 rural base stations across the country.

You might expect a major Indian 4G connectivity project to be awarded to one of India’s big mobile operators, However, RailTel, a PSU (Public Sector Undertaking or government-owned establishment) under the Ministry of Railways, was the recent winner of a State Bank of India (SBI) order to provide LTE connectivity for a large number of its ATMs.

Operator Vodafone Oman and vendor Ericsson say they have carried out a successful test call that will pave the way for the commercial introduction of 5G standalone (SA) voice and data services for Vodafone subscribers in the Sultanate. 

Could the rollout of 5G services across India by operators be slowed without heavy investment in tower connectivity? That appears to be the question asked by ratings agency ICRA, which suggests that some three trillion rupees (about US$36.7 billion) will need to be spent over the next four to five years to fiberise towers.

Filipino operator NOW Telecom has selected Nokia’s Bell Labs Consulting to design a nationwide 5G Standalone (SA) network, and to design and plan a national broadband network.

Indian market leader Jio has connected 184 cities across India to its Standalone (SA) 5G network, noting that its latest expansion added a further 50 cities across 17 states.

Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) has announced a six-month-long infrastructure sharing pilot. It will take place in and around Lima, using three base stations, and in Lambayeque, on the coast of northern Peru, using one. The project, supported by operators Telefónica del Perú and Entel, aims to reduce investment, operation and maintenance costs and save energy.

Operator Orange Madagascar and supplier of mobile and broadband wireless infrastructure solutions NuRAN have announced a network-as-a-service (NaaS) agreement.

Nokia has announced that Mada Communications, a Kuwait-based telecommunications service provider offering enterprise solutions and services, will deploy its Wavence microwave solutions.

T-Mobile Poland is accelerating its timeline for shutting down its 3G network and now expects to meet this target by April 2023.

3i Infotech, an India-headquartered global provider of IT Infrastructure services, has reportedly won a five-year Wi-Fi monetisation deal from RailTel Corporation of India.

Sri Lanka’s Dialog Axiata has claimed the country’s first successful mmWave 5G trial.

Telecoms and mining have come together in two recent projects involving technology vendor Huawei in South Africa and Laos. Both underline the potential of wireless in particular in industrial safety.

Private 5G networks are again making headlines in India after Indian communications solutions provider Bharti Airtel announced a partnership with IT services and consulting company Tech Mahindra to deploy what it claims will be India’s first 5G-enabled auto manufacturing unit.