Displaying items by tag: Sweden

A Swedish court has postponed the decision to ban Huawei’s 5G equipment from the country’s network as it reconsiders the merits of the case against the tech giant.

This decision, which was taken by Stockholm’s administrative court, has forced the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) to also postpone the 5G auction which was due to take place on Tuesday.

When news of the alleged ban broke, Huawei previously stated that the ban would have lacked “legal basis” and violated “fundamental human rights” and “fundamental EU legal principles…. And is incorrect in substance”.

The Swedish telecom regulator has stated that its October 20 ban, which would have affected ZTE too, was in line with new legislation “to ensure that the use of radio equipment in these (5G network) bands does not cause harm to Sweden’s security”.

The regulator has now been asked to submit its arguments first in order for the court to make a decision.

Huawei has said that the ban would have caused irreplaceable harm to its business. The ban would have meant that all the existing and already installed Huawei kits would need to be removed and that no further equipment from the Chinese vendor is to be deployed.

Huawei has appealed against Sweden’s decision to exclude the Chinese vendor from 5G networks, the Swedish telecoms regulator PTS said.

The ban, announced by the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) on October 20, "lacks legal basis, violates fundamental human rights, violates fundamental EU legal principles ... and is incorrect in substance," Huawei wrote in its appeal to PTS and the Stockholm administrative court.

If carried out, it would cause "exceptionally comprehensive and irreparable damage" to its business, Huawei added.

PTS has said that its ban, which also affects Chinese company ZTE, is in line with new legislation that took effect in January 2020, following an examination by Sweden's security service "to ensure that the use of radio equipment in these (5G network) bands does not cause harm to Sweden's security."

Kenneth Fredriksen, Huawei’s EVP of Central East Europe and the Nordics, told Reuters: “We think the decision that has been taken is not good for customers nor for Sweden in general.”  

“We therefore want a Swedish court to look at if the decision has been taken through a proper process and according to the law.”

European governments have been tightening controls on Chinese companies building 5G networks following diplomatic pressure from the US, which alleges Huawei and ZTE equipment could be used by Beijing for spying. Huawei has repeatedly denied being a national security risk.

Huawei said in its appeal there was "no concrete evidence of a cyber security threat" posed by the company, and insisted that "the Chinese state cannot order Huawei to spy".

Nokia today announced it has been selected by Telia Company as the exclusive provider of 5G RAN in Finland in a five-year deal that includes the modernization of legacy networks and will cover 7,500 sites.

Nokia is a long-standing strategic partner to Telia Company and has also been chosen as the supplier of 5G standalone (SA) core in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden in the Nordic and Baltic regions.

Nokia will supply Telia with its AirScale portfolio including 5G RAN, AirScale base stations and Nokia AirScale radio access products. The deal will see the modernization of existing radio networks, as well as the rollout of 5G in Finland.

 Nokia is the incumbent radio provider for Telia Finland, as well as providing its 5G non-standalone cloud-native core for all countries. These solutions at the heart of the networks will enable Telia to build on its existing leadership position and deliver incredible connectivity and capacity benefits to its consumer and business subscribers.

Nokia’s 5G core and Cloud Packet Core (CPC) portfolios will also supply Telia with a 5G SA core network, an expansion of the current core network from Nokia. Building upon Telia’s existing Control/User Plane Separation (CUPS) core network architecture, Nokia's CPC’s appliance solution will be used in the 5G SA user plane, making it highly scalable. Nokia’s core solution allows Telia to build a unified core network offering quad-access (2/3/4/5G) services for a seamless experience to their subscribers.

Telia opened the first pre-commercial 5G networks in Helsinki, Vantaa and Oulu in Finland in September 2018 together with Nokia. The commercial network was opened at the beginning of 2019, and the accelerated roll-out has continued to 42 cities in Finland, with a population coverage of over 25 percent. 

Allison Kirkby, President and CEO of Telia Company, said, “Our networks have never been more important and are the foundation of a thriving digital economy. Nokia is our sole supplier of 5G standalone core in all markets and of radio network technology in Finland. We share a long history of close collaboration with Nokia, particularly in Finland, and I look forward to continuing this partnership by delivering the best network for our subscribers.”

Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO, Nokia, said, “We are delighted to extend our long-standing partnership with Telia Company. For over half a century we have worked with Telia to deliver best-in-class connectivity - now that continues into the 5G era, as we supply Telia's RAN technology in Finland and its core 5G network across the Nordic and Baltic nations. I look forward to continuing our close collaboration with Telia for years to come.”

Nokia is a global leader in 5G with the industry's only end-to-end portfolio that is available globally. With more than 160 commercial engagements underway, its 5G solutions, software and services allow Nokia customers to take advantage of the promise of this next generation of network technology.

The first 5G network was jointly switched on by Telia and Ericsson at KTH the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm this week, ahead of plans to launch fifth generation wireless across Sweden in 2020.

Swedish operator Telia Company has chosen Nokia's cloud packet core solution to profitably deliver enhanced mobile broadband, and to provide the massively scalable platform required as part of Telia's Next Generation Core.

Nokia's AirGile cloud-native design will enable Telia to benefit from a full cloud architecture, allowing it to streamline engineering and operations to run on a common infrastructure across all six countries in which it operates.

This will contribute to Telia's ambition for competitive operations, lowering the cost of introducing and operating data services, substantially accelerating time-to-market for differentiated services and expanding business productivity.

“There is tremendous potential with the continued growth of mobile broadband, and with new services and 5G in the near future. To take advantage of these opportunities, Telia must deploy a new generation cloud-native packet core that is able to connect to a greater variety of devices and deliver a broader range of services over multiple access technologies,” said Sri Reddy, senior vice-president of Nokia's IP and Optical business.

As a next step towards harmonization for a more efficient packet core network, Telia Company will evolve their physical common multi-country evolved packet core to a common cloud native solution on a shared cloud infrastructure.

Nokia's cloud-native packet core, including its Cloud Mobility Manager and Cloud Mobile Gateway is a key enabler in this transformation. Nokia will begin the deployment of Telia's new core network in multiple data center locations across the company's operations.

“Nokia uniquely combines field-proven cloud-native software, cloud technologies and mobile and IP routing expertise to help Telia speed up service delivery, deliver greater scale and capacity and operate its network more efficiently,” Reddy added. “Plus, because our cloud packet core is built on our robust, field proven router software (SROS), it provides Telia with a solid foundational framework for the evolution of its 4G and the path forward to 5G.”

As part of its AirGile cloud-native core portfolio, Nokia's packet core design provides the reliability, scalability, flexibility and performance Telia needs to meet the networking requirements and economics for a diverse and demanding range of digital services and applications for consumers and enterprises.

The Nokia solution anchors multi-technology access across wireless licensed, shared, unlicensed spectrum and fixed network technologies, and delivers automated cloud networking with dynamic lifecycle management capabilities. These capabilities will help Telia improve service delivery, agility and operational efficiency for its mobile customers.

Swedish telecom provider Telia is deploying the first public 5G live network use cases in Europe in collaboration with Ericsson and Intel. This includes a high-speed 5G connection to a commercial passenger cruise ship delivering internet connectivity to the ship and its passengers while in port, and an industrial use case featuring a construction excavator remotely controlled with a live 5G network.

The move is an important milestone in the global 5G roadmap, moving Ericsson, Intel, and Telia, and more importantly Telia customers, closer to the goal of bringing 5G services to life in both Tallinn and Stockholm in 2018, two of the most digitalized cities in the world.

“We want to be early with 5G and will bring it to life in Stockholm, Tallinn and Helsinki in 2018. We work together with our partners in the whole eco-system to explore the powerful effect it is going to have for our customers and in society,” said Gabriela Styf Sjöman, Global Head of Networks, Telia Company.

“It’s not only about building a new network but it’s also about building a new way of thinking and perceiving what a mobile network can be and can do,” Gabriela added. “High speed, low latency, guaranteed capacity and truly mobile is going to push the boundaries of digitalization and we want to be there pushing it together with our partners.”

Deploying early 5G solutions in real-world settings is vital for the industry to learn how the various technologies integrate into different types of businesses, in what type of environments it performs best and the interoperability between systems across the network, cloud and devices.

Telia and Ericsson announced a joint roadmap in 2016 that aims to let Telia customers experience 5G services in 2018 in Tallinn and Stockholm. Now in collaboration with Intel, early examples of these services have been brought to life in these use cases for consumers and businesses.

The “real life” 5G environment for the ship Tallink was created at the Port of Tallinn to test and explore how the new mobile technology can provide higher data connection speeds and improved quality. During the test in September 2017, 5G technology was deployed for the whole ship while it was in harbor.

The technology enabled Wi-Fi usage for 2,000 passengers and the ship’s own information and communications technology systems. This is a first example of many uses that 5G will provide access to in transport situations, as well as very broad gigabit wireless services delivered to consumers.

The participants in the EU Digital Summit that took place on Sept. 29 in Tallinn had a unique opportunity to experience what it feels like to remotely control machinery – in this case an industrial excavator - via an augmented reality remote control operated over an ultrafast live 5G link with very low latency.

This shows how a machine operator can work with 5G remote controlled excavators in hazardous environments, from the comfort and safety of an office environment. This highlights the capabilities and opportunities 5G will bring to harsh or dangerous industrial settings.

The solution stack underpinning the cases in Estonia consists of technologies from Ericsson and Intel. An Ericsson 5G base station consisting of 5G antenna, radio and baseband, in conjunction with the Intel 5G Mobile Trial Platform – provides millimeter wave and extends the Telia mobile network to 5G.

“Our own report about the 5G business potential identifies a huge opportunity for telecom operators globally who address industry digitalization with 5G,” said Arun Bansal, Head of Europe and Latin America, Ericsson.

“We foresee that they can benefit from a market opportunity of USD 582 billion by 2026 and this represents a potential to add 34 percent growth in revenues,” Arun added. “Capturing this market potential requires investment in 5G technology as well as business development, and go-to-market models.”

Ericsson’s financial uncertainty shows no sign of abating following reports in the Swedish media that the telecommunications firm is set to cut 25,000 jobs. Reports circulating from the Nordic region claim that management at Ericsson intend to lay off around 25,000 employees as part of its new savings program that has been devised in an effort to counteract its financial plight. 

In July, Ericsson formally announced that it planned to accelerate measures to meet a target of doubling its 2016 underlying operating margin of 6%. In addition to this, it also outlined its aim to reach an annual cost reduction run rate of at least $1.2 billion by the end of the second quarter of next year.

Ericsson stressed that any actions taken would primarily affect service delivery and common costs, and claimed that research and development would remain largely unaffected. However, the Swedish telecommunications colossus is facing increasing pressure from competitors such as China’s Huawei and Finland’s Nokia.

Other contributory factors to its financial woes is that of weak emerging markets and falling spend by operators with the demand for next-generation 5G technology still years away. Swedish media outlet Svenska Dagbladet claimed that a source within Ericsson leaked the information to them, but said it was unsure as to whether or not the planned culling of staff included employees within its media operations.

It has been claimed that these positions are up for strategic review, and many analysts have predicted that it is likely to be sold by the group. In a statement which was released on Ericsson’s website, a spokesman said it was too early to talk about ‘specific measures’ in relation to the latest jobs cuts at the organization. The statement read, “Ericsson has not communicated which specific units or countries could be affected. It is too early to talk about specific measures or exclude any country.”

This is just the latest in a long line of job cuts which have been made by Ericsson over the last number of years. Multiple job losses have been made in both Italy and Sweden. However, these reports if true would represent the largest reduction in staff by the company. Theres was hope that the appointment of a new CEO, and a number of board changes would reinvigorate the Swedish telecommunications giant, but that has thus far failed to materialize. Currently, Ericsson has around 109,000 employees.

Singapore has been ranked number one in a test of broadband speeds across 189 countries. The data was collected across 12 months ending May 10, 2017, by Measurement Lab (M-Lab), a partnership between New America’s Open Technology Institute, Google Open Source Research, Princeton University’s PlanetLab, and others.

Broadband website Cable.co.uk undertook an analysis of the data made available by M-Lab. M-Lab aims to provide an “open, verifiable measurement platform for global network performance, as well as hosting the largest open internet performance dataset on the planet.” It is this open dataset that Cable.co.uk analyzed.

Speed was measured by how long it took to download a 7.5GB film. The throughput of a single TCP connection was measured, attempting to transfer as much data as possible for at least ten seconds.

“The data set has been queried for tests run in the year to 10 May 2017,” Cable.co.uk’s Analysis Methodology says, “in order to compile a league table of download speeds for countries tests have performed by at least 100 unique IP addresses.”

The Worldwide Country Ranking chart places Singapore at the top. It took 18 minutes and 34 seconds to download an HD movie for a mean download speed of 55.13Mbps in Singapore. In Sweden, which took the number two spot, it took 25 minutes and 30 seconds to download an HD movie for a mean download speed of 40.16Mbps.

Twenty of the top 30 speeds were recorded in Europe, with seven in Asia, two in North America and one, in New Zealand and Oceania. New Zealand recorded a mean speed of 16.6Mbps and a downloading time of one hour, two minutes and one second.

In contrast, 17 of the slower speeds were recorded in Africa, with seven in Asia, and six in South America. The top five listed countries include Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, Denmark and Netherlands; while the bottom five listed countries include Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Yemen.

Swedish telecoms company Telia Carrier announced that it has added a new, high capacity route that stretches from Zurich, Switzerland to Strasbourg, France via Basel, Switzerland, providing a shortened path and lower latency between Frankfurt, Germany and Zurich.

With the addition of a new PoP and metro fiber in Zurich, the new route provides current and potential customers with routing options that dramatically improve performance for traffic to and from Milan, Italy and Marseilles, France. The combination of a shorter, unique route with added security and diversity gives Telia Carrier’s customers the ability to stay one step ahead of their end-users’ rising expectations.

In Zurich, the global wholesale carrier is seeing heightened demand for high capacity fiber infrastructure and 100G+ services from over-the-top (OTT) content providers and large-scale web hosting companies to meet customer demand. With the addition of a new PoP and additional fiber in Zurich, Telia Carrier can offer a variety of services and routing options to local and international companies looking to connect throughout Europe.

The new route provides inherent reliability and hardened security on a unique right-of-way with the fiber buried deep underground. Telia Carrier is offering its full portfolio of services on this route.

“As demand for OTT and cloud-based services continues to rise, service providers will need agile connectivity options for delivering their services. The new network path between Frankfurt and Zurich provides the highest capacity route across a shorter distance available in the region and gives content providers the infrastructure needed to drastically improve latency with a secure connection,” said Christoph Lannert, Regional Sales Director for Telia Carrier. “By delivering a diverse array of options in Zurich and the surrounding region, Telia Carrier empowers its customers to put their customers’ needs at the center of their universe.”

Telia Carrier’s global fiber backbone has grown organically, without acquisitions, and was the first to be 100G-enabled in both Europe and North America. It is also the first network to successfully transmit 1 Tb/s in super channels on its US network. According to Dyn Research’s global backbone rankings, AS1299, Telia Carrier’s global IP backbone, is currently ranked top-two.

Samsung Electronics recently increased its Samsung Pay application’s reach around the world by expanding in four markets over two days. Samsung Pay officially launches in Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and enters early access in Hong Kong and Switzerland.

With these market expansions, Samsung Pay continues to both bring mobile payments to new regions of the world and expand to new markets in regions where the service is already available. Launches in the UAE and Sweden showcase Samsung Pay’s first markets in the Middle East and the Nordics respectively, while Hong Kong and Switzerland demonstrate continued commitment and strength in Asia and Europe.

“Less than two years ago, Samsung Pay came to life in Korea with a simple mission: To empower customers with mobile payments that are simple, secure and available almost anywhere,” said Thomas Ko, VP and Global General Manager of Samsung Pay.

“Today, Samsung Pay is so much more. Our launches in different parts of the world demonstrate governments’ and consumers’ changing attitudes towards progressing to a cashless society. It is through the interest and support of our partners that we are able to answer their needs by offering Samsung Pay in these markets. We are incredibly proud of our rapid expansion and growth in such a short period of time, and look forward to bringing the most comprehensive digital wallet to all our users around the world.”

With the availability of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, users will be able to exclusively take advantage of several new features for an enhanced experience with Samsung Pay. In addition to the existing authentication methods, Galaxy S8/S8+ users can make use of iris scanning as a new form of biometric authentication to access Samsung Pay, enabling a secure, yet more convenient way to pay.

To continue the evolution to a digital wallet, Samsung Pay continues to expand its availability beyond smartphones by introducing Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 in three additional markets. Beginning in April, Samsung Pay is newly supported on the Gear S3 in Russia, Sweden and the UAE, in addition to the US, Singapore and Australia, enabling an even more convenient way for users to pay with their smartwatches. Details on additional Gear S3 support elsewhere will be available soon.