Displaying items by tag: infrastructure

In the latest part its ongoing campaign to fight back against having to remove its communications solutions from European countries’ infrastructure, Huawei has released the findings of a report from business analysts Oxford Economics. 

According to the report, Huawei contributed €16.4 billion to Europe’s GDP and supported 224,300 jobs in 2019. The Chinese telecoms giant holds the largest global market share (~35.3%) of any vendor. The second-largest, Nokia, holds less than half of Huawei’s market share at around 16.1 percent.

Huawei’s impact in Europe has grown markedly over the last five years. Its contribution to GDP increased by an average of 19.1% per year, in real terms, between 2015 and 2019.

The total employment and real tax contributions associated with Huawei’s activities in Europe grew by an average annual rate of 17.1% and 16.8% over the same period.  

In 2019 alone, Huawei also supported €6.6bn in tax revenues – sufficient to pay for over 151,000 teachers’ salaries.

The study, penned by the UK think tank, highlights that pulling out Huawei’s equipment and replacing it with alternatives is going to be a costly and time-consuming endeavor—one that will likely delay 5G rollouts.

Hanging over the report is the decision in July 2020 by the UK government to commit to a timetable for the removal of Huawei equipment from the country’s growing 5G communications infrastructure by 2027 – effectively a huge U-turn to the decision it took only in January 2020 to restrict Huawei’s presence to just the radio access network element of 5G setups.

Pete Collings, Director of Economic Impact Consulting at Oxford Economics said: “This report is an objective way to show the full extent of Huawei’s economic impact in the UK. Companies like Huawei are major contributors to the UK directly but their impact is extended through the spending they undertake with other UK firms. This spending, and the further economic activity it generates, sustains jobs across the country, contributing to UK GDP and government tax revenues.”

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.

Cisco and Rakuten have adopted the world’s first end-to-end fully virtualized cloud-native mobile network.

Cisco played a key role in the development and deployment of the cloud-native virtualized architecture which is currently being used by Rakuten Mobile. Cisco has said that its state-of-the-art highly-automated approach has gained great traction amongst some of the world’s leading telecom operators.

According to Jonathan Davidson, SVP and GM, Cisco Mass-Scale Infrastructure, telecom operators across the world have been investing “30 to 40 billion dollars a year in deploying radio access technology and we still have so many parts of the globe that do not have coverage or do not have decent coverage… This is something that can be transformed with this new approach that Rakuten Mobile has pioneered. You could definitely call it profound.”

Davidson has also predicted that it will be widely adopted in Japan. Adding that, “this is just the beginning. Now we need to get to 5G and we need to scale the infrastructure.”

Cisco has not only supplied them with the IP internet protocol (IP) routers which essentially transport traffic from Rakuten’s radio towers and the cloud radio access network (RAN) into the IP core, but the Telco is also providing them with management orchestration software.

Rakuten Mobile’s CTO, Tareq Amin, stated, “Cisco is playing a crucial role in stitching together the carious elements of our new network.”

“The design approach we mapped out with Cisco is enabling us to deliver high-value services at very affordable prices, enabling our customers to really benefit from our cloud innovation. Scaling of such orchestration function is a challenge,” he continued.

Davidson says that he expects Rakuten Mobile’s network to perform at a very high level due to its software-defined architecture which allows for the fine-tuning of its network in real-time.

 “Any time you do something that has never been done before, there are going to be a lot of challenges that you have to uncover. It always come back to the team and making sure the team is aligned to a joint vision and a joint mission. Tareq is a phenomenal visionary who has got companies that have traditionally been competitors to collaborate and partner in new ways to really achieve something that has not been achieved before,” said Davidson.

In terms of the technology’s performance, there are technical and operational advantages that come to play. In fact, Cisco expects other operators to follow suit and deploy cloud-based RAN.

CommScope today introduced additions to its portfolio of access points supporting Wi-Fi 6 technology, bringing the benefits of higher data rates, increased capacity, improved power efficiency and better performance in environments with multiple connected devices.

In addition to the RUCKUS R750, introduced last year as the world’s first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 access point (AP), CommScope added the R850, R650 and R550 indoor APs and T750 and T750SE outdoor APs.

The APs will be Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 and are optimized for highly dense environments such as educational campuses, hotels and other venues such as airports and stadiums.

Wireless networks today have expanded beyond Wi-Fi to include different IoT wireless technologies for multiple use cases from asset tracking to connected door locks. This has led to unmanageable, expensive, siloed wireless networks.

These new APs spearhead an end-to-end converged architecture, eliminating overlay networks, and allowing cost savings and easy management using a variety of management options – SmartZone Network Controller, ZoneDirector, RUCKUS Cloud and RUCKUS Unleashed. These new APs also deliver comprehensive network intelligence powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence through RUCKUS Analytics.

“With the increase in video-centric learning, whether that be remote, onsite, in a classroom or dorm room, we are finding that our more than 11,000 students across our four campuses in Gyeongju, South Korea want better Wi-Fi connections,” said Eunhyun Kim, Manager of Information Planning Department at Dongguk Gyeongju University.

He continued, “The RUCKUS portfolio from CommScope enables us to stay current with the demands of an ever-changing student population and helps our university remain one of the most prestigious private universities in the nation.”

“Teachers, students and administrators expect us to be responsive, and we expect the same of our vendors,” says Jeff Baird, technical director for Huntington ISD.

“We’ve stayed away from online testing using Chromebooks because we knew the legacy network couldn’t support it. The administration wants everything fixed and working. They’re on the front lines, fielding complaints from teachers and parents. Once we made the change to RUCKUS, the complaints disappeared,” he added.

Technologies found in RUCKUS APs like BeamFlex and the Ultra-High-Density Technology Suite enable customers like Dongguk Gyeongju University and Huntington ISD to meet the needs of their users. BeamFlex is a patented technology that automatically adjusts antenna patterns in real-time to minimize interference obstacles while delivering the best performance to every device.

The RUCKUS Ultra-High-Density Technology Suite is a collection of features and technologies designed to improve network performance and end-user experience in ultra-high dense environments. These unique technologies, as well as our relationship with partners and vendors, set the RUCKUS portfolio apart from other solutions.

“Qualcomm Technologies launched our Wi-Fi 6 platforms to meet the demands of the most challenging and congested environments with an advanced Wi-Fi 6 technology approach,” said Nick Kucharewski, vice president and general manager, wireless infrastructure and networking, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

“We applaud CommScope’s right-minded embrace of essential Wi-Fi 6 features and its innovation pace in delivering high-performance experiences with Qualcomm Networking Pro Series Platforms across their RUCKUS Wi-Fi portfolio.”

The award-winning RUCKUS portfolio of access points now include:

• R850: a Wi-Fi 6 8x8:8 indoor access point with 5.9 Gbps speeds and embedded IoT. The R850 delivers the highest Wi-Fi performance of any AP on the market to ensure the best experiences in the harshest environments.
• R750: a Wi-Fi 6 4x4:4 indoor access point with 3.5 Gbps speeds and embedded IoT. The R750 is the industry’s first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 access point and a Wi-Fi Alliance testbed unit that validates other devices for Wi-Fi 6 interoperability.
• R650: a Wi-Fi 6 4x4:4 indoor access point with 3 Gbps speeds and embedded IoT. This addition upgrades the popular R600 series to include Wi-Fi 6.
• R550: a Wi-Fi 6 2x2:2 indoor access point with 1.8 Gbps speeds and embedded IoT. This AP brings superior Wi-Fi 6 performance to the mainstream at a great price, along with native IoT support as included in all RUCKUS Wi-Fi 6 APs.
• T750: a Wi-Fi 6 4x4:4 outdoor access point with 3.5 Gbps speeds and embedded IoT. The industry’s first outdoor Wi-Fi 6 Certified AP delivers outstanding Wi-Fi performance to outdoor environments.
• T750SE: a Wi-Fi 6 4x4:4 outdoor access point with 3.5 Gbps speeds, embedded IoT, and sectorized antennas. The T750SE surgically delivers bandwidth to seating in stadiums and other large venues.

The R650 and T750 began shipping in Q1 2020 while the R550 and R850 will begin shipping in Q2 2020. The T750SE will begin shipping in Q3 2020.

“The new Wi-Fi 6 access points with patented and unique technologies offers the very best enterprise solutions to meet the growing demand for connectivity,” said Bart Giordano, senior vice president, Product Management for CommScope’s RUCKUS portfolio.

“We continue to invest in the enterprise Wi-Fi space and with the addition of the recently launched RUCKUS Analytics, we are already seeing a positive impact with our customers.”

Instead of going with cloud giants Amazon or Microsoft, Zoom announced it had picked Oracle as a cloud infrastructure partner to support its rapid growth and evolving business needs as the enterprise video communications company continues to innovate and provide an essential service to its extensive customer base.

Rakuten Mobile turned on commercial 4G service after a six-month delay, to become the fourth mobile operator in Japan, a move it claimed made it the first operator with a live service based on fully virtualized infrastructure.

Charles Yang, President for Huawei Middle East, commented on the US allegations deeming them to be unfounded and reaffirms the tech behemoth’s commitment to value creation with local telecom, enterprise, and government partners.

Despite the challenges posed by a US entity list ban, Huawei’s top executive in the Middle East said at a press conference in Oman that the region’s geographic location is strategically beneficial for the company in the way that it works closely with both governments and the private sector to advance security, collaboration, and innovation for the digital era.

The comments by Charles Yang, President of Huawei Middle East, come at a time when Huawei remains the world’s largest telecommunications-equipment manufacturer, a top global smartphone and smart device brand, and a digital solutions provider to thousands of companies in sectors like finance, transportation, energy, and government.

Within the region, ICT is also becoming a national basic infrastructure as technologies like 5G, AI, and cloud computing act as drivers for digital transformation.

According to Yang, Huawei has been leading 5G expansion in the Middle East as part of the first wave of deployments worldwide, and will focus on vertical industry, ecosystem, and 5G talent development in 2020. This has been powered by investments of USD4 billion in 5G research since 2009.

The company is also bringing its 5G OpenLab concept to the Middle East, providing the local ICT sector with an environment in which it can experience, innovate, and verify the latest 5G applications with operators and partners.

“The downward pressure on many regional economies and even the global market has intensified in 2019 and the start of 2020. All of us need to dig deep into the opportunities presented by digital transformation. Most organizations across the Middle East now recognize the value that can be created by this transformation, and as such, it is a key region for Huawei in terms of technology collaboration, innovation, and developing business models suited to the digital era,” said Yang.

As a result of its R&D investment focus, Huawei has been able to lead the deployment of 5G technologies globally with more than 700 cities and 228 Fortune Global 500 companies having chosen Huawei as their digital transformation partner. As part of its efforts to lead new technology ecosystems, Huawei also recently released its Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) Core 4.0 platform, marking an important milestone for Huawei in building a set of applications and services for its consumer device ecosystem.

Central to its R&D strategy has been a long-term knowledge transfer program to develop talent in the Middle East, for the Middle East, according to Yang. That requires technology leaders working with customers, partners, developers, industry alliances, and standards organizations to build an interdependent ecosystem that fosters shared growth.

For its part, Huawei's flagship ‘Seeds for the Future’ program and annual ICT Competition program will continue in the Middle East in 2020 and support creativity among ICT students to increase national competitiveness.

Alongside 5G innovation and talent development, Yang recognized that cybersecurity does remain a vital issue for the region’s ICT industry.

When asked about the challenges posed to Huawei specifically by the current US administration, Yang responded, “Our Rotating Chairman, Eric Xu, recently observed that some state actors may continue to suppress the development of leading technologies. They are choosing to build walls rather than connecting people and ideas. Despite concerted efforts by some to keep us down, I think many of us feel a renewed sense of purpose and value at Huawei.”

He added that Huawei is only an equipment supplier and that accessing customer networks without their authorization and visibility would be impossible. On a practical level, Huawei does not have the ability to bypass carriers, access control, and take data from their networks without being detected by all normal firewalls or security systems.

“Today cybersecurity is an issue for all countries, governments, and companies. It is also a journey—not a destination. As such, we need measures in place applying to telecom operators and equipment suppliers so that there is an objective, verifiable basis for knowing which products and services are worthy of the public’s trust. Our customers and us see this as a strategic priority,” added Yang.

The executive noted that Huawei has long committed to helping partners in the region to address cybersecurity challenges and has been a partner of choice for telecom carriers for 5G network development through a broad range of end-to-end solutions. Yang also said that Huawei is ready to sign no-spy, no-backdoor agreements with any and all entities in the Middle East region.

In the last few months, Huawei has been approved to continue supplying 5G technologies in markets such as the UK and the European Union, with countries like Germany and France also accepting Huawei 5G despite US pressure. Abraham Liu, Huawei Chief Representative to the EU Institutions, has confirmed that Huawei is working with European governments to develop common standards to strengthen the security and reliability of those networks.

Huawei has also confirmed that it has no cooperation with the company Crypto AG. A recent report by the Washington Post noted that the CIA used Crypto AG to covertly access telecom networks worldwide, spying on other countries for decades.

Australia cybersecurity expert Hank Wolfe has also documented how the US National Security Agency rigged encryption systems sold by Crypto AG, enabling the agency to read the coded diplomatic and military traffic of more than 120 countries.

BAI Communications has announced that global wireless communications executive Igor Leprince has been appointed to the role of Group Chief Executive Officer commencing 1st May 2020.

Mr Leprince has more than two decades of experience designing, building and operating wireless communications infrastructure around the world, including more than ten years at Nokia, where he was President of Global Services.

His current roles include Chair of West Midlands 5G, Chair of AWTG, Senior advisor for Bain & Company as well as board advisor and investor in multiple technology companies.

"Igor has a proven record of partnering with the industry by helping them improve their existing wireless infrastructure and planning the next generation of public infrastructure for their citizens. He also has significant experience in growing and running large scale global telecommunications businesses," Ms Deena Shiff, BAI Chairman, said today.

"Igor brings his global communications industry experience to BAI at a time when we are planning and executing on our next stage of growth," she said.

BAI began in 2002 as Broadcast Australia, a company that managed broadcast transmission services for customers in Australia and has since grown to become a leading provider of communications infrastructure for customers in major cities across the globe.

"BAI Communications has grown from its broadcast foundations in Australia to achieve success globally, exporting its expertise to benefit people in Europe, Asia and North America," Mr Leprince said.

"I am delighted to lead a global organisation known for excellence in connecting communities. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to help BAI build on that reputation by making our customers' networks more resilient and helping them realise the potential of 5G and other new technologies," he said.

Mr Leprince will split his time between Australia, the global locations where BAI has customers, and the United Kingdom, where he and his family will continue to reside.

Chairman Deena Shiff acknowledged BAI Group Chief Financial Officer Stephen Matthews for so capably acting in the role of Group CEO until Mr Leprince's commencement.

Leprince was born and educated in Paris, France. He was awarded a Master of Science in Computer Science, Systems and Networks from Université Paris Diderot and a Master in Telecommunications Network Engineering from ENST Paris. Since then, he has gained global experience in the telecom industry.

He joined Nokia in 2007, living in the United Kingdom, Dubai and Finland. He served in multiple roles including Global Head of Network Planning and Optimization, Global Head of Care and President, Middle East and Africa.

His last role in Nokia was Nokia's President of Global Services, and member of Nokia’s executive board, from 2014 to 2018, where he was responsible for a global P&L of EUR 6 billion and 25,000 employees.

Nokia today opened a 5G Future X Lab at its global headquarters in Espoo, Finland, enabling customers to experience Nokia’s full end-to-end portfolio of 5G equipment, software and services. The Lab will enable communications service providers, enterprises and infrastructure providers to learn and understand the techno-economic power of a 5G end-to-end network to better serve their customers and unleash new value.

TIM Brazil has selected Nokia AirFrame servers featuring new, 2nd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors to virtualize its datacenters by the end of 2021.

TIM is the first operator in Latin America to adopt the AirFrame technology for its datacenter servers to improve server capacity and deliver better service quality, internet access and video consumption for its users across Brazil.

The agreement represents a major step in TIM Brazil’s cloud and digitalization journey, supported by Nokia, as the operator creates advanced services for its customers.

The deployment consists of 1000 state-of-the-art AirFrame servers, virtualizing network functions to guarantee better customer experience. Alongside the creation of edge datacenters, the agreement with Nokia also signals important progress for TIM Brazil as a company as it moves towards 5G, a requirement of which is evolving to a cloud core for network activities.

The 2^nd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors were launched globally on 2 April 2019, and this agreement marks the first use of the new generation in Latin America. Nokia and Intel highlighted the capabilities available to customers through this technological partnership at MWC 2019 via a demonstration of VR gaming over a 5G network. 

“Nokia’s unique solution, designed to support precisely this evolution to 5G, will give TIM Brazil a crucial ongoing competitive advantage as they evolve their core networks into cloud. Nokia is proud to partner with TIM as it invests in cloud native technologies to maintain its position as one of Latin America’s most efficient networks,” Said Leandro Monteiro, Nokia Sales Director in Brazil

Leonardo Capdeville, TIM CTIO, said, “Virtualization is important to improve user experience in our network, which will count with more speed and data usage stability. With this core virtualization, TIM is leading with a 5G pilot project over the network. This process also allows us to strengthen our customers’ data protection.”

Lisa Spelman, Vice President and General Manager Intel Xeon Processors and Data Center Marketing, said, “5G communications networks are being built today with a data-centric, edge-enabled approach using high-performance Intel architecture platforms as their foundation. Nokia AirFrame servers featuring 2^nd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors give TIM Brazil the opportunity to deliver advanced digital services and compelling experiences to their customers throughout Brazil.”