Insight

This article was written by VanillaPlus

Increasingly prominent and controversial, in almost equal measure, AI engines are redefining all manner of work functions and human tasks (ChatGPT) and even reinventing our understanding of art (Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, etc.). This technology marks a paradigm shift in our ability to predict, analysis, create and control content, processes and events with far greater potential than current applications suggest, and, extrapolated over time, will almost inevitably redefine every area of our existence.

But what about its role in a 5G enabled world? Indeed, AI is quickly becoming one of the most important technological advancements for the telecom industry. Recent Gartner analysis on AI and its impact on the telecom industry has shed light on the latest trends and themes in this space, including helping product and service leaders gain a better understanding of the realistic adoption times for AI and its subsequent impact on the telecom industry.

With the advent of 5G and other cutting-edge technologies driving rapid technological growth, the telecom industry is undergoing a major transformation. So, to stay ahead of the curve, telecom companies are exploring the use of AI to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and increase their market share.

The potential of AI in the 5G revolution and its role in the telecom industry

Customer Experience

The success of the telecom industry heavily relies on delivering an outstanding customer experience, underperformance loses subscribers with a rapidity that is never experienced on the customer acquisition side of the business. To protect customer retention numbers, Communication Service Providers (CSPs) need to enhance their daily customer interactions and gain a deeper understanding of who these subscribers actually are. This is where AI can make a significant impact.

Chatbots and virtual assistants, powered by AI, are leading the way in transforming customer interactions. These AI applications use machine learning (ML), augmented analytics, and natural language processing (NLP) to turn customer interactions into valuable insights. They enable CSPs to come markedly closer to offering existing and potential customers exactly what they want, when they want it.

Operational Efficiency and Automation

With the deployment of new technologies like 5G and network slicing software, the telecom industry is facing increased network complexity. This brings with it new challenges that demand the real-time capturing, analysis and action on, terabytes of data. To address this, companies need to massively enhance the intelligence of their short and long-term network operations and planning.

AI is playing a pivotal role in this roadmap, principally in the areas of: Fault detection, prediction and resolution; Network optimisation & Network planning and upgrades. Accumulatively, this is massively reducing CSPs’ labour costs, decreasing their mean time to repair and improving customer experience. And, this is not anecdotal, this is all demonstrable against key KPIs.

Edge AI

The growing use of edge devices is transforming the way data is collected and processed. By aggregating sensor data through devices such as modems, routers, and gateways, organisations can gain deeper insights into their operations and make better-informed decisions. This has led to a surge in demand for edge AI solutions that can help manage on-premise data and unlock valuable insights from it.

Edge AI not only improves data management but also offers financial benefits, particularly for cloud service providers, by reducing the cost associated with cloud computing, network transport, and storage. By processing data at the edge, organisations can minimise the amount of data that needs to be transmitted to the cloud, reducing network transport and storage costs.

Cloud service providers are taking notice of this trend and are extending their services to customer premises and private clouds to provide edge AI solutions. Additionally, new players such as communications platform-as-a-service (CPaas) and content delivery network (CDN) vendors are entering the market, offering their versions of near and far-edge solutions.

Potential Dangers of AI

While AI has the potential to bring many benefits to the telecom industry, there are also an almost equal number of risks. One of the main concerns is the risk of human error being replaced by machine error. In addition, AI-powered systems may be vulnerable to hacking and cyber-attacks. Companies must be cautious and adopt strong security measures to mitigate these risks.

Furthermore, there is the human redundancy factor to consider – AI has the potential to potentially decimate workforce numbers as we see them today. Whilst profit margin is king, the ethical debates around the role and control of AI has only just begun.

AI does indeed have a key role in the birth of a 5G enabled world, both commercially and for the consumer. By improving customer experience, operational efficiency, and sales and marketing activity, AI can hugely increase a Telco’s market share. However, companies need to adopt a strategic approach to AI, considering both its potential benefits and dangers at an economic and human level. In doing so, they can ensure that AI is an integral part of their future success.

This article first featured in the VanillaPlus magazine. Subscribe here for your free digital issue:  https://www.vanillaplus.com/digital-edition/

Homes in the Suffolk (England) village of Felsham have been left without access to broadband and phone services for over a week because, allegedly, Openreach (BT) are unable to fix the problem – a damaged telecoms pole that was struck during a car accident on Cockfield Road – until they’ve received “an estimate” from the driver’s insurance company.

According to the Suffolk News (via Thinkbroadband), a Ford Fiesta collided with a pole last Monday, which was then hit again by an unfortunate motorcyclist as it lay across the road. The female driver of the Fiesta was later arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, while the motorcyclist was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

The damage has caused a protracted outage of broadband and phone services to a number of homes and the odd business in the area, which has been extremely disruptive, particularly to vulnerable users. But interestingly, one local customer of broadband ISP BT was told by support staff that the reason it was taking so long is because “Openreach was waiting for ‘an estimate’ from the driver’s insurance company before it could complete works.”

At this point people might logically assume that Openreach would have fixed the problem with their critical network infrastructure first and then resolved responsibility for the costs later, to avoid any of the often-inherent delays that can occur when dealing with insurance companies. But this appears not to be the case and Openreach has yet to comment (we’ve asked and will report back soon).

However, it is worth noting that BT itself might not be giving a full appraisal of the facts when they gave this as the excuse, since Openreach has previously informed ISPreview that it typically takes around 20 days to fix damaged poles (here) and we’re only around 8-9 days in to that window.

Pole repairs can also depend upon wider issues of road permits/permissions, availability of engineering resources and the level of local damage etc. We’ve seen before how some homes in remote rural areas have been left to wait for up to 8-12 weeks before repairs, such as in cases of extreme damage (rare). But in urban areas a downed pole may be a matter of hours or just a few short days.

A collaboration between IT consultancy firm CGI and the Norfolk County Council (NCC) in England has leveraged a hybrid approach to help bring “ultrafast” broadband speeds to several remote industrial sites in the county, which uses a mix of wireless networking and Starlink’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.

The announcement is somewhat light on any useful technical details about the hybrid solution, which has been built in collaboration with suppliers Ingen and Onwave. But it’s said to have involved both Starlink’s global mega constellation of LEO broadband satellites and a “free-to-use public wireless service“, which suggests to us that they’re probably using Starlink for backhaul and WiFi for local distribution (likely with a premium wireless link for nearby businesses).

The NCC last year adopted a similar Starlink-based approach (LEO satellite + FWA wireless) to help bring faster broadband to a number of extremely remote rural communities (homes and businesses), which was trialled across ten village halls and nearby premises.

Councillor Jane James of NCC said:

“Digital connectivity is central to the prosperity of Norfolk as we look forward to the future, but also to the quality of life of most of our residents. CGI has partnered with us to develop a well thought out, innovative approach to ensuring improved connectivity across our county, particularly in those communities that have previously proved hard to reach.”

Ian Dunbar, Senior VP Consulting Services at CGI UK, said:

“This project supports NCC’s programme for connecting rural communities, enhancing everyday life through digital connectivity. Having fast, stable, and reliable connectivity is also necessary for NCC to deliver key critical services to rural communities and CGI’s solution also significantly benefits industries located in remote areas, from agriculture and utilities to manufacturing.”

We should point out that Starlink’s broadband service can also be purchased and installed independently by individual businesses and homes, although it’s not the cheapest of monthly rentals and we’re unsure of how the prices / performance would compare with the above hybrid approach.

Customers in the UK typically pay from £75 a month for a 30-day term, plus £299 for hardware, (one-off), on the ‘Standard’ Starlink plan, which promises internet latency times of 25-60ms, downloads of c. 25-100Mbps and uploads of c. 5-10Mbps.

City-focused gigabit broadband ISP Hyperoptic, which has already extended their full fibre (FTTP / B) network to cover “more than” 1.73 million UK homes in parts of 64 towns and cities, has launched a new promotion that discounts all of their top plans (150Mbps, 500Mbps and 1Gbps) to just £15 per month for the first 6-months of service.

The new deal means that, for example, customers taking out their 150Mbps packages on a 24-month term will pay £15 for the first 6-months (£29 thereafter), plus a £19 one-off activation fee. The same £15 offer also applies to their 500Mbps and 1Gbps tiers, which return to £35 and £39 per month respectively, after the first 6-month offer period.

The packages include a wireless router and you can optionally add a home phone service for an extra £2 per month. The same discount also exists on their 12-month contracts. The offer is expected to remain available until 22nd July 2024, but make sure you use the HYPERDEAL promotion code on checkout to benefit.

All of the shares belonging to Swindon-based fibre optic kit and cable supplier AFL Telecommunications Europe have recently been acquired by Italian firm Tratos Cavi Spa, which is a similar supplier. The acquisition deal aims to increase TRATOS’ footprint in the UK alongside its existing electrical cable manufacturing facility in Knowsley.

The purchase is said to include all fibre optic cable product lines for the power utility, rail, and oil and gas markets, including the SkyWrap® attached fibre optic solution for overhead power lines, ruggedised trackside fibre optic cables and subsea umbilical optic cable components.

The merged company will continue to operate from its recently expanded facility in Swindon, South West England.

Elisabetta Bragagni Capaccini, CEO of TRATOS, said:

“TRATOS and AFL’s Swindon plant share a strong commitment to quality products and services to core customers in the power utility, rail and oil and gas markets. Adding their unique product capabilities, staff technical expertise and EMEA sales team to our company will strengthen TRATOS’ position in these markets enabling us to offer a combined portfolio of market-leading electrical and optical cables to our customers.”

Owners of the Linksys Velop Pro 6E and Pro 7 mesh routers, which are used by several broadband ISPs and consumers in the UK, are being advised to change the router’s passwords and Wi-Fi network names through an external web browser. The requirement comes after it was revealed that the models could transmit passwords in cleartext during the initial setup.

The issue was first discovered by a Belgian consumer organization, Testaankoop, which found that, during initial setup, both the Velop Pro 6E and 7 were transmitting the end-user’s SSID (WiFi network name) and passwords in cleartext (unencrypted) to an Amazon hosted server in the USA (we don’t know if they mean the admin or WiFi password, but it could be both). User session access tokens and database identification tokens were also transmitted.

The issue was discovered in firmware version 1.0.8 MX6200_1.0.8.215731 for the Wi-Fi 6E router and 1.0.10.215314 for the Wi-Fi 7 device. But exploiting this would admittedly require a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) style attack, one with good timing.

Since then there has been an additional patch, but there’s no mention in the release notes of whether this includes a fix for the problem and Techspot claims that Linksys still hasn’t publicly acknowledged the issue. Testaankoop says they reported the vulnerability to Linksys in November 2023 but got no response, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the company’s approach to device security.

In the meantime, the best course of action, if you have one of these routers, is to change your passwords (WiFi and router admin) and WiFi network names. But you should do this using a web browser on a PC / MAC or mobile device and NOT via the accompanying Linksys app to prevent the changes from being sent unencrypted.

Bengaluru, July 16, 2024: OnMobile Global Limited, the leader in cutting-edge mobile gaming & entertainment, announced the appointment of Bikram Sherawat as its President and Chief Operations Officer, effective July 16, 2024.

Bikram Sherawat is a distinguished technology business leader known for his strategic acumen and relentless drive in propelling sales and revenue growth. With a remarkable career spanning over two decades, Bikram has consistently demonstrated his ability to generate multimillion-dollar revenues on a global scale. His extensive expertise in international sales and adeptness in forging strategic alliances with C-suite executives across diverse markets iterate his invaluable contribution to the business world. 

In his previous stint in a multinational information technology services and consulting company, Bikram held the pivotal role of Global Business Head (Products & Platforms) and seamlessly transitioned into Global Sales Head (Geos), Channels Sales. His tenure at OnMobile previously saw him lead a dynamic global cross-functional team dispersed across multiple countries. His leadership encompassed managing and enhancing operations across various domains, including sales, content alliances, merchandising, and analytics, showcasing his multifaceted capabilities. 

Francois Charles, Chairman and CEO of OnMobile, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Bikram brings a wealth of expertise in international sales and strategic partnerships. His skill in navigating complex negotiations highlights his ability to secure advantageous deals for organizations and positions him as an invaluable asset in achieving our vision and global business success.”

Bikram holds a Master’s degree in Computer Application from IMT Ghaziabad and a Major in Economics from Delhi University. Commenting on his new role, Bikram said, “I am excited to return to OnMobile and be part of its remarkable journey. Together, we will strive to deliver exceptional value and drive significant growth for our clients and stakeholders.”

About OnMobile

OnMobile Global [NSE India: ONMOBILE] [BSE Ltd: 532944], the leader in cutting-edge mobile gaming and entertainment, is headquartered in Bangalore, India, with its presence in over 65 countries worldwide. OnMobile is focused on building customer-first Mobile Gaming products like Challenges Arena and ONMO. It recently launched a SaaS-based Gamification platform, Gamize, and offers various digital products such as Videos, Tones & Contests. Based on current deployments, OnMobile has over 110 customers and 64 million monthly users globally. For further information, please visit www.onmobile.com.

VOX Solutions, a frontrunner in comprehensive A2P voice and messaging monetization solutions, unveils a groundbreaking partnership with Orange, the largest mobile operator in Burkina Faso. The partnership between Vox Solutions and Orange Burkina Faso forms an exclusive direct connectivity alliance, guaranteeing the secure and dependable transmission of A2P messages to Burkina Faso’s clients and international enterprises. The common objective is to safeguard mobile interactions from the rapidly escalating risks of message fraud and artificial traffic inflation (AIT).

Artificial traffic inflation (AIT) is becoming an increasingly significant issue in the digital realm, artificially inflating traffic volumes, thereby increasing costs for enterprises and jeopardizing revenues for mobile network operators. Similarly, messaging fraud, a matter of equal gravity, involves the unauthorized or deceptive dissemination of messages, posing a threat to user privacy and security.

Ehsan Ahmadi, CEO & Founder of VOX Solutions, articulates his commitment to addressing these challenges. “Our fundamental mission is to support mobile operators such as Orange Burkina Faso in sustaining consistent revenue growth and fostering innovation. Addressing messaging fraud and AIT are central to the challenges we are eager to confront. We are privileged to commence this journey and remain steadfast in aiding our partners in achieving their business goals. This collaboration represents a significant step toward improved communication experiences and lasting success.”

The VOX-360 platform stands out as an all-encompassing and distinctive solution in the market, integrating anti-fraud functionalities, flash call authentication, A2P SMS monetization, and mobile identity capabilities. This platform empowers mobile operators to detect and prevent spam and fraudulent traffic, taking a proactive approach to protect end-users and elevate the overall customer experience. Additionally, it provides operators with the means to optimize their network monetization endeavors.

As a result of this partnership, customers of Orange Burkina Faso and its global partners can anticipate secure and dependable A2P message delivery. Additionally, Orange will enhance its capabilities to monitor all A2P SMS traffic, including one-time passwords and customer notifications.

Effectively implementing VOX-360 in networks of numerous prominent mobile operators globally, Vox Solutions remains dedicated to fostering transformation and innovation in mobile communications, this collaboration reinforcing VOX Solutions’ commitment to furnish telecom operators and enterprises with high-quality strategies, cutting-edge technology, vital data, educational resources, and skilled professionals. This noteworthy advancement further bolsters their steadfast efforts in combating fraudulent traffic.

About VOX Solutions:

Vox Solutions simplifies, improves, and optimizes Voice and SMS channels using the latest innovations in technology. The company enables mobile operators to monetize their A2P services in a sustainable way, leveraging proprietary technology.

Vox Solutions utilizes its multi-award-winning anti-fraud technology, VOX-360, to offer a reliable, accurate and real-time view of operators’ voice and SMS services. By partnering with operators, Vox Solutions provides secure & reliable 2FA services to enterprises, globally.

For MNOs, Vox Solutions is focused on monetization of SMS and Voice services, being the first  company in the market to offer a Flash Calling (Voice A2P) end-to-end solution.

For the enterprise segment, Vox Solutions focus on A2P messaging, A2P & P2P Voice, while also providing solutions focused on Cloud Communications.

Its unique VOX-360 solution also won numerous global awards for the anti fraud, flash call authentication and AI/ML innovations.

www.voxsolutions.co

VOX Solutions contact:

Name: Antonia Zgondea

E-mail: ma*******@**********ns.co

Phone number: +85230083754

Growing Popularity of Internet Buying to Promote Global Market Share of Telecommunication

The development of new applications like distributed sensing and extended reality, among others, has increased the demand for 6G networks. Furthermore, reliable network connection is required for the increasing number of smart city programs and the increasing demand for driverless cars, which the 6G deployment may facilitate. Smart cities are expected to generate a substantial economic gain of roughly USD 20 trillion by 2026. Because of the rapid improvements in 6G technology, it is projected that the market players will have many opportunities for expansion in the future.

Some of the major growth factors and challenges that are associated with the growth of the global telecommunication market are:

Growth Drivers:

The COVID-19 pandemic’s ongoing contactless diagnosis is driving more demand for telemedicine services
Rising Penetration of Smartphones

Challenges:

These days, the telecom industry has expanded rapidly. But this company needs to make significant investments in order to develop its workforce and improve its infrastructure. Furthermore, the overall investment has increased because of the large increases in the cost of the raw materials utilized by the telecom sector over time. Consequently, the market’s potential to expand is restricted.

Access our detailed report at:

By service type, the global telecommunication market is segmented into fixed voice services, fixed internet access services, mobile voice services, mobile data services, pay-tv services and machine-to-machine services. The mobile data services segment is to garner a highest revenue by the end of 2036 by growing at a significant CAGR over the forecast period. This can be explained by the substantial rise in the usage of cellphones by consumers. During the projected period, the rapidly growing demand for high-speed broadband services for both home and business applications is expected to further assist the segment expansion. Moreover, it is anticipated that the data services sector would grow at a rapid pace due to the high demand for cloud gaming and online 4K UHD video access.

By region, the Europe telecommunication market is to generate the highest revenue by the end of 2036. In this region, the growing trend of Industry 4.0 in conjunction with the growing demand for pay-TV services drives the telecommunications sector. Additionally, the rapid development of access to telecommunications networks and the increase in the number of service providers accessible have contributed to the growth of the European market. For example, the U.K. government collaborated on telecom innovation in October 2023 with nations including Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States of America. The U.K. government contributed 70 million euros for telecom research and development as a result of this partnership.

This report also provides the existing competitive scenario of some of the key players of the global telecommunication market which includes company profiling of AT&T Intellectual Property, China Telecom Corporation Limited, Telefonica S.A., Vodafone Group Plc., KT Corp., Airtel India, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., Deutsche Telekom AG, Verizon, and others.

Source: https://www.researchnester.com/reports/telecommunication-market/6258

News

The company says it will use the funds to accelerate its rollout of full fibre infrastructure

Today, Cornwall-based ISP Wildanet has announced that it has received a £35 million investment from the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB).

The investment will be used to fund the further expansion of Wildanet’s fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) network, providing connectivity to a further 20,000 homes and businesses.

“Today’s announcement supports and accelerates our far-reaching roll out plans for Cornwall and unlocks growth in our own company as we continue our mission to transform connectivity and opportunities in Cornwall, at the same time as creating a dynamic, profitable and sustainable business,” said Helen Wylde-Archibald, CEO of Wildanet.

“Wildanet’s success in forging strong partnerships with both national and local government, with institutional investors and banks, is delivering new investment into Cornwall. We’re proud of these achievements and the leading role we are playing as a champion for digital inclusion and the creation of a modern digital economy in the South West.”

Earlier this year, Wildanet was awarded a £41 million Project Gigabit contract to roll out new connections to more than 16,800 homes and businesses in East Cornwall, West Cornwall and the island of St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly. Earlier still, in 2023, Wildanet won two contracts worth £36 million to connect up to 19,250 homes and businesses in South West and Mid Cornwall.

For the UKIB, this new investment aims at providing additional support for Wildanet’s Project Gigabit contracts.

“The nature of Cornwall’s location and its geography makes it one of the most difficult to reach places for internet providers and as a result has lower speeds than the UK average,” explained Ian Brown, UKIB’s Head of Banking and Investment. “Our financing for Wildanet’s rollout will support communities and grow economies that would otherwise miss out on the benefits associated with improved connectivity.”

Wildanet is not the only altnet to be benefiting from the UKIB’s renewed support. Just last week the UKIB invested £150 million in major altnet Hyperoptic, aiming to again drive an acceleration of the UK’s full fibre infrastructure.

Wildanet won the Sustainability Award at the 2023 Connected Britain Awards for helping local Cornish businesses to become B-Corps!

Join the operators in discussion at this year’s Connected Britain, the UK’s largest digital economy event

Also in the news:
Australian Government and AWS Collaborate to Strengthen country’s Cybersecurity
Solving congestion challenges in FTTP deployment
Vodafone Invests £120m in AI Chatbot ‘SuperTOBi’