CityFibre, which is rolling out a 10Gbps capable full fibre (FTTP) broadband ISP network across the UK, has published their annual accounts to the end of 2022 and revealed that their losses nearly doubled. But their network coverage also doubled to 2.2 million homes (RFS) and live consumer connections surged to 174k (up from 61k). […]

Vodafone UK has today published their latest Q1 FY24 results, which saw fixed line broadband ISP base grow to total 1.265 million customers (up by 42k in the quarter vs 65k in Q4 FY23), while their mobile base increased to 18.024 million (up by 104k vs 118k in the previous quarter). The biggest development over […]

Mobile network operator Vodafone UK has revealed that 532,651 tennis-fans attended The Championships 2023 and tracking shows that over 64 TeraBytes (up by 36.5% from 2022) of mobile broadband data were consumed by Wimbledon-goers during the two-week tournament, which was also one of their first roll-outs of 5G Standalone tech. Vodafone recorded its busiest day […]

Network builder CityFibre has given themselves a pat on the back after trials of an enhanced platform “capable of true proactive fault repair“, which involved several broadband ISPs on their UK full fibre (FTTP) infrastructure, delivered an impressive improvement. At present CityFibre aims to cover up to 8 million UK premises (funded by c.£2.4bn in […]

Press Release

Ericsson and O2 Telefónica in Germany have achieved a significant milestone in the development of 5G Cloud RAN technology in Europe

In their inaugural joint Proof of Concept (PoC) deployment at O2 Telefónica’s Wayra innovation hub in Munich, they showcased the capabilities of Ericsson’s first 5G Cloud RAN installation in Europe. The PoC utilized a centralized control unit (CU) and harnessed the power of mmWave frequency to achieve an impressive end-to-end speed of more than 4 gigabits per second.

This successful collaboration not only demonstrates the efficiency and performance of Ericsson’s 5G Cloud RAN solution but also validates the feasibility of Cloud RAN for enterprise and industry-specific use cases as well as fixed wireless access (FWA) use cases. One such use case is “Data Shower”, a new concept in the automotive industry that enables the efficient deployment of software updates to vehicles in production lines by using mmWave technology for high-bandwidth transfer.

The achievement of this PoC highlights the potential of Cloud RAN technology to deliver 5G connectivity and drive future innovations in the European telecommunications landscape. It serves as a crucial foundation for O2 Telefónica’s efforts to bring Cloud RAN technology to macro networks and demonstrates Ericsson’s commitment to Open RAN – paving the way for further advancements in cloud-native architecture and operation.

By implementing Ericsson’s cloud-native software solution for 5G Cloud RAN, O2 Telefónica in Germany will experience significant gains in flexibility, service delivery and improved network operations. This initiative also sets the stage for other communication service providers (CSPs) to leverage network automation and RAN programmability, thereby enhancing their overall network flexibility, scalability, and simplification.

Daniel Leimbach, Head of Customer Unit Western Europe at Ericsson, says: “The partnership between Ericsson and O2 Telefónica demonstrates our commitment to achieving significant breakthroughs on our path to build the networks of the future. It is a first for both companies in Europe and shows the potential of Cloud RAN for high performance use cases. It builds upon our work with the cloud-native 5G core we have deployed in O2 Telefónica Germany, enabling a full end-to-end cloud native network. We are very proud to be doing this together with O2  Telefónica.”

Mallik Rao, Chief Technology & Information Officer of O2 Telefónica, says: ” O2  Telefónica is a pioneer in deploying new network technologies such as Cloud RAN. With the introduction of a cloud-based, standardized architecture, we are able to respond quickly to customer needs, introduce new products and services even more flexibly and scale our O2 network better. With Cloud RAN, we combine the benefits of open interfaces with the expertise and product quality of European network equipment supplier Ericsson, whose technology we already use for our high-performance 5G core network.”

Cloud-native deployment plays a pivotal role in the transformation of the telecommunications industry, and the integration of cloud-native architecture into the radio access network (RAN) presents an exceptional opportunity to foster innovation and enhance network efficiency. By virtualizing the RAN and adopting a cloud-native, standardized architecture, O2 Telefónica will gain the ability to respond rapidly to customer needs, introduce new products and services with greater flexibility and agility, and realize benefits such as faster service delivery, improved scalability and enhanced cost efficiency.

Ericsson’s commitment to advancing telecommunications networks is underscored by this collaboration and builds upon the company’s successful Cloud RAN deployments with other leading CSPs in North America and Australia.

The incorporation of Cloud RAN extends the foundation of the ongoing network cloudification efforts by Ericsson and O2 Telefónica in Germany.

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Also in the news:
EU and Japan sign deals for subsea cables and semiconductors
Home Office lambasted over Emergency Services Network delays
Ofcom probes VMO2 as customers complain about contract cancellation

News

BT hailed the deployment as a ‘significant milestone’, potentially opening the door for further deployments in the near future

Lundy Island is a small island off the north coast of Devon. Spanning less than 5km2, the island is home to 28 permanent residents, but is perhaps best known for its status as a Marine Conservation Zone and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Now, the island is set to benefit from low latency connectivity delivered courtesy of a partnership between BT and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator OneWeb.

Connectivity across the island will reportedly be delivered by an Intellian dual parabolic terminal deployed on the island, which connects to OneWeb’s LEO satellite constellation orbiting above. The connection then travels from a User Terminal (UT) to Satellite Network Portal (SNP) via the satellites, where it is backhauled across OneWeb’s Wide Area Network to BT’s core network.

“It’s brilliant to be bringing high-speed, low-latency connectivity to Lundy Island in partnership with OneWeb and DSIT. The installation will not only have a transformative impact on the island and its residents but is also a significant milestone in demonstrating the value of satellite communications and the crucial role such solutions will play in enabling digital connectivity across the entirety of the UK and beyond,” said BT’s chief networks officer Greg McCall.

BT first partnered with OneWeb back in 2021, with BT CEO Philip Jansen promising the company would “put OneWeb’s technology through its paces” at BT’s labs before beginning live trials in 2022.

However, these field trials seemingly became delayed, with no further announcements made until April this year, when BT and OneWeb revealed they were planning this trial on Lundy Island as part of the government’s Very Hard to Reach Premises connectivity programme.

BT currently aims to provide high-speed connectivity to the entirety of the UK by 2028, saying that OneWeb will play a critical role in achieving this goal. Beyond connecting remote locations, BT says they are also exploring using OneWeb’s services to support eco-tourism, search and rescue, and temporary deployments like festivals.

OneWeb’s LEO constellation has grown significantly in scale in recent years, with its most recent launch in May bringing its total to 634 satellites. The company says just a handful more satellites are a required to reach global coverage, a feat that is expected to be achieved later this year.

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Also in the news:
EU and Japan sign deals for subsea cables and semiconductors
Home Office lambasted over Emergency Services Network delays
Ofcom probes VMO2 as customers complain about contract cancellation

Press Release

Amitié increases the reliability and diversity of subsea cable routes between North America and Europe

Aqua Comms, Meta, Microsoft, and Vodafone announced today the completion of the Amitié subsea cable system, the first to directly connect Boston to Europe and Bordeaux to North America. The 6,783 km (4,215 miles) trans-Atlantic system, which was built by Alcatel Submarine Networks, has landings in Lynn, Massachusetts; Widemouth Bay, England; and Le Porge, France. With 16 fiber pairs and 400 Tbps, Amitié is the highest capacity transoceanic communications cable ever deployed.

The design of the system brings all users additional connectivity options in the United States, the UK, and in France. Boston will have direct connection all the way to London and a new Carrier Neutral Data Center constructed in Bordeaux. This delivers improved reliability in terms of protected capacity on multiple diverse routes.

The system includes an innovative branching unit 860 km from France and 650 km from the UK. This device allows the owners to switch either individual optical wavelengths between different landings or the full fiber capacity via two different types of switching technologies.

Andy Hudson, Chief Network Officer, Aqua Comms, said: “Amitié, branded as AEC-3 on Aqua Comms’ network, adds a third high-capacity system to our transatlantic footprint offering enhanced diversity in both the US and Europe and delivering the latest technology to our customers.”

Gary Waterworth, Investment Manager, Meta said: “Amitié will increase telecommunications reliability, speed, and diversity of subsea cable routes between the continents helping to improve transmission capacity in North America and Europe. It’s a great example of tech and telecom companies collaborating to build digital infrastructure to benefit the countless people, businesses, and organizations who rely on global connectivity.”

Frank Rey, General Manager, Azure Networking at Microsoft said: “As public and private sectors deepen their reliance on cloud technologies for economic growth and service improvement, Amitié will advance both resiliency and capacity for customers using our cloud services.”

Fanan Henriques, Director, Vodafone Business International & EU-Cluster, said: “As a significant investor in submarine cables, Vodafone was able to bring its strong heritage and extensive expertise to the partnership. With transatlantic total bandwidth growth forecasted to increase six-fold over the next five years, it is essential that we keep our customers, partners and communities connected to vital services enabling the digital economy. The completion of the Amitié subsea cable will strengthen connectivity and add resilience between the U.S., France and the UK.”

Previous studies have shown that subsea cables can have a positive impact on national and regional economies. Subsea cables such as the Amitié cable can spur the development of terrestrial fiber and local economic growth. For example, according to RTI International, Meta’s and Microsoft’s investment in Marea, another high capacity transoceanic cable, has been contributing about $18 billion annually to Europe’s economy since 2019.

Amitié is now fully commissioned and tested and was handed over to Aqua Comms, Meta, Microsoft, and Vodafone on July 16, 2023. The system was constructed under a Joint Build Agreement between the four partners, who worked together in close cooperation with the supplier and the landing providers.

Keep up to date with all of the latest developments in the submarine cable industry at the world’s largest subsea cable event, Submarine Networks EMEA

Also in the news:
EU and Japan sign deals for subsea cables and semiconductors
Home Office lambasted over Emergency Services Network delays
Ofcom probes VMO2 as customers complain about contract cancellation

Broadband ISP Zzoomm, which aspires to reach 1 million premises in 85 UK towns with their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network by the end of 2025, has revealed that take-up of the new service in the towns of Sandhurst and Crowthorne has already exceeded the 20% mark – only seven months after finishing the build. Admittedly, take-up […]

Several key deployments of gigabit-capable full fibre (FTTP) broadband networks across the United Kingdom are likely to be impacted after the Makehappen Group (website offline due to a bad SSL certificate), which is a civil engineer firm, fell into administration this week and effectively put 165 staff out of a job. The Leeds-based company first […]

Telecoms giant BT and satellite operator OneWeb have completed the deployment of their new rural broadband trial on Lundy Island, near the North Devon coast, which aims to help bring “high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity” to residents – supported by the UK Government’s (DSIT) Alpha Trials programme. Back in April 2023 the Government announced (here) that […]