Network operator nexfibre, which is working with broadband ISP Virgin Media (VMO2) – at wholesale – to deploy a new 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across up to 7 million extra UK premises, has today secured an additional £250 million debt investment from the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB). Just to recap. VMO2 largely completed their […]

Press Release

From the dining hall to the virtual lecture hall, the students, faculty and staff at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. can experience the power of 5G, thanks to a new agreement between Bradley and T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS). The university will utilize a 5G Hybrid Mobile Network from T-Mobile as part of its mission to deliver innovative learning experiences for students and improve operational efficiencies through its Digitally Connected Campus initiative. Additionally, it will provide iPad (10th generation) with 5G-connectivity to students, faculty, and certain student-facing staff.

More than half of college students nationwide experience problems from unreliable connectivity. To help bridge the digital divide and create equitable opportunities in education, the university will begin to distribute iPad, along with a keyboard case and an unlimited data plan that includes 5G connectivity, during the fall 2023 semester. This means that students — even those who are virtual or living off-campus — can experience the 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and the power and performance of the A14 Bionic chip, allowing students to access lectures, materials and app-based learning opportunities from virtually anywhere on the nation’s largest 5G network.

“Partnering with T-Mobile will help us provide Bradley’s students with the ability to learn in the same mobile-first environment that is increasingly prevalent in the professional world,” said Christopher Jones, PhD, Vice President for Strategy and Innovation at Bradley University. “Bringing 5G to our students and campus allows us to advance a digitally equitable learning environment and a holistically connected campus.”

“We are thrilled to embark on this transformative partnership with T-Mobile, bringing cutting-edge technology to Bradley University, and revolutionizing the way our students learn, collaborate, and thrive in the digital age,” added Bradley University President Steve Standifird.

On campus, the 5G Hybrid Network’s fast speeds, low latency and reliable connectivity open the door for more immersive classroom experiences, preparing students to be part of the 5G workforce by:

Creating mixed reality classroom experiences such as virtualization of complex machinery to teach learners how it operates
Preparing students for a future in the medical field via lessons on real-world telehealth technologies

Utilizing digital learning tools such as AI-powered note taking and other classroom interaction software
Adopting powerful graphics-intensive video game development software to continue the innovation at the university’s award-winning game design program.

Bradley also plans to explore how the 5G Hybrid Network could increase operational efficiencies on-campus. For example, Bradley could use sensor-based data analysis to get automatic updates on information such as water quality, leak detection or refrigeration issues and use that data to automatically address any malfunctions.

“Bradley University is a shining example of how the education industry can embrace 5G to drive innovation and improve students’ lives,” said Callie Field, President, T-Mobile Business Group. “Bradley has already identified more than 20 unique use cases that could have an impact both on students’ learning experiences and the university’s operations in the future. And we’re thrilled to help them bring these innovations to life.”

As part of Bradley’s Digitally Connected Campus initiative, the rollout of iPad will begin during the 2023-2024 academic year, starting with full-time Bradley faculty and “discovery cohorts” of students that will represent approximately 25% of the student body. There will then be a full launch in Fall 2024 to include students, full-time faculty, and many student-facing staff members.

What impact is 5G having on the world of education? Join the discussion of all things digital at Connected America 2024 live in Dallas, Texas

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

As predicted last month (here), the Stelios-linked easy® family of brands (i.e. easyJet, easyMoney, easyCar) has this week launched a new UK mobile operator service called easySim.global, which is focused on giving people low cost travel data (mobile broadband) to use all around the world via eSIM. Prices tend to start from £3.50 for 1GB […]

Network operator CityFibre has apologised to their business connectivity users in Leeds (South Yorkshire, England) after their attempt to replace an old 288f fibre joint cable, which was due to be upgraded to 432f, resulted in a “significant number” of customers (e.g. Dark Fibre and Ethernet services) being hit by connectivity problems. The problems, which […]

Broadband ISP Wessex Internet, which is deploying a new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across rural parts of Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Somerset in England, has announced that they’ve begun upgrading their network with 10Gbps capable XGS-PON tech from Nokia and DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing). At present WI’s existing network footprint is only vaguely said to […]

The Wall Street Journal in America recently ran an alarming multipage story that warned of how lead-insulated telecoms cables, which were installed decades ago, had been found to allegedly be poisoning the ground and nearby water. Similar cables were installed by BT (GPO) in the UK, but do they still pose a risk? We asked […]

Alternative fixed wireless access (FWA) ISP WeLink Communications UK, which had been offering wireless broadband speeds of up to 1Gbps to poorly served homes and businesses in the city of Edinburgh (Scotland), has confirmed to ISPreview that they are “withdrawing” from the market. The situation first came to our attention after a number of WeLink’s […]

Ofcom has proposed to tweak how it calculates one of Openreach’s regulated Quality of Service (QoS) standards for Ethernet and Dark Fibre repairs, which would replace the current “on-time repair” target with a “mean time to repair” target. The change reflects the fact that the operator’s performance has improved, not worsened. The regulator currently sets […]

News

A summary of all the essential financial news in the telecoms world 

 

Ericsson’s Q2 sales drop 

In a recent financial report, Swedish telecoms equipment vendor Ericsson noted that while the company’s net sales were up 3% from last year, to SEK 64.4 billion $6.3 billion, the company’s Q2 sales had fallen. The company’s organic sales fell by 9% in Q2 and EBITA halved from SEK 7.5 billion ($730 million) to SEK 3.7 billion ($360 million).  

Network sales fell by 13%, despite vast sales improvements in Oceania, Southeast Asia, and India, where the company now has a leading market share. The steep fall in North American sales was not offset by the improvements in Eastern markets. 

The tech giant cited the knock-on effects of high inflation and rising interest rates for their falling sales. 

Indeed, Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, noted the challenging market conditions, stating “performance in Q2 was in line with our expectations, despite the uncertain macro backdrop and significant changes in market mix.” 

“The firm forecasts similar outcomes for Q3 and hopes for improvements by the end of the financial year: Q3 will benefit from an early impact of our strong focus on cost-out execution. Overall, we thus expect Q3 EBITA margin to be in line with or slightly higher than Q2, followed by a seasonally stronger Q4,” he added. 

“Based on the expected recovery of the mobile networks market towards the end of the year, we remain focused on reaching the lower end of the 15-18% EBITA margin long-term target range in 2024.” 

After the report’s release this morning, Ericsson’s shares were down 8%. 

 

Nokia reduces annual sales forecast 

Nokia is one of many companies feeling the effects of slower consumer spending and a reduction of consumer inventory levels, because of rising interest rates and high inflation. 

In an effort to combat this, the firm has lowered their net sales forecast from €24.26–26.2 billion to €23.2–24.6 billion. They have also narrowed their operating margin from 11.5–14% to 11.5–13%.  

The company commented that that “Nokia will continue to take measures to ensure it remains on track towards its long-term targets of growing faster than the market and delivering a comparable operating margin of at least 14%.” 

Despite the announcement, the firm still expects net sales of £4.8 billion this quarter. 

Since the news, Nokia’s shares were down 9.6%, the lowest since April 2021. 

 

Cisco suffers from Bank of America downgrade 

This week, Bank of America analysts lowered Cisco Systems share rating from ‘buy’ to ‘neutral’.  

“Street estimates are looking for a soft landing to Cisco’s product revenue growth, expecting it to grow 3% year-over-year in fiscal 2024 and 2% in fiscal 2025, after (estimated) growth of 13% in 2023 and 6% in 2022,” noted Bank of America analyst Tal Liani, who is responsible for the stock’s downgrade.  

He added: “However, these estimates lead to fiscal 2024/2025 product revenues that are much higher than historical levels. Since fiscal 2012, Cisco’s product revenue has remained at around a $36 billion to $39 billion range, mostly attributed to the timid growth of Cisco’s legacy products. It appears that the analysts deem the expected revenue too high, and therefore too much of a risk. The downgrading of the stock is a reflection of these concerns. 

Cisco shares dropped by 18% on the news. 

 

Huawei seeks to increase intellectual property revenue 

The firm, which made $560 million from licensing last year, is looking to increase total in 2023, this week releasing new royalty rates. 

Huawei’s smartphone revenue has taken a huge hit since US sanctions began in 2019, thus increasing revenue from other streams is now increasingly important. 

The new rates will apply to a number of Wi-Fi 6 devices, IoT products, and 4G and 5G handsets. The royalties for Wi-Fi 6 consumer devices is $0.5 per unit, while the rate caps for 4G and 5G handsets are $1.5 and $2.5 per unit, respectively. For IoT, the standard rate is 1% of the net selling price, capped at $0.75, while ‘IoT-Enhanced devices’ range from $0.3 to $1 per unit. 

Huawei currently has nearly 200 patent licensing deals, which it hopes to increase in the future. The company is the one of the largest patent holders in the world, with only IBM, Samsung, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) holding more patents as of 2022. 

 

News

The partnership will enhance collaboration on digital issues to strengthen supply chains and reduce reliance on China for key technologies

Following the first Japan–EU Digital Partnership Council meeting held last week, Japan and the EU have signed two Memoranda of Cooperation (MoC) to advance work in crucial areas in connectivity.

As part of the deal, the two parties plan to support the development submarine cable connectivity via the Arctic, which will provide secure, reliable, and sustainable connectivity between the EU and Japan. If successful, there is possibility for these submarine networks to be extended to a wider parts of Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

The partners also signed a second MoC on semiconductors, focusing on enabling greater cooperation on R&D, advancing skills for the semiconductor industry, and subsidy transparency. The partnership will also see the formation of an early warning system for supply chain disruption, allowing each nation to better prepare for shortages should they occur.

The subtext to this agreement is the perceived need to build self-sufficiency and diversity in the global semiconductor supply chain, with both parties increasingly wary of their technical reliance on China for chip manufacturing.

“Economic security is a common concern for Japan and the EU. We share similar dependencies, and we both need to de-risk our supply chains. One of our objectives is to reduce overreliance for products that are vital for our economies, like critical raw materials and semiconductors on a handful of suppliers – many of them based in China,” said President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Additionally, the EU and Japan have agreed to enhance cooperation on several other, wider issues, such as generative artificial intelligence, quantum computing, data governance, and cyber security.

The co-chairs of the Japan-EU Digital Partnership Council are set to meet again in 2024 to reviews the progress of the deal.

Join in the conversation about digital security at this year’s Total Telecom Congress live from Amsterdam

Also in the news:
Connectivity between Iceland and Japan through new Pan-Arctic Fibre cable
Construction begins on Medusa submarine cable system
What’s hot in the submarine networks industry today?