2019.12.13 – Open Broadband News
Broadband Forum opens its doors to all
Confirmed at the Q4 meeting in Panama City, Panama, Broadband Forum has become an ‘open’ organization – making all of its work visible to the industry.
With the by-law amendment passed on 14 October, the transition reflects Broadband Forum’s leadership in ushering in an industry-wide evolution to greater agility and transparency that aims to strike the right balance between open source and standards, further opening the whole broadband ecosystem by continuing to drive interoperability and an open market.
Julie Kunstler, Principal Analyst at Ovum, predicted that Broadband Forum’s move to being open would be welcomed by players across the ecosystem of the broadband industry.
“Broadband Forum’s shift to a more ‘open’ organization is a positive one that aligns with the industry trends,” she said. “The move should be welcomed by service providers and vendors as it promotes agility and interoperability, keeping pace with the rapid changes across the communications and media industries.”
For further information about Broadband Forum’s transition, please read the full press release.
Connectin’ around the Christmas tree – let the Christmas bandwidth ring
OpenVault predicts that US residential broadband consumption will reach up to 330 gigabytes per subscriber this holiday season.
By using historical trends from the past five years and the third-quarter average of 275GB per subscriber usage, OpenVault reported a holiday mean usage of 315GB to 330GB per subscriber, as residential subscribers have never had such a plethora of content to view.
According to a report from PwC, 90% of US consumers now watch video over the internet, and during the holidays, they undoubtedly will unwrap more smartphones, smart 4K and 8K TVs, laptops, tablets and other connected devices. These gifts will test operators’ networks, especially during peak hours, as OpenVault reported last year there was a 5.3% increase in connected devices between the week before Christmas and the week after Christmas.
“The holiday season is prime time for spikes in broadband usage that put increased stress on operators’ infrastructures,” said Mark Trudeau, CEO and founder of OpenVault. “As the ribbons and bows come off countless new devices and they are connected to the Internet, they combine with cord-cutting, broadband network upgrades and higher speed packages to drive usage to record levels, ultimately setting the stage for the year ahead.”
Samsung Heavy and SK Telecom make waves with 5G-powered ship navigation
Samsung Heavy and SK Telecom are testing 5G-powered autonomous ship navigation platform.
Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has partnered with SK Telecom (SKT) to develop a 5G-based remote control navigation test platform. Leveraging the power of the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, the navigation platform will guide vessels to autonomously sail towards their fixed destinations.
A successful test of the navigation platform has already been carried out using a 3.3m-long test ship, which was independently constructed by SHI and travelled to its destination in the sea near SHI’s Geoje Shipyard.
The ship was equipped with a cloud-based IoT platform and T Live Caster, 5G-based LiDAR, and real-time video monitoring technology offered by SK Telecom. During the course of travel, the ship successfully recognized and negotiated maritime obstacles and safely sailed to the destination.
“This successful test marks a meaningful step towards commercialization of technologies for autonomous navigation of ships powered by 5G. SK Telecom will continue to drive innovations in the manufacturing sector with the world’s best 5G network and technologies,” said SK Telecom B2B Business Office Head Choi Il-gyu.
Bon Appetite! Orange adds a dash of rural France to its fiber diet
Orange will deploy a “very high speed” broadband network in the less densely populated areas of France. The European Investment Bank loaned the French provider €700 million to address “Appel a Manifestation d’Intentions d’Investissements” (AMII) areas, which the French government is targeting by issuing investment letters of intent.
These areas were defined in 2011 as places where population density and digital coverage were considered as being moderate; they are urban areas located outside very dense areas. This loan will address all investments made in France within this zone and will help finance the completion of the deployment of Orange’s networks in the AMII areas.
We built this city on rock and roll(out)!
New Zealand has become the 22nd country in the world to launch commercial 5G services, with Vodafone NZ introducing commercial 5G network services across four cities.
Vodafone NZ has become the first mobile network operator to offer next-generation mobile services by switching on its 5G networks in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
“Our team has been working hard to light up Aotearoa with a remarkable new 5G mobile network, along with awesome new smartphones in time for Christmas,” said Vodafone New Zealand CEO Jason Paris.
“5G is our most powerful tool yet that will make the ‘life remotes’ in our pocket even more essential. The fifth-generation network will mean our cities and communities can become more connected, smarter, safer and healthier. 5G represents greater speed, latency, capacity and security – as well as an enhanced Internet of Things. If 4G was the era of the Smartphone, 5G will be the era of Connected Everything,” he added.
It’s now or Nether: KPN begins large-scale fiber installation in Amsterdam
More than 320,000 households in Amsterdam will be connected to KPN’s fiber optic network, according to Touria Meliani, Digital City councilor for the Municipality of Amsterdam, and Willem Offerhaus, KPN’s director of Executive Relations & Strategic projects. In the first quarter of 2020, KPN will start the rollout in the neighborhoods of Amsterdam-North and Buitenveldert.
“For me, it is important that Amsterdam’s residents have affordable access to the best and most secure Internet that there is. Participation starts with access, and the installation of fiber optics contributes to this. It was the council’s wish to start construction in Amsterdam North, so that the area can develop further as a digital frontrunner for businesses, consumers, and residents,” said Councilor Touria Meliani.
Willem Offerhaus added: “We are also proud to be able to rollout fiber optic in our capital and thus fulfill our main social responsibility, connecting households with the most modern network there is. What’s more, we’re talking about a substantial investment, because the installation of fiber optics in a city such as Amsterdam is complex. The Amsterdam rollout ensures the installation of fiber optics in key cities is on the right track. Previously, we announced the rollout of fiber optic in large cities such as Zwolle, Apeldoorn, Nijmegen, Arnhem, Alkmaar and The Hague. In the coming period, we plan to make more announcements.”
More than 320,000 households in Amsterdam will be connected to KPN’s fiber optic network, according to Touria Meliani, Digital City councilor for the Municipality of Amsterdam, and Willem Offerhaus, KPN’s director of Executive Relations & Strategic projects. In the first quarter of 2020, KPN will start the rollout in the neighborhoods of Amsterdam-North and Buitenveldert.
“For me, it is important that Amsterdam’s residents have affordable access to the best and most secure Internet that there is. Participation starts with access, and the installation of fiber optics contributes to this. It was the council’s wish to start construction in Amsterdam North, so that the area can develop further as a digital frontrunner for businesses, consumers, and residents,” said Councilor Touria Meliani.
Willem Offerhaus added: “We are also proud to be able to rollout fiber optic in our capital and thus fulfill our main social responsibility, connecting households with the most modern network there is. What’s more, we’re talking about a substantial investment, because the installation of fiber optics in a city such as Amsterdam is complex. The Amsterdam rollout ensures the installation of fiber optics in key cities is on the right track. Previously, we announced the rollout of fiber optic in large cities such as Zwolle, Apeldoorn, Nijmegen, Arnhem, Alkmaar and The Hague. In the coming period, we plan to make more announcements.”
Oh come, all Ye abstracts … BASe OFC looking for presentations
The Broadband Forum BASe OFC “PON Reality Check 2020” event is opening its call for Presentation Abstracts – and they are DUE January 9!
Broadband Forum will be hosting a full-day Broadband Acceleration Seminar (BASe) OFC on March 12 at OFC 2020 in San Diego. This year’s seminar will build on last year’s highly successful seminar, where a packed room heard service provider perspectives and insights shared by Verizon, SK Broadband (Korea), BT, Google Fiber, and the Fiber Broadband Association, as well as from top tier analysts and leading vendors/suppliers. This year’s event will focus on the theme “PON Reality Check 2020”.
We are looking for service provider, vendor, and analyst perspectives and insights on:
- Innovative insights and projections on the market and the array of existing and emerging PON architectures (EPON, GPON, XGS, NG-PON2, WDM PON, 25/50G PON, Super PON…)
- Perspectives on the state of standards (Broadband Forum, ITU, IEEE…)
- Ecosystem readiness for emerging use cases and applications
- State of Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC) and 5G
- Best practices across the full spectrum of potential implementations – from SDN/NFV and network slicing to fiber extension technologies and whole home networking
Deliverables:
- Abstracts: Due by January 9
- Final agenda based on abstract selection: Due by January 21
- Final presentations: Due by February 28
- Event date: March 12 (8am-5pm) at OFC San Diego
Send Questions and Abstract Submissions (Include presentation title, one paragraph abstract summary, company name, and suggested presenter/title) to BASeChair@broadband-forum.org
A Series of Fortunate Events – by Broadband Forum
Following the success of BASe North America in October at ConneXions 2019 – and our two large BASe workshops at BBWF 2019 – Broadband Forum will once again host its next BASe event at the Optical Networking and Communication Conference & Exhibition on March 12 in San Diego, California. Combining over 500 participants this year, and featuring keynote updates from Verizon, Google, CityFibre, BT, Telstra, DT, Vodafone, Telus and SK Broadband – next year promises to be as busy as ever!
We are looking forward to taking it to even higher levels in 2020 and are looking for innovative and visionary vendors to participate. The Forum is actively recruiting sponsorships for its 2020 Broadband Acceleration Seminars (BASe).
You don’t want to miss out!
For more information, click on the links provided for details on the 2020 Global sponsorship and UFBB BASe sponsorship packages, or reach out to info@broadband-forum.org.
UFBB BASe 2020 is the premier communications industry event which focuses on the important policies, trends, technologies and opportunities that will affect broadband in Europe and beyond. Unique in its balance of vision, real-world experience, and technical/operational insights, the former TNO Ultra-Fast Broadband Seminar has developed a stellar reputation over the last decade for thought leadership, high quality speakers, technical acumen, and a collaborative and energetic vibe. This year’s three-day event will be taking place June 2-4 at the NH Hotel in Den Haag, the Netherlands. Mark the event in your calendar and stay tuned for more information!
For Press and Analyst inquiries, contact Proactive PR at broadbandforum@proactive-pr.com
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