2022.04.29 – Open Broadband News

Network Slicing, Multi-access Edge Computing and Private Networks to Boost 5G Growth in Asia-Pacific, Finds Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis of the Asia-Pacific 5G market reveals that the 5G network, boosted by multi-access edge computing (MEC), will strengthen the region’s overall 5G market growth. In addition, the integration of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and robotics is rapidly increasing real-time automation, fostering greater connectivity in workspaces, and significantly expanding the monetization potential for mobile operators.

As a result, APAC 5G revenue is expected to grow from $2.13 billion in 2020 to $23.89 billion in 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 62.2%. This exponential growth will be largely driven by 5G connectivity and improved performance over 4G. Revenues from 5G network slicing will contribute to the total revenue of the region when the 5G capabilities are incorporated into commercially viable solutions for customers.

“The new dimensions of 5G are triggering the development of new services and technology monetization. Most local governments in APAC support domestic 5G deployments because they help drive economic growth. Mobile operators look to 5G to drive new revenue streams beyond connectivity and help them regain competitiveness against fixed broadband providers,” noted Mei Lee Quah, Director, ICT at Frost & Sullivan. “By 2025, 5G will attract approximately 70%–80% of APAC’s investments in mobile networks.”

How infrastructure investment boosts Internet penetration – Experts

About 300 million more Africans are expected to be online in the next five years, according to experts in the telecommunication industry. In response to the development, investment in telecom infrastructure to boost capacity on the continent has picked up in the last couple of years. There has been an increase in foreign-backed and local subsea cables on the continent to boost Internet access.

With the lowest global Internet penetration rate of 39.3 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa, experts consider investments in subsea cables as one way of increasing access. This increase in capacity is expected to boost Internet access in the nation and on the continent. However, experts have said that there is a need to increase last-mile capacity to fully enjoy the fruits that recent investments are set to herald.

The Director of Google West Africa, Juliet Ehimuan, said: “For us to realise capacity with the end-user, the capacity must be transmitted across the country. When you look at the end-to-end value chain of Internet infrastructure provision, there are different points. This is taking care of the international leg, but that capacity also needs to be distributed. That’s why we are open and looking forward to partnerships with telecom operators and with Internet service providers so that they can take advantage of this additional capacity and make an impact in terms of last mile.”

Egypt’s mobile, fixed internet usage up by 68%, 39% within 24 hours in Ramadan 2022

The use of Egypt’s mobile and fixed internet services increased by 68 and 39 percent respectively within a 24-hour-period in Ramadan 2022 compared to last Ramadan, the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) said in its April report.

This comes in line with the rise of mobile internet users to 11 million and fixed internet users to around 980,000 within a single day of Ramadan 2022, the NTRA said without determining the specific date. The use of internet globally has been on the rise over the past two years amid a surge in remote learning and working, online shopping, and other online activities due to the coronavirus pandemic. Aside from remote online meetings — which declined by 2 percent across Egypt within a single day this Ramadan compared to last year — usage of other internet services has been increasing.

Watching short videos uploaded via apps like TikTok, Likee, etc increased by 158 percent. The number of these videos’ creators also rose to 17 million, and the total number of hours spent viewing this kind of content reached 3.5 million hours per day in total, the NTRA said.

‘Open-source Wi-Fi mesh’ solution adds features and quickens time to market for ISPs

Internet Service Providers (ISP) will be able to deploy fully open-source Wi-Fi mesh networks, including standardised application programming interface (API)s enabling new services and features more quickly and with better interoperability than previously possible.

The prpl Foundation and its service providers have announced a major acceleration of its prplMesh open-source Wi-Fi mesh software stack, which will be made carrier grade by the end of this year. The Wi-Fi mesh architecture enables robust whole-home Wi-Fi coverage that is self-organising and easily manageable. By actively harmonising the community on standardised APIs, plus having all this software available as an open-source commodity, ISPs will benefit from quicker time to market and improved interoperability through common implementations.

prplMesh is already deployed in the field and this 2022 acceleration will bring added value to the ecosystem. This includes:

• Compliance with the latest EasyMeshprotocol features standardised by the Wi-Fi Alliance in Releases R3, R4 and R5
• Compliance with Data Elementsfor remote troubleshooting standardised by the Wi-Fi Alliance
• Compliance with common remote manageability protocols standardised by the Broadband Forum (e.g., TR-181 Device Data Model)
• Support for third-party smart Wi-Fi providers (e.g., intelligent self-organising fronthaul and backhaul links to adapt to the unique environment in each subscriber’s home)
• Support for latest Wi-Fi 6E Tri-Band capabilities including many new channels in the 6GHz band
• IPTV multicast capabilities

Research: U.S. Broadband Cord Cutters Approach 14 Million

The study, entitled “Quantified Consumer: Fixed vs. Wireless—Consumers’ Shifting Broadband Preferences,” found that U.S. Internet households pay an average of $1,392 annually for home Internet. For a growing number of households, that cost is too high.

Parks Associates estimates that broadband cord cutters save between $600 and $1,800 per year. It is an option being taken by many, with more than 13.9 million home Internet cord cutters in the United States, according to the research. That is a missed revenue opportunity of more than $10.5 billion, according to Parks. Reasons for cord cutting are, in descending order of prevalence: Cost, a preference for mobility, trouble with the broadband provider, having moved and not yet gotten reconnected, lack of availability and lack of need.

“Consumers overall are increasingly concerned with quality over price; however, older households are concerned about costs,” Parks Associates Director of Research Kristen Hanich said. “Over 80% of those 65+ cite cost as a factor for cancelling their home internet, and almost two-thirds of this age group say that they prefer using their mobile internet.”