2022.06.17 – Open Broadband News

Boosting brightness with cloud-native

Telcos can gain cloud-native smarts from their hyperscaler partners. Telcos should mostly seek help from their public cloud partners in the key areas of cloud-native processes and how best to manage workloads. This was concluded from results of a poll conducted during the recent DSP Leaders World Forum 2022 event.

Network operators are brokering multiple partnerships with the hyperscaler giants with the aim of not only leveraging their platforms and co-developing applications and services but learning key skills that will help them as they transition towards more cloud-oriented processes and systems.

Of those who voted, 53% believe telcos really need help with learning and implementing cloud-native processes. And, very much related to that, some 46% of respondents believe the telcos absolutely need help in figuring out how to scale and distribute workloads. ‘Analytics and observability’ was also identified as an area where the telcos could benefit from some hyperscaler help, while ‘developing AI-based operations’ and ‘edge and MEC deployments’ both attracted votes from 37% of respondents.

Synchronized Signal: Device provides 5G signal and wireless power to IoT devices simultaneously

The number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is anticipated to rise alongside global improvements to 5G network coverage. However, such devices typically face hurdles regarding their connectivity and power supply; namely, short transmission distances and a fixed direction from which power can be received wirelessly.

The researchers from Tokyo Tech have reported the production of a wirelessly powered transmitter-receiver for 5G networks that overcomes both problems.

Dr Atsushi Shirane, who led the project, said: “The millimetre-wave wireless power transfer system is a promising solution for massive Internet of Things, yet it has been hampered by technical problems. We were thus able to make a breakthrough by producing a 5G transceiver with high efficiency at big angles and distances.”

South Africa to launch own satellite to enhance broadband connectivity

South Africa is ready to launch its own satellite to enhance the reach of broadband connectivity in the country, according to Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Minster of Communications and Digital Technologies.

Speaking at the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2022 in a Partner to Connect session, she told delegates that South Africa was implementing a Broadband Connectivity drive through a programme called South Africa (SA) Connect, with its goal to ensure that all South Africans have access to the Internet by 2024.

Ntshavheni said: “The most fundamental requirement for a digital world is access to broadband connectivity by all, irrespective of geographic location and economic standing.”

XGS-PON is hot, driving strong Q1 broadband equipment sales

Broadband access equipment sales were strong for the first quarter of 2022, increasing 14% compared to the same period of 2021, according to a new report from Dell’Oro Group.

A large part of that growth was driven by XGS-PON sales. North American service providers have moved away from GPON to equipment that can support XGS-PON.

“North America is head and shoulders above the rest of the world” when it comes to XGS-PON, said Heynen, who noted that Dell’Oro Group forecasts nearly 800,000 XGS-PON ports to be sold in 2022, up from 94,000 ports in 2020.

Omdia: Four forces driving 1-Gig as ‘new global standard’

The number of global wireline operators offering 1-Gig or greater broadband service has jumped in recent years from 45% in 2019 to 60% today. In North America, that figure is up to 88% today from 78% in 2019.

Those findings are courtesy of a recent report from analyst firm Omdia. The analysts surveyed more than 760 fixed broadband service providers across 178 geographies to grasp the increase in gigabit offerings, what’s behind it and what it means.

“While closing the digital divide is not driving many gigabit offerings at this time, it is making many last miles less cost prohibitive, and therefore gigabit services will be able to be offered at a later time,” said Jaimie Lenderman, Principal Analyst and Research Manager at Omdia.