2022.10.07 – Open Broadband News

Two new 5G transport specifications help support demanding 5G applications

Broadband Forum has released its technical report 5G Transport Architecture and Requirements (TR-521) that gives recommendations for architecture and equipment requirements to provide transport networks suitable for supporting 5G mobile radio access network (RAN).

A 5G transport network interconnects a 5G RAN and provides connectivity to the 5G mobile core network.

Various technologies can be deployed to support new 5G use cases within the 5G transport network. Among these are proven technologies such as Ethernet, Ethernet VPN (as specified in prior Broadband Forum work such as TR-350, TR-224, and TR-221), as well as emerging technologies from Broadband Forum partners such as IEEE 802, ITU-T SG15 and IETF.

“The publication of TR-521 provides a functional reference architecture, and equipment requirements for transport networks supporting 5G fronthaul and backhaul. It benefits both operators in specifying what is expected of the transport equipment they procure and transport equipment vendors in deciding what to implement and how it will be used”, said David Sinicrope, Broadband Forum’s Access and Transport Architecture (ATA) Work Area Director.

Read the full press release here.

Monetizing the new and vibrant connected home with USP

Originating from the COVID-19 pandemic, home offices have become fashionable and working from home is now the norm, placing increased demand on the connectivity in the home. The number of connected devices continues to climb, evolving the managed connected home ecosystem which is supplying service providers with a unique opportunity to monetize emerging technologies for end-users. For the customer to take full advantage of the abundance of new connected devices that are being brought into the home, they need to experience seamless connectivity.

The interconnection and interoperability of multiple devices, services, and apps, ranging from security to home automation and entertainment, is essential to deriving value from the connected home. Standardizing the connected home offers a number of benefits to operators, consumer electronics manufacturers, and application providers, creating an interoperable ecosystem that is easy and effective to manage.

New and up-to-date standardized protocols have been introduced, such as TR-369 or User Service Platform (USP), to respond to the rapidly growing needs and demands of the connected world. USP co-exists with and represents the natural evolution of TR-069 as it offers an easy migration path for those that wish to introduce it into new and existing environments.

Read the full editorial article from Daniel Egger, a Principal Software Engineer at Axiros GmbH and Program Stream Lead for Data Modelling within the BUS Work Area of the Broadband Forum in Telecoms.com here.

FBA CEO says ‘no one too expensive to reach’ with fiber

A recent round of government grants revealed the startling costs associated with covering residents in the most remote parts of the U.S. But while $200,000 per passing might seem like an eye-popping figure, Fiber Broadband Association Chief Gary Bolton told Fierce Telecom that number applies to only the most extreme deployments. And in any event, he added, the long-term economic and systemic benefits of bringing fiber to such locations outweigh the upfront costs.

According to Bolton, the average cost for a Tier-1 operator to deploy fiber is between $600 to $1,500 per passing. For rural homes on larger lots of six to eight acres, the cost rises to between $2,000 and $4,000 per passing. Extremely rural homes, he continued, usually run anywhere from $3,000 to $4,000 per passing.

“There’s no one too expensive to reach. If you can get power there, you should be putting fiber there,” Bolton said. “The reason is if you don’t put fiber you’re not going to create the economic development and jobs and education and everything that you’re going to be able to do to be able to grow the economy in that location.”

Japan SVoD revenue expected to reach $7.3bn in 2027

The Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) service revenue in Japan is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.1% from $4.5 billion in 2022 to $7.3 billion in 2027.

GlobalData, the data and analytics company forecasts that this growth has been driven by the strong growth in subscriptions and unique households, and a steady rise in the average monthly revenue per unique SVoD household.

GlobalData’s Japan SVoD Forecast Model (Q3-2022) reveals that the growth in SVoD subscriptions in the country during 2022-2027 will be supported by the continued rise in household penetration of fixed broadband services, particularly fiber optic (FTTH/B) services, and the subsequent consumer shift from traditional pay-TV services to various Over-The-Top (OTT) video platforms.

Despite the recent boom, Europe’s cloud providers are feeding on scraps

While Europe has aspirations to boost its home-grown tech and digital capabilities and reduce its reliance on suppliers from North America and Asia in many areas, including semiconductor production, courtesy of the European Chips Act, there’s one part of the sector where, it seems, reliance on overseas giants will need to be accepted as the inevitable status quo – cloud platforms and associated services.

According to the latest analysis by Synergy Research Group, the European cloud infrastructure services sector, has grown tremendously over the past five years. It was worth €10.4bn (US$10.15bn) during the second quarter of 2022, five times as big as it was in 2017.

But while European players have grown their cloud revenues by 167% during that period, their collective market share has shrunk to 13% from 27% as their growth lagged behind that of the overall market.