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☆ Military and defense leaders explain how 5G and Open RAN are helping solve networking challenges
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

5G and Open RAN are some networking technologies they highlighted. "5G networks will enable automated guided vehicles, port and airfield operations, and cutting-edge telemedicine such as remote access to specialists and rapid creation of field hospitals," Ramirez said. "So looking at this from the perspective of how do we actually manipulate these systems internally, we've gone 100% in on Open RAN as our solution. We have a perspective of how Open RAN is the basis for taking advantage of these technologies and pushing us into the 6G era." The Department of Defense is working with academic and industry leaders on Open RAN to bring its communications systems into a new era, he said.

Persons: —, It's, Venice Goodwine, that's, Goodwine, Juan Ramirez, Ramirez, Tom Rondeau, Rondeau, we've Organizations: MWC Las Vegas, RAN, Service, MWC, Vegas, Radio Access, Department of, Air Force, Air, Department of Defense, Department Locations: Venice

☆ Quad group expands maritime security cooperation at Biden's farewell summit
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) prepares to pose for a group photo with Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong (2nd R), Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (2nd L) and India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (L) at the start of their Quad Ministerial Meeting at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo on July 29, 2024. The leaders announced joint coast guard operations next year that will include Australian, Japanese and Indian personnel spending time on a U.S. coast guard vessel. The leaders' joint statement included sharp language about North Korea, condemning its ballistic missile launches and "malicious cyber activity." "But I think China's recent maritime aggression could be changing the equation for India and could be prompting India to become a bit more open to the idea of Quad security cooperation," she said. Before the summit, Albanese met with Biden at his home and discussed bilateral cooperation between the two close allies across defense and security, including in the Indo-Pacific.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Penny Wong, Yoko Kamikawa, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Joe Biden, Biden, Fumio Kishida, Narendra Modi, Anthony Albanese, Xi Jinping, he's, Lisa Curtis, Kishida, Modi, Albanese, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris Organizations: Australia's Foreign, Japan's, India's, of, Indian, Australian, Pacific Partnership, Maritime Domain, House, Analysts, East China Seas, East China, U.S, China, Center, New, New American Security, congressional Locations: Tokyo, of Australia, India, Japan, United States, China, Delaware, U.S, Beijing, South China, South, East, Taiwan, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, North Korea, Islands, Southeast Asia, Asia, New American, Australia, Philadelphia

Senior Biden administration officials told reporters ahead of the meeting that the leaders would announce plans to expand an Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, launched two years ago to include the Indian Ocean region. Analysts said the expected outcomes would mostly build on work that has already been done within the Quad, which Biden elevated to summit level in 2021. It is true in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, South China, South Asia and the Taiwan Strait,” Biden continued. “But I think China’s recent maritime aggression could be changing the equation for India and could be prompting India to become a bit more open to the idea of Quad security cooperation,” she said. Albanese told reporters on Thursday that Canberra and Washington share concerns about China’s security ambitions in Pacific islands countries where Beijing is seeking a growing policing role.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Anthony Albanese, Narendra Modi, Fumio Kishida, Saturday’s, “, ”, Antony Blinken, he’s, ” Biden, Xi Jinping, Jake Sullivan’s, Sullivan, ” Sullivan, “ It’s, Lisa Curtis, Kishida, “ We’re, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Albanese, “ We’ll Organizations: United States, Australian, Anthony Albanese , Indian, Japanese, Biden, Pacific Partnership, Maritime, Indian, U.S . Coast Guard, Journalists, China’s, People’s Republic of China, Analysts, East China Seas, Center, New, New American Security, White House, CIA, State Department, congressional Locations: Australia, India, Japan, China, Anthony Albanese ,, Wilmington , Delaware, Southeast Asia, South China, East China, South Asia, Taiwan Strait, People’s Republic of, South, East, Beijing, Asia, New American, U.S, Canberra, Washington, Pacific

☆ Ericsson's Q1 profit grows unexpectedly, eyes stabilisation of sales in H2
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Telecom equipment maker Ericsson reported on Tuesday a first-quarter adjusted profit that beat expectations and said sales might stabilise in the second half of the year despite weak demand for 5G gear. Operating profit excluding restructuring charges grew unexpectedly, to 4.3 billion crowns ($394.40 million) from a year-earlier 4.0 billion despite a 15% sales drop. The profit included a one-off gain of 1.9 billion crowns related to the resolution of a commercial dispute, Ericsson said. "In the second half, our margins should benefit from improved business mix," it said. Ericsson on Tuesday forecast a gross margin excluding restructuring charges at the Networks division of 42%-44% for the second quarter of 2024.

Persons: Ericsson Organizations: Telecom, Ericsson, LSEG, Radio Access Network, Networks Locations: Swedish, North America, China

☆ White House says it’s very concerned by China’s actions in the South China Sea ahead of key trilateral meeting
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —The White House is very concerned by China’s actions in the South China Sea, a senior administration official said, as President Joe Biden prepares to draw two Asian allies closer at a historic meeting on Thursday. Japan and the Philippines both have separate territorial disputes with China, in the former’s case the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and in the latter’s areas of the South China Sea. Meanwhile, China claims the shoal, which is in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, as its sovereign territory, as it does much of the South China Sea, in defiance of an international arbitration ruling. CNN has previously reported that the three leaders will hold private discussions on the South China Sea. A senior administration official also said that on Thursday the White House will be announcing a new infrastructure project in the Philippines.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Fumio Kishida, Thomas, Kishida, Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte, “ We’re, ” Biden, Australia –, ”, Brad Lendon, Arlette Saenz, Kayla Tausche Organizations: Washington CNN, Japanese, East China, China Coast Guard, CNN, American, White, Clark Air Base, Subic Naval Base, Coast Guard Locations: South China, Japan, Philippines, China, East, Philippine, Palawan, Taiwan, South, North Korea, Russia, Kishida, Ukraine, Manila, Asia, Pacific, United States, Beijing, India, US, Australia

☆ Ericsson warns of 2024 market decline despite Q4 earnings beat
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ericsson said it expects further decline in 5G gear demand from mobile operators this year after beating fourth-quarter operating profit expectations on Tuesday helped by software sales. Telecoms equipment suppliers are expecting a challenging 2024 as 5G equipment sales - a key source of revenue - are slowing in North America, while India, a growth market, may also see a slowdown. That was mostly due to higher-margin software sales and lower sales of 5G equipment to lower-margin countries such as India. Ericsson said it would get a boost in the second half of the year from a $14 billion telecom deal with AT&T that it won over rival Nokia. The company on Tuesday also appointed Lars Sandstrom as chief financial officer, replacing long-time company veteran Carl Mellander.

Persons: Carl Mellander, Mellander, Börje Ekholm, Ericsson, Lars Sandstrom Organizations: Ericsson, Nokia, RAN, Radio Locations: North America, India, China

☆ Nokia plunges to three-year low after losing major AT&T deal to rival Ericsson
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Shares of Finland's Nokia plunged to a three-year-low, as the telecoms company lost out on a major deal to roll out a new telecoms network in the U.S. with industry juggernaut AT&T. Helsinki-listed Nokia shares were down 7% at 9:40 a.m. London time on the news that AT&T will be partnering with Swedish rival Ericsson, which will manufacture 5G equipment for the project at its factory in Lewisville, Texas. AT&T spend is set to be near $14 billion over its five-year contract with Ericsson, the companies said late Monday. The partnership covers the deployment of an open radio access network (Open RAN) in the U.S., which AT&T expects to use for 70% of its wireless network traffic by late 2026. Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark called the news "disappointing," but said that the company remained "fully committed" to Open RAN and had a strategy to diversify its business and improve profitability.

Persons: Pekka Lundmark Organizations: Ericsson, Nokia, Helsinki, Swedish, RAN Locations: U.S, London, Lewisville , Texas, Stockholm

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Apple, Nio, CVS Health, GitLab and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. Nio — The Chinese automaker climbed about 3% after reporting a smaller-than-expected loss in the third quarter. Nio has taken steps to bring down costs recently, including a 10% cut to its workforce last month. CVS Health — Shares gained 4% after CVS said it would overhaul the way it prices prescription drugs . GitLab — The software company's shares jumped more than 12% a day after the company reported better-than-expected results for the fiscal third quarter.

Persons: Nio, GitLab, Adecoagro, Albemarle —, Piper Sandler, —, Samantha Subin, Hakyung Kim, Sarah Min, Alex Harring, Pia Singh, Michelle Fox Organizations: Apple, Bank of America, CVS, FactSet, UBS —, UBS, Suisse, Nokia, Ericsson —, Ericsson's, Ericsson, Albemarle Locations: China, U.S, Monday's, Ericsson's U.S, Sweden, Finland

The AT&T logo is seen on a store in Golden, Colorado United States July 25, 2017. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Dec 4 (Reuters) - AT&T (T.N) said on Monday it plans to use so-called ORAN technology for 70% of its wireless network traffic in the United States by late 2026 and will move from two telecom vendors to one. While the technology has been tested by several telecom providers, it has not been widely adopted. AT&T's push for the technology will likely be a major boost for Open RAN. The U.S. telecom company's spending could approach roughly $14 billion over the five-year term of the contract with that one vendor, the company said.

Persons: Rick Wilking, Supantha Mukherjee, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Golden , Colorado United, REUTERS, Rights, Open RAN, Ericsson, Nokia, Thomson Locations: Golden ,, Golden , Colorado United States, ORAN, United States, U.S, Stockholm

☆ AT&T chooses Ericsson for new U.S telecom network, will drop Nokia
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

New networks by Dish and Japan's Rakuten use Open RAN. "All of the new equipment that we are going to be putting out will be Open RAN capable," Chris Sambar, president of AT&T Network, told Reuters. Winning the Open RAN deal will make Ericsson the largest supplier to AT&T as it slowly takes over Nokia's share, the company said. AT&T will still have contracts which other Open RAN vendors outside this deal. AT&T expects fully integrated Open RAN sites operating in coordination with Ericsson and Fujitsu, starting in 2024.

Persons: Chris Sambar, Sambar, You've Organizations: Ericsson, Mobile, Nokia, Huawei, Telefonica, Vodafone, Dish, RAN, AT, T Network, Reuters, Samsung, Verizon, U.S ., Fujitsu Locations: Barcelona, Spain, ORAN, United States, New York

New networks by Dish (DISH.O) and Japan's Rakuten (4755.T) use Open RAN. "All of the new equipment that we are going to be putting out will be Open RAN capable," Chris Sambar, president of AT&T Network, told Reuters. Winning the Open RAN deal will make Ericsson the largest supplier to AT&T as it slowly takes over Nokia's share, the company said. AT&T will still have contracts which other Open RAN vendors outside this deal. AT&T expects fully integrated Open RAN sites operating in coordination with Ericsson and Fujitsu (6702.T), starting in 2024.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Japan's Rakuten, Chris Sambar, Sambar, You've, Supantha Mukherjee, Matthew Lewis Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, Telefonica, Vodafone, RAN, AT, T Network, Reuters, Samsung, Verizon, U.S ., Fujitsu, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, ORAN, United States, Stockholm

☆ Rakuten CEO touts Viber's ability to counter Russian 'fake news'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hiroshi Mikitani, CEO of Rakuten, attends the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., July 10, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Hiroshi Mikitani, the founder and chief executive of Rakuten Group (4755.T), on Saturday touted the ability of his company's Viber messaging platform to counter Russian propaganda. "Unlike other social media, we've made it crystal clear we're going to block all these fake news and propaganda of Russia," Mikitani told Reuters in a Zoom interview during a visit to Kyiv. Viber, which launched in 2010 and was acquired by Rakuten in 2014, has a 98% market penetration rate in Ukraine. Asked if the app had faced attempts to breach it by Russia, he said there had not been any breaches.

Persons: Hiroshi Mikitani, Brendan McDermid, we've, Mikitani, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Viber, Rakuten, Max Hunder, Mike Harrison Organizations: Allen, Co, Sun, REUTERS, Rights, Rakuten, Saturday, Reuters, Access, Thomson Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, U.S, Russia, Kyiv, Ukraine

A DB spokesperson told Reuters that under current IT security legislation it did not have to run network components by Germany's cybersecurity office, the BSI, unlike public telecoms network operators. A BSI spokesperson said it was not aware of any law that determined the DB IT systems as "critical components". A Huawei spokesperson said the firm would never harm any nation or individual. The December contract with Deutsche Telekom Business Solutions, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, is for Huawei tech like switches and routers. A government source said it had detected some operators had already built in Huawei critical components without waiting for a BSI green light and could be required to replace those.

"But after years of dithering, the German 5G network is deeply dependent on Chinese suppliers. Huawei, ZTE and China's government reject these claims, saying that they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals. GERMANY LAGGINGWhile several countries across Europe are still formulating telecom policies, only Britain and Sweden have so far banned Huawei and ZTE from supplying critical 5G network equipment. The German government was last month unable to answer a parliamentary request about how many Huawei components operators were using in their 5G networks, filed in part in response to the report. The deadline to remove all Huawei gear from Britain's 5G networks by the end of 2027 remains unchanged.

"But after years of dithering, the German 5G network is deeply dependent on Chinese suppliers. Huawei, ZTE and China's government reject these claims, saying that they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals. The government would ban operators from using certain controlling elements from Huawei and ZTE in 5G networks. The German government was last month unable to answer a recent parliamentary request about how many Huawei components operators were using in their 5G networks. The deadline to remove all Huawei gear from Britain's 5G networks by the end of 2027 remains unchanged.

☆ Germany planning to ban Huawei, ZTE from parts of 5G networks -paper
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, March 6 (Reuters) - Germany's government is planning on forbidding telecoms operators from using certain components from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in their 5G networks, German paper Zeit Online reported on Monday. The ban could include components already built into the networks, requiring operators to remove and replace them, Zeit Online wrote, citing government sources. Huawei, ZTE and the Chinese government reject these claims, saying that they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals. Germany passed an IT security law in 2021 setting high hurdles for makers of telecommunications equipment for next-generation networks, but stopping short of banning Huawei and ZTE as some other countries have done. The government would ban operators from using certain controlling elements from Huawei and ZTE in 5G networks.

☆ There’s hope beyond moaning for European telcos
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The annual Barcelona tech fest this week was in line with tradition, but a different mood music could also be heard beyond the bleatings of European telco executives. The good news for them is that European competition authorities seem to have been mollified by the constant pleading, and could take a softer approach to consolidation in the industry. Höttges compared the 55 billion euros invested by European telcos on infrastructure last year to the 1 billion euros invested in connectivity by those he calls the “hyperscalers”. The hope is now that, considering the European telcos’ low return on investment, European competition authorities will review their strict stance on consolidation in the sector. But European telcos also have means to address some of the problems they are facing without giving the impression that everything depends on forces beyond their control.

☆ EU industry chief Breton says not favouring Big Telecoms over Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Monday defended a consultation on whether Big Tech should foot the bill for billions of euros of investments in Europe's telecoms infrastructure, saying it was not about putting Big Telecoms' interests above tech companies. Still, Breton took a swipe at the big U.S. tech companies with their large-scale data centres, their cloud-based radio access network (RAN) - the radio element of a cellular system - and their closed ecosystems. "And interoperability or openness are not currently a strong feature of their business model." "I see these two issues as currently holding back our collective potential compared to other continents," Breton said. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nokia signs deal with MTN to expand 5G in South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Nokia (NOKIA.HE) said on Monday it has been selected by MTN South Africa (MTNJ.J) for the first time ever as one of its 5G radio access network equipment providers, as the mobile carrier expands next-generation wireless services across the country. "Under the deal, Nokia will modernise the existing 2G, 3G, 4G radio network and expand MTN's 5G radio network across 2,800 sites in the central and eastern part of the country," Nokia said in a statement. Nokia did not give financial details of the deal. MTN South Africa, the second biggest carrier in the country, snapped up airwaves worth 5.2 billion rand ($282.66 million) in a 14.4 billion rand spectrum auction in March last year. Even before the auction it had launched 5G services in select cities.

☆ World-first ideas unveiled at MWC 2023 by UK telecoms innovators
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With The Uk'S Department For Business | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

At the upcoming Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, collaboration and convergence will be priorities. MWC is a 'Digital World Congress' that will see more worldwide digital innovation from the UK and across the world." Attocore, recently awarded a grant for accelerating Radio Access Network (RAN) intelligence, sits alongside mobile giants Ericsson and Samsung in advancing the security of UK mobile networks. With 5G networks, an estimated £173 billion of incremental UK GDP will be added to the UK economy by 2030. MWC and scaling UK technologyMobile World Congress is also a great opportunity for big ideas to reach an even bigger audience.

☆ Germany ups reliance on Huawei for 5G despite security fears -survey
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Sarah Marsh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Many European countries have banned Chinese companies from all or part of their 5G networks on security grounds, amid intense diplomatic pressure from the United States. Germany, home to operators like Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE) and O2 (O2Dn.DE), passed an IT security law two years ago setting high hurdles for makers of telecommunications equipment for the "critical components" of 5G networks. The German network agency referred Reuters to regulation that shows differentiated treatment for core and RAN components. The information security office did not reply to a request for comment on whether the high share of Chinese components could pose a security threat. A strategy paper by Germany's Greens-run economy ministry has recommended increased scrutiny of components from authoritarian states in critical infrastructure.

☆ Ericsson profit margin to reach low end of target range by 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Company to reach lower end of 15-18% EBITA range by 2024Accelerating cost cuts of 9 bln SEK by end of next yearSTOCKHOLM, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson (ERICb.ST) said on Thursday it was committed to reaching the lower end of its long-term target of a profit (EBITA) margin of 15-18% by 2024 as it outlined strategy to investors. Ericsson reported an EBITA margin of 11.2% for the third quarter as higher investment in technology, selling expenses and one-off costs weighed on profitability. Ericsson forecast the 5G radio access network (RAN) market would see annual growth of 11% over the next three years while the overall market was seen flat. "Ericsson is planning for a flat RAN market and is structuring its cost base and operations accordingly," it said. Reporting by Niklas Pollard, editing by Terje SolsvikOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India's Reliance Jio selects Nokia as equipment provider in 5G push
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Indian telecom service provider Reliance Jio has chosen Nokia (NOKIA.HE) as a major supplier, the Finnish telecom equipment maker said on Monday, as India's biggest mobile carrier gears up to expand next-generation wireless services across the country. Nokia will supply Reliance Jio, which has more than 420 million customers, with 5G radio access network (RAN) equipment in a multi-year deal, the company said in a statement. Reliance (RELI.NS) snapped up airwaves worth $11 billion in a $19 billion 5G spectrum auction in August and had launched 5G services in select cities. "Jio is committed to continuously investing in the latest network technologies to enhance the experience of all of its customers," Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio, said. Meanwhile, Reliance Jio is planning to raise an additional $1.5 billion via external commercial borrowings to fund its 5G capital expenditure plans, the Economic Times newspaper reported, citing sources.

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