Wireless Watch

Uplink traffic overtakes downlink for first time at music venues Verizon has reported a milestone in the mobile data field with its finding that in the US uplink traffic at live music events has overtaken downlink for the first time. This reflects the high volume of user generated content uploaded at such events, including photos, clips of gigs, and social media posts. In some cases, Verizon’s mobile service was found wanting – showing the need to address uplink demand. #downlink #uplink #mobile

Blu Wireless pitches low-detection military networks The vulnerability of subsea cable systems and GNSS satellite communications systems to attack has been laid bare in the last year. UK mmWave specialist Blu Wireless has been developing and promoting a mmWave military communication network designed for almost completely indetectable communication. This week, we spoke to Paul Kosac, the firm’s VP of Worldwide Defense Sales, about demand for mmWave in defense applications and the battlefield of wireless military comms. #mmWave #communications #militarycomms

Private networks reach $7.2 billion, 8 million cells, finds RAN Research Laying the groundwork for future investigations, our sister service RAN Research has published its latest forecast – looking at the private cellular networks market from 2024 to 2029. The headline figures are an installed base of 8 million cells, generating annual revenue of $7.19 billion at the end of the period. As the report notes: the past two years have been turbulent in the private cellular networks market. This is a reflection of the wider macroeconomic conditions, but also the fallout from a very hype-driven consensus, observed in 2021 and 2022. In many ways, this is the same problem seen in consumer-facing 5G, where the industry raced into the new generation on the assumption that consumers would pay more the new technology – to be greatly disappointed when they did not. #cellular #network #5G

I was delighted to join Broadband Forum President Manuel Paul to talk about the merits of a converged stable core network that combines fixed and mobile access for all communication services with Philip Hunter at Rethink Technology Research.   The conversation covered the importance of reusing existing network investments, our relationship with 3GPP and why now is the time to monetize 5G. We also talked about the organization’s 30-year anniversary and how we have constantly adapted to meet the critical needs of all those in the broadband ecosystem.

Salt Typhoon rattles blowhard Senators, but impact is very real A US Senate Oversight Committee session drummed up fears of Salt Typhoon, a suspected Chinese hacking effort targeting telco networks. Outgoing FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel took the stand for this piece of political theater, where Senators asked questions looking for soundbites to use in their re-election campaigns. Not much will come of the session. In many ways, the security risk is a stick with which to beat the telcos, and unfortunately, the lens with which the upcoming administration must be viewed is looking to see which venture capitalists and private equity funds could profit from legislation proposed by the government. Breaking the telcos into pieces could be a lucrative endeavor, to this end. #hackers #salttyphoon #telcos

The slow burn of satellite spectrum planning The excitement surrounding various agreements between MNOs and LEO (low earth orbit) satellite companies is bringing a heightened sense of activity to the field of hybrid networks, where terrestrial networks (TN) and non-terrestrial networks (NTN) combine. But a market that relies on satellite companies using operator-owned spectrum, as is the case with many of the current deals, will be geographically limited and will require numerous agreements between operators and satcos. Instead, the proposals happening in the background, around the use of spectrum dedicated for 5G NTNs will be key to a seamless, global 5G or 6G connectivity. #LEOsatellite #mobilenetworks #networks 

5G struggles to contain its carbon footprint despite innovations The relationship between 5G and energy efficiency has been ambivalent from the outset. There has been little clarity over how well the industry is doing, when it is all squared up, taking account of scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. We could even speculatively talk of a scope 4 classification, comprising the additional energy consumed and emissions generated from the indirect result of the higher bandwidth and lower latency enabled by 5G – such as running compute intensive AI workloads in massive data centers, albeit also aided by fixed fiber interconnects. #5G #energyefficiency 

AT&T puts focus back on classical telco, especially broadband AT&T plans to end 2023 with almost as much attention as it closed 2023 with, when it announced its $14 billion RAN equipment deal with Ericsson. This time, the US operator is wooing investors with sensible talk of plans to grow its broadband and wireless services, and make good on the classical telecom services. Investor interest should follow, particularly as central banks have been lowering interest rates, moves that will encourage investors to look at reliable sectors like telecoms with renewed interest. Click here to learn more: https://lnkd.in/ecd7_X5J #broadband #wireless #RAN

🎧Tune in here: https://lnkd.in/eV8fr7Nq Join Elly Whittaker, Alex Davies and Philip Hunter as they discuss the latest happenings in the cellular and wireless industry – as covered in Wireless Watch. ⁠⚡More “as a service” on cards, cybersecurity focus intensifies⁠ ⁠⚡Salt Typhoon rattles blowhard Senators, but impact is very real ⁠⚡Capex commitments are a ruse in Vodafone-Three merger #vodafone #Three #SaltTyphoon #cybersecurity #telecomstrends #cellular #wireless

Cybersecurity is going to be a stick with which the incoming administration will beat Big Tech and the operators. #SaltTyphoon is the latest event, in a long line of problems, and it has rattled nerves because it appears to have been so targeted. The Senate Oversight Committee is a bit of political theater, and outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel can't do much about Cisco patching, but that won't stop the Senators from shimfing, unfortunately There are a lot of investors salivating at the opportunities that lay in wait, if these incumbents and quasi-monopolies are broken into pieces, and so the Salt Typhoon fallout is a lens with which to speculate on the future of US governmental regulation #technology #law #regulation #operator #mobile #cellular #broadband #cybersecurity AT&T Verizon T-Mobile Lumen Technologies