5g
Global cross-industry players inaugurate 5G slicing association
NEW DELHI: As the founding members, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, Digital Domain, Fraunhofer FOKUS, Huawei, CEPRI of SGCC, Tencent, TIM and Volkswagen AG announce the inauguration of the “5G Slicing Association”.
The association will address requirements from vertical industry and the potential application scenarios of 5G network slicing on the way to defining new business models.
The initiative will study key technical issues, cooperate with slicing related standards development organizations (SDOs) and foster test beds and trials to verify 5G network slicing capabilities.
5G networks will provide much higher speeds, lower latencies, and new levels of reliability and overall network performance and efficiency compared to previous generations. Importantly too,5G can be an important tool for productivity and enabler for digital transformation in many vertical industries. With the rapid growth in application types, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, autonomous driving, smart factory, 5G networks must become smarter, more flexible and more tailored to vertical customers’ requirements.
As a key innovation in 5G technology, network slicing provides agile and customizable capabilities that allow the efficient construction of service guaranteed dedicated networks for different applications. By adapting the 5G network to different business needs, network slicing has the potential to open up new technological and business opportunities for both the ICT industry and other vertical industries. The members of this association will closely collaborate to realize the full potential together. The main activities of the association include:
Development of an industry-wide, technical understanding for slicing
Study and definition of slicing use cases for diverse industries and derive requirements
Orchestrate E2E slicing SDOs and provide inputs to related standards
Fostering of business-driven slicing test beds and trials
The 5G Network Slicing Association is a global association and welcomes more partners who are engaged in the action of digitalization of industries, including the ICT industry, vertical industry and even the broader eco-system and value chain. The 5G Network Slicing Association is closely working together with the GSMA Network Slicing Taskforce (NEST) which is prepared to bring the requirements into the standardization.
“Mobile communications are evolving from the 4G to the 5G, and we are entering the era of Internet of Everything. As the fundamental feature of 5G, network slicing does not only help the vertical industries to achieve digital transformation vision, but also brings new opportunities for operators to engage with the vertical market. We expect that, 5G Slice Association will be the platform to connect the telecom industry with vertical industries. It will help to establish a common understanding of network slicing, establish an enriched industrial chain, incubate application innovation, and explore new business model of network slicing. China Mobile will work together with industry partners to build a healthy and energetic 5G industrial ecosystem, and enable the Internet+ vision,” said Zhang Tongxu, General Manager of China Mobile Communication Co., Ltd. Research Institute.
“Crucial for our success as a telecommunication operator is to understand the needs of our industry customers and provide smart network solutions that are tailored to their business needs. The launch of this initiative opens up a new phase of global cooperation between operators and vertical industries in the 5G application field,” said Antje Williams, Chair of Slicing Association and Executive Program Manager 5G of Deutsche Telekom.
“5G brings the promise of future innovation and invention. As XR technology and content continues to flourish and evolve, consumer demand for consistency in higher data rates and lower latency will grow exponentially. This Association will ensure that we are all optimizing 5G to its highest capacity to provide an enhanced mobile broadband experience for the world,”said Daniel Seah, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Domain.
“We are happy of being part of it as independent digitalization experts knowing the different industries since a long time and recognizing a strong market need to bring the different players to a single table. We hope to see many more verticals joining the Association in the near future in order to shape the 5G infrastructure and various ecosystems in the right way,” said Prof. Dr. Thomas Magedanz, FOKUS, Fraunhofer.
“The creation of this Association will promote the cross-sector-collaboration and coordination between mobile industry and vertical industry for the innovation of 5G slicing oriented to 5G commercial launch. We will jointly study the diversified requirement of vertical industry, develop and verify the 5G E2E solutions. Accordingly, we come to fulfill the target for improving the eMBB experience, leveraging next generation mobile networks. In the future, 5G networks will be ubiquitous to provide mobile connections anytime and anywhere,” said Yang Chaobin, President of Huawei 5G product line, Huawei.
“In order to support SGCC to become a world-class energy Internet company with excellent competitiveness, we must actively adapt to the new situation of energy production and consumption revolution and grasp the trend of integration of energy revolution and digital revolution. With the platform of 5G Network Slicing Association which integrates wireless communication industry and vertical industry, we hope to explore innovative 5G applications in power grid, to participate in the formulation of related standards, to explore new cooperation modes with operators, and to improve the construction of a new generation of Energy Internet communication network by using modern information and communication technologies. Also, we hope that through the association we could have a close cooperation with operators and other units in communication industry and jointly promote a healthy development of 5G industrial chain,” said Wang Jiye, vice president of China Electric Power Research Institute(CEPRI), SGCC.
“5G Slicing Association will accelerate win-win cooperation and innovation between telecommunication and interactive entertainment industries. We look forward to building a more efficient and resilient communication system that enables diverse human-machine interactions to improve user experience based on end-to-end secure and reliable links,” said Cui Xiao Chun, VP of Public R&D and Operation, Tencent Interactive Entertainment Business Group.
“Network Slicing is one of the key features of the emerging 5G network and a dramatic opportunity to boost the potential of the technologies being standardized in 3GPP. As a major Operator with a sound track towards 5G, we are proud to collaborate with key partners from many Industry sectors to identify common requirements and pave the way to new business developments,” said Enrico Bagnasco, Head of Technology Innovation Department, (TIM).
“This Association will complement the activities the automotive industry is driving within 5GAA and 3GPP. Our expectation is to foster a telecommunication system that predicts the quality-of-service the network can provide for an automotive slice. Additionally, the telecommunication system should act agile to our variable requirements to improve the efficiency of connected and automated driving. The cross-industry-collaboration will show that not only the automotive industry needs these changes,” said Andreas Kwoczek, Group Research, Volkswagen AG.
NEW DELHI: Chipset maker MediaTek, which claims to power more than two billion connected devices every year, hosted ‘Catch-up with Tech’ in collaboration with handset brand Infinix on August 28 to share insightful and engaging conversations about the new-age smartphones and innovative technologies powering everyday lives.
The meet-up threw the spotlight on the MediaTek Dimensity Auto, Satellite solutions and Generative AI along with an extensive showcase of newly-launched Infinix Zero 30 5G powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8020, Infinix GT 10 Pro powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8050, and Infinix QLED TV powered by MediaTek.
In terms of specs, the Infinix Zero 30 5G is tailored for young storytellers and creators, featuring the first-ever smartphone to deliver 4K 60fps video recording from its 108 MP OIS rear camera and ultra-high resolution 50MP front camera. The Zero 30 series powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8020 is said to be a game changer for the front camera vlogging experience along with being the slimmest curved AMOLED smartphone in the segment with glass and a vegan leather back panel. It also claims to be one of the most premium-looking devices in the segment.
The event witnessed a panel discussion moderated by Anuj Sidharth, Deputy Director Marketing & Corporate Communications, MediaTek and included expert panelists from Infinix, MediaTek and two renowned professional photographers.
“With the fifth edition of Catch-up with Tech, we aim to bring consumers closer to the technology and enable them to make informed buying decisions based on their diverse needs. In collaboration with Infinix, this meet-up is in-line with MediaTek’s vision of technology democratization and making innovative technology accessible to everyone,” said Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India. “The MediaTek Dimensity 8020 in Infinix Zero 30 5G brings faster displays, brilliant cameras and ultra-fast performance. Further, MediaTek Imagiq technologies enrich the capture experience by combining dedicated AI, imaging processors and accelerators to provide incredible results,” he added.
Anish Kapoor, CEO, Infinix Mobile India, said, “Featuring India’s first 50MP 4K 60 fps video recording, Infinix Zero 30 5G is primed to redefine smartphone imaging capabilities, setting a new standard for the creators and vlogging enthusiasts. Our collaboration with MediaTek has played a pivotal role in shaping our exceptional smartphone portfolio, and the Zero 30 5G stands as evidence of our unwavering commitment to innovation and delivering unmatched experiences to our users. The display and design of the device represent a leap forward in smartphone technology. As Infinix Zero 30 5G hits the shelves, we are positive that our customers will find this new offering as exhilarating as we do, further empowering creators to capture their story like never before.”
Radhakrishnan Chakyat, a photography evangelist, founder and host of Pixel Viilage, said, “Infinix Zero 30 5G smartphone powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8020 chipset has amazing hardware features, an excellent camera, dual-view video mode and is primed for optimal content creation and saves a tremendous amount of editing time.”
Aarzoo Khurana, a wildlife photographer, said, “Over the last few days, I clicked various pictures and recorded a few videos with the newly-launched Infinix Zero 30 5G powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8020, and the experience has been truly inspiring. Infinix’s smartphone’s OIS feature helps content creators click shake-free pictures and the front camera, which is extremely sharp and detailed, enables content creators to click countless selfies.”
NEW DELHI: Nokia has announced the results of its new research report, the Nokia MEA Mobile Broadband Index, which provides a comprehensive overview of the MEA region’s mobile broadband landscape. The in-depth report highlights the steady growth of 5G in the Middle East and Africa region (MEA) as well as its impact on digital transformation.
It confirms that the Middle East is far ahead of Africa in terms of 5G adoption, while many operators in Africa are still developing their business models around 4G. Voice traffic still relies on 2G and 3G networks in many parts of the region.
5G is forecast to increase steadily and will contribute to the growth of the mobile broadband subscriber base, which is expected to grow with a CAGR of six percent in MEA. According to the report, 4G networks in MEA account for 79 percent of overall data traffic today, and by 2027, 4G and 5G will together account for 90 percent of data traffic. In the same year, 4G subscribers will reach 1,214 million (53 percent of total subscribers) whereas 5G adoption is estimated to reach 380 million subscribers (17 percent of total). Yearly ARPU is estimated to increase at USD$3.4 in 2027, and total data traffic is expected to increase at a CAGR of 32 percent from 2022 to 2027.
The report shows that in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, 5G adoption is the fastest, and 5G subscribers are expected to reach 75 percent by 2027, mainly driven by Saudi Arabia. In non-GCC Middle Eastern countries and in Africa, 4G will continue to expand and remain dominant until 2027, while 5G deployment is at nascent stage today and poised to gain more and more momentum over the next years.
As the report confirms, 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) in the GCC countries and 4G FWA in the rest of the MEA region are one of the most attractive use cases, with a significant opportunity for operators to drive incremental revenues. Furthermore, 5G networks are more energy efficient than previous radio network generations, helping operators reach their sustainability targets.
Mikko Lavanti, Head of Mobile Networks at Nokia MEA, said: “MEA is a diverse region with many countries at different stages of development and that is reflected in our report. Data consumption with high-speed networks is increasing exponentially across the MEA market in both urban and rural areas. Reliable 4G and 5G networks are critical for bridging the digital divide in the region, in addition to supporting data-intensive applications for communities and businesses. Nokia is helping both operators and enterprises unlock new opportunities with 5G, building the evolution towards future technologies that will enable enhanced experiences such as the Metaverse.”
NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel, India’s telecommunications services provider, today announced the launch of its ultra-fast 5G services in 125 cities. Airtel 5G Plus service is now available to customers in over 265 cities in the country.
Airtel 5G Plus has three compelling advantages for customers. First, it runs on a technology that has the widest acceptance in the world with the most developed ecosystem. This ensures that all 5G smartphones in India seamlessly work on the Airtel network. Second, the company promises to deliver the best experience – between 20 to 30 times higher speeds than today coupled with brilliant voice experience and super-fast call connect. Finally, Airtel 5G Plus network will also be kinder to the environment with its special power reduction solution. Powered by the reliable Airtel network infrastructure, Airtel 5G Plus will provide superfast access to High-Definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos et all.
Commenting on the launch, Randeep Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel said, “5G has revolutionized the world of internet, ushering new era of connectivity and communications that will prove to be a game-changer for the country. At Airtel, we remain committed to delivering the highest quality of network and service to our customers as we roll-out 125 more cities today. Airtel was the first in the country to offer 5G services in October 2022, and today’s mega launch is our promise to connect every Airtel customer in the country with ultra-fast Airtel 5G Plus. Our 5G rollout is on track to cover all towns and key rural areas by March 2024.”
Airtel 5G Plus service availability will continue to rapidly expand – including service in all towns and villages in the country soon – as the company is working towards offering nationwide coverage. Airtel is now offering its 5G services in every major city from the upper northern city of Jammu to the southern tip of Kanyakumari.
In the last one year, Airtel has demonstrated the power of 5G with a host of powerful use cases that will change the way customers lead their lives and do business. From India’s first live 5G network in Hyderabad to India’s first private 5G network at the BOSCH facility in Bengaluru to partnering with Mahindra & Mahindra to make its Chakan manufacturing facility, India’s first 5G enabled auto manufacturing unit, Airtel has been at the forefront of 5G innovation.
