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5G takeaways for telecom operators from mobile video industry council

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Indranil Chatterjee-Sr. Vice President

By Indranil Chatterjee

Mobile video is growing at a phenomenal rate, but it is a double-edged sword. Openwave Mobility’s research on live operator networks found that currently video is 58% of traffic by volume worldwide. Subscribers love it, but monetizing it is easier said than done, given the flood of HD content and encryption that is adversely impacting Quality of Experience (QoE). That was the clear message from operators across the board who attended the MViC.

The Council in fact debated the conflicting components of Video QoE i.e. Quality of Delivery (reduced buffering) versus Quality of Picture (resolution) and the implications. Why does this matter? That’s because when subscribers experience poor quality when streaming video our research found that consumers blame the operator, not the OTT. And it is only a matter of time before they churn.  With more video traversing mobile networks than ever before, QoE is a major headache.

So, what were some of the key 5G takeaways for operators from the MViC?
1.  The how and why of mobile video: Interestingly, most operators experienced growth in mobile video during 4G – from 2010 to 2015 – and it came as a result of increased video watch times. But, since 2015, growth in mobile video has come significantly as a result of a move to higher bandwidth HD content, rather than greater watch time only. That’s evidence of HD content from the likes of Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Video growing in popularity. As operators prepare for the dawn of 5G, there is one sure-fire certainty: HD content (including 4K and soon 8K content) and therefore mobile video will soar.

2.  Skyrocketing mobile video

The MViC forecast on the day that 90% of traffic on 5G will be mobile video. Dimitris Mavrakis, Research Director at ABI Research also highlighted some key 5G mobile video insights during his MVIC presentation: “5G Vision and Deployments”. Some operators are yet to fully monetize 4G and they are already looking at 5G as an enterprise vertical enabler. According to Mavrakis, 5G will initially be used to improve the consumer user experience – and surprise surprise – mobile video will spearhead this strategy.

In 2016, mobile video represented 48% of traffic and ABI Research predicts that 5G’s mobile video growth will accelerate in 2022. By 2025, video will reach 78% – and here’s the punch line: 40% will be 4K video that sucks up bandwidth.

3.  Way more encryption

Remember the fanfare when 4G was launched? 4G was all about mobility and connectivity. It propelled companies like Waze, Uber and Spotify. Also, Edward Snowden happened. The shockwaves it sent encouraged many OTTs to jump at the opportunity to encrypt their data. The likes of Google and Facebook coated their data with secure protocols that prevented operators from managing the very data that travels on their own networks. Encryption is here to stay – and with 5G, it will intensify. 5G technologies will usher a new wave of mobile video data – much more diverse than 4G.

4.  Way, way more data intensity

5G has far more data intensive services and already, OTTs are lining up to take advantage of immersive services such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). However, Augmented Reality can be 33x more data intensive than equivalent 480p video. And with it comes more encryption. And if that was not enough, it is expected that OTT services will have more subscribers than pay TV customers when 5G becomes widespread.

5.  4G/LTE Networks will remain for years to come

While all the focus on 5G is well deserved, our customers are quick to point out that 4G/LTE networks are not going away anytime soon as they will be critical to ensure nationwide coverage. From an investment perspective, the focus for 4G networks will shift from new build-outs to maximize the capacity of these networks. This means tools such as RAN Congestion based video optimization will be critical to help operators preserve good QoE and enhance 4G RAN capacity while investing in 5G network build out.
New opportunities with 5G

The growth in 4G democratized mobile video. Thanks to a smartphone and a decent data connection, people can watch cute cat videos almost anywhere. A number of operators treated video like any other service. They didn’t consider it important enough for preferential treatment. Of course encryption did not help the cause either for many operators. 5G can change all that.

Armed with new optimization technology, 5G provides the opportunity for more granular service prioritization and network appropriation. If operators get their ducks in a row, 5G can indeed provide the impetus for the creation of a new video ecosystem.

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Nokia launches Nokia MEA Mobile Broadband Index confirming 5G drives digital transformation

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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.”

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Airtel announces its largest ever 5G roll-out in 125 cities

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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.

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Comviva introduces 5G-Compatible ADriN platform

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NEW DELHI: Comviva, a global leader in customer experience and data monetization solutions today announced the launch of its 5G compatible Application Driven Network Platform, ADriN to offer a unified, simplified, secured experience to the B2B2X value chain of Digital Service Providers, Enterprises, Hyperscalers, application developers and the smart device ecosystem.

Comviva’s ADriN platform boasts dynamic capabilities that allow it to understand the behavior of connected devices in real-time. This enables the platform to orchestrate and deliver personalized, intent-driven experiences in a secured and controlled environment, regardless of the underlying experience providers – DSPs, Enterprises and Hyperscalers.

Excited at this development, Comviva CEO, Manoranjan (Mao) Mohapatra said, “At Comviva, we prioritize creating unique experiences for our customers’ end-users to remain relevant. Our commitment to deeper customer engagement and significant investments has led to the development of ADriN, a platform that simplifies the user experience in the untapped B2B2X segment. With new engagement models centered around ARR and Network-as-a-Service, ADriN is positioned to become a critical contributor to any experience provider’s top-line growth.”

ADriN simplifies the process of capturing and understanding the intentions of end customers of enterprises and digital service providers. It offers an easy-to-use interface that delivers a trusted and secure service experience. Using ADriN, intentions are captured and processed through machine learning applications across various devices, which in turn creates a real-time service catalogue. This enables networks and infrastructures to respond in a specific manner to ever-changing intentions.

This creates lucrative monetization opportunity for the custodians of the B2B2X value chain with the adoption of ARR models, such as Network-as-a-Service. The monetization opportunity is highly attributed to the intents captured from the end consumer’s devices or machines or interface through their simple native language. ADriN effectively processes and converts this intent into open call models and open APIs, which seamlessly integrate into the ecosystem. This orchestration results in a personalized experience for the consumer, without the need to worry about the network custodians they are connected to, be it G network or other networks.,

Speaking at the launch, Swapnil Shah, Vice President for 5G and Edge Business Group at Comviva said, “ADriN has received strong validation in recent time from niche ecosystem players like digital service providers, enterprises and hyperscalers. With the growing popularity of AI-based operations, ML-driven devices, and application developer communities, ADriN is poised to make a distinct impact on the B2X and B2B2X value chains in the coming years. The collaborative efforts of CAMARA, 5G PPP, ORAN, TIP, 5G ACIA, GSMA Op, ETSI, 3GPP, VEPP, and DSPs have also contributed to democratizing organic networks for developers, while government-driven initiatives have paved the way for an intent-driven future.”

ADriN utilizes an ecosystem agnostic platform approach to comprehensively understand the intention of devices. It dynamically creates policy configurations, marketplace operations, generates slices, and performs numerous other functions over a nimble service engine that seamlessly interacts with infrastructure, hyperscaler, and network functions. The platform is highly flexible, enabling it to meet the unique needs of diverse ecosystems.

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