A week in telecoms: Nvidia, T-Mobile, Ericsson and Nokia launch AI-RAN innovation center

Nvidia, T-Mobile, Ericsson and Nokia launch AI-RAN innovation center

Nvidia has revealed more of its plans to play an important role in future mobile network infrastructure ecosystems with two linked announcements: The launch of its AI-RAN platform, AI Aerial, which is a common hardware and software platform for AI and RAN traffic, and a new partnership with T-Mobile US, Ericsson and Nokia on an AI-RAN Innovation Center based at T-Mobile’s headquarters in Bellevue, Washington.

Nvidia describes the AI-RAN platform as “a suite of accelerated computing software and hardware for designing, simulating, training and deploying AI radio access network technology (AI-RAN) for wireless networks in the AI era.” It will bring AI Aerial to the AI-RAN Innovation Centre.

T-Mobile meanwhile sees its collaboration with NVIDIA, Ericsson and Nokia as an initiative to “design and drive the future of mobile networks with AI at the center, revolutionizing the capabilities of radio access networks (RAN) to serve customers in unprecedented ways.”

It further explains in its statement that it wants to build “AI-RAN concepts …in an open and containerized manner like Open RAN, with virtualized RAN and Core components managed from a central cloud.” It also adds that “AI-RAN is a game-changing technology because it will enhance the current Open RAN architecture with the addition of the accelerated computing that GPUs can bring to the intense network processing workloads of the future. In other words, this partnership aims to show that AI-RAN will make the promises of Open RAN more viable, while also going beyond."

The launch of AI Aerial and the innovation center follows the foundation in February of the AI-RAN Alliance by Nvidia, SoftBank, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Arm, Ericsson, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung Electronics, and T-Mobile US.

SoftBank and Intelsat launch ‘ubiquitous’ 5G network plan

SoftBank Corp. and Intelsat said they plan to collaborate on the launch of what they are calling a ‘ubiquitous network’ plan that will be based on “seamless 5G connections” between terrestrial mobile networks and satellite communications networks.

In detail, the partners aim to develop a hybrid communication solution that allows users to stay connected via available networks, whether terrestrial or satellite, through one device and one account.

The network will be based on terrestrial mobile roaming standards and will “help make the commercial adoption of mobility solutions based on new 3GPP 5G standards for non-terrestrial networks a reality much sooner,” the two companies claim.

A key goal is to develop a universal device that will always stay connected. The planned solution is expected to have wide commercial applicability, including in land mobile, maritime, and disaster response and recovery.

Bruno Fromont, CTO of Intelsat, noted that it has previously been challenging to align standards that allowed terrestrial and satellite networks to connect.

“With recent progress on 5G-based standardization of non-terrestrial networks led by Intelsat at 3GPP and this strategic collaboration with SoftBank, we are ideally positioned to accelerate the design and practical implementation of commercial hybrid services that will allow devices to freely roam between satellite and terrestrial networks,” he said.

According to Via Satellite, Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras provided hints about the collaboration at World Space Business Week, noting that while space is an “increasingly competitive” environment for operators, it’s an opportunity for the industry to focus on what its customers and end users want.

Hideyuki Tsukuda, CTO at Softbank, added that by using technology that switches between terrestrial mobile networks and satellite communication networks through roaming, “we can integrate the two previously separate networks and utilize satellite communication as an extension of mobile communication.”

CMA’s suggested remedies offer path to approval for Vodafone and Three 

Vodafone UK and Three UK received some feedback from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is currently conducting an in-depth investigation into their proposed merger.

Notably, the CMA set out its provisional findings that the merger raises competition concerns and could lead to price rises for customer. It also cited concerns about the potential adverse impact on mobile virtual network operators (MVNO).

And while the CMA concedes that the integration of the two networks could speed the deployment of 5G, it currently considers that claims made by the operators on this topic are overstated, and that the “merged firm would not necessarily have the incentive to follow through on its proposed investment programme after the merger.”

While the summary of provisional findings seems somewhat damning, it is accompanied by a list of possible “behavioural remedies” such as commitments on network spend, reassurances on pricing, better terms for MVNOs, more support for disadvantaged customers, and the option for customers to “roll over” their existing contract terms for a predefined period.

Like others, Kester Mann, analyst and director of consumer and connectivity at CCS Insight, said the suggested remedies offer the two operators a potential path to approval as they are less daunting that some might have expected.

“This is significant as I had feared that more onerous structural remedies — such as selling major assets or supporting a new entrant — could be required to get the deal over the line,” he said.

Responses to the provisional findings are due by October 4, and to the notice of possible remedies by September 27. The CMA is due to make its final decision on December 7.

CAMARA announces first major release with 25 APIs

More news about network application programming interfaces (APIs) emerged this week following the announcement last week that twelve leading telecom operators worldwide and Ericsson plan to create a joint venture company to sell network APIs.

The open source CAMARA project announced the availability of its first official release, CAMARA “Meta-Release Fall24,” containing 25 APIs across 13 sub-projects that have been “vetted for quality, consistency, and stability through rigorous release management processes.”

APIs included in the Meta release are:

• Stable APIs with v1.0.0 versions (previous API versions have been implemented by network operators): Location Verification, Number Verification, One-time Password SMS, Simple Edge Discovery, and SIM Swap.
• Further APIs which have been previously implemented by network operators, with updated versions: Carrier Billing, Device Reachability Status, Device Roaming Status, Home Devices QoD, KYC Fill-In, KYC Match, Location Retrieval, Quality-on-Demand (with qos-profiles).
• Initial versions of new APIs, ready to be implemented by network operators: Call Forwarding Signal, Carrier bBilling Refund, Connectivity Insights (with application profiles), Population Density Data, QoD Provisioning.
• New APIs to subscribe for event notifications in CloudEvents format: Connectivity Insights Subscriptions, Device Reachability Status Subscriptions, Device Roaming Status Subscriptions, Geofencing Subscriptions, SIM Swap Subscriptions.

CAMARA also highlighted that it is the network API specification location for the Ericsson and telco venture mentioned above. “A critical success factor is also the established alignment with GSMA Open Gateway and TM Forum about forming an open, global, accessible API ecosystem,” it added.

In other API news, Juniper Research predicts that communications services, such as rich media messaging and conversational AI, will represent 32% of operator revenue from network APIs by 2027, generating $35 billion for operator globally by that point.

GSMA launches AI maturity roadmap for telcos

The GSMA has introduced a new initiative that aims to help telcos track their AI deployment progress, and whether or not they are deploying the technology responsibly.

According to the association, the Responsible AI (RAI) Maturity Roadmap provides telecoms operators with the tools and guidance to test and assess their responsible use of the technology. It claims to be “uniting the industry in using the technology ethically and responsibly” and hailed this as the “first time a whole sector has committed to a common approach to AI.”

The roadmap, developed based on insights by McKinsey and a group of operators, will allow telcos to assess where they currently stand in terms of their existing maturity in using AI responsibly against where they want to go.

It then provides guidance and measurement tools to help fulfil those ambitions, the GSMA said. The roadmap also references existing global regulations, recommendations and standards from international organizations including the OECD and UNESCO.

So far, 19 MNOs have committed to using the roadmap. Champions of the initiative are Axiata, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Telstra.

Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA, said: “The transformative potential of AI has long been apparent but its integration in our work and our lives must be done in a responsible and transparent way for it to be truly effective and sustainable. Responsible AI is the right way to explore and unlock the many opportunities the technology presents, and the telecoms industry is proud to lead the way as the first sector to commit to this approach – we hope others will follow our example.”

5G standalone comes to France

Iliad-owned Free said it is France’s first mobile network operator to offer 5G standalone (SA) services to consumers on a national basis, using its 3.5GHz spectrum. It also claims to have the largest 5G mobile network in France, with over 20,000 5G sites in service, including 6,950 3.5GHz sites.

Later that same day, Orange issued a release saying that it will start offering 5G SA services to residential customers under the 5G+ Home banner from October 10. The group said it was encouraged by the use of the technology for B2B clients during the Olympic Games in Paris. For now, it appears to be focusing only on 5G SA in the home.

Globally, the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) said in its September update that at least 60 operators in 34 countries and territories are now understood to have launched or deployed public 5G SA networks, one of which has only soft launched the network.

Also noted…

BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), Microsoft, and MGX announced the Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership (GAIIP).

Thierry Breton has quit the European Commission.

Vodafone is to roll out Microsoft 365 Copilot AI software to up to 68,000 employees.

Telefónica Deutschland (O2) has launched its own TV streaming service under O2 TV.

BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), Microsoft, and MGX announced the Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership (GAIIP).

Vodacom South Africa has introduced a cloud-based phone.