Showing papers on "Telecom infrastructure sharing published in 2020"

Improving Internet Connectivity During COVID-19

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all of us to live, work, learn, and communicate online, making reliable and affordable access to the internet indispensable. However, those who are already disadvantaged are suffering greater digital exclusion during this time, in the form of inadequate internet connectivity. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for positive regulatory change, since it has presented countries with an opportunity to deploy different regulatory and policy tools to improve internet access. Through the discussion of four cases – Panama, South Africa, Kenya, and the State of Kerala (in India) – this paper looks at the steps taken by governments to meet the increased demand for internet during the pandemic. It also examines the regulatory changes that may be necessary to nudge mobile network operators to ensure continued internet connectivity. The paper summarises the different approaches that have met with success in the four cases in maintaining and improving internet connectivity during the pandemic. Governments and regulators can allocate spectrum temporarily; freeze internet and mobile payments on a temporary basis; prohibit a price increase; implement tax measures; support telecom infrastructure providers; use the unutilised money in the national Universal Access Fund; provide zero-rated access to websites (after taking into consideration certain factors); and monitor network capacity regularly. Countries should also adequately consider the time frame of their policies. These options can form part of a country’s policy toolkit during an emergency, and can be deployed depending on the local context and economic, political, and social factors.

NB-IoT Micro-Operator for Smart Campus: Performance and Lessons Learned in 5GTN

Abstract: In recent years, many new radio-based connectivity solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) have been proposed. At the same time, development towards the 6G has brought on the stage the new business concepts. One of them is the concept of a micro-operator and implies the local entities to act as the telecom infrastructure owner and provider in their premises. In the current paper, we discuss the deployment and report the practical performance of a single-cell NB-IoT deployed as a part of the 5G Test Network (5GTN) and controlled by a smart-campus micro-operator. The practical measurements reported in the paper have been carried in the University of Oulu within a huge interconnected indoor environment with the total floor area of 188 600 m^{2}$. Our results demonstrate that the NB-IoT technology is a viable connectivity solution for various non-critical machine-based applications deployed indoors, highlight the practical performance of this technology, and reveal some practical specifics and challenges of acting as an IoT micro-operator.

The Evolution of the Telecom Infrastructure Business

Abstract: Telecommunication operators, traditionally rich and laden with financial resources, have never left much room for investment within their sector. Thanks to the impact of regulation, competition and technology, this will no longer be true. Is this an evolution that can open new prospects for potential investors in telecom infrastructures? Is it a positive evolution for investors outside the telecom business? What forms will new opportunities take? To answer these questions, we will start in the second section by analyzing the evolution of the telecom market. It is growing fast, with more people all over the world who have more connected devices which are transmitting more data with higher peaks of network utilization for uses that are increasingly critical. But all this incredible potential creates a challenge to telecom infrastructure that cannot be solved inside the traditional industry framework. In the third section we will discuss how fixed mobile networks and their hybrid forms have evolved and will continue to evolve to match this rapidly changing market. The fourth section describes how companies like Google/Alphabet, Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon, whose business is tightly linked to the evolution of telecom infrastructures, are moving to influence and channel industry transformation. In the fifth section, the investment prospects for telecom operators are analyzed in detail, especially in Europe, where regulation is taking a new direction to speed up investments and demand, while some geopolitical issues are increasingly conditioning every player in this scenario. Finally, through an in-depth exploration of changes in fixed and mobile networks, we identify and evaluate the potential investing options in the industry.

Aggregated Massive Modular Paradigm: A 6G Telecom Infrastructure Vision

Abstract: Our novel disruptive deployment strategy focuses on using cost-efficient modules along with aggregated connectivity that target 6G data throughput and capacity requirement. From our perspective it would be a great benefit to operators and users. Cost effectiveness will be met through integration and volume. Indeed, cost efficiency would be derived from mass-market of sub-6GHz devices (already mainly COTS) and later toward mmW such as 5G-FR2 and near-THz. Our shared vision provides a great perspective for ubiquitous modularity and pervasive networks which are clear and challenging objectives of 6G roadmaps. Authors propose a vision and are grateful for open discussions.