Telecom
5G Core, Evolve from 4G to 5G Cost Efficiently
By Said Zantout
As 5G picks up speed, the new networks will co-exist with the existing 4G ones in the coming years. For Communication Service Providers (CSPs), flexibility in balancing cost-optimized versus performance optimized network deployment is crucial to maximize profitability and take advantage of the wide range of business opportunities.
Said Zantout, Ericsson
Basically, it means they need to have the option to migrate to 5G in their own time and in alignment with their business needs.
The journey to 5G Core is not simple, though, and will imply a technology shift with the adoption of a new 3GPP defined network architecture (service-based architecture) and new network functions built on cloud native technology. With service providers’ needs and concerns in mind we have developed the dual-mode 5G Core solution.
Dual-mode 5G Core provides that kind of desired control by combining Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and 5G Core network functions into a common cloud native platform. CSPs can get the most out of cloud native, microservices and user plane performance by implementing the dual-mode core solution as the best way for efficient control of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) while smoothly migrating to 5G.
As hard as it sounds to achieve challenging business and operational goals while migrating to a 5G Core, with dual mode it is possible.
If we look at Ericsson’s dual mode 5G Cloud Core solution, it is fully based on cloud native principles, with software architecture being based on microservice technology.
This is to ensure that the underlying infrastructure will have better capacity and elasticity, which in turn will offer high levels of orchestration and automation for operational efficiency.
Dual-mode solution enables CSPs to manage one network instead of two and add programmability to their network. The decomposition of software into microservices facilitates a fast, low-cost method of introducing new services on a small scale.
At the same time, it supports easy and effective scaling of services from hundreds of users to millions and this is exactly how CSPs can address new business opportunities or pursue those that have been difficult to address until now.
While no journey to a future core will be alike, what applies to every CSP is the need to have a holistic view on cost. A report by Ericsson titled “Dual-mode 5G Cloud Core: TCO benefits” highlights that substantial saving is possible in various areas of dual-mode cloud native operations, including:
— Up to 20 percent of capex in Core network infrastructure
— Up to 15 percent savings in database infrastructure
— 70 percent OpEx savings in configuration of policies
— Up to 80 percent cost savings in network integration
— More than 60 percent reduced OpEx for software upgrades
As 5G evolves, dual mode core supports both Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and 5G core, combining both functionalities and offering a uniform operational maintenance that is able to scale with the speed that 5G use cases demand.
Migrating to a 5G NR SA and 5GC network is crucial for our customers’ success, enabling them to unlock key 5G functionalities like faster speeds, ultra-low latency and advanced network slicing – allowing our customers to support increasingly complex 5G use cases such as automated manufacturing, remote healthcare and connected vehicles.
This migration will also allow service providers to simplify operations and service agility, enhance user experience with better coverage and improve network capabilities.
To secure new 5G revenue streams while continuing to support existing 4G customer base, service providers can begin by introducing 5G New Radio (NR) non-standalone (NSA) and run both generations side by side supported by the Evolved Packet Core while migrating to 5G NR standalone (SA) and a 5GC network.
At Ericsson, we have been learning from previous technology shifts. As we enter 5G era with all its complexity and unknown opportunities, we know the value of migrating networks at own pace and dual-mode 5G Cloud Core solution provides enhancements that enables this vision.
By implementing the dual-mode solution, service providers will have more control to migrate to 5G on their own pace and in alignment to their business needs.
Said Zantout is Head of Solution Area OSS, Core and Cloud at Ericsson Middle East and Africa.
Nigeria will criminalize the destruction of broadband fiber cables following repeated complaints by MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and other telecommunications companies that they are losing billions of naira, according to people familiar with the matter.
Federal ministry of works, which supervises federal road constructors, is finalizing the regulation that will be signed as an executive order by President Bola Tinubu, said the people, asking not to be identified as they weren’t authorized to comment.
While there are presently laws against vandalism, the authorities are aiming to regulate construction firms more closely.
The order will enforce stiff penalties on offenders, said the people, declining to provide more details or say when it will be signed.
“Telecom assets are critical backbone that supports the economy across sectors,” said Temitope Ajayi, a senior presidential aide, who noted that the Association of Telecommunications Companies (ATCON) has been demanding the classification for years.
New rules will provide “further assurance that the Nigerian government will protect their investments against vandals and criminal elements.”
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) estimates that the sector will make up more than a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product by the end of 2027, up from 13.5% in the third quarter of last year.
The move will help alleviate pressure on the telecoms sector, which is facing increased operating costs and sales pressures from a sharp depreciation in the currency and a threefold increase in energy prices.
Repairs and revenue losses from damaged cables is estimated to have cost the sector almost 27 billion naira ($23 million) last year alone, documents seen by Bloomberg show.
MTN Nigeria, the biggest wireless operator in Africa’s most-populous nation, and Airtel Africa Plc bore the brunt of the costs, the documents show.
MTN suffered more than 6,000 cuts on its fiber cable last year, the documents show. On Feb. 28, a cut on its network in three different locations by a road construction firm, an oil serving company and someone burning rubbish in a manhole meant customers faced more than five hours of data and voice outages.
The operator relocated 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, at a cost of more than 11 billion naira – enough to build 870 kilometers of new fiber lines to areas without coverage.
A presidential order on the matter would be welcomed, said Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria.
“When it comes to communication infrastructure, they are destroyed at will, so we are eagerly awaiting the president’s order,” he said. “It would be a great boost to the industry, and it will also encourage investment.”
Telegram, the messaging giant founded by Pavel Durov and headquartered in Dubai, anticipates hitting a remarkable milestone of one billion active monthly users within the next year.
Durov’s departure from Russia in 2014, prompted by governmental pressures to stifle opposition communities on his VK social media platform, underscores Telegram’s commitment to neutrality despite geopolitical challenges.
With 900 million active users currently, Telegram stands as a beacon of free speech in the digital realm, particularly influential in former Soviet Union republics and pivotal during conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine standoff.
Durov’s staunch advocacy for freedom of expression and opposition to censorship by tech giants like Apple and Google reinforces Telegram’s status as a neutral platform.
Opting for the UAE as its base, Durov cites its neutrality and openness as conducive to Telegram’s ethos, serving both opposition groups and governments alike while maintaining impartiality.
In Durov’s vision, the pursuit of freedom eclipses material gain, shaping Telegram’s trajectory as a bastion of digital liberation.
To further strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have announced a collaboration on National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance and create synergy between digital identity, payment ecosystem, and secure & seemless data exchange capabilities for Nigeria.
During the meeting between the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and Director General of NIMC, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, with some management staff of both organisations, they discussed various initiatives, which include building DPI stacks for a secured and seamless data exchange and forming partnerships to transform the national identity system.
This collaboration also aims to harness the potential of the innovative ecosystem and emphasise the use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to drive digital transformation in Nigeria.
To ensure a smooth implementation, a 12-man committee was set up. This committee will play a crucial role in kickstarting and harmonising the initiatives. It is expected to deliver a comprehensive implementation report within the next 4 weeks
Dufil Takes Donation of Indomie Noodles Cartons to Vulnerable Communities in Abuja and Environ
Ecobank Repays $500m Eurobond
NELFUND Says UTME, NIN, BVN Mandatory for Student Loans
Sun International Finalizes $14.4M Exit from Nigeria, Sells Interests to RFC
Sam Darwish, US-Nigerian Businessman Suffers $6m Loss as IHS Shares Plunge
See Full List of Fake Loan Apps Blacklisted By CBN
FIRS Files Tax Evasion Charges against Binance
IFC Invests in New 4DX Ventures Fund to Support Tech Startups in Africa
AXA Mansard Empowers Female SMEs with Financial, Digital Skills
NGX RegCo, FRCN Unveil Roadmap for SFRS Adoption
Telecom3 days agoStarlink Users in SA to be Cut Off April 30
Broadcasting3 days agoCanal+ Offer for MultiChoice Gains Shareholders’ Support
Telecom3 days agoNCC Advises Subscribers to Opt for Strong Passwords to Beat Hackers
Telecom2 days agoImperative of Upholding Nigeria’s Telecoms Lifeline
News2 days agoKaspersky Warns of Data Stealers Hunting for User Credentials
E-Financial3 days agoFidelity Bank Reports N124.3Bn Pre-Tax Profit for 2023
E-Business3 days agoExpert Urges FG to Harmonise NIN, BVN to Tackle Crimes
News3 days agoWorld Energy Conferencing