Stephen Matthews

Digital transformation and sustainability go hand in hand.   Expert insight from Sarwar Khan on how sustainability is at the heart of our future-proofing efforts, lowering the footprint of our networks and next-generation tech to help customers work faster, smarter, and better. #DigitalTransformation #Sustainability

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As we navigate through these turbulent times, it’s essential to stay informed and vigilant about changes to your mobile plan. Keep an eye out for notifications from your provider regarding any upcoming price adjustments, and don’t hesitate to explore alternative options if necessary.

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Culprit no. 1: the new ECC, regulatory overreach that slowed Britain’s 5G roll-out to a crawl while the developed (and even some of the developing) world sprinted ahead. The U.S.: limited regulation, 95% 5G coverage across a country the size of a continent. The EU: slightly more regulation: 81% 5G coverage. The UK: dramatic regulatory overreach giving operators and infrastructure companies significant power to reduce rents without requiring that the resulting savings be used for network roll-outs: complete market collapse, 51% 5G coverage. Even Bulgaria, Costa Rica and the Philippines are doing better.

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Spectrum sharing announcements are always welcome. Recently in Spain, three MNOs have agreed to share spectrum, marking a step in the right direction though I have not seen tangible details or build-out commitments. Resource sharing among MNOs is becoming increasingly compelling due to flat ARPU, rising customer usage, the deployment of more spectrum with related equipment (antennas, RRUs, BBUs, power supplies, etc.), and the undeniable need for more coverage and capacity. Cellular sites will continue to proliferate for these reasons. We see deployments in-building, on campuses, for private networks, as small cells in populated areas, and macros in more rural locations. Rural applications include expanded coverage for basic connectivity, 911/Public Safety via programs like FirstNet, and Fixed Wireless Access. However, funding expansion for these use cases remains a challenge. Exclusive spectrum licensing places deployment in the hands of a few MNOs in the US, who are primarily accountable to Wall Street. These MNOs are tied up with their own pressing matters and lack (have not built in) the capacity to collaborate with smaller providers on innovative spectrum sharing or resource sharing via neutral host options. Historically, there has been little incentive to work with smaller providers, but this may be changing. CBRS has provided some relief, though power levels are extremely limited compared to the adjacent C-Band. Without a CBRS PAL channel, small providers face the power and interference constraints of GAA and unlicensed bands. The MNOs and their organization, the CTIA, call for more exclusive mid-band spectrum. However, this only extends the runway for FWA capacity growth and avoids addressing the fundamental issues of financial viability for deployments and practical means to deploy more sites through partnerships. Spectrum sharing, infrastructure sharing, and Open RAN are potential solutions. While each comes with significant operational challenges, it's clear that we cannot meet future needs by continuing with the status quo.

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Vodafone & Three UK Merger: Still on Track for Approval? The proposed merger of Vodafone and Three UK has been a hot topic in the telecoms world, it is now a year since the announcement and there have been some concerns raised. My colleague Kester Mann dives into the current progress of the deal and analyses the likelihood of approval in his latest CCS Insight blog. Kester explores: 🔘 The potential impact on competition in the UK mobile market. 🔘 The benefits the merger could bring for consumers and businesses. 🔘 The regulatory hurdles that still need to be cleared. I'm particularly interested in hearing your thoughts on this one. Will the Vodafone-Three UK merger get the green light? Let me know in the comments. #Vodafone #ThreeUK #Merger #Telecoms #Regulation #Competition #TelecomsInsights

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Another excellent piece by Iain Morris at Light Reading, this time a recap of TM Forum’s Digital Transformation World Series along with a candid review of the industry’s challenges. Full article in the comments 👇 The telecom industry is grappling with significant challenges. The article quotes several important figures from the operator side, giving candid views on the financial challenges and innovation woes threatening the sector's stability. “The reality is that our return on investment, our growth, is not good enough, and we can't be happy with where we are as an industry at the moment," said Kim Andersen, the chief technology officer of Australia's Telstra, in a DTW call to arms. "We need to reinvent this industry and save this industry." An unusually candid view from the CTO of a major telco. Genuine product innovation is occurring all around the telcos and is difficult to watch. For me, real change will only be possible with a total upheaval of the industry’s culture. Which, unfortunately, is the hardest part to change. Therefore, the much-needed innovation is probably going to have to come from an outside disrupter. In the meantime I suggest the short term answer from the vast majority of telcos will likely be more consolidation and cost cutting….Sniff 🥲. #TelecomIndustry #DigitalTransformation #TMForum #Innovation #telecoms

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The Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh recently unveiled Labour’s plans for the UK railway system.     We were pleased to see mobile connectivity, including 5G, recognised as a core way to improve passenger service quality.    The integration of advanced 5G technology can transform travel, offering passengers seamless internet access for work and entertainment and providing railway staff with instant access to crucial operational data.    In addition, implementing 5G-enabled sensors on railway tracks could significantly improve infrastructure. Our research shows that by reducing faults and delays, these upgrades are expected to save over 25 million hours for passengers over the next five years, boosting both productivity and well-being with an estimated value of £326 million.    As a result of our proposed merger with Three UK, we can provide extensive 5G coverage for the majority of the UK’s railway stations and tracks, contributing to a more efficient and connected future for UK rail transport.   #TogetherWeCan #5G 

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Last week Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) announced a strategic agreement to acquire spectrum assets from the proposed merged entity of Vodafone and Three UK. This move, contingent on the merger's approval, aims to bolster VMO2's network capabilities and maintain a competitive market environment. The agreement, accompanied by an extended network-sharing partnership with Vodafone, signals VMO2's proactive approach in adapting to potential market shifts as a result of the merger. By securing additional spectrum, VMO2 aims to enhance its network capacity and coverage of course. The position of the Three in the newly merged entity will be scrutinised carefully. An approval of the merger will likely mean Three being required to address its part in the MBNL network sharing entity with EE. This will be complicated and will require a lot of planning. There is little doubt this announcement is in preparation of that. Vodafone and VMO2 has its own sharing entity called Cornerstone where this deal was likely brokered. The reaction of EE to this announcement will also be watched closely after it offered its less than favourable assessment of the impacts of the merger as part of the Phase II assessment currently on-going. #Telecoms #Spectrum #VM02 #Vodafone #Three #MergersAndAcquisitions #Competition #Connectivity #5G

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We acknowledge BT's recent announcement to extend the switch-off deadlines from 2025 to 2027. While this move was not entirely unexpected, it remains frustrating for us and many other providers who have diligently worked to transition customers to replacement products and services in anticipation of the original 2025 deadline. As a business, we have consistently advocated for increased awareness of this transition, as the lack of communication with end users has led to significant confusion. Customers must receive clear messaging moving forward to fully understand the implications of the switch-off and the necessary steps to take. Despite the revised deadline, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the original timeline. Openreach will continue to raise prices, and we are urging businesses to move away from outdated services. Proactive communication is essential for a smooth and efficient transition. If you're in the dark about what the switch-off means for your business, get in touch. We're here to keep you informed. #bigswitchoff

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It was my great pleasure to speak at International Telecoms Week (ITW) and to share with Capacity Media how telecom operators' wholesale business is undergoing formative transformation. My interview is featured here: https://lnkd.in/e97FV4d3 #ITW2024, #KeepingTheWorldConnected, #AI, #5G, #DigitalTransformation

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Mobile operators and GSMA unveil a pioneering Mobile Industry Manifesto for Europe: "New Rules for a New Era: Connecting Europe to 2030." A must-read for the future of our sector in Europe: 👉 Connectivity is the backbone of a competitive digital and green economy. It is the lifeblood of technologies, such as AI and big data, cloud, quantum computing, and the metaverse. The mobile sector’s importance as a strategic asset for Europe’s resilience should be recognized, and its value should be enhanced. 👉 Europe is lagging behind other global players. Excessive market fragmentation, spectrum costs, and an outdated regulatory framework have caused the telecom sector’s revenues to decrease. A paradigm shift is urgently needed. 👉 With over 100 operators present in the EU, European telcos have an average customer base of approximately 5 million subscribers each. By comparison, operators in China and the U.S. have 450 million and 110 million subscribers per company, respectively. 👉 A more pro-investment approach to EU spectrum policy can be an essential driver of Europe’s connectivity goals. 👉 There is a regulatory imbalance in the digital ecosystem between the largest tech companies and the telecom operators that needs to be addressed so that all market players benefiting from the digital transformation assume their social responsibilities and make a fair and proportionate contribution to the costs of infrastructures, for the benefit of all Europeans. https://lnkd.in/dVmJJfhn

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This is really awesome to see - #mnos starting to find ways to help reduce power usage and therefore reduce #CO2 while also running their networks at peak capacity. Great to see this #innovation from EE, Ericsson and Nokia to keep networks running while also reducing power consumption. This is something we at Shared Access are working with MNOs on, in particular with regard to our innovative BTS Hotel model (Base Station Hotel) which connects multiple buildings to one comms room rather than building multiple comms room, in particular working with MNOs to use 5 watt radios instead of 20 watt radios. This is so important to us all – we cant live without mobile networks, but reducing their CO2 output is key. #connectivity #networks #power #powerconsumption #investment #innovation #mnos #2g #3g #4g #5g #business #enterprise #UK #towers #masts #inbuilding #property #realestate #growth #mobile #mobilenetworks #telecoms #telecommunications #technology #wifi #fibre https://lnkd.in/eG3VJ6KU

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Managing a business can be overwhelming, this is something that rings true for all sectors and industries. Recently, at BT Business we've conducted research revealing some alarming stats, including that 9 out of 10 business leaders admit to have been affected by stress and tech anxiety, keeping them up at night. That's why we've designed a set of meditations aimed at business leaders of all kinds as part of our BT Business Reboot campaign. Take a moment to breathe in and breathe out — we've got your back. Listen to the meditations here: https://lnkd.in/eTxAdWpn #GotYourBack #BTMeansBusiness

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Now the dust has settled after ANGA, it's been great to reflect on the strategic opportunities and options available to Network Operators investing in the path to 10Gbps.. Whether that's FTTP, D4.0 or a combination of both. In today's tough economic climate and challenging penetration rates, do you really need to deploy 100% OLT Port capacity on day 1? Some operators are now using HDOSS to re-phase OLT CAPEX investments, whilst providing a simple, flexible and future-proof upgrade path. Regardless of technology choice or strategy, Technetix have a full portfolio of products that allow Operators to optimise end to end network capacity investments without compromising on quality.

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Today we announce our Q1 2024 financial results as Virgin Media O2. While there is much to do in the remainder of the year, we are gathering momentum in accelerating fibre build and marketing the nexfibre footprint, launching new services to enhance and improve customer experience, and progressing wider IT efficiency programmes as we continue our digital transformation. Ahead of price rise implementation, we delivered improved service revenue growth across both mobile and consumer fixed. Our teams also continue to innovate as shown by the targeted launch of #5G Standalone and a new 2Gbps broadband service on the nexfibre network in Q1, highlighting the future evolution of our networks as demand rises and new technologies emerge. Our performance in Q1 sets the foundations for our full year guidance as we make key investments to support future growth. Our Earnings Release here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g9tWnGDJ #VirginMediaO2Results #TeamVirginMediaO2

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An insightful blog by Aerial Direct regarding the evolution of 1G to 5G. Have a read! #5g #telecoms #aerialdirect

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Connectivity is at the heart of what we do every day. Especially for me when I go online or watch my favourite shows at home. Today, as the average household has more and more devices with higher connectivity speeds, the demand for greater bandwidth will continue to rise. That's why we're excited to introduce the Singtel 5Gbps enhanced fibre broadband plan. This offers an additional option for those who don't think they need the extreme speeds of our 10Gbps symmetric service yet but want more than a basic 2Gbps. This plan supports multiple connected devices simultaneously at an affordable price, making high-speed symmetrical broadband accessible to more households.   With 5Gbps, you can enjoy lag-free 4K videos, seamless online gaming, and even live stream without any interruptions. Our 5Gbps broadband plan also includes free months of popular services such as Amazon Prime, Viu Premium, Broadband Protect, and Singtel TV Ethnic Pack.   Seamless digital experiences are now within reach for every home. Learn more about our 5Gbps fibre broadband plan at singtel.com/fibreplans.   #SingtelLife #5Gbps #ConnectivityRedefined #DigitalTransformation

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This week I was invited to Spirent Communications EMEA partner event in Valencia, as a guest speaker on evolving telecoms & networks - and the impact for suppliers of test equipment and network-assurance. The full day of presentations as background helped me hone my speech. (NDAs carefully observed in this post). I’ve always found test vendors interesting, as they have a better view of the “real world” of telecom operators’ and enterprises’ upcoming deployments and launches than almost anyone else. Telco don’t put anything in the market without comprehensive testing first, especially given compliance risks as well as commercial ones. The event was a reality check – and eye-opener on some things I hadn’t previously considered. Spirent mostly sells gear that emulates traffic or devices, to see if network equipment or software performs appropriately. For instance, an MNO might want to test several vendors’ 5G core networks in their internal labs, to compare performance, security and reliability. It is easier to use a box to mimic 100s of devices generating radio or core network requests, rather than racks full of physical smartphones instead. There are also test systems for Wi-Fi, enterprise network security (eg SD-WAN and SASE), O-RAN and various emerging 5G capabilities, including cloud-based elements, plus ways to automate the test and lab processes. Two adjacent sectors speak to network testing outside traditional mobile networks, in areas that I’ve covered recently myself. It has specific systems for testing positioning and timing functions, especially those delivered from satellite. Think about GPS and various peers, and their importance to devices from smartphones to cars, boats and planes. Clearly you can’t put a physical satellite in your lab (or a constellation), so if you want to test a new device or complex system, you’ll have to emulate the satellite signals instead. Given the growing number of LEO and GEO providers offering positioning, connectivity etc, that’s an important test domain to consider. Another new area is testing of networks used in AI datacentres. The scale and workloads mean the internal connectivity in DCs full of GPUs is different to that in conventional DCs – and again, these need testing before deployment. Again, it’s much easier if you can emulate a load of GPU servers in the lab, rather than run and configure/connect real physical boxes with all the cost and power implications. My own speech covered my normal terrain – the telecoms downturn and future outlook, new stakeholders and models in networks (wholesale, #private5G, utilities, #neutralhosts), shifts in #spectrum & sharing between #5G, #WiFi, broadcast and defence users, coverage/performance needs in rural areas and indoors, virtualisation and disaggregation, APIs, the impact of AI on traffic patterns – and shifting regulation. All these will change and extend the testing landscape, I think. Thanks for the invitation Lisa Elliott & Mark Bateman!

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🚨 Important Update on UK Telecoms: PSTN and ISDN Switch-Off 🚨 Yesterday BT Group announced the PSTN and ISDN switch-off date has been paused until 31st January 2027. The UK is making a significant shift from the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) to a fully digital network using Internet Protocol (IP) across a fiber-based service. Originally scheduled for December 2025, the switch-off date has been extended to January 31, 2027. Key Changes: The Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) will also cease to function. Equipment relying on PSTN, like alarms, EPOS machines, door entry systems, CCTV, lift lines and faxes, will need upgrading. Don't delay! Exploring IP alternatives for business communications is essential. Benefits of Moving to an All-IP Network: 🌟 Improved Call Quality: Higher clarity with less interference. 💰 Cost Efficiency: Reduced operational costs by leveraging existing internet infrastructure. 📈 Scalability: Easy to add or remove lines without significant hardware changes. 🔧 Enhanced Features: Access to advanced features such as video conferencing and unified communications. 🔒 Reliability and Resilience: More robust infrastructure with better disaster recovery options. 🚀 Future-Proofing: Prepares businesses for future technological advancements. Preparing for the Transition: ⌛ Audit Current Systems: Identify devices/services relying on PSTN/ISDN. ⌛ Consult with Providers: Understand recommended steps and support available. ⌛ Upgrade Equipment: Replace PSTN/ISDN-dependent equipment with IP-compatible alternatives. ⌛ Network Assessment: Ensure your internet connection supports VoIP and other IP services. ⌛ Training and Support: Train staff and provide ongoing support. ⌛ Backup Plans: Establish backup solutions to ensure continuity. Considerations for Exceptions: 💡 Critical Services: Tailored transition plans for essential services. 💡 Remote Locations: Special support for areas with limited internet infrastructure. 💡 Regulatory Requirements: Bespoke arrangements for industries with stringent regulations. By planning and preparing appropriately, businesses can take advantage of the benefits of an all-IP network while ensuring a smooth and efficient transition. If you have any questions, feel free to ask LOQEX! 😊 #Telecom #DigitalTransformation #BusinessCommunications #PSTN #ISDN #VoIP #FutureOfBusiness #UKBusiness #TechnologyUpdate #change #businesscontinuity #fibre #B2B

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