SK Telecom Announces its 5G Achievements and Plans on the First Anniversary of 5G Launch

SK Telecom today announced its 5G milestones achieved over the past year since launching the world’s first 5G service on April 3, 2019, along with its plans going forward.

Parallel Wireless CEO: Don’t Forget About Radios

Steve Papa co-founded Parallel Wireless in late 2012 because he viewed Ericsson, Huawei, and Nokia as “vertically integrated hardware companies about to be disrupted by Moore’s Law,” he told SDxCentral.

The 5G Economic Impact

The march toward 5G continues what has been a natural progression of cellular technology innovation dating back to the early 1980s. But the economic impact stuffed into the promise of 5G is making this evolution the most significant.

AT&T taps Dish spectrum in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands

Dish Networks continues to lend out its spectrum resources to carriers so they can bolster capacity during the COVID-19 crisis, this week opening access to AT&T to support broadband needs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Cisco's Wollenweber tracks COVID-19's impact on networks

Cisco's Kevin Wollenweber has turned into a COVID-19 sleuth of sorts over the past few weeks as he tracks the virus' impact on service provider networks via some of the major internet peering exchanges.

CityFibre completes £200mn FibreNation acquisition

With TalkTalk shareholders approving the sale of FibreNation to CityFibre for £200 million, the wholesale infrastructure challenger has increased its rollout target to 8 million premises.

Vodafone UK does its bit with free unlimited mobile data

In the spirit of collective endeavour Vodafone UK is offering unlimited mobile data for free to vulnerable customers and half a million others for a month.

A prolonged outbreak presents significant problems to telcos

While the telco industry might be getting well-deserved attention and praise today, the longer the coronavirus outbreak plagues society, the greater the risk of penalties for the telcos.

Amazon, Microsoft Dethroned in China’s Public Cloud Market

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft typically battle for the top spot among public cloud providers in market reports, and new fourth-quarter data from Synergy Research Group (SRG) on the Asia-Pacific (APAC) market found those two giants were indeed among the largest across the broader region. Except for China, where the leading six public cloud providers are all local companies.

Chipmakers Prep for Pandemic Threat on Supply Chain

The semiconductor market is expected to contract in 2020 as the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak continues to cause disruptions to supply chains, according to an IDC report filed this week.

Security Experts Battle Hackers, COVID-19 Cyberattacks

Threat researchers at Microsoft, ClearSky Cyber Security, and Okta are among the hundreds of security experts helping the medical community fight COVID-19 cyberattacks through the COVID-19 CTI League.

VMware Pulls 2021 Guidance Citing COVID-19 Risk

VMware withdrew its fiscal 2021 first-quarter and full-year guidance citing concerns that the global coronavirus pandemic may hurt its business. The news sent VMware shares down more than 8% by Friday morning.

Daily Roundup: VMware Pulls FY21 Forecast

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T-Mobile seeks OK to use 2.5 GHz in Philadelphia

T-Mobile is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to use spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, where it’s currently licensed or leased to Sprint or a Sprint affiliate.

AT&T offers data, new plan for prepaid customers amid COVID-19

AT&T has introduced a new low-cost wireless plan for Cricket and AT&T prepaid customers, along with additional data allowances for two months amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

Editor's Corner— What happens to WFH when COVID-19 passes?

We've learned a few things about the telecommunications industry thus far when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. The first, and perhaps most important, is that the telecommunications ecosystem is largely handling the increased traffic due to home-bound employees, OTT streamers and daytime online gamers.

American Tower bounces after Raymond James upgrade

American Tower shares were trading up more than 10% at one point on Thursday after Raymond James upgraded its recommendation on the stock from “market perform” to “outperform,” citing the tower sector’s resilience amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Microsoft buys into NFV with Affirmed Networks acquisition

US software giant Microsoft has made one its most aggressive moves into the telecoms sector with the acquisition of virtualization specialist Affirmed Networks.

Italian networks having a bit of a wobble under the strain

Although Italian networks seem to be holding-up under the increased traffic, data from Opensignal and MedUX suggests there has been material levels of service degradation.

Cisco morphs in face of the coronavirus pandemic

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic is multi-faceted for Cisco as it works to keep both its employees safe and its customers connected. During a Bloomberg interview Wednesday morning, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins spoke about the impact of COVID-19, which included a shift in Cisco's supply chain strategy and how its Webex video platform is being used.

Microsoft to acquire Affirmed Networks

Microsoft has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Affirmed Networks, which sells virtualized, cloud-native mobile network solutions to operators. Terms were not revealed.

Apple may delay 5G iPhone launch: report

Apple may push back the anticipated fall launch of its first 5G iPhone because of challenges related to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to Nikkei Asian Review.  

Transport providers prepare for 5G impact: Special Report

The 5G era has begun, and while next-generation network architectures, applications and usage trends could take years to evolve, the builders and providers of the transport infrastructure supporting the mobile industry already are preparing for the day when the most ambitious 5G hopes finally become reality.

CableLabs sticks a fork into DOCSIS 4.0 specification

After years of fine-tuning, the cable industry now has its next-generation DOCSIS 4.0 specification in place to help drive faster gigabit speeds going forward. After first starting development four years ago, CableLabs announced the release of the DOCSIS 4.0 specification on Thursday.

US 3.5 GHz spectrum auction delayed by a month

The US Federal Communications Commission is delaying an imminent spectrum auction by a month coz of coronavirus.

Call to action: Wireless industry response to COVID-19

"Once-in-a-century pathogen" is how Bill Gates described Covid-19 in February. Since then, global markets have been decimated, healthcare systems are breaking under the severe duress, cities worldwide are in lockdown, and life as we know it has been drastically altered.

Vodafone’s M&A team has a very positive day

The towers transaction in between Telecom Italia and Vodafone has negotiated all the regulatory hurdles, while the Vodafone and TPG merger down under has gotten the US greenlight.

Huawei boss shrugs off effects of COVID-19 and US sanctions

Ren Zhengfei, Huawei founder and head honcho, is maintaining his defiant public position in spite of mounting challenges.

UWB group links 6 GHz to coronavirus

The UWB Alliance doesn’t like the idea of giving Wi-Fi “free reign” over the 6 GHz band, saying doing so could be a “death sentence” for next-gen medical devices and critical infrastructure safety technologies at a time they’re needed most.

European Data Protection Supervisor: data sharing to combat COVID-19 is legit

After suggestions there might be some suspect data sharing going on to combat the coronavirus outbreak, the European Data Protection Supervisor has said it is within the rules.

NS1 Security Chief: Does Your Disaster Recovery Plan Consider Pandemics?

Ryan Davis, NS1’s newly hired chief information security officer (CISO), says the company’s customers ask a lot of questions about business continuity plans and exercises lately.

Kubernetes 1.18: Same Boat, New Finish

The Kubernetes team this week released the latest 1.18 iteration of the container orchestration platform with a seemingly “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach as there are no new major features in the release. 

Daily Roundup: Microsoft Buys Affirmed

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COVID-19 Trade Show Impact (Update)

Trade shows are evolving rapidly in the wake of the COVID-19 virus. Many have been altered to a virtualized existence and some outright canceled.

Huawei Boosts 2020 R&D to $20B

Huawei is boosting its 2020 investment on research and development to $20 billion as it prepares for a significantly increased demand for network infrastructure and services. Ren Zhengfei, founder and CEO of the global juggernaut, told The Wall Street Journal the company will spend an additional $5.8 billion on research and development activities this year.

Is 800G Enough to Scare Away the Optical Bogeyman?

There is only so much bandwidth you can shove down a glass fiber and networking vendors are closer than ever to hitting the speed limit, said Dell’Oro analyst Jimmy Yu.

Microsoft Digs Deeper Into 5G With Affirmed Acquisition

Microsoft is acquiring Affirmed Networks in a move to bolster its position in the 5G ecosystem. The deal follows on a number of recent 5G-focused cloud deals Microsoft has scored with telecommunication operators, though this one moves the cloud giant’s operations slightly outside of that zone.

Airspan, Altiostar package lessons from Rakuten

Two U.S. companies — Airspan Networks and Altiostar Networks — have worked closely with Rakuten Mobile to help get the Japanese carrier’s 4G radio access network (RAN) up and running. Rakuten plans to launch its greenfield network commercially on April 8.

SoftIron scores $34 million to help fund global expansion

London-based SoftIron announced on Wednesday that it has added $34 million to its war chest, which it will use to expand its presence globally.

GSMA sensibly softens its stance on MWC 2020 refunds

When the GSMA was forced to cancel Mobile World Congress coz of coronavirus it indicated that no refunds would be given, but a month later it has seen sense.

ITU creates best practice sharing tool as worldwide networks hold strong

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), has created a new mechanism to educate authorities on how to improve network resilience and maintain performance during this difficult period.

CBRS PAL auction pushed back a month due to COVID-19

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has decided to push back the auction of CBRS Priority Access Licenses (PALs) for the 3550-3650 MHz band, which was supposed to start June 25. Bidding for the auction will now begin on July 23.

3GPP delays 5G standards due to COVID-19

Not surprisingly, the coronavirus is having an impact on the timing of 5G standards, with the finalization of some 5G standards officially delayed by three months.

Cloud data center spending heads towards higher growth in 2020

Cloud spending is forecast for higher growth this year, but enterprise spending will be down due to the impact of COVID-19, according to a report.

Apple looks to reopen some stores in April: report

Apple informed employees that some of its retail stores could reopen as early as the first half of April, according to Bloomberg.

Virgin Media sees a 95% upstream traffic spike due to COVID-19

There's no doubt that broadband subscribers' habits have changed during the coronavirus outbreak as more of them work from home. Virgin Media said the upstream traffic on its network has increased 95% during daytime hours largely due to home-bound employees uploading large files onto their corporate networks.

AT&T pays out 20% bonus to front-line union employees

AT&T is paying a 20% bonus above the regular hourly base rate of pay to its front-line union employees, regardless of whether they are working from home or at their regular job locations.

WWT works with Cisco, VMware, Dell to integrate wireless tech

World Wide Technology (WWT) is a St. Louis-based systems integrator that you’ve likely never heard of. But the company works closely with a lot of familiar names in the U.S. wireless space. WWT is the primary systems integrator for one of the Big 4 U.S. wireless carriers, although it doesn’t name the carrier.

Bouygues Telecom continues tower outsourcing mission with new JV

A new joint venture between Phoenix Tower International and Bouygues Telecom has been announced to develop approximately 4,000 new towers across France to its 5G prospects.

Facebook reportedly close to buying 10% of Reliance Jio

Social media giant Facebook seems set to continue its push into telecoms with a major stake in India’s dominant operator group.

If it’s not accurate, it’s not real advertising – ASA slaps down Three’s 5G claims

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled against the ‘if it’s not Three, it’s not real 5G’ ad campaign following complaints from rivals.

As YouTube defaults to SD worldwide, Ofcom offers connectivity top tips

With everyone stuck at home for the foreseeable future, telecoms capacity has become front page news.

Predictability, reliability key to private wireless networks

Interest in private wireless networks has ramped as new spectrum like CBRS in the U.S. and elsewhere becomes available, but other aspects including the device ecosystem, costs and ease of deployment, and reliability requirements come into play when thinking about implementation, particularly for enterprise.  

What Cisco Networking Learned During the Pandemic

Before COVID-19, Cisco averaged between 20,000 and 30,000 daily remote connections from employees working from home. Now that all Cisco employees — like those at most other companies — work remotely, it sees more than 170,000 remote network connections daily across 96 countries and 498 cities.

Daily Roundup: Tier-1 Operators Back New TIP Spec

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Global Operators Drive TIP's Open Optical Transponder

The Telecom Infra Project (TIP) has published the technical specifications for Phoenix, its disaggregated and open optical transponder, with support from Deutsche Telekom, NTT, Telefónica, Telia, and Vodafone.

Competition Heats Up as Chipmakers Grapple With 5G Infrastructure

Once dominated by proprietary hardware and highly specialized ASICs, the dynamic nature of 5G is challenging the way telecommunications vendors like Nokia, Ericcson, ZTE, and Samsung think about cellular networks. Many have made a hard pivot to more flexible architectures from chipmakers like Intel and Marvell for the next generation of 5G equipment.

IT, OT Worlds Collide With 5G Security

5G networks will supercharge the convergence of IT and operational technology (OT) networks and teams, and ultimately this is a positive development. Among the benefits: industrial machines, sensors, and other connected devices can learn on the fly using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Additionally the merger of IT and OT means both teams can better share information and use big data to improving processes and workflows and to make systems and machines more efficient.

GSMA MWC Barcelona Compensation Linked to Event’s Future

Industry trade association GSMA released compensation information tied to the cancellation of its flagship MWC Barcelona 2020 event due to the ongoing COVID-19 virus outbreak that is focused on ensuring the event will continue despite the one-year hiatus.

Is Kubernetes the Cure to Cantankerous 5G Core?

The full arsenal of technology required to deliver on the promise of 5G hasn’t reached commercial networks – yet. Ultra-reliable, low-latency communications, network slicing, edge services, and converged access hinges on the adoption of cloud-native and containers by telecommunication providers. 

Making Sense of the 5G Spectrum Mess

Spectrum has been the lifeblood of the wireless industry since its inception. Without it, mobile connectivity simply doesn’t exist. That remains true as ever in a 5G world, but 5G also dramatically changes the breadth and depth of spectrum that is required to power lower latency, higher bandwidth, and more connections per cell site.

5G Standards Delayed for Industrial IoT, Low Latency

Global standardization body 3GPP is delaying the adoption of a pair of critical releases for 5G specifications. Release 16 and Release 17 have both been pushed back three months, despite claims from leadership earlier this month that the original deadlines would be met.

SRG, Dell’Oro: Server Spending Set to Surge

Worldwide data center server capex spending shrugged off a flat 2018, posting strong growth last year and hopes for more in 2020, according to new reports from Synergy Research Group and Dell’Oro Group. However, the ongoing coronavirus outbreak could complicate matters.  

Juniper Security VP: Networks Must Be Threat Aware

Samantha Madrid, VP of security business and strategy at Juniper Networks, joined the company about 18 months ago with a very specific security strategy: change how we secure networks by making the network itself threat aware.

Nokia notches 4X capacity boost in Sprint test

Nokia touted a new lab achievement over Sprint’s 2.5 GHz spectrum that boosted 5G capacity by up to four times through a software upgrade.

Baker: How the 5G smartphone cycle will differ from 4G

The first LTE services for phones were launched close to 10 years ago at the end of 2010 and in early 2011.

5G patent chest-beating is an unhelpful distraction

The constant propaganda sent out by the big kit vendors has recently moved onto 5G patents and the latest claims are more unhelpful than ever.

Google Stadia attempts to lure independents with Makers initiative

While Google has made quick progress in launching its cloud gaming platform, the main criticism is a lack of independent content creators. The launch of its Makers initiative hopes to correct this.

Top executive Hakl departs Verizon for Microsoft

Long-time Verizon executive Shawn Hakl has left the company and joined Microsoft. Hakl said on a LinkedIn message that he has left Verizon for Microsoft, but didn't say what his new title was. Verizon didn't respond to emails and a phone call to ask who, if anyone, has replaced Hakl.

T-Mobile tracks ‘dramatic’ spike in messaging

T-Mobile has tracked shifting mobile trends across its network over the last two weeks, including spikes in messaging and more subscribers with limited mobility, that align with changes to daily life many Americans are experiencing during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Telco Systems bows new line of business routers

Telco Systems announced it has released its new family of multi-service routers and integrated access devices, which is called the T-Marc R3306 series.

Juniper sprays Mist into analytics for enterprises

Juniper Networks has added yet another wrinkle to its Mist platform with the addition of analytic capabilities for enterprises. Mist Premium Analytics collects data across heterogenous network, security and location domains and endpoints, and then coverts it into actionable insights for enterprise customers.

Loon finally gets OK to fly in Kenya

The Kenyan government has finally given formal approval for Alphabet’s Loon balloons to operate in the stratosphere above the country, but the full impact won’t be immediate.

‘Real’ 5G relies on 5G NR, Standalone architecture

Consumers are starting to see the benefits of 5G. But the really cool 5G? That will presumably come with the deployment of 5G Standalone (SA) networks.

Intel suspends stock buyback in face of COVID-19 pandemic

In a Tuesday filing, Intel said it has suspended its planned stock repurchase in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The chipmaker also cautioned that the coronavirus outbreak could have a material impact on its business going forward.

BT trims another slice from its Global Services unit

BT has announced it intends to sell its French domestic operations to Computacenter as it continues to trim down the Global division which caused so much heartache in bygone years.

5G growth isn’t enough to compensate Chinese operators’ subs loss

The total recent decline in mobile subscriptions reported by China’s mobile operators totaled 20 million and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic isn’t the only reason.

Nokia: Networks, for now, are holding up to COVID-19 surge

By most accounts, internet networks are holding up just fine in the face of increased usage due to the impact of the coronavirus, but that could change over the coming weeks.

Twitter withdraws guidance for next month’s earnings call

With the FTSE 100 down 30% and the Dow Jones declining 31% in a month, it would surprise few there are numerous companies preparing investors for a tricky earnings call.

UK government relies on operator cooperation for emergency text messages

Every UK mobile subscriber should receive a text message from the government today, telling them to stay at home and linking to the new restrictions.

Cockroach Labs Defends Default Congif of AWS, Azure, GCP Test

Cockroach Labs doubled down on its testing methodology despite receiving mixed feedback from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) alleging the company’s test configurations weren’t well suited to their strengths. 

Microsoft Warns of Attacks Exploiting Zero-Day Flaws

Microsoft warned of critical, zero-day flaws in Windows and Windows Server operating systems being actively exploited by attackers.

Global Pandemic Strains 5G Supply Chain

The rapidly accelerating spread of the coronavirus is bringing much of the world to a screeching halt and the supply chain for 5G network infrastructure is being strained as a result.

Red Hat OpenShift Serverless Inches Closer to GA

Red Hat recently updated its OpenShift Serverless platform with a handful of new features that inch it closer to general availability (GA). The move highlights both the ongoing maturation of serverless platforms as well as the tepid pace of that maturation process.

Akamai CTO: COVID-19 Gives SASE, Zero-Trust Networks Urgency

Akamai today added secure web gateways to its security platform as it moves toward a secure access service edge (SASE) architecture for delivering security at the edge.

Daily Roundup: Intel Warns of Financial Hit

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Intel Warns Pandemic Could Erode Financials, Halts Stock Buybacks

Intel warned investors that the rapidly deteriorating economic situation caused by the ongoing pandemic could begin to erode the company’s financial standing in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing today.

Mist Targets Enterprises, Retail With Data Analytics

Juniper Networks subsidiary Mist Systems announced its entrance into the data analytics game today with Mist Premium Analytics.

AT&T, Verizon see consumers dial up voice usage

Voice calls seem to be making a comeback as a way to connect, with AT&T and Verizon each reporting bumps in mobile voice traffic during a time when more Americans are working from home and practicing social distancing amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

Use of subscriber data to tackle COVID-19 could let the civil liberty genie out of the bottle

Mobile operators are being asked to provide subscriber data to governments in order to track the spread of coronavirus and they dare not refuse.

Who is set to benefit from the COVID-19 outbreak?

For millions of individuals and businesses, the threat of COVID-19 is financial ruin, but there are parts of the technology industry that are benefiting from the considerable changes forced on society.

New T-Mobile ‘poised to grow’ as Dish shares crater—analyst

A new report from MoffettNathanson spells it out with no uncertain terms: T-Mobile is poised to grow, and that’s while acknowledging the omnipresence of the coronavirus.  

Big 4 could see device sales plummet

Mobile phone sales are expected to drop sharply in the second quarter as carriers close retail stores and more Americans stay home in response to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis, dampening upgrade demand and negatively impacting subscriber additions, according to analysts.  

Doyle: The SD-WAN opportunities and challenges for MSPs

Managed network services are a popular method for IT organizations to outsource the challenges of providing connectivity to their branches and data centers. The wealth of SD-WAN technology solutions—literally dozens of suppliers— has created both opportunities and challenges for managed service providers (MSPs.) 

AT&T Business boots up command centers amid COVID-19 outbreak

AT&T Business has booted up six command centers to meet the increased networking and customer demands that are a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Among other tasks, the new command centers are enabling the faster delivery of increased bandwidth, new circuits and unified communications services.

OneWeb launches 34 more satellites

OneWeb announced on Saturday the successful launch of 34 more satellites, the second batch in six weeks, a pace the company attributes to a high-volume production factory in Florida.

Leadership during a crisis will be remembered long after it ends

It’s heartening to see wireless companies stepping up to help their customers and employees during this time of global crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is no playbook for how to handle this type of a rapidly evolving crisis, I believe that many wireless companies are showing true leadership.

Cisco commits $225M globally to battle COVID-19

Cisco has stepped up to the plate by throwing its wallet and resources behind an effort to combat the coronavirus across the globe. On Sunday, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins announced Cisco was committing $8 million in cash and $210 million in product as part of its global coronavirus aid.

Verizon adds Google’s Stadia to Fios bundling options

The Verizon Fios bundling initiative is starting to look like an attractive proposition, and now it has added Google’s cloud gaming offer for an additional twist.

TM Forum postpones Digital Transformation World

The Digital Transformation World event, which was due to take place in Copenhagen in June, has been postponed to October due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

UK employees working two extra hours daily during self-isolation

Data from NordVPN suggests UK employees are working an extra two hours per day, up to 11 hours, after ditching commutes during this period of self-isolation and social distancing.

Softbank to offload $41bn assets for share buyback programme

In what could be interpreted as an attempt to protect the Japanese conglomerate from the impact of COVID-19, Softbank has announced it will sell assets to the value of JPY4.5 trillion ($41 billion).

Chinese operators lose millions of subscribers

All three of the big Chinese mobile operators are reporting significant declines in their subscriber numbers, presumably due to the current exceptional circumstances.

ITU responds to COVID-19 with new guidelines

Citing the global coronavirus crisis, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) launched new guidelines to assist countries in their development of national emergency telecommunication plans. The ITU said the guidelines will assist national authorities and policymakers in developing policies and regulations that can ensure the continued use of telecom networks and services before, during and after a disaster.

Disney set to capitalise on self-isolation with streaming launch

With millions of parents and children scratching the walls searching for something to do, the launch of Disney+ today (March 24) couldn’t have been timed better.

Automation: Take the fast lane on the path to 5G

Automation will play a critical role in helping operators meet these challenges to speed the delivery of 5G networks and derive new revenues. Click here to read the full article.

Cisco hands OpenRoaming over to WBA

Cisco’s decision to donate its OpenRoaming technology to the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) should lead to better Wi-Fi roaming in the future.

Cato Bolsters SASE-Based SDP to Serve Remote Workers

Cato Networks updated its software-defined perimeter (SDP) platform with a single sign-on (SSO) feature designed to help remote workers access their software-as-a-service (SaaS) and legacy applications. The move comes as more than 100 million Americans join millions more around the globe already under lockdown, which is in turn straining enterprise infrastructure.

Daily Roundup: IBM Leads White House HPC Group as Big Tech Battles COVID-19

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Cisco CEO Commits $225 Million to Fight COVID-19

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins said his company will commit $225 million to support local and global COVID-19 response efforts. This includes $8 million in cash, $210 million in products, and up to $5 million in grants and funds matching Cisco employees’ donations to nonprofits.

White House, IBM-Led Group Offer HPC Resources in COVID-19 Fight

The White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Department of Energy (DoE), and a quintet of the world’s largest cloud and technology providers launched a high performance computing (HPC) program designed to ease access to the nation’s supercomputers to help with research tied to the ongoing COVID-19 virus outbreak.

Networks Absorb Annual Traffic Spike in a Week

Networks are facing a unique and heretofore unimaginable test as untold numbers of people heed the call to stay home to limit the spread of COVID-19. This rapid shift in usage, behavior, and daily activity around the world is causing “unprecedented growth in global internet traffic,” according to early research from Nokia Deepfield.

Rakuten’s CTO says RAN wasn’t as troublesome as other things

If there’s anyone who knows about network automation, it’s Rakuten CTO Tareq Amin. He’s leading the charge to build a greenfield LTE network in Japan that will launch commercially in early April.