BROWSING: Opinion

Get the 5G core right–and everything else will follow (Reader Forum)

What is the best 5G deployment strategy? In recent conversations with mobile operators, many admitted to shying away from investing in full 5G standalone (SA). Instead they have opted for 5G non-standalone (NSA), with a focus on 5G radio and re-using the 4G core....

New realms of measurement, connected data silos, and more in 2020 (Reader Forum)

Editor's note: Keysight Technologies offered up these predictions for 2020, from CTO Jay Alexander and Jeff Harris, who leads the company's global marketing.  New realms of measurement will grow in importance in 2020: Measurement based tools of many kinds are key enablers for the technology-based products and...

Industry 4.0 at tipping point for telcos – the story that would have been told (but for COVID-19)

Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in February is the major venue and the key date for the telecoms industry. Yes, the cards have been dealt, but the show works as a useful barometer of its high mood. It kick-starts the season, effectively, after...

Kagan: AT&T TV launches with Google Assistant changing pay TV

AT&T just launched their new AT&T TV service. I’ve been using this service and am very impressed. This ups the game for every competitor. We are in the early days of a massive transformation in the world of pay TV. This is pay TV...

Why NFV still matters in a 5G world (Reader Forum)

Service providers are launching new services faster than ever before and upgrading networks to fit the new 5G ecosystem. As they streamline offerings and build out advanced use cases, they’re getting help from an unexpected source: network function virtualization (NFV). While many operators have completed...

What Carriers Should Expect in Robocalling in 2020 (Reality Check)

  Over the past several months, we’ve seen the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act, a bill to deter criminal robocall violations and make it easier for authorities to assign financial penalties, signed into law; the FCC strengthen efforts to fine robocallers and drive implementation of the SHAKEN/STIR...

5G, 0G, all these Gs? Gee-eze – the IoT pie is bigger than that, says LoRaWAN champ

An intro-video plays as the founders of The Things Network (TTN), take to the stage at their annual LoRaWAN bash in Amsterdam. A Hollywood-style voiceover crows about big-sounding tech - something about 5G and 0G, and all the other Gs – before the baritone...

Wanted: A converged IoT strategy for the enterprise (Reader Forum)

Smart IoT devices and sensors utilize a wide range of wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, LoRa, and BLE. The deployment of smart IoT devices and sensors – each with its own set of requirements – inevitably creates multiple overlay networks that are...

Kagan: How coronavirus will impact MWC20

The coronavirus is spreading and changing quickly, and we simply do not know when it will peak or what path it will take. So, what impact will it have on trade shows like Mobile World Congress 2020 coming up in Barcelona in the next...

2020 wireless test trends: 5G (of course), but be aware of other exciting new technology (Reader Forum)

It’s a new year and a new decade which makes it a perfect time to look ahead to predict the important trends in wireless networks and their impact on wireless test systems and processes. Here we go:   Hindsight and 2020 vision As expected, 5G stole the...

Kagan: Huawei will have a rough year in 2020

The pressure is increasing on Huawei. They need to prove they can continue to make it without Google Android and US chips. Huawei introduced their first folding smartphone with their own HarmonyOS. It’s called the Mate X. It will compete with a growing number...

Why agility will be at the heart of 5G monetization (Reader Forum)

As the 5G digital services race begins, we now find communication service providers (CSPs) at various stages of planning, designing or deploying new infrastructure. The range of potential 5G use cases are huge. Everything from gaming to smart factories to VR-based entertainment. Unlike in...

Mobile tech investment and innovation: Five predictions for 2020 and beyond (Reader Forum)

We have seen monumental changes over the last 10 years in technology, speed of innovation and online social interaction – much of which has been driven by mobile technology. From the massive adoption of the smartphone to the explosive popularity of IoT-enabled everything, the...

The rise of 5G, entertainment in cars and increased focus on privacy (Reader Forum)

2020 tech predictions No matter how much technology keeps evolving, making predictions about the future is always a risky business – but with the continued spread of digital transformation there are some areas where advances are more likely. Here are five trends I expect to...

What you need to know about Wi-Fi 6E (Reader Forum)

Throughout 2019, we heard a constant drumbeat about newer, faster, better wireless technologies. These included Wi-Fi 6, 5G, CBRS, LoRaWAN, and a plethora of IoT-focused technologies, all backed up with reams of documentation and test results demonstrating their value over their peers.  But in the...

Kagan: Making in-flight Wi-Fi faster, more reliable

Every time I take a flight, I cringe over how bad the Wi-Fi experience will be. Years ago, I got excited when airlines started to offer Wi-Fi connectivity for the flying public. However, after using the service, I quickly learned it was too slow...

Digital transformation – four milestones for IIoT success (Reader Forum)

After leading the early automation revolution at the beginning of the 20th century, manufacturers are once again seeking a technological edge. A whopping 72% of manufacturing companies plan to significantly increase investment into digitization efforts in 2020. These manufacturers’ combined financial commitment is expected...

Why 5G doesn’t amount to a hill of beans, and it is not enough for operators

Telecoms operators must do more than just sell connectivity. It is a maxim that gets repeated, often, and always – and one that, in the end, becomes more like a stick to beat them with than a code of survival, as they fail over...

Why agility will be at the heart of 5G monetization (Reader Forum)

As the 5G digital services race begins, we now find communication service providers (CSPs) at various stages of planning, designing or deploying new infrastructure. The range of potential 5G use cases are huge. Everything from gaming to smart factories to VR-based entertainment. Unlike in...

Getting 5G right: Lessons learned from South Korea (Reader Forum)

South Korea was the first country to commercially launch a nationwide 5G network in April 2019, a feat made possible when all three of the mobile network operators in the country simultaneously switched on 5G. As we approach the first anniversary of that milestone...

Where in the world is Industry 4.0 strongest? Napkin analysis of the ‘smartest factories’

As the headline suggests, this analysis should be seen in context. It offers only rapid arithmetic around the World Economic Forum’s (expanding) list of ‘lighthouse’ factories, which claim the most success with digital change. It considers the available data (the location and ownership of...

5G, CBRS, and wireless tech: Changing the landscape of in-building DAS (Reader Forum)

  The rise in digital offerings created to meet heightened consumer expectations across many industries have carriers and venue owners scrambling to provide ubiquitous connectivity to support these needs in buildings. Luckily for carriers and venue owners, several wireless technologies, such as small cells, repeaters,...

Networks go cloud-native and unified with OpenRAN (Reader Forum)

Carrier networks need increased flexibility as they juggle 5G with legacy technologies This year, carriers across the globe will be considering how they can cost-effectively roll out new 5G networks, whilst reducing complexity in their legacy 2G/3G/4G infrastructure. In developing markets, carriers face the challenge of...

On Android malware (Reader Forum)

I’ve heard this song before… Around 15 years ago, Apple was engaged in an advertising battle against Microsoft, in which the “cool computer company” poked fun at its competitor’s susceptibility to viruses. Of course, one of the reasons for that weakness, was the sheer size...