Thursday, 6 February 2025

Telecom Trends in Trinidad and Tobago: Digicel and bmobile in the 5G Race

Trinidad and Tobago is a twin-island nation in the southern Caribbean, known for its vibrant Carnival celebrations and rich musical heritage, including calypso, soca, and the steelpan. Trinidad, the larger island, is an industrial hub with significant oil and gas resources, while Tobago is famed for its stunning beaches, coral reefs, and lush rainforests. The country’s diverse cultural tapestry reflects influences from African, Indian, European, and indigenous peoples, and its official language is English.

Trinidad and Tobago, boasts a competitive telecommunications market. Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 2.02 million cellular mobile connections in Trinidad and Tobago at the start of 2024. However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.

GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in Trinidad and Tobago were equivalent to 131.6 percent of the total population in January 2024.The number of mobile connections in Trinidad and Tobago increased by 24 thousand (+1.2 percent) between the start of 2023 and the start of 2024.

The country’s mobile landscape is dominated by two main operators: Digicel and bmobile, both offering extensive services to meet the needs of consumers and businesses. 

Digicel entered the Trinidad and Tobago market in 2006 and quickly gained popularity due to competitive pricing and aggressive marketing. It is part of the broader Digicel Group, which operates in several Caribbean, Central American, and Pacific countries.

Digicel provides widespread 4G LTE coverage across Trinidad and Tobago. The company invests heavily in network infrastructure to ensure consistent service, even in rural and underserved areas. However, like any network, coverage in extremely remote areas can sometimes be spotty.

In July 2018 4G/LTE was launched on the 1900 MHz band (B2). The 2100/1700 MHz band (B4) and the 700 MHz band (B28) are also used for LTE. They used B4 to launch LTE-A using Carrier Aggregation with the 1900 MHz band (B2) in November 2019 and B28 to launch 3CA in October 2020. 3CA and LTE CA with band 28 was stopped in March 2021 due to QoS issues. Only 2CA with band 2 and band 4 remains active. 256 QAM and uplink carrier aggregation (UL-CA) is also active on the network. Coverage is also available Nationwide. Check out their coverage map. The company has won the 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Speedtest award for the fastest mobile network in Trinidad and Tobago and the 2020 Speedtest award for best mobile coverage.

Digicel's 5G network is available in several locations in Trinidad and Tobago, including Marabella, Debe, San Fernando, and Peñal. 

As of recent estimates, Digicel holds a significant portion of the market, often competing neck-and-neck with bmobile. The company’s focus on customer experience and promotions has helped it maintain a strong foothold in the mobile sector.

Digicel had announced it would decommission its 2G network at the end of 2024. 

Bmobile is the brand of Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), the state-owned telecom provider. As the older of the two major operators, bmobile has long been a staple in the country’s telecommunications industry.

4G/LTE has only started in 2016 on 1900 MHz (band 2). bmobile also rolled out LTE using 700 MHz (band 28) in October 2020 and 1700 MHz (band 4) in November 2022. 3 carrier aggregation (3CA), 4x4 MIMO and 256 QAM is active on the network. TSTT previously launched a data device-only TD-LTE 2500 MHz (Band 41) network in 2014 called Blink, which it has expanded to over 400 locations, but requires a contract. This service has since been upgraded to LTE-A using Carrier Aggregation and 8x8 MIMO. Massive-MIMO is also used in select areas.

Bmobile maintains a competitive market share, often rivaling Digicel. Its status as a state-backed provider lends it a level of trust and reliability among many consumers, especially in enterprise and government sectors.

Bmobile has been proactive in 5G trials and demonstrations, showcasing its potential to revolutionize connectivity in Trinidad and Tobago. The company has partnered with international technology firms to lay the groundwork for a future 5G rollout. However, like Digicel, widespread availability of 5G is still pending.

Over the last few years, TSTT has also invested significantly in WTTX, which is their fixed wireless network and is 5G ready

The arrival of 5G in Trinidad and Tobago holds promise for enhanced mobile experiences, including faster speeds, lower latency, and support for smart technologies. Both Digicel and bmobile have expressed commitment to leading the 5G revolution, but challenges such as infrastructure costs, spectrum allocation, and public awareness remain hurdles to overcome.

Trinidad and Tobago’s mobile operators, Digicel and bmobile, continue to play pivotal roles in shaping the nation’s telecommunications landscape. With competitive offerings and ongoing investments in technology, they are well-positioned to meet growing consumer demands. 

Tuesday, 28 January 2025

China Mobile's Fine-Granularity Segmentation Solution for 5G Network

At the 41st GTI Workshop, held from November 24-26 in Nanning, Guangxi, industry leaders gathered to discuss emerging trends and challenges in the telecom sector. Among the standout contributions was China Mobile’s presentation on its innovative "Built-in Micro-Segmentation Plus" solution for fine-granularity segmentation in 5G networks.

Jie Ma, Project Manager at China Mobile, outlined how this approach addresses escalating security challenges in increasingly decoupled and virtualized telecom environments. The evolution from 2G to 5G has seen continuous security advancements, including user authentication, signalling encryption, and network equipment security assurances. Yet, 5G's service-based architecture introduces new risks due to decoupled hardware, software, and virtualization layers, leaving networks vulnerable to lateral movement attacks.

China Mobile highlighted how the traditional security measures, such as firewalls and SDN gateways, provide perimeter protection but fail to address internal threats within a security domain. The decoupling of hardware, virtualization, and services in 5G—and even more in future 6G networks—exponentially increases the internal attack surface.

To mitigate these risks, China Mobile proposed the "Built-in Micro-Segmentation Plus" solution, which:

  • Monitors and Segments Internal Traffic: Enables segmentation at virtual machine (VM), container, and service levels, isolating unauthorized traffic and preventing lateral attacks.
  • Real-Time Attack Awareness: Integrates advanced traffic visualization and monitoring capabilities, identifying 15 types of potential attacks.
  • Policy-Driven Security: Uses a central management centre to define and enforce granular security policies across the network.
  • Enhanced Reliability: Incorporates features like hot backup, disaster recovery, and automated failure detection for uninterrupted service.

This innovative approach enables fine-granularity segmentation that extends security beyond the domain perimeter into the internal network fabric, addressing gaps left by traditional solutions.

In 2023, China Mobile successfully piloted the solution, validating capabilities like asset management, security policy management, and critical file tampering detection. The company plans to expand deployment across 200,000 virtual machines in its 5G core network by the end of 2024, aiming to set a benchmark in securing next-generation telecom infrastructure.

The presentation from China Mobile is embedded below and the slides can be downloaded from here:

China Mobile’s "Built-in Micro-Segmentation Plus" exemplifies how operators can proactively tackle the security challenges posed by 5G and beyond. By integrating advanced segmentation and attack awareness capabilities, the proposal strengthens the telecom ecosystem’s resilience against evolving threats.

As the telecom industry moves forward, this solution not only highlights the importance of innovative security strategies but also underscores the collaborative efforts needed to secure the digital future.

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Friday, 10 January 2025

Kuwait's Telecom Triumph: A Competitive Race to the 5G Frontier

Kuwait boasts a well-developed telecom infrastructure, particularly in mobile networks and services. The telecom sector plays a vital role in the country's economy, and its significance is expected to grow in the coming years as Kuwait strategically shifts from an oil and gas-dependent economy to one centred on knowledge, ICT, and related services.

Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 7.89 million cellular mobile connections in Kuwait at the start of 2024. However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.

GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in Kuwait were equivalent to 182.2 percent of the total population in January 2024. The number of mobile connections in Kuwait increased by 279 thousand (+3.7 percent) between the start of 2023 and the start of 2024.

Kuwait has three mobile operators: Ooredoo, Zain and STC. The top two mobile operators, Ooredoo and Zain , accounted for 67.5% share of overall mobile subscriptions in 2023.

In Opensignal's latest analysis of Kuwait’s mobile network experience, Zain has emerged as the leading operator, winning 11 out of 13 awards this time — either jointly or outright. Zain claims outright victory in five categories, including Consistent Quality, Reliability Experience, 5G Download Speed and 5G Video Experience, while Ooredoo continues to lead outright in overall download and upload speeds, while sharing the top spot with Zain in four award categories, including Availability — the proportion of time users spend connected to mobile broadband services — for which all three operators are closely matched.

Ooredoo Kuwait, formerly Wataniya, emerged as the second mobile operator in the country, introducing competition and driving innovation within the sector. Ooredoo provides comprehensive nationwide coverage, with a particularly strong presence in urban areas. The company has invested heavily in its 4G LTE network and is aggressively expanding its 5G infrastructure. They are working with Huawei to move toward the ‘5.5G’, or 5G-Advanced, era by upgrading their core networks across key markets.

Ooredoo is known for its competitive data plans and generally good network quality. Users often praise their data speeds, particularly in urban centres, and their commitment to providing value for money. Ooredoo offers a diverse range of services designed to meet the evolving needs of its customers. 

Zain, originally known as MTC, is a trailblazer in mobile telecommunications in Kuwait and has grown into a leading regional operator with a presence across the Middle East and Africa.

Zain provides comprehensive nationwide coverage, reaching even the most remote areas of Kuwait. The company is a leader in network technology, offering extensive 4G LTE services and rapidly advancing its 5G infrastructure. Renowned for its superior network quality, Zain consistently earns praise for its fast data speeds, clear call quality, and minimal downtime.

Zain Kuwait began deploying 5G networks in 2018. After two years of development, 5G services have entered a phase of rapid growth. The user base continues to expand significantly, with a steady increase in the proportion of 5G traffic. This growth has driven positive revenue and profit gains for the operator.

Zain Kuwait has achieved a 5G subscriber penetration rate of 23%, with the average data usage (DOU) of its 5G users being five times higher than that of its 4G users.

Zain was the first operator to commercialize 5G networks in Kuwait. Zain provided the most extensive 5G coverage and best services owing to its focus on network construction. Zain has reached 100 percent coverage within six months of the commercial launch.

STC Kuwait, formerly Viva, entered the market as the third mobile operator, further intensifying competition and providing consumers with more choices. STC has been rapidly expanding its network, achieving nationwide coverage in a relatively short time. The company has been focusing on deploying 4G LTE and is actively rolling out its 5G network.

The mobile market in Kuwait is fiercely competitive, with Zain, Ooredoo, and STC actively competing for customer loyalty. This competitive landscape benefits consumers, as operators are compelled to offer appealing data plans, innovative services, and ongoing improvements to network quality and coverage. The recent introduction of 5G has heightened the rivalry, with each provider aiming to deliver the fastest speeds and the most advanced mobile experience.

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Saturday, 28 December 2024

Top 5 Posts for 2024

Presenting the top 5 most-viewed posts on Operator Watch Blog in 2024! While these posts captured the most attention this year, they weren’t all published in 2024. To provide some context, I’ve included the month and year each post originally went live:

  1. Deutsche Telekom on the Role of AI in their Network, May 2024
  2. Egypt Mobile Network Operators Overview, Feb 2020
  3. How many 5G Cell Towers & Base Stations Worldwide?, Aug 2020
  4. Türkiye is Still Waiting for 5G but 4.5G (LTE-Advanced) is Working Great, Jan 2024
  5. SK Telecom on 'Applying AI to Transform Customer Experience', Oct 2024

Did your favourite make the list? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Thursday, 12 December 2024

Harnessing AI in Telcos: Data, Opportunities, and the Future

At the Telecoms Europe virtual event, How AI is Transforming Telecoms (27 Nov 2024), Daniel Dobos, Research Director at Swisscom, presented an engaging talk titled "Have telcos got the right data in the right places to harness AI?" As Research Director, Daniel manages Swisscom’s collaborations with universities, applied sciences institutions, and research organizations. Alongside employees from various Swisscom business units, his team develops solutions leveraging cutting-edge research and technology for the benefit of customers. His prior experience includes leading AI research projects at CERN and the United Nations.

In his presentation, Daniel addressed a critical question: Do telcos have the right data infrastructure to harness AI effectively? This topic is especially pertinent as AI—especially generative AI—rapidly reshapes the telecommunications industry. He explored this question through the lenses of academic research, public sector regulation, and private sector application.

The Tsunami of AI: Opportunities and Risks

Daniel began by comparing the AI revolution to The Great Wave off Kanagawa, the iconic Japanese woodblock print. He emphasized AI's transformative potential, particularly large language models (LLMs), and urged telcos to adapt swiftly to this evolving landscape. He posed a thought-provoking question: "Are we the last generation to ask whether telcos have the right data to harness AI?" Daniel warned that telcos failing to adapt risk irrelevance or obsolescence.

Swisscom's AI Journey: From Research to Application

Daniel recounted Swisscom’s AI journey, beginning in 2016 with a partnership with EPFL to establish a digital lab focused on applied AI research for telcos. This collaboration leverages Swisscom’s extensive data resources and partnerships with leading institutions like EPFL and EDAP. Key AI techniques—natural language processing, automated speech recognition, and distributed machine learning—are deployed to enhance customer experience, network operations, and workforce management.

Real-World Applications: Optimizing Networks and Customer Care

Daniel shared three practical examples of Swisscom's AI implementation:

  1. Network Optimization: AI-driven analysis of network data to optimize mobile antenna deployment, improving both coverage and energy efficiency.
  2. Event Sequence Detection: Identifying patterns in massive data streams to predict network issues, optimize maintenance, and bolster cybersecurity.
  3. Generative AI for Customer Care: Deploying LLM-based chatbots to automate customer interactions, enhancing self-service capabilities and boosting customer satisfaction.

Knowledge Graphs: Decoding Complex Infrastructures

Daniel highlighted the role of knowledge graphs in visualizing Swisscom’s intricate infrastructure. These graphs map out infrastructure components and their relationships, enabling better human comprehension of network structures and anomalies. This approach enhances maintenance efficiency and risk detection.

Current Research: Pushing AI Boundaries

He also shared insights into Swisscom’s ongoing research in areas like infrastructure optimization, energy savings, and secure data analytics. A key innovation is the use of synthetic data, which enables collaboration between researchers and telcos without compromising privacy. Other projects include graph anomaly detection and advanced energy-saving strategies.

Key Takeaways: Data is the Key to AI Success

Daniel concluded by emphasizing that while Swisscom is well-positioned to leverage AI, many telcos are not. He underscored the importance of making data accessible and ready for AI algorithms. He urged telcos to prepare their data now, as the window of opportunity is narrowing. Comparing the current AI landscape to "teenage love," he advised experimenting with different AI models without committing prematurely. By ensuring data readiness, telcos can fully capitalize on AI’s transformative potential.

The video of his talk is embedded below:

Note: This blog post was created with assistance from ScreenApp for generating the video summary.

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Thursday, 28 November 2024

Venezuela’s Mobile Revolution: Growth, Innovation, and the Road to 5G

Venezuela, despite facing economic and political challenges in recent years, has a dynamic telecommunications market. Mobile operators play a pivotal role in keeping citizens connected, providing essential services amid an increasingly digital world.

Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 21.37 million cellular mobile connections in Venezuela at the start of 2024.

However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.

GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in Venezuela were equivalent to 73.4 percent of the total population in January 2024.

The number of mobile connections in Venezuela increased by 1.5 million (+7.7 percent) between the start of 2023 and the start of 2024.

Mobile telecommunications in Venezuela are regulated by CONATEL (Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones), which oversees the licensing and operation of mobile operators. The market is characterized by a mix of state-owned and private entities. There are three main mobile operators; Digitel, Movilnet and Movistar.

Digitel begun shutting down its 2G network in May 2021, with the local unit of Movistar commencing the process on 1st July 2022. This leaves state-backed Movilnet as the sole 2G provider.

CONATEL plans to phase out 2G connectivity by the end of 2025 and replace it with 4G. The government also hopes to deploy around 2,100 new 4G cell sites by 2025 to achieve 90% population coverage.

Movistar is part of the Telefónica Group and has a market share of nearly 54% of the country's mobile market, it is the leader in Venezuela's mobile market, with a customer base exceeding 7 million. Notably, 84% of its users are 4G customers, and the company accounts for over 50% of the country’s mobile internet traffic. Additionally, it has expanded into providing home fixed internet services through its Movistar Agile Solution (SAM) product. The operator's mobile network utilizes GSM/GPRS/EDGE, 3G+ UMTS (HSDPA/HSUPA), and LTE technologies. 

Recently Movistar Venezuela has undertaken more than 1,300 initiatives to enhance its LTE network coverage across the country, according to José Luis Rodríguez Zarco, the company’s president.

During a press conference, Rodríguez Zarco shared that the operator is actively modernizing and expanding over 500 stations in Caracas and the eastern region, while extending its 4G network to 32 new areas to improve coverage and capacity. He also stated they are focused on expanding coverage, modernizing their platforms, recovering affected stations and preparing for new technologies such as voice over LTE and 5G.

Movilnet a subsidiary of Compania Anonima Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela (CANTV), has a nearly 40% market share in Venezuela's mobile telecommunications industry.

Earlier this year, Movilnet has carried out a series of initiatives to strengthen its presence and quality of service in the eastern region of Venezuela. As part of its strategy to expand and improve 4GMAX coverage, the company has carried out network enhancements in Nueva Esparta, Monagas and Sucre, benefiting some 74,000 customers in the area.

Movilnet has also begun pilot testing of 5G technology in the Capital District and La Guaira and more than 130 million dollars have been invested so far this year, so there is an increase in new technologies to benefit their customers nationwide.

Digitel is the smallest of the three operators with approximately 15% market share and 3 million mobile subscribers. Digitel's network originally only covered Venezuela's central region, but the company expanded its reach through a series of mergers and network expansion programs. In 2013, Digitel became the first operator in Venezuela to offer 4G/LTE capabilities in major cities.

Digitel received the Ookla Speedtest Award 2023, after consolidating itself as the fastest mobile network in Venezuela.

Digitel reported that on June 7 2024, it carried out the first tests of 5G technology in the 3.5 GHz band, in the states of Nueva Esparta and Barinas. Specifically, this is the Fixed Wireless Access or FWA service, boosting the connectivity and browsing experience of users who participate in the demo. 

Digitel's deployment of its 5G network in Nueva Esparta and Barinas includes the adaptation of the existing infrastructure, specifically 20 radio base stations, to offer speeds up to 10 times higher, with almost non-existent latency. This means a faster and more stable browsing experience for users, through a fixed service.

The mobile sector in Venezuela is poised for transformation as operators navigate economic and political challenges while meeting growing consumer demands. With strategic investments, partnerships, and regulatory reforms, the industry could play a vital role in driving digital inclusion and economic recovery.

Friday, 22 November 2024

Deutsche Telekom’s Open RAN (ORAN) Plans

Open RAN (O-RAN/ORAN) took centre stage at Deutsche Telekom AG’s Capital Markets Day 2024 (#DTCMD24), with multiple mentions highlighting its growing significance in the telecom industry. Claudia Nemat, Member of the Management Board responsible for Technology and Innovation, underscored its role in co-creating with partners and kick-starting transformative initiatives like Open RAN and network APIs.

In her presentation, she highlighted both the opportunities and challenges presented by Open RAN. While it offers greater choice and flexibility, it also introduces significant complexity—someone must "stitch it all together." To navigate this complexity successfully, Deutsche Telekom is focusing on robust procurement at the subcomponent level, alongside developing strong software engineering, testing, and integration capabilities.

Deutsche Telekom’s transition from SRAN (Single-vendor RAN) to ORAN is not a new strategy, but Claudia shared an important update: the company is also developing its own RAN management system. This system aims to control costs, improve user experience, and mitigate risks associated with reliance on Chinese vendors. The approach involves replacing external configuration management systems with an in-house solution—a shift supported by a public agreement.

Deutsche Telekom reaffirmed its commitment to Open RAN, setting an ambitious goal to fully develop its conflict management capabilities by 2027. This long-term strategy positions the company as a leader in balancing innovation with operational resilience.

At Fyuz 2024 in Dublin, Petr Lédl, Chief Architect of DT O-RAN and Vice President of Network Trials at Deutsche Telekom talked about the progress in its three core areas of Open RAN – open fronthaul, an independent management framework, and the adoption of cloud RAN for hardware/software disaggregation. Deutsche Telekom is building on its in-house service management and orchestration (SMO) platform to develop a common management system that can cope with traditional RAN as well as Open RAN elements, says Lédl.

The video of his talk is embedded below: 

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