“Where is the edge?” is one of the most popular questions I heard at telco industry events. The answer often comes as “the edge is where it needs to be.” Some understand this to mean wide distribution of computing hardware that will make the telco edge cloud. Here, I will argue why wide distribution of computing is unlikely… Read More »
I had the opportunity to spend a few days last week at the media and broadcast sector event IBC to check out the latest developments in the these sectors. Video dominates Internet traffic, so this was a good platform to check out what the ecosystem players from “lens to screen” are working on. Of interest to me is… Read More »
Accounting for technical challenges in edge cloud development is critical to understanding the evolution of the edge cloud over time. This area remains ill defined today as confusion reigns in the market. Part of the reason comes from the large number of applications that benefit from edge computing. These applications come from different industry and consumer verticals, leading… Read More »
Mobile network operators don’t breakout cellular IoT service revenue. They keep the numbers confidential and report only the number of connections. China Mobile broke away from this practice becoming one of the very few that publicly reports this number. It announced cellular IoT service revenue of RMB 5.2 billion (USD 736 m) in the first half of 2019.… Read More »
The satellite and mobile industries have long played in their own field, rarely intersecting despite being complementary. The disconnect between the two camps is surprisingly large. Neither side paying much attention to developments on the other side. Their relationship even turned adversarial where spectrum rights were at stake. Both industries are now trying to work together by defining… Read More »
by Dr. Riad Hartani, Xona Partners Internet Intersects Space Technologies The space race is on again! This time the focus is on building a new generation of low earth orbit satellite constellations to deliver broadband internet. A simple equation lies at its heart: Internet to more people around the world; to keep the business model for the cloud/internet… Read More »
This year I’ll opt to write a few quick thoughts on the state of the telco industry instead of the annual report that follows MWC. Time is tight, so let’s get straight to the main points. Foldable Phones Foldable phones were the main highlight of MWC2019. Both Samsung and Huawei launched models featuring foldable screens. At prices in… Read More »
The benefits of edge computing, low latency and backhaul efficiency are well understood. However, there is a cost to realize these benefits through small data centers. Hyperscale data centers are the backbone of the cloud. The cost structure and operation of these data centers is well understood. On the other hand, different requirements govern the edge cloud leading… Read More »
Edge computing presents a new opportunity for telecom service providers to have a cloud play. Their proximity to users gives them an inherent advantage at the ‘edge.’ The question is: are the telcos ready to capitalize on this opportunity? What could be their approach in securing their share of this market? And, will they succeed in claiming their… Read More »
It is fashionable to talk about the race to 5G. This theme started last year, and has picked up this year with many opinion articles published on the topic. Perhaps the one that got most attention is the white paper by Deloitte: The chance to lead for a decade. The paper compared US networks and investments to that of other… Read More »
Anyone knows what generation processor running in their laptop? How about which DSL or cable modem technology is serving their house? With 802.11ax starting to come to market, I don’t see anyone rushing to upgrade their access node. When no one is keeping track of ‘generations’ in these technologies, why is it that in mobile it’s all about… Read More »
The Algiers Smart City Project is more than just another smart city project: It is a platform for talent mobilization. Over the past week, I had the pleasure to participate in the Smart Cities Summit in Algiers and as mentor and judge in the Leapfrog Hackathon and Startup Challenge. These events were designed to focus attention on Algiers… Read More »
5G as a platform for private networks and enterprise applications is more than just another service provider technology. Enterprises, neutral host service providers, building owners, asset management companies and many others are asking about the potential impact of 5G. We have prepared the 5G workshop to provide the facts – not sell the hype of 5G. The objective… Read More »
It’s official! Telecom is a utility! The admission comes from service providers themselves. Service providers struggled to monetize value added services to keep from being dumb pipes. Now, it seems that they have resigned themselves to being a utility and are happy to be the pipe. This admission came at the TMT M&A Merger Forum in London last… Read More »
Is blockchain just a buzzword, or can we expect real applications? If it is for real, where’s the opportunity? Xona’s thoughts on these questions are in the video below. Here, I give my own take on these questions.