Nikos Vlachopoulos

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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Yet another successful #OpenWiFi deployment, showcasing the continued growth of our community, the versatility of our stack to be deployed in virtually any #Enterprise use case and the ability of our #opensource platform to not only penetrate existing market-share, but to create new market-share where it did not previously exist! This community has lowered the bar for companies looking to enter the Managed Wireless space and allowed existing #manged providers to move beyond the unnecessary development of common enterprise #wifi features which are now table stakes. Our community of companies can instead focus their efforts on offerings that reduce #TCO, increase #ROI and bring real value to end users! #Thanks Indio Networks Pvt. Ltd. for your leadership in providing high-quality connectivity and improving the experience for people all over the globe!

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Openreach, the UK digital network provider owned and run at arm’s length by BT Group, is taking a significant step towards a more agile and automated future with the deployment of Nokia's Altiplano Access Controller platform across its fibre network. This move is important for the continuing shift over to Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and its potential to revolutionise fixed and fibre connectivity in the UK. Why this matters: ▪ Enhanced Network Automation: Altiplano's SDN capabilities will enable Openreach to automate network management tasks, improving efficiency and reducing operational costs. ▪ Improved Network Visibility: The platform should provide real-time insights into network performance, enabling proactive identification and resolution of issues. ▪ Increased Agility: SDN allows for dynamic provisioning of services, enabling Openreach to respond quickly to customer demands and market changes. It's probably very obvious why this is all very useful but providing fibre to the premises in both domestic and business environments is becoming increasingly mission critical for many. Adding in this level of control to large parts of the network should mean that the service is more reliable as issues are identified and resolved earlier and more quickly. That said, its not an easy integration process and is likely to take longer than many anticipate. The good news is that once it has been deployed it will be available to all providers who utilise Openreach network for their networks. In reality that is most of the broadband networks in the UK. #Openreach #Nokia #Altiplano #SDN #Fibre #Connectivity #Innovation #Telecommunications #UK

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Vodafone UK and Google Boost 5G Upload Speeds for Pixel Users via MIMO and ULCA - News by ISPreview UK

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How to Optimise Telecom Networks using a Lean Approach to Cost Savings...

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From Day 1 (two years ago) in Ranictek, we focus on energy-saving and cost-effective baseband solutions for 5G/6G base stations and satcom. Energy-saving and Cost-effective properties are still two key factors even for the upcoming 6G.

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The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has conditionally approved the £16.5 billion merger between Vodafone and Three UK paving the way for the nation’s largest mobile network with 27 million customers. This consolidation reduces the number of major operators from four to three, raising critical questions about its impact on market competition and the future of the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) wholesale market. Key Considerations: ▪️Market Competition: With fewer primary operators, will consumers face higher prices and fewer choices, or will the promised £11 billion investment in 5G infrastructure enhance service quality and foster innovation? ▪️MVNO Wholesale Market: How will MVNOs like Sky Mobile and Lebara navigate a landscape with one less wholesale provider? The CMA has mandated that the merged entity offer preset prices and contract terms to MVNOs for three years, but is this sufficient to maintain a competitive wholesale market? It’s crucial to monitor how the merger will affect both competition and consumer choice. Policing the remedies in the future will be a critical component for the CMA to manage and ensure negative outcomes are mitigated. #telecoms #cma #three #vodafone #merger #competition

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With the focus having firmly shifted to penetration and takeup away from scaling build, delivering profitability remains a critical challenge for fibre operators and investors. Our latest whitepaper is out, with insights gleaned from our recent panel discussion

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Businesses of all sectors and sizes traditionally use telecom channels to generate conversions. However, in the rapidly expanding A2P SMS market, enterprises face challenges including rising SMS service costs, expensive SMS conversions, and fake OTP requests, which generate 0% enterprise revenue conversion. New SMS channel alternatives, such as flash calls, RCS, OTT, and voice OTP, are becoming popular among brands as more cost-effective solutions. SMS alone is no longer enough for conversions; a mix of channels is essential. To address this situation and explore the pros and cons of other channels and their combinations on enterprise conversion, we've gathered a team of experts for the third episode of the T-O'clock webcast!  ⚡ Join us to achieve an efficient conversion-cost ratio, gain a successful alternative channels strategy, unlock conversion-boosting secrets, and much more. Catch the third episode of T-O'clock at 3 PM (CET) on May 7. Register now at: https://lnkd.in/eWw4uE9E  

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📢 Vodafone & Three Merger: A Game-Changer for UK Telecom The CMA’s approval of Vodafone and Three UK merger is pivotal moment in the evolution of UK telecom. With a commitment to invest £11 billion in network infrastructure, this deal promises to reshape the landscape. Having been part of the team during the Orange and T-Mobile merger to form EE in 2011, and observing the Virgin Media O2 merger in 2021, I’ve seen firsthand how such consolidations transform the telecom landscape, driving innovation and reshaping customer experiences. ❓1️⃣ What Does this Mean for the Market? ✅ Accelerated 5G rollout: The £11 billion investment will deliver one of Europe’s most advanced 5G networks, covering 99% of the UK population and supporting over 50 million customers. ✅ Market consolidation: Reducing the UK’s major operators from four to three creates a strong competitor to Virgin Media O2 and BT/EE, fostering healthy competition. ✅ Spectrum efficiency: A carefully managed spectrum allocation, including divestment to Virgin Media O2, ensures fairness and balance in the telecom ecosystem. ❓2️⃣ What’s in It for Customers? ✅ Better connectivity: Enhanced network quality and reliability with faster speeds and broader 5G access to bridge the UK’s digital divide. ✅ Improved infrastructure: A future-ready network to support the evolving needs of consumers and businesses. ✅ Affordability commitments: Pledges to maintain price stability for key tariffs ensure that consolidation does not lead to immediate cost increases for consumers. ❓3️⃣ What’s in It for Employees? ✅ Job creation: The £11 billion investment will drive opportunities in network expansion, maintenance, and technological innovation. ✅ Skill development: Employees will gain exposure to cutting-edge 5G technologies, enhancing expertise and fostering professional growth. ✅ Transition management: Mergers often bring uncertainty, but Vodafone and Three’s strategic approach focuses on minimising redundancies through workforce planning, redeployment, and reskilling programmes. Transparent communication will be key to ensuring employees feel supported and empowered throughout this transition. 🎯 Key Takeaways Having contributed to major industry shifts, here’s what stands out to me: ✅ Transformative potential: This £11 billion investment is set to redefine the UK’s telecom landscape, placing it at the forefront of European connectivity. ✅ Challenges and opportunities: While the consolidation unlocks potential for innovation and efficiency, it also demands adaptability from competitors and stakeholders. ✅ People-first approach: The success of this merger lies in its focus on delivering benefits to customers and employees through transparency and innovation. To ensure this milestone delivers lasting value, it’s essential to focus on collaboration, execution excellence, and a commitment to building a more connected UK. #VodafoneUK #ThreeUK #Telecom #Leadership #Innovation #Techner

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You really have to experience it to believe it; the recently opened Odido Tech Hub is a vibrant, dynamic space that showcases the potential of a cutting-edge 5G network. A fittingly state-of-the-art experience powered by Odido and Ericsson’s 5G technology partnership, the Odido Tech Hub explores the new use cases that are redefining customer connectivity, and unlocking new opportunities for enterprises. As someone with a genuine passion for this industry, I am excited to see this as another milestone of our innovation-driven partnership. I can’t wait to see where it goes next 🚀 What are your thoughts on the impact of 5G technology in shaping the future? Would love to hear your insights! 💬 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gtHukJ7s #5G #Partnership #TechnologyLeadership #MakeItMemorable #TeamEricsson

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It was great to speak with Capacity Media - a techoraco brand recently about the pivotal point the UK has reached in its 5G journey. While 5G coverage has improved significantly in recent years, we’re still trailing behind other countries in fully leveraging its capabilities. To truly harness the benefits of 5G, widespread availability of standalone (SA) architecture, paired with widespread mid-band spectrum coverage, is crucial. This "gold standard" of 5G unlocks a range of new applications that non-standalone deployments cannot match. A key advantage is network slicing, which allows operators to create multiple virtual networks tailored for enterprises, broadcasting, gaming, and more – all on a single physical infrastructure. Yet challenges remain in bringing the value of 5G SA to society and businesses at scale. Collaboration with government to simplify and accelerate planning and access will be key to overcoming these obstacles, and ensuring the UK doesn't miss out on the immense economic benefits of widespread 5G SA adoption. Thank you to Capacity for the opportunity to share my perspectives on this important topic! https://lnkd.in/drZxfJf2 #5G #standalone #networkslicing

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Ofcom banning price hikes. Three UK merging with Vodafone. Telecoms is finally moving towards the future. About time 🙃 But let’s be honest (pun intended) – it’s not enough. The big networks will keep doing what they do best: moving slowly. Meanwhile, over at Honest Mobile, we’ll keep focusing on what really matters: giving our customers what they care about. Signal they can count on, support in seconds, and straightforward SIM plans that don’t cost the earth (figuratively *and* literally). 2025 might be the year we finally see change in telecoms. Or not. Either way, we’re ready 👀

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Empowering Local Communities to Tackle Climate Challenges Local communities are essential in addressing climate challenges and promoting sustainability. Their active participation is key to achieving COP29’s goals of inclusivity and equity. An inspiring example is Ericsson’s Connected Mangroves project, launched in collaboration with the Global Environment Centre and the community of Kampong Dato Hormat in Malaysia. Over nearly a decade, this project has delivered transformative results: • Flood Protection: Monsoon floods are no longer a threat in the village, even as nearby areas still face flooding. • Biodiversity Restoration: Wildlife has returned to the mangroves, minimizing human-animal conflicts. • Livelihood Support: Marine life has flourished, enhancing the community’s livelihoods. At the Malaysian Support for COP29 Parallel Program, Supriya Prasannan, with the support of Ellen Alarilla, showcased this impactful journey. Their insights emphasized how combining technology and community efforts can create lasting environmental and social benefits. At Ericsson, we believe global climate negotiations are vital for shaping our collective future. From our steadfast support of the Paris Agreement to building Malaysia’s energy-efficient 5G network for Digital Nasional Berhad, we continue to prioritize sustainability. Learn more about the Connected Mangroves project and the individuals driving this change: Watch the video. Together, we can empower communities and harness technology for a sustainable, equitable future. supriya prasannan | Ellen Alarilla | Sonia Aplin | David Ong-Yeoh

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In the list of reactions following this post of James Crawshaw There is a nice conversation between Ahmed Soliman and Colin Bannon Just wanted to add on the response of Colin to Ahmed, adding some inside of the #TelcoIndustry First I can’t agree more with the few words of Colin as Silke Hoesch has done Current Digital Economy is strongly relying on Telco infrastructures, including ability to secure, capabilities to deploy Fiber in country and accross oceans and seas. I do believe that in a not so far away past of COVID times the worldwide economy has been able to continue and follow the pace of the market demands, that people have been able to share via Zoom, Teams, FaceTime, and all the way they have used to be connected with their beloved ones, or their business activity. And that recently in strong events like Olynpics the world has been able to feel the sport emotions and the #Paris2024 amazing events also with one Telco managing 100% of the communication on sites and from sites to the world, as all Telcos are doing each time there is such an event. So. Yes we are not perfect but we do our best to improve fast, whilst maintaining security, following the X3 Internet growing usages every 2+years, with huge backbone investments not even always valued at the real costs not to speak about value, we maintain trust of all data following European Regulation, and much more than that. Continuing and accelerating this amazing journey is the industry Telco Commitment on a daily basis for the biggest benefits of our customers, and for the development of the Digital Value Chain thru standardisation, customer use cases on which we agree to then allow a seamless connection from end to end for Digital Actors, with Digital and API development to allow all this. And last but not least in the contrary of some more digital actors, we are doing this with daily competition between us, but also industry spirit to ease the interconnection between us, and between us and Cloud Service Providers to ensure this seamless customer journey. So, Colin Bannon let’s continue this journey in all industry bodies we (as companies) are sitting to continue delivering the best customer experience ever. cheers 🥂

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Telecoms Giants Unite to Launch Industry's First AI-RAN Innovation Centre Following on from the announcements at MWC in Barcelona this year, NVIDIA, Ericsson, Nokia, and T-Mobile have joined forces to create the industry's first AI-RAN Innovation Centre, based in Bellevue, Washington, the mobile operator's hometown. This initiative aims to revolutionise RAN networks with AI at its core, aligning with the AI-RAN Alliance's work to make open RAN even more viable. This industry-first partnership demonstrates the industry's commitment to driving innovation in RAN networks using AI. AI-RAN technologies are poised to enhance network performance, reliability, and efficiency. The product will be called AI Aerial and is part of a push for NVIDIA and others to lift the profile and the proof points of AI RAN in existing infrastructure plans. NVIDIA is not traditionally a partner in this space where Intel have dominated and this is a major escalation in its ambitions. The aim is to coordinate AI-RAN development that seamlessly integrates with Open RAN and cloud-native network architecture. The companies are keen to say that network performance will be supercharged by leveraging the power of GPUs and other silicon suppliers will be watching this closely to see if NVIDIA can spread a little of its technical and commercial magic dust onto the sector though many, we have spoken to are more realistic about the opportunity. Delivering any improvements into the telco sector hungry for transformation and development but having to account for every penny of investment may be more challenging than proving the effectiveness of the opportunity. #AI #RAN #Telecoms #Innovation #5G #OpenRAN #AINetwork

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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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As experts in Teams telephone solutions, we know just how complex these can be. So, we’ve made it easy to deploy telephony with automated processes and simple partner portals. Automations are a real game-changer in the IT/telecoms sphere. These enable our partners to set up powerful Teams telephony or full omnichannel contact centers – often within minutes. The end-customer gets the desired functionalities they need in record time, and MSPs can focus on where they deliver the most value, knowing we’ve got the telephony part covered. And, when technical or practical assistance is needed, we’re on call 24/7. Discover our full range of Teams telephone, call center, and contact center solutions (and how these can add value to your own portfolio): https://buff.ly/4cqGWUI

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Chris Lewis, founding director of Lewis Insight, reflects on his 40-year telecom industry rollercoaster, illustrating why telcos today grapple with their sense of identity. In his analysis, Chris highlights a significant paradigm shift. Gone are the days when the telecom industry was guided solely by the intricacies of its internal networks. We’re seeing an outside influence where sectors like cloud computing, AI, device manufacturing, and application providers are increasingly dictating the industry’s direction. The question is, in this rapidly shifting landscape, how can telecoms carve out a distinct identity that resonates with current trends and traditional values? Will the shift from an inside-out to an outside-in be the key to unlocking growth and innovation? Read the rest of his insightful article and leave your thoughts below! #telecom #telecomtrends #telecommunications https://ow.ly/TMNa50REBGS

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