Chetan Sharma

Some big announcements this week related to the use of #AI in Telco Mobile Networks. Timing couldn't be better as Spectrum Effect was just this week awarded the patent for the use of AI and Machine Learning Models for classifying interference types in Mobile Operator RAN networks. I have strong conviction on AI's ability to drive more efficient and effective operations of mobility networks and ultimately better outcomes for consumers of the services that mobile networks enable. We are in fantastic company to be joined on this journey with the NVIDIA, Ericsson, Nokia, and T-Mobile announcing their intentions to invest in this space. https://lnkd.in/ebB4BM9X

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I’ve written another piece on US #spectrum policy & #mobile bands - and what should be done in preparation for #WRC27 over the next 3 years. This is part of my ongoing focus on global spectrum-sharing policy, as well as my advisory work with SFTF. This time it has been published via Fierce Network. My view is that the US should directly engage with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) process at multiple levels, to push for greater understanding and technological innovation in sharing approaches. In particular the focus of IMT (ie #5G & #6G) spectrum should be on regulators assuming a “sharing-native” future in the 2030s, instead of the historic focus of assigning exclusive licences. This should be reflected in any figure IMT identifications & footnotes. In addition, it should be a core part of the various study groups and working parties’ efforts. There also needs to be far more realism about mobile traffic on the international stage - its flattening growth, the many non-credible forecasts, its localisation to specific areas & the impact of aspects such as FWA and indoor use. A critical aspect is dealing with the proposed IMT study bands for WRC-27, which seem “coincidentally” to be exactly the same as those used within NATO for military communications. At the moment, the US #CBRS band is one of the leading examples of dynamic spectrum sharing in practice. The work by NTIA & NSF is also advancing the technological base, including the role of AI. It should be advocating this work more globally, especially at ITU. But first, the mainstream US mobile industry needs to get onboard. #spectrumpolicy #telecompolicy #technology #regulation

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Great news for operators! A more rational CBRS DPA activation methodology has been approved. This will ensure more uptime for broadband fixed wireless providers because channel grants will not be suspended as often. Though there are 15 possible CBRS channels losing one or more does not guarantee that an operator can easily get a replacement or a replacement channel adjacent to other channels. Adjacency is required by many smaller radio vendors to concatenate channels that enable effective broadband speeds and it helps even the efficiency of larger vendors. For those using GAA because they have no PALs or are supplementing their PAL bandwidth with GAA, losing channels forces more users on the remaining GAA channels and thus, interference. This act proves that spectrum sharing is viable and not detrimental to incumbents when deployed with reasonable controls.

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#creativedestruction 𝘘𝘶𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘺 Michael Robuck: “𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘮 𝘉𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘈𝘚 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰-𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦-𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 “𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 5𝘎 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘮𝘞𝘢𝘷𝘦, 𝘭𝘰𝘸-𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐𝘰𝘛 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴”.” Of course DAS (and possibly MORAN) will be the go-to solution for large scale environments, in which the solution actually fits the use case. But that is a max of 5% of the market, the remaining 95% would be better served by an alternative solution. The challenge has been and continues to be, DAS has been overused and acts as a HAMMER to solve for use cases it is not a good fit for. Innovation continues to be somewhere between slow and non-existent, embracing value creating solutions is marginalized, and we continue to look to the next technology evolution (5G, 5G Advanced, 6G, #6Greset) to solve the problem that has been facing the Enterprise for the last 10 years. Protecting revenue, margins, growth, network differentiation, etc., etc., etc. are the justifications for continuing the failed model, all while continuing to perpetuate the issues that work against everyone’s best interest. 𝘋𝘈𝘚 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴: ✔️ 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘐𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 4𝘎/5𝘎 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 ✔️ 𝘓𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 (𝘛𝘋𝘓) ✔️ 𝘋𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘱 𝘛𝘊𝘖 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘕𝘖 ✔️ 𝘔𝘪𝘴-𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦: 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙄𝙁 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 #𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 , 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙒𝙃𝙀𝙉? More on the topic of #creativedestruction will be shared on my @linkedIn page in the coming days and weeks. https://lnkd.in/gkXnGTRd

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ARPU trends aren’t the same as price trends • Telecom Trends https://lnkd.in/gv7UHAD7 Conflating ARPU trends with pricing is one of those zombie fallacies - we can't seem to kill it no matter how hard we try. I'm going to give it another go anyway.

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The future of wireless services of all types is likely to involve more spectrum-sharing and other more sophisticated approaches to #spectrum assignment and management. This applies to #5G, #6G, #WiFi, #satellite, audiovisual and various classes of aviation and martime networks, as well as government and defence usage. Sharing will occur based on multiple dimensions - location, duration, directionality, power and obviously frequency. That, in turn, will require a range of key enablers, including technological components such as spectrum databases, sensing systems, better transceivers, mapping tools, cross-technology signalling and much more. There will also need to be streamlined regulatory processes, spectrum marketplaces, and a whole variety of use-cases for AI + spectrum. There will also be a need for more international cooperation and (hopefully) eventual harmonisation. The evolution of spectrum-sharing is a central theme for me at the moment, and something that regularly crops up in my discussions with regulators, operators, vendors and investors. I've written a guest article for my client CRFS (a spectrum-sensing vendor) which discusses this in more detail. https://lnkd.in/esxTh_Yf

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"The age-old wisdom of a Native American proverb, “You can’t wake a person who is pretending to be asleep”, resonates strongly with the current malaise pervading the telecoms industry. It is a fitting metaphor for the industry’s collective denial of its own flawed 5G gambits, which is costing it dearly in capital and, more deeply, compromising its long-term viability." Credit: Luke Kehoe, "5G: telcoms’ denial of its flaws and failures is costing them dearly" Short term the industry needs to get back to basics - customers, efficiency, 101 running a good business Long term... #6G cannot be the next #5G https://lnkd.in/eQDy-vj6

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The dawn of 6G mobile networks brings forth the potential to revolutionize how we perceive our surroundings and interact with objects, opening doors to groundbreaking applications. The question arises: is this advancement a practical and promising endeavor, or merely a ploy to entice telecommunications companies into further investments? As the industry continues to ponder the implications of 5G, the anticipation and skepticism surrounding the capabilities of 6G persist. #5G #6G #TechnologyEvolution

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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI)'s recent recommendation to introduce experimental authorization for spectrum in the 95 Gigahertz to 3 Terahertz range could spark innovation among entrepreneurs. This move may lead to the development of new technologies and services utilizing the Terahertz range, such as vehicle radars that significantly enhance road safety. This is especially crucial for India, which has the highest number of road fatalities in the world. #TechForGood #Entrepreneurship

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JUST RELEASED: stc's white-paper highlights 5G network densification as a strategy to enhance connectivity, coverage and capacity through macro and small cells, supported by AI, Machine Learning, beamforming, and massive MIMO. It presents AI-driven planning strategy to address the challenges of providing 5G connectivity to urban, suburban and remote areas. Furthermore, it motivates discussion on ways to enable new use cases, such as IoT, AR/VR, and autonomous systems. Please, enjoy your reading. 💟 Reach out to us to discuss growth opportunities in the telecom industry 💟 To gain monthly insights on #technology and #innovations, subscribe to #global5gevolution newsletter (https://lnkd.in/ge9gsyjE) and tune in for the latest edition on “5G Monetisation” 💟 Or subscribe to #global5gevolution YouTube channel (https://lnkd.in/g8M7YvKq) and tune in for the latest episode on “Cyber Space Robotic 5G” ; click comment box #5G #6G #AI 💟 Follow us on Kaneshwaran Govindasamy & Global 5G Evolution

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This is an interesting article but I don't believe it captures reality of issues experienced by consumers related to services offered. To be clear, service satisfaction is highly subjective if for no other reason than consumer perception is largely based on the quality of the second network inside the home. This separate network may not be controlled by the ISP and may, in fact, be a retail purchased solution. If this second network is substandard, setup incorrectly, etc., then the consumer perception of the service(s) provided by the ISP and the quality of their network are skewed. This survey seems to have been focused in larger communities only, where consumers have multiple ISP/technology options and the results, by regional scoring, seem to contrast consumer satisfaction surveys completed elsewhere. Also interesting that traditional Fixed Wireless services were not included. https://lnkd.in/gmfkfDsC

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In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, our Douglas Blue shares his thoughts on the cable industry as more operators transition to a Passive Optical Network. Check it out!

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Highly Dynamic Spectrum Sharing is a key next step in spectrum sharing’s evolution. Join the conversation at the WInnForum’s new task group on the subject. More below: #spectrumsharing #winnforum #globalinnovation

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Antietam Broadband has widened its launch of Flight Mobile, a service rooted to the National Content & Technology Cooperative's pacts with AT&T and Reach. Schurz, Antietam's parent, plans to bring Flight Mobile to its full stable of operator brands, including Burlington Telecom, Hiawatha Broadband, Long Lines Broadband, NKTelco and Orbitel Communications. Story also includes an illustrative list of other broadband/cable ops that have launched or plan to launch mobile (along with their MVNO & MVNE partners).

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This is a major announcement for T-Mobile, as it indicates its progressing to become the primary all-mode #communications supplier for both #consumers and #business users. Adding the Lumos Fiber assets for #Fiber #broadband connectivity enables T-Mobile and especially T-Mobile For Business to become a bundled provider of #mobile, #FWA over #5G, and #fiber #internet and #communications services. And while the acquired fiber assets are currently regional and in a relatively limited area, there is no doubt T-Mobile plans to invest to greatly expand the fiber infrastructure. Given T-Mobile's aggressive pricing and marketing, this a warning to Verizon and AT&T that T-Mobile is coming for their customers. #Uncarrier

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A broadcast messaging system is a valuable tool for government agencies to enhance their communication capabilities, strengthen emergency preparedness, and better serve the needs of the community. NetSfere’s field-proven, carrier-grade Broadcast Message Center allows agencies to effortlessly distribute mass alerts to a range of cellular users in targeted areas. Learn more: bit.ly/37iajco #communication #emergencycommunication #governmentagencies #massalerts #messaging #broadcasting

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Breaking Barriers: Achieving Multi-Vendor Interoperability in 5G Networks with IRP In open RAN management systems, a technology-independent and multi-vendor Operations Support System (OSS) is essential. This approach ensures interoperability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency, enabling operators to integrate network elements from various vendors seamlessly. ◼ Benefits of Technology-Independent and NE Vendor-Independent OSS - Interoperability: Allows seamless integration and communication between network elements from different vendors. - Flexibility: Enables operators to choose best-in-class solutions without vendor lock-in. - Cost Efficiency: Promotes competitive pricing and better terms by avoiding dependency on a single vendor. ◼ 3GPP Integration Reference Point (IRP) The IRP concept is critical in achieving a technology-independent and multi-vendor OSS. It standardizes management interfaces, providing a common framework for exchanging management information across different network elements and OSS. ◼ Key Elements of IRP: - Standardized Interfaces: Facilitate consistent communication and data exchange. - Information Service (IS): Defines a technology-independent model for information object classes and attributes. - Solution Sets: Map the IRP Information Service to specific technologies and protocols (e.g., NETCONF/YANG, SOAP, REST). ◼ Fault Management Use Case Fault Management ensures network performance and Quality of Service (QoS) by detecting, isolating, diagnosing, and repairing faults. Implementation with IRP: - Detection and Reporting: IRP interfaces collect fault data from various vendors' equipment, enabling real-time monitoring and accurate fault detection. - Isolation and Diagnosis: OSS uses IRP to correlate alarms and events, leveraging a unified information model for efficient fault isolation and automated diagnosis. - Correction and Repair: Coordinated fault correction actions across multi-vendor environments, supported by IRP, allow for traffic rerouting and proactive maintenance. ◼ Example Scenario: In a multi-vendor 5G network, a fault in a base station triggers an alarm. Using IRP, the OSS isolates the fault and identifies a software issue. It reconfigures adjacent base stations from other vendors to handle the traffic, minimizing service disruption. A remote patch is applied, restoring normal operations. The SMO of the O-RAN ALLIANCE was defined on this basis of vendor neutrality. A technology-independent and multi-vendor OSS, supported by the 3GPP IRP concept and effective vendor-neutral network management such as O-RAN SMO, enhances network flexibility, reduces operational complexity, and ensures robust performance. This approach allows operators to maintain high QoS and efficient network operations, irrespective of underlying vendor technologies. #OpenRAN #3GPP #OperstionsSupportSystem #MultiVendor #VendorNeutrality #IRP #FaultManagment #ORANSMO

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Open RAN keeps moving forward towards 6G. While we are still working towards a definition of 6G, I talked to Ravi Sinha at the O-RAN ALLIANCE about how open RAN is evolving towards 6G. What changes should we expect? We talked about RIC, AI-based automation, connection-aware services, satellites, sustainability, interoperability and much more. You can read the transcript or watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/etwwM8v7 Conversation timestamps 01:15 Introduction: upcoming open RAN report, future development of Open RAN 03:45 Ravi introduces himself 04:38 Open RAN and 6G 05:30 O-RAN Alliance, distributed architecture, CU/DU, RIC, service-based architecture 10:31 How 6G will change open RAN 11:59 The Next Generation Research Group-6G (nGRG) at O-RAN ALLIANCE, spectrum allocations 19:02 Terahertz, mmWave, 6 GHz and sub-6GHz 23:25 Splits, RIC, AI 24:17 Open RAN and non-terrestrial, satellite networks 28:24 Support for multiple air interfaces, beyond 4G, 5G and 6G 30:48 RIS 33:30 Energy efficiency, AI 38:36 RIC, RAN management and optimization 40:59 Non-real-time, near-real-time and real-time RIC 44:35 xApps, rApps; greenfield vs brownfield 46:25 Flexibility in Open RAN, RIC 48:19 Chipsets, accelerators, dedicated or optimized hardware 52:49 Multivendor RAN 54:54 Use case for open RAN in 6G 59:29 Is open RAN going to become the default RAN of the future? #AI, #RIC, #SMO, #xApps, #rApps, #disaggregation, #virtualization, #metaverse, #digitaltwins, #sustainability, #energyefficiency, #security, #RAN

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The FCC’s proposal to mandate phone unlocking within 60 days of activation would have a significant impact on secondary device markets. Unlocked phones would flow more freely, enabling greater access to global resale channels and fostering fair competition among wireless carriers and MVNOs. Arguments against unlocking, such as fraud concerns or potential price increases, appear to be largely overstated and fail to account for how unlocked devices empower consumers and enhance market efficiency. This initiative would benefit not only MVNOs but also the broader ecosystem of refurbished and secondary device sales, facilitating smoother lifecycle transitions and a wider availability of affordable, unlocked devices worldwide. Great article by Monica Alleven! “The Federal Communications Commission is looking at a proposal to require all mobile phone service providers to automatically unlock consumer handsets within 60 days of activation, meaning the phones could be taken to another service provider’s network if a consumer so chooses.” - Fierce Network #MVNO

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