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5G networks will bring in new infrastructure and service paradigms

With the impending launch of 5G networks, an entirely new ecosystem has started taking shape in the telecommunications industry.

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VoicenData Bureau
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With the impending launch of 5G networks, an entirely new ecosystem has started taking shape in the telecommunications industry. New network standards and new ways of deploying infrastructure (like small cell street furniture) are beginning to create new paradigms. AI and open source are now playing a larger role in all aspects.

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Innovation using open standards in the radio access network or RAN is probably the biggest disruption in the last 20 years. Open RAN allows mobile operators to choose equipment from multiple vendors instead of being tied to one end-to-end supplier. It leads to savings in costs and allows new services to be deployed using Cloud infrastructure or commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware.

Open-source software communities pitch in to solve problems faster and make the deployment of services easier. New opportunities are emerging for startups and SMEs that can bring disruption with new thinking.

Our cover story takes a look at this phenomenon with a specific focus on how Airtel — with over 25 years of experience in redefining this industry — is planning to deploy OpenRAN for its 5G network. This is a glimpse into the future of next-generation mobile networks globally as some of the largest mobile brands are planning to migrate to Open Standard — Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Telefonica, Orange, and Docomo, the path breaker Rakuten Mobile have all committed to OpenRAN.

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Interestingly, while mobile technology progresses from 4G to 5G and soon to 6G, a significant number (hundreds of millions) of Indian mobile users continue to rely on the feature phone. They are happy with the services of 2G networks that serve their communications needs quite well.

To ensure financial and digital inclusion of this large segment, the Reserve Bank of India recently rolled out its UPI - 123Pay feature for mobile payments using the UPI stack - without requiring a smartphone. TRAI followed up by removing all consumer tariffs for the USSD-based banking services which have been operational for nearly a decade without much success (another great read in this edition).

5G rollouts will also witness another emerging phenomenon – the deployment of small cells in public spaces. While there are a host of regulatory and safety issues that require to be resolved or addressed, the utility value of these small cells is high. Small cells serve as an extension of the main network to deliver high-speed data and Internet access to customers in urban spaces. They also become tools to gather large volumes of data from the environment.

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These are low-powered base stations mounted on public infrastructure (also called street furniture). Like electricity poles, billboards, traffic lights, bus shelters, sidewalk bins, etc. Small cells provide coverage only over very short distances and are therefore installed in a hyper-dense manner, meaning a very large number of them in a small area.

These cells can help aggregate and transport data from other sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices that are part of smart city infrastructure -- located under the ground for sensing water levels or monitoring traffic from under the road or even measuring electricity usage on street lights. Such data is transferred to command centers for processing and extracting intelligence on live city parameters of traffic movement, CCTV footage of crowds, etc.

Data Prices: According to TRAI’s latest performance Indicators report for the quarter ending December 2021, the average monthly data consumed per customer in India is 15GB, at a cost of Rs 9.91 per GB.

By Gajendra Upadhyay

gajendrau@cybermedia.co.in

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