Webinars

There is considerable momentum behind open, disaggregated RAN architectures in 2020. Operators are looking for more cost-effective and agile networks, and access to broader ecosystems and innovation bases to facilitate their move to virtualized platforms. But there is also a significant dose of hype, and some operators are calling for a reality check in terms of how soon the emerging open platforms (and suppliers) will be ready for the extraordinary demands of a full-scale 5G macro network with a heavy traffic load coupled with very low latency and very high quality of service requirements.

This webinar which is invite only covers the findings of our latest report which sets out a best and worst case forecast for deployments of open RAN in the period to 2026, and analyzes the factors that will influence the speed with which mainstream adoption takes place in various operator groups, regions and business models.

The Webinar will consist of the following:

– A twenty minute overview of our forecast.
– A Q&A session

The webinar will give an overview of our latest forecast and provide an opportunity for Q&A.

Backhaul will be even more critical for MNO competitiveness and ability to meet rising customer expectations in the 5G era than it has been under 4G. With rapid expansion in spectrum, support for a greater diversity in use cases and extra layers of complexity all driving growth in capacity of backhaul links and changes in architectures, as radio functions separate from baseband signal processing enabling both to scale independently.

The drive for higher bit rates and capacity will accelerate growth of small cells that cut the distance between radio units and User Equipment (UE) and that will be the main driver of backhaul links over the next six years. This with the drive for higher bit rates and capacity will accelerate growth of small cells that cut the distance between radio units and UE which will be the main driver of backhaul links over the next six years is reflected in the latest RAN Research forecast and analysis of global backhaul trends until 2026 covering a major period of transition from 4G to 5G in most regions.

This webinar will give an overview of our latest forecast.

While most enterprises and industries have aspirations to use cellular connectivity to support programmes to make processes more digital and efficient, too few can access networks which are fully reliable, let alone optimized for particular requirements such as low latency. Fewer than half of enterprises say that mobile quality of service is adequate, and only about XX% would trust cellular networks with critical communications.

This report argues that four trends, if well supported by regulators, operators and the broader ecosystem, can deliver high quality mobile connectivity – 4G and later 5G – to all kinds of industries and public sector organizations, in a way that is affordable both for the enterprises and the service providers. Those four enablers are:

• Spectrum and other support for greater diversity of operators to complement MNO activities, since MNOs often find specialized enterprise requirements are at odds with their business model. Alternative providers include private network operators, neutral hosts and enterprise integrators.

• Shared spectrum, a key factor in enabling new service providers and lowering barriers to entry.

• Self-contained RAN and core technologies, often virtualized, are emerging, allowing enterprises and their partners to have full control of cellular connectivity, including aspects such as access control. New open architectures will further reduce costs and lower barriers to new providers.

• Co-investment across ecosystem will be essential, with the costs and rewards split between enterprises, operators and other partners.

This report tracks and forecasts the development of these trends so far.

The array of deployment options for 5G is bewildering, and an operator’s timing to adopt new technologies will have a profound effect on its commercial outcome.

This webinar answers the question, “Is it better to be a Tortoise or a Hare when it comes to diving into these key 5G choices?”

Should a Mobile Network Operator install the most advanced 5G features as soon as they become available, or wait until platforms are more stable and mature? What is the optimal timing to adopt the 5G core, and move to full cloud operation?

Rethink Technology Research has surveyed 86 service providers about their deployment strategies, covering a combination of converged telcos; mobile-first operators; and alternative deployers with greenfield mobile businesses and no legacy networks. In each case they have discussed their plans and priorities, and their key business drivers.

The resulting forecast is part of Rethink’s RAN Research service and this webinar gives headline conclusions and some insight into their thinking.

This webinar is an illustration of the content of a forecast in our RAN Research series from our head of research Caroline Gabriel. Between now and 2025, Mobile Network Operators will spend $51.8bn in building new networks, and 43% of that will be invested by alternative operators.

This will happen because the need for connectivity for applications such as autonomous fleets or deliveries, manufacturing and others, has already driven a surge in private LTE networks, which will be deployed and run by a variety of organizations, from integrators to specialist private operators, enterprises to MNOs themselves.

This report forecasts spend across all equipment types, not just Macro spending, but also all forms of Micro base stations, and new Mini-Macro formats. Cumulatively through the period, new and alternative operators will deploy 978,000 macro and micro base stations, and will finally kickstart widespread adoption of small cells.