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1、 MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS 2023:THE HITS,THE MISSES,AND THE TELCO DISCONNECT MWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSMWC 2023:THE HITS,THE MISSES,AND THE TELCO DISCONNECT After a subdued 2022,Mobile World Congress(MWC)was back with a bang.The crowds were back,the hype was back,and the shoe leather was worn in a familiar

2、and uncomfortable way!Many familiar concepts and terms returned as well.Some concepts showed the industrys good.Others indicated that the industry is still like an ostrich with its head in the sand when considering what it needs to do to drive the collective position forward.Application Programming

3、Interfaces(APIs)were the flavor of the month.As an example,carriers announced opening network API and development of their Open Radio Access Network(RAN)and third-party developers to create value.Professional service companies were verbose about providing more tailored platform APIs targeted to solu

4、tions that allow more assets to be developed to support real-world enterprise use cases.The striking difference between the two approaches is that the carriers seem to be adopting a“build it and they will come”philosophy,while the professional services companies tend to be engaging where the rubber

5、meets the road and getting their teeth into the heart of the matter.When you look at the totality of the carrier dilemma,the differing approach outlined above highlights the massive disconnect that still exists.Telcos must look to the enterprise sector to drive growth,but they are far from being wel

6、l suited to doing so.There was a focus on“5G solves everything”and“this box of kit”is the answer.This falls on deaf ears with the enterprise community.4G and even 2G are in the market and solving problems today.Equipment doesnt solve problems magically,and cellular connectivity is not the only answe

7、r to every problem.There is more value to the enterprise in system integration,data management,security,resource management,and many other aspects than pure connectivity.The carrier community needs to realize that connectivity is just one(small to middling)part of the enterprise landscape.It needs t

8、o change its go-to-market,culture,structure,modus operandi,and approach to partnerships if it wants to be successful in the next 5 years.On a more positive note,technology innovation was happening in bucket loads,driven by the technology developers that traditionally service the community,plus some

9、new and exciting entrants.Ill leave the bulk of this commentary to my colleagues for later in this piece,but it was refreshing to see aspects such as Auracast from the Bluetooth SIG,Pure Li-Fi with its light wavelength communications,and Nokia presenting and championing real-world Augmented Reality(

10、AR)applications for remote operations of vehicles in mines and similar applications.The most exciting aspect seen on a macro level is that the technology innovator and provider community is now doing a much better job of bypassing the carrier in the enterprise sector.It is beginning to talk the lang

11、uage and understand the value propositions.In summary,the telco community,as a whole(there are some islands of refreshing progress),still doesnt understand what problems it solves for the enterprise community.It doesnt understand how to communicate its value or engage with the marketplace in a role

12、unfamiliar to its DNA.The Trojan horse that might drag the telco community into the next phase of its existence might be the technology provider companies and professional service companies that will bring telcos into the enterprise domain.The only caveat is that the telcos must accept that they are

13、 a smaller part of a larger pie.Stuart Carlaw,Chief Research OfficerCONTENTS MWC 2023:The Hits,the Misses,and the Telco Disconnect.25G Core&Edge Networks.35G Markets.6Distributed and Edge Computing.10Augmented and Virtual Reality.12Internet of Things(IoT).12IoT Networks and Services.13Location Techn

14、ologies.14Sustainable Technologies.14Wi-Fi,Bluetooth,and Wireless Connectivity.16The Final Word.18Meet Our AMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYS5G CORE&EDGE NETWORKSFor years,MWC has been a stage for hardware technology flexing where industry players exhibit their latest products,proofs of concept,and solutions a

15、cross the entire supply chain from mobile devices and wearables to mobile network infrastructure and computing systems.This year marks a significant shift from its traditional way of pitching innovation.In this years show,most industry players focused on fostering partnerships around their technolog

16、ies to create relevant ecosystems and provide adequate solutions to address key pain points across different industry verticals.The show was also notably different this year,with fewer hardware kits exhibited and more focus on software.This is now a typical development path as the industry is moving

17、 toward virtualized networks across the entire infrastructure stack,including RAN,core networks,cloud,and edge computing.Malik Saadi,Vice President,Strategic Technologies GSMA OPEN GATEWAY API ANNOUNCEMENT BRINGS RENEWED HOPE TO TELCO“NETWORK-AS-A-SERVICE”AMBITIONS,BUT THE PROOF WILL BE IN ACTION GI

18、VEN PREVIOUS API FAILURESThe weeks big announcement was the announcement of GSMA Open Gateway APIs defined,developed,and published in CAMARA.This announcement reverberated across each conversation with telcos,hyperscalers and others looking towards the revenue opportunity in the digital cloud servic

19、e ecosystem.GSMA Open Gateway aims to provide common APIs designed to provide developers with universal access to operator networks and launched with the support of 21 Mobile Network Operators(MNOs)(c.45%of global mobile connections).Open Gateway will allow developers to connect applications to netw

20、orks by exposing telco capabilities making it possible to deploy networks-on-demand(e.g.,network slicing/bandwidth-on-demand)and quickly develop/deploy vertical-specific services across the network.Although APIs do not represent a meaningful change in approach,it shows that as an ecosystem,they are

21、committing to digital services and Network-as-a-Service(NaaS)deployment to support infrastructure monetization.Providing developers with APIs will open new revenue streams and drive additional network traffic.Industry cooperation,rather than competition,will help minimize the investment burden in a

22、capital-light market.In addition,involvement from Google Cloud,Azure,and Amazon Web Services(AWS)is more than a nod to digital heavyweights its a sign of industry recognition of the need for an expansive partnership ecosystem that can bring together cloud and networking skills.But this announcement

23、is insufficient;the proof will always be in action.Telcos must work quickly to deploy GSMA Open Gateway to unlock their network to application developers across the ecosystem and integrate closely with hyperscalers that still dominate the application market.To unlock the commercial value of their un

24、derlying network,telcos must use Open Gateway as a steppingstone to deploy applications/vertical-specific services across a truly-NaaS platform but as ever,telco internal structural and cultural challenges will make progress slow.Reece Hayden,Research Analyst“In this years show,most industry players

25、 focused on foster-ing partnerships around their technologies to create relevant ecosystems”Malik SMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYS5G MONETIZATION NOW BECOMING A KEY FOCUS USING OLD CONCEPTS AND IDEASLast years MWC key message was about enterprise applications and monetization.This years MWC saw a few develop

26、ments,including the launch of GSMAs Open Gateway API initiative,which aims to attract developer interest and expose functionality aggregated from multiple operators into a single platform for developers to consume.The launch occurred precisely 10 years after GSMAs OneAPI announcement,and the same gr

27、oup of mobile operators spearheaded the launch of both initiatives.There are several reasons that OneAPI failed and pretty much all operator API initiatives a decade ago,but now the market is more mature,and the focus is likely different.GSMA OneAPI and similar initiatives failed back in the day bec

28、ause they were targeting the Business-to-Consumer(B2C)market and were planning to compete for developer interest against the Apple App Store and Google Play.As expected,mobile operators needed help to keep up with the network effects these platforms created.Still,the value proposition has now shifte

29、d to the Business-to-Business(B2B)and Business-to-Business-to-Consumer(B2B2C)market,which could be a catalyst to accelerate 5G enterprise applications.Regardless of this new API initiative,the industry has yet to find a critical enterprise use case for 5G that can be reused across global markets.Ext

30、ended Reality(XR)is a consideration,but the use case must be mature before it enters the mainstream.5G-Advanced will bring this closer to market and device manufacturer activities,and the next wave of 5G monetization will rest upon these types of applications.Dimitris Mavrakis,Senior Research Direct

31、or 5G DEVICES,SMARTPHONES,AND WEARABLESHAS THE MOBILE DEVICES SECTOR FINALLY LEFT THE WOES OF THE PAST YEARS BEHIND?It is no secret that the past 12 months since MWC 2022 have been an extremely challenging environment for players in the mobile devices industry.The global pandemic,geopolitical pressu

32、re,supply chain issues,and macroeconomic headwinds have conspired to hinder the sectors collaboration,market development,and innovation.But when attending MWC 2023,there was some pre-pandemic familiarity about the devices market as the analyst circuit began in earnest on Sunday morning,bounding thro

33、ughout the day from one smartphone vendor to another,attending essential briefings and launch events.While the roster of names may have changed from days of yore,Motorola,Honor,Xiaomi,Nokia HMD,and OnePlus still lined up to announce their latest devices and aspirations for the sector.Despite the ind

34、ustrys current woes still looming large,there was an energy at the show driven by the ability to get some non-mask-wearing face-to-face contact.Vendors could provide much improved open access to exhibition stands that were again packed with mobile gadgets.The show was also buoyed by the relaxation o

35、f travel restrictions,meaning Chinese device vendors returned with a bang.Many were looking to launch models already available in China outside their home market to claim a larger footprint in Europe and beyond.Indeed,a trip to Hall 3,the usual hangout for those in the devices ecosystem,revealed tha

36、t Honor joined Samsung and ZTE in the halls prime spots,while OPPO,Xiaomi,Lenovo/Motorola,Qualcomm,and MediaTek were all stationed close by.David McQueen,Research DMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSNEW SMARTPHONES AND CHIPSET LAUNCHES RELY HEAVILY ON PREDICTABLE UPDATES AND DESIGN TWEAKS As is often the case at

37、 MWC,a raft of new smartphones and other mobile devices was on display,but very few were unveiled at the show with any great fanfare.Indeed,for the most prominent phones-and bear in mind that Apple has always been a notable absentee at MWC-many either had already launched models or were just announc

38、ing them for global markets.As 5G is a given in major new launches,the smartphone competitive focus was on the usual suspects of better cameras,superior processing power,and enhanced user experiences,including foldable.However,there was a discernible nod at the show toward smartphone sustainability

39、and repairability and a buzz around the potential for satellite connectivity.While previously announced flagship devices from Samsung,notably the S23 range and OPPO,including the impressive Find N2 Flip foldable,were present at the show,it was Honor who made a splash at MWC 2023.Honor ramped up its

40、premium smartphone offerings by unveiling its new Magic5 series and a Magic Vs foldable device,coined as the lightest foldable on the market to date.The company has invested heavily in improving the comfort of the smartphone experience and is committed to extending its share into Europe.At the same

41、time,the company is moving from a tech-and device-centric experience to one that is more human-centric,based around its ecosystem of consumer devices.Meanwhile,Xiaomi announced its flagship 13 series,focusing on camera features through a partnership with Leica(once linked to Huawei flagships phones)

42、,alongside some new Buds 4 Pro earbuds and a Watch S1 Pro smartwatch.realme focused on fast charging with the international launch of its GT3.In contrast,Transsion company brand TECNO launched its first flagship foldable smartphone,PHANTOM V Fold,which opens to a 7.85-inch display size,making it the

43、 industrys most affordable flagship foldable device.Smartphone refreshes,such as TCLs updated 40 Series portfolio and model additions to Nokia HMDs C-series,launched at MWC,showed a commitment to democratizing 5G technology.Significantly,Nokia HMD,partnered with iFixit,added to its range the G22,des

44、igned with repairability at its core.With ongoing aspirations for greater sustainability and recyclability in the mobile devices ecosystem,the move is welcome.In addition,over at the Samsung stand,the company showcased a toolbox of gadgets designed to aid the repair and fixability of its smartphones

45、.Major chipset suppliers Qualcomm and MediaTek were in force at MWC,while UNISOC was also in attendance,tucked away in Hall 2.Each was keen to showcase its latest chipsets and solutions set to underpin the future of the mobile industry,notably,the role that Artificial Intelligence(AI)will play in th

46、e design and operations of 5G-Advanced and beyond.The key for Qualcomm was the push to its latest Snapdragon X75 5G modem-RF system with an integrated 5G AI processor and the Snapdragon X35 5G Modem-RF System,billed as the worlds first 5G NR-Light modem-RF system.In turn,MediaTek showcased its 5G an

47、d satellite communications offerings,notably unveiling its MT6825 standalone chipset to enable the 3rd Generation Partnership Project(3GPP)standards-based 5G Non-Terrestrial Network(NTN)two-way satellite communications,while also debuting its Dimensity 7200 chipset,a 4 Nanometer(nm)mid-range chipset

48、 focused on gaming and photography.Despite the efforts of the chipset vendors,the upcoming 5G-Advanced impact was limited in its appearance at the show.Still,it will become a key driver for technological evolution in the future of mobile devices and the broader Internet of Things(IoT)space.Therefore

49、,the next generation of mobile products must embrace these constructs,most notably the implementation of 5G New Radio(NR)Light(Reduced Capability(RedCap),and provide requisite supporting user experiences,which will undoubtedly form major device themes across varying form factors at MWC for the next

50、few years.David McQueen,Research Director Despite the efforts of the chipset ven-dors,the upcoming 5G Advanced im-pact was limited in its appearance at the show.Still,it will become a key driver for techno-logical evolution in the future of mo-bile devices and the broader IoT space.David McQMWC 2023

51、 KEY TAKEAWAYSARE SATELLITE,SUSTAINABILITY,AND REPARABILITY SET TO BECOME THE NEW SMARTPHONE DIFFERENTIATORS?Despite the number of new devices ranging at the show,designed to demonstrate leadership in innovation,there was little to excite about any new form factors or design invention as the focus s

52、till seems to lean heavily on camera technology and processing power.To create some level of differentiation,foldable smartphones were again very much on display with many new models being launched across a variety of price points,although both OPPO and Honor moved the conversation a step further by

53、 embracing talk of shifting from device-to user-centric experiences.Perhaps two areas that did surface,which added something different to the show but with varying levels of fanfare,was the use of satellite in mobile devices and the repairability/sustainability angle.Arguably,these could become key

54、differentiators,however short term that may be,in the mobile devices market.While repair options in the smartphone market will undoubtedly grow as most vendors implement sustainability targets,the shift to satellite communications in devices capable of providing two-way messaging,location sharing,an

55、d SOS assistance certainly got some airtime at the show.The innovation is not new to the industry,with Apple,Qualcomm,and Huawei all announcing satellite-based solutions,but it was British mobile phone manufacturer Bullitt Group that certainly caught the attention at MWC.In partnership with Motorola

56、 Mobility and using MediaTeks NTN chips(as mentioned above),the company showcased two new products:the Motorola defy satellite link,which is a compact,robust Bluetooth hotspot accessory(“puck”)that can connect to any smartphone,and the Motorola defy 2,a rugged smartphone using the Bullitt Satellite

57、Messenger service.Indeed,such was the impact the“puck”had at the event that it beat all-comers to win the GLOMOS“Best in Show”award for mobile devices.The Motorola“puck”is available from US$99 for the device only,with additional costs for a subscription to a messaging service plan.At such an aggress

58、ively priced entry point,it will help serve Bullitts aim to“democratize satellite communications,”advancing services for remote users and emergency services beyond the concept phase while paving the way for other smartphone satellite communication use cases and connectivity markets.However,current s

59、atellite service implementations are somewhat fragmented,which can differ through key features,satellite ecosystem and coverage,chipset use,and device support.It is the approach envisioned by Bullitt,which is one built on partnerships,that does currently stand out.Unlike its counterparts,it can offe

60、r an end-to-end solution from chipsets and software to a satellite-connected back end network and Emergency Response-as-a-Service(ERaaS)provider,creating a system that can be ported easily to an array of mobile device form factors and for many vendors.Such an offering positions Bullitt as the beacon

61、 for satellite connectivity in the mobile devices industry.More generally,once applications beyond messaging can also be addressed,and if the numbers of available devices,use cases,and associated business models can materialize and prosper,then the satellite technology ecosystem will grow to become

62、an essential part of the advanced mobile connectivity landscape.David McQueen,Research Director5G MARKETSMARKET CONSOLIDATION IS IN FULL SWINGArguably the most important news around private cellular networks was announced just days before the start of MWC Hewlett Packard Enterprise(HPE)acquiring the

63、 until-then independent core software vendor Athonet.Not surprisingly,this announcement dominated all private cellular discussions on the show floor in Barcelona.From a macro perspective,this is yet another announcement highlighting that market consolidation is in full swing.What started with Micros

64、oft acquiring Metaswitch and Affirmed Networks in 2020 and Ericsson taking over core software vendor Quortus in 2021 has reached a new height.This is a positive sign for the private cellular industry,as it shows that the market is maturing,and players are looking to complement their existing capabil

65、ities.It is an open secret that this consolidation is far from over and in fact,the industry openly speculated about who will be acquired next and by whom.At the same time,particularly Communication Service Providers(CSPs)are exploring different partnerships to leverage their assets and combine them

66、 with the capabilities of hyperscalers,infrastructure vendors,and/or System Integrators(SIs).Leo Gergs,Senior Analyst MWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSTHE DISCUSSION AROUND PRIVATE NETWORKS IS MATURING The topic of private networks was omnipresent on the show floor in Barcelona.While in 2022,90%of all conversa

67、tions were around private networks,everyone was talking about private networks and enterprise connectivity on the show floor this year.The main difference:the understanding of private cellular networks has become much more realistic,and so companies messaging and their own positioning around it have

68、 become much more mature compared to 2022.From a commercial point of view,this has been shown mainly in market consolidation and the announcement of more and more partnerships.From a technology point of view,even the last proponent of private cellular connectivity has now understood that enterprise

69、wont replace all their existing(wireless)connectivity technologies with a private cellular network solution.Not all industry players are looking at opportunities for providing combined private cellular and Wi-Fi solutions.In this context,NTT announced a significant partnership with Cisco for private

70、 5G and Wi-Fi.Leo Gergs,Senior AnalystNEUTRAL HOST PROVIDERS ARE THE NEW COOL KIDS ON THE BLOCK TRADITIONAL CSPs WILL DESPERATELY NEED TO INNOVATE TO REMAIN AHEAD OF THE CURVE Aside from significant acquisitions,one other burning topic was coming up in almost all the enterprise connectivity discussi

71、ons:the emergence of neutral host providers for private cellular networks.While this has been a topic for cellular macro networks for some time already,the concept is becoming more interesting for enterprise connectivity as well;because of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent geopolitica

72、l events,enterprises are desperately looking at digitizing their operations.At the same time,harsh macroeconomic conditions result in tight budgetary controls,preventing enterprises from making significant Capital Expenditure(CAPEX)-intensive investments in acquiring their private cellular network i

73、nfrastructure.Against this backdrop,the managed service approach of neutral hosts provides an interesting alternative,which could resonate well with enterprises.The growing popularity of neutral hosts and their managed service provision model underlines that traditional CSPs need to evolve their val

74、ue proposition and understand that in the wake of more and more spectrum liberalization initiatives,licensed spectrum assets lose their attractiveness.Instead,traditional CSPs need to position themselves as enterprise digitization partners,embracing all spectrum opportunities and providing Business-

75、Outcomes-a-Service.Leo Gergs,Senior AnalystEVERYONE WANTS TO PARTNER WITH HYPERSCALERS Furthermore,this years MWC showcased that hyperscalers continue to be essential actors on the telco stage with everyone else accepting that they are here to stay and trying to engage in partnerships with them.To u

76、nderline its telco ambitions,Microsoft presented its new Azure Operator Nexus platform a carrier-grade hybrid cloud platform for mission-critical mobile network applications.Regarding partnerships with hyperscalers,as previously mentioned,Deutsche Telekom announced a partnership with Microsoft for p

77、rivate cellular networks.By tapping into Microsoft,the operator aims to complement its portfolio with a scalable,pay-as-you-grow model and price plans that lower the barriers to entry for 5G campus networks.The solution is built on Microsoft Azure private Multi-access Edge Compute(MEC),which include

78、s the new Azure Private 5G Core service deployed on Azure Stack Edge.From a network infrastructure point of view,AWS and Nokia jointly announced a Cloud Radio Access Network(RAN)solution at MWC,combining AWS infrastructure and cloud services with Nokias new In-Line Cloud RAN SmartNIC and Cloud-nativ

79、e RAN software.In the lead-up to the show in Barcelona,Google Cloud already announced.to extend its three new products to extend their telco portfolio:Telecom Network Automation an automated tool for cloud-native network deployments,Telecom Data Fabric for network data analysis,and Telecom Subscribe

80、r Insights-an AI-powered product that helps CSPs extract insights using their own existing data sources.All these different observations show that hyperscalers are here to stay on the big stage of the telco industry,and legacy players are prepared to embrace them.Leo Gergs,Senior AMWC 2023 KEY TAKEA

81、WAYS5G AND MOBILE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE 5G ENTERS THE OPTIMIZATION STAGE WHILE VENDORS FINE-TUNE THEIR PORTFOLIOS WITH 5G-ADVANCED IN MIND5G is now well deployed in most developed markets,and several vendors are improving,optimizing,or upgrading their existing infrastructure.All 5G radio vendors up

82、dated their product lines with more advanced features,lower power consumption,and smaller size.For example,Nokia launched its new AirScale 5G radios named Habrok,Ericsson launched 10 new radios led by the tri-band Radio 4485,and Huawei launched a series of new radio and Active Antenna Units(AAUs),in

83、cluding a 32T23R Massive Multiple Input,Multiple Output(mMIMO)unit that weighs only 12 kg according to the Chinese vendor.Open RAN vendors also announced new units,led by Fujitsu,Mavenir,and NEC,and many smaller companies,including Airspan,Prose,Tongyu,and many more.On the core network side,Dell,HPE

84、,and other Information Technology(IT)vendors are now implementing aggressive strategies to capture this new telco cloud market.The highlight is HPEs acquisition of Athonet a few days before the show.These infrastructure vendors are now forming partnerships with other infrastructure vendors to become

85、 the preferred infrastructure platform for core and edge networks.For example,Dell announced a significant partner initiative that includes Nokia,Samsung,Qualcomm,Amdocs,and Juniper Networks,aiming to simplify the integration of open networks.MWC 23 did not consist of any groundbreaking moments for

86、5G infrastructure.Still,it illustrated that the industry is not entering a phase when productivity,optimization,and measured technical growth occur before 5G-Advanced enters the market.ABI Research expects this to happen in 2025-2026 when features,such as advanced Downlink(DL)/Uplink(UL)mMIMO,Millim

87、eter Wave(mmWave)improvements,new use cases(e.g.,XR),positioning,Sidelink,and energy-saving features are introduced.It remains to be seen whether 5G-Advanced will require new equipment at the cell site or if mobile operators are willing to spend in the mid-phase between 5G and 6G.Dimitris Mavrakis,S

88、enior Research DirectorCHIPSET STRATEGIES BECOMING A KEY UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITIONSilicon is now becoming a key competitive differentiation for 5G infrastructure,with various approaches and strategies by leading chipset vendors.AMD refreshed its product line,powered by its Xilinx acquisition,as wel

89、l as a partnership with Nokia that will position AMDs x86 processors for Nokias Virtualized RAN(vRAN)equipment.Marvell also refreshed its processors and announced the Octeon 10,a System-on-Chip(SoC)that includes processor and Digital Signal Processor(DSP)cores that can perform most processing-intens

90、ive tasks for 5G radio.Nokia announced its Inline SmartNIC that will accelerate Layer-1 functions in Nokias Cloud RAN portfolio,whereas Ericsson is also using custom silicon across its portfolio.Finally,Qualcomm announced many partnerships for its RAN platforms with Dell,Marvell,NEC,and Viettel.Inte

91、l made the most groundbreaking announcement with the vRAN Boost software,which embeds acceleration within its Xeon scalable processors.It claims to offer 2X capacity gains within the same power envelope as its previous line of processors and an additional 20%power savings.Intel claims that this new

92、software removes the need for an inline acceleration card,reducing costs and power consumption for many units.Several partners of Intel are now developing new equipment using this new feature,and ABI Research expects vRAN infrastructure to become even more lucrative compared to traditional RAN in th

93、e next year.Dimitris Mavrakis,Senior Research Director MWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSOPEN RAN GRADUATES TO ADULTHOOD NOW FACING BIG CHALLENGESOpen RAN and vRAN were prominent themes at this years show.The evolution of Open RAN for greenfield networks continues with renewed interest.Dish in the US,Rakuten in

94、 Japan,1and1 in Germany,and new 5G networks will soon light up to fuel this growth.Brownfield networks,consisting of more than 95%of deployed 5G infrastructure,are showing a more measured approach with Open RAN,conducting trials and proof of concept tests,representing slow growth for new entrants an

95、d the broader 5G ecosystem.Emerging Open RAN infrastructure vendors,such as software makers and major chipset suppliers,including Intel,Qualcomm,Marvell,AMD,and CEVA,unveiled their progress.The discussion moved beyond proofs of concept and value proposition validation this year.Open RAN players are

96、now focusing on partnering with other technology suppliers to create credible solutions to challenge the status quo and open the supply chain beyond the supremacy of incumbent vendors.On the other hand,established infrastructure vendors,including Nokia,Ericsson,Huawei,ZTE,and Samsung,are acceleratin

97、g their plans for RAN virtualization(vRAN)to compete against Open RAN developments.Similar to Open RAN,vRAN solutions could provide mobile network operators with enough agility to deploy 5G RAN elements-mainly the Central Unit(CU)and the Distributed Unit(DU)-in a disaggregated way across cell sites,

98、the edge of the radio network,or at the core network,depending on the network topology and the deployment scenario required.Also,like open RAN,vRAN solutions enable operators to better manage or even automate the operations of their radio network resources by adding radio intelligence.However,one si

99、gnificant difference between Open RAN and vRAN is the ability of Open RAN to support an utterly diverticalized model whereby mobile operators could build their radio networks from a mix of many components from various vendors.Although the network diverticalization sounds like a very attempting value

100、 proposition,it is challenging to realize in a commercial environment because of the potential fragmentation issues resulting from the various ways of assembling and implementing the key components together.This is particularly the case with Remote Unit(RU)-DU connections,as the interfaces between t

101、hese two modules still need to be more standardized.Not only this,but it remains to be seen how a diverticalized open RAN infrastructure would behave in terms of overall power efficiency,performance,and security.So far,diverticalization enabled by open RAN has yet to materialize,and with this specif

102、ic value proposition,it is easier to differentiate open RAN from vRAN.Chipset suppliers,including Intel,Qualcomm,Marvell,AMD,and CEVA have been the most aggressive supporters of Open RAN at the show.They are now building deeper relationships with the various suppliers of RAN elements(i.e.,RU,CU,and

103、DU),helping them maximize the performance of their specific technologies.The next step for these players is to create blueprints and turnkey designs to help mobile operators and other implementers accelerate and democratize open RAN infrastructure implementation across both public and private networ

104、ks.Qualcomm is one of the early chipset suppliers that has already taken this approach,but expect other chipset suppliers to adopt this approach before the next MWC show.Many of these vendors are now looking at enterprise 5G to maintain growth until consumer 5G Open RAN matures,when new networks tha

105、t are more conducive to Open RAN need to be deployed.Vodafones private 5G in a box was among the many announcements made at MWC.Rural sites are also positioned as key domains for Open RAN growth,showcased by the Orange and Vodafone partnership announcement,which will use Open RAN and network sharing

106、.RAN Intelligent Controllers(RICs)and Service Management and Orchestration(SMO)were also key discussion points in the industry,with several optimization use cases positioned as key differentiation between vendors.The industry is also starting to discuss RIC pricing and deployment models,but several

107、RIC/SMO platforms have yet to reach a Generally Available(GA)stage,despite several announcements.With SMO following,RIC products and solutions will likely be the first to launch,especially because Near-Real-Time RIC interfaces are fully specified in the ORAN Alliance.In contrast,interfaces related t

108、o the Non-Real-Time RIC that resides in the same plane as SMO are still being developed.While most industry players are developing radio intelligence platforms in line with the open RAN RIC framework,others,including Huawei and Elisa Polystar,are deploying RAN intelligence using proprietary implemen

109、tations.For example,Huawei claims its IntelligentRAN has already been commercially deployed in several regions,including Spain,Germany,Italy,Thailand,and China,to help its partnering operators optimize power consumption over their RANs.Malik Saadi,Vice President,Strategic Technologies Chipset suppli

110、ers,including Intel,Qualcomm,Marvell,AMD,and CEVA have been the most aggres-sive supporters of open-RAN at the show.Malik SMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSDISTRIBUTED AND EDGE COMPUTINGDISTRIBUTED COMPUTE PRAGMATISM REPLACES IDEALISM WITH A RENEWED FOCUS ON DEVELOPER EXPERIENCE IN HOPES OF DRIVING EDGE-TO-CLO

111、UD MONETIZATIONPrevious years have seen idealistic discussions around the potential opportunities for distributed computing in emerging use cases,such as the metaverse,ubiquitous AI,and many others.However,MWC 2023 took a step back and recognized that operators,IT vendors,hyperscalers,interconnectio

112、n providers,neutral hosts,and other ecosystem players must first focus on the most critical aspect before these can be realized monetization.Multiple conversations turned toward“how can we best utilize our existing distributed compute ecosystem(hardware,software,orchestration)to monetize enterprise

113、and telco channels.”The consensus is developer experience.Ecosystem stakeholders recognize that DevOps experience(including application development,deployment,and management)is the biggest hurdle to enterprise and telco distributed compute usage.This led many announcements and conversations to focus

114、 on:“how can we improve developer experience;how can we reduce application time to market;and how can we improve edge-to-cloud visibility and portability.”Azure for Operators has recognized the importance of developer experience in the distributed compute continuum.At MWC 2023,it announced Azure Ope

115、rator Nexus a platform to support developers in deploying network functions across on-premises edge infrastructure and public cloud regions.With embedded automation,frictionless APIs,and carrier-grade infrastructure,this solution aims to improve the developer experience by simplifying the provisioni

116、ng of new network services and on-premises applications.Hyperscalers are not alone in this shifting focus to developers.Telefnica(alongside the announcement of GSMA Open Gateway)highlighted its renewed interest in developers by strengthening its strategic relationship with Microsoft and opening its

117、Early Adopter Program to startup application developers for free.Azure for Operators and Telefnicas Early Adopter Program were just two interesting examples of a substantial MWC-wide trend monetizing the existing network requires a greater focus on application developer experience.The industry is ev

118、identially waking up to something known for years applications,not infrastructure,can make money.Over the next few years,ABI Research expects the industry to put more time,effort,and money into improving developer experience across the distributed compute continuum.Reece Hayden,Research Analyst VEND

119、ORS ARE RECOGNIZING THAT DISTRIBUTED COMPUTE NEEDS TO BE SMARTER BEFORE IT CAN TRULY TAKE OFFIn 2022,distributed computing remained split between those talking about cloud and edge compute but now,stakeholders recognize the importance of treating these domains as one compute platform.From the cloud

120、core to the far edge,vendors are looking to enable customers to deploy applications that can span each domain the key to this is intelligence.MWC 2023 saw vendors touting embedded automation as a critical tool to soothe enterprise and telco distributed compute challenges including resource managemen

121、t headaches,deployment time-to-value,day-one operations,cost optimization,and edge-to-cloud security.Huawei Cloud specified the importance of AI as part of a three-pronged approach to delivering the actual value of multi-access edge and cloud computing for carriers.At the same time,Orange Business E

122、volution Platform embeds internal and external automation to support a more flexible cloud service consumption model and enable enterprise digital service delivery.Continued“A substantial MWC-wide trend monetizing the existing network requires a greater focus on appli-cation developer experience.”Re

123、ece HMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSMany industry players highlighted Intent-Based Networking(IBN)as the solution to support the proliferation of distributed compute services.Equinix is committed to IBN within its Fabric platform as part of a strategy to support network transformation and improve application

124、 developer experience across distributed compute domains.But automation in distributed computing remains in its infancy ABI Research expects this to accelerate over the next 2 years with both organic(in-house development)and inorganic(Mergers and Acquisitions(M&A)activity.Reece Hayden,Research Analy

125、st ECOSYSTEM COLLABORATION AND VERTICALIZATION WILL BE KEY ENGINE GROWTH FOR EDGE COMPUTEEdge computing has been a hot topic for some time,with various technology vendors staking their claim in this market.Cloud hyperscalers,data center infrastructure providers,semiconductor chip producers,and Indep

126、endent Software Vendors(ISVs)have all introduced edge compute solutions designed to help businesses develop,deploy,and maintain applications that provide real-time decision-making.Increasingly,as more players enter the market and edge technology advancements come to the forefront,vendors realize tha

127、t just providing an edge compute solution/platform is no longer attractive enough to win customers.Businesses often have specific business challenges,use cases,and workloads that edge compute solutions need to address;implementing an off-the-shelf edge compute solution will not help.Customers want s

128、pecific vertical edge solutions with edge-native applications,rather than re-packaged public cloud applications.Conversations at MWC highlighted that edge compute“go-to-market”targets are pivoting from IT to OT decision makers because“they have the money to spend.”Vendors have realized this,and one

129、way they address this gap is by collaborating with industry players and crafting verticalized solutions.For example,in the telco space,AMD is collaborating with Nokia in bringing its 4th Gen EPYC processors to Nokias Cloud RAN solutions,helping CSPs manage energy costs and meeting carbon reduction t

130、argets at the network edge.VMware is collaborating with NTT Data to help CSPs move toward Open RAN deployments,with NTT Datas CI/CD/CT framework now supporting VMwares Telco Cloud solutions.NTTs Edge-as-a-Service platform is powered by VMwares Edge Compute Stack,targeted at manufacturing,robotics,an

131、d autonomous automotive.VMware is also working with Munich-based Software Defined Automation(SDA)to fully virtualize manufacturing Programmable Logic Controller(PLC)controls on VMwares Edge Compute Stack,enabling improved security,reliability,and resilience.Deployment,integration,and management of e

132、dge compute will be essential.This is where the rrole of SIs,Managed Services Providers(MSPs),or ISVs will be vital.A telco edge use case can look very different from a retail environment,and a manufacturing floor differs significantly from a harsh mining location.Edge vendors have recognized the fu

133、tility of a horizontal“go-to-market”strategy.Instead,a highly verticalized strategy that engages SIs,MSPs,or ISVs with deep industry knowledge will be the only way to make a splash in the edge compute market.Yih-Khai Wong,Senior AMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSAUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITYAR AND VR TOOK A BA

134、CK SEAT TO METAVERSEWhile metaverse was a major talking point at MWC 2023,Augmented Reality(AR)and Virtual Reality(VR)were only responsible for a portion of that.Still,many high-profile mobile hardware and network giants were present,with demonstrations and case studies across use cases.Some new XR

135、hardware was on display,such as Xiaomis Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition.On the network side relating to XR,NVIDIA was present at several partner booths,including Fujitsu and Ericsson,leveraging CloudXR for network-powered XR demos.While XR may not have been the headline at MWC,as 5G matures and

136、the industry looks to the future of networks,XR will play more of a role.NVIDIA showcased high-fidelity digital twins over 5G with partner Fujitsu.It is also joining Ericsson for low latency 5G streaming using QuarkXR to deliver multi-user immersive XR content and e-commerce with ZeroLight through a

137、 CloudXR-powered car configurator experience.HTC also pushed further into the software and services side at MWC,rolling out its VIVERSE for Business platform,focusing on enterprise collaboration.Combined with their with its VIVE Head-Mounted Displays(HMDs),HTC has a compelling enterprise platform in

138、to which companies can adopt,competing more closely with Meta,Microsoft,and other XR Original Equipment Manufacturers(OEMs)that also provide service solutions.Operators are realizing that monetizing 5G and other connectivity technologies is becoming difficult,especially in the consumer ecosystem.XR

139、presents a challenging device and usage paradigm for some use cases,like full cloud streamed XR content,and a way for network operators to differentiate.Early attention and effort in XR do present an advantage,especially as the market still has much maturing to do,even on the enterprise side.Metaver

140、se has taken some of the XR-specific momentum,but metaverse and XR play together quite often,so expect XR to hold a more prominent role at MWC in the future,both with and without metaverse.Eric Abbruzzese,Research DirectorINTERNET OF THINGS(IoT)The IoT was quietly alive and well at MWC,but its perce

141、ption of growth and opportunity varied depending on the supplier type.One example is cellular Low-Power Wide Area(LPWA)(Cat 1,Cat M,NB-IoT)which will be the technology that carries most new IoT connections for mobile operators.However,not all operators believe they can profitably play in that market

142、.Some want to shift to a more gateway-centric approach and more high-bandwidth applications in industrial,manufacturing,and smart city.Others see LPWA IoT as the growth engine,but only in developing markets.A new challenge for operators is that the hype phase of cellular LPWA betrayed expectations a

143、nd caused many markets to consider alternative connectivity options for low-power IoT applications in monitoring and tracking markets.One up-and-comer replacing cellular,particularly in developing world markets,is DECT 2020 NR,marketed in the Finland pavilion by Wirepas.Another element of the IoT ma

144、rket witnessed at the show was growth moving into the long tail,which means that IoT application diversity and breadth are growing and moving down market to the underserved Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs).The ramifications are that IoT suppliers need to make choices to capture the opportunities a

145、nd move into new markets typically from both greater and expanding focus.One example is Quectel,the perennial leader in cellular modules expanding into Bluetooth,Wi-Fi,and the device antenna market and moving into services.Another is Telit,which is focused on the industrial market and offers a full

146、stack of application enablement services and a device development division through the acquisition of Mobilogix.Dan Shey,Vice President,Enabling Platforms “Another element of the IoT market witnessed at the show was growth moving into the long tail,which means that IoT application diver-sity and bre

147、adth are growing and moving down market.”Dan SMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSIoT HARDWARE AND DEVICESPSM,eDRX DECLINING VALUE TO THE DEVICE OEMs?Power Saving Mode(PSM)and Extended Discontinuous Reception(eDRX)are two standards-based features within 3GPP specifications intended to limit the power consumption

148、of devices and therefore are of value to battery-powered IoT devices.However,in meetings with device OEMs,not all were using them for limiting power consumption.Specifically,these features have less value for devices deployed worldwide.The challenge is that mobile operators have limits for how long

149、they can deploy these features,which vary by operator.For battery-powered devices deployed worldwide,relying on these features that differ from region to region can negate any power consumption requirements that the OEM has marketed and that a customer depends on for their particular use case.As dev

150、ice OEMs seek ways to limit power consumption,they dismiss PSM and eDRX in favor of their own software and good old device design and engineering to achieve extended battery life.In general,ABI Research believes that PSM and eDRX will remain tools in the toolkit for cellular device OEMs,mainly if de

151、vices are deployed within a specific market and unlikely to be used in other markets.However,this issue shows that device design and OEMs will continue to play critical roles in the growth of the IoT.Add to this that more emphasis on sustainability will drive all network operators and device OEMs to

152、 add more power-saving features regardless of device computing and data throughput.Dan Shey,Vice President,Enabling PlatformsIoT NETWORKS AND SERVICESQUALCOMM EXPANDING ITS INFLUENCE WITH AWAREQualcomm introduced its Aware platform,a set of services designed to bring greater flexibility to Qualcomm

153、hardware platforms and boost the power of its ecosystem for the benefit of solution builders.Qualcomm wants to give hardware and software developers the tools to add value to their applications.Delivered as a set of APIs,the Aware platform will initially offer developers power-friendly features to e

154、nhance solution value in location,security,condition monitoring,and connectivity management.Effectively,developers can build applications that provide more functionality and deliver in real time and remotely.An example is an asset tracking solution that would use low-power cloud-based location techn

155、ology to detect the movement of a good through geofenced areas,but intelligently turn on the Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS)to get exact location coordinates if the good is diverted from its intended delivery location or past a particular time window.Based on its capabilities,this platform

156、could be placed in the Hardware-as-a-Service bucket,but this may not be Qualcomms preferred term.Regardless,ABI Research believes it is a necessary evolution,particularly in the IoT domain.Today,device features that reside in the hardware have very little flexibility once soldered on a board.Remote

157、configurability in real time would allow a single Stock Keeping Unit(SKU)to serve multiple markets and use cases,greatly simplifying device design and expanding device functionality.As the market moves into 5G,with even more network-based features,Aware can deliver even more capabilities.While ABI R

158、esearch views this as a positive for Qualcomm and the IoT market,the device and application developer ecosystem a broad and diverse domain of individuals and companies must embrace it.Qualcomm is not the only player to introduce an end-to-end IoT service platform.Other players,including Commscope an

159、d Ericsson,in collaboration with Quuppa,demonstrated similar capabilities.All these platforms are still in the proof-of-concept stage with no indication of what primary use cases they will target first and what business model they will support.Dan Shey,Vice President,Enabling PMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYS

160、LOCATION TECHNOLOGIESNEW PRECISE 5G POSITIONING BENCHMARKSQualcomm continued its yearly trend of showing a new 5G positioning proof of concept at MWCthis time in collaboration with China Unicom and ZTE.The demonstration showed indoor and outdoor locations over 5G mmWave.It emphasized the solutions e

161、ffectiveness(sub-meter accuracy 80%of the time)as an effective complement to GNSS for urban canyons and indoor environments.On the precise location side,Radio Frequency(RF)sensing was central to Qualcomms presentation,presenting a method of extracting more data from complex environments and estimati

162、ng the shapes of objects and people,which could be a valuable addition to location services moving forward to extract more actionable value from 5G positioning.Nokia and Bosch announced the deployment of an Industry 4.0 5G positioning proof of concept able to locate within 50 Centimeters(cm)90%of th

163、e time crucially,the solutions leverage location infrastructure that is capable of positioning based on Angle of Arrival(AoA)enabled by 5G MIMO antennas;this is a departure from the traditional time difference-based cellular location solutions and a step in the right direction if vendors want to mak

164、e the best use of what 5G has to offer when it comes to positioning.Ericsson revealed the product of its Industry 4.0 ecosystem partnership with Bluetooth AoA Real-Time Location System(RTLS)vendor Quuppa,demonstrating location over both 5G and Bluetooth Low Energy(BLE)as a hybrid technology model ab

165、le to reduce technology costs by targeting point solutions.Vendors still need to start looking past technology development and proofs of concept toward value propositions and market strategies for 5G positioning.Ericsson definitely has a head start here as it also detailed its indoor location servic

166、es,which included a suite of software tools for tool and asset tracking leveraging its 5G private network solution.Mark Qi,Research AnalystCONVERGENCE OF MANY INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LOCATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARDSAs location technology vendors continue to step into the promising IoT markers,chipset launch

167、es are continuing to include a broader arsenal of technologies past simply GNSS to improve location availability through terrestrial location while keeping power consumption low.Sonys ALT1350 cellular chipset combines cell tower data,GNSS,Long Term Evolution(LTE),and Wi-Fi scanning for wide-area ind

168、oor and outdoor positioning the solution featured in several new modules at MWC,such as from Telit Cinterion.Quectel announced its AU30Q module leveraging Qorvos Ultra-Wideband(UWB)technology,targeting automotive applications where a precise,sub-meter location or range is needed.OriginGPS,Murata,Sky

169、lo,and SIMCom revealed additional IoT-focused,joint GNSS+cellular chipsets.Mark Qi,Research AnalystSUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIESThe IoT can mean many things to different verticals and is viewed differently within a single organization.However,sustainability is becoming a driver for technology choices.The

170、 IoT will play a significant role in monitoring and controlling energy and waste,optimizing business processes,and moving goods and services.Huawei kicked off its MWC debut with its Green ICT Development Summit,outlining a holistic approach to sustainability centered around renewable energy,energy e

171、fficiency,and the application of intelligent policies.On the other end of the IoT spectrum,Tuya,the Chinese-based smart home provider,introduced a Bluetooth(BT)and Wi-Fi-enabled communication rod that can attach to photovoltaic inverters,energy storage batteries,and all-in-one power storage devices.

172、Combining that with Tuyas energy management application provides real-time energy monitoring.While enterprises tend to view sustainability can be viewed as a goal,most suppliers consider sustainability a a goal to drive new revenue streams.Sustainability will remain a focus within the IoT domain for

173、 many years,and ABI Research believes that this theme will merge with the theme of resilience.Sustainability represents long-term and strategic choices.Resilience means products,services,and programs that mitigate the adverse effects of disruption,a recurring theme not expected to lighten,as seen re

174、cently from pandemics,trade wars,armed conflicts,and climate change.Dan Shey,Vice President,Enabling PMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSTELCO CYBERSECURITY The key theme of MWC 2023 was Embedded Subscriber Module Identity(eSIM)and Integrated Subscriber Identity Module(iSIM),with vendors including Thales,G+D,IDE

175、MIA,Kigen,and Truphone demoing and outlining their respective eSIM/iSIM and Remote Subscription Provisioning(RSP)capabilities and services.eSIM excitement continues to grow,thanks to the ongoing work on the new IoT specification,currently under development within the GSMAs IoT Working Group 7(WG7).T

176、his is a necessary and evolutionary step to open new eSIM IoT opportunities by breaking down market entry barriers and simplifying eSIM enablement and management,thanks to its ability to work with any Subscription Manager-Data Preparation platform(SM-DP+)without prior integration and single SKU appr

177、oach.Phil Sealy,Research Director HIGH EXPECTATIONS SET FOR NEW IoT eSIM SPECIFICATION Currently,there are two eSIM specification streams,one designed for the consumer market and the other for automotive.Being explicitly designed for the automotive sector,the automotive specification is not widely u

178、sed in other Machine-to-Machine(M2M)applications.To circumnavigate this,solutions such as nuSIM were developed,designed to address low power-constrained devices,but the need for more standardization has resulted in limited uptake.The new specification will add a third stream,targeting other IoT devi

179、ce types and use cases,such as asset tracking,smart labels,and smart metering,and the industry has high expectations.Despite the new standard not being available until 2024,with the technical specification expected in 1Q 2023 and full specification and subsequent commercial launches expected in 2024

180、,vendors such as Truphone,demonstrated how an MNO profile could be successfully delivered to an IoT device using the new spec.Although it is early days with the specification still being ratified,expectations are that this new standard will help boost IoT eSIM integration from 2024 onward.MWC 2023 p

181、rovided the platform from which the ecosystem could demonstrate market readiness as it prepares for the next generation of IoT eSIM device enablement and RSP management.Phil Sealy,Research Director THE CONSUMER eSIM MARKET CONTINUES TO DOMINATE,BUT SOME RESISTANCE REMAINSM2M and IoT is just one aspe

182、ct of the eSIM market,with consumer continuing to dominate.Apples launch of its eSIM-only device in the United States was a continuing topic of conversation at MWC 2023,viewed as a precursor for MNO eSIM-first approaches.Although this might hold true for the United States,it was somewhat dishearteni

183、ng to hear that MNOs in other regions continue to resist,waiting for entire smartphone portfolios to have eSIM before leaping at an eSIM-first cellular enablement approach.Another conversation topic was Chinas continued resistance to adopting and supporting consumer eSIM.Today there are no indicator

184、s to suggest that China will change its eSIM consumer stance,which is having a direct knock-on impact related to Chinese CE device OEM eSIM integration support.This is creating a chicken and egg situation.Some MNOs wait for further eSIM smartphone device launches before activating eSIM first,but Chi

185、nese OEMs remain reluctant to use eSIM across entire smartphone product portfolios,driven by the lack of support within their local market.Phil Sealy,Research Director“eSIM excite-ment continues to grow,thanks to the ongoing work on the new IoT specification,currently under development.”Phil SMWC 20

186、23 KEY TAKEAWAYSWI-FI,BLUETOOTH,AND WIRELESS CONNECTIVITYBluetooth SIGs most important event at MWC 2023 was its first public demonstration of Auracast broadcast audio technology via its Auracast Experience at the show.Bluetooth SIG provided visitors with LE Audio-capable true-wireless earbuds and s

187、martphones,enabling visitors to scan and join some streams that will mimic real-world usage scenarios in the future.The Experience included listening to a public speaker in an auditorium,switching between audio from a basketball game and a soccer game via two different silent TVs,listening to gate a

188、nnouncements at the airport,and sharing audio from a personal device,such as a smartphone,laptop,or tablet,to enable friends and family to listen to the same music or video simultaneously.The Experience was effective in demonstrating some of the critical initial use cases for Auracast deployments an

189、d showed that the technology would be effective not only as a next-generation assistive listening technology,but also in its ability to enable new consumer experiences across different environments.The demonstration also showed that we are still very much in the early days of Bluetooth LE Audio and

190、Auracast adoption.The Experience leveraged prototype Auracast-enabled earbuds supplied by Qualcomm alongside a Pixel 6 smartphone running Android 12 and a dedicated app to scan for Auracast transmitters.Apples devices do not yet support LE at the software level despite having Bluetooth 5.3 in its la

191、test iPhone 14 series and AirPods Pro 2.Similarly,no TVs on the market yet support LE Audio,which will require support both at the hardware and software levels.However,this opens opportunities for companies to help foster Auracast adoption by creating dedicated Auracast dongles and transmitters to r

192、etrofit legacy devices.This will also help smooth the transition period toward adopting Bluetooth 5.2 and above technology in source and sink devices,alongside minimizing the impact of the additional wait for LE Audio software support across various device types and vendor ecosystems.However,this is

193、 a problem that will diminish over time.As of March 2023,nearly 230 listings of Bluetooth products support the LC3 codec,consisting of chipsets,modules,true-wireless headsets,headphones,dedicated transmitters,and other source devices,such as smartphones and smartwatches.ABI Research expects around 3

194、 billion LE Audio-enabled devices on the market by 2027.Alongside device proliferation,harmonizing the user experience across different environments is essential to ensure an optimal and intuitive experience.For example,managing potential handover processes between various gates at an airport or pri

195、oritization of gate announcements versus personal audio.These decisions will likely be left to specific implementations,alongside deciding best practices in managing security,venue branding,and device user interfaces.In addition,there is the additional question of who will be rolling out this techno

196、logy.Given that legislative drivers have been a critical factor behind assistive listening technology deployments in certain regions like the United Kingdom and Europe,regional variations in legislation requiring assistive listening technologies could hinder the rollout of Auracast infrastructure.Ma

197、rket deployments will,therefore,more strongly rely on advocacy and on the venues themselves to invest in the technology or for vendors already embedded within the assistive listening ecosystem to take advantage of the innovations brought about by Auracast to create new revenue streams while also dep

198、loying a futureproof assistive listening technology alongside their existing technology deployments.Auracast could also open new opportunities for wireless infrastructure or location service provider vendors to enhance their product offerings and combine Auracast management with other enterprise-rel

199、ated services.However,one potential risk is that some enterprises and venues may lock Auracast features behind a paywall or as part of a premium service offering,harming its quest to be a next-generation assistive listening technology.As a result,there is likely to be a multi-phase transition period

200、 for Auracast deployments.Initially,we may see small-to medium-sized deployments and proofs of concept,predominantly within muted TV and public assembly applications.This will help educate the market on the technology and incentivize the broader market and system integrators to create innovative and

201、 compelling use cases beyond these more obvious ones.While Auracast solutions will be less complex to deploy than traditional hearing loop solutions,there will still be additional complexities,such as large areas needing multiple transmitters to cover the entire audience.It will also be vital to ens

202、ure that Do-It-Yourself(DIY)-based approaches do not provide a poor user experience and diminish the utility and user experience of Auracast before it has gained traction.Ultimately,Auracast must meet specific standards that go beyond what is available today,and this experience must be high-quality,

203、intuitive,and standardized,regardless of where implemented.Only then will the technology reach its potential.By 2030,ABI Research anticipates 2.4 million public venues will be equipped with Auracast broadcast transmitters globally.Andrew Zignani,Research DMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSMWC 2023 SEES WI-FI 7

204、RISE AND ENTERPRISE WLAN VENDORS DOUBLE DOWN ON 5G PRIVATE NETWORKSAs usual,MWC 2023 was replete with Wi-Fi and Wireless Local Area Network(WLAN)-related announcements and product unveilings,but now the dust has settled,and two clear takeaways from the show have become clear-the accelerated arrival

205、of Wi-Fi 7,and that the major enterprise WLAN vendors are pursuing acquisitions and partnerships as a strategy to increase their 5G private networks competitiveness.The former was widely anticipated,and leading up to the show,it was more a question of what(and not if)Wi-Fi 7 products would be on dis

206、play.The latter,on the other hand,was less of a certainty.The renewed vigor with which the leading enterprise WLAN vendors are targeting 5G private networks is a clear sign that these IT heavyweights have determined they are in a solid position to exploit the opportunities the market offers and will

207、 position themselves at the forefront of this emerging market.Andrew Spivey,Industry AnalystWI-FI 7S ACCELERATED ARRIVALThere was so much Wi-Fi 7-related news at MWC 2023 youd be forgiven for thinking that the standard had already been certified(in reality,the IEEEs official release is still more th

208、an a year off).Notable unveilings of Wi-Fi 7 residential Access Points(APs)included Swiss vendor ADBs“Cheetah”(a 19 Gbps XGS-PON gateway),Xiaomis BE7000(which delivers 6.9 Gbps),and Huaweis OptiXstar V878(an XGS-PON ONT gateway with 19.6 Gbps throughput).Huawei also released the Enterprise-grade Wi-

209、Fi 7 AirEngine 8771-X1T,with max throughput of 18.7 Gbps.Wi-Fi 7 also reared its head in ZTEs 5G FWA Gen 5,which helps the product deliver 21 Gbps speeds for consumers.On the device side,there were laptops from Lenovo,smart TVs,and global releases for a handful of Wi-Fi 7-supporting Chinese smartpho

210、nes,such as the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro.As for when we will see Wi-Fi 7 deployed,eyes are now on South Korean operator KT,which declared its intention to develop and deploy a Wi-Fi 7 AP alongside signing a joint agreement with Intel to promote Wi-Fi 7.The prominence of Wi-Fi 7 at MWC 2023 highlights th

211、e accelerated arrival of the protocol.It foreshadows the rapid devaluing of Wi-Fi 6E,which has quickly gone from the most advanced protocol on the market to one representing entry-level GHz spectrum access.By next years MWC,Wi-Fi 7 will have secured the high-end Wi-Fi AP market,with Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-F

212、i 6E offering entry-level and mid-range dual-band and tri-band access,respectively.Andrew Spivey,Industry AnalystENTERPRISE WLAN VENDORS MUSCLE IN ON 5G PRIVATE NETWORKSThe second key theme at MWC 2023 was the further advances by major WLAN enterprise vendors into the 5G private networks space.On th

213、e eve of the show,Aruba parent HPE announced its purchase of Italian private cellular technology provider Athonet,which it intends to incorporate with Arubas existing WLAN networking portfolio to offer enterprises the coverage,mobility,security,and reliability of cellular alongside the familiarity,c

214、ost-effectiveness,and high capacity of WLAN.The expanded capabilities will allow Aruba to enter new markets,such as industrial manufacturing environments with Automated Guided Vehicles(AGVs)and Autonomous Mobile Robots(AMRs).Following this news was the announcement that Cisco and NTT plan to collabo

215、rate on 5G private networks innovation and bring the technology to market.The pair aim to develop a 5G private network solution that will integrate seamlessly with customers pre-existing WLAN(alongside LAN,WAN,and cloud)infrastructure delivered through NTTs Managed Private 5G solution,alongside Inte

216、l hardware.They are targeting a broad spread of industries,including the automotive,healthcare,retail,logistics,and public sectors,and several customer deployments are reportedly underway.By pursuing 5G private network strategies,Cisco and Aruba believe they have an inherent advantage over the compe

217、tition.For a start,they(rightly)believe that private networks consisting of fully integrated Wi-Fi and 5G will have significant benefits over those of solely the former,such as having the best attributes of both technologies,being more competitively priced,and being able to offer IT administrators t

218、he ability to manage both the Wi-Fi and 5G network through one single pane of glass.At the same time,expanding into cellular private networks will also help raise the value proposition of their traditional WLAN portfolio,which can easily integrate with 5G services.This is one of many considerations,

219、though,as the extensive experience both firms have sold into enterprise provides them with a robust platform to expand their business into the private networks space.Enterprises trust and familiarity with these vendors and their solutions,and their ability to integrate existing deployments with thei

220、r private 5G solutions(and vice versa),will help them win many contracts.There is one final key rational for why Cisco and Aruba wish to further grow their influence in 5G private networks.As the market is still in its infancy,getting involved early with Cisco and Aruba can help reinforce the notion

221、 that 5G private networks will integrate and coexist with WLAN rather than replace them.Andrew Spivey,Industry AMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSTHE FINAL WORDThe overall mood at MWC 2023 can best be summarized by quoting an executive at one of ABI Researchs clients who succinctly captured the shows essence:“T

222、his conference was remarkably undisruptive.”However,there needs to be more progress in better understanding how to unlock the power and value of cellular technologies across markets,verticals,and industries,albeit more evolutionarily and organically.One of the reasons for this lack of step change in

223、novation is the fact the telco industry finds itself in between two cellular generations,with 5G still being deployed and enhanced via new features through 5G Advanced(or 5.5G according to Huawei)and 6G still being in a pre-standard/conceptual phase.The telco industry is keen to double down on the c

224、urrent 5G generation,apprehensive about any confusion causing a potential reduction in infrastructure spending from clients anticipating and/or waiting for 6G.MWC remains a telco network infrastructure and devices event where verticals tend to have a peripheral focus.However,two interesting half-day

225、“Industry City Summits”covered the manufacturing and mobility verticals.More generally,industrial and manufacturing were the most talked about segment,related to private cellular networks for enterprises with key use cases such as remote control and machine vision for inspection and quality control.

226、Most cellular technology suppliers are now acutely aware of the importance of a vertical use cases narrative linking the benefits of tech with the pain points and challenges of enterprises and industries.One of the main new cellular paradigms pitched at the show is the expanding role of networks ove

227、r and beyond connectivity.Nokias rebranding event with the new slogan“Networks that Sense,Think,and Act”perfectly captured the point.Next-generation 5.5G and 6G networks will offer not only high accuracy positioning,but also situational awareness about moving objects,as demoed by Huawei in its Wirel

228、ess Sensing showcase in which radio waves directed from base stations are reflected off vehicles and persons to measure their position and speed,not unlike radar and Light Detection and Ranging(LiDAR)solutions.Use cases range from traffic management and safety to surveillance,security,and emergency

229、response.This can transform the very nature of smart urban infrastructure in terms of scale,cost,and relevance.While the focus on the overall IoT market was limited,companies like Wiliot,Huawei,and Ericsson pitched the new paradigm of Ambient IoT.Ambient IoT,sometimes called Passive IoT or Pervasive

230、 Access,aims to enable item-level tracking across food,pharma,automotive,and retail environments and supply chains through ultra-low-cost tags based on cellular technology and leveraging energy harvesting and flexible sticker-like form factors.It can revolutionize supply chain monitoring and managem

231、ent by generating unseen levels of real-time,granular intelligence for accurate demand planning,carbon footprinting,and overall waste and loss reduction of perishable food/pharma items and returnable assets.Huawei showcased a logistics demo pitching RFID against 5.5 Passive IoT in terms of inventory

232、-level automation in warehouses.MWC 2023 gave a lot of attention to the third dimension of hitherto largely terrestrial cellular networks,ranging from satellites equipped with cellular base stations communicating with terrestrial smartphones to Airbus stratospheric drone business Aalto providing bla

233、nket cellular coverage through solar-powered High-Altitude Persistent Station/Satellite(HAPS)Zephyr aircrafts capable of flying at an altitude of 70,000 feet for more than 64 days.Additionally,they can capture far more granular imagery compared with traditional satellites.At the same time,terrestria

234、l cellular networks will need to be optimized for the vertical dimension to guarantee connectivity for low-flying drones.Cellular technology is spreading its wings.Dom Bonte,Vice President,Verticals/End MMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSMEET OUR ANALYSTSMalik Saadi Managing Director,Vice President,Strategic Te

235、chnologies Malik is focused on technology innovation across various in-dustries,including telecommu-nications,consumer electronics IoT,and other emerging indus-tries.With more than 16 years of experience in the telecom-munications and computing industries as a technology expert and analyst,he guides

236、 his research team toward uncovering the impact of tech-nology innovation on different industries and markets,with the ultimate goal to provide clients with both quantitative and qualitative vision of the overall market development and how the various technolo-gies involved will empower this develop

237、ment.Dan Shey Vice President,Enabling Platforms Dan Shey manages the Machine-to-Machine(M2M)/Internet of Things(IoT),digital security,and wearables research services,which cover the telco,industrial,Infor-mation Technology(IT)and Operational Technology(OT)ecosystems with a focus on devices,connectiv

238、ity,plat-forms,applications,big data/analytics,convergence,and strategic analysis of the entire IoT value chain extending from devices through value-added services.Dominique Bonte Vice President,Verticals/End Markets Dominique leads ABI Researchs end markets research team,which covers industrial and

239、 manufacturing,supply chain and logistics,fleet management and commercial telematics,automotive and smart mobility,electric vehicles,smart homes and buildings,and smart urban infrastructure.His focus areas include smart cities solutions such as digital twins,urban IoT platforms and connectivity,In-t

240、elligent Transportation Systems(ITS),smart roadside infrastruc-ture and V2I,electrification and sustainability,smart rail,and cooperative mobility.Stuart Carlaw Chief Research Officer As Chief Research Officer,Stu-art Carlaw leads ABI Researchs analyst teams covering global technology markets.Stuart

241、s primary responsibility includes managing industry research content,technology and market focus,subject matter guidance,product portfolio mix,and cus-tom research and consulting,as well as client engagements and strategic advisory MWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSMEET OUR ANALYSTSEric Abbruzzese Research Dire

242、ctor Eric Abbruzzese primarily leads research efforts in Augmented Reality(AR),Mixed Reality(MR),and Virtual Reality(VR).Coverage includes devices,content,platforms,and use cases across consumer and enterprise applications.Addi-tional coverage areas include gaming,video,metaverse,and emerging techno

243、logies.Reece Hayden Research Analyst As part of the Strategic Technologies team Reece contributes to Distributed&Edge Computing research.He focuses on uncovering the edge-to-cloud markets technical,commercial,and economic opportunities.With a strong emphasis on enterprise connectivity strategies,Ree

244、ce leads ABI Researchs work in net-work-as-a-service(NaaS),cloud-delivered enterprise connectivity strategies,and software-defined networking.In addition,he explores the edge ecosys-tem from the ground up,conducting research on the semiconductor market and edge/cloud platforms.He has a cross-vertica

245、l and global viewpoint,from which he provides strategic guidance for,among others,enterprises,hyper scalers,interconnection providers,IT hardware/software vendors,and CSPs.David McQueen Research Director David McQueen,Research Director,manages ABI Re-searchs connected consum-er devices and platforms

246、 market coverage,which includes data,trend,and forecast analyses on mobile handsets,smartphones,wearables,accessories,new mobile technologies,and semiconductors.Leo Gergs Senior Analyst As part of ABI Researchs 5G Markets research service,Leo has a special focus on the commercialization of 5G,coveri

247、ng 5G use cases across several enterprise verticals and their financial impact.His area of expertise lies in identifying key enterprise vertical requirements and mapping then to 5G capabil-ities,and in turn identifying what the future use cases and potential new business opportunities will be for th

248、e new generation.He is in regular exchange with different enterprise verticals and associations like 5G-ACIA or 5GAA.He is also involved in calculating the economic value of 5G across different verticals and its contribution to global GDP.Dimitris Mavrakis Senior Research Director Dimitris Mavrakis,

249、Senior Research Director,manages ABI Researchs telco network coverage,including telco cloud platforms,digital transformation,and mobile network infrastructure.Research topics include AI and machine learning technologies,telco software and applications,network operating systems,SDN,NFV,LTE diversity,

250、and 5GMWC 2023 KEY TAKEAWAYSPhil Sealy Research Director Phil conducts research focus-ing primarily on smart card and embedded digital security technologies and applications.He reports on new and emerg-ing sectors,products groups,and technologies across the payments,government,Subscriber Identity Mo

251、dule(SIM),ticketing,and Internet of Things(IoT)end markets.MEET OUR ANALYSTSAndrew Spivey Industry Analyst Andrew is a Wireless Connectivity Industry Analyst in the Strate-gic Technologies team at ABI Research.He is responsible for producing qualitative analysis and market forecasts in the areas of

252、consumer and enterprise Wi-Fi and wireless infrastruc-ture,fixed wireless access,and other trends impacting wireless networking technologies.Andrew Zignani Research Director Andrew conducts research into the rapidly changing wireless connectivity market,with a particular emphasis on market forecasts

253、 and qualitative insight covering Bluetooth,Wi-Fi,802.15.4,Near Field Communications(NFC),HaLow,WiGig,and other emerging wireless standards and protocols.Andrew also writes reports on the technological evolution and long-term prospects for wireless connectivity technologies,particularly as they incr

254、easingly target new verticals across the Internet of Things(IoT).Yih-Khai Wong Senior AnalystYih-Khai Wong is a Senior Analyst in the Strategic Technologies team.He is responsible for the distributed&edge com-puting research service,covering the evolution of processing platforms that handles various

255、 IT and OT workloads across the public,private,edge,and on-premises cloud.Mark Qi Research Analyst Mark Qi is a Research Analyst in the Strategic Technologies practice at ABI Research.Mark has a special focus on providing research,analysis,and insight on location tech-nologies.March 2023 ABI Researc

256、h157 Columbus AvenueNew York,NY 10023 USATel:+1 516-624- CONTACT USIf you need help understanding the future of the industry or your market,or if you have critical questions that need to be answered,ABI Research can help.Since 1990,ABI Research has partnered with hundreds of leading technology brand

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258、es,economies,and workforces today.ABOUT ABI RESEARCHABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm delivering actionable research and strategic guidance to technology leaders,innovators,and decision makers around the world.Our research focuses on the transformative technologies that are dramatically reshaping industries,economies,and workforces today.ABI Researchs global team of analysts publish ground-breaking studies often years ahead of other technology advisory firms,empowering our clients to stay ahead of their markets and their competitors.