5G and Next-Generation Networks in a Time of Crisis

By: Robert Bianco

The Chinese symbol for “crisis” is the same as the Chinese symbol for “opportunity.” This curious semantic is being realized now in 2020. It’s borne out in the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic—and in the opportunities and promise afforded by 5G and next generation technologies. But a footnote: we must get to 5G swiftly but cautiously.  With COVID-19, we’re all online, all the time. The pandemic has fueled a hunger for bigger, faster and more ubiquitous broadband services, and the movement toward next-generation networks and 5G will help sate the beast, say the carriers…

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Solving Connectivity Challenges for Connected Cars

By: Ankur Bhan

Connected cars are no longer the stuff of sci-fi movies. They are fast becoming a reality as well as one of the most significant advancements in the automotive industry over the last 50 years. Global market analysis from Omdia outlined that there will be 180 million connected vehicles on our roads by the end of 2020, with all new cars expected to be connected by 2022. They will use cellular connectivity and a multitude of on-board sensors to interact with the outside world, supporting cloud-based telematics, infotainment and other services to improve comfort and safety…

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IoT Security: Is the Real Test for Telcos Still to Come?

By: Stephen Buck

As we hit the mid-year mark, most communications service providers (CSPs) may have exhaled a sigh of relief to have withstood the coronavirus pandemic relatively unscathed. Even under enormous strain, such as when European operators experienced a 70 percent spike in traffic demand during the European pandemic peak, CSPs were able to maintain network connectivity. According to a member survey by the International Financial Group, part of the World Bank Group, operational performance was normal during the first half of the year, with service levels exceeding 99…

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The Challenge of Connecting Beyond the Edge

By: Santiago Jaramillo

No matter what industry a business operates in, communications are crucial and make it possible for organizations to carry out their daily activities. When it comes to the communications infrastructure in place, the core networks of fiber, cable, and mobile can all provide reliable support for a business to depend on, in line with its requirements. However, when companies need to extend mission-critical applications beyond that core, they can face significant challenges.  Networks must provide high-quality, reliable connectivity with seamless operability around the clock, even as the data crosses the different transmission formats of fiber, satellite, 4G/LTE, and microwave…

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From Smart Cities To Smart Nations

By: Mark Cummings, Ph.D., William Yeack, CSE

In today’s early stages of this maturation process, innovation is critical. This means different cities trying different non-compatible approaches. As maturation and innovation unfolds, telcos must determine whether this opportunity represents a new, profitable revenue source or whether it will be captured by superscalers such as AWS, Google, and the emerging specialized IoT Communication Service Providers. Historically isolated local governments have begun talking about and working on Smart Cities…

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4 Ways IoT Sparks New Business Value

By: Wolfgang Thieme

As the Internet of Things (IoT) creates a new influx of machine and process data, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of industrial assets are finding themselves at a crossroads between disrupting or being disrupted. Pervasive interconnection powered by IoT technology opens the door to new avenues for value creation that were not previously achievable. For OEMs, this means they need to rethink their operational models or risk losing ground as digital businesses quickly encroach. The opportunities of IoT for OEMs are bountiful…

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The Benefits of Trust in the IoT Era

By: Thorsten Stremlau

With more than 21 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices expected to be deployed by 2025, according to antivirus and anti-malware security specialist Norton, and with very little or no security hardware running on these devices, more must be done to create a safe and secure digital ecosystem. Where resources, budgets, and environments vary across devices, a number of security applications must be considered to ensure the whole ecosystem has access to a strong defense against the growing sophistication of attacks and threats…

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Rapid, Trusted IoT Expansion Requires Collaboration

By: Kevin Gillick

Billions of devices are already connected, communicating sensitive data and information. By 2025, it’s estimated that there will be 75.4 billion connected devices deployed across the world. This undoubtedly offers many benefits, from enhanced data analytics and reporting that improve business efficiencies, to newfound functionality that delivers greater levels of ease and convenience. It’s no surprise that enterprises, service providers and device manufacturers in more industries are keen to capitalize on the IoT opportunity…

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Letter from the Editor - Prope est Finis

By: Scott St. John, Pipeline

The end is near, for a great many things. Humans, have proved to be a nuisance. They are too costly, prone to error, unreliable, and most importantly weak. And, if robots can put together your Tesla, they can certainly build your burger.As the COVID-19 pandemic ravages cities, industries, and entire economies–and it's not done yet–only the digital will survive. And only the digital natives shall thrive. This is the end my friends, of a great many things. And it's also just the beginning…

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Telecom Industry News

By: Scott St. John, Pipeline

Early this month we officially passed the midpoint of this unprecedented year. Industry news continued to come in at a brisk pace in the first part of the summer, bringing news of partnerships that push digital transformation, supply chain transformation and the future of the connected car. 5G deployments across the world are progressing despite the ongoing pandemic, according to new industry research released this month. And solutions, developments, trials and more continue to advance the Internet of Things, the focus for this month’s issue of Pipeline…

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