Infinera and SIAE MICROELETTRONICA announced the successful completion of end-to-end, software-defined networking (SDN)-enabled service orchestration across integrated IP/Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) transport and microwave/millimeter-wave transport domains, conducted in collaboration with a leading Tier 1 mobile operator.

Ericsson featured in key network evolution news, too. Indonesia’s largest mobile service provider, Telkomsel Indonesia, has chosen Ericsson’s NFV infrastructure core network technology for a major core network upgrade as it moves toward 5G development. Stateside, GCI, Alaska’s largest telecommunications company, has selected Ericsson to build the United States’ northernmost 5G network in Anchorage, Alaska—scheduled to launch in 2020.

The US Marine Corps (USMC) selected MetTel for broadband Internet services deployment to 1,500 Recruiting Command Centers around the world. MetTel will help USMC strategically prepare for IoT, video conference, and the broadband requirements of the future. In India, Sterlite Technologies’s STL Academy has created an ecosystem for deploying complex fiber programs and has become the country’s first fiber program to be endorsed by FTTH Council APAC. It’s on track to train 15,000 highly skilled engineers to address skills shortages and advance Indian network evolution.

5G Telecom News

It was a landmark month for 5G telecom news, which was switched on in locations in the US and abroad. Sprint launched mobile 5G in Houston, Atlanta, Dallas-Ft. Worth and Kansas City, with service expected to launch in areas of Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, and Washington, DC in the coming weeks. Once all nine markets go live, Sprint mobile 5G will cover nearly 2,200 square miles and serve 11.5 million people total, giving it the largest initial 5G coverage footprint in the US.

Over in the UK, Vodafone launched 5G for consumer and business customers on July 3 in London and seven other cities, enabled by Ericsson technology.

Momentum for 5G is visible via key trials, benchmarks, and new research and analysis. Nokia and TIM have broken the European record for long-distance data transmission over a high-speed network, laying the groundwork for 5G with their successful 550 Gbps trial between Rome and Florence. This month, Nokia also announced that it has confirmed 42 commercial 5G deals across the globe. With its trials and demos, it has over 100 total 5G customer engagements to date—more than any other operator currently. The newly released Ericsson Mobility Report notes that worldwide 5G uptake is even faster than expected, with 5G subscriptions now expected to reach 1.9 billion by 2024, and with coverage forecast to reach 45 percent of the world’s population within five years.

Of course, the push toward 5G requires increases in workforce and capacity. As US mobile operators deploy 5G technology, Nokia and its subsidiary SAC Wireless are teaming up to recruit and train military veterans for tower climber jobs to augment their workforce.

Telecom IoT News

The month was as hot for IoT news as it was for 5G developments. Juniper Research has released a new report tracking the growth in annual spending on Mobile Edge Computing, predicting it will reach $11.2 billion globally by 2024, fueled by IoT, start-ups, and AI and Machine Learning innovation. Additional Juniper research reveals that smart home automation revenues will climb past $57 million by 2024, driven by smart security solutions. The report found that top and trusted vendors will extend their offerings to include smart home services.

The realization of IoT’s potential continued apace. Autotalks, a world leader in V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication solutions, announced it will collaborate with NoTraffic on its autonomous traffic management platform. Together the companies will contribute to greater safety and mobility in the advancement of connected car technology and use. Puloli and Select Spectrum have launched the world’s first private standalone LTE NB-IoT network purpose-built for critical infrastructure industries. The turn-key service using Upper 700 MHz A Block spectrum went live in early June.