The FCC’s first-ever auction of toll-free numbers took place on December 17. It included 17,638 numbers in the 833 toll-free code for which there have been competing requests. The FCC had noted that the 833 auction would serve as a an experiment in using competitive bidding to assign toll-free numbers and ensure that sought-after numbers are awarded to the parties that value them most. 

Tech predictions for 2020 and research on trends made headlines, too. Topping Juniper Research’s top ten list for 2020 are 5G last-mile solutions, OTT TV advertising and open data for the developing Mobility-as-a-Service ecosystem. A new study from Juniper Research found that the global domestic money transfer transaction value will exceed $3.5 trillion by 2024, up from $1.8 trillion in 2019. The new research, Digital Domestic Mobile Transfer: Key Trends, Player Innovation & Market Forecasts 2019-2024, found that mobile transactions will drive growth; accounting for 86 percent of total value in 2024. 

Intraway announced that its Symphonica codeless automated provisioning platform is now on the cloud on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Intraway was announced as one of the AWS OSS/BSS partners in the context of the “Exploring OSS/BSS Options on AWS” presentation at the Telco Lounge during the re:Invent 2019 in Las Vegas. 

Network Evolution News

It was a busy month in Europe. Nokia announced that it has been selected by Fingrid, Finland’s national transmission system operator, to build an IP/MPLS network to support the digital transformation of its national electrical grid. Fingrid will use the network to operate 120 high-voltage substations and control 14,600km of power transmission across the country. The new smart grid is needed to manage the growing adoption of variable distributed energy resources, such as wind, solar and micro-generation using bioenergy. Vodafone Business is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to make AWS Wavelength available in Europe. AWS Wavelength provides developers with the ability to build applications that serve end users with single-digit millisecond latencies over the 5G network. AWS Wavelength embeds AWS compute and storage services at the edge of telecommunications providers’ 5G networks, enabling developers to serve use cases that require ultra-low latency.  

Orange Business Services announced it was selected by Mars, Incorporated to build an Intelligent Automated Network (IAN). The IAN will connect more than 125,000 Mars Associates across more than 80 countries and provide a secure, scalable and swift platform to host business applications, while supporting manufacturing operations, office locations and supplier interactions for the global candy giant. 

Stateside, Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and Ian Scott, Chairperson and CEO of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, completed the first official cross-border call using a new system aimed at combating illegal caller ID spoofing.  The call took place between Comcast and TELUS networks using a caller ID authentication framework known as SHAKEN/STIR. Bluebird Network LLC, a Midwest telecommunications company, is excited to announce the signing of a Purchase Agreement for the acquisition of Illinois Network Alliance (INA). With a continued strategic focus on the Midwest, the acquisition will empower Bluebird to further strengthen its fiber services and high-bandwidth network solutions for cell towers, hospitals, schools, government facilities and other businesses. Kobiton, Inc. provider of an end-to-end mobile testing platform designed to enhance the mobile experience, announced that it has signed a material deal to provide real mobile device testing software solutions for one of the largest mobile telecommunications operators in America.

Prysmian Group, a leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, introduced a bend insensitive single-mode optical fiber with 180µm outer diameter. Prysmian’s BendBrightXS 180µm will enable an unprecedented level of cable miniaturization and will support the evolution of high-density optical networks.