Mobile World Congress is an annual trade show event held in Barcelona, Spain and is an opportunity for IT leaders to present their products and share their strategic vision in the telecommunications sector. Here, we take a look at some of the technological advancements on offer from leading tech giants NTT DATA, Cisco and Nokia.
NTT DATA
NTT DATA, the world’s sixth largest IT company, took part in Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022, where the consulting firm demonstrated cutting-edge solutions as one of the largest tech presenters in the telecom sector at the event.
Mobile World Congress is one of NTT DATA’s benchmark partners in different tech initiatives to rollout low-code tools, which the company is clearly committed to as an accelerator of enterprises’ Digital Transformation.
Mobile World Congress was an opportunity to see real applications based on low-code principles, a technology that minimises manual coding in software development and is faster and easier than conventional methods.
At the event, NTT DATA exhibited a self-driving electric racecar, which can be guided automatically on the racetrack based on low-code technology programming.
NTT DATA also showcased its Virtual Reality (VR) NAKA solution at MWC, which provides an immersive experience at commercial events and represents an alternative to having to be physically present at an event. NAKA has already seen great success in the automotive sector, in product launches for real clients.
5G open networks
NTT DATA is one of the state-of-the-art tech partners for large telecommunications companies, due to its committed work in 5G open networks, which are flexible and secure and enable intelligent and programmable networks. In real time, the open concept of these networks facilitates flexible working from different geographic locations and it enables a wide range of tech solutions. These networks support a vast range of different technologies such as extended reality (XR) for comprehensive capabilities, remote hands for complex processes and increased sensor deployment (IoT), as well as allow businesses to analyse enormous volumes of data (Big Data and AI). These new technologies also represent cost savings for companies that use these tools. Other benefits include greater energy efficiency and, therefore, more sustainable operations as well as a more productive and proactive model, always enabled by 5G technology.
At MWC, NTT DATA presented seven solutions, which can be accessed through its virtual space for the event. These solutions are centered on two areas: 5G and operative efficiency.
Sharad Sharma, Head of Networks at NTT DATA UK, commented: “5G dominated the agenda at Mobile World Congress once again, but this year featured a renewed focus on apps. There is a clear market need to streamline the building process for custom build apps and NTT DATA’s ability to build apps with low code technology makes it easier for industries to adopt and leverage private 5G networks to transform their operations.
“We are entering a period of transformation with 5G and now is the time for businesses to embrace the technology, rather than waiting for the perfect app. The cutting-edge solutions we saw on display at MWC 2022 show we are at a turning point, where technological innovation and 5G can bring transformation for both businesses and wider society.”
Cisco
Cisco was also in attendance and announced details on its go-to-market strategy for Cisco Private 5G together with partners, fostering a new wave of productivity for enterprises with mass-scale IoT adoption.
Introduced at Mobile World Congress Barcelona, the foundation of the solution is built on Cisco’s industry-leading mobile core technology and IoT portfolio – spanning IoT sensors and gateways, device management software, as well as monitoring tools and dashboards. Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) technology is a key component of the solution. Cisco is working in close collaboration with ORAN vendors, JMA and Airspan, and is currently in customer trials utilising its technology.
Key differentiators of Cisco Private 5G for enterprises:
- Delivered as-a-Service: Delivered together with global service providers and system integration partners, the offer reduces technical, financial and operational risks for enterprise private 5G networks.
- Complementary to Wi-Fi: Cisco Private 5G integrates with existing enterprise systems, including existing and future Wi-Fi versions – Wi-Fi 5/6/6E, making operations simple.
- Visibility across the network and devices: Using a simple management portal, enterprise IT teams can maintain policy and identity across both Wi-Fi and 5G for simplified operations.
- Pay-as-you-use subscription model: Cisco Private 5G is financially simple to understand. With pay-as-you-use consumption models, customers can save money with no up-front infrastructure costs, and ramp up services as they need.
- Speed time to productivity: Businesses can spare IT staff from having to learn, design and operate a complex, carrier class private network.
Key benefits of Cisco Private 5G for partners:
- Path to profitability for Cisco partners: For its channel partners, Cisco reduces the required time, energy and capital to enable a faster path to profitability.
- Private labelling: Partners can private label/use their own brand and avoid initial capital expenses and lengthy solution development cycles by consuming Cisco Private 5G on a subscription basis. Partners may also enhance Cisco Private 5G with their own value-added solutions.
Cisco also announced advancements to its Internet-of-Things (IoT) portfolio to help its service provider customers offer a simpler way to manage LPWAN/4G/5G IoT connectivity for new and emerging use cases.
Nokia
Nokia showcased the UBT-T XP Dual Band radio, the latest addition to its award-winning Wavence product family, at Mobile World Congress 2022. Designed to support mobile operators and enterprises, the extreme high-power outdoor unit delivers high-capacity and dual-carrier functionality with the best system gain available in an outdoor package. The UBT-T XP supports the low-frequency spectrum bands 6GHz to 11 GHz and is ideal for full outdoor or split-mount configurations. Its exclusive 6/11 dual-band feature provides maximum flexibility for interference mitigation and spectrum efficiency and delivers the highest path performance and capacity in its class. The UBT-T XP is available from Q3 2022.
Nokia’s UBT-T XP unique dual-band solution provides a channel at 6Ghz and a channel at 11Ghz in a single outdoor unit. The UBT-T XP supports multi-frequency carrier aggregation with mixed channel sizes and high modulation schemes that can carry 2.5 Gbps over the air. As part of the UBT-T XP solution, Nokia offers 4+0, 6+0 and 8+0 configurations using the Outdoor Combining Module with Nokia’s high-performance adjacent channels filters, providing the maximum flexibility for frequency selection and spectrum efficiency. The UBT-T XP is also integrated into the Nokia Network Services Platform for common management for full end-to-end management of the network.
Nokia’s comprehensive Wavence portfolio provides a complete microwave solution for all uses cases covering short-haul, long-haul, E-Band and SDN-based management both for service providers and enterprises. Its zero-footprint implementation for full-outdoor architectures can be integrated directly with RAN and IP devices with common management.
Giuseppe Targia, Vice President, Microwave Radio Links at Nokia, said: “This new dual-carrier solution enhances our industry-leading Wavence portfolio, offering our customers an alternative 5G backhaul solution with scalable coverage and capacity. Microwave technology ensures we can deliver high-capacity services over long distances which is critical when fibre can’t be deployed.”
