Report from ABI Research, sponsored by InterDigital, also warns that 5G is not “finished” and has yet to achieve its full potential.

The features and functionality of 5G-Advanced means the technology is primed for enterprise—but only if mobile operators can consider its applications and turn use cases into practical solutions.

This is according to a new report commissioned by InterDigital, Inc., a mobile and video technology research and development company, and written by market research firm ABI Research, which highlights why this latest network generation has not yet realized its potential in unlocking new business opportunities.

Rapid adoption of 5G over the past three years makes it the most quickly adopted cellular generation to date. Efforts in the past four years (2018-2022) have focused on the foundational development of 5G, laying the groundwork for the new cellular generation and enhancing network capacity, speed, and latency. Yet operators have struggled to tap into the enterprise market and to realise the IMT-2020 vision for 5G, which is oriented beyond mobile broadband.

The new report, The State of 5G-Advanced: Empowering New Verticals and Industries, outlines the development of 5G-Advanced and its new features that will see enhancements to existing 5G technology over the next three years (2023-2026). These will be dedicated to the transformational phase of 5G, or 5G-Advanced, and will improve existing specifications, while also introducing new features that aim to optimize network operations and pave the way for innovative enterprise use cases and business models that have not been feasible with earlier generations. These features include:

• Extended Reality (XR), including AR and VR applications, will be enhanced by 5G Advanced’s promise to enable networks to better identify diverse applications and content, and thus discern XR applications and their specific latency and bandwidth requirements. This new feature adds the flexibility of addressing different requirements for myriad applications, like lower latency for multi-user interactions, edge computing, or streaming applications or higher bandwidth for immersive media.
• Sidelink Positioning, a precise positioning technology that facilitates direct communication between devices, and will allow smartphones, wearables, and other gadgets to connect and interact with vehicles. It can also enhance accuracy, energy efficiency, and mapping, particularly for Simultaneous Location and Mapping (SLAM) applications and is vital for precision-intensive tasks like robotics, Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) control, and drone oversight.
• RedCap, or “reduced capacity”, will broaden 5G’s reach to power-limited devices such as smartwatches, Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR) equipment, surveillance cameras, and a variety of IoT devices, catering to both the business and consumer sectors.
• Passive or ambient IoT, which aims to connect sensors and devices to cellular networks without a power source and that could dramatically increase the number of cellular IoT devices and become far more appealing to several enterprise verticals.

“The collective research and innovation efforts of the entire industry have laid an important foundation in 5G, but we must recognise that it’s not ‘finished’ and has yet to achieve its full potential,” said Milind Kulkarni, VP and Head of Wireless Labs, InterDigital.

“New features will be standardized in 5G Advanced and 6G that significantly improve capabilities for operators but importantly, open new opportunities in enterprise verticals.”

Alongside the enterprise opportunity, the report also reveals that 5G-Advanced will be critical for the monetisation of 5G, as well as for improving the energy efficiency of, and integrating automation into, 5G networks.

According to the report, 5G-Advanced will deliver the following features and improvements:

• New use cases which unlock new business opportunities, including extended reality (XR), more sophisticated IoT deployments, and applications that unlock new use cases that were not feasible with foundational 5G or prior generations.
• More efficient and sustainable networks, including developing and commercializing more energy-efficient equipment that enable mobile operators to run greener networks.
• Integration of AI and machine learning, specifically in areas of network management, radio intelligence, predictive maintenance, and enhanced user experiences, which will help pave the way for 6G and fully automated networks.
• Improved coverage and capacity, through the introduction of non-terrestrial type communications, mainly satellite, which increase coverage in remote and rural areas and offer better uplink capabilities to enhance coverage, alongside advanced massive MIMO for increased capacity.

Despite new functionality introduced in 5G-Advanced, the report also warns that the “build it and they will come” philosophy on which operators have traditionally relied will not be successful in the enterprise domain unless they can fully understand and embrace the long tail of enterprise requirements and pain points. 5G-Advanced’s new functionality can help operators address the enterprise domain, but an additional step is necessary for success: understanding how to deploy and how to market these capabilities to enterprise verticals.

“InterDigital has long made significant contributions to wireless development efforts in 3GPP, ETSI, and 6G forums like the Next G Alliance, and will continue to develop technologies that will form the bedrock of new standards that usher in these new features,” InterDigital CTO Rajesh Pankaj added. “We believe the operators will capitalize on these capabilities and drive new applications and use cases that will help us all collectively meet the ambitions set out in IMT-2020 to support the development of other industry sectors.”

The biggest priority for 5G-Advanced is to monetize existing 5G networks beyond the consumer domain and start creating large-scale opportunities in the enterprise space. Operators that have already deployed 5G nationwide are well positioned to provide advanced enterprise functionality using their existing networks, translating into a faster Return on Investment (ROI), new revenue streams, and the opportunity to accelerate their public 5G network rollouts further.

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Berg Insight, the world’s leading IoT market research provider, today released new findings about the market for cellular routers and gateways.

More than 5.6 million cellular routers and gateways were shipped globally during 2022, at a total market value of approximately US$ 1.4 billion. Annual sales grew at fast rate than shipments at a rate of 19 percent, reflecting strong customer demand in a constrained supply environment.

Several vendors reported that customers have built inventories during the last year to mitigate disruptions and delayed deliveries, which has resulted in a slowdown in sales growth in 2023. Even though long-term trends remain intact, cellular router vendors again face a more difficult operating environment in the short-term due to uncertain economic conditions. Until 2027, annual revenues from the sales of cellular routers and gateways are forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12 percent to reach US$ 2.5 billion at the end of the forecast period.

Cellular routers and gateways provide primary or failover cellular connectivity to devices in a local network. The product category has evolved over the past decades from simple networking devices to aggregation points for devices, implementing advanced functionality for security and edge computing. The market is driven by the growing need to connect assets and workforces in remote and temporary locations as enterprises digitalise their operations.

Ericsson-owned Cradlepoint is the clear leader in the space and differentiates itself by selling its routers combined with software and services exclusively through a subscription model. Sierra Wireless, part of Semtech since early 2023, is the runner up and achieved strong sales growth during the year. Other vendors that hold significant market shares are Teltonika Networks, Cisco and Digi International. These five vendors generated US$ 808 million in combined annual revenues from the sales of cellular routers and gateways and hold a market share of 56 percent.

Other important vendors include BEC Technologies, Belden, Casa Systems, Lantronix, MultiTech and Systech in North America; Advantech, Four-Faith, Hongdian, InHand Networks, Peplink and Robustel in Asia-Pacific; and Eurotech, HMS Networks, RAD and Westermo in the EMEA region. The European and Asia Pacific markets are fragmented with a large number of small and medium sized players that generate annual revenues in the range of US$ 5–25 million.

5G routers and gateways now account for close to 10 percent of annual shipments, but a higher share of revenues due to the price premium to 4G LTE devices. While many distributed enterprises are already taking advantage of the fast deployment time and ease of use of cellular solutions, Berg Insight believes that the trend will accelerate in the 5G era. As the cost per GB decreases, 5G connectivity will become an increasingly attractive alternative to fixed broadband and over time reach a level in which the monthly fee is comparable to a fixed broadband subscription, thereby expanding the market for cellular routers, gateways and modems.

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• Proof-of-concept (PoC) trial by Nestlé Brazil showcases 5G’s ability to support demanding, mission-critical applications such as industrial robotics
• Telit Cinterion’s 5G evaluation kit helps manufacturers and systems integrators identify where and how to leverage 5G for factory automation

Telit Cinterion, a global enabler of the intelligent edge, today announced completion of a successful proof-of-concept trial of private 5G for factory automation.

Conducted in partnership with Nestlé Brazil, the trial showcases why and how manufacturers are increasingly making 5G a foundational component of their Industry 4.0 transformation strategies. Many manufacturers are considering or already implementing 5G, including private 5G networks, a global trend that will be worth $109 billion by 2030.

Nestlé conducted the trial at Parque Tecnologico São José dos Campos, a government-sponsored research park where it is one of the resident companies exploring next-generation technologies and business processes. The trial focused on how Nestlé could use 5G to connect autonomous manufacturing robots and automated guided vehicles at their plants like the one in Caçapava, Brazil.

The trial used the Telit Cinterion 5G FT980-WW evaluation kit, which features the FN980 module. Based on the 3GPP Rel. 15 standard, the FN980m supports all major 5G frequency bands, giving private networks maximum deployment flexibility. The Nestlé trial focused on the use of sub-6 GHz spectrum.

“Telit Cinterion has been a partner of Nestlé since we began conducting the first tests using 5G technology at Nestlé’s Innovation and Technology Center (CIT) at the São José dos Campos Technology Park. We are very pleased with this unprecedented joint work, which is so important for the national industry,” explained Gustavo Moura, Digital Transformation Program Manager for Operations at Nestlé Brazil.

Neset Yalcinkaya, SVP Sales Americas at Telit Cinterion, said:

“Nestlé Brazil is one of several recent Latin America 5G factory automation trials that Telit Cinterion has been part of, which shows that manufacturers across the region see 5G as key for ensuring the success of their Industry 4.0 migration.”

“This successful trial also is the latest example of how manufacturers, systems integrators, and others turn to Telit Cinterion for private 5G factory automation and PoC trials.”

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Huawei announced they will launch a complete set of commercial 5.5G network equipment in 2024 at the 5G Advanced Forum during MWC Shanghai 2023.

Huawei’s Director and President of ICT Products & Solutions Yang Chaobin who made the announcement said the company intends for this launch to mark the beginning of the 5.5G era for the ICT industry.

5G deployment progressed rapidly over the past four years and is already yielding significant financial gains. Today, there are more than 260 commercial 5G networks worldwide, serving over 1.2 billion users, and there are already 115 million gigabit F5G users. With service models and content continuously evolving, breakthroughs in technologies like glasses-free 3D are creating unprecedented immersive experiences for users. However, these new services continue to require stronger 5G network capabilities. The industry has widely agreed that 5.5G will be a key milestone in 5G evolution, and that it is fast approaching.

Huawei proposed the concept of a “5.5G Era”, based on an end-to-end solution that integrates comprehensive evolved technologies including 5.5G, F5.5G, and Net5.5G. This solution would protect operators’ previous investment in 5G, while also improving network performance by 10 times. This 5.5G Era would feature 10 gigabit peak downlink speeds and gigabit peak uplink speeds to meet increasingly diverse service requirements. It would also refresh the industry vision by using new technologies like passive IoT to unlock a market of 100 billion IoT connections.

Yang explained:

“With a clearly defined standardization schedule, the 5.5G Era is already poised for technological and commercial verification. In 2024, Huawei will launch a complete set of commercial 5.5G network equipment to be prepared for the commercial deployment of 5.5G. We look forward to working with all industry players to embark on the new journey towards the 5.5G era.”

As an advocate for end-to-end 5.5G solutions, Huawei has been working with multiple players across the industry on R&D and verification of key 5.5G technologies. Significant progress has been made in this verification process, specifically for extremely large antenna array (ELAA) which underpins 10 gigabit downlink, flexible spectrum access which helps realize gigabit uplink, and passive IoT which can enable 100 billion IoT connections. 50G PON is another key technology that can enable 10 gigabit speeds for F5.5G ultra-broadband networks, and is expected to be extensively used in homes, campuses, and productions in the future. Huawei has worked with over 30 operators around the world on technological verification and application pilots for these technologies.

In addition to the development of key technologies for 5.5G wireless and optical access networks, Yang announced that the company has been working on applying AI-native technologies to 5.5G core networks to continuously enhance network capabilities and availability. This would allow AI capabilities to be delivered to the very ends of networks, so that they can better serve numerous industries. Net5.5G promises 10 gigabit access, ultra-broadband transport, and microsecond-level latency over AI networks, allowing it to serve as a next-generation network foundation for industrial digitalization by providing high-quality network access.

The industry is still in its earliest stages of developing a vision for 6G, and only just beginning related research into key technologies. This is why many have turned to 5.5G as their milestone for future development. The 10-fold improvement in network capabilities in the 5.5G Era is set to enable numerous industries to unleash the productivity of digital technology.

MWC Shanghai 2023 runs from June 28 to June 30 in Shanghai, China. Huawei will showcase its products and solutions at stands E10 and E50 in Hall N1 of Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Together with global operators, industry professionals, and opinion leaders, we dive into topics such as speeding up 5G prosperity, striding towards the 5.5G era, and intelligent digital transformation. 5.5G creates new business value in areas like connecting people, Internet of Things (IoT), and Internet of Vehicles (IoV), supporting countless industries as they move towards an intelligent world.

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• Purpose-built for 2 Gbps 5G broadband speed
• Ideal for price-sensitive 5G applications

Sequans Communications S.A., today introduced Taurus 5G NR, the world’s first chipset platform specifically optimized for 5G broadband IoT devices, providing cost-effective support for applications including fixed wireless access, portable hotspots, mobile computing, video surveillance, and high-end industrial IoT.

“With our new Taurus platform, we are addressing the exact needs of the 5G broadband IoT industry,” said Bertrand Debray, EVP, Broadband IoT, Sequans.

“Taurus provides all the capabilities expected for the support of enhanced broadband services, but it is tailored to fit the requirements of today’s most in-demand broadband IoT applications, thus enabling a cost-effective solution for the mass market.”

Taurus 5G NR is built on Sequans’ two decades of experience in cellular modem technology, resulting in a high-performance and cost-effective cellular IoT solution. Taurus is highly integrated, supporting sub 6 GHz (FR1) radio in both standalone and non-standalone 5G NR with 4G LTE fallback. It features a dedicated dual-core application processor with high-speed interfaces, including native Ethernet, to support a wide range of IoT customer applications.

The Taurus portfolio includes chipset and modules, with reference designs for fast time to market and design flexibility.

Taurus 5G NR Main Features:

• 3GPP Release 17
• FR1: 600-7125 MHz
• SA, NSA, and CA for worldwide deployment
• LTE fallback for smooth migration from LTE to 5G
• SoC with dual-core APU for smart edge applications and integrated routers
• High speed interfaces including native Ethernet

Taurus 5G NR Applications:

• Residential fixed wireless access
• Enterprise and private networks
• Portable hotspots
• Mobile computing
• Smart building
• Smart city
• High end industrial IoT

“Initial 5G IoT uses came as no surprise: automotive, and fixed wireless terminals and gateways–namely, high bandwidth applications that can reuse chips originally developed for smartphones,” said Jamie Moss, Research Director, ABI Research.

“But the rest of the IoT needs 5G silicon that has been acutely optimized: simpler, more efficient, more affordable, and not merely cut down or hobbled versions of higher performance chips. Economies of efficiency and effectiveness are intensely resource sensitive, and only fit-for-purpose designs can unlock the mass market potential for 5G in the IoT. Sequans’ Taurus is a 5G chip developed solely for broadband IoT, and with these optimizations as guiding principles. According to ABI Research, annual shipments for broadband IoT modules, containing the chips used in IoT devices, will grow to 217 million units globally by 2027.”

“Taurus 5G is a cutting-edge modem SoC perfectly dimensioned for broadband IoT,” said Debray. “It makes popular 5G broadband IoT devices more affordable, enabling mass deployment.”

Taurus 5G NR will begin sampling in Q4 2023.

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The total number of cellular IoT connections (including NB-IoT and LTE-M) will grow from 1.5 billion at the end of 2022 to 6.1 billion at the end of 2032. However, by 2032 the composition of the market will be rather different from today, being highly dominated by 5G.

In this article we examine how 5G will come to dominate the space, and in so doing demonstrate a key trend in IoT connectivity: a bifurcation between high value and low value use cases.

What is 5G and why is it relevant for IoT?

5G is the Fifth Generation of the technology standards for cellular communications, developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) grouping of standards bodies. The 5G standard was introduced in Release 15 in 2018 and is undergoing further refinements.

In terms of architecture and capabilities, 5G provides some critical additional capabilities that are relevant for IoT, when compared to 4G. These are: enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) which provides increased bandwidth (speeds of up to 10Gbit/s, although realistically it will be around 100-200Mbit/s); massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC) which supports massive IoT deployments of 1 million devices per square kilometre); and Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC), giving theoretical latency of 1ms (but more realistically 10ms) and ultra reliability for applications such as remote surgery, autonomous vehicles, and energy grids.

Within the Transforma Insights forecasts we split 5G between ‘mMTC’ and ‘non-mMTC’. The mMTC category includes NB-IoT and LTE-M and further evolutions focused on low power wide area (LPWA). The non-mMTC is ‘full’ 5G, in the form of 5G New Radio (NR).

5G growth soon outstrips 4G

The total number of 5G (including both 5G mMTC and non-mMTC) connections will grow from 450 million in 2022 to 4.3 billion in 2032, at which point it will account for 84% of all connections. The non-mMTC portion today account for 6% of 5G connections, growing to 24% in 2032 (at which point it will account for 837 million connections). The lion’s share of mMTC connections are today in China.

In 2023, the annual shipments of 5G devices (including both mMTC and non-mMTC) will exceed that of 4G. Considering solely 5G non-mMTC, annual shipments will grow from 9 million in 2022 to 227 million in 2032, during which year it will exceed sales of 4G (178 million).

A major role for mMTC will be to provide a replacement for 2G, the shipments of which will be negligible by 2032, although there will still be 66 million 2G devices operational.

Current and future applications

The earliest ‘full’ 5G deployments in IoT are focussed on private campus networks such as factories, warehouses, hospitals and oil refineries. In the future, 5G will be increasingly used in smart grids, for asset tracking and monitoring, in connected vehicles, white goods, and for building safety and security.

Connected vehicles will be one of the earliest and strongest adopters of 5G since automotive OEMs are always keen to future-proof their products, and demand high bandwidth. In 2032, 46% of non-mMTC 5G connections in 2032 will be connected cars. Other use cases where 5G’s high bandwidth is required include AR/VR, CCTV and consumer electronics.

Split in 5G illustrates a bifurcated IoT connectivity market

5G IoT is split between use cases involving low-cost sensors (e.g. for environmental monitoring or track & trace) which use 5G mMTC, and high value asset control and analytics (such as CCTV or connected cars) which use 5G non-mMTC (i.e. ‘full 5G’). This is illustrative of, and a trigger for, a key trend in cellular-based IoT, which is having a significant impact on market structure.

We increasingly see the provision of connectivity for these two types of use cases being done in different ways. In October 2021 we published a blog post talking about $1 IoT, i.e. connections that might generate less than $1 per year in revenue. This would not include all connections, but certainly is relevant to NB-IoT/LTE-M. In order to better address them, operators need to adopt ‘hyperscale’ approaches to streamlining systems and processes. One example of this is in IoT Connectivity Management Platforms (CMPs). In April 2023 we published a Position Paper discussing some aspects of the CMP space, including the extent to which there are now two main tiers, ‘Thin’ and ‘Thick’, the former being used to address lower functionality devices, with a reduced set of features.

In some cases operators are adopting new approaches to addressing the market which reflect the bifurcation. AT&T, for instance, is now heavily focused on the connected car space, almost the exclusion of all else, a trend that we tracked in our CSP IoT Peer Benchmarking Report. Other operators have started to use different brands to address different parts of the market, for instance with 1NCE and Deutsche Telekom IoT.

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Company plans to grow its constellation from three to ten this year, enhancing its 5G narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) connectivity service based on 3GPP for non-terrestrial networks

OQ Technology, the world’s first and only satellite operator of a 5G NB-IoT constellation, plans to grow its constellation from three to ten satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) this year.

The move will turn the company into the largest 5G NB-IoT satellite operator in the world.

The seven satellites that will be added to the OQ Technology’s constellation, are the previously announced “MACSAT” and “PHI-Demo” satellites and five additional 6U nanosatellites, Tiger-4 to Tiger-8, which the company has already ordered. Concluding the launch of the first batch, all remaining satellite launches are planned for this year with the final ones, pending launch conditions, to possibly going into orbit in early 2024.

With the added satellites, OQ Technology will significantly enhance its 5G NB-IoT non-terrestrial networks (NTN) satellite connectivity service based on 3GPP for non-terrestrial networks (Release 17). The enlarged constellation will increase its global coverage and the satellites’ revisiting times to multiple times per day. As a result, the company’s terminals can send more data, received from mobile sensors, giving customers more of the latest sensor information in real-time. The increased capacity and revisiting times will in particular serve customers in both the energy and asset tracking market.

Omar Qaise, founder and CEO of OQ Technology, said:

“Having pioneered satellite based 5G NB-IoT connectivity and launched our constellation before anybody else did, we are now cementing our position as the leading 5G NB-IoT satellite operator in the world.”

“Being well ahead in the 5G IoT non-terrestrial networks market, we are continuing the expansion of our global coverage, entering new markets and accelerating the build-up of our constellation. The planned launches for this year will conclude our Batch 1 deployment, with Batch 2 already in preparation.”

Three of the satellites, Tiger-4, Tiger-7 and Tiger-8, will be built by Lithuanian mission integrator and bus manufacturer Kongsberg NanoAvionics who also built Tiger-2, Tiger-3, and MACSAT. Tiger-5 and Tiger-6 will be built by satellite manufacturer Space Inventor from Denmark. The 5G NB-IoT payloads will be provided by OQ Technology and integrated into these platforms. OQ Technology will also be responsible for operating the satellite constellation as well as managing the ground network, service, spectrum access and licensing.

“It is thanks to a faster construction of our payload, and our 5G NTN technology being developed in-house that OQ Technology is able to massively and quickly expand its constellation,” Qaise said.

OQ Technology’s 5G NB-IoT connectivity service enables companies to connect their mobile devices for applications such as smart metering, precision agriculture, asset tracking, vehicle telematics, artificial intelligence critical alarms and environmental monitoring. With 85 percent of the world’s surface lacking or having limited access to terrestrial connectivity services, the constellation provides global connectivity in remote regions.

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New network deployments and enterprise momentum expected to spark growth and double 5G connections by 2025.

New figures from GSMA Intelligence show 5G connections are expected to double over the next two years, expedited by technological innovations and new 5G network deployments in more than 30 countries in 2023 alone.

Of the new networks to be deployed in 2023, it is expected that 15 will be 5G Standalone networks.

The forecasts from GSMA Intelligence, announced during MWC Barcelona 2023, point to a significant period of growth in terms of mobile subscribers and enterprise adoption. Consumer connections surpassed one billion at the end of 2022 and will increase to around 1.5 billion this year – before reaching two billion by the end 2025. This momentum confirms 5G as the fastest generational roll-out, when compared to 3G and 4G.

As of January 2023, there were 229 commercial 5G networks globally and over 700 5G smartphone models available to users.

Opening up in emerging markets

Growth will also come from key markets within APAC and LATAM, such as Brazil and India, which have recently launched 5G networks. India will be especially significant, with the expansion of services from Airtel and Jio in 2023 expected to be pivotal to the region’s ongoing adoption. GSMA Intelligence predicts there will be four 5G networks in India by the end of 2025, accounting for 145 million additional users.

Many of the new 5G markets scheduled to launch networks in 2023 are in developing regions across Africa – including Ethiopia and Ghana – and Asia. Today, 5G adoption in the sub-Saharan region sits below 1% but will reach over 4% by 2025 and 16% in 2030, largely thanks to a concerted effort from industry and government organisations to provide connectivity to citizens.

“Until now, 5G adoption has been driven by relatively mature markets and consumer use cases like enhanced mobile broadband, but that’s changing. We’re now entering a second wave for 5G that will see the technology engage a diverse set of new markets and audiences,” said Peter Jarich, Head of GSMA Intelligence.

“The extension to new use cases and markets will challenge the mobile ecosystem to prove that 5G truly is flexible enough to meet these diverse demands in a way that’s both inclusive and innovative.”

The Rise of 5G FWA

As of January 2023, more than 90 fixed broadband service providers (the vast majority of which are mobile operators) had launched commercial 5G-based fixed wireless services across over 48 countries. This means around 40% of 5G commercial mobile launches worldwide currently include an FWA offering.

In the US, T-Mobile added over half a million 5G FWA customers in Q4 2021 and Q1 2022 combined. By 2025, it expects to have eight million FWA subscribers, while Verizon is targeting five million FWA subscribers for the same period. And, with operators such as Jio announcing ambitions to connect as many as 100 million homes across India to its 5G FWA network, the number of FWA users looks likely to grow substantially over the next few years.

While the majority of current 5G FWA deployments focus on the 3.5–3.8 GHz bands, several operators around the world are already using 5G mmWave spectrum as a capacity and performance booster to complement coverage provided by lower bands.

Only 7% of 5G launches have been in 5G mmWave spectrum so far but this looks set to change given 27% of spectrum allocations and 35% of trials are already using 5G mmWave bands. Furthermore, in 2023 alone, the industry will see ten more countries assigned 5G mmWave spectrum for use – a significant increase from the 22 countries who have been assigned it to date. Spain received the first European 5G mmWave spectrum allocation this year, resulting in Telefónica, Ericsson and Qualcomm launching its first commercial 5G mmWave network at MWC Barcelona 2023.

Enterprise IoT Driving Growth

The figures from GSMA Intelligence also suggest that, for operators, the enterprise market will be the main driver of 5G revenue growth over the next decade. Revenues from business customers already represent around 30% of total revenues on average for major operators, with further potential as enterprise digitisation scales. Edge computing and IoT technology presents further opportunities for 5G, with 12% of operators having already launched private wireless solutions – a figure that will grow with a wider range of expected IoT deployments in 2023.

Another major development for the enterprise will be the commercial availability of 5G Advanced in 2025. Focusing on uplink technology, 5G Advanced will improve speed, coverage, mobility and power efficiency – and support a new wave of business opportunities. GSMA’s Network Transformation survey showed half of operators expect to support 5G Advanced commercial networks within two years of its launch. While this is likely optimistic, it presents the ecosystem with a clear opportunity to execute on.

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5G standard is designed to address broad applications beyond smartphone. In first 3 years, 5G had been predominantly applied in smartphones. However, with the commercialization of 3GPP Rel.16 5G modem, 5G adoption in broad IoT applications start to accelerate in 2022.

5G RedCap standard in 3GPP Rel.17 will open up the new industrial 5G use cases, push further market growth after 2024-2025.

5G Standard Roadmap

3GPP published the latest Rel.17 standard in June 2022. 5G modem compatible with 3GPP Rel.17 is expected be commercialized in 2023. The Rel.17 standard will extend IoT use cases as well as extension of mobile broadband. In addition to NR positioning improvement and sidelink (device to device communication) improvement, NTN (non-terrestrial network = satellite communication), 5G RedCap (Reduced Capacity: 20MHz bandwidth) will be added as new features.

The new 3GPP Rel.18 standard will be published in 2Q/2024. For 3GPP Rel.18, existing functions will be added and have functions for xR (AR/VR). In the 5G standard, more emphasis is placed on edge computing, AI/ML-based networks, resource management between base stations, and cooperation between base stations and terminals for low-latency communication and network resource efficiency for IoT use cases.

3GPP Rel.18 to Rel.20 are positioned as 5G-Advanced. Standards after 3GPP Rel.21 are defined as 6G. Based on 3GPP roadmap, 6G devices will be commercialized around 2028-2029.

5G Device Market Forecast

Non-handset 5G device market grows by 157% YoY to 28.8 million units in 2022. 5G device market growth will be accelerated in 2025 with expansion of 5G telematics and industrial IoT use cases.

Among 5G applications, cellular tablet and broadband CPE are earlier in supporting 5G. By 2022, 37% of cellular tablet, 34% of cellular CPE support 5G respectively. 5G tablet and 5G CPE accounts about 80% share in non-handset 5G device market in 2022.

In 2022, 5G CPE market has grown rapidly, not only replacing LTE CPE but also acquiring fiber broadband subscribers in North America, Japan and Middle East.. After 2023-2024, the 5G FWA market is expected to expand in Europe and emerging markets followed by the 5G network expansion and decline in 5G CPE device price.

Industrial 5G/ private 5G deployment is slow, though several private 5G project will shift from trial to commercial service, larger scale deployments in 2023. 5G telematics market start picking up in China in 2022, though wider deployments will start in 2024-2025.

For industrial 5G, one of the challenges is that it is difficult for economies of scale to work, especially in the module and IC business. Industrial 5G use cases such as factory automation, remote robot control, AI robotics, realtime video streaming… have small volume scales, making it difficult to reduce hardware cost. Especially when using a dedicated frequency band for local 5G services, the cost becomes a bigger.

For automotive telematics, 5G has been adopted in the Chinese market in 2021 ahead of other countries. Outside of China, 5G telematics will be commercialized in Europe: 2023, North America: 2024, and APAC: 2024-2025. The share of 5G is expected to start increasing in 2025-2025 and reach 33% in 2027. The demand for V2X, drive assistance, and autonomous driving become the trigger of 5G adoption in vehicles.

5G RedCap standard with reduced performance and cost will accelerate 5G adoption in industrial and wearable, which does not require broadband connectivity or lower power consumption. The first 5G RedCap chipset will be commercialized in 2023, and mass-production will begin in 2024. China will take 2-3 years ahead in 5G RedCap deployments. The Chinese government will promote 5G RedCap, and it is expected to be adopted for smart electric meters, industrial automation, and so on. In rest of world, the adoption of 5G RedCap is likely to start up around 2027.

Early applications of 5G RedCap include electric power utilities, IP camera (including drone, factory automation), industrial IoT (AR glass, AGV, monitoring camera, remote robot control…) and so on. Consumer wearable is expected to adopt 5G RedCap after 2026.

The challenges of 5G RedCap are the module cost and network infrastructure. Mobile operators need to invest their 5G network to support 5G RedCap, therefore it will take a few years for mobile operators to extend 5G RedCap network in wide area. For module cost, 5G RedCap chipset cost is expected to be over double compared with current LTE Cat.4 chipset in the beginning. Industry expects that Chinese mobile operators subsidize 5G RedCap module to narrower the gap between the costs of LTE Cat.4 module.

Millimeter Wave (mmWave) 5G market is very small so far. It is estimated to reach 0.9M units in 2021 and 1.7M units in 2022. In 2022, the market grew due to the increase in mmWave 5G for tablets (iPad). Excluding tablets, the market size only increased slightly to 0.4M units in 2021 and 0.5M units in 2022.

Although mmWave 5G frequencies have been allocated in an increasing number of countries, investment to the network has not progressed and the available area is limited.

Private 5G (used in indoor, or local area) and fixed wireless access (FWA) are likely to be the applications which take advantage of the features of mmWave 5G. However, mmWave 5G FWA typically requires the use of outdoor antenna units to receive signals from base stations, which hinders its widespread use especially for home broadband. Private 5G has a small business scale and does not contribute to market expansion.

5G Chipset Competition

The cost of 5G chipset is one of fundamental challenges in wider 5G adoption globally. Currently, only three companies, Qualcomm, MediaTek and UNISOC provides 5G chipset in non-handset market. More chip suppliers are expected to enter the 5G modem chip market in 2023-2024.

In 2022, Qualcomm takes dominant position in non-handset 5G modem market with over 80% market share. MediaTek focuses more on mobile router, CPE, and cellular notebook PC market, with early success in 5G CPE market. UNISOC develops low-end 5G chipset and got some design in 5G devices for China and emerging countries.

5G slim modem chipset prices vary by applications, the range is from around $65 to $25 as of 2022.. Because of the semiconductor material cost increase and inflation, chipset price will not decrease significantly in 2023. From 2024 onwards, market expansion and competition are expected to lead to price declines, especially in the mid-end and low-end segment.

Non-Handset 5g Modem Roadmap

Qualcomm and MediaTek are currently commercializing 5G chipsets for the high end and mid end. UNISOC is commercializing low end 5G chipset with low communication speed. UNISOC 5G chipset has been adopted in China and emerging markets.

All 5G chipsets after 2021 are 3GPP Rel.16 compliant.. 3GPP Rel.17 5G chipset is expected to be commercialized in 2023.

Qualcomm and MediaTek commercializes 5G chipsets optimized for specific application. In addition to slim modem (x55, x62/65) for module, Qualcomm has developed smartphone chipset for smart module and tablet, and has commercialized module (315) for industrial IoT, 5G chip (SA515) for automotive. Qualcomm’s new chipset (x72/75) is a SoC optimized for CPE and mobile router. MediaTek introduces SoC for MBB/CPE (T750, T830), for automotive (MT2735), and T900/1300 for tablet.

5G chip suppliers are expected to increase in number in 2023. GCT Semiconductor, ASR, Sanechips, Cygnus, and TD-Tech are likely to commercialize new 5G chipsets. Also, Sequans may commercialize a 5G chipset in 2023-2024.

For 5G modem ICs, there is a tendency to use cutting-edge process technology for lower power consumption and better performance.. Qualcomm and MediaTek 5G chipset in 2021-2022 employs 4/5nm process. On the other hand, smaller IC suppliers choose lower-cost 7/8nm and 12nm process.

5G RedCap Chipset

The schedule for 5G RedCap chipset is anticipated as follows: sample shipment in 1H/2023, chipset mass production in 2H/2023, and module and equipment are expected to appear in 2024.

Currently confirmed 5G RedCap chipset suppliers and schedules are as follows:

• 2H/2023: TD-Tech, Qualcomm (x35)
• 2024: UNISOC, ASR Microelectronics, MediaTek?
• 2025-2026 (?): Sanechips, Cygnus, C-Mind, Eigencomm, Xinyi
• 2026-2027: Sony Semiconductor, Sequans

Excluding Qualcomm, Chinese IC manufacturers are expected to take the lead in 5G RedCap chip development. TD-Tech is the earliest, followed by UNISOC and ASR. In addition, Sanechips, Cygnus, C-Mind, Eigencomm, Xinyi and others may commercialize 5G RedCap chips after 2025. MediaTek is also considering commercializing 5G RedCap. There are challenges in terms of funds, human resources and LTE, 5G IP assets for the 5G RedCap chip development by startup companies.

Among Western chipset makers other than Qualcomm, Sony Semiconductor and Sequans are planning to develop 5G RedCap chip. However, the schedule is not firm yet as 5G RedCap commercialization schedule is not clear in markets other than China.

5G RedCap chipset is initially expected to be dual mode with LTE Cat.4. The baseband logic size is expected to be the similar as LTE Cat.4, but the RF circuit is increased compared to LTE.

The post 5G IoT Device Market Outlook, Chipset trend appeared first on IoT Business News.

Quectel Wireless Solutions, a global IoT solutions provider, has launched three new combo antennas to help IoT solution designers and developers optimize device performance.

• YEMN016AA – a very low profile 5-in-1, 5G and GNSS screw mount antenna
• YEMN017AA – a 5-in-1 puck antenna that offers multiple mounting options
• YEMA013AA – a 9-in-1 adhesive mount flat, rectangular combo antenna.

Each new combo antenna has been designed to offer maximized choice and performance for IoT deployments so customers can ensure their devices can access the connectivity they need across a variety of wireless technologies.

“We’re delighted to launch the Quectel YEMN016AA, YEMN017AA and the YEMA013AA to bring new functionality and performance to the combo antenna market,” said Colin Newman, Director of Antenna Business Development, Quectel Wireless Solutions.

“To accelerate time-to-market and simplify product design, organizations need high-performance, easy, versatile mounting antenna boxes that provide maximized choice in terms of connectivity access and design flexibility. These new products offer this with the additional benefits of being backed by Quectel’s unparalleled support in design, customization, testing and manufacturing.”

The YEMN016AA 5G screw mount low profile antenna box measures 204 x 86.6 x 31mm, making it ideal for space constrained situations in which a low-profile antenna is needed. The combo antenna has been optimized for 5G and 4G networks with 4 x 4 5G/4G MIMO and GNSS L1 and L5, offering high-performance cellular and satellite capabilities.

The ultra-wide-band 5G/4G antenna provides broad coverage from 600-6,000MHz and is backward-compatible to support 3G and 2G networks at Cat-M and NB-IoT. The antenna is designed to work with various GND plane sizes or in free space for ease of integration with connection options from 300-5000mm, terminated with SMA connectors.

This screw mount omnidirectional antenna is easy to install with maximum durability with its IP69 KIBILAC® ASA enclosure featuring IK09 impact protection. The antenna is compatible with Quectel’s RM520x Series modules. Quectel also provides comprehensive antenna design support such as simulation, testing and manufacturing for custom antenna solutions to meet customers’ specific application needs.

The Quectel YEMN017AA has been designed to deliver superior performance and can be widely used for wireless applications. The 5-in-1 combo antenna features functions including two LMH and two MH cellular antennas and one GNSS L1/L5 antenna, to provide high performance, excellent efficiency, and flexibility. The YEMN017AA can be screw, surface or pole mounted to provide the widest array of deployment options. In common with YEMN016AA, the YEMN017AA also offers an IP69 KIBILAC® ASA enclosure, again with IK09 impact protection, and is supported by Quectel’s comprehensive range of antenna services.

Both the YEMN016AA and the YEMN017AA are being used for applications in intelligent transportation, such as autonomous driving, for smart security in cameras with motions sensors, in the industrial sector for heavy equipment telematics and for first responders.

The Quectel YEMA013AA is a 5G adhesive mount antenna that is optimized for 5G and 4G networks. It offers 8×8 5G/4G MIMO and GNSS L1 and L5 antennas in compact form factor of 264.6 x 157.6 x 30.5mm. The antenna is utilized for passenger transport applications in the bus, rail, and air industries, in the automotive sector for heavy equipment and vehicle tracking and telematics, in remote asset and pipeline monitoring, and for first responder and emergency services. The YEMA013AA is particularly well-suited for customers using industry routers and supports a wide range of applications in IoT or M2M and use cases involving HD video over LTE.

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Sateliot to provide satellite 5G NB-IoT connectivity to 400,000 5G devices to be deployed by Streamline at the end of 2023, improving livestock management in out-of-coverage areas.

Traditional livestock management through cellular IoT ear tag devices has been able to predict and control the spread of contagious diseases, like Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), and to track animals’ locations, preventing cattle theft and increasing both farmer and livestock safety.

Nevertheless, this way of livestock management is inaccessible to most farmers worldwide because most of the land has no cellphone coverage, and proprietary network protocols make the purchase and maintenance of 5G devices out of reach for many of them.

When coverage is not limited and maintenance costs are low, possibilities expand enormously.

Sateliot, the first satellite constellation offering 5G standard connectivity from space, and Streamline, the leading company in livestock management, are joining forces to solve these hurdles, improving livestock management services to farmers worldwide.

In 2023, South African company Streamline will deploy 400,000 cellular 5G NB-IoT livestock devices capable of connecting seamlessly to both cellular towers and Sateliot’s constellation. Streamline’s goal for the coming years is to reach a landmark of 7 million devices worldwide; in 2019, this number was only 40,000.

Streamline accounts for 7.95 million livestock in the South African market. Their expertise in livestock management devices has relied traditionally on conventional cellular connectivity. However, Sateliot’s Non-Terrestrial Networks act as cell towers in space, giving Streamline’s 5G NB-IoT devices the ability to work in uncovered areas. Sateliot’s solution is more efficient and affordable for both Streamline and the final user than proprietary solutions from a legacy satellite carrier.

Furthermore, with no need for cell phone coverage and low device-to-satellite transmission costs, starting from less than 1 USD per device per month, Streamline’s service, supported by Sateliot, facilitates expansive growth and grants the ability to operate in uncovered areas, giving more flexibility to farmers.

Jaume Sanpera, CEO of Sateliot, commented:

“Streamline has a state-of-the-art product, the ear tag Model STR-TG103/4, giving farmers certainty to have cattle under good condition. Nevertheless, farmers need coverage that only we can provide, using our 5G-NB IoT satellite constellation to provide support and coverage to broader areas and even larger farms without a terrestrial network. This proves the IoT market is showing unstoppable growth, and is accelerating much faster than any other tech industry.”

Supported by AWS

Due to the scale of the project and the need for collaborative projects between multiple ecosystem players, the virtual core of Sateliot and Streamline’s service is built by AWS, the leading cloud service provider.

The post Scientists Plan to Stop Livestock Diseases and Cattle Theft with 7 Million 5G-IoT Devices Connected to Satellite Constellation appeared first on IoT Business News.

“5G standards will help LEO satellite providers to co-operate effectively with telecoms operators and to create new commercial opportunities based on secure satellite/terrestrial networks.”

Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations (which orbit at an altitude of between 160 and 2000 kilometres above the earth) are potentially an attractive solution for expanding 5G connectivity to isolated, underserved and remote geographies where terrestrial coverage is absent.

The number of LEO satellite communication propositions in the telecoms market is increasing, which is leading to a growing need for more interaction between open and standardised ecosystems on both sides, such as SAT 5G (a European Union-backed 5GPPP project) and Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF). This will help telecoms operators and LEO satellite providers to integrate their services more effectively and flexibly, to create a secure, heterogeneous satellite and terrestrial 5G network. Working within ecosystems that support standard-based frameworks will also help operators to address the greater complexity of these network systems.

The number of projects to extend 5G connectivity via LEO satellites is increasing, and ecosystems and standardisation are a growing focus

Until recently, all cellular networks were confined to the earth, but non-terrestrial networks (NTN) provide significant potential for expanding coverage. This is particularly beneficial for the development of global 5G connectivity and for fulfilling a wide range of emerging enterprise-class 5G use cases. The latest 5G specification (Release 17) from the 3rd Generation Partnership (3GPP) includes, for the first time, support for satellite-based NTNs. In the past, 5G standards had fallen short of supporting the integration of satellite and terrestrial networks because 3GPP’s remit was not, at least initially, to integrate key technical enablers beyond the 5G network (such as edge computing or AI) as an inherent part of the architecture.

However, that has changed, and full interoperability between satellite and telecoms network control systems will be a necessary first step towards the more-expansive goal of full satellite support for 5G. Progress towards these goals will be accelerated if stakeholders on both sides come together and co-operate in ecosystems based on agreed standards.

The EU-funded project, Satellite and Terrestrial Network for 5G (SaT5G), is a key example of an ecosystem that is supporting the development of a standardised and integrated 5G and satcom network architecture. SaT5G will support the development of key 5G technologies by utilising satellite capabilities such as virtualised network function (VNF) delivery, in addition to its established collaborations with key industry partners.¹ Luxembourg-based LEO satellite provider SES S.A. is a participant in SaT5G, and in September 2022 it announced that it was committed to building a European LEO satellite constellation, funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as establishing an ecosystem to create Europe’s first space-based quantum key distribution satellite system, EAGLE-1. This project is due to launch in 2024 and aims to create a highly secure, satellite-based connectivity system for the EU.

The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), which has defined over 80 Carrier Ethernet standards to support digital transformations, is at the centre of a significant ecosystem initiative for LEO satellite providers. This is because MEF helps to facilitate the interoperability of satellite and terrestrial networks (see Figure 1) at the orchestration level, as well as establishing important standards that are required to support 5G technology. LEO satellite providers such as Intelsat, SES, Telesat and OneWeb have all become participants in the MEF ecosystem.

Partnerships between LEO satellite providers and operators are important for exploring new and emerging NTN use cases

Alliances between satellite providers and telecoms operators help to bridge the connectivity gaps faced by mobile subscribers in out-of-coverage zones. The recent wave of new partnerships between major telecoms operators and active LEO satellite players, as reported in Analysys Mason’s Low-Earth orbit satellite tracker, points to the importance of such alliances for the development and launch of emerging NTN use cases, including satellite-to-device propositions and expanding IoT services. These partnerships can expand the satellite business model, while reducing the threat that satcom players may pose to telecoms operators if they directly compete for the same broadband customer base. Recent examples of partnerships between LEO satellite providers and telecoms operators include the following.

• Starlink and T-Mobile. In August 2022, T-Mobile US and Starlink announced a technology partnership to develop a direct satellite-to device proposition, which is expected to launch by 2024. Satellite-to-device is believed to be one of the largest opportunities in satcom’s history, with the market forecast to generate over USD60 billion in revenue over the next 10 years.³ Starlink will face competition from other LEO satellite providers in the market, including Lynk Global, which announced in September 2022 that it was testing the first 5G base station in space to provide a 5G signal to a standard mobile device.

• Omnispace and Smart (PLDT). In August 2022, US-based Omnispace announced its collaboration with the Philippines’ mobile operator Smart (a subsidiary of PLDT) to explore interoperability between Smart’s 5G network and Omnispace’s LEO satellites, using 3GPP-compliant 5G NTN standards. This came after Omnispace launched its LEO satellite, Spark-2, in April 2022. This collaboration creates an important opportunity to enable 5G connectivity in rural areas, in addition to using IoT devices for expanding network coverage for disaster relief in the Philippines.

• Sateliot and Telefónica. In July 2022, Telefónica Spain announced a partnership with Sateliot to integrate 5G LEO satellite connectivity with Telefónica Tech’s 3GPP standardised NB-IoT network called Kite. This will offer extended IoT connectivity for Telefónica’s customers in remote areas and will therefore benefit a range of businesses in the agriculture, shipping and wind farm sectors.

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The latest iteration of the 3GPP standards for mobile communications, Release 17, includes a new variant of 5G aimed specifically at IoT.

It’s defined as ‘5G Reduced Capability NR’ (or RedCap for short), or sometimes ‘NR-Light’. It’s an interesting evolution, to try to create a lower complexity 5G New Radio device, with the intent of doing for 5G NR what LTE-M and NB-IoT did for LTE. However, with this iteration, and likely for at least a decade to come, it is highly unlikely to have a significant impact on the connectivity technology market landscape. In July 2022 Transforma Insights published a report entitled ‘What is 5G RedCap and how does it fit into the portfolio of cellular IoT connectivity technologies?’ which explained exactly why.

5G RedCap promises to be the 5G New Radio equivalent of the mMTC technologies NB-IoT and LTE-M, delivering on three aims. The first was to reduce the complexity of the devices and therefore the cost. At hundreds of dollars per module, 5G is completely out of reach of all but a very few IoT use cases. That compares to typically USD10-40 for LTE devices, depending on category, and around USD5 for NB-IoT. 5G RedCap has been somewhat successful here, recording a price reduction of perhaps 80%. The second aim was to reduce power consumption. To fill a useful niche RedCap needs to be capable of running of a battery. Reports are that power savings of over 90% are possible. The third aim was to maintain data speeds of at least those of LTE Cat-1. With speed of 85Mbit/s it comfortably does that.

None of these capabilities really opens up a significant part of the market. What is noticeable for anyone looking closely at IoT use cases, as we do in our highly granular IoT Forecasts, is that IoT applications bifurcate, with some requiring high data rates (e.g. CCTV or connected car) and the remainder, accounting for the vast majority of use cases, needing low cost and often battery power. To put it into the terminology of 5G: IoT applications either need eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband) or mMTC (massive Machine Type Communications), but rarely both. And today almost nothing demands URLLC (Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication), certainly not large scale mass-market applications. While there is ‘clear blue water’ between the capabilities of 5G RedCap and other technologies, that doesn’t mean there is a big opportunity there. The question is: is there demand for a mid-range technology? Our analysis suggests not. 5G Redcap ‘falls between two stools’ with middling capabilities that are not optimised for anything.

Furthermore, it’s worth noting that 5G RedCap’s main challenger is LTE Cat 4 which is both faster and cheaper, albeit that RedCap supports lower latency and a greater set of frequency bands. Fast and cheap trumps both of those capabilities, by a long way. And on the question of cost, it falls short of NB-IoT and LTE-M, by an order of magnitude.

There is a logic to adding a lower complexity variant of 5G NR at a more cost-effective price-point, with low power consumption and superior bandwidth and latency. Ultimately, and we’re talking more than 10 years, there will be a need to support low power devices on 5G NR RAN. But for the next decade battery powered cellular IoT will be dominated by NB-IoT and LTE-M. We should note that Release 18 promises some further refinements, but they will need to be very significant to come close to the existing mMTC technologies. We expect something rather more incremental.

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MNTD. the crypto-hardware company providing consumers with easy-to-use crypto-mining devices, has unveiled an industry-first everything-in-one 5G Helium hotspot.

The MNTD. 5G Hotspot combines multiple solutions in one device, eliminating the need for a complex setup and added cost of buying and combining multiple solutions from different vendors. The 5G device is designed to be future-proof and ready-to-use with upcoming Helium networks, such as WiFi6.

“Designing a product for non-technical crypto users is not easy—it takes time to get it right,” says RAKwireless CEO Ken Yu.

“We are thrilled to announce the next evolution of 5G devices. We have successfully built a device that enables a spectrum of wireless connectivity options—spanning 5G, WiFi6, 4G/LTE, and LoRa.”

By hosting a MNTD. 5G hotspot, consumers help build 5G cellular coverage and are rewarded in cryptocurrency tokens. It mines only $HNT today. When HIP 51 is deployed, it will mine $MOBILE and $IOT tokens as well.

To maintain hardware simplicity and a clean look, the device uses a single cable to power the hotspot and connect to the network. The built-in USB-C port provides consumers flexible options for extensions, such as connecting to external outdoor radios.

The MNTD. 5G Hotspot is also powered by Qualcomm FSM10056, the industry’s pioneering 5G chipset for CBRS small cells, only released at the end of 2021. While most manufacturers currently base their devices on the traditional x86 hardware platform, MNTD. moved its hardware to the ARM platform allowing it to use less power and cut unnecessary costs. MNTD. is the first manufacturer in the Helium network to make this move.

The MNTD. 5G Hotspot will be available in Q4 2022.

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Sierra Wireless AirLink® XR80 5G router integrated into new EarthCam solution enabling advanced live-streaming, safety and security analytic applications.

Sierra Wireless, a world leading IoT solutions provider, today announced that EarthCam, a leading provider of webcam content, technology and services, has selected Sierra Wireless’ AirLink® XR80 5G router for their world-first multi-network 5G camera system, the StreamCam 5G.

World’s First Multi-Network 5G Camera System

Sierra Wireless’ AirLink® XR80 5G provides EarthCam’s StreamCam 5G with the fast, ultra-low latency and reliable 5G connectivity needed to send an almost unlimited amount of visual data from high resolution live-streaming cameras, easily allowing users to keep up to date on the progress of a project, or share their location with vastly improved file transfer times. Large amounts of data from environmental, safety and security sensors can be quickly accessed, and the camera also features AI capabilities. First announced in October of 2020, EarthCam’s 5G multi-network camera system offers 4K streaming, 12-megapixel photography and built-in time-lapse capabilities.

“Sierra Wireless is an excellent partner, supporting EarthCam as we pioneer next-generation live-streaming cameras,” said Brian Cury, CEO and Founder of EarthCam.

“5G is the future of webcam technology and it is becoming indispensable as clients require increasingly high quality video data, accessible from anywhere.”

“Our collaboration with Sierra Wireless delivers efficient and powerful new solutions for entertainment, construction safety and AI analytics. With 5G and Sierra Wireless’ AirLink® XR80 router, we’re able to drastically cut file-transfer times for a full day of recordings from two hours to five minutes.”

Sierra Wireless’ AirLink® routers including the XR80 5G and the RV55 LTE-A Pro, are essential for EarthCam’s all-weather cameras for multi-year project documentation, such as time-lapse videos of the NFL’s largest stadium, Los Angeles SoFi, Denver International Airport and the rebuilding of the World Trade Center Site in Manhattan. “EarthCam systems are renowned for reliable operation for many years in the field, plus easy configuration, deployment and management,” continued Mr. Cury. “Sierra Wireless’ industrial grade, reliable wireless devices are an important component of these industry-leading solutions.”

“The Sierra Wireless AirLink® XR80 5G router is purpose-built to maximize connectivity, reliability, and security for both mission-critical and business-critical applications,” said Tom Mueller, Vice President, Product Management, Sierra Wireless. “It delivers consistent primary and backup connectivity for both public and private networks ensuring that connectivity is “always-on”, making it ideal for EarthCam’s 5G implementation. Its seamless global connectivity enables users to easily monitor jobsites remotely in real-time and is an integral part of the EarthCam solution. The router provides the secure and reliable network connection to stream live video from EarthCam’s cameras to the cloud, enabling new applications and increased capabilities.”

Sierra Wireless AirLink® XR80 5G High-Performance Multi-Network Router

Purpose built for mission-critical environments and high performance business-critical 5G applications, the XR Series routers, which includes the AirLink® XR80 5G, improve the performance and reliability of video streaming, video offload, voice communications and other data-intensive and time-sensitive use cases by ensuring that the router connects to the best-performing network, at the right time. This is achieved through AirLink OS, which features Cognitive Wireless, Sierra Wireless’ patented technology that automatically delivers sub-second switching to the best available network.

The AirLink® XR Series was designed for operational simplicity, from initial set up and configuration, with zero-touch out of the box provisioning, to ongoing management. Part of the 5G solution portfolio that includes management software and reporting systems, 24×7 support, routers, antennas, and accessories, the XR80 5G is managed by the AirLink Management System (ALMS), a cloud-based management platform which includes remote device management and mobility-focused reporting through AirLink Complete. Additionally, an embedded LPWA cellular radio, connected through Sierra Wireless Global Connectivity, provides an always-on out-of-band management link to ALMS. This unique capability provides zero touch provisioning and a link of last resort from the router to its management platform, to ensure the ongoing operational success of these 5G deployments.

How 5G is Supercharging Visual Data for Monitoring, Documentation and Promotion

The combination of low latency and high data throughput provided by 5G has increased the capabilities of project documentation and public outreach, enabling large networks of cameras to stream ultra-high definition video in real-time, and provide vast amounts of bandwidth making 4G wireless congestion a concern of the past. This and its ability to enable advanced analytical capabilities will have a major impact on virtual tourism, smart cities, transportation networks, and commercial environments, offering improved safety, security and documentation.

Availability

EarthCam offers 5G as an option throughout their entire product line. Both the AirLink® XR80 5G and RV55 LTE-A Pro routers are available to order from Sierra Wireless’ global network of partners.

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What is non-cellular 5G?

I suppose most readers are familiar with the cellular generations’ acronyms 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G. These label generations of cellular technology that have been defined by the cellular community and approved by ITU-R as part of each generation. Cellular technologies in generations 2G-5G have mainly been an evolution of requirements for mobile phone driven use cases.

IoT has been recognized as a new growing opportunity and thus ITU-R defined requirements to be met with the 5G family of standards for this domain. More specifically, the requirement is to support 1 million IoT nodes within one square kilometer. ETSI DECT2020 NR – wireless mesh approach did meet these criteria easily. Hence, ITU-R approved the first non-cellular technology to be included in the 5G – ETSI DECT2020 NR.

When discussing 5G, some may expect full interoperability between cellular and non-cellular technology. It is paramount to understand that also 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G are not interoperable at the radio interface. Every time a significant step is taken forward, compatibility is sacrificed to make a big impact. Different cellular radio access generations are supported in the backend and these different generations are implemented in the same mobile phone handheld. Interoperability is achieved by using earlier generations as a fall-back both in the cellular operator backend and the handheld.

Similarly, the first non-cellular 5G is a significant disruption. Cellular and non-cellular 5G radio interfaces are not interoperable. Instead, they both could be implemented in the same unit and the data is relayed on the application layer from one network to another and/or combined in the backend. Examples of this could be the cases where data is collected into the backend via cellular 5G and non-cellular 5G radio networks. Another example of co-use is when the non-cellular 5G traffic is routed from a gateway to the backend via a 5G cellular network.

ITU-R took a great decision to adopt this disruptive wireless mesh technology as part of the 5G. It is important to understand that each technology within 5G family has a clear role and benefits. These technologies are not interoperable at the radio access layer. They enable different use cases. Having a wireless mesh network part of 5G is the biggest new differentiating factor in 5G… In my opinion.

Why non-cellular 5G IoT?

While it is entirely possible to connect IoT devices on a limited scale and relay data via mobile operators’ 5G cellular data connectivity, the non-cellular 5G offers many new opportunities such as the massive capacity, flexible coverage, and density of nodes. The cellular 5G has challenges in the IoT domain. Jussi Numminen talks more widely about these – see blog: Wirepas. In short, the challenges that are already raised with cellular-based IoT solutions are :

• Cellular 5G requires a lot of infrastructure, tower sites, and antennas, physical SIMs, and equipment.
• Subscription is required to operate and cellular 5G was built for mobile phones and consumer use cases.

Non-cellular 5G IoT is a wireless mesh network, where the network is extended per each added IoT node. One could even imagine that each node is a “local base station”. These nodes are making independent decisions to either just join the mesh network or to extend the network by routing also other nodes’ traffic. This removes the need for network planning and the demand for a party to manage the network.

The final point I wish to add here is the data ownership. When a cellular operator builds the infrastructure and operates the network, it means that you have to trust all your data to pass within the operator network. This can be avoided with the non-cellular 5G. Mesh network is autonomously managed and you can own and control who has access to your data. There are no middlemen in between. While this is not relevant in all the use cases, there is an increasing number of cases, where the data is sensitive and it needs to stay in a closed, private data network and “not leave the building”. Recent global crises have put more weight on this type of consideration in strategic sensor locations such as electrical power stations.

5G IoT Radio

The radio technology for the 5G IoT (DECT2020 NR) is a mesh radio and I would claim that in this domain the only mesh network with a modern radio link technology! In my past working history within wireless, I’ve seen similar radio link technology modernization steps already taken both in the cellular and the Wi-Fi domains. It is time to bring wireless mesh radio technology to the same level. While Bluetooth and sub-gigahertz technologies mostly operate on a cellular technology equivalent of 2G, the 5G IoT is built with the technologies adopted already in cellular for the 4G and 5G. The non-cellular 5G adopts the innovations proven within the cellular (and Wi-Fi) domain, such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Modulation) and HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest).

What is then the impact of adopting these latest technologies? The following picture shows a quick overview of the 5G IoT radio performance against the sub-gigahertz and 2.4 Bluetooth radio. In short, 5G IoT radio combines the best features of both sub-gigahertz and Bluetooth radios. 5G IoT radio can reach comparable distances with sub gigahertz but with 10x data rates. When compared with the 2.4GHz, with adaptive modulation and coding, it is possible to either enjoy double the range with the same data rate or triple the range with the same data rate as 2.4 GHz! With the capability to adjust dynamically data rate, as well as transmit power, the link performance improvements can be turned to reduce the power consumption when the full data rate or link distance is not needed.

The final advantage over the other existing mesh services is the technology-specific dedicated frequency band for DECT2020 NR. Technology-specific frequencies provide the best capacity for operation and our system can operate without duty cycle limitations. Furthermore, 5G approval has enabled an even wider range of frequencies that can be used, as the demand increases and the chipsets evolve forward.

Summary

To summarize, I predict that 5G IoT will be driven and ultimately defined by the new non-cellular 5G part rather than incremental improvements on the cellular side. The non-cellular 5G is a new, disruptive, and powerful wireless mesh networking solution based on the ETSI DECT2020 NR standard. This will enable totally new use cases to emerge and enable more nodes connected far beyond cellular technology capability. The 5G label means it is part of the global 5G family and proven by the industry community to meet the agreed set of requirements for the massive density of IoT devices. It has a dedicated frequency band to operate without duty-cycle limitations and interference. The non-cellular 5G IoT provides new opportunities to manage your own data economically. The mesh technology makes every node a base station to extend coverage.

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The partnership will connect tens of millions of Internet of Things devices across North America.

Ligado Networks today announced a partnership with Sony Semiconductor Israel (hereafter “Sony”) to develop chipsets for Ligado’s 5G mobile satellite network for the Internet of Things (IoT), marking a significant milestone for deploying advanced connectivity services across North America.

Ligado’s 3GPP standards-based 5G satellite IoT network will support tens of millions of mobile devices powering critical machine-to-machine communications in the transportation, agriculture, utilities, and energy sectors. The partnership with Sony brings Ligado one step closer to providing standalone satellite and combined satellite and terrestrial connections to enterprise customers.

“As a leader in developing IoT standards for mobile satellite networks, we are excited to work with Sony to advance new capabilities and serve the growing market for 5G mobile satellite connectivity anywhere in the U.S. and across North America,” said Sachin Chhibber, Ligado Chief Technology Officer. “This satellite capability will also support our 5G mobile private network solution by enabling ubiquitous coverage and reliability, which are essential for critical infrastructure enterprises as they modernize operations.”

“We are excited to support Ligado’s 5G mobile satellite network,” said Dima Feldman, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Sony Semiconductor Israel.

“The addition of satellite connectivity to our market-leading 5G IoT chipsets improves utility for critical communications customers and expands our market reach.”

As a leading provider of cellular IoT chipsets, Sony will build on extensive design efforts and standards coordination to adapt 5G IoT technology and manufacture IoT chipsets that are compatible with Ligado’s L-band MSS spectrum, which 3GPP has standardized as Band 255 for Non-Terrestrial Networks. Ligado plans to deploy a 5G satellite IoT network to support mainstream devices using low-cost chipsets for both satellite and terrestrial connectivity. The satellite offering adds extended coverage and network redundancy to the company’s planned 5G mobile private network solution, enabling always-on connectivity and coverage across an enterprise’s entire footprint.

With the 22-meter reflector-based antenna of Ligado’s SkyTerra 1 satellite, the network will support real-time communication to the small modules and devices used for innovative applications like wide-area vehicle diagnostics, environmental monitoring, smart metering, and critical messaging anywhere in North America.

Ligado and Sony indicated the work would be completed in several phases, with the goal of conducting initial technology trials by the end of the year.

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Speed, security and robust design of the Cinterion MV32, combined with Thales flexible connectivity management enables manufacturers to quickly harness the full potential of 5G in their electronic devices.

Thales announces the new Cinterion® MV32 modem card that makes it quicker and easier for manufacturers to build and maintain resilient, high-performance 5G devices that will transform everyday life in the years ahead.

Harnessing the full potential of 5G Mobile Broadband connectivity, the new modem card is designed to be at the heart of a wide array of demanding IoT (Internet of Things) use cases, such as securely connecting enterprises, remote patient care and intelligent monitoring of renewable energy generation.

Effortlessly connecting 5G networks and next-gen IoT devices

The 5G roll-out will not only bring unprecedented mobile broadband speed to billions of people worldwide. It also offers an extraordinary leap in the sheer number of devices that cellular networks can support. Connectivity will be enabled for billions more machines. As a result, 5G is laying the foundations for vast new fleets of permanently connected IoT devices that enable a more sustainable and trustworthy future for us all.

Many of these new IoT devices will be highly compact. Thales’ space-saving 5G modem card therefore represents the ideal partner for the tiny embedded SIMs (eSIMs) that are another key building block for effortless connectivity. Next-generation IoT applications will demand the always-on, ultra-high speed connectivity and exceptional reliability that characterises the new Cinterion MV32 modem card:

• Extensively leverages Thales’ broad expertise in providing successful 5G IoT solutions that manage connectivity plans in the field, enabling seamless, go-anywhere 5G.
• Reliably delivers superior 5G cellular performance, thanks to industry’s most advanced and optimized radio frequency design, to enable the ultra-high speed and low latency.¹

Protecting against a new wave of cyber-threats

For all its benefits, the distributed, virtualized, software-based design of many 5G networks also brings with it new vulnerabilities to cyber-attack. In response, the Cinterion MV32 5G modem card embodies Thales’ unrivalled expertise and experience in bringing robust security and protection to the 5G domain:

• Leverages Thales’ security-by-design philosophy and core expertise in robust cyber-protection – enabling dynamic protection of devices in the field and over the entire lifecycle through secure remote updates.
• Stringently and continuously penetration-tested by independent security experts.

“We were able to be a first-mover in 5G branch networking devices, in part because Thales provided a great globally-certified solution with support to a wide variety of frequency bands. They also provided responsive support to our engineers and have been a reliable supplier even when everything else is in shortage. We look forward to deploying Thales’ next-gen 5G SA MV32 into our devices in the coming year.” – Keith Chau, general manager, Peplink

Thierry Uguen, Director Product Management IoT at Thales:
“For our customers, the latest generation MV32 5G modem card represents just the right product at the right time. Manufacturers worldwide must look at 5G to enable revolutionary new IoT solutions that will touch every aspect of our lives. Our new solution makes it a cinch to embed this ultra-fast connectivity.”

“There is no trade-off between speed, latency, reliability and cyber-protection: the compact MV32 delivers them all.”

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The new 5G standard enables different industries to deploy ultra-reliable and high coverage networks for IoT and create a more sustainable future.

Allows businesses to create important savings through technology based on the standard.

A white paper by ABI research reveals that the new 5G standard challenges cellular 5G networks and Wi-Fi in enabling companies to build massive low-cost networks for IoT applications. The standard allows use in various use cases across industries with multiple benefits, including, but not limited to, smart metering, mitigating inventory shrinkage, enhancing workplace safety, creating energy savings, and streamlining warehouse workflows. In addition, the standard offers the lowest carbon footprint on large-scale networks, along with other key benefits:

• Low-cost network enabling IoT connectivity democratization: Working on the dedicated unlicensed radio spectrum of 1.9 GHz, without subscriptions.

• Sustainability: The lowest carbon footprint of large-scale networks.

• Autonomous operation: largely autonomous, self-healing operation with automated auto-configuration.

• Shared spectrum operation: Shared spectrum operation and polite spectrum access across all frequency bands.

• Flexibility, robustness, and ease of deployment: Its self-healing mesh can dynamically go around physical obstacles, thereby avoiding connectivity black spots.

The most significant contributors to the standard are a technology provider Wirepas and a manufacturer of semiconductors, Nordic Semiconductor. The first commercial technology based on this standard will be available already in 2022.

The new IoT standard brings 5G IoT networks to the reach of everyone as it lets any solution provider and system integrator to include 5G mesh networks into their offering, set up and manage its own network autonomously without an effort, with no operators, anywhere in the world. At a tenth of the cost in comparison to cellular solutions. It enables companies to operate without middlemen or subscription fees. Another democratizing aspect is the frequency. The new 5G standard supports free international spectrums such as 1,9 GHz. We see this as a fundamental requirement for massive digitalization for everyone. – Teppo Hemiä, CEO of Wirepas

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Industrial Spraying Drones + IoT connectivity can reduce risk and cut costs for exterior cleaning.

What’s the news: Lucid Drone Technologies has chosen T-Mobile as the exclusive provider of IoT connectivity and management for their growing fleet of industrial spraying drones that provide commercial cleaning services.

Why it matters: Maintenance teams that wash exterior windows and perform exterior cleaning of commercial facilities face risk of injury and high insurance and equipment fees. Drone technology, paired with T-Mobile’s industry-leading network, has the power to help keep these people safe and save money.

Who it’s for: Property management and facility maintenance firms and companies looking for IoT solutions to deliver real-world benefits and improve customer experiences.

Today, T-Mobile announced that Lucid Drone Technologies has chosen the Un-carrier to be the exclusive provider of IoT connectivity and management for their fleet of industrial spraying drones.

Together, Lucid Drone Technologies and T-Mobile are collaborating to put maintenance teams and exterior cleaning companies out of harm’s way using drone technology for high-risk facilities maintenance work like exterior soft-wash cleaning and high-rise window washing. The companies also plan to leverage T-Mobile’s industry-leading 5G network in the future to fly drones beyond line-of-sight and power more data-intensive capabilities like video streaming.

A game changer for safety of maintenance teams

Commercial property management firms and developers make significant investments to keep maintenance teams safe. Expensive liability insurance premiums and equipment fees have facilities leaders looking for new and cost-effective solutions. Enter industrial spraying drone pioneer Lucid Drone Technologies and the Un-carrier to deliver a game changer — drones equipped to clean exterior building surfaces and windows.

The next generation of Lucid Drone Technologies industrial spraying drones, powered by T-Mobile for Business, can perform exterior washing for commercial building surfaces and windows, including outdoor stadiums and arenas, hotels, and university structures. That means maintenance teams can steer clear of some high-risk tasks, keeping them safer and focused on other mission critical work.

IoT driving the future of industrial spraying drone technology

T-Mobile’s network powers critical capabilities for Lucid Drone Technologies industrial spraying drones such as real-time sharing of flight data, battery utilization information, hardware diagnostics, and delivery of firmware and software updates. Additionally, T-Mobile Control Center will give Lucid Drone Technologies the ability to view and manage the connectivity of their industrial spraying drones. With the automation and provisioning capabilities of T-Mobile’s IoT platform, Lucid Drone Technologies can easily accelerate deployment of their growing fleet. Lucid Drone Technologies will have near real-time visibility to all their industrial spraying drones with the ability to monitor network conditions and device behavior with T-Mobile Control Center.

Initially, T-Mobile for Business will deliver 4G LTE connectivity to Lucid Drone Technologies industrial spraying drones, providing a reliable connection nationwide. Lucid Drone Technologies expects to utilize the Un-carrier’s 5G network in the near future for advanced use cases such as network operations center access, live streaming video and remote piloting. As Americas largest and fastest 5G network, T-Mobile is poised to push IoT to its full potential and catapult adoption — paving the way for new drone applications that rely on low-latency, high-speed data, and real-time location and proximity-based services.

“At Lucid Drone Technologies, we are committed to providing robotic solutions that allow our customers to complete jobs that were once dull, dirty, and dangerous in a safer, faster, and smarter way,” said Andrew Ashur, CEO, Lucid Drone Technologies.

“T-Mobile not only allows us to provide our customers with the highest quality of real-time support and connectivity today, but they also have impressive 5G capabilities that allow us to push the frontier limits of responsible robotics.”

“Lucid Drone Technologies is a great example of a customer using originality and new technology to solve complicated problems,” said Callie Field, President, T-Mobile Business Group. “It’s not very often that you get to collaborate with these kinds of thinkers, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to offer our technology to help bring their vision to life.”

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Omnispace, the company redefining mobile connectivity for the 21st century, today announced that it is collaborating with Microsoft to deliver its global, hybrid 5G non-terrestrial network (5G NTN) to under-served regions.

The two companies will work together to architect a Microsoft Azure-centric 5G hybrid network to empower consumer, enterprise, government and IoT users with ubiquitous mobile connectivity.

Omnispace will collaborate with Microsoft to architect, develop and demonstrate an Azure-enabled 5G NTN network to enhance the performance and reach of mobile wireless networks. The global hybrid network will integrate terrestrial and satellite networks into one seamless communications experience. It will leverage Azure Orbital, Microsoft’s Ground-Station-as-a-Service offering with Microsoft’s Azure Operator 5G Core to route voice and data traffic direct from mobile devices via an Omnispace proliferated low-earth orbit (LEO) constellation.

The Omnispace global non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) space network will utilize the company’s 2 GHz mobile satellite spectrum allocation and operate in the 3GPP band n256. As the world’s first 3GPP-compliant 5G NTN network, it will deliver the power of 5G directly to billions of devices everywhere, enabling people and assets to communicate in real-time through a single, seamless global service. Through integration with Omnispace network, mobile network operators will be able to cost effectively enhance and expand their service area(s), while improving resiliency, enabled by Azure services.

“Omnispace is committed to redefining the way the world thinks about mobile communications, and we believe it should be as seamless no matter where you are,” said Ram Viswanathan, president and CEO, Omnispace. “That’s why we are thrilled to collaborate with Microsoft on a solution that will make it possible for anyone requiring global real-time communications to connect to their devices directly from our 5G satellites.”

Steve Kitay, Director, Azure Space, said:

“Through our partnership, users of Omnispace’s 5G NTN will be able to access the power of the Microsoft Cloud anytime and anywhere even in remote environments enabling ubiquitous real-time communications,”

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Leverage AI to realize the potential of 5G, through end-to-end low latency IoT Analytics.

Mavenir, the Network Software Provider building the future of networks with cloud-native software that runs on any cloud and transforms the way the world connects, today announces the commercial availability of its Intelligent IoT Platform (IIoTP).

The solution applies artificial intelligence (AI) to data streams from IoT sensors, enabling enterprises and communication service providers (CSPs) to gain instant insights and actionable intelligence.

As the demand for IoT applications increase with the rollout of 5G networks, a large number and variety of sensors can now be deployed. Such sensors are generating huge amounts of data, which require near real time analysis with very low latency to derive actionable insights. The use of AI and analytics at scale has become of imperative importance.

Mavenir’s IIoTP is a comprehensive solution that can be deployed independently or in conjunction with the Mavenir’s Intelligent Video Application (IVA) and other AI applications, on any cloud or on-prem hardware, to realize end-to-end use case based, IoT sensor data analysis. The Mavenir IIoTP integrates with a variety of sensors including 2G/3G/4G/5G that can be deployed on various networks including cellular and Wi-Fi.

Aniruddho Basu, Executive Vice President for Emerging Business at Mavenir, said:

“With the continued explosion of 5G devices coming online, platforms like Mavenir’s IIoTP are designed to converge hardware stacks and common software frameworks to provide CSPs with intelligent, optimized insights that can be offered to enterprise users for real-world IoT initiatives.”

The platform provides the scalability to support large number of sensors and the flexibility to configure a variety of sensors. The events can be integrated with down-stream interfaces for end-to-end realization of variety of use cases. The processing can be split between the edge cloud and the centralized cloud to realize low latency and reduced data bandwidth needs.

“Mavenir’s IIoTP is the latest addition to Mavenir’s portfolio of AI Applications. IIoTP and IVA enable enterprises and CSPs to tap into AI-enabled solutions that empower businesses,” said Srinivas Chitiveli, VP, Product Management, Mavenir Edge AI Apps. “Mavenir is a unique vendor capable of leveraging AI delivering IVA and IIoTP as part of a comprehensive 5G solution, resulting in optimized deployments and lowered costs towards realizing value.”

Key use cases for Mavenir’s IIoTP include:

• Manufacturing: Automate operations to reduce cost and downtime and improve performance.
• Smart Cities and Smart Campuses: Optimize the handling of infrastructure, provide dwellers with better living conditions, and enhance the environmental, social and economic sustainability.
• Mining and Construction: Enhancing worker safety, equipment availability and equipment usage.
• Smart Buildings: Enhancing building safety and comfort of occupants.

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Non-handset 5G market volume will reach 117 million units by 2026 with tablet, CPE and telematics to be the top 3 volume applications.

Non-handset 5G Market Outlook

5G already becomes popular in smartphone by 2021, but its step is slower for non-smartphone applications. Broadband 5G market start picking up in lead 5G market in 2021. TSR forecasts approx. 11 million units of 5G device shipment in 2021. With the commercialization of 3GPP Release 16, industrial and automotive fields will gradually increase 5G adoption from 2022. New 5G Redcap standard gains interest from China supply chain for long term 5G SA (standalone) migration.

5G Standard Evolution

5G standard is going to add new feature-sets to increase applications. The first 5G standard, 3GPP Rel.15 only focuses on enhanced mobile broadband. 3GPP Rel.16 standard first introduces URLLC (Ultra Reliable, Low latency Communication) feature-sets to support industrial 5G scenarios, as well as further enhancing broadband communications. 5G Rel.16 chipset was introduced from several suppliers in 2021.

Future 5G standard, 3GPP Rel.17 will add RedCap (Reduced Capacity) standard, which was originally called NR-Light. 5G Redcap will address low end 5G applications, which does not require 100+ Mbps of data rate. First 5G Redcap standard will support 20MHz bandwidth. 3GPP discuss further enhancement of 5G Redcap in Rel.18 to support 5/10/20/40MHz bandwidth.

There are no significant change in LTE Cat.M and NB-IoT standard after 3GPP Rel.15. LTE Cat.M/ NB-IoT already satisfies 5G massive MTC standard.

5G Market Forecast

In 2021, non-handset 5G device market volume will reach 10.9 million units. 5G tablet accounts half of total 5G market, followed by CPE (22%), mobile router (15%), and industrial modules. 5G Tablet, CPE and mobile router are mainly sold in North America, Japan and China market. While many of industrial 5G module is used in China market.

For broadband applications, 5G device will be mainstream in North America and Japan in 2022-2023. 5G eMBB device market will expand to EMEA and APAC countries during 2022-2024. Industrial 5G market will gradually start growing in 2022-2023, as many of industrial 5G trials seen in developed countries shift to commercial. In automotive telematics, 5G adoption will start in 2022, but the market will expand in 2024-2025. By 2026, 25% of all car OEM telematics are expected to be 5G. By 2026, thanks to use case and geographic expansion, non-handset 5G market volume will reach 117 million units. Tablet, CPE and telematics will be top 3 volume applications in 2026.

Industrial 5G market is expected to expand to about 5 million units in 2024, and reach to 15 million units in 2026. China takes ahead of industrial 5G commercialization in 2021, thanks to the launch of government supported projects, followed by national government’s “New Infrastructure Construction” policy. On the other hands, most projects in North America, Europe, Japan and others are still in the trial phase in 2021. Commercialization of 3GPP Rel.16 will be a trigger for the adoption of industrial 5G after 2022.

Currently, typical industrial 5G use case is high speed data transmit (Industrial Gateway, DTU) and video based applications (surveillance camera, drone, remote monitoring….). Industrial 5G applications is expected to expand after the 3GPP Rel.16 and URLLC standards availability. For the URLLC service, it is necessary to prepare MEC (Mobile Edge Computing/Edge Server) together, and it will take time to spread.

The millimeter Wave (mmWave) 5G market reaches 1.7M units in 2021, accounting for 16% of total 5G shipments. It is mainly used in 5G eMBB devices for North America. Because of the limitation of network availability, mmWave 5G market share will slightly drop to 15% in 2026.

mmWave 5G takes advantage of wider bandwidth than sub-6GHz 5G, but it is difficult to build wide area network. mmWave 5G network is deployed in high-dense urban areas (hot spot) and in-building (private 5G/local 5G). CPE (FWA) is considered to be suitable use case of mmWave 5G. However, especially for home CPE, the low propagation of mmWave radio, and needs of self-installation of outdoor mmWave antenna is the challenge

5G RedCap is used for the applications that require low-latency, high-reliability communication with data throughput similar to LTE. Typical applications considered for 5G RedCap include: wearable, AR google, facial identification, AGV, robotics, drone, factory automation, material handling, lifeline monitoring or the like.

5G RedCap device market start to rise in 2025, although we estimate that 5G RedCap market volume will be very small by 2026. The key challenge of 5G Redcap for chip suppliers is to find high volume applications. LTE Cat.1/4 satisfies many industrial use cases, and offers very affordable price. Initially, 5G Redcap will be used in 5G SA environments like private 5G/ local 5G, which is estimated to be small volume market for module and chips.

5G Chipset Development

Now Qualcomm, MediaTek and UNISOC are the main suppliers of non-handset 5G chipsets. Qualcomm has been widely adopted in the early stages of the market. MediaTek released non-handset 5G chipset dedicated for broadband applications in 2021, and is expanding its adoption for 5G CPE and Laptops. UNISOC is adopted by the Chinese suppliers low-priced 5G CPEs and modules.

Initially, 5G chipsets were developed for smartphones, and none were specifically optimized for non-handset applications. Starting from 2021, 5G chipset for CPE (MediaTek T750), industrial module (Qualcomm 315), PC modules (MediaTek T700) have appeared.

Chipset price is one of the challenges for 5G market expansion. For making lower priced 5G chipset, suppliers has been developed new chipsets to cover broader price segments since 2020. Qualcomm initially introduced high-end 5G modem for all applications, but gradually introduced lower priced 5G modems (x62 for mid end eMBB, 315 for industrial applications, low data rate). MediaTek first introduced mid-end 5G chipsets. Now it started to support higher data throughput in latest T800 5G chipset.

In 2021, Qualcomm (x62/65), UNISOC (V516) and MediaTek (M80/T800) released the modems for 3GPP Rel.16. The products equipped with these modems will be released in 2022. 3GPP Rel.16 chipsets enhances data throughput, but can also supports ultra-reliable, low latency communications to cover industrial use scenarios.

Currently 5G chipset employed advanced semiconductor process nodes (7nm or below).

Tier2/3 chipset suppliers, such as GCT Semiconductor, Sequans, Sanechips and ASR Microelectronics are expected to release first 5G Rel.16 chipset in 2023 or later. These new entrances could accelerate price competition.

5G RedCap Chipset

The 5G RedCap chipset is expected to be the first product to appear in late 2022 and early 2023 after the release of 3GPP Rel. 17. Qualcomm and UNISOC are likely to commercialize it at an early stage. After 2024, it is anticipated that several IC suppliers which currently commercializing LTE Cat.4 and Cat.1 will start to introduce 5G RedCap chipset.

There are two possible methods for developing 5G RedCap chip: reusing LTE Cat.1/4 IC design, or designing new chip. For RedCap SoC, the baseband logic size is not much different from LTE Cat.4, but the RF circuit should be larger than LTE. From a cost perspective, 22/28nm is considered to be the suitable process node, although 12/14nm may also be the choice.

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• 5G Steel, the 4G/5G network in industrial and critical environments, led by ArcelorMittal
• A project requiring very high performance mobile broadband across several sites focused on industrial use cases, from mobile remote maintenance to autonomous vehicles
• Built with the expertise of Orange Business Services, operator integrator, and a partnership with Ericsson, a technology leader of 5G private networks

ArcelorMittal France, Orange Business Services and Ericsson today announced the launch of 5G Steel to test 4G/5G connectivity at ArcelorMittal’s industrial sites in France over the next three years.

The French government supports this initiative as part of the France Recovery plan. The Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque, EasyMile and the Caisse des Dépôts are also among the project partners.

Orange Business Services, Ericsson and ArcelorMittal France have developed this project together, including the design of industrial use cases adapted to ArcelorMittal’s challenges and business requirements. The project is based on Ericsson’s technology leadership within 4G/5G private cellular networks suited for advanced industrial use cases and high-risk sites and Orange Business Services’ integration and support expertise.

This deployment will meet the needs for industrial network performance and connected workers and operations in a production environment on complex industrial sites. The benefits include better energy efficiency and worker safety.

The 5G private network provides:

• Extensive coverage: to cover all of ArcelorMittal’s complex industrial sites, both outdoors and indoors. Workers and machine operators can move freely with reliable connectivity anywhere on-site.
• High throughput: to meet the high-performance requirements of modelled processes, connected devices, production data, etc.
• Low latency: to support the deployment of autonomous vehicles and remote-controlled machinery as well as security in high-risk areas.
• Network slicing: to tailor services to each business process and needs.
• Data security: to protect sensitive industrial data on-site.

5G Steel will enable ArcelorMittal’s plants, starting with Dunkirk, followed by Mardyck in Hauts-de-France and Florange in the Grand Est area, to deploy use cases requiring high-speed cellular connectivity.

Targeted to different business operations (production, maintenance, logistics, etc.), these industrial use cases include better worker flexibility and mobility in different situations. In addition, autonomous rail vehicles in Dunkirk and Florange, autonomous road vehicles, remote maintenance with feedback from the field, virtual or augmented reality and safety devices are also relevant use cases.

The objective is also to enable the digital transformation of the French value chain ecosystem for industrial use cases. From the outset, 5G Steel will cover the Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque and ArcelorMittal’s Digital Labs in Dunkerque and Florange, and tests are being conducted to extend the network to the Hauts-de-France and Grand Est regions.

David Glijer, Director of Digital Transformation at Arcelor Mittal France, commented:
“ArcelorMittal is firmly committed to its digital transformation and is positioning itself as a leader in the digitalization of the steel industry. In production, maintenance, logistics and development, digital technologies have already begun to transform our processes, increase the reliability of our operations and improve the comfort and safety of our teams. The opening of our two Digital Labs in Dunkirk and soon in Florange is another illustration of ArcelorMittal’s desire to create an ecosystem at the crossroads of industry and digital.”

Valérie Cussac, Executive Vice President, Smart Mobility Services, Orange Business Services, said:
“We are delighted to support ArcelorMittal in its digital transformation project. Within the framework of 5G Steel, we have worked with a use case approach. The project is co-piloted with ArcelorMittal using an agile method based on the collective intelligence of technical and functional experts. In addition, thanks to our dual expertise as an operator-integrator, ArcelorMittal will benefit from this solid private network , allowing maximum and secure critical data performance and improved productivity.”

Franck Bouétard, Head of Ericsson, France, said:
“With 5G Steel, Ericsson is pleased to support ArcelorMittal in testing new industrial use cases based on 4G/5G cellular technologies. Ericsson once again demonstrates our expertise and technological leadership with private networks in a complex industrial environment.”

5G Steel, a network that enables new industrial use cases

With 5G Steel, ArcelorMittal will develop key industrial projects. Two examples:

• Remote maintenance: equipped with tablets, maintenance teams can support operations and access the necessary documentation. Once the maintenance operation has been carried out, they validate it and record it directly in the company’s information systems. With augmented reality, the teams can also access documents, images or call on an expert remotely and live.

• Autonomous vehicles: transport by rail is essential at ArcelorMittal’s large sites. The Dunkirk site, for example, has 44 kilometers of track to transport products between the various manufacturing stages. With EasyMile, ArcelorMittal will launch the first autonomous train on an internal private network, which will be put into service in 2023. ArcelorMittal is also working on a heavy-duty road vehicle capable of transporting up to 120 tons of steel coils.

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Tele2 IoT is taking a step forward in the field of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and towards a sustainable automotive industry by providing connection of equipment to Elonroad, which has developed technology for electric roads where electric vehicles can be charged while driving.

Elonroad, a startup based in Lund, Sweden, has developed a solution in the form of an electric road where all kinds of electric vehicles – cars, buses, and trucks – regardless of manufacturer, can be charged while they are driving.

With more and more electric vehicles on the roads, charging while driving will reduce bottlenecks and also enable smaller batteries.

The solution consists of a rail that is integrated with the road by being installed directly on the asphalt. The rails can withstand all weather conditions and short rail segments are driven individually, which provides a high level of safety.

Karin Ebbinghaus, CEO of Elonroad, says:

“Our smart electric road needs to be connected to the internet in order for us to be able to control, optimize, and collect payments from users. The agreement with Tele2 is business-critical for us on our continued journey.”

Through 2CONTROL, Tele2 IoT’s platform for managing connected devices, Elonroad will be able to monitor and manage its IoT subscriptions. Elonroad’s service includes an integrated control system for individual measurement of each vehicle’s usage and can also analyze road conditions, such as where there are potential hazards, which can then be communicated to prevent accidents.

“Elonroad is an exciting startup with a solution that will be critical to achieve the goal of a fossil-independent vehicle fleet by 2030. By making 5G available, we secure Elonroad’s digital solution and ensure a reliable connection. As soon as 5G becomes available where Elonroad builds its electric roads, larger amounts of data that require low latency can e handled, such as the transfer of data from cameras. We are very proud to be a part of Elonroad’s continued journey”, says Stefan Trampus, EVP B2B at Tele2.

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