Airtel, TCS to collaborate for Made in India 5G

 Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s premier communications solutions provider and Tata Group, today announced a strategic partnership for implementing 5G networks solutions for India. 

Tata Group has developed a ‘state of the art’ O-RAN based Radio & NSA/SA Core and has integrated a totally indigenous telecom stack, leveraging the Group capabilities and that of its partners. This will be available for commercial development starting Jan 2022. 

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) brings its global system integration expertise and helps align the end-to-end solution to both 3GPP and O-RAN standards, as the network and equipment are increasingly embedded into software.

Airtel will pilot and deploy this indigenous solution as part of its 5G rollout plans in India and start the pilot in January 2022, as per the guidelines formulated by the Government of India.

These ‘Made in India’ 5G product and solutions are aligned to global standards, and inter-operate with other products based on standard open interfaces and those defined by the O-RAN Alliance. The 5G solutions, once commercially proven in Airtel’s diverse and brownfield network will open export opportunities for India, which is now the second largest telecom market in the world.    

Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India and South Asia) Bharti Airtel said, “We are delighted to join forces with the Tata Group to make India a global hub for 5G and allied technologies. With its world-class technology ecosystem and talent pool, India is well positioned to build cutting edge solutions and applications for the world. This will also provide a massive boost to India becoming an innovation and manufacturing destination.” 

N. Ganapathy Subramaniam from the Tata Group/ TCS said, “As a Group, we are excited about the opportunity presented by 5G and adjacent possibilities. We are committed to building a world-class networking equipment and solutions business to address these opportunities in networking space. We are pleased to have Airtel as our customer in this initiative.”

Airtel is a Board member of the O-RAN Alliance and is committed to explore and implement O-RAN based networks in India. Earlier this year, Airtel became the first telecom company in India to demonstrate 5G over its LIVE network in city of Hyderabad. The Company has started 5G trials in major cities using spectrum allocated by the Department of Telecom.

The Tata group's telecom and media enterprises cater to the communication requirements of global business houses to SMEs, and from wholesale to home networks. Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) is a member of the O-RAN Alliance.

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Nokia launches 6 new smartphones across 3 distinct lines, Nokia Lite Earbuds

 HMD Global, the Nokia brand owner today announced its biggest launch to date consisting of six new smartphones viz. Nokia C10, Nokia C20, Nokia G10, Nokia G20, Nokia X10 and Nokia X20 in three different categories.

Nokia's New Range of phones

 X-series: Nokia X20 and Nokia X10 –  Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G, Signature Nordic design, 3 years of monthly security and software updates guaranteed.

G-series: Nokia G20 and Nokia G10 – innovative features in a reassuringly secure package, supported by longest battery life yet

 C-series: Nokia C10 and Nokia C20 – smartphone essentials you’ll want to keep for many years thanks to their signature durability

C-Series - Nokia C10 and Nokia C20

C-series is aimed at providing affordable access to technology for all, both the devices comes with 6.5" display, Android 11 (Go Edition) said to be giving upto 20% boost to performance, as well as comes with quarterly security updates for two years.

Nokia C20

The Nokia C20 comes with front and rear LED flash for low light support, will come with 1/16 GB, 2/32 GB options with Sand and Dark Blue colour options. The global average price is around €89 (INR 7910/-)

Nokia C10

The Nokia C10 is the most affordable device of new portfolio, starting at just €75 (INR 6665), it comes with  1/16 GB, 1/32 GB and 2/16 GB options and will be available in Purple and Gray color options.

 G-Series - Nokia G10 and Nokia G20

The Nokia G20 is supported by the signature Android promise available on Nokia smartphones. That’s three years of monthly security updates and two years of OS updates. The first members join the G-series with signature longevity, improved security thanks to face and side fingerprint unlock and an impressive 6.5” teardrop display with a handy brightness boost.

The Nokia G20 comes with a 48MP camera, ample storage and immersive OZO surround audio, you can capture then relive your memorable moments in all their glory. It will be available in select markets globally starting May in Night and Glacier colour options and comes in 4/64GB and 4/128GB configurations.  Global Average RRP €159 (approx. INR 14132)

Nokia G10 has a triple rear camera and advanced imaging with AI-enhanced shooting modes, so your memories are perfectly preserved even from tricky low-light settings. It will be available in select markets globally starting April in Night and Dusk colour options and comes in 3/32GB and 4/64GB.

 X-Series - Nokia X10 and Nokia X20

Nokia X Series smartphones are Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G, Signature Nordic design, 3 years of monthly security and software updates guaranteed. Android 11 straight out of the box. Renowned ZEISS Optics and innovative AI solutions for imaging. It comes with a wide 6.67” Full HD+ punch-hole display. Nokia X20 and Nokia X10 also come with a 100% compostable case in the sales box – designed to be tough on the ground but soft on the earth, it reduces waste, helping X-series go the distance.

The Nokia X20 comes with a 32MP front camera and 64MP quad camera on the rear. The all-new Dual Sight feature will activate two cameras simultaneously so you can capture multiple sides or multiple angles of the story. Then, enhance it further with a host of watermarking options.    The Nokia X20 will be available in select markets globally starting May in Midnight Sun and Nordic Blue colour options and comes in 6/128GB and 8/128GB configurations with global average price of  €349(approx. INR 31019)

Bringing exceptional value to the range, the Nokia X10 will please those with sub-€300 budgets. The 48MP quad-camera with Cinematic capture, is complemented with a full suite of pro editing tools, so you can personalise, style and share stand-out content that inspires others. It will be available in select markets globally starting June in Forest and Snow colour options and comes in 6/64GB, 6/128 GB and 4/128GB configurations. Global Average €309(approx. INR 27464)

Nokia audio accessories range expanded with Nokia Lite Earbuds

Featuring easy-to-learn touch controls for music, voice assistant and calls, Nokia Lite Earbuds go on sale globally today. Echoing the premium design and impressive battery life on Nokia phones, the pocket-size case will carry around six additional charges to your trusty buds.The equivalent to 36 hours of blissful playback, almost double the industry standard. It will be available in select markets globally starting mid-April in Polar Sea and Charcoal colour options. Check local availability. Global Average €39(approx. INR 3465).

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Tech Mahindra and ChampTrax Technologies Partner to Create Stadium-Like Experience at Home for Global Sports Fans

Tech Mahindra Ltd. a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business reengineering services and ChampTrax Technologies, a Canadian sports startup, collaborate to develop a solution to create stadium like-experience at home for global sports fans. Through this partnership, Tech Mahindra and ChampTrax Technologies will provide a solution to herald the next generation fan and player engagement leveraging digital and virtual technologies.

 

Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Growth, Tech Mahindra, said, “We have been specifically focused on technologies that will enable experiences in the during COVID and after COVID world. Sports with a live fan experience is something that we will miss now for a while. Tech Mahindra’s sports vertical leveraging our 5G experience will enhance the fan experience globally. This strategic partnership with ChampTrax Technologies will give us an opportunity to bring the best of both the worlds and help sports fans adjust to the new normal.“

 

Tech Mahindra and ChampTrax Technologies will also work on 5G related use cases for introducing holographic virtual fan to the stadium. As part of the collaboration, Tech Mahindra will also support ChampTrax Technologies to reach wider markets and audiences for HearMeCheer solution that aggregates “crowd noise” from at-home spectators real-time, during live games played in fan free stadiums and venues.

 

Manish Upadhyay, Head Sports Technology Vertical, Tech Mahindra, said, “Tech Mahindra and ChampTrax will develop a joint solution to support revival of sports clubs post the COVID-19 pandemic. Sports technology is one of the focused business for us at Tech Mahindra, and we strongly believe that technology will play a crticial role to enable sports clubs to ensure wellness of fans, staff, and players globally.“

 

‘HearMeCheer’ solution by Champtrax Technologies combines audio through proprietary algorithms that weigh each household and enable users to yell loudly and not overpower the audio stream. As the audience watches a game with the web app it automatically sends microphone data that aggregates these sounds to create a single audio stream effect of a unified crowd integrated into real-time broadcasts.

 

Elias Andersen, Founder of Sports Tech Business, Champtrax Technologies, said – “We are very excited to partner with Tech Mahindra and this gives us a huge opportunity to serve their existing and potential customer at such critical times. HearMeCheer is great solution for close door games and we are keen to take it to market with Tech Mahindra.”

 

As part of the TechMNxt charter, Tech Mahindra is committed towards creating a partner ecosystem to deliver enhanced cutting-edge next-generation technologies like Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, 5G, and Internet of Things, to disrupt and enable digital transformation, to build cutting-edge technology solutions and services for customers globally.

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MediaTek Dimensity 1000 SoC to come with V1 Video Codec Technology on Android Smartphones

MediaTek has announced it will enable YouTube video streams using the cutting-edge AV1 video codec on the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 5G SoC. The MediaTek Dimensity 1000 is the world’s first smartphone SoC to integrate an AV1 hardware video decoder, enabling it to play back AV1 video streams up to 4K resolution at 60 fps. With its improved compression efficiency, AV1 gives users incredible visual quality and smoother video experiences, while using less data.

 

Video streaming is the number one activity in smartphone use, so by using the Dimensity 1000’s more power efficient hardware-based AV1 video decoder, users can enjoy longer battery life while still streaming at the best quality settings. Combined with its ultra-fast 5G connectivity in a single chip, the Dimensity 1000 leads the industry in design and capability.

 

“MediaTek is engaged in consistently upgrading its offerings to enhance user experience, and AV1 technology is a prime example. Video is now the most used form of communication, with 70% of Millennials and Gen Z reportedly using streaming services,” said Dr. Yenchi Lee, Assistant General Manager of MediaTek’s Wireless Business Unit. “Industry reports state that the video streaming market is likely to expand at a CAGR of 19.6% and touch $124.57 billion by 2025, and it is one of the principle drivers of 5G services. MediaTek is leading the way in enabling effective video streaming with AV1.”

 

The AV1 video codec is creating a landmark change in the video streaming industry. First released in 2018 by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), AV1 is royalty-free, crafted to replace the VP9 codec and become the Internet Video Codec (NETVC) standard. AV1 is an ultra-high-performance video codec technology that delivers 30% more compression efficiency over existing VP9.

 

"AV1 has become an increasingly important format to allow high-resolution playback on handheld devices, and we're excited that MediaTek has implemented dedicated AV1 hardware to advance its adoption, such as what's included in their Dimensity 1000 5G SoC,” said Matt Frost, Director of Product Management of Google Chrome. “As mobile video streaming becomes more prevalent, new use cases like MediaTek's emphasize the important work of developing next-generation codecs."

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5G Indoor Wireless Equipment to Represent Only 5% of $10 Billion Global Market by 2025 - ABI Research

5G deployments indoors and in venues may be delayed by one year or more when compared to outdoor 5G deployments starting from 2020. ABI Research estimates the global equipment market for in-building wireless, including active distributed antenna systems (DAS), passive DAS, and repeaters, for 2025, will reach close to $10 billion. The overall system revenue in 2025, which includes services and equipment, will grow at a CAGR of 15% to top $19 billion in 2025. Out of this market, 5G in-building wireless equipment will account for $509 million in 2025.

"As 5G nears full specification, mobile network operators will face challenges for indoor mobile coverage, including signal propagation, next-generation fronthaul/backhaul, and massive MIMO," says Nick Marshall, Research Director at ABI Research. "Early 5G deployments indoors and in venues will be a migration building on the features of LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced Pro. This will happen technology by technology and frequency by frequency, avoiding costly 'rip and replace' style deployments."

5G is a multi-technology HetNet, comprised of a combination of different cell types and access technologies to seamlessly adapt to an array of use cases and applications. NFV migrates cellular signal processing to a remote telco data center, while MEC, in a countervailing trend, migrates IT compute and storage to the network edge within the building or venue for low latency use cases and applications. Massive MIMO, a key challenge that 5G will face as it nears full specification, refers to the use of multiple antennas at the base station and mobile device.

"We believe that future 5G networks will rely on network functions virtualization, or NFV, and mobile edge computing, or MEC, to alter the architecture and topology of the RAN by leveraging telco data centers to virtualize signal processing in the cloud," concludes Marshall.

With 5G standards yet to be finalized, many equipment vendors are actively researching and developing 5G equipment with a variety of approaches. These companies include Nokia Mobiles with its AirFrame/AirScale Radio Access, Ericsson with its ERS, and CommScope with its OneCell.

ABI Research profiles these companies and more in its In-Building Wireless in the 5G Era report, which also includes a discussion on the challenges of 5G for in-building wireless.

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