Paris – Colt Technology Services, Icade, ADVA, Airspan Networks, Athonet, Accedian and Tibco today announced the launch of a private 5G enterprise connectivity pilot. The incubation project is one of the first to test end-to-end private 5G in real estate using disaggregated architecture.

The consortium will provide private 5G networks to the PB5 La Défense building in Paris, enabling the exploration of varied use cases for the co-working space environment managed by Imagin’Office, an Icade subsidiary. This field lab ecosystem will test 5G use cases, including creating immersive experiences for the future workplace for a variety of industries.

Coordinated by Colt, the pilot represents an important step for enterprise connectivity, understanding and unlocking the benefits of 5G for business verticals such as real estate, construction, retail and healthcare. Airspan, as the exclusive Open Radio Access Network (RAN) provider, will provide the radio units (RUs), 5G modems and software, key parts of its end-to-end Open RAN solutions portfolio. Athonet will provide its Griffone 5G-SA mobile core. ADVA will provide the underlying infrastructure components, including hosting of virtual functions. Accedian will provide performance monitoring and analytics solutions to assure the digital experience of the 5G service. To deliver the performance 5G promises requires synchronicity and cooperation across the end-to-end service, which all the members take seriously.

The benefits of 5G use cases in the PB5 Building in La Défense include:

• High-density connectivity for a heightened employee working experience and increased productivity;
• Simplified and accelerated private network deployment, with complete network management for service providers, including design, deployment and monitoring;
• Reliable high-performance thanks to Service Level Agreements (SLAs);
• Increased asset value for the building owner;
• An immersive experience to enrich the future of work within flexible work spaces.

Jaya Deshmukh, Colt’s Executive Vice President (EVP) of Strategy and Transformation, said: “Innovation is in Colt’s DNA. Investigating the value 5G technology can bring to enterprises, this pilot will also pave the way for new innovations in Colt’s On Demand connectivity services, network edge and business vertical propositions such as smart office and smart manufacturing. It’s through driving projects such as this that we can enable enterprises to transform and thrive in tomorrow’s connected society digitally.”

Richard Piasentin, Chief Strategy Officer at Accedian said: “5G-enabled services require deterministic performance, and to assure the high-speed performance and low latency of these applications, every layer, from Layer 2 all the way to Layer 7, needs to be accurately measured. Managing a complex distributed 5G network isn’t difficult when you have complete and detailed visibility across the physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructures. We’re excited to be part of this innovative pilot and showcase the many benefits of 5G with an end-to-end performance monitoring solution. Skylight Sensors collect real-time performance data across the private 5G networks and combine them into a single pane of glass in Skylight Performance Analytics to give the detailed visibility needed to meet customers’ expectations and strict SLAs. You need to measure network and application performance in microseconds levels in order to give millisecond performance analytics.”

Giuseppe Bernini, Vice President of Sales, Europe, Airspan, said: “This is a significant milestone for 5G standalone technology in Paris. “As a leader in 5G and Open RAN solutions, Airspan is working closely with other industry leaders, including our consortium partners on this important project, to enhance the ecosystem. This private 5G network pilot leveraging our 5G and Open RAN expertise, software and hardware will help many enterprises develop and validate 5G use cases that will drive innovation.”

Mike Heffner, GM, Edge Cloud, ADVA said: “5G holds enormous potential for enterprises. It will help them transform their IT processes and seize new operational efficiencies. By working with Colt and our other partners, we’re showcasing what’s possible with open, secure and flexible 5G enterprise connectivity. Our Ensemble Connector is a key enabler here and forms the foundation of the NFV infrastructure (NFVi). Combined with our FSP 150 for fronthaul connectivity and synchronization, this network will make a huge difference to the PB5 La Défense campus. What’s more, by using our O-RAN lab to test the complete end-to-end solution, there will be no hidden surprises.”

Aline Loiseau, Managing Director of Athonet France, said “Athonet is pleased to support the pilot with our next generation 5G-SA platform. The Athonet 5G-SA allows any IT professional to deploy and manage a private 5G-network with Wi-Fi like simplicity. It allows service providers like Colt to make the most sophisticated mobile operator technology consumable by enterprises like Icade and demonstrates why Athonet is the world’s most used private mobile core.”

Fréderic Le Guyader, CEO of Tibco Telecoms, said: “We are very pleased to participate in the development of a unique ecosystem in France and more generally in Europe. This commitment is part of our strategic plan and aims to strengthen our “connectivity” offers. Within this consortium, Tibco is contributing with its expertise in the installation, maintenance and operation of the 5G network to guarantee users a high quality, fast and secure network. This deployment of a private 5G network represents for Tibco the opportunity to test new use cases with the installation of robotics, tele-presence, energy management…. Based on this experience, we will be able to offer our customers proven solutions tomorrow.”

About Colt

Colt strives to transform the way the world works through the power of connectivity – taking what’s always been in its DNA to enable customers’ success. The Colt IQ Network connects more than 900+ data centres and over 29,000 on net buildings across Europe, Asia and North America’s largest business hubs.

Colt understands today’s shifting connectivity requirements and provides agile, on-demand and secure high bandwidth networking and voice solutions to ensure enterprises can thrive. Customers include data-intensive organisations spanning over 210 cities in more than 30 countries. Colt is a recognised innovator and pioneer in Software Defined Networks (SDN) and Network Function Virtualisation (NFV). Privately owned, Colt is one of the most financially sound companies in the sector, and because of this, it’s able to put its customers’ needs at its core. For more information, please visit www.colt.net.

About Icade

As an office and healthcare property investment company (portfolio worth €14.8bn on a full consolidation basis as of 06/30/2021) and a developer of homes, offices and public amenities (2020 economic revenue of €825m), Icade designs, builds, manages and invests in cities, neighbourhoods and buildings that are innovative, diverse, inclusive and connected, with a reduced carbon footprint. Desirable places to live and work. In collaboration with its stakeholders, Icade has made low carbon a strategic priority in order to reinvent real estate and create cities that are healthier, happier and more hospitable. Icade is a key player in Greater Paris and major French cities. It is listed as a “SIIC” on Euronext Paris and its leading shareholder is the Caisse des Dépôts group. For more information, please visit www.icade.fr

About Airspan

Airspan Networks Holdings Inc. (NYSE American: MIMO) is a U.S.-based provider of groundbreaking, disruptive software and hardware for 5G networks, and a pioneer in end-to-end Open RAN solutions that provide interoperability with other vendors. As a result of innovative technology and significant R&D investments to build and expand 5G solutions, Airspan believes it is well-positioned with 5G indoor and outdoor, Open RAN, private networks for enterprise customers and industrial use applications, fixed wireless access (FWA), and CBRS solutions to help mobile network operators of all sizes deploy their networks of the future, today. With over one million cells shipped to 1,000 customers in more than 100 countries, Airspan has global scale. For more information, visit www.airspan.com.

About ADVA

ADVA is a company founded on innovation and focused on helping our customers succeed. Our technology forms the building blocks of a shared digital future and empowers networks across the globe. We’re continually developing breakthrough hardware and software that leads the networking industry and creates new business opportunities. It’s these open connectivity solutions that enable our customers to deliver the cloud and mobile services that are vital to today’s society and for imagining new tomorrows. Together, we’re building a truly connected and sustainable future. For more information on how we can help you, please visit us at www.adva.com.

About Tibco

Founded in 1984, Tibco is a company committed in ensuring a responsible digital world that takes care of the economy, the human being and the planet. Tibco is a Digital Services Company whose vocation is to help its professional customers to live well the digital by accompanying them in the fields of networks and IT around 3 major families of trades:

Proximity & maintenance, services & operations centers, and technological projects. Beyond this expertise, one of Tibco’s great strengths is proximity: With about 90 points of contact in France, the mesh is perfect to be as close as possible to customers and their needs. Tibco’s Clients are large groups, SMEs or utilities. They are nearly 1600 and are classified by markets: Telecom operators & equipment manufacturers, banks & insurance companies, public or private services, retail companies and the world of industry.

Tibco is willing to become the first “eco-sustainable” service company through a positive impact business approach. Tibco has no pretension to change the world on its own, but you can be sure that it will take its share of the challenge. Concretely, this means that Tibco acts on itself and with its customers so that the impact of its digital services is virtuous for the economy, for humans and for the planet. For more information, visit www.tibco.fr

About Athonet

Athonet is a leader in private cellular network technology delivering a mobile core to enterprises and communication service providers to connect applications, devices and radios. With more than 10 years of experience in delivering 4G/5G mobile core solutions to customers and partners in every region of the world, Athonet supports key industries where network control, mobility, security, performance, and cost are important for business outcomes. Find out more www.athonet.com.

About Accedian

Accedian is the leader in performance analytics and end user experience solutions, dedicated to
providing our customers with the ability to assure digital experiences. We are committed to empowering our customers with the ability to see far and wide across their IT and network infrastructure and a microscopic ability to dive deep and understand the experience of every user, helping them to delight each of their customers each and every time. Accedian has been delivering solutions to high profile customers globally for over 15 years.

Accedian, the Accedian logo, and Skylight are trademarks or registered trademarks of Accedian Networks Inc. For more information, visit www.accedian.com