What’s up with… Samsung, Broadcom, Airtel & Nokia

• Samsung vows to bounce back as Q3 forecast disappoints  
• Broadcom unveils AI-ready next-gen broadband chips
• Bharti Airtel and Nokia team up on Green 5G

In today’s industry news roundup: Samsung goes as far as to issue an apology to investors, customers and staff after publishing its third-quarter earnings forecast; Broadcom has unveiled 50 Gbit/s PON chips with an integrated NPU for AI applications; India’s second-largest mobile operator is collaborating with Nokia on an initiative to dramatically reduce power consumption in its mobile network; and much more!

Samsung is expecting to report third-quarter revenues of 79tn Korean won ($58.6bn) and an operating profit of KRW9.1tn ($6.76bn), a marked improvement compared with a year ago but, reports CNBC, some way short of financial analyst expectations. Recognising that the numbers might be a cause for concern, Samsung’s vice chairman and head of the vendor’s device solutions division, Young Hyun Jun, issued a statement to customers, investors and the company’s staff. “Today, the leadership team at Samsung Electronics wishes to apologise for not meeting your expectations with our performance. We have caused concerns about our technical competitiveness, with some talking about the crisis facing Samsung. As leaders of the business, we take full responsibility for this,” he noted, before citing what the company intends to do to improve its market position. “Our primary focus will be on enhancing our fundamental technological competitiveness. Technological prowess and world-leading quality are embedded in our DNA and are the pride of Samsung Electronics. They must never be compromised. Rather than relying on short-term solutions, we will focus on reinforcing our long-term competitiveness. We are committed to consistently delivering new innovations that today are only in our imaginations, with best-in-class quality at the core, all to position Samsung Electronics once again for growth and market leadership. Second, we will take proactive steps to future-proof our business, ensuring we seize on emerging opportunities. We will deploy the pioneering spirit that has fuelled Samsung’s success over the decades, to achieve and surpass our strategic aims. In everything that we do, we will rely on this spirit of challenge, continuously establishing and aiming for higher goals. Third, we will review our organisational culture and processes, and take immediate action to rectify any aspects that require improvement. We will strengthen the culture of trust and communication within the organisation, so that when challenges do arise, we can quickly and effectively collaborate on the most appropriate solutions.” Or, put another way, he intends to knock the company back into shape and no doubt there will be some sore heads along the way. And Richard Windsor, a seasoned industry analyst who has long followed Samsung, believes the company will bounce back – you can find out why he thinks so in his latest Radio Free Mobile blog. 

Broadcom has launched its BCM68660 and BCM55050 products, which it describes as the broadband networking sector’s “first merchant silicon 50 Gbit/s PON [passive optical network] optical line terminal-optical network unit (OLT-ONU) devices with an embedded neural processing unit (NPU), designed to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) at the edge and enable telecom operators to drive new applications on 50Gbit/s fibre broadband networks.” This represents an incredible level of throughput in the fixed broadband sector, for sure, but it’s the integration of the NPU that is really intriguing, as it signals the ongoing efforts of the industry to distribute embedded AI workload processing capabilities throughout the communications network infrastructure, something that was akin to science fiction 10 years ago. “Delivering dramatic cost and power savings, Broadcom’s 50Gbit/s PON solution enables telcos worldwide to future-proof their networks and cost-effectively deploy 50Gbit/s fibre broadband to drive the next generation of applications,” boasted Rich Nelson, senior VP and general manager of the chip giant’s Broadband Video Group. “The edge AI/ML capabilities of the BCM68660 and BCM55050 ably complement their broadband feature set to bring a transformative broadband experience to the consumer with enhanced privacy protection and cybersecurity.” Jaimie Lenderman, principal analyst and research manager at industry research firm Omdia, added: “As fibre PON technology evolves to meet growing demands, it’s becoming more versatile, unlocking applications and use cases for AI/ML beyond traditional residential use. 50Gbit/s PON with AI/ML capabilities is further advancing access networks into a new era, one that goes beyond speed, enabling next-generation connections across a broad range of subscribers and industries.” Read more. 

In addition, Broadcom is gearing up to hammer home its AI messages at the upcoming Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit. The chip vendor notes that “momentum continues to build in support of its vision of enabling AI infrastructure through a combination of open standards, scalability, and power-efficient solutions.” According to Charlie Kawwas, president of the company’s Semiconductor Solutions Group, “AI is at an inflection point in our industry that will change our lives and the way we work.” Did a bot write that bit? “We are on the frontlines of this historic moment, pushing boundaries and pioneering breakthroughs in networking and connectivity to enable open, scalable and power-efficient AI infrastructure.” Right… On a more serious note, Broadcom noted that as “AI clusters expand to a million nodes, managing energy consumption becomes crucial, necessitating power-efficient and high-performance connectivity solutions. Further, open standards like Ethernet and PCIe play a vital role offering interoperable and time-to-market solutions for the rapidly growing AI infrastructure market.” Read more. 

India’s second-largest mobile operator, Bharti Airtel, has teamed up with Nokia on an initiative dubbed Green 5G, which aims to introduce energy-efficient solutions and practices to Airtel’s mobile network. “This ambitious project will focus on enhancing energy efficiency across Airtel’s extensive 4G/5G radio access network (RAN) by leveraging state-of-the-art technologies like AI/ML, as well as a suite of advanced software features and innovative solutions,” the operator noted in this announcement. The comprehensive solution is expected to enhance energy efficiency during peak and off-peak hours and is projected to reduce Airtel’s carbon emissions by an estimated 143,413 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, the telco noted. Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel, stated: “In response to the surging demand for data, mobile networks across India have rapidly expanded, particularly with the rollout of 5G technology. At Bharti Airtel, our commitment to sustainability has led us to collaborate with Nokia. This partnership allows us to leverage innovative solutions that deliver substantial energy savings, enabling us to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and further our environmental objectives in alignment with our business strategy.” Tarun Chhabra, head of mobile networks at Nokia, India, added: “We are excited to partner with Bharti Airtel to drive sustainable network practices in the country. Nokia has committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions globally by 2040. Our innovative technologies will not only enhance the overall performance of communications networks but also significantly help reduce their energy consumption, contributing to the energy-efficiency targets of our customers.” Airtel ended July with 387.3 million mobile connections for a market share of 33.12%, putting it second only to Reliance Jio (with 475.8 million mobile connections for a market share of 40.68%). 

Airtel Business, the business-to-business arm of giant Indian telco Bharti Airtel, is using “new-age cybersecurity solutions” from Fortinet to launch Airtel Secure Internet, designed to “enhance security over internet lease line (ILL) circuits, combining Airtel’s trusted internet connectivity with Fortinet’s next-generation firewall,” according to the operator.  “Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly complex and many organisations lack the resources to manage it effectively,” noted Sharat Sinha, CEO at Airtel Business. “We have been pioneers in offering inclusive cyber-secured ILL in the Indian market. With the launch of yet another innovative security solution – Airtel Secure Internet – we offer a comprehensive, future-proof solution that strengthens enterprises’ security without the burden of high capex [capital expenditure].” Read more. 

– The staff, TelecomTV