• Nvidia gives Verizon a smarter edge in private 5G
• SK Telecom ends metaverse deals with telco partners
• NTIA lines up $450m of Open RAN software R&D funding

In today’s industry news roundup: Verizon and Nvidia are integrating their respective private mobile network and AI solutions for the enterprise sector; SK Telecom ends its international metaverse partnerships; Open RAN software grants worth $450m are up for grabs from the US Department of Commerce’s NTIA; and much more!

If you’re heading to MWC25 in Barcelona early next March, expect to see a joint demo from Verizon and Nvidia, as the companies have teamed up to fuse the US operator’s integrated private 5G and edge computing solution with Nvidia’s AI Enterprise software platform and NIM microservices (pre-trained models for specific tasks) “to deliver powerful, real-time AI services on premises for enterprise customers,” the partners have announced. The combination will enable the use of “real-time AI applications that require security, ultra-low latency, and high bandwidth,” noted Srini Kalapala, senior vice president of technology and product development at Verizon, and is designed to manage “compute-intensive applications, including generative AI large language models and vision language models, video streaming, broadcast management, computer vision (CV), augmented/virtual/extended reality (AR/VR/XR), autonomous mobile robot/automated guided vehicle (AMR/AGV) and IoT. The combined system will be pre-integrated to make deployment easier and faster and will “support multi-tenancy for multiple use cases or customers, is modular to be able to scale as needed for a bespoke solution for various applications, and can provide these services remotely via portable private network solutions or on a customer’s premise with a permanent private network on site,” noted Verizon. Ronnie Vasishta, senior VP of telecom at Nvidia, stated: “Enterprises everywhere are racing to integrate AI solutions that bring new value to their employees, partners and customers, and can also help them operate with extreme efficiency. Verizon’s integration of Nvidia’s full stack AI platform into its new solution for running AI workloads on private 5G networks is a big step forward in helping enterprises of all sizes reach their business objectives faster with AI,” he added. No mention was made of the pricing of the combined solution and how much more expensive it will be compared with a private 5G and edge combo that doesn’t feature Nvidia’s technology. 

With its metaverse service, ifland, set to be discontinued at the end of March 2025, SK Telecom has also taken the decision to end its metaverse service joint development agreements with multiple international telco partners, including Deutsche Telekom and e&, the South Korean operator has told TelecomTV. We reported earlier this week that ifland is set to be axed as SK Telecom switches its attention and resources to its AI strategy but questioned what that means for the multiple metaverse-related engagements it had struck beyond its domestic market. Now the self-styled AI company has responded to our questions with the following statement: “SK Telecom plans to expedite its transition into a global AI company by concentrating its capabilities, including leveraging the expertise acquired from its metaverse business. As we have decided to discontinue the metaverse service, we have also mutually agreed to terminate the publishing contracts with companies overseas. Additionally, the global app market is also scheduled for closure on 31 March 2025.” 

Only days after the US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is responsible for distributing Wireless Innovation Fund grants, announced $273m of funding for Open RAN radio product developments to seven vendors, including Nokia, the NTIA has also announced that up to $450m in funding will be made available for “software-focused Open RAN innovation.” The grants will be awarded to companies that are developing software solutions designed to “drive adoption of open and interoperable wireless networks. The goal is to fund projects that will unlock new Open RAN-enabled revenue streams and reduce the cost of integrating equipment from multiple vendors,” noted the NTIA, which is aiming to help US companies become more competitive in the mobile network technology sector. The funding specifically targets two areas: The development of “software solutions that use Open RAN innovations to generate value for industry verticals such as utilities, mining, manufacturing and others”; and the development of software solutions “that reduce the cost and complexity of multivendor integration through automation”. Companies hoping to be awarded a slice of the pie need to get their applications in by 17 March, 2025. 

European wholesale and enterprise service provider Eurofiber is the latest network operator to implement a quantum-secure networking strategy. It has turned to Quantum Bridge, a developer of distributed symmetric key establishment (DSKE) technology, and Juniper Networks to help secure its infrastructure against cybercriminals. It is set to deploy Juniper’s SRX firewalls integrated with Quantum Bridge’s DSKE technology, “an unbreakable security solution which seamlessly integrates with existing firewalls and infrastructure, enabling Eurofiber to provide scalable, future-proof security for its clients,” according to the operator. Eric Kuisch, COO at Eurofiber, noted: “Partnering with Juniper and Quantum Bridge strengthens our commitment to secure and reliable connectivity. The partnership leverages our position as a leader in the fiberoptic market and ensures our customers are protected against evolving cyber threats, including those posed by quantum computing. Over the past few years, we have collaborated with partners to test various advanced technologies, including post-quantum cryptography, QKD [quantum key distribution] and DSKE,” he added. Expect to hear a lot more about quantum-safe networking in 2025 – you can keep up to date with the key developments in our dedicated news channel.

It’s a big week for satellite communications developments, it seems. Following the earlier Iris2 and T-Mobile US announcements, comes the news that Space42, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based company that provides satellite-enabled data services in the Middle East, has signed an AED 18.7bn ($5.1bn) contract with the UAE government to “provide critical, secure communication services for a further 17 years beyond 2026, until 2043.” Under the contract, Space42 will provide satellite capacity and related managed services with the existing Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2 satellites, and will launch two new advanced satellites, Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5, which are expected to be in orbit by 2027 and 2028, respectively. Read more. 

And yet more from space… European satellite giant Eutelsat has selected Airbus Defence and Space to supply 100 ‘birds’ for an extension of its OneWeb low-earth orbit (LEO) constellation, with initial deliveries expected at the end of 2026. The new satellites will incorporate “key technology upgrades, notably 5G on-ground integration,” noted Eutelsat in this announcement. “They will be technologically compatible with Europe’s Iris2 constellation, paving the way for its entry into operational service in 2030, and of which Eutelsat will be the main architect and operator of the LEO segment,” it added.

Ericsson has reportedly abandoned its plan to invest €155m in a new manufacturing and tech hub in Estonia. The vendor initially announced its plan to build the new hub at the Ülemiste City business park in the country’s capital, Tallinn, in July 2023, with the intention of having the site up and running by 2026. Now, though, in the face of challenging telecom sector economics, Ericsson has scrapped its plans for the new hub and will instead modernise its existing sites in Tallinn, local news outlet ERR has reported. It quotes Ericsson Estonia’s CEO, Sirli Männiksaar, as saying: “In the challenging market and economic environment, we are taking a more cautious approach to industrial investments, especially in Europe. To ensure that our business remains robust and well positioned for long-term success, Ericsson is reallocating its investments to certain areas,” she added.  

– The staff, TelecomTV