• Vodafone and Telenor strike procurement pact
• Zayo claims NaaS breakthrough
• AccelerComm and Radisys land NTN R&D funding

In today’s industry news roundup: Vodafone and Telenor are pooling their hefty procurement resources; Zayo believes it has developed a true network-as-a-service (NaaS) solution; non-terrestrial network development partners get UK Space Agency funding; and more!

The global procurement units of Vodafone Group and Telenor have teamed up to “leverage the scale and global capabilities of both groups across major areas of procurement,” a move that will have major network equipment vendors reeling at the prospect of deeper discount requests. The two purchasing units, which have a combined annual spend of €26bn, aim to “unlock savings through combined purchasing power and complementary geographies and expertise. In addition, the partnership will deepen supplier and partner engagement and strengthen supply chain resilience amid a rapidly changing geopolitical global landscape.” Ninian Wilson, Vodafone Group’s supply chain management director and CEO of Vodafone Procure & Connect, commented: “We are excited by the collaboration between our organisations. By combining our scale, complementary footprints and competencies, we will drive sustainable efficiencies and greater innovation for our customers.” And he even pitched an upside for the vendors. “At the same time, we will simplify engagement for our partners, reducing administrative burden and duplication in an increasingly complex environment, while opening new opportunities to our suppliers and partners.”

US long-distance network operator and enterprise service provider Zayo claims that, unlike many of its rivals, it can deliver a network-as-a-service (NaaS) solution that delivers on, and even surpasses, the promises of such a service. Zayo notes that NaaS, which is defined by Gartner as “a highly automated network configuration model with self-service interfaces and dynamic scaling”, has so far “been more promise than reality”, but claims its new DynamicLink service fits the bill. “DynamicLink delivers what others can’t: More reach, broader capabilities and industry-first AI-powered intelligence,” stated Zayo in this announcement, claiming that it is “the most complete NaaS solution on the market, giving organisations real-time control to turn up, scale and manage their networks.” Bill Long, chief product and strategy officer at Zayo, boasted: “We aren’t the first to market here but we are the first to get it right.” No doubt the team at Lumen Technologies, one of Zayo’s fiercest rivals and which announced in August that it has more than 1,000 NaaS customers, will have some thoughts about such claims. 

Southampton, UK-based wireless network optimisation specialist AccelerComm, which is developing 5G tech for satellite-enabled communications, and one of its existing partners, telecom software stack developer Radisys (part of Jio Platforms), have received an unspecified sum of funding from the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund (IBF) to support the development of the next generation of non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). “This project will tighten the integration of the two companies' technologies so that they can be offered as a complete package to satellite manufacturer and operator customers,” noted AccelerComm in this announcement. The joint project will see the integration of the latest versions of AccelerComm's Layer 1 (PHY) technology into Radisys's lab in India, “providing a valuable resource for joint research and demonstrations to customers and partners around the world. This builds on the long-term relationship between the two companies, which has  positioned them several years ahead of emerging competitors,” stated AccelerComm. David Helfgott, CEO of AccelerComm, stated: “The next generation of NTNs is dependent on 5G base stations operating on board satellites. Making this happen in the extreme environment of earth’s orbit is only possible through close collaboration among companies from across the value chain. Today’s news builds on our long standing partnership with Radisys, further unlocking new business opportunities for Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) 5G communication. It also strengthens the UK's international partnerships in space technologies.”

German operator O2 Telefónica (aka Telefónica Deutschland) has struck a deal with OpenAI to offer ChatGPT Plus to its customers for three months without charge: The regular fee for the generative AI (GenAI) chatbot is €23 per month. “The collaboration with OpenAI enables our customers to use AI in everyday life – whether for learning, working or personal use,” stated Andreas Laukenmann, chief commercial officer at O2 Telefónica. “Together, we’re giving our customers access to ChatGPT Plus and showing that artificial intelligence is not a luxury for the few but a powerful tool for the many,” he added. Jeremy Fine, head of consumer partnerships at OpenAI, stated: “Germany has become our largest market in Europe, with our ChatGPT user base growing fivefold over the past year. Through our collaboration with O2 Telefónica, even more people will be able to access our most advanced AI in ChatGPT and unlock the benefits of this transformative technology.”

– The staff, TelecomTV