• SK Telecom unveils ‘Metaverse’ platform
• CSG snags Kitewheel 
• Ericsson, Telia and Qualcomm test ‘RRC Inactive’ functionality

A new digital world, a BSS acquisition and an interesting breakthrough in 5G network and device efficiency top today’s news bill. 

SK Telecom has unveiled ‘Ifland,’ a Metaverse platform “designed to maximize user experience through diverse virtual spaces and avatars.” The South Korean operator says it “plans to grow Ifland into the representative Metaverse platform in the 5G era by enhancing user convenience based on its advanced technologies and knowhow accumulated through the operation of Metaverse services like ‘Social VR’ and ‘Virtual Meet-up.’” This sounds like an immersive application that is not only suited to these modern times of lockdown and real human interaction but also one step towards Total Recall… Read more.

Customer engagement and billing system specialist CSG has acquired Kitewheel, a specialist in “customer journey orchestration and analytics.” Financial terms were not disclosed. “Kitewheel is a natural extension to CSG’s customer engagement portfolio and strengthens our presence in faster growing industry verticals like retail, financial services and healthcare, which further diversify our revenue mix and customer base,” noted Alfred Binford, president of customer engagement at CSG. “Kitewheel’s expertise and established market leadership will enhance our ability to deliver greater value to new customers around the world and turbo-charge the global expansion of our customer engagement business,” he added. As part of the deal, 40 Kitewheel staff will join CSG. 

Ericsson and Telia have teamed up with Qualcomm to test new 5G capabilities that improves latency and smartphone battery life. Using a “5G smartphone form factor mobile test device powered by Snapdragon Modem-RF System,” the partners have tested a new 5G feature that allows more efficient use of mobile network resources. The new feature, called inactive state of Radio Resource Control (RRC Inactive), “reduces the amount of signaling required during state transitions, making it possible to significantly lower both latency and battery consumption, which are crucial requirements for many Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G use cases, including critical control of remote devices, enhanced mobile broadband, and smart transport,” explains Ericsson in this press release. 

Network operators should “play their part in powering a greener, more digital and resilient society by leveraging high-capacity optical fibre systems,” according to fibre manufacturer Prysmian Group, which claims its new Industry Insight shows that “by deploying optical fibre networks that use eco-friendly materials, operators will reduce energy consumption and cut out unnecessary emissions across the supply chain.” Read more. 

ADTRAN claims it is “leading the industry’s transition to 10G-capable fibre access networks” with its Combo PON technology, which has now been deployed by more than 100 customers in its first year of availability. To stress the point, the access infrastructure vendor has details several customer case studies at operators such as Armstrong, a large multi-state cable provider and Centre WISP, an RDOF recipient in Pennsylvania. For further details, see this press release.