TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Directory
  • Smart Studio
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • DSP Summits
  • Great Telco Debate
    • |
    • Follow
    • |
    • Subscribe
  • |
  • More
  • Webcasts
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • Great Telco Debate
  • |
  • Follow TelecomTV
  • |
    • Subscribe
    • |
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Follow TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

Internet of Things

Internet of Things

What’s up with… Telefónica, KKR, KT, IoT

TelecomTV Staff
By TelecomTV Staff

May 27, 2020

Image courtesy of Telefónica

Image courtesy of Telefónica

  • Telefónica aims to fuel tech innovation with IoT, blockchain and AI 
  • KKR spies a data centre investment opportunity in Europe
  • KT claims logistics efficiencies from 5G deployment
  • IoT deployments take a hit during lockdown, according to ABI Research

European tech innovation and data centre deployments are the main dishes in this news buffet.

  • Telefónica’s new tech division is offering up its IoT, blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms to developers in Spain, Germany and the UK without charge for the next six months as part of an Activation Programme that aims to encourage entrepreneurs. Interested companies should apply by 22 June to participate in the scheme, which could ultimately lead to a pilot programme with Telefónica and potentially a seed investment. 
  • Still with Telefónica, its security outfit, ElevenPaths, has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Security Competency status: That’s important because if telcos aren't able to help their enterprise customers develop secure projects that use public cloud platforms then, quite soon, they probably won’t have any enterprise customers at all.  
  • Private equity giant KKR has teamed up with “data center entrepreneur” Franek Sodzawiczny to form Global Technical Realty, which will build and manage data centre assets across Europe for “large technology clients.” KKR is making an initial $1 billion capital commitment to the venture, according to this announcement.
  • Eager to highlight the benefits of next gen wireless connectivity, South Korean operator KT Corp. says it’s increasing the efficiency of its logistics centre staff through the use of 5G self-driving carts, according to this announcement.
  • The IoT is shaping up to be another victim of Covid-19, at least in the short term. ABI Research says manufacturing shut-downs, supply chain difficulties and other negative pressures are mostly to blame for an estimated 18% slow-down in the net additions of IoT devices in 2020. That’s slightly disappointing, as you might have expected IoT applications (some of them) to be just what the pandemic doctor ordered, given their ability to get things done without having to ‘send a man out.’ ABI thinks IoT will roar back long term.
  • Here’s a 5G survey (in which 67% of the 110 respondents were telcos) that has a few interesting takeaways: “95% percent say virtualizing network functions is important to their 5G plans, and some three-quarters say their companies are either well on their way or making good progress toward virtualization” – we wonder what the other 5% are thinking…; and “99% view deployment of mobile edge clouds as an important aspect of 5G networks, with 65% saying they expect edge clouds on their 5G networks within 18 months” – whatever the interpretation of “mobile edge cloud” that looks like quite an aggressive timetable. For more details on this BPI Network/A10 Networks survey, see this press release.
  • Mobile operator Three UK has appointed Carlo Melis as its Chief Network Officer. He joins from Italian operator Wind Tre, where he was responsible for the network integration following the merger of Wind and 3 Italia. Earlier this year Three UK lost two of its key technology executives, Phil Sheppard, who was for all intents and purposes the telco’s CTO, and Graham Marsh, so the operator was in need of a senior and experienced appointment. 
  • Netcracker has extended its reach into the A1 Telecom Austria Group with a deal to upgrade the operator’s inventory system for operations in Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia.
  • We’ve always thought that using existing “street furniture” (love that term…) would be a great way to help densify mobile networks as small cells are needed for 5G services, so it’s worth highlighting what Sumitomo, NEC and the city of Tokyo are doing with their trials of “smart poles,” which are defined as “multi-functional poles equipped with communication base stations, Wi-Fi, street lighting, signage, etc., and they are expected to serve as infrastructure useful for the provision of new community services.” 
  • The staff, TelecomTV
Related Topics
  • 5G,
  • 6G R&I,
  • ABI Research,
  • Access Evolution,
  • AI & ML,
  • Analysis & Opinion,
  • Asia-Pacific,
  • Blockchain,
  • Cellular IoT,
  • Data Centres,
  • Digital Platforms & Services,
  • Edge,
  • Enterprise,
  • Europe,
  • Global,
  • Industrial IoT,
  • Internet of Things,
  • IoT Devices,
  • IoT Services & Applications,
  • KT,
  • Mobile,
  • NEC,
  • Netcracker,
  • News,
  • North America,
  • OSS/BSS,
  • Small Cells,
  • Smart Cities,
  • Telco & CSP,
  • Telecoms Vendors & OEMs,
  • Telefónica,
  • Telekom Austria Group,
  • Three UK,
  • Transport and Logistics,
  • Virtualisation,
  • Wi-Fi

More Like This

Digital Platforms & Services

Satellite backhaul will be worth $25 billion by 2030

Apr 12, 2021

Access Evolution

HomeGrid Forum advances G.hn for industrial applications

Apr 12, 2021

Digital Platforms & Services

What Covid did: accelerated digital healthcare

Apr 6, 2021

Access Evolution

Nokia expands Mobily partnership with enterprise IoT network in Saudi Arabia

Mar 30, 2021

Access Evolution

TIM builds bundles for business, backs tech startup fund

Mar 30, 2021

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

22:09

How BSS is evolving to support 5G

40:04

How can DSPs accelerate speed to market for new services?

24:04

Supporting the evolution of service provision at BT

41:32

Edge as a driver of new service revenues

  • TelecomTV
  • Decisive Media

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media

Menu
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Directory
  • Smart Studio
 
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About Us
Our Brands
  • TelecomTV Tracker
  • TelecomTV Perspectives
  • DSP Summits
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • The Great Telco Debate
Get In Touch
info@telecomtv.com
+44 (0) 207 448 1070

Request a Media Pack

Follow
  • © Decisive Media Limited 2021. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Legal Notices