Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, TelecomTV (00:08):
Hello, you're watching telecom tv. We are joining from the Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona. Now I'm delighted to be joined by an WHO president at Combo International and Caroline Chen, VP of the Networks and Edge Group at Intel. Hi ladies, thank you very much for joining today. So first, Caroline Intel is a leader in high performance silicon, but we also see the company providing various solutions for mobile private networking. Can you please help us understand the strategic intent for this move?

Caroline Chan, Intel Corporation (00:41):
So we do a line of high performance silicon platforms like you mentioned, targeting like the data center for example. But we also providing different variance of that versions of a high performance silicon for the mobile network. We are a leader in 5G, especially around the open ran and the desegregated network. We did notice that the trend is very clear when you roll out the 5G. There is a need for monetization to improve the return of investment, especially with the onset of H AI that everybody's talking about in the show. Everybody's talking about AI and AI everywhere. So when you combine private networks with H AI solution, it accelerates the B2B revenue accelerates the return of investment for 5G networks. So we put that as a strategic initiative. We are putting out both in terms of the silicon as well as enabling software to accelerate the path to private networks with the H AI use cases

Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, TelecomTV (01:49):
And annabell mobile private networks are much about mobile radio technology and comm has a leading position there. From a combo perspective, how do you see your RF technology being relevant to the mobile private network market?

Ms. Annabel Huo, Comba International (02:02):
So comma, we have been always proud as an RF experts. I would say that since we started that's our bread and butter and nowadays we are seeing that your network is only as good as where you are, have capacities and also you have coverage. And this problem or this elements is even more critical and essential in a mobile private network setting because when you talk about automations, when you talk about digitizations, the delay and also the overall capacity requirement of the network is definitely essential for supporting the application that's running on top of it. So I would say our technologies continue to be very essential and very critical and we are very proud to be an industry expert and also technology expert on this and we'll continue to do great innovation on the RF side.

Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, TelecomTV (02:59):
So Caroline Intel provides more than just silicons and it also delivers software solutions. Can you elaborate on those?

Caroline Chan, Intel Corporation (03:06):
So there are two aspects of it. We provide software to our partners who can use them to adopt and adapt much faster to produce their own private network solution. The other thing we actually just announced at the show is our Edge platform, which provides secure onboarding edge AI platform. I mentioned security, which is a really critical part especially around private networks. This is all in the intent to run out of social. Remember I said at the beginning when you have private networks you need to have most of the comes with some kind of edge AI use cases. Having the AI on the edge will allow the enterprises to develop much faster the use cases and the data monetizing the data, which tend to get a lot more coming with the 5G, all the sensors you have around so that really justify and to launch instead accelerate the deployment of private networks

Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, TelecomTV (04:11):
And annabell. What role does MPN software play in your company?

Ms. Annabel Huo, Comba International (04:15):
By building the network in order to monetize it. That's what everyone's talking right now. We need to have those essential applications that's running on top it be it automations, be it the ERP or software or any digitizations or IOTs that's running on top of the network itself. So like I said, application and software definitely would be a very critical and essential part and we start to see a lot of interesting AI and machine learning applications that start to run on the network that would definitely help the enterprise to realize the financial values or the social value of the network itself. And I think that would definitely accelerate the adaptation of the private network itself.

Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, TelecomTV (05:04):
And how do you utilize Intel into your product portfolio?

Ms. Annabel Huo, Comba International (05:08):
We've been collaborating with Intel since the year of 2018 and we are very glad with their flex rent solutions. Intel actually provided us with a very flexible and also very scalable platform where we can collectively come up with a solution that meets not only the technologies aspect from the customers but also from a commercial perspective. I would say the network that we are providing today through Intel actually would be able to more scalable, more future proof. And at the same time we're talking about edge computing, the edge capabilities that will enable our customers for the future when they start to see more applications in their network.

Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, TelecomTV (05:54):
So which sectors are utilizing the benefits? Mobile private networking the most?

Caroline Chan, Intel Corporation (05:59):
So we are seeing manufacturing, definitely logistics like ports and ports and airports and so on. Energy sectors or in gas anywhere has a lack of connectivity. They hamper them from really digitizing their business. We start seeing healthcare even some places you don't think that will be the first problem. We are seeing that and retail also coming up. So anywhere really that has a general loss of data from sensors where the data needs to be connected to make sense. People trying to do machine learning, AI on the edge, all of those required data and data has expiration date. Actually I'm not even saying stage should be expiration seconds, sometimes the milliseconds. So they're essential to have these data being connected and be analyzed on the edge. Again batch edge computing to in order to generate autonomous responses and actions onto those data. I think all of those really start driving the connectivity and the edge AI together.

Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, TelecomTV (06:59):
Thanks Caroline and Annabel. Do you agree?

Ms. Annabel Huo, Comba International (07:02):
Absolutely. Actually I would totally agree especially on the manufacturing and energy sector because we've run several commercial deployments around the world that's specifically for manufacturing and energy sector. They would be the one who's actually benefiting from the digitizations. They see the benefits of automations by improving their process, by improving their efficiencies overall. They are able to run the factory 24 hours in a row instead of only five to six every day. And I would say anyone who would benefit from digitization, they will see the immediate fact or benefits that would brought by the private network.

Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, TelecomTV (07:47):
And how are mobile private networks being deployed around the world and can you speak to supply chain and how transformation specialists, system integrators, neutral hosts and MNOs fit in this?

Caroline Chan, Intel Corporation (08:00):
I think unlike the public network, the private network space has a lot needs entire ecosystem. So everyone you just mentioned for example the role that Intel plays as a technology partner, the role that combat plays as the RF experts and the technology and the provider is essential. We also need SI and global system integrator as well as a very specific vertical in-country. Sometimes even regional integrators. We obviously need the MNOs but they provide the spectrum and many times we actually need the application developers. So having a common API such as what GSMA is developing called kamara actually really started opening what you need, the telemetries from the network that gives you the API, the data, the information that the developers needs to the application. I think all of that really becomes a much more complete and rich ecosystem.

Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, TelecomTV (09:01):
Anabel your thoughts about this?

Ms. Annabel Huo, Comba International (09:03):
Our network is only as valuable as the application that's running on top of it. Absolutely. What data we are carrying, what kind of application we are running, that's where the network got to be monetized. So absolutely it's the applications provider, the software enabler, and also the AI and machine learning and also the IOC provider who are part of the ecosystem is absolutely critical for the development of the private network. And also I would say the adaptation of the end users, the IT side of each individual companies. Very good

Caroline Chan, Intel Corporation (09:40):
Point, yes.

Ms. Annabel Huo, Comba International (09:41):
And if they are able to see the value and if they're able to monetize the network itself in their own system and procedures, they will see immediate impact and they will be able to continue to unleash the value of the network itself.

Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, TelecomTV (09:59):
And what is next for Intel and Comba for building upon this momentum?

Caroline Chan, Intel Corporation (10:04):
So we've been seeing a lot of talk about private networks in the last few years. People might even say hype, but if you see the trend that we are looking at since 2023, this is the year that we are no more POC, we are going to be doing scale business. We're going to start rolling out so combat and int L in addition to our technology partnership that we always been doing. We need to be doing some go to market together. We need to be able to reach out to developers and to the end customers showing them that this is a mature technology and there is a real return of investment TCO in there. So this is the year that we're going to start rolling this out and scaling business.

Ms. Annabel Huo, Comba International (10:47):
Absolutely, yes. And on top of Caroline, I would say that continue to innovate is definitely a key. Really understanding each individual verticals requirement is absolutely key. That's why a very close collaboration with company like Intel is very essential because we are able to talk together with the end users and also the application developers so that all together, everyone in the same supply chain or in the same industry can help the end users to realize the value.

Caroline Chan, Intel Corporation (11:22):
Yeah. If I were going to add one more thing is private network plus H AI is a game changer. It's a game changer for network monetization.

Ms. Annabel Huo, Comba International (11:31):
Exactly.

Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, TelecomTV (11:33):
Thank you very much both for your insights.

Ms. Annabel Huo, Comba International (11:35):
Thank you. Thank you very much.