Ericsson completes first live 5G data call on Ericsson Cloud RAN

Telstra completed the first Ericsson Cloud RAN 5G data call on its commercial network in Queensland, Australia. 

Ericsson’s Cloud RAN solution virtualizes the RAN baseband as cloud-native network functions for the CU (centralized unit) and DU (distributed unit).

Telstra’s implementation of Ericsson’s Cloud RAN technology employs an architecture in which both the CU and DU baseband functions are centralized versus approaches that only centralize the CU and leave the DU at the base station site. By placing both the CU and DU functions at a central site such as a Telstra local exchange or data center, Telstra will achieve more efficient utilization of compute resources leading to improved cost and capacity outcomes.

The centralized Cloud RAN architecture deployed by Telstra is facilitated by the recently announced world-first commercial network deployment of Ericsson’s packet fronthaul technology based on the Ericsson Router 6673. Packet fronthaul technology allows existing site radios to be connected to the centralized Cloud RAN solution using eCPRI (enhanced CPRI). eCPRI is both more bandwidth efficient and places the radio information in an ethernet-based format that easily connects to cloud infrastructure running the Cloud RAN CU and DU baseband functions. 

Another unique aspect of Telstra’s Cloud RAN commercial network trial is that it is the first deployment of the Cloud RAN solution on Ericsson’s Cloud Native Infrastructure Solution (CNIS), - a bare metal infrastructure that is specifically optimized for hosting cloud-native 5G applications both at central data centers and at the edge. The combination of Ericsson’s Cloud RAN running on CNIS as a system-verified solution reduces Telstra’s deployment and operational risks and ensures the best mobile network performance for Telstra’s customers.

Iskra Nikolova, Telstra’s Network and Infrastructure Executive, says: “Telstra’s ongoing partnership with Ericsson has reached another new milestone this week with the first 5G Cloud RAN data call over our commercial network utilizing Ericsson’s industry-leading Cloud RAN technology. This achievement clears the way for the wider deployment of Ericsson’s Cloud RAN technology, which will enable the full benefits of 5G for Telstra’s customers across Australia.”

Emilio Romeo, Head of Ericsson, Australia and New Zealand, says: “Ericsson’s Cloud RAN technology is a key enabler of 5G-as-a-service-based architecture and supports Telstra’s move towards the widespread virtualization and automation of its network infrastructure. This Australia first Cloud RAN trial further demonstrates the industry leading innovation made possible by Ericsson’s ongoing partnership with Telstra while marking the next step in the transformation of Australia’s largest mobile network.”

https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/7/2022/telstra-makes-its-first-5g-data-call-on-a-commercial-network-with-ericsson-cloud-ran-technology

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New download peak speed benchmark: 7.3Gbps

Telstra, Ericsson claimed a new 5G download peak speed benchmark of 7.3Gbps for a single user.

The result was achieved at a Telstra live mobile site located at the Gold Coast, Queensland Australia. 

This new global 5G benchmark of 7.3Gbps for a single user was demonstrated using a smartphone form factor mobile test device, powered by Snapdragon X70 5G Modem-RF System. The mobile device connected to a live commercial Telstra mobile site equipped with an Ericsson Radio System base-station supporting New Radio Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) between 800MHz of n258 (26GHz) mmWave spectrum and 100MHz of mid-band n78 (3.6GHz) Time Division Duplex (TDD) spectrum.

The Ericsson base station used in this milestone has two Ericsson’s Baseband 6648, AIR5322 n258 26GHz mmWave radios, AIR6488 n78 3.6GHz radios and commercial Ericsson RAN software running 5G NR DC (new radio dual connectivity) capability. The high peak speed is achieved by aggregating eight 100MHz mmWave carriers (800MHz total bandwidth) running peak modulation of 256QAM and combining with 100MHz of mid-band TDD using NR dual connectivity.

The peak speed to 7.3Gbps surpassed  the previous 5G downlink benchmark also set by Telstra in February 2022 of 5.9Gbps (peak modulation of 64QAM on mmWave).

https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/7/2022/telstra-ericsson-and-qualcomm-achieve-new-download-speed-benchmark

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Telstra names Katy Greenfield as VP of Customer Solutions

Telstra has named Katy Greenfield as Vice President of Customer Solutions for the Americas. She will lead a specialized team working directly with enterprises across the region to develop customized network connectivity products and services.

Greenfield most recently served as Director of Solutions Engineering at Zayo Group. She will report to Noah Drake, President, Americas for Telstra.

Greenfield is a certified AWS Solutions Architect and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

“Organizations already have enough challenges managing their business, customers and employees,” said Greenfield. “Network infrastructure decisions shouldn’t be added to that list. What drew me to Telstra was its commitment as a service provider to identifying and deploying the right solution for a customer, whether it involves servicing enterprises at the edge, enabling international expansion plans or helping companies effectively scale for fluctuations in user bandwidth.”

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Telstra and Microsoft enter strategic partnership

Telstra and Microsoft announced a five-year agreement that significantly expands their existing strategic partnership.  

The arrangement is believed to be one of the largest partnerships Microsoft has established with a telecommunications provider globally. 

Telstra to become Microsoft’s largest supplier of its network capacity requirements on terrestrial fibre in Australia. Microsoft will become an anchor tenant on Telstra’s new ultra-fast intercity fibre network.

Some other key aims:

• Boost Microsoft’s connectivity and growth in Australia, with Microsoft becoming an anchor tenant on Telstra’s new ultra-fast intercity fibre network.
• Drive Telstra’s ambition to have about 90 per cent of its applications on public cloud infrastructure by 2025, which includes Microsoft Azure as a preferred cloud partner as part of Telstra’s multi-cloud approach.
• See Telstra launch a dedicated end-to-end Microsoft practice to unlock maximum value for the organisations’ joint customers across their digital transformation journey by combining Microsoft’s cloud, edge and modern work solutions with Telstra’s network leadership and technology experts.
• Increase collaboration between Telstra and Microsoft to support hybrid ways of working and develop environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.
• Boosting connectivity and harnessing cloud capabilities

Microsoft will also explore boosting its capacity on Telstra’s leading Asia-Pacific subsea cable network. 

The organisations will also continue to co-develop products that reimagine familiar experiences and merge the network and the cloud to create new offers. For example, Telstra and Microsoft recently co-developed Branch Offload, Australia’s first 5G-enabled edge computing solution for enterprises. The solution blends Telstra’s 5G and fixed connectivity with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge for edge computing, secure edge, SD-WAN and service orchestration, and is delivered by Telstra Purple.

Telstra CEO Andrew Penn comments:  “Our strategic partnership with Microsoft is on a scale not seen before in Australia, and it will be Australian businesses who will benefit at a time when the urgency to digitise and transform their operations has never been greater.” 

“Digital technology is foundational to the resilience and differentiation of every organisation,” said Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “Our partnership brings together Telstra’s leadership in network connectivity with the breadth and depth of the Microsoft Cloud to address key challenges, including hybrid work and sustainability, and support Australia’s growth.”

https://www.telstra.com.au/aboutus/media/media-releases/telstra-and-microsoft-sign-five-year-agreement

Verizon debuts mobile edge cloud with Microsoft Azure

Tuesday, August 31, 2021  Azure, Microsoft, Verizon  

Verizon is now offering an on-premises, private edge compute solution in collaboration with Microsoft Azure.Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge is a cloud computing platform that brings compute and storage services to the edge of the network at the customer premises providing enterprises with increased efficiencies, higher levels of security, and the low lag and high bandwidth needed for applications involving computer vision, augmented...

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Lumen enters edge partnership with Microsoft Azure

Thursday, July 08, 2021  Lumen  

 Lumen Technologies announced a strategic relationship with Microsoft Azure focused on the next generation of enterprise application delivery at the network edge. The companies cited several go-to-market efforts to support mutual customers worldwide:A certified Azure deployment which will be able to run in Lumen Edge Computing nodes worldwide, unlocking more low latency and high bandwidth use cases for customers of Azure service platform.Communication...

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AT&T to power its network with Microsoft Azure for Operators

Wednesday, June 30, 2021  AT&T, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure, Telco Cloud  

AT&T will power its mobile network on Microsoft's Azure for Operators cloud starting with the 5G and migrating existing and future workloads over time. Microsoft will assume responsibility for both software development and deployment of AT&T’s Network Cloud immediately and bring AT&T’s existing network cloud to Azure over the next three years. Financial terms were not disclosed.Under an expanded strategic alliance between the firms, AT&T...

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Telstra acquires Digicel Pacific for US$1.85 billion

Telstra has completed the acquisition of Digicel Pacific Limited, which operates in six markets in the South Pacific including Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga and Nauru.  

The transaction values Digicel Pacific at up to US$ 1.85 billion, inclusive of a three year, US$ 250 million earn-out, equating to approximately 8.3 times DPL's adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of approximately US$ 222 million in the year ended March 31, 2021. 

Telstra's bid was supported with funding from the Australian Government, through Export Finance Australia.

Commenting, Denis O'Brien, Digicel Founder and Chairman, said: "Having established our Pacific operations as a business start-up in 2005, we depart with enormous pride in a team that has made affordable best-in-class communications available to more than 10 million people across six of the most exciting economies in the region. I am deeply grateful to all our colleagues who contributed to this success and in particular, to our 1,700 staff in the Pacific who I know will continue to represent the Digicel brand with pride under new owners Telstra. We wish them every continued success for the future."

Commenting, Oliver Coughlan, Group Chief Executive, said: "Until 2020 I was privileged to serve as CEO of our Digicel Pacific operations over many years and to work with exceptional people at this highly performing, high growth business. They retain our appreciation and friendship. Post this transaction, Digicel is well positioned to support continuing growth in our well-invested networks in our 25 markets in the Caribbean and Central America."

https://www.digicelgroup.com/en.html

Digicel Tonga confirms two separate undersea cable breaks

Monday, January 17, 2022  Digicel, Outage, Subsea, Tonga  

Digicel reported that its preliminary technical fault investigation has established that there are two separate undersea cable breaks. The first between TCL cable landing station Sopu, Tongatapu and FINTEL cable landing station in Suva, Fiji. The international cable break is approximately 37km offshore from Tonga. The second cable break is on the domestic cable which is near the area of the recent volcanic activity. The company has engaged the cable...

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Tonga loses subsea cable connectivity following eruption

Sunday, January 16, 2022  Subsea, Tonga  

Subsea cable connectivity to the Kingdom of Tonga was lost following the eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano on Saturday.Digicel reported that all communication to the outside world in Tonga is affected due to damage on the Tonga Cable Limited submarine cable, which runs 827 kilometers and connects the Tongan capital of Nuku'alofa to Southern Cross’ trans-Pacific cable in Suva, Fiji.https://www.digicelgroup.com/to/en/news/2022/jan/16th/network-restoration-volcanic-eruption.htmlTelstra...

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Telstra and Australian government to acquire Digicel Pacific

Sunday, October 24, 2021  Australia  

Telstra, in partnership with the Australian government, reached a deal to acquire the Digicel business in the South Pacific region for US$1.6 billion, plus up to an additional US$250 million subject to business performance over the next three years.The Digicel business will be owned and operated by Telstra. Telstra is contributing US$270 million of equity to the US$1.6 billion purchase price and the Australian Government, through Export Finance Australia,...

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Telstra appoints Mundt as VP Enterprise and Tech for the Americas

Telstra has named Steve Mundt as Vice President of Enterprise and Technology for the Americas, responsible for direct sales and new business development across the region.

Mundt most recently was Global Account Director for Media and Technology at Telstra. Prior to joining Telstra in 2017, he held sales and business development roles at global technology and telecommunications companies supporting enterprise, cloud and hybrid infrastructure initiatives.

Mundt takes on his new role during a time when Telstra is investing heavily to grow its network infrastructure and expand its connectivity solutions portfolio in the Americas and in key regions worldwide.

“This is an exciting time to be in the telecommunications industry,” said Mundt. “Demand for global network services remains high across enterprise and technology market verticals. Helping organizations scale and adapt the right solution for their unique needs is a challenge we continue to tackle, and Telstra is well-positioned to remain a major player in this space.”

Telstra appoints Noah Drake as President for the Americas

Monday, May 09, 2022  People, Telstra  

Telstra has named Noah Drake as President for the Americas, responsible for leading the company’s future direction within the region. Drake will oversee all sales and business operations, playing a key role in further expanding Telstra’s portfolio of technology solutions and continuing to accelerate strategic partnerships. Most recently, Drake led Telstra’s Customer Solutions and Architecture group, directing a specialized team of professionals...

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Telstra upgrades optical network to 400 GE

Telstra is upgrading its optical network interface for its IP routers and switches from 100 GE to a 400 GE.

The deployment on Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical Platform  will initially be used for Telstra’s Internet traffic and broadband connectivity.

Iskra Nikolova, Telstra Executive for Network and Infrastructure, says: “We’re seeing traffic demands for mobile and fixed growing at over 40 percent and around 25 percent per annum respectively, driven by more people working from home and higher bandwidth requirements. This is due to the rising demands of video streaming and online gaming, as well as increased requirements for cloud and data center connectivity.

Emilio Romeo, Head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand says: “This milestone achievement will ensure that Telstra’s Next Generation Optical Network has the capabilities to meet existing and future demands from its customers. Here at Ericsson, we are proud to work with Telstra and Ciena in providing network services that will benefit all Australians.”

Matthew Vesperman, Regional Managing Director for Ciena Australia and New Zealand says: “Innovative network providers like Telstra are constructing adaptive networks that can not only scale but also dynamically respond to unpredictable traffic requirements. Ciena’s 6500 platform powered by WaveLogic optics combines the required capabilities and software intelligence, providing optical network efficiencies while optimizing its footprint, power, and capacity.”

https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/2/2022/6/telstra-ericsson-and-ciena-quadruple-service-capacity-for-telstras-optical-network

Telstra launches 400G service based on Ciena

Tuesday, September 29, 2020  400G, Australia, Ciena, Telstra  

 Telstra has launched commercial wavelength services based on 400G technology from Ciena. For the deployment, Ericsson delivered Ciena’s WaveLogic Ai and WaveLogic 5 Extreme solutions along with associated local professional services for optical transmission. The higher bandwidth services can now quickly be delivered with a single card, offering on-demand capacity, from 100G up to 400G. In a trial, Telstra also achieved 700G per wavelength...

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Telstra Wholesale deploys ADVA FSP 150 for Rapid Mobile Activation

Telstra Wholesale is leveraging ADVA FSP 150 technology to provide its Rapid Mobile Activation service. The new capabilities enable Telstra Wholesale’s communication service provider (CSP) customers to quickly provision Ethernet connectivity and deliver greater levels of resilience. 

With Telstra Wholesale’s new offering, CSPs across Australia can install their customer premises equipment using Ethernet over mobile. End users then have faster access to services while they wait for fiber to be provisioned. Once fiber is in place, the mobile service becomes a backup so that Layer 2 services are available even in the event of a fiber outage. The new capabilities are enabled by the ADVA FSP 150-XG300 Series of 10Gbit/s multi-layer demarcation, aggregation and edge computing devices. The technology delivers zero-touch provisioning at the network edge with fully automated activation and advanced security controls. It enables Telstra Wholesale to provide a differentiated service that offers a unique competitive advantage.

“Our new Rapid Mobile Activation is changing the way our customers deliver business internet and other services. Using the power of our mobile network and the LTE capabilities of ADVA’s edge solution, we’re making it quick and easy for CSPs to meet booming demand for enterprise connectivity. We’re also creating another layer of redundancy for enhanced availability,” said Glenn Osborne, executive, wholesale segment at Telstra InfraCo. “Ethernet Access customers will benefit greatly from these innovative mobile capabilities, particularly businesses that are moving locations or need connectivity sooner and value the added resilience of mobile backup, which will prove invaluable as they digitize their operations.”

“Our long-standing partnership with Telstra Wholesale has brought Ethernet services with ever greater levels of quality and reliability to businesses throughout Australia. Now our innovation and support are helping empower CSPs with unprecedented scale, speed and efficiency. Rapid Mobile Activation lets Telstra Wholesale’s customers bring enterprises online in as little as eight working days. It also relieves end users from the cost and complexity of configuring their own mobile backup,” commented Erik Lindberg, VP of sales, APAC at ADVA. “Telstra Wholesale is streamlining activation processes while also making connectivity more robust. At a time when IoT technology is coming into its own, the new service will open up a world of opportunities across a wide range of industries.”

http://www.adva.com

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Telstra Wholesale launches premium 5G and IOT to MVNOs

 Telstra Wholesale is launching a new 5G service and a series of IOT products for Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) customers.

The Telstra Wholesale 5G service will be available from July, initially reaching more than 75% of Australians. It will deliver Telstra Wholesale’s fastest-ever mobile speeds – up to 250 Mbps - and access to mmWave where available.

Glenn Osborne, Executive, Sales and Wholesale Segment, Telstra Wholesale said this expanded portfolio of services was about meeting the needs of a rapidly evolving mobile market.

“The ability for our Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) customers to offer a premium 5G mobile plan, as part of their suite of mobile solutions, provides even more possibilities for these customers to unlock new growth opportunities and attract different audiences seeking the performance benefits and capacity of 5G. And they can do all of this while utilising the capabilities of Telstra’s world-class network,” he added.

https://www.telstra.com.au/aboutus/media/media-releases/wholesale-launches-5G-IOT-product-range

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Telstra appoints Noah Drake as President for the Americas

Telstra has named Noah Drake as President for the Americas, responsible for leading the company’s future direction within the region. Drake will oversee all sales and business operations, playing a key role in further expanding Telstra’s portfolio of technology solutions and continuing to accelerate strategic partnerships.

 Most recently, Drake led Telstra’s Customer Solutions and Architecture group, directing a specialized team of professionals working with customers to harness the full capabilities of Telstra’s products and services. Prior to joining Telstra, Drake was Vice President of Product Management at Boulder (CO)-based Zayo Group, responsible for the Fiber and Infrastructure portfolio of services. Prior to this role, he served as Senior Director of Global Reach where he was tasked with launching the company’s new market expansion team.

“Our customers are navigating a continually changing business landscape as they grow their operations and build toward long-term success,” said Drake. “Telstra is well-positioned to meet their evolving needs with a diverse range of solutions and services that can support any connectivity method required to successfully achieve an organization’s digital initiatives. This is an exciting time to be in telecommunications and I’m looking forward to leading this exceptional Americas team and driving our business forward.” 

https://www.telstra.com/americas

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Telstra names Vicki Brady as its next CEO

Telstra named Vicki Brady as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 September 2022, replacing Andrew Penn who has today announced his intention to retire after serving more than seven years in the role. 

Brady currently serves as Telstra’s Chief Financial Officer. 

Brady holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Australia National University, a Masters from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants ANZ and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She will be based in Sydney.

“Andy has led Telstra during a period of significant change and will be known for his courage in setting a bold ambition through the T22 strategy to deliver a transformed experience for customers, shareholders and employees. There is no doubt the strategy has delivered beyond expectations and has laid the foundations for Telstra’s recently announced T25 strategy and a renewed focus on growth and innovation,” said Telstra Chairman, John Mullen. 

“During his time as CEO, Andy has driven a focus on digitisation underpinned by a commitment to simplifying our products and services for our customers and employees. He has also maintained our leadership in networks, including recently through our investment to lead on 5G. 

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Telstra to deliver teleport services for OneWeb in Australia

Telstra announced a 10-year deal to deliver teleport services to OneWeb in Australia. 

Telstra is building three new dedicated teleports across Australia. The first of the new teleports, located in Darwin Tivendale, is scheduled to begin installation this month with go-live planned in July. Two further sites – Charlton Toowoomba and Wangara, Perth, WA – are planned for completion later in 2022. Each facility will provide turnkey ground station support for OneWeb’s growing fleet of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

Telstra said its turnkey approach for OneWeb includes designing, building and activating the teleports with ground station capabilities to meet OneWeb’s requirements. Telstra will also provide 24/7 monitoring and quality assurance services at each location.

“OneWeb had exacting requirements from the outset, and we worked in close partnership with them from site selection through construction,” said Vish Vishwanathan, Vice President Wholesale & Satellite, Telstra Americas. “Teleports are complex sites involving access to secure and resilient infrastructure and on-the-ground expertise, which Telstra has provided to OneWeb throughout this project.”

“Low Earth Orbit satellite technology is transforming the global connectivity landscape, not only by creating new business opportunities, but also giving more businesses, communities and governments the internet access they need for progress,” said Michele Franci, Chief of Delivery and Operations at OneWeb. “More connectivity options benefit everyone and our approach in establishing strategic partnerships with experienced providers like Telstra is core to how we deliver the OneWeb mission.”

http://www.telstra.com

• Earlier this month, OneWeb signed an MOU with Telstra to explore new connectivity solutions for Australia and the Asia pacific regions.

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Telstra hits 5.9Gbps with mmWave 5G on Ericsson/Qualcomm

Telstra achieved a new network download speed record of 5.9Gbps using a smartphone form factor mobile test device, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System and Qualcomm® FastConnect™ 6900 subsystem. The network infrastructure was powered by an Ericsson Radio System and dual connectivity software connected to Telstra’s commercial mmWave 5G mobile network. 

Ericsson’s NR-DC software leverages downlink eight-component Carrier Aggregation (DL 8CC CA), in which eight contiguous carriers of 100MHz mmWave are combined with 100MHz of mid-band spectrum, resulting in higher data speeds on Telstra's mmWave 5G network. 

The record was set as Telstra readies itself for its third mmWave compatible device, The NETGEAR Nighthawk M6 Pro, slated to hit the shelves in April. It features mmWave 5G, WiFi 6 and high-speed ethernet. It is capable of connecting 32 devices simultaneously and through 5G connectivity able to deliver speeds significantly faster than 4G equivalents. 

“As we continue to work closely with Telstra and Ericsson in Australia in 2022, we are proud to have contributed to break a network speed record with Telstra again, this time reaching 5.9Gbps,” said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, 5G, Mobile Broadband and Infrastructure, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “As 5G mmWave grows globally, we look forward to bringing the multi-gigabit speed and low latency benefits of mmWave to more consumers and businesses.”

“Demand for cloud gaming, immersive media, and video streaming services are growing at a faster rate than ever before”, said Emilio Romeo, Head of Ericsson, Australia and New Zealand. “Not only will this new 5G record enable faster mobile broadband speeds and greater network capacity, it demonstrates Ericsson and Telstra’s commitment to push the boundaries of what is possible, ensuring customers can access the best mobile connectivity available.”

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TPG Telecom and Telstra reach network sharing deal in Australia

Telstra and TPG Telecom announced a ten-year regional network sharing agreement covering Telstra's Radio Access Network in defined territory.

The deal provides TPG Telecom with access to around 3,700 of Telstra’s mobile network assets, increasing TPG Telecom’s current 4G coverage from around 96 per cent to 98.8 per cent of the population.

Both carriers will continue to operate their own core network. Telstra will also obtain access to and deploy infrastructure on up to 169 TPG Telecom existing mobile sites, improving coverage for TPG and Telstra customers in the zone. TPG Telecom will decommission the 725 mobile sites it currently operates within the agreed area, reducing environmental impact, energy consumption, operating costs and future capex. The non-exclusive agreement includes the option for TPG Telecom to request two contract extensions of five years each.

TPG Telecom CEO Iñaki Berroeta said the landmark network sharing agreement would significantly expand TPG Telecom’s mobile network footprint in regional Australia and enable growth of its customer base in regional and metropolitan areas.

“It represents a material uplift in the capability of our network and will provide significant value for TPG Telecom shareholders over the medium and long term.

“We will be open for business in regional and rural Australia like never before, offering a 4G network that provides 98.8% population coverage and rapidly growing 5G coverage across the nation."

TPG Telecom notes that it will continue to operate its own 3G, 4G and 5G networks in metropolitan areas reaching around 80 per cent of the population, which includes its network infrastructure sharing arrangement with Optus in those areas.

https://www.tpgtelecom.com.au

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Telstra plans two major infrastructure projects for Australia

by James E. Carroll

Telstra is raising its CAPEX forecast fy Aus$1.4-1.6 billion over the next 5 years for two newly announced infrastructure projects:

• Building and managing the ground infrastructure and fibre network in Australia for Viasat, a global communications company. This program will support the new ViaSat-3 terabit-class global satellite system as part of the 16.5 year contract. Each of the three global ViaSat-3 satellites are designed to offer over 1Tbps of total network capacity to deliver data and video streaming speeds of more than 150Mbps. Viasat provides broadband internet services to fixed, mobile and government customers globally.
• A major new fibre project to build state-of-the-art inter-city dual fibre paths. The investment will add up to 20,000 new route kilometres to increase the capacity of Telstra’s already extensive optical fibre network. It will enable express connectivity between capital cities up to 55Tbps per fibre pair capacity (over six times today’s typical capacity of 8.8Tbps per fibre pair) on routes such as Sydney – Melbourne; Sydney – Brisbane; and Perth – Sydney.  The national fibre network project is a multi-year build which will commence at scale in late FY22 with early trial and test deployments already underway. Discussions with key anchor customers for the national fibre network are progressing, including with global hyperscalers, local telecommunications providers and construction partners.

Telstra expects to invest up to 70 percent of this total commitment across its T25 planning period, or an additional ~$350 million of capex per year over FY23 to FY25. There is no change to FY22 guidance, and Telstra plans to complete its on-market buyback in FY22 as previously advised.

Telstra CEO Andrew Penn said the two projects recognised the strength of Telstra’s network assets and were part of Telstra’s T25 InfraCo ambition to deliver profitable growth and value by improving access, utilisation and scale of its infrastructure. "Investing int these two trul significant nation-building projects will see us continue to have the larges inter-city fibre network in the country, helping to future proof Australia's digital economy and further improving connectivity in regional Australia."

https://www.telstra.com.au/aboutus

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Telstra Enterprise deploys Ericsson Private 5G

Telstra Enterprise has deployed Ericsson Private 5G for AgriFood Connect, an Australian not-for-profit organisation.

Ericsson Private 5G is a private wireless connectivity platform that facilitates advanced operations through automation, flexibility and intelligent connectivity. Using a single server 5G dedicated network based on a dual mode core, Ericsson Private 5G facilitates both LTE and 5G Standalone (SA) simultaneously.

The 5G SA capability delivered from the Ericsson Private 5G product, coupled with Telstra’s advanced network capabilities, offers an industrial wireless connectivity platform for enterprise that can deliver low latency, enhanced resiliency and the capacity to meet even the most demanding business operation requirements.

Telstra Network and Infrastructure executive, Iskra Nikolova, says: “The combination of a dedicated network in partnership with Telstra’s existing Network capabilities can facilitate the implementation of a whole variety of new and emerging technologies. Challenging locations in regional Australia, where there is comparatively limited backhaul capacity, will greatly benefit from this technology. For example, a remote farming or a manufacturing business could embrace the latest advancements in video analytics and IoT connectivity, almost regardless of their location, with the data processed on site.” 

https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/7/2022/telstra-deploys-industry-first-ericsson-private-5g-for-enterprise

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Telstra hires Vish Vishwanathan to head Wholesale Group in the Americas

Telstra has named Vish Vishwanathan as Vice President of its Wholesale group for the Americas. Vishwanathan previously led global IP network sales for NTT and has also held senior sales and market development roles at CenturyLink, MCI International and Motorola.

Vishwanathan will take charge of Telstra’s existing business that serves telecom and satellite providers across North America, spearhead plans to extend the company’s reach across Latin America and expand its services capabilities to satellite operators.

“Telstra’s leadership in trans-Pacific connectivity and reach across Asia provides a lot of opportunity in the market,” said Vishwanathan. “Operators are shoring up their networks to meet explosive customer demand and Telstra’s continued investment in its network, products and services means we are incredibly well-placed to support this growth.”

“Vish brings significant experience leading go-to-market strategies and customer-facing teams, along with a strong track record across international markets,” said Nicholas Collins, President, Telstra Americas. This combination makes him a formidable appointment to lead the next chapter of our ambitious wholesale growth in the Americas.”

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5G upload speed hits record 986 Mbps

Ericsson, Telstra, and Qualcomm Technologies reported the highest uplink peak rate ever recorded on a commercial network during a live demo: 986 Mbps.

The demo integrated four component 100MHz carriers of millimeter wave, combining with the 100MHz of 3.6GHz spectrum. NR-DC was implemented with n78 and n258.

The testing was conducted at Telstra’s 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC) using Telstra’s commercial network resulting in a throughput of roughly 1Gbps, more than doubling the current uplink speed on the market. The smartphone form-factor test device powered by Snapdragon X65 was used with Ericsson Radio System’s Baseband 6648 and AIR 6488 for mid-band, which has been widely deployed in Telstra’s network, and Baseband 6648 with the AIR 5322 for high-band.

Ericsson’s NR-DC software combines 5G frequency ranges below 7.125 GHz (mid-band, Time Division Duplex, TDD) and above 24.25 GHz (high-band TDD) and is now available for commercial deployment. The UL 4CC carrier aggregation software is slated to go commercial globally in the second quarter of 2022.

Sibel Tombaz, Head of Product Line 5G RAN, Ericsson, says: “We continue to pursue new and innovative ways of enhancing the end-user impact of 5G. An uplink speed of close to 1Gbps using NR-DC and four-component carrier aggregation is the latest in a series of 5G milestones we have achieved in collaboration with Telstra and Qualcomm Technologies. This means users can enjoy vastly improved experiences from applications where quicker upload time makes a difference.”

Nikos Katinakis, Group Executive Networks and IT, Telstra, says: “We have a history of world firsts with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies. In 2016 we broke the 1Gbps barrier on 4G; in January this year, we set a new download record on 5G, and now we have set a new record in the uplink on a commercial 5G network. It is a testament to the continuous efforts of our team to innovate, and I take pride in how, together, we continue to push the boundaries of what this technology can deliver.”

Sunil Patil, Vice President, 5G Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., says: “Qualcomm Technologies is pleased to collaborate with Ericsson and Telstra on this 5G dual connectivity and carrier aggregation milestone. By achieving the highest uplink peak rate ever recorded on a commercial network in Queensland, Australia, we’re underscoring our commitment to enabling differentiated 5G experiences across a variety of use cases beyond mobile. Together, we are realizing the full potential of 5G through new breakthroughs that will drive transformative benefits for consumers and enterprises alike.”

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Telstra Wholesale expands Ethernet with network reconfiguration

Thanks to an architectural update, Telstra Wholesale is making Ethernet service available via most managed NTU (Network Termination Units) on the Telstra fibre network. For Ethernet Access over 50,000 additional devices are already in place. For Wholesale Business Internet over 30,000 additional devices are now in place. 

This enables Telstra Wholesale customers to now connect to a total of 110,000 business premises, with no extra infrastructure build required.

Glenn Osborne, Executive, Sales and Wholesale Segment, Telstra Wholesale said: “This new network configuration which we’re calling Unified Access unleashes the potential of our assets by extending access across Telstra’s entire network, making it easier and more cost effective for Wholesale customers to switch on more end user customers, fast and most often with no upfront charges.” 

The new capability also enables customers to move their services from one Wholesale product to another more seamlessly than ever before.

“If a customer wants another public internet solution - for example, for diversity to cloud access applications – we can now offer Wholesale Business Internet on the same device as Ethernet Access,” Mr Osborne said.

“In Telstra Wholesale we are extremely proud to deliver this cross-Telstra network reconfiguration program which enables more connected sites for our Wholesale customers instantly.”  

https://www.telstra.com.au/aboutus/media/media-releases

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Telstra deploys Infinera’s Coherent 800G across 2,940-km subsea cable

Telstra has deployed Infinera’s coherent 800G solution across a dispersion-managed subsea cable between Hong Kong and Singapore, a segment that spans 2,940 kilometers.

The deployment uses Infinera’s ICE6 800G coherent technology on its GX Series Compact Modular Platform, enabling a 45% increase in capacity over previous-generation technology and 20 times the original design capacity of the cable.

Infinera said its ICE6 solution, which offers highly granular baud rate configuration, long-codeword probabilistic constellation shaping (LC-PCS), and Nyquist subcarriers, helps network providers to get the most out of their dispersion-managed subsea cables.

“Telstra designed and deployed its dispersion-managed cable, EAC-2A1, long before coherent transmission was developed. The success of our ICE6 trial illustrates that we can successfully upgrade our existing cable systems to meet growing bandwidth demands,” said David Robertson, Executive International Networks & IT at Telstra. “This success was the driving force behind selecting ICE6. With Infinera’s 800G solution, we can significantly increase capacity on all segments of our network across our new modern and legacy cables globally. Building new cables is expensive so getting the most out of them using the latest technology means we can meet our customers’ ever-increasing capacity and resilience needs at the right price point.”

“The success of this trial with Telstra and its decision to deploy ICE6 emphasize the innovative technology, capability, and value of ICE6, which demonstrated its ability to deliver scalable capacity across a challenging legacy cable,” said Nick Walden, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales, Infinera. “As subsea operators look to protect their subsea network infrastructure investment, deploying proven solutions that quickly and cost-effectively enable accelerated service turn-up will be critical to meet increasing customer demands.

https://www.infinera.com/press-release/telstra-deploys-infinera-coherent-800g-solution-across-dispersion-managed-subsea-cable

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