In conjunction with MWC Barcelona 2022 which will be taking place from the 28th of February to the 3rd of March, Tara Neal, Executive Editor of The Fast Mode spoke to Eugina Jordan, VP of Marketing at Parallel Wireless on the company's plans and showcases for this year's event.
Tara: What do you think MWC 2022 will be all about? And what are your MWC 2022 plans?
Eugina: The theme for this year’s Mobile World Congress event is ‘Connectivity is Unleashed’, in my view attendees will be excited to join the event in person with the stringent safety protocols put in place by GSMA, to meet with colleagues and industry leaders to learn more about exciting innovations in telecommunications.
Our Parallel Wireless theme for this year’s event is, ‘The Future of RAN is Open’. Parallel Wireless is excited to showcase the following innovations in Open RAN networks with our best-in-class ecosystem of partners. Our world’s first and leading-edge technology demos include:
All G Open RAN: Reimagine Your Network - Visit this demo for a live interactive display of our world leading cloud-native Open RAN solution that supports multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) - 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G. Our state-of-the art, end-to-end All G Open RAN solution with open interfaces supports an ecosystem of best-in-class partners such as Supermicro (NYSE: SMCI), HPe (NYSE: HPE), and Dell (NYSE: DELL) all utilizing Intel (NYSE: INTC) x86 processing powerand radios from Comba Telecom and GigaTera Communications, enabling Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to reimagine their networks, reducing their overall TCO while creating a seamless migration path to 5G.
5G Open RAN: Scale & Innovate - Don’t miss this demo for a live, interactive demonstration of 5G Open RAN that connects to 5G Standalone (SA) which allows MNOs to effectively migrate from 4G networks with a scalable, low cost, future-proof, flexible, standards-based network enabling 8k streaming video, Industry 4.0, autonomous driving and other innovative 5G applications. 5G SA is the best option for Open RAN networks, as it is not dependent on 4G equipment and can deliver the capacity needed. With 5G Open RAN, the network is simplified with 5G radios complemented by a next-generation open core networksolutions from our partners such as Athonet and Microsoft (NYSE: MSFT). With 5G Open RAN, MNOs gain access to new capabilities, markets, and revenue opportunities.
Open RAN RIC: Enhance User Experiences – Be sure to visit our cloud-native Open RAN solution demo which supports the O-RAN Alliance’s leading-edge RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) framework. Our Open RAN solution interworking with a leading-edge RIC framework from our partner Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPT) will illustrate how MNOs can increase new revenue opportunities, strengthen end-user retention with enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) and reduce both Capital Expenses (CapEx) and Operating Expenses (OpEx) while enabling 4G and 5G services. Networks are getting ever more complex, and the RIC brings predictive self-optimization and Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)-informed decision making to operator networks. The RIC puts MNOs in the ‘driver’s seat’ with new capabilities including admission control, traffic steering, intercell interference coordination, energy savings and more that enable them to intelligently manage and optimize resources.
Predictive AI/ML: Automate & Optimize – Be sure to visit this demo to learn about the power of automated operations, especially in dense urban network scenarios, which helps to lower power consumption thus reducing OpEx. With automation tools such as AI and ML, MNOs have the agility and power to easily match flexible and ever-changing network demands. AI and ML are imperative cloud-native automation tools needed to provide intelligent management and operations for the network demands of today and tomorrow.
Be sure to visit Parallel Wireless in Hall 5, Booth 5C61 to witness these exciting and interactive demos.
In addition, be sure to join Parallel Wireless as I will be a keynote speaker on Wednesday, March 2nd as part of the MWC 22 5G Connect Theme, session titled, “Open RAN: The Next Step”. Zahid Ghadialy, Senior Director Technology, and Innovation Strategy at Parallel Wireless will be participating on the panel session on Monday, February 28th to discuss, “Open RAN: A Vision of 5G and The Future of 6G”. And be sure to join in on Wednesday, March 2nd in the afternoon for the “Open RAN Innovation” panel with the leading women of Open RAN to discuss future technologies and innovations in the RAN segment. I am excited to be the moderator for this session.
Tara: How has the pandemic impacted the operational and business landscape of the tech segment you are operating in?
Eugina: The COVID-19 pandemic has exasperated the need to close the digital divide. Those with access to high-speed internet and mobile devices can continue to effectively lead their lives in safe, remote environments with access to e-health, e-banking, e-learning, and the latest applications. Without access to wireless broadband economic prosperity and opportunities are diminished.
Parallel Wireless the leading U.S. O-RAN compliant, Open RAN company which had a mere eight people on the marketing team in 2021 has achieved tremendous results. During the COVID-19 pandemic when in person events were canceled, the Parallel Wireless marketing team pivoted their strategy and the company quickly became an Open RAN thought leader, with over 45 industry articles in digital publications such as The Fast Mode, 5G Technology World, RCR Wireless, Light Reading, and many more. The Parallel Wireless team developed Open RAN explainer videos, webinars, case studies, FAQs, blogs, whitepapers, solution briefs and created comprehensive educational materials such as the Open RAN e-book.
The Parallel Wireless Marketing team has developed an extensive social media following, creating the #OpenRANfdailyfact on LinkedIn which has exploded with followers. The Marketing team members at Parallel Wireless get excited and energized by creating innovative marketing and communications assets that generate a strong return on investment (ROI) for the company, helping to increase share of voice, grow revenues and market share.
Our customer successes and press releases and announcements have been numerous even during the pandemic, showcasing our Open RAN, O-RAN compliant, All G deployments with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) from across the globe, enabling broadband connectivity and enhancing economic prosperity. Customer successes include Etisalat, Millicom, Axiata Group, IPT Peru, Vodafone, HotSpot and many more.
In 2021 with a smaller attendance (20k visitors vs the typical 100k) at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Parallel Wireless Marketing team abiding by all COVID-19 safety precautions such as wearing N-95 masks during the show and undergoing COVID testing every 72 hours, showcased innovative demos at the event and participated in four speaking opportunities and numerous video interviews with publications such as The Fast Mode, Telecom Review and RCR Wireless. Parallel Wireless is clearly a creative, tenacious, thought leader and marketing maverick in the Open RAN domain.
Our larger competitors in the telecommunication sector have many more people in their marketing and communications departments and larger budgets, however Parallel Wireless, with fewer staff and a much smaller budget, has been effectively able to make noise in the telecom market and raise our share of voice.
Tara: What emerging trends/technologies have you observed in your tech segment in recent months?
Eugina: Open Radio Access Networks (RAN) the movement in wireless telecommunications to disaggregate hardware and software, and to open interfaces and reduce costs, has gained tremendous momentum over the past few years, and will continue to do so in 2022 and beyond. According to Dell’Oro Group, cumulative Open RAN revenue from 2020 to 2025 could be as high as $15 billion, with Open RAN revenues accounting for more than 10% of the overall RAN market by 2025. 5G technology adoption and enabling network deployments and upgrades at lower costs are driving more operators to choose an Open RAN approach for their network architecture.
As Open RAN deployments take off, the ecosystem of partners in every aspect of the network from radio, server, Radio Intelligent Controllers (RIC), the core and more is set to expand. Open RAN drives greater vendor diversity and supply chain security. With interoperable hardware and software Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are getting the most flexible, easily scalable, cost-efficient networks, enabling state-of-the-art broadband communications.
Automation with cloud-native, software-defined Open RAN architecture across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks is also accelerating as it provides scalable solutions that speed time-to-market for new services and features, reduces network management costs and prepares networks for the future. With Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP), devices can be provisioned and configured automatically, eliminating most of the manual labor involved with adding them to a network. With Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), software upgrades to 1,000s of sites can be automated. And with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), data is utilized to optimize network performance.
And as 5G becomes more prolific with higher network speeds and lower latency, it is driving operators to re-evaluate the future of their networks. Open RAN allows MNOs to add flexibility and agility to their networks while optimizing and protecting their investments. The present-day hardware-centric, proprietary models don’t allow MNOs to scale quickly and launch new services and solutions. In contrast, software-based networks enable operators to bring down the cost of ownership while at the same time increasing the efficiency of the network. Open RAN will allow operators to modernize their networks for cost savings and prepare for the digital transformation of 5G and beyond.
Eugina Jordan, a self-made immigrant woman, she started her telecom career as a secretary and now is the VP of Marketing of the industry disruptor Parallel Wireless. She is an author, inventor, and a speaker. Her passion is to help other women to realize their full potential.
