In conjunction with the ongoing MWC Barcelona 2022, Tara Neal, Executive Editor of The Fast Mode spoke to Kurt Schaubach, CTO at Federated 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?
Kurt: Leading up to the event we’ve seen our key hyperscale partners one-by-one announcing offerings in Private 5G, and the show is where major commitments to private wireless will be on full display. As a leader in private wireless and shared spectrum innovation, our plans for MWC 2022 will very much focus on engaging with our key partners to coordinate and solidify efforts that will chart the growth of the private wireless ecosystem in 2022 and beyond.
Tara: How has the pandemic impacted the operational and business landscape of the tech segment you are operating in?
Kurt: The disruption of COVID really forced every industry to react with bold and creative innovations to restore operations while keeping people safe and incorporating new hands-free consumer experiences. In most cases, that meant accelerating digital transformation and secure, ultra-reliable wireless became a go-to enabler for those innovations. From helping underserved schools and communities eliminate the digital divide with affordable reliable internet access to ML-powered video analytics, AR/VR and automated robotics, our space definitely saw an influx of demand for innovation powered by next-generation wireless.
Tara: What emerging trends/technologies have you observed in your tech segment in recent months?
Kurt: We’re seeing a lot of momentum build around the standardization and alignment that will enable access to much needed spectrum and broader participation in 5G.
- 5G CBRS is right around the corner as the necessary devices are poised to come to market in 2022.
- O-RAN is also a key trend, which will lead to lower cost and more flexible 5G deployments for SPs, Private Wireless, etc.
- Need for more spectrum and global alignment of spectrum bands continues to be a developing area of focus with the global direction of 6 GHz being discussed at MWC
Kurt Schaubach, CTO at Federated Wireless, brings 25 years of wireless industry experience to Federated Wireless where he plays a key role in developing technologies and new business strategies to create the next-generation architecture of broadband wireless.
