National Telecom R&D and Skilling Hub Takes Shape in Jabalpur, MP As BSNL Ties With Ericsson, Qualcomm, Cisco & Nokia

BSNL has launched a major industry-led digital skilling initiative at its premier training institute, Bharat Ratna Bhim Rao Ambedkar Institute of Telecom Training (BRBRAITT), Jabalpur, in collaboration with Ericsson, Qualcomm, Cisco, and Nokia. Here's a breakdown of the initiative's scope, objectives, and impact:

This development is a step towards a broader plan by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, to establish a Telecom Innovation, Research and Training Centre (TIRTC) at BRBRAITT. Envisioned as an industry-led national hub, TIRTC will focus on developing telecom-specific R&D talent and a future-ready workforce — aligning with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Skill India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

TIRTC will also support product innovation, prototyping, and telecom entrepreneurship in the long term.

Initiative Overview

• Partners: Ericsson India, Qualcomm Technologies, Cisco Systems, Nokia Solutions and Networks India
• Location: Bharat Ratna Bhim Rao Ambedkar Institute of Telecom Training (BRBRAITT), Jabalpur
• Focus Areas: 5G, AI/ML, Cybersecurity, Networking
• Annual Training Goal: Over 2,000 students

Training Programs & Infrastructure

Partner	Contribution	Training Focus
Ericsson	5G Centre of Excellence + Ericsson Educate Program	Hands-on 5G training, global curriculum
Qualcomm	Qualcomm Institute + sponsored training for first 100 participants	Advanced 5G & AI, internships
Cisco	Cisco Networking Academy Program	Networking, cybersecurity, IT skills
Nokia	5G Centre of Excellence + AI/ML Lab + joint certification with BRBRAITT	5G radio/core networks, AI/ML

Strategic Goals

• Establish Telecom Innovation, Research and Training Centre (TIRTC) at BRBRAITT
• Support national missions: Digital India, Skill India, Make in India, Startup India, Atmanirbhar Bharat
• Build a digitally enabled, job-ready youth workforce. 
• Position Jabalpur as a national hub for telecom R&D, innovation, and skilling

Launch & Leadership

• MoUs signed in New Delhi
• Attended by Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Telecom Secretary Neeraj Mittal, BSNL leadership, and partner company representatives

Vodafone Idea Allots 25 Cr Equity Shares to Nokia and 15 Cr to Ericsson, Totaling ₹650 Crore

Vodafone Idea (Vi) has approved the first tranche of allotment of 41,52,02,701 equity shares to Nokia Solutions and Networks India Pvt Ltd (25,67,56,756 Equity Shares) and Ericsson India Pvt Ltd (15,84,45,945 Equity Shares) via a preferential issue.

The issue price is ₹14.80 per share, including a premium of ₹4.80 per equity share. This move clears a portion of their pending dues and strengthens Vi's capital base. Following this allotment, Vi's paid-up share capital stands at ₹684,540,864,730, comprising 68,454,086,473 equity shares with a face value of ₹10 each.

Specifically, Vi allotted 25 crore shares to Nokia and 15 crore shares to Ericsson, resulting in a total value of ₹650 crore. This move likely strengthens the partnerships between these companies in the telecommunications sector.

This is said to be the first tranche of allotment of shares to Nokia and Ericsson. In June, it was reported that Vi aims to raise Rs 2,458 crore through a share sale to these two companies. Nokia will acquire a 1.5% stake in Vi for Rs 1,520 crore and Ericsson will obtain a 0.9% stake for Rs 938 crore. The shares will be allocated on a preferential basis and come with a six-month lock-in period.

By allotting shares to Nokia and Ericsson, Vi strengthens its capital base. This capital infusion can enhance Vi's financial stability and operational capabilities. The funds raised through this issue can be used to repay debt or meet other financial obligations. Reducing debt improves Vi's financial health.

The share allotment reinforces Vi's partnerships with Nokia and Ericsson. These companies play crucial roles in Vi's network infrastructure and technology solutions.

Investors and stakeholders may view this move positively, signaling Vi's commitment to improving its financial position and operational efficiency.

Vodafone Idea to Raise Rs 2,458 Crore through Share Sale to Nokia and Ericsson

Vodafone Idea is set to raise Rs 2,458 crore through a share sale to Nokia and Ericsson to clear its outstanding dues, a regulatory filing said on Thursday.

Nokia will acquire a 1.5% stake in Vodafone Idea for Rs 1,520 crore. Ericsson will obtain a 0.9% stake for Rs 938 crore. The shares will be allocated on a preferential basis and come with a six-month lock-in period. This move will allow Vodafone Idea to clear part of their outstanding dues to these vendors.

The board of Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) has cleared allotment of shares on preferential basis at about 35 per cent higher price compared to the follow-on offer price of the company, and comes with a lock-in of 6 months.

The transaction is subject to approval by Vodafone Idea's shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) scheduled for July 10, 2024. This strategic step is significant for Vodafone Idea as it continues to strengthen its financial position and network capabilities.

To recall, in April ATC Telecom Infrastructure Pvt Ltd sold its entire stake in Vodafone Idea. ATC Telecom sold a total of 144 crore shares, representing a 2.87% stake in Vodafone Idea. The shares were disposed of at an average price of Rs 12.78 apiece, resulting in a deal size of Rs 1,840.32 crore.

The stake acquisition in Vodafone Idea by Nokia and Ericsson is a strategic move that could have several impacts. Both companies are investing a significant amount of money, with Nokia acquiring a 1.5% stake for Rs 1,520 crore and Ericsson a 0.9% stake for Rs 938 crore. This investment could potentially yield financial returns if Vodafone Idea's stock price appreciates.

"Nokia and Ericsson both have a long-term partnership with VIL, as key suppliers of network equipment, and this preferential allotment will enable VIL to clear part of their outstanding dues," the filing by Vodafone Idea said.

By acquiring stakes in Vodafone Idea, Nokia and Ericsson are deepening their presence in the Indian telecom market, which is one of the largest in the world. This could enhance their influence and bargaining power in the industry.

The deal indicates a strengthening of the long-term partnership between Vodafone Idea and the two equipment vendors. It could lead to more collaboration on future projects, especially in areas like 5G technology and network expansion.

The transaction allows Vodafone Idea to clear part of their outstanding dues to Nokia and Ericsson, which could improve the financial health of the telecom operator and ensure the continuity of services from these vendors.

For Nokia and Ericsson, this move could be seen as a vote of confidence in Vodafone Idea's future, potentially adding value to their shareholders if the telecom operator's performance improves. The stakes could lead to operational synergies, allowing Nokia and Ericsson to integrate their technologies more closely with Vodafone Idea's network, potentially leading to improved network performance and customer experience.

Overall, the impact of this stake acquisition will depend on various factors, including the future performance of Vodafone Idea, market conditions, and the companies' ability to leverage this partnership to create value. It's a multifaceted decision with potential benefits and risks for both Nokia and Ericsson. 

Ericsson and IIT Kharagpur Partner for Joint Research in AI and Edge Compute

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur announced a long-term co-operation for joint research in the area of AI, Compute and Radio.

As part of this collaboration, two milestone agreements were inked between both the organizations which will allow researchers from both organizations to collaborate towards developing novel AI and distributed compute technology towards 6G research.

A symposium on Radio and Network research was organized at GS Sanyal School of Telecommunications (GSSST) where leaders from Ericsson Research and IIT Kharagpur participated to discuss the developments and advancements for the future of networks and communication.

AI and Compute Research is instrumental to Ericsson’s 6G networks as the compute offload needs to be managed dynamically at edge and the policies would primarily be driven by AI. These themes of research are well aligned with IIT Kharagpur and both organizations view this partnership as a way to push the boundaries of fundamental and applied research in the Radio domain.

Virendra Kumar Tewari, Director of IIT Kharagpur, says: “In the commitment towards Digital India and making India the hub of technological innovation, this collaboration with Ericsson will be effective for next-generation technology significantly. 6G networks integrated with artificial intelligence will enable AI-powered applications to run faster and more efficiently. In the 6G era, IIT Kharagpur aims to contribute to Radio Access Technology and Network, Core Network, RF & Device Technologies, VLSI Design, Neuromorphic Signal Processing, Services and Applications. The institute also looks forward to participate in Telecommunications Standardization Process, Developing Test Beds, Prototype Development and Commercialization along with training and manpower development. This collaborative research partnership in fundamental areas as well as translational research will be transformational for our Future Network Platforms.”

Magnus Frodigh, Head of Ericsson Research, says: “This collaboration strengthens our R&D commitments in India and is pivotal to Radio, Compute and AI research. We are excited to partner with IIT Kharagpur and look forward to collaborative research in fundamental areas as well as translational research for our Future Network Platforms”. Dr Frodigh also presented Ericsson’s vision on 6G which aims to blend the physical and digital worlds enabling us to improve the quality of life by incorporating widespread Sensor-based communications between humans and machines through digital twins.

Nitin Bansal, Managing Director of Ericsson India, says: “Ericsson is well poised to lead 6G innovation and we are making significant R&D investments in India in line with our commitment to the country. Given our 5G and technology leadership, our research initiatives are geared to provide affordable network platforms for ubiquitous connectivity all across the country”.

The Speakers and Panellists of the Conference included Prof. Suvra Sekhar Das (Head, GSSST), Prof. Debarati Sen, Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti, Prof. Soumyajit Dey and many other faculty members from IIT Kharagpur; Dr Magnus Frodigh, Head of Ericsson Research, Dr Mikael Hook, Head of Radio Research and Dr Mikael Prytz , Head of Network Research.

Some of the key initiatives finalized by both the organizations include: Compute offload and Resource Optimization at edge compute: The project aims to explore resource optimization, dynamic observability and sustainable distributed and Edge computing technologies.

RL based Beamforming for JCAS: Safe, Causal, and Verifiable: The project aims to explore causal AI methods for joint communication and sensing (JCAS).

Ericsson, IIT Kanpur to Monitor Air Pollution in Delhi by deploying NB-IoT based Sensors

Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson and IIT Kanpur will deploy internet-of-things based network within six months to monitor air pollution in the national capital.

"The air pollution levels in Delhi is an issue that needs to be tracked and addressed on a continuous basis. In partnership with IIT Kanpur, NB (narrow band)-IoT based-sensors will be deployed at strategic locations in the city.

"The sensors are automated and will relay information on defined time intervals, providing data on pollution levels, sources and locations in a sustainable and cost-efficient way," Ericsson India head Nitin Bansal said in a statement.

The pilot for the same is running and the project should be operational in 3-6 months, he added.

"Data will be available in the public domain and popularized as well. Both Scholarly and simplified reports would be made available for public consumption. Dashboard will be shared," Bansal said.

As part of the MoU, Ericsson will use locally developed air quality sensors that are capable of sharing environmental data, including PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 levels at defined time intervals.

"The collection and analysis of this data can be of crucial help in addressing the menace of air pollution," S Tripathi, Head of Department, Civil Engineering at IIT Kanpur said. PTI

Sprint and Ericsson Reveal Ground Breaking IoT-Dedicated Core and Operating System

Two global communications services giants, Sprint and Ericsson, have announced a global relationship to build a distributed and virtualized core network dedicated specifically to IoT (Internet of Things), in addition to a world-class IoT operating system. This new environment, which is purpose-built for the future of IoT, is designed to create an optimal flow of device data, enabling immediate, actionable intelligence at the network edge for end users and enterprises.

The global Sprint IoT platform is set to be presented at a press conference at Mobile World Congress Americas in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 10:30 a.m. (location: south hall, room 305).

“We are combining our IoT strategy with Ericsson’s expertise to build a platform primed for the most demanding applications like artificial intelligence, edge computing, robotics, autonomous vehicles and more with ultra-low-latency, the highest availability and an unmatched level of security at the chip level,” said Ivo Rook, senior vice president of IoT for Sprint. “This is a network built for software and it’s ready for 5G. Our IoT platform is for those companies, large and small, that are creating the immediate economy."

“Sprint is a pioneer in IoT and we are excited to work together to create a truly disruptive IoT business,” said Asa Tamsons, senior vice president and head of business area technology & emerging business, Ericsson. “Sprint will be one of the first to market with a distributed core network and operating system built especially for IoT and powered by Ericsson’s IoT Accelerator platform Our goal is to make it easy for Sprint and their customers to access and use connected intelligence, enabling instant and actionable insights for a better customer experience and maximum value."

Sprint + Ericsson: An Optimal Operating Environment for IoT

The two companies are disrupting the IoT world, creating an environment that is prepared for a future where society and business will be even more connected.

The Core Network:

• Dedicated to help provide: low latency and highest availability


• Distributed and virtualized: reduces distance between the device generating the data and the IoT application processing it; nodes are distributed right to the enterprise premise, if necessary, to support specific security, privacy and latency requirements.

The IoT OS:

• Connectivity management and Device management
  
  
  
  • Capabilities enable simplified inbound and outbound activity for device connectivity.
  
  
  • Configuration and updates of firmware and software are managed for each device. All data is managed securely with world-class security on the chip level.
  
  
  • The IoT OS provides full subscription lifecycle management and monitoring of billing and usage data.
  
  
  
  


• Data management:
  
  
  
  • Capability to ingest enormous amounts of data while delivering immediate intelligence on that data.
  
  
  
  


• Managed services:
  
  
  
  • Service assurance for all IoT elements and enterprise locations, including network operations center monitoring, service resource fulfillment, cloud orchestration management and application management.