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Click here or press enter for the accessibility optimised version MWC: What to expect 2022 containing 22 chapters. Chapter 1 of 22. Skip to content Contents MWC 2022: WHAT TO EXPECT? false 1 / 22 Click when you see this icon to immerse yourself in deeper content Ok Click here or press enter for the accessibility optimised version MWC: What to expect 2022 containing 22 chapters. Chapter 1 of 22. Skip to content Contents MWC 2022: WHAT TO EXPECT? false 1 / 22 Click when you see this icon to immerse yourself in deeper content Ok Click here or press enter for the accessibility optimised version MWC: What to expect 2022 containing 22 chapters. Chapter 1 of 22. Skip to content Contents MWC 2022: WHAT TO EXPECT? false 1 / 22 Click when you see this icon to immerse yourself in deeper content Ok Click here or press enter for the accessibility optimised version MWC: What to expect 2022 containing 22 chapters. Chapter 1 of 22. Skip to content Contents MWC 2022: WHAT TO EXPECT? false 1 / 22 Click when you see this icon to immerse yourself in deeper content Ok We use cookies for user experience and analytics. By navigating this site you agree to allow us to collect information through cookies. Learn more, including about controls: Cookie Policy × Please rotate your device. × SHARE BY EMAIL From To , MWC: WHAT TO EXPECT 2022 MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS WILL RUN IN A CONTEXT OF GREAT UNCERTAINTY: MOST IN OUR INDUSTRY ARE KEEN TO REENGAGE IN PERSON, BUT EVEN JUST WEEKS OUT FROM... MWC 2022: WHAT TO EXPECT? INTRODUCTION DISCOVER INSIGHT FROM OUR TEAM OF HIGHLY EXPERIENCED SPECIALISTS AS THEY SHARE WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MWC 2022 AND WHO THE KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH ARE. WHILE SOME TRENDS INFORMING THE TAPESTRY OF OUR INDUSTRY’S DISCOURSE REMAIN FAMILIAR, OTHERS WILL TAKE ON EVOLVED FORMS, AND NEW THREADS WILL BE WOVEN IN. Mobile World Congress will run in a context of great uncertainty: most in our industry are keen to reengage in person, but even just weeks out from what we all hope will be another great gathering in Barcelona, it is difficult to divine whether 2022 will more closely resemble 2019 or 2021. Some predictions, however, are easier to make—at least for Omdia’s service provider, AI, IoT, enterprise, cybersecurity, and entertainment analysts. In this report, we’ve gathered insight from our team of highly experienced specialists to share what you can expect from MWC 2022 and who the key players to watch are. Cloud dominated last year’s MWC. It’s clearer than ever that for traditional telcos, cloud providers are the suitors they dare not ignore, and equally the competitors they should fear. With Amazon’s announcements of its Private 5G service and its cloud WAN service, what telcos used to think was safe territory is being eaten by others. Look out for a big presence from AWS, but also for Microsoft and Google, as the webscalers reshape traditional telco business models, and from the likes of Amdocs, which is positioning as a partner for cloudification. Coopetition will be the name of the game. Purpose is the corporate trend of our decade. MWC will certainly feature bombastic claims that connectivity innovations will transform the world for good. This year, however, expect a twist: although “mobile” is the name of the game at MWC, look out for messaging about fiber, FWA, and other forms of fixed access, especially cast in the light of narrowing the digital divide. Edge is the new black. Proximity-based computing for latency-dependent apps is in style, with the major cloud providers, major vendors such as Dell, and some ISVs such as Oracle striking partnerships to place their kit or platforms in the network or customer edge, but also offering to codevelop new edge services for both consumers and enterprises with service providers as partners. Get skeptical if telcos and vendors start talking about edge as a tech rather than a means to deliver holistic industry-specific managed solutions. The same holds true for private networks and IoT. We expect telcos, having lost ground, to use MWC as an opportunity to flesh out their generally unconvincing business vertical strategies, casting PN and IoT through an industry lens. Looking for good examples of industry approaches? Make sure to visit with Orange and DT while at the show. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Of course, 5G will feature prominently. B2B 5G is the next great hope for some, as real demand from business materializes. Omdia’s own research has found that businesses are keen for the benefits of slicing, so we are hoping for discussion of billable metrics to gauge the maturity of putative service provider offers. In consumer, will the pitch have shifted from cost-savings to incremental revenue gains? Our monetization research shows it has in some markets, at least. The halls and meeting rooms will be abuzz as delegates and exhibitors share their views on the evolution and value of open RAN and next-generation 5G core, but this year you can expect two developments. First, and rather obviously, the volume of chatter will increase as major providers test multi-vendor O-RAN solutions and telcos beyond the tier ones begin to dip their toes in the water. Second, more attendees will question the ROI of O-RAN. The assumption that vendor choice leads to increased value should be challenged. All eyes and ears will be on Rakuten, but also take the opportunity to learn from the pilot experiences of euro telcos such as Telefónica and Vodafone. Running smarter, agile service creation and management, and integrated billing and digital customer experience are all more critical than ever when providers are operating through a chain of partners. We also expect AI discussions to move from CX to the network itself—from RAN to core network function automation and orchestration. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The battle for the home continues. Vendors that support consumer services delivery will focus on service provider opportunities to control the home network and entertainment experience via their set-top boxes or smart Wi-Fi routers, while software vendors will focus on how telcos can support their content super-aggregation strategies by helping them overcome integration and billing challenges. We would be remiss not to acknowledge that the term metaverse is likely to be uttered hundreds of thousands of times by the MWC collective in a spirit of speculative musing, rather than grounded reality. We are sure there will be an eager audience for panels and talks given by attending Meta execs. Look for concrete examples of commercialized immersive experiences today, with many gaming vendors showcasing their wares on the show floor. Finally, no MWC would be complete without a panoply of senior service provider executives pleading for regulatory relief, or at least parity with the global tech giants. This year, look out for a more conciliatory tone, as European, US, and other regulators coalesce around the requirement to ensure Big Tech’s increasing domination of our digital economies does not undermine market or societal goals. Our analysts will be at MWC in force, along with editors from our sister publications Light Reading and Telecoms.com. We look forward to seeing you there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evan Kirchheimer - Vice President, Service Provider Research Dario Talmesio - Research Director, Service Provider Strategy DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY WILL SWAY THE TECHNOLOGY DISCOURSE AT MWC DARIO TALMESIO - RESEARCH DIRECTOR THERE IS ONLY ONE THEME THAT REPEATS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT AT MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS: REGULATION. Telecom CEOs plead with governments to ease the regulatory burden every year: one year it might be about consolidation, another year about the cost of mobile spectrum or mobile coverage obligation—then there is taxation or net neutrality. Whatever the year's flavor, something is certain: we can rest assured that some of the discourse will be devoted to criticism, general moaning, or explicit requests to governments. MWC 2022 will not be an exception, but it will be different in many ways. For example, telecom operators are keener than ever to befriend policymakers who, in turn, are more determined than ever to take back control of the technology agenda. Telecom operators will be courting governments for many reasons. Firstly, telecom operators are interested in governments' largesse, such as the US-approved $1.2tn infrastructure plan or the EU's €750bn Recovery Fund. But telecom operators are also keen to maintain regulators’ focus on Big Tech and away from telco. PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED REGULATORY INITIATIVES ADDRESSING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS BY TOPIC Source: Omdia, Digital Technology Platform Regulation Tracker – 2H21 Policymakers' attention is almost entirely directed toward Big Tech, and public scrutiny is increasing. From the US to China, Europe, and India, policymakers are keen to regain their sovereignty over data, digital society, and the digital economy. This has big implications for the telco sector: some have already played out, such as the ban on Chinese vendors and the subsequent government-backed boost of open RAN, but more will happen as government sovereignty comes with elements of protectionism and isolation. Some big questions will be asked at MWC 2022. What is the future of 5G, especially in the context of network slicing and private/hybrid networks in a polarized east-west technology world? How will the standardization bodies manage to avoid bifurcation or polarization of future standards, especially regarding the upcoming 6G standard? How will AI regulation be harmonized across the globe and which countries will influence the regulatory process? Answers to these questions will not be provided during a single event, but one thing is sure: governments will put their mark over virtually every aspect of technology research and adoption. COMPANIES TO WATCH EUROPEAN COMMISSION Casting its tech-policy influence across the globe, the EU is de facto a global policymaker of the internet: in privacy, personal data, anti-trust, and many more areas, the EU will continue to influence the shape of technology markets. A framework for AI strategy is one of the EU's new frontiers, impacting who the technology is used in telecoms and beyond. INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION UNION It's an important year of preparation ahead of the World RadioConference2023 (WRC23). Preparatory studies are underway, and these will be critical for the definition of, among other things, 6G. Expect to entertain more 6G discussions and start formulating a clearer view of how 6G will be defined, ahead of standardization. US GOVERNMENT AND FCC The US government and FCC are to be followed for many reasons—their stance on net neutrality or regulation of Big Tech, for instance. But 2022 will be an important year to implement the national infrastructure bill, with $65bn of government money being the foundation of a reinvigorated internet-access infrastructure. At MWC, we look forward to understanding which technology options will benefit from the investments. UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Telco AI World Summit (April 26–28, Berlin) Big 5G Summit (May 24–26, Austin, TX) Future Vision Executive Summit (December 7–8, Bruges) FIBER AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE PETER BOYLAND - PRINCIPAL ANALYST EXPECT PROVIDERS TO TRUMPET HOW THEIR 5G AND FIBER ROLLOUTS ARE CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND UNLEASHING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF INTERNET CONNECTIVITY. One of the key themes of MWC 2022 will be the increase in global internet connectivity and the closing of the digital divide. As over three-quarters of people are expected to be connected by the end of the decade, the conversation is moving on from haves/have nots to the quality of these connections. Omdia forecasts that global internet connections will reach over 6 billion in 2026, up from 4.8 billion at the end of 2021—a CAGR of 4.5%. The percentage of the connected population is expected to increase from 62% to 74%, with over half of these having access to both fixed and mobile connectivity (see figure). Just over a third of the connected population have access to mobile only, with the vast majority using technologies up to 4G. While this is fine for basic web browsing and low-data use, these connections need to be upgraded to 5G to allow users to access the full potential of connectivity. Service providers are investing heavily in the next generation of mobile networks, and we expect to see a raft of rollout announcements at MWC 2022. At the heart of this improved connectivity is fiber. Broadband operators are turning to full fiber (FTTH/B) to replace aging xDSL and cable broadband connections, while those in emerging greenfield markets are moving straight to full fiber, leapfrogging interim last-mile options. Fiber offers higher speeds, lower latency, and greater reliability, and can also drive operator ARPU beyond basic subscriptions, enabling a wider range of bundled offerings from enhanced video to connected home and healthcare. But the proliferation of fiber will drive more than just broadband subscriptions and bundles. Fiber network backbone is vital to mobile cellular connectivity, as are hybrid technologies such as fixed wireless access (FWA). Another emerging technology that offers similar advantages is low earth orbit (LEO) satellite. Several competing satellite operators have emerged, and we expect to see some big announcements on broadband service partnerships in 2022. GLOBAL INTERNET CONNECTIONS AND CONNECTED POPULATION Source: Omdia COMPANIES TO WATCH HUAWEI As a major sponsor, Huawei is expected to reveal a number of new products at MWC 2022. The vendor is expected to build on its connected home offering, while we are also hoping for an announcement in the 5G FWA area, where Huawei is somewhat lagging its rivals. STARLINK 2022 could well be the year the LEO satellite broadband proposition becomes real, as several operators’ constellations reach maturity. Starlink recently ran into regulatory barriers in India, but the fact the Elon Musk-backed operator is even talking to governments shows the extent of its ambitions. T-MOBILE US T-Mobile has been disrupting the US cellular market for some time now, but the operator has now turned its attention to FWA. It’s a bit behind rival Verizon in this space, but T-Mobile’s aggressive rollout plans and its focus on wireless-only broadband make it one to watch in 2022. UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Cable Europe (June 21, location TBC) Connected Britain 2022 (September 20, London) Network X (October 18–20, Amsterdam) NEW OPERATING MODELS DARIO TALMESIO - RESEARCH DIRECTOR MULTIVERTICALS: EXPECT CSPS TO ADD FLESH TO THEIR INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC SERVICES STRATEGIES MWC is an event about networks. Everything at the show revolves around connectivity and the performance of networks to connect things and people. We can expect most of the show to continue to be centred around the powerful capabilities of 5G networks, the deployment of “real 5G” (5GSA) and network slicing, network automation, more standardized open networks, quality of service (QoS), a glimpse into 6G, and even some collaboration/integration with satellite. Overall we will hear how CSPs intend to spend their $12.4tn capex in the next five years. However, two years of pandemic have not only challenged the practicalities of attending the show, but have also posed serious questions about the future of CSPs. Is a connectivity-centred business model fit for sustained future growth? Are CSPs the exclusive provider of future connectivity needs for people and things? The answers to both questions are unequivocable: no and no. In fairness, CSPs have known this for a long time and attempts to diversify their business have regularly occurred in the past. At MWC 2022, we can expect to see CSPs adding more substance to their plans to introduce a growth-oriented operating model that doesn’t solely rely on connectivity. We will be hearing from CSPs that made strides into the health sectors, the banking and financial services, security services, and even the energy and utility sector. During the show it will become clear that telecom operators are in the process of transforming their business models into multivertical businesses and that the future of telecom operators increasingly resides in B2B and B2B2X services capabilities. Again, these are not topics that we haven’t heard before, but this year CSPs will be a bit less network-centric and a bit more service-centric. 5G exposed the need for CSPs to be able to provide end-to-end services, and these services are increasingly becoming outcome-centric rather than connectivity-centric. CSPs will need to invest in upskilling their workforce: mastering the cloud, effectively using AI and data analytics, understanding their customers’ business processes, providing SLAs for multiparty solutions and many other areas. FIXED AND MOBILE CSP CAPEX, ($M) Source: Omdia Communications Provider Revenue and Capex Forecast: 2021–26 In short, at MWC 2022, we expect to hear more about growth opportunities and investments, and less about cost cutting and network performance. COMPANIES TO WATCH ORANGE Following its investment beyond connectivity, Orange is now one of theEuropean leaders in cybersecurity, but it is also a significant player in financial services. The company is a good source of best practices for diversification.It is also worth bearing in mind that MWC 2022 is hosted in Spain, where Orange and Vodafone are advocating for network consolidation—don’t expect an announcement, but listen to the business rationale of telco M&As. TELSTRA In 2022, Telstra is set to take on the energy market. As part of its T25 strategy, the company is also planning to expand into the health sector internationally. We are looking forward to an update on such a strategy as it will prove inspirational to many other CSPs in the world. VODAFONE Vodafone—one of the superstars of every MWC—will provide insights into its network as a platform strategy. It recently announced its first 5G open RAN site in the United Kingdom.Over the years, Vodafone has transitioned from being a horizontal provider of connectivity to an end-to-end solution provider: we look forward to seeing more progress in such direction. UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Big 5G Event (May 16–18, Austin) CommunicAsia (June 1–3, Singapore) Network X – Broadband World Forum, 5G World alongside the introduction of Telco Cloud (October 18–20 2022, RAI, Amsterdam) THE METAVERSE DOM TAIT - RESEARCH DIRECTOR THE METAVERSE: COMPANIES HYPE UP THE FUTURE, WHILE GAMES PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PRESENT “Metaverse” was likely the leading tech buzzword of 2021 even before the company formerly known as Facebook laid out grand plans for Meta’s future in late 2021. Microsoft, Nvidia, and even Disney share Mark Zuckerberg’s enthusiasm and ambition. It can be confidently expected that MWC will be loaded with stalls promising metaverse-related developments, from the concrete to the somewhat speculative. Even in more general terms, the role of telcos in providing the metaverse’s gargantuan data transmission needs will be the conference’s bubbling undercurrent. With net neutrality laws fairly widely distributed—and clawing their way back into the US federal statute book—the key question will be “who pays?” even as carriers doubtlessly demonstrate the utility of their 5G networks with metaverse experiences. Yet while the future is being increasingly staked out by tech giants, it is a very long way from fruition. A true metaverse requiresimmersive internet—enveloping the field of vision, in 3D, and with largely limitless possibilities. Omdia typically makes five-year forecasts, but immersive internet—that is, internet experiences as delivered by a VR headset—becoming the default consumption mode does not feature within them, even if inroads will be made over the next five years. Indeed, a defining feature of the internet—open, standards-based compatibility and widespread interoperability—is still to be even mapped out for the metaverse. MWC will doubtless feature plenty of alluring ideas for the future, then, but what of the present? Compelling iterations of the metaverse are already developing apace. In recent years, various games have emerged that seek to offer a range of entertainment, social, and cultural activities inside their own worlds while providing a functioning economy that includes commerce between users and from other brands. Omdia’s Metaverse Games Benchmark, launched in late 2021, assessed and ranked six titles aspiring to offer such a concept, judging Fortnite’s full-court offering to have the edge over the likes of Roblox and Minecraft. But even in the intervening months, these games have added many more features with the intention of providing a fully realized metaverse. At MWC, then, the most enterprising companies will stake out a compelling future while seizing on the opportunities provided now. METAVERSE GAMES OVERALL RANKING Source: Omdia | NB: The six games above were assessed and ranked against five categories: scale, monetization, entertainment, interaction, and technology. Each category was ranked out of 10 and the chart shows the cumulative scores and rankings. COMPANIES TO WATCH A large array of companies promise a metaverse offering at MWC, including: LUXPM “Metaverse, 3D reconstruction, and unmanned AI” MARVRUS “Powerful metaverse products that span the education, agriculture, pet, and entertainment industries” NEWSIGHT IMAGING “Our 3D machine vision depth sensors serve verticals such as mobile, automotive and AV, metaverse, Industry 4.0, smart city, and more” WE/AR STUDIO “We create the metaverse presence for brands, start ups, corporate innovation, and Industry 4.0” UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: GDC (Game Developers Conference) (March 21-25, San Francisco, CA) TELCO CLOUD KRIS SZANIAWSKI - RESEARCH DIRECTOR TELCO CLOUD TAKES CENTER STAGE The shift to the cloud is top of mind for service providers, so it is no surprise to see cloud finally highlighted as one of six main themes at this year’s MWC. In the past, cloud was treated as just a subset of the 5G theme, but CloudNet now finally has its own dedicated stream. We also expect some of the following telco cloud topics to feature in conversations and announcements: Cloud core and cloud RAN are hot areas that will figure prominently - the shift to cloud-native and service-based architectures means we will also hear more from vendors about interoperability, automation, and integration capabilities. Edge cloud - expect to hear about initial deployments and trials, edge cloud use cases, and edge portfolio announcements, including from Google Cloud, as well as fresh mobile edge pairings between operators and cloud providers. Security, sovereignty, and sustainability - securing the telco cloud against new vulnerabilities has become an urgent business priority, so expect plenty of noise around cybersecurity solutions. Cloud data sovereignty is an increasingly sensitive issue for operators, which will encourage hyperscalers to highlight solutions that provide flexibility to run workloads across multiple locations, such as Google Distributed Cloud. Sustainability will also be a key trend this year, although the genuine advances will fight for attention against plenty of greenwashing. SaaS—expect an increasing number of software as a service (SaaS) announcements as vendors seek to harness growing operator appetite for SaaS. Q. WHICH PARTNERSHIPS ARE MOST IMPORTANT WHEN EXECUTING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECTS? Source: Omdia Public cloud - public cloud will continue to be hyped, but most vendors will emphasize the hybrid and cloud agnostic capabilities of their offerings. Hyperscalers - we’ll see plenty of activity from AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, especially as hyperscalers have been recruiting strongly from the telecoms sector to support a more vertical go-to-market approach. In addition to cloud and edge, there is also increased operator appetite for strategic transformation partnerships and help with 5G cloudification, automation, orchestration, analytics, and operations. Skills shortages - there will be plenty of concerned operator conversations about the fierce competition for IT talent, another factor making hyperscalers so indispensable. COMPANIES TO WATCH AWS AWS is making impressive inroads into the telecoms vertical, and some of the areas we expect it to focus on at MWC include private and public 5G, edge computing, and network automation and orchestration. We may also hear about collaboration agreements with major operators, along similar lines to DISH, if not necessarily as monogamous. NOKIA Like other vendors, Nokia will be seeking to emphasize its cloud-friendly credentials and its cloud player relationships at MWC. Nokia is also working hard to promote its SaaS delivery framework, and we expect to see several fresh SaaS announcements linked to enhancing its analytics and cybersecurity suites. RAKUTEN SYMPHONY Rakuten CTO Tareq Amin was always one to watch, but there’s a new twist as he will now head up Rakuten Symphony, the new platform provider being spun off to deliver the Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP) suite of open RAN, core, cloud, and intelligent operations functions required for cloud-native virtualized 4G/5G networks. Expect the latest greenfield and brownfield customer updates and new product announcements. UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Digital Transformation World (September 20–22, Copenhagen) Network X – Broadband World Forum, 5G World alongside the introduction of Telco Cloud (October 18–20 2022, RAI, Amsterdam) Future Vision Executive Summit (December 7–8, Bruges) TELCO AI (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE) JOSH BUILTA - RESEARCH DIRECTOR EXPECT THE AI CONVERSATION AT MWC TO SHIFT FROM CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AUTOMATION TO AI IN THE NETWORK Omdia’s AI Applications Software Market Forecast predicts that the value generated by artificial intelligence (AI) applications in telecoms will reach $8.7bn by 2027, increasing by a factor of eight from immediate pre-pandemic levels. Customer experience automation has so far been the key sector representing as much as 78% of this total, being one that delivers immediate, measurable benefits on KPIs, such as churn, lifetime customer value, and subscriber acquisition cost, and also being one that suits the technology, as recommendation engines and natural language processing have been revolutionized by the transformer class of deep-learning models. Omdia observes that CX-related AI apps—the CX, virtual assistant, and intelligent CRM categories in the chart—have fallen from being 78% of AI value generation in telecoms to just under 50% in 2022–23, before stabilizing at that level. When we say 50% here, though, we mean 50% of a fast-growing market—CX revenue will continue to rise rapidly, from $1.4bn today to $4.1bn by 2027. However, the situation has begun to change. We expect AI providers at MWC to showcase how AI is moving from an add-on feature for CX applications to being part of the core business, as network optimization and IT operations automation ride up the adoption curve, and as AI technology increasingly forms part of the network itself. As an example, NVIDIA’s Aerial 5G solution consists of a virtual 5G base station built around its Bluefield-2 SmartNIC and A100 GPU. This is intended both to provide hosting for edge computing applications that need true AI processing power, but also to support AI-driven approaches to core mobile functions such as beamforming, beam steering, and self-organizing networks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AI VALUE GENERATION BY USE CASE, TELECOMS, 2019–27 Source: Omdia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMPANIES TO WATCH ARM No surprise, again, but the dominating force in mobile chip design is increasingly an AI company, with its new Ethos line of machine-learning accelerators and in-CPU acceleration in versions 8.2 and 9 of the core architecture. Expect announcements ranging from IoT to servers. NVIDIA We’ve heard relatively little from this company in mobile since the end of the Tegra product line, but the increasing importance of AI has drawn NVIDIA back in. Expect more of the low-power AI acceleration technology developed for the Atlan automotive SoCs to turn up in mobile and IoT. We will be fascinated to see what applications operators and others find for the Aerial 5G’s mighty A100 GPU. QUALCOMM Invariably a big presence at MWC, Qualcomm is increasingly a force in AI generally after its CloudAI 100 chip did extremely well at 2021’s MLPerf Inference 1.1 benchmarking competition. The latest Snapdragon 8 Gen1 system on a chip (SoC) will be judged in part on its AI performance, especially as it is the first to use ARM’s v9 microarchitecture, but also expect announcements moving Qualcomm mobile AI technology beyond mobile. UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: GroqDay (March 31, Online) AI Summit London (June 15–16, ExCel, London) IoT World (September 28–29, 2022, Santa Clara, CA) MOBILE CORE ROBERT KOMPANY - PRINCIPAL ANALYST CORE AT MWC: A FOCUS ON HELPING MNOS LEVERAGE 5G SA SOFTWARE DISAGGREGATION AND CLOUD PRINCIPLES TO BETTER MONETIZE THEIR NETWORKS. The mobile network operators (MNOs) that have deployed 5G networks are trialing 5G next generation core networks; however, only about 20 MNOs, all of which are Tier 1, had deployed commercial 5G cores by the end of 2021. Omdia forecasts that 5G core revenue will reach $1.9bn by 2025, over a five-fold increase since 2020. Spending on 5G core will only outstrip the 4G evolved packet core (EPC) from 2023. Contrary to previous generations, 5G will give MNOs the opportunity to build a best-in-class stand-alone (SA) core using multi-vendor network functions (NFs). This will improve their network capabilities and programmability by not having to rely on single vendor solutions. At MWC, expect companies to announce new automation and orchestration toolkits that help these MNOs better manage the pool of multi-vendor NFs and deliver innovative use cases to better monetize their networks. Building a 5G core service-based architecture (SBA) using cloud-native principles is no small feat, however, and requires significant software skillsets, which many operators do not have. AT&T outsourcing its core network division to Microsoft in mid-2021 has set the scene for new announcements by hyperscalers. MWC announcements will focus on the results of this partnership and how other hyperscalers plan to help MNOs, especially Tier 2 and Tier 3, with limited inhouse skillsets and resources, that want new deployment models to better monetize and to be competitive. In the new age of multi-vendor core, we expect other vendors at MWC to announce new engagements with the ecosystem of app developers and other device manufacturers that will help MNOs develop services and use cases beyond mobile broadband (MBB). ANNUAL FORECAST OF 5G CORE 2020–25 COMPANIES TO WATCH MICROSOFT Microsoft will leverage its learnings from the 5G cloud core partnership it announced with AT&T in mid-2021 to announce new operator partners keen to deploy their 5G SA cores on Azure cloud platform. Microsoft will also demonstrate new use cases that will utilize its 5G core platform and satisfy operators’ data security concerns. NOKIA Nokia is a forward thinking and trusted end-to-end telecom equipment vendor. Expect Nokia to break new grounds as it makes announcements about new disruptive alliances with ecosystem players, such as app developers and Industry 4.0 enterprises to deliver services beyond just mobile broadband and to leapfrog many of its 5G core competitors. ORACLE In the 5G SA core era, operators will need partners that will help them build a multi-vendor best-in-class network. Oracle will bring out its core network functions together with its integration and automation capabilities, which will deliver on the promise of the SBA to support MNOs deliver use cases that are currently beyond the capabilities of monolithic solution vendors. UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Huawei Global Analyst Summit (April 12-14, Shenzhen) 5G World (18-20 October, Amsterdam) 5G Core (November, location TBD) RAN (RADIO ACCESS NETWORK) RÉMY PASCAL - PRINCIPAL AND RESEARCH MANAGER RAN: Major themes at MWC will include virtualized, open, greener, and smarter More powerful and more efficient 5G: the initial phase of 5G deployment is well underway in most developed markets, and the industry is progressing into the second phase. Vendors are introducing more powerful and more efficient baseband and radio solutions, enhancements in MIMO, and beamforming. They will also showcase features and use cases that will be part of the 5G-Advanced specifications such as nonpublic networks, public safety, and extended reality (XR). vRAN is closing the gap: RAN vendors, silicon merchants, and IT companies will come together to demonstrate how vRAN is closing (although it has not closed yet) the performance gap with purpose-built RAN. Tier 1 service providers are expected to announce new milestones in vRAN verification and, in some cases, deployment in commercial networks. Open RAN beyond the fronthaul interface: the open RAN discussion extends beyond the open fronthaul interface, and more attention will be paid to other interfaces and other aspects of open RAN, including the RAN intelligent controller (RIC) and apps. More service providers are expected to announce or confirm their support for open RAN either by committing to deployments in their live networks in the next 12 to 24 months or by announcing that they have selected non-incumbent/challenger vendors. Greener by any means: the power efficiency of all network equipment, including RAN equipment, is expected to be one of the key themes of MWC 2022 and a key selling point for new solutions. Innovation and efficiency come from silicon, next generation materials silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), product design, software features, and machine learning. Smarter and more automated RAN thanks to AI: machine learning and AI will be applied to all kinds of areas and problems in the RAN, including power efficiency (as mentioned above), radio performance optimization, anomaly detection, and more. Everything will be smart and automated, at least on paper. 6G: finally, 6G will be present at MWC, but mostly in the form of slide decks presenting stakeholders’ vision and results from some early lab tests of sub-THz/THz spectrum. Source: Omdia COMPANIES TO WATCH NOKIA Like other vendors, Nokia will introduce new solutions and announce deals and partnerships, but the vendor will also highlight its longer-term technology vision for the next 10 years and the journey to 5G Advanced and then 6G. Creating value for customers, building networks for an unpredictable world, and sustainability will be some of Nokia’s high-level themes. SAMSUNG Samsung positions itself at the forefront of vRAN by announcing further validation of the technology and commercial deployments with Tier 1 operators, including one new major logo. MWC activities will reflect the vendor’s focus on technologically advanced markets such as the US, Japan, South Korea, and the UK. ZTE Expect upgrades and improvements in the main portfolio with a higher capacity and more efficient base band unit (BBU) and ultra broadband radio (UBR)products. ZTE also provides an update on the promising reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) technology demonstrated back in June 2021. UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Big 5G Event (May 17–18, Austin, TX) CommunicAsia (June 1–3, Singapore) 5G World (October 18–20, Amsterdam) PRIVATE NETWORKS PABLO TOMASI - PRINCIPAL ANALYST MANY PROVIDERS AT MWC WILL FOCUS ON THE PRIVATE NETWORK OPPORTUNITY, BUT IT IS NOW OR NEVER FOR THE TELCO WORLD AND TRADITIONAL PARTNERS TO REGAIN THE LEAD IN PRIVATE 5G 2021 saw competition multiplying in the private networks market with the official market entrance of new categories such as systems integrators (SIs) and hyperscalers. Common to these new players is the understanding that private networks are a means to a business outcome, not a goal in and of themselves for the enterprise. Among others, announcements from Microsoft (Private Azure MEC), Google (Google Distributed Cloud), and AWS (Private 5G as a service) have already stolen the show, revealing for the first time their real ambition in this market. 2022 will see these behemoths gaining momentum, striking partnerships and fine tuning their strategy, and yet the game is far from over and MWC 2022 could be the time for the telco world to strike back. Virtually every traditional player in the telco world has been working behind the scenes on a private network strategy, and with the AWS Private 5G announcement calling attention to the opportunity of private networks, all competitors will accelerate their plans and strategies. Key to the ambitions of telcos is the fact that this market still needs to be built on complex network design and deployments, supported by managed services, which are areas of expertise for the telco world, and which it should emphasize to take back the initiative. What we can expect at MWC 2022 is new private networks service launches, more managed services, and the constant push from existing and new entrant vendors to ease the deployment and management of the private networks. Hyperscalers unleashed the power of cloud and edge into private networks. Now it is the time for the telco world and ecosystem to channel these developments on their own terms while leveraging their own strengths. TOP FIVE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES WHEN CHOOSING A PRIVATE LTE/5G NETWORK PARTNER Source: Omdia Private LTE and 5G Networks Enterprise Insight Survey 2021, N:451 COMPANIES TO WATCH AT&T AT&T is yet to fully formulize a specific private networks strategy, which is currently addressed as part of various companies’ initiatives. With its direct competitor (Verizon) already having its OnSite LTE (5G) product and with Dish piggybacking AWS’s private 5G, the time is ripe for AT&T to formally announce a clear strategy and set of solutions for private networks. CISCO Cisco has expertise in 5G, Wi-Fi, enterprise solutions, and the industrial market. However, the company has not yet made the big announcements and clear strategic priorities seen by the likes of Nokia, Ericsson, and, more recently, AWS. IBM IBM has struck a few partnerships with CSPs, such as Bouygues Telecom, and has shown an interest in manufacturing. However, it is yet to fully commit to private networks, which have so far been treated as part of a wider set of 5G solutions. UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Open RAN World (April 26–28, Berlin) Big 5G (May 16–18, Austin, TX) Private Networks in a 5G World (June 15–16, London) ENTERPRISE 5G CAMILLE MENDLER - CHIEF ANALYST ENTERPRISE 5G: MWC EXHIBITORS MUST DEMONSTRATE PROGRESS IN THREE KEY AREAS Enterprises don’t need convincing about 5G’s vaunted benefits: they’re increasingly eager to buy into them, according to Omdia’s 2022 IT Enterprise Insights Survey, which queried 4,500 B2B decision makers about their digital investment plans (see figure). But to satisfy increasingly impatient B2B customers, MWC exhibitors must demonstrate progress in three key areas: the delivery of on-demand 5G network slicing services, provision of real-time service orchestration tools, and not least, the availability of market-ready industry solutions. 5G network slicing is ripe for the taking: 34% of enterprises expect to invest in 5G network slicing within the next two years. Most MWC announcements will focus on technical performance features rather than the contractual terms of a network slicing SLA. But do ask about billable metrics that any network slicing service plans to use—the answer will suggest how soon a true commercial launch is likely. ENTERPRISE 5G ADOPTION: CURRENT AND PLANNED Source: Omdia News about 5G professional services capabilities is a signal about 5G market maturity: deploying enterprise 5G isn’t trivial. Watch out for integrator, vendor, and CSP alliances for on-the-ground services. Design, build, and implementation partners are important, but so is the ability to manage enterprise 5G services. Anticipate new management tools from enterprise service management and telco BSS/OSS firms eager to ride the 5G wave. Further adoption of open APIs for 5G enterprise services should follow. Finally, expect more industries to make their presence felt at MWC: besides automotive, look for manufacturing, energy, utilities, transportation, and industrial control firms’ involvement. Industry associations allying with technology counterparts are a positive sign. No single industry owns enterprise 5G, but further codification of dialogue and service definitions can—and must—preempt a 5G Tower of Babel. COMPANIES TO WATCH GOOGLE Serious about telco, excited about 5G, Google wants to build deeper relationships with CSPs that deliver mutual monetization. Expect a focus on three complementary propositions: building the data-driven CSP, cloudification of networks, and the 5G edge. It is the latter proposition that will stimulate more enterprise 5G service co-creation across a range of verticals. Watch out AWS! NTT Japan’s NTT continues to be a pragmatic thought leader in the enterprise 5G space, with solutions bridging both private and public networking environments, as well as IT and telecom competences. Expect to see a nuanced exposition of its service management expertise that puts multisite, multinational enterprises in greater control of their 5G service experiences, while also securing their physical and virtual assets. ZTE Sometimes overshadowed by other Chinese vendors, ZTE tells an increasingly compelling enterprise 5G story and has garnered a growing number of industrial customers. Expect to hear more about its 5G network as a service proposition, which simplifies on-demand service creation, personalization, and deployment. Enabling slicing as a service for both SMEs and large enterprises is an interesting element of the portfolio. UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Comcast Business Analyst Day (March 8, virtual event) Enterprise Connect 2022 (March 21–24 , Orlando, FL) The Big 5G Event (May 16–18, Austin, TX) IOT (INTERNET OF THINGS) JOSH BUILTA - RESEARCH DIRECTOR EXPECT THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF 5G, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND HYPERSCALERS TO DOMINATE CONVERSATIONS AROUND IOT AT MWC As in the past, Omdia expects CSPs will be at the forefront of MWC exhibitors detailing new IoT solutions, products, and services. However, a growing trend in recent years has been the increased activity from nontraditional IoT players. Most notable is the growing involvement of hyperscalers in the IoT value chain, including in areas beyond their traditional reach such as connectivity and digital twins. Examples of this include support for LoRa (from both Amazon and Microsoft), introduction of services to support private 5G (Amazon), and acquisitions of satellite communications networks (Amazon). Also, regarding digital twins, both Microsoft and AWS have launched digital twin solutions that enable businesses to create digital representations of real-world assets/systems and run what-if scenarios. MWC presents an ideal venue for hyperscalers to highlight their expanded IoT initiatives, in particular around alternative connectivity options, as they continue to push into areas traditionally controlled by CSPs. 5G IoT applications will also undoubtedly be a key discussion point throughout the show. Unlike the smartphone market, the influence of 5G in the IoT has so far been minimal; however, in 2022, Omdia expects a handful of interesting use cases to appear, such as 5G security cameras and 5G automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for factories. CSPs, of course, are eager to see a game-changing use case emerge, allowing them to monetize the considerable investment they have made in 5G networks. While it seems highly unlikely such an IoT use case will be introduced at MWC 2022, the Omdia IoT Enterprise Survey does indicate appetite for 5G-powered solutions is considerable among enterprises, with nearly 63% of respondents indicating plans to use 5G in their IoT deployments. Omdia also expects to hear more about IoT solutions enabled with edge AI/ML capabilities at MWC. With many leading microcontroller unit (MCU) vendors introducing supporting products and services over the last year, AI/ML integration in IoT endpoints has become easier, faster, and less costly. Among the consequences of this solution architecture are reduced latency, increased security, and, most notable for CSPs, less data traveling over networks. It will be interesting to see how AI/ML functionality at the edge is being utilized by IoT developers to introduce new solutions or to instill new capabilities in existing ones. WHAT TYPE OF CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY IS, OR WILL BE, USED FOR THE IOT SOLUTIONS YOUR ORGANIZATION DEPLOYS? Source: Omdia COMPANIES TO WATCH ERICSSON At MWC, Ericsson will discuss the capabilities of digital twins and the power of interactive collaborative technologies. Ericsson is using network digital twins before proceeding in network updates and simulate 5G rollouts. Omdia believes network operators to understand and plan network (including private) deployments in a cost-efficient way. UNITY Among other services, Unity offers digital twin solutions that allow enterprises to leverage their IoT data and run various simulations at scale, for example on smart city scenarios. At MWC, Unity will discuss the possibilities of digital twins and the power of interactive collaborative technology in enterprise environments. Unity is a company to watch as it will play an important role in building the upcoming metaverse ecosystem across many enterprise verticals. VODAFONE Having already established true end-to-end capabilities in a key vertical (automotive) it will be interesting to see where Vodafone focuses next. One possibility is healthcare, where Covid-19 has raised demand for adoption of IoT solutions in order drive efficiencies and improve patient care. The company’s recent announcement may indicate more activity in this area by it (and other CSPs) at the show. UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Embedded IoT World (April 5 - 7, Santa Clara , CA) IoT Evolution (June 22 - 25, Ft. Lauderdale, FL) IoT World (September 29 – 29, Santa Clara, CA) DIGITAL WORKSPACE TIM BANTING - SENIOR PRINCIPAL ANALYST CSPS ARE FAILING TO ANTICIPATE ENTERPRISE WORKPLACE NEEDS AND THIS IS REFLECTED IN MWC’S AGENDA Many CSPs have been little more than resellers for enterprise communications with few (if any) value-added capabilities for customers. With enterprises able to establish a direct relationship with UCaaS vendors, CSPs are becoming seen as mere network connectivity providers. MWC has ignored the opportunity to capitalize on the reinvention of the workplace, primarily as a result of COVID-19. Many organizations rapidly adapted their businesses to survive; consequently, their investment priorities have changed. MWC’s agenda reflects an industry that is slow to react to customers' emerging needs and expectations. Indeed, the only MWC 30-minute session focused on the “The Future of Work, Collaboration, and Connectivity” is hosted by Agora, a real-time engagement API or “CPaaS” platform vendor. While the session will discuss how “cutting-edge applications of communication technology will shape our collective collaboration in 2026,” communications platform as a service (CPaaS) capabilities are a very familiar enterprise platform that customers can procure from a variety of vendors. Few CSPs have added CPaaS capabilities to their platform. And, despite the threat of losing revenue from voice and messaging traffic to over-the-top unified communication and collaboration technology, many CSPs have been complicit in this marginalization by providing access to their networks via A2P and CPaaS vendors (e.g., Twilio). Finally, enterprise communication tools have been developed primarily for knowledge workers. CSPs have not capitalized on this critical workplace persona—instead, vendors (such as Microsoft) are now providing specific functionality and licensing for this segment. Omdia recommends that CSPs move away from a connectivity-led approach and concentrate on delivering business value. A focus on mobility (including 5G), IoT integration, and the needs of the frontline worker will play to the CSP's strengths, as will their managed services capability, particularly around security. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHICH CAPABILITIES WILL YOU PLACE MORE EMPHASIS ON WHEN YOU PICK YOUR NEXT ICT VENDOR OR SERVICE PROVIDER? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Enterprise Connect (March 21–24, Orlando, FL) London Tech Week (June 13–17, London) CYBERSECURITY MAXINE HOLT - SENIOR RESEARCH DIRECTOR HOLLIE HENNESSY - SENIOR ANALYST AT MWC, SECURITY WILL BE INTEGRAL TO THE MOBILE CONVERSATION As 5G develops, fueling global economic and social interaction, the cyberthreat landscape and security challenges grow with it. We expect a focus on network security, plus preemptive security measures for these evolving challenges, from both telecom operators and security vendors alike. But it is not just network security alone, businesses must also consider cybersecurity measures for endpoints, applications, and the web. Omdia research on consumer attitudes to mobile security revealed that identity protection was the most important and in-demand feature. Consumers are quite rightly concerned about the theft of their digital identity. Security features are the second-most important, after battery life, when it comes to buying criteria for new phones. In addition, most users report purchasing third-party software for security, but would prefer to see their security issues addressed by the phone suppliers. These results all clearly demonstrate that consumers are highly aware of security issues. Mobile security is about much more than just mobile devices. Businesses must be attentive to the range of threats that extend across devices, applications, the network, and the web when it comes to strengthening how a mobile workforce is secured. It is part of the organization’s cybersecurity strategy and the role of the chief information security officer, or CISO, is integral to this. ATTACK VECTORS ACROSS MOBILE For example, the popularity of mobile applications means that important and potentially sensitive company and personal information needs to be secured beyond just the endpoint and into the cloud. In addition to security policies and considerations around devices, businesses need to consider the vulnerabilities associated with mobile apps, web apps, and browsing on mobile devices, as well as the networks that the mobile workforce relies on. At the heart of any workplace mobility strategy is the business need to better secure, manage, and improve visibility into the vast array of different mobile devices, networks, and applications employees rely on. More advanced and proactive methods of mobile security are no longer “a nice to have” for businesses: they are a must-have. Expect vendors like Fortinet, Palo Alto, and others to tightly link the network and security at MWC—and rightly so. COMPANIES TO WATCH FORTINET We will likely see more from Fortinet when it comes to mobile security. Fortinet are developing their product portfolio for mobile, offering dedicated 4G/5G security solutions that build upon their flagship products, as well as a 5G-specific next generation firewall and recent partnerships with both TPG Telecom and Telefónica Tech. ORANGE Orange Group’s Cyberdefence is a great example of a telecommunications provider offering managed security services, combining security, network, and cloud expertise—and is what we can expect to see from others in the space. For the year ahead, expect a focus on securing digital transformation and operations tech (OT) security, especially in critical national infrastructure (CNI). UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: RSA Conference (June 7–10, San Francisco, CA) Infosecurity Europe (June 21–23, London) Black Hat USA (August 6–11, Las Vegas, NV) FINTECH PHILIP BENTON - SENIOR ANALYST ALTERNATIVE PAYMENTS ARE SHIFTING TO THE CENTER STAGE Financial technology (fintech) takes center stage at MWC 2022 for the first time after being on the periphery of discussions in recent years, with payments and crypto expected to feature heavily in conversations throughout the event. Alternative payments continue to gain mainstream adoption, with Omdia’s ICT Enterprise Insights 2021/22 Survey predicting that technology spending on alternative payments will significantly outgrow traditional payments over the next 18 months, as financial institutions adapt to an unprecedented demand for digital payments. The fintech and mobile industries continue to converge and accelerate the shift to mobile payments, with digital wallets being one of the most common payment methods globally, both online and in-store. Digital wallets are the ideal platform for cryptocurrency and NFTs (non-fungible tokens), which are key talking points at MWC 2022, with the Fintech Summit session “Digital Assets” expected to highlight the key NFT trends for 2022 and beyond. Central bank digital currencies (CBDC) will also be a hot topic and will be discussed during the “Future of Money is Digital” presentation, with MWC following shortly after the Beijing Winter Olympics and the official launch of China’s CBDC—the digital yuan (e-CNY). ALTERNATIVE PAYMENTS, NOT TRADITIONAL PAYMENTS, ARE THE NEW TECHNOLOGY PRIORITY Emerging technologies such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs will naturally be targets for security hacks and fraud scams, and it is unsurprising to learn that banks are bolstering investment in security and antifraud, according to Omdia’s ICTEI survey. Collaboration between banks and the mobile industry can help tackle fraud, hence partnerships being another key theme of MWC 2022. Orange Bank, Ericsson, and Etisalat will highlight the collaborative powers of their own fintech partnerships in the session “Fintech: Exploring Global Trends and Embracing Partnerships” with security high on the agenda. COMPANIES TO WATCH BLOCK (FORMERLY SQUARE) Block cofounder Jack Dorsey has been particularly vocal about the benefits of crypto, NFTs, and decentralization—hence its name change to acknowledge its expansion into technologies such as blockchain. Block’s other cofounder Jim McKelvey will be a keynote speaker at MWC 2022 and a must-attend session to learn of their plans for 2022, which undoubtedly will involve crypto, NFTs, and the metaverse. ORANGE BANK Orange has doubled down on its investment in financial services and its neobank is live in France, Belgium, Spain, and select countries in Africa, with plans to expand its fintech footprint across Europe by 2025. Orange has already acquired French neobank Anytime and signed strategic partnerships with fintechs, so expect announcements of a similar vein at MWC 2022. STC PAY STC Pay was the first company in Saudi Arabia to receive a digital banking license in 2021 and is intent on turning its digital wallet to a “super app,” which can cater for all consumer financial needs. Expect announcements regarding new/enhanced product, partnerships, and potentially expansion into new geographies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: FinovateEurope 2022 (March 22–23, London) Money20/20 (June 7–9, Amsterdam) London Tech Week (June 13–17, London) VIDEO TECHNOLOGY LUKE PEARCE - SENIOR ANALYST TARA PATEL - RESEARCH ANALYST MWC WILL FEATURE VIDEO TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT TELCOS’ SUPER-AGGREGATION AMBITIONS Modern set-top boxes (STBs) exist as a primary touch point between service operators and consumers and compete for watch time with smart TV OSs and streaming media devices on primary TV sets. The STB continues to be the most consistent and frequented device to consume video, and its next evolution plays a critical role for pay-TV super aggregation by providing an elegant solution to content fragmentation. Super aggregation is largely all about software and user experiences. MWC could see some developments regarding software, with super-aggregator-seeking service operators chasing new user experiences (UXs) that enable a seamless blend of traditional broadcast content alongside a growing lineup of partnerships with must-have leading apps and OTT services. More innovation can be anticipated in cohesive metadata management, AI-enhanced personalization, and tail-end library utilization, as well as new Android TV operator tier deployments, which continue to see strong adoption as the OS of choice. Operators are beginning to place further emphasis on hardware, especially with growing consumer preference for voice and digital assistants to control the television. STBs are increasingly adding far-field microphones integrated into the box, experimenting with cameras for video calls and other services, and with speaker integration to offer premium audio solutions to enhance the audio side of television viewing—all adding greater value to STBs as a hub for entertainment. The recent high-profile launches of Sky’s Glass and Comcast’s XClass operator-embedded TV sets represent extreme examples of this strategy. Vodafone Spain’s 4K Pro STB with integrated speaker and Sky Brasil’s Connect STB with integrated far-field microphones are perhaps more scalable with wider consumer appeal, owing to their STB-based approaches. Despite MWC’s more limited focus on TV in recent years, industry stakeholders should keep an eye on video technology vendors who could yet have some surprises for us. ARE YOU, OR WOULD YOU BE, INTERESTED IN USING VOICE COMMANDS (VIA DIGITAL ASSISTANTS SUCH AS AMAZON ALEXA OR GOOGLE ASSISTANT) TO OPERATE ANY OF YOUR TV/VIDEO DEVICES? Source: Omdia COMPANIES TO WATCH MNO SERVICE PROVIDERS (ORANGE, T-MOBILE ETC.,) MWC could see a number of service providers announcing new collaborations and partnerships with live sports or SVOD providers, as they aim to launch new, refreshed, aggregated pay-TV services. SET-TOP BOX VENDORS (COMMSCOPE, KAONMEDIA ETC.,) Keep an eye out for set-top box vendors, who may use MWC to release new generations of STB hardware with additional UI features like cameras, microphones, and audio equipment. ONLINE VIDEO (MEDIA DELIVERY) JONATHAN DORAN - PRINCIPAL ANALYST AGGREGATED ONLINE VIDEO IS BECOMING AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF THE TELCO CONSUMER BUNDLE Some of the discussions taking place at MWC 2022 in the context of the unfolding aggregation climate will revolve around how to overcome service integration challenges (both technical and commercial). Operators will be looking for ways to work more effectively with multiple online video partners and will be seeking effective and meaningful support from vendors to help execute their aggregation strategies. MWC being a vendor-oriented show, we expect to see further improvements in how BSS vendors facilitate smooth and flexible onboarding of online video services for CSPs, as well as continued evolution of charging systems to allow for more services and more flexibility around pricing and packaging options. Beyond traditional multiservice bundling, streaming video represents the most widely offered and highly adopted digital value-added service in the telco consumer portfolio. In the emerging consumer-bundle landscape, streaming video will serve as both a complement and an alternative to traditional pay TV. THIRD PARTY ONLINE VIDEO SERVICES PROVIDED BY OPERATORS Source: Omdia Most telcos now offer third-party streaming video either as a paid add-on or in a subsidized bundle, with a choice of multiple partner services rapidly becoming the norm. Currently, over 300 local opcos are providing bundled or carrier-billed access to third-party online video, aggregating an average of three partner services each. Meanwhile, nearly 200 service providers are hosting a growing lineup of partner streaming apps via their pay-TV or streaming video platforms, with any of these also being carrier billed and/or bundled into subscription plans. Streaming video is the most common digital value-added service (VAS) that consumers receive within their telco offerings, with over half of paid online video users accessing these services via their fixed broadband or mobile provider. This proportion will increase further in 2022 as telcos step up their efforts to accommodate growing consumer demand for multiple streaming options. COMPANIES TO WATCH AMDOCS Sitting at the heart of telcos’ billing systems, Amdocs will continue to showcase the ways in which it helps CSPs improve onboarding and monetization of OTT partner services. The content super-aggregation business model is now well established throughout the telecom industry, but integration, scalability, subscription management, and data management are still challenging service providers and partners. We expect Amdocs to show marketplace-based capability for OTT monetization. FORTUMO Billing and mobile wallets provider Fortumo pairs telcos with digital merchants to facilitate payment mechanisms, with significant presence in markets where credit card penetration is limited. Expect to see demos of its turnkey bundling solution that offers analytics support and rapid time to market for CSPs entering the digital media aggregation space. SYNAMEDIA Synamedia’s well-established online video platform offering supports SPs in migrating traditional pay-TV services to a hybrid distribution environment. Among the capabilities the vendor is likely to highlight from its wide-ranging portfolio will be the seamless integration of operators’ own-brand TV offerings with those of third-party OTT providers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Cable Europe (June 21, location TBC) Carrier Billing (September 27–28, Berlin) Broadband World Forum (October 18–20, Amsterdam) HOME NETWORKS JOHN KENDALL - PRINCIPAL ANALYST TAIMUR ZAFAR - RESEARCH ANALYST CONTROL OF THE HOME NETWORK WILL REMAIN AN IMPORTANT BATTLEGROUND BETWEEN SERVICE PROVIDERS AND LARGE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES Consumer expectations of their home networks have rapidly evolved in recent years. Work, study, and entertainment are all expected at ever-increasing levels from home networks, with concurrent usage adding significant strain. This increased expectation must be met, either through the service provider or retail channel. This will intensify the battle between service providers and large technology companies for control of the home network. Technological advantages will be key to differentiating offerings. Wi-Fi 6E will be a key development for home networks, with access to the 6GHz band opening a large amount of spectrum for Wi-Fi traffic, reducing congestion in the home. The key benefits of the new Wi-Fi 6E standard will be faster connectivity, reduced latency, and less spectrum congestion. The major negative is that shorter wavelengths reduce penetration, meaning Wi-Fi range is negatively affected particularly in homes with thick walls. Retail vendors are the first to offer this technology. Service provider vendors could focus on Wi-Fi 6E hardware at MWC to allow service providers to remain competitive with retail offerings. Whole home Wi-Fi systems will be another key area for home networks, with a multitude of retail options available at a range of price points. At MWC, service provider CPE vendors could show some developments with their whole home Wi-Fi systems. Retail vendors have dominated this area, with whole home Wi-Fi being primarily an innovation of the retail channel. Whole home systems require access points throughout the homes of consumers, and this type of set up solves the penetrations problem presented by the shorter wavelength Wi-Fi 6E. At MWC, CPE vendors should help service providers reduce the technological advantage that retail vendors have built by offering Wi-Fi 6, whole home Wi-Fi, and additional services for the home network. Retail vendors will, in turn, need to differentiate their offerings to attract customers from service providers by using the home network as a platform for other services. Deeper smart home support, access point integration into other devices, and additional services will be key methods for differentiation. With both large technology companies and service providers vying for control of the home network, exciting innovation is guaranteed. WI-FI CPE SHIPMENTS, SERVICE PROVIDER VS. RETAIL 2020–23 Source: Omdia COMPANIES TO WATCH INCUMBENT NEPS Incumbent network equipment providers (NEPs) will have similar strategies, with CPE sales tied closely to infrastructure bundles. It will, however, be important to differentiate strategies between access equipment and consumer premise equipment as interoperability becomes more important. The ability to deliver broadband is very different from the ability to propagate that throughout a household. It will be important to keep an eye on access vendors such as Huawei, Nokia, and ZTE, which will seek to keep an end-to-end solution for service providers. They will be giving solutions with advanced Wi-Fi and networking capabilities. CHALLENGERS The likes of Sagemcom and Technicolor, who lack the infrastructure business, will need to announce more complex features for their CPE. As a result of this, average selling prices will be pushed up. They must prove this is worth the additional cost to service providers while positioned against incumbent NEPs. RETAIL PLAYERS Retail players such as Netgear, TP-Link, Amazon, and Google may not be as visible at MWC; however, these vendors will also be looking for partnerships with service providers to offer their CPE. They will be competing directly with the challengers to prove value to both service providers and consumers. UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: Cable Europe (June 21, location TBC) Carrier Billing (September 27–28, Berlin) Broadband World Forum (October 18–20, Amsterdam) SMART PHONES GERRIT SCHNEEMANN - PRINCIPAL ANALYST AT MWC, THE NEXT WAVE OF SMARTPHONES FOR GLOBAL MARKETS WILL BE DISCUSSED One of the most personal consumer products, the smartphone, will play a key role in delivering the promise of 5G to users around the world. The smartphone is a critical tool for many to access online services, applications, and information—in many cases it is the only connected device available. From shipments of 254.5 million units in 2020, 5G-enabled smartphones will grow to over 1.4 billion units by 2026. After a dramatic ramp-up in shipments in 2020 and 2021, 5G smartphone shipments are expected to grow 33% year-over-year (YoY) in 2022 and another 32% YoY in 2023. The rapid deployment of 5G connectivity across most smartphone price segments drives penetration to over 87% of total smartphone shipments by 2026. While the availability of 5G-enabled smartphones is ahead of network deployments in some markets, the groundwork is being done to transition users to future services and applications that will only be available on the latest network generation. Having access to 5G smartphones, across most price points, will allow users in many markets and life circumstances to benefit from technology enabled by 5G, such as telehealth, municipal services in a connected smart city, digital currencies, and many more use cases. SMARTPHONE SHIPMENTS BY NETWORK GENERATION Source: Omdia Smartphone Feature Forecast Database 2H21 Smartphone OEMs are awaiting the expansion of 5G networks in markets such as India and China to drive the ecosystem of new use cases forward and move beyond the initial stage of network-speed-focused improvements to the user experience. At MWC, the next wave of smartphones for global markets will be unveiled, setting the stage for the industry for the first half of 2022. COMPANIES TO WATCH MEDIATEK MediaTek has overtaken Qualcomm in terms of unit shipments in 2021. This growth has been driven by growing shipments in the mid-range and low-end price segments in the smartphone market. High-profile announcements of partner OEMs at MWC for devices in higher priced market segments will help push the company’s brand profile and create pressure on Qualcomm. REALME Realme saw its planned entry into Europe disrupted with the original cancelation of MWC 2020. This year, flagship announcements, such as a foldable device, would highlight the ambitions of the company beyond India and add yet another competitor to the crowded European market. XIAOMI The introduction of a new foldable smartphone, with availability in western markets, will help the company establish itself as a premium device option to competitors such as Apple and Samsung. So far, Xiaomi has not launched all its flagship models in a consistent fashion across markets. To raise its profile in the premium segment, this is critical. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPCOMING EVENTS You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events: London Tech Week (June 13–17, London) IFA (September 2–9, Berlin) MWC LA (October 2022, Los Angeles, CA) MEET THE AUTHORS AUTHORS ATTENDING MWC 2022 IN PERSON ARE HIGHLIGHTED ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES. 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