Successful NExsT Telecoms Forum

on 5G and IoT

PRYSMIAN

A successful first edition of Prysmian Group’s new NExsT Telecoms Forum, on the topic ‘Creating the Foundation of 5G and IoT’, was held at the Hilton Opera hotel in Paris, France, on April 11.

80 attendees visited the meeting which focused on 5G and related topics, such as required passive infrastructure, technologies to support the digital single market as well as trends and developments in products, regulation, demand drivers and markets. Philippe Vanhille, Senior Vice President of Telecom Business at Prysmian, opened the event, detailing challenges in the current fibre market, how Prysmian will continue to realize development and delivery and the importance of customer inputs. After explaining how 5G, IoT, Smart Buildings and other innovations will increasingly drive the need for fast, low-latency, symmetrical connectivity, Philippe introduced Andy Jones of Jonesthefone Consulting who presented several 5G-enabled IoT innovations of the kind that will require a fibre fronthaul infrastructure, from autonomous vehicle data collection to drone-operated warehouses.

In his keynote speech, telecom consultant Gianfranco Ciccarella, who has worked for Telecom Italia and has years of experience in network design, discussed the impact of 5G on Total Cost of Ownership and network architectures. He emphasized current complexity and the need for disruptive change in the way telecom-related issues are approached. Next, Lee Hicks, VP Network Planning Verizon, explained his company’s ‘deep fibre’ vision for next-generation passive optical networks.

Prysmian Telecom’s Director of Business Development and Product Strategy Alain Bertaina examined global figures and forecasts. Although the future is hard to predict, the ‘ubiquity era’ of connectivity needs rich fronthaul fibre, higher throughput rates, cell densification and fibre taken as close to end users as possible. In Alain’s words: “Network transformation is a critical challenge but also a source of technological innovation!” Toni Bosch, Vice President Telecom Solutions at Prysmian Group elaborated on the rollout of fibre and trials in specific regions, along with opportunities and stumbling blocks for 5G uptake in Europe.

Daniel Thomas, deputy company editor for the Financial Times, introduced speakers Paolo Gianola (from innovation research lab TIM’s 5G group), Nicolas Roy (CTO of Orange), Jose Luis Novoa (Telefonica Fixed access technology director) and Pierre-Jean Benghozi (ARCEP board member). Each shared their views on fibre and 5G – a ‘global system’ more than just ‘a new generation of technology’ – followed by a panel discussion and audience questions. Philippe Vanhille closed the day, emphasizing the need to prepare networks for 5G, specifically looking at densification, edge computing and a durable fibre backbone which needs to be ‘built right first time – so quality is essential!’. Visitor response was positive and lively throughout the event, including a Prysmian-hosted dinner and guided tour of Paris.

<

>

80 attendees visited the meeting which focused on 5G and related topics, such as required passive infrastructure, technologies to support the digital single market as well as trends and developments in products, regulation, demand drivers and markets. Philippe Vanhille, Senior Vice President of Telecom Business at Prysmian, opened the event, detailing challenges in the current fibre market, how Prysmian will continue to realize development and delivery and the importance of customer inputs. After explaining how 5G, IoT, Smart Buildings and other innovations will increasingly drive the need for fast, low-latency, symmetrical connectivity, Philippe introduced Andy Jones of Jonesthefone Consulting who presented several 5G-enabled IoT innovations of the kind that will require a fibre fronthaul infrastructure, from autonomous vehicle data collection to drone-operated warehouses.

In his keynote speech, telecom consultant Gianfranco Ciccarella, who has worked for Telecom Italia and has years of experience in network design, discussed the impact of 5G on Total Cost of Ownership and network architectures. He emphasized current complexity and the need for disruptive change in the way telecom-related issues are approached. Next, Lee Hicks, VP Network Planning Verizon, explained his company’s ‘deep fibre’ vision for next-generation passive optical networks.

Prysmian Telecom’s Director of Business Development and Product Strategy Alain Bertaina examined global figures and forecasts. Although the future is hard to predict, the ‘ubiquity era’ of connectivity needs rich fronthaul fibre, higher throughput rates, cell densification and fibre taken as close to end users as possible. In Alain’s words: “Network transformation is a critical challenge but also a source of technological innovation!” Toni Bosch, Vice President Telecom Solutions at Prysmian Group elaborated on the rollout of fibre and trials in specific regions, along with opportunities and stumbling blocks for 5G uptake in Europe.

Daniel Thomas, deputy company editor for the Financial Times, introduced speakers Paolo Gianola (from innovation research lab TIM’s 5G group), Nicolas Roy (CTO of Orange), Jose Luis Novoa (Telefonica Fixed access technology director) and Pierre-Jean Benghozi (ARCEP board member). Each shared their views on fibre and 5G – a ‘global system’ more than just ‘a new generation of technology’ – followed by a panel discussion and audience questions. Philippe Vanhille closed the day, emphasizing the need to prepare networks for 5G, specifically looking at densification, edge computing and a durable fibre backbone which needs to be ‘built right first time – so quality is essential!’. Visitor response was positive and lively throughout the event, including a Prysmian-hosted dinner and guided tour of Paris.