ERICSSON - Experts & Thought Leaders

Vonage, a part of Ericsson, announced that, together with pioneers from Aduna, Deutsche Telekom, and mBank, it is participating in the World Banking Forum in Athens. The event convenes senior banking executives and technology pioneers from around the world to advance modern banking through technology innovation and digital transformation. Rise of digital channels An increase in fraud has emerged from the rise of digital channels in financial services and continues to evolve and grow with new technologies, such as AI that enable more sophisticated threats. As cyber threats continue to escalate and regulations tighten, it is more critical than ever for banks to deploy advanced fraud protection strategies. Cybercrime damages are projected to reach $11.9 trillion annually by 2026 and technology innovation is needed to meet regulatory demands and strengthen a financial institution's overall fraud defenses. Mobile network capabilities At the World Banking Forum, Aduna, Deutsche Telekom, mBank, and Vonage will explore how the convergence of 5G, Network APIs, and AI can revolutionize fraud prevention and redefine customer experience across the financial services industry.  The industry pioneers will discuss current security challenges and how embedding mobile network capabilities directly into banking applications delivers breakthroughs in seamless and secure customer interactions. Availability of network capabilities Exposing network capabilities through APIs provides banks like mBank with access to previously untapped and verified network data in real-time, enabling frictionless customer experiences and intelligently reducing fraud. Aduna, a joint venture of leading telecommunications industry giants, including Deutsche Telekom and Ericsson, drives the global availability of network capabilities by acting as an aggregator. Vonage, through its APIs and complementary tools, such as SDKs, makes these network capabilities accessible for developers to build innovative solutions with advanced fraud protection capabilities. Fraud remains a persistent and increasing challenge for banks, across retail services and digital transactions. Innovation in prevention and detection technologies is crucial to stay ahead of the threat landscape and deliver a seamless customer experience. Adoption of network APIs "The collaboration between telcos, aggregators, and developer platform partners is crucial," said Peter Arbitter, Chief Commercial Officer for Aduna. "Aduna’s role as an aggregator of telco network capabilities enables developer platform partners to drive the adoption of network APIs by developers, and expose digital innovation that advances secure banking services on a global scale." David Darmon, VP of International Sales, API, at Vonage, added, “Vonage Network APIs give developers a platform to build solutions for banks to automate verification processes at scale, leveraging programmable network capabilities and verified network data for fraud protection. This elevates how banks deliver security, reduces revenue loss resulting from fraud, and transforms the customer experience.” Demands on network security Andrzej Ochocki, Head of Identity Management at Deutsche Telekom, commented, "From a telecom perspective, the digitization of banking has significantly increased demands on network security. Deutsche Telekom is committed to offering specific network APIs that directly address these evolving fraud and security needs." "At mBank, we are constantly seeking innovative solutions to deliver a seamless and secure digital banking experience," stated Pawel Kowalski, Digital Security Product Owner at mBank. "Adopting network APIs in our fraud and authentication workflows has shown significant benefits, enhancing the customer experience and reinforcing trust."

The new Ericsson Compact Packet Core includes the cloud-native Packet Core Controller (PCC) and Packet Core Gateway (PCG) network functions on top of a compact, one rack, version of Ericsson's Cloud-Native Infrastructure Solution (CNIS).  It is a global solution with pre-defined parameter settings and streamlined migration procedures that simplifies transition to cloud-native and maximises efficient return on investment in this key network infrastructure. Compact Packet Core fully supports 4G, 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), and 5G Standalone (SA) networks, providing CSPs with the capabilities needed to meet their strategic and operational needs. Latest software innovation and security Compact Packet Core is launched with solution lifecycle management service where Ericsson oversees automated upgrades of the network. This brings benefits such as seamless upgrades, and networks that are always up to date with the latest software innovation and security. Monica Zethzon, Head of Solution Area Core Networks, Ericsson, says: “With this solution, we are providing a new approach for upgrading to cloud-native and introducing 5G Core, built on our deep experience with the world’s most advanced networks. It significantly simplifies modernization while unlocking the full potential of our world-class cloud-native software. We are proud to introduce the Ericsson Compact Packet Core for CSPs looking to accelerate their cloud-native journey and manage capacity growth.” Key cloud-native features  New solution delivers the simplicity of the “appliance” approach and adds to it by inheriting the key benefits The new solution delivers the simplicity of the “appliance” approach and adds to it by inheriting the key benefits from being cloud native. It supports key cloud-native features such as automation, In-Service Software Upgrades (ISSU), Container-as-a-Service rolling upgrades (CaaS RU) and gives CSPs the flexibility to adapt the network to new use cases or workloads as they grow and evolve their services to customers. It delivers an optimized and validated configuration for deployment of the packet core network functions on CNIS to maximize ease of deployment, migration, and software upgrades, reducing overall complexity. With the pre-defined configurations of this solution a CSP has 80 percent fewer parameters to adjust when deploying and will enable up to 30% reduction in energy and hardware footprint due to its inbuilt capability to support the latest CPU generations as they evolve. Ericsson Packet Core software  The solution has been created to solve specific challenges that CSPs are facing when transitioning from legacy infrastructure and is designed to simplify operations across the board. It guarantees seamless service continuation and retention of a CSPs business logic underpinning its technological configuration during installation, migration, upgrades, and expansions. The proven Ericsson Packet Core software is used for all deployment scenarios including Compact Packet Core to secure interoperability. Glen Hunt, Principal Analyst at GlobalData says: “It is no secret that CSPs face common and testing challenges when upgrading their cloud deployment models to introduce or expand the benefits of a cloud-native operating model or lead towards the deployment of 5G Core. Ericsson’s Compact Packet Core removes the barrier to deployment that comes with lengthy interoperability and integration testing by virtue of being a pre-integrated solution, and its in-built configurations and reduced footprint demands mean a less costly, complex and time-consuming migration is possible.” Ericsson Mobility Report  Separate Ericsson research in Europe showed consumers are willing to pay up to 15% on top of their ticket The move to cloud-native is well underway, with growing momentum evident in the market. As of October 2024, Ericsson has 120+ unique 5G Core or cloud-native commercial contracts, with 55+ live dual-mode 5G Core solution customers (including EPC, 5G NSA, and 5G SA live customers). Also clear is the growing appetite for 5G SA. Ericsson Mobility Report research indicates close to 60% of 5G subscriptions - 3.6 billion - will be 5G SA in 2030.  Separate Ericsson research in Europe showed consumers are willing to pay up to 15% on top of their ticket to improve their connectivity and app experience at large events such as concerts or sporting occasions. 5G SA best allows CSPs to meet this requirement by introducing differentiated connectivity offerings like reserving a part of their network to provide assured quality of experience for specific users or apps. Ericsson dual-mode 5G Core solution Ericsson was recently placed as a pioneer in the Market Landscape: Core Vendors 2024 report from analyst house Omdia, with the highest overall portfolio score of the vendors assessed having the top spot in both cloud native readiness, automation, and policy and charging. It was also named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for CSP 5G Core Network Infrastructure Solutions, and named top of Frost Radar™ 5G network infrastructure market ranking for the fourth year running in an analysis that covers RAN, transport and core networks. Ericsson currently powers 37 of the world’s 60+ commercially live 5G SA networks, with its RAN solutions and the cloud-native Ericsson dual-mode 5G Core solution.

5G Standalone (5G SA) and 5G Advanced are expected to be a key focus for communications service providers (CSPs) for the remainder of the decade as they deploy new capabilities to create offerings centered on value delivery rather than data volume. The analysis is included among a wealth of statistical network insights in the November 2024 edition of the Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) Mobility Report, which extends the forecast period until the end of 2030. Network traffic data growth 5G networks are expected to carry about 80% of total mobile data traffic by the end of 2030 While the rate of mobile network traffic data growth is declining - estimated at 21 percent year-on-year for 2024 - it is still expected to grow almost three-fold by the end of 2030 from present-day numbers. Globally, 5G networks are expected to carry about 80 percent of total mobile data traffic by the end of 2030 - compared to 34 percent by the end of 2024. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are set to have 47 percent 5G subscription penetration by 2024. It is projected that the GCC will have the highest 5G penetration in 2030 at 93 percent, followed closely by Western Europe at 92 percent and North America at 91 percent. GCC region’s economic outlook Characterized by high mobile penetration, urbanization, and strong consumer purchasing power, the GCC region’s economic outlook remains favorable, driven largely by sectors such as tourism, technology, and renewable energy. In the telecom industry, a key trend is the transformation of service providers from traditional telcos to technology companies. This transition is being fueled by the rollout of 5G, enabling the introduction of advanced services, including AI and the cloud solutions and services, factory automation and content delivery where network slicing will be critical in delivering these services. Mobile subscriptions Mobile subscriptions in the GCC countries are forecast to grow at an annual rate of 3% High-performance networks, application programming interfaces (APIs) and a vibrant developer community are expected to drive growth.  Up to 2030, overall mobile subscriptions in the GCC countries are forecast to grow at an annual rate of 3 percent, reaching 95 million. By the end of the decade, 93 percent of all subscriptions are expected to be 5G, with 88 million users adopting this technology. Future of mobile networks Nicolas Blixell, Vice President and Head of Gulf Cooperation Council Countries at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says: “The November 2024 Ericsson Mobility Report highlights the pivotal role of 5G Standalone and 5G Advanced in the future of mobile networks, particularly in regions like the GCC, where high mobile penetration and rapid urbanization are driving demand for advanced connectivity." "These technologies are set to enable capabilities such as programmable networks and AI connectivity-driven use cases, creating new opportunities for growth and innovation. As service providers in the GCC and beyond adopt these advancements, they will unlock the full potential of 5G, driving digital transformation and enhancing the way industries and consumers engage with technology.” Global 5G subscriptions Of about 320 CSPs currently offering commercial 5G services globally, less than 20 percent are 5G Standalone (SA). However, almost 60 percent of the 6.3 billion global 5G subscriptions forecast by the end of 2030 are expected to be 5G SA subscriptions. Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) continues to grow in popularity globally as the second largest 5G use case after enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB). Generative AI applications Service providers are already offering value delivery models based on differentiated connectivity  The report highlights how early-mover service providers are already offering value delivery models based on differentiated connectivity - guaranteed uninterrupted high-end connectivity when you need it most - to create new monetization and growth opportunities.  The report also addresses how AI, including Generative AI Applications - already integrated across smartphones, laptops, watches, and FWA products - could impact uplink and downlink network traffic, driving potential mobile traffic growth beyond current baseline predictions. Ericsson Mobility Report Other featured report statistics include the projection that global 5G subscriptions are expected to reach almost 2.3 billion by the end of 2024, amounting to 25 percent of all global mobile subscriptions. 5G subscription numbers are expected to overtake the global number of 4G subscriptions during 2027. The first 6G deployments are expected in 2030, building on and scaling the capabilities of 5G SA and 5G Advanced. Ericsson will host Ericsson Mobility Report online seminars at 09.00 (CET) and at 18.00 (CET) on Tuesday, December 3. Based on unique Ericsson and partner network insights, the Ericsson Mobility Report has been the key industry reference for network data, performance, statistics, and forecasts since its launch in 2011.