Page 29 - SAMENA Trends - September 2021

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

including preserving natural resources, the impacts of its own environmental Zain successfully managed to become a
reducing energy consumption, recycling footprint by setting a number of goals to member of the CDP with an advanced B
waste, implementing green solutions lower carbon emissions, reduce waste, rating, making it the first telecom operator
for water and electricity management, spread awareness, as well as identifying in the MENA region to receive this rating
monitoring the company’s overall effects the threats and opportunities related to in combating climate change. Zain is
on climate change, and more.” Zain climate change. In 2019, Zain became committed to contributing to regional
is keen on launching such initiatives a member of the team responsible of and international efforts to help with the
that contribute to preserving Kuwait’s tackling the impacts of climate change policies and regulatory reforms, such as
environment, as well as encouraging within the GSMA. The company’s long the ones stated as part of the Paris Accord
volunteering, recycling, and taking part in list of efforts in sustainability areas that was drafted by the United Nations.
social activities for all age groups within also led it to become a member of the This is done through setting goals to lower
the community. The company will spare no Community Development Program (CDP), emissions, reducing waste, coordinating
efforts to contribute to spreading positive especially when it took the decisive step to with Sustainability Developmental Goals
awareness for a better environmental reveal the impact of its operations on the (SDGs), as well as other joint efforts.
culture in the society. Throughout recent climate, such as its energy consumption
years, Zain took major steps to tackle rates and greenhouse gases emissions.

AT&T CTO Outlines 6G Vision

AT&T CTO Andre Fuetsch outlined a vision core will blur with 6G Fuetsch predicted,
of wireless technology with 100-times the as these elements will be collocated in
capacity of 5G during the 6G Symposium, some instances. He described 6G as a
an online event. Like 5G, 6G will push radio “network of networks”, including aerial
communications into higher frequency access points, non-public networks and
bands, Fuetsch said. The technology “will Wi-Fi integration. End points could include
push the spectrum envelope to the terahertz “screen-less skin-wearable devices”. The
region, with throughputs 100-times that of promise of 6G is an “ambient internet of
5G”. He added the lower spectrum bands everything that brings intelligence to living
will continue to serve as “the backbone for and business environments”. He called
wide area coverage”. The next generation for more research into technologies to
tech “is almost a decade away, but we enable 6G, including volumetric spectrum
need to start defining it now”, Fuetsch said sharing and efficiency, intermodulation
noting AT&T’s leadership role in the Next interference, energy management,
G Alliance, a group which “intends to drive battery life and “further integration of network elements, and interoperability
actions with governments and industry”. software communities with standards and as the industry moves towards the next
Fuetsch said 6G will likely not be part of processes” to “allow for quicker testing generation of wireless technology. He
a 3GPP Release until “after Release 19 or of features”. Fuetsch is the chair of the said AT&T’s strategy “is to adopt and
20”, and will not be commercialized until O-RAN Alliance. He stressed the need implement open RAN as technology
around 2030. The line between the RAN and for open architectures, disaggregation of becomes available”.

AT&T to Use 5G and MEC for Naval Research

AT&T detailed a move to install 5G the ground and subsea. AT&T is deploying compute resources will be co-located
and MEC equipment at the US Naval mmWave spectrum, citing research this with the tower, creating a way for NPS to
Postgraduate School (NPS), part of efforts can detect underwater sonar signals as process information on-site using a mix
to help the military explore ways to use the they reach the surface. Smith explained of hardware and operating systems, Smith
technologies to enhance national security. 5G could be a good connectivity option for explained, adding this will enable NPS to
Chris Smith, VP of civilian and shared submarines, providing a way to transmit use AR and VR services. The research is
services at AT&T Public Sector and information without surfacing the vessel. part of a three-year R&D agreement signed
FirstNet, told Mobile World Live NPS wants It will also install a 4G- and 5G-compatible by AT&T and NPS in 2020.
to connect unmanned vehicles in the air, on mobile tower at the naval facility. Edge

29 SEPTEMBER 2021