Bengaluru | March 13, 2019– Saankhya Labs, India’s leading wireless communication system and transformative technology solutions provider, has successfully demonstrated their new solutions for next generation communication technologies of 5G Broadcast and Direct to Mobile TV(DTM).

Saankhya Labs showed a technology demonstration of their patented 5G Broadcast solution at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 in Barcelona, Spain from 25^th to 28^th February. This is the first time in the world that a 5G Broadcast solution using the convergence of Broadband and Broadcast technology has been demonstrated anywhere in the world.

5G Broadcast is the next generation communication technology that is based on the convergence of Broadcast & Broadband networks. This solution enables telecom service providers to offload video traffic from their mobile network onto the ‘cellularized’ broadcast network. This will help decongest mobile spectrum use by offloading the video traffic that accounts for maximum data use. This will improve usage of mobile spectrum and increase the user experience by freeing bandwidth which will help reduce call drops, increase data speeds etc.

Video traffic is the fastest growing traffic on mobile networks. World over, about 60% of mobile data usage is of video content, and this is expected to increase to over 75% by 2022. The Indian mobile market is expected to grow to more than 850 million users. 5G broadcast will help unchoke the mobile networks from this huge video traffic.

This solution not only helps the Mobile Operators to free up bandwidth and provide a superior user experience, but also will help broadcasters to monetize their broadcast spectrum by reaching millions of additional mobile subscribers.

5G Broadcast has a wide variety of applications such as, Multimedia and Entertainment including HD TV to Mobile devices, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) Services. It can be a very effective solution for Emergency Broadcast Services, Internet of Things, Various Automotive applications such as Firmware Upgrade Over the Air (FOTA), broadcast of mapping and GIS data for Driverless Vehicles, Automotive Infotainment etc.

Saankhya Labs is providing a complete solution for 5G broadcast which include:

(1) ‘Cellularized’ Low-power Broadcast transmitter,

(2) Mobile receiver (USB device) based on its own chipset and

(3) the analytics and decision engine software on mobile network core which enables the switching between Broadband and Broadcast networks.

At MWC 2019, Saankhya’s 5G broadcast technology demonstrations generated a lot of interest among various telecom operators and broadcasters.

Apart from 5G Broadcast, Saankhya’s another solution called Direct to Mobile TV (DTM), will allow mobile devices to receive terrestrial Digital TV. As more and more people are watching entertainment content on portable devices, DTM gives the option to watch Free to Air Linear TV such as Live sports, news etc on their mobile devices without buffering and without a data network.

Both the technology solutions i.e. 5G Broadcast and Direct to Mobile TV are powered by Saankhya’s indigenous Pruthvi-3 Chipsets based on award winning and patented SDR architecture. Pruthvi-3 is a fully programmable multi-standard chipset that supports next generation communication standards. Pruthvi-3 chipset was launched last year in December by Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications, Shri. Manoj Sinha.

Parag Naik, Co-Founder and CEO, Saankhya Labs, said, “The majority of the content on mobile devices is in the form of videos. This exponential rise in video consumption poses a great challenge to network operators who are looking at efficient video delivery solutions. The offload of videos from broadband to broadcast under the 5G broadcast aims to resolve this issue. We at Saankhya Labs are working on several such next generation technology developmentsincluding our futuristic Cognitive RAN solution that can help build a more open and better mobile device eco system beyond 5G.“

• One of the world’s first Core Network as a Service solutions is now in live operation, supporting mobile connectivity across a global footprint of commercial airlines.
• The 5G ready solution will deliver a richer connected experience for commercial aircraft passengers and airlines.

December 20, 2018– Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) have announced that Ericsson’s Core Network as a Service solution is now live, supporting connectivity services across multiple markets served by Panasonic. 

Ericsson’s Core Network as a Service solution will help Panasonic and its subsidiary AeroMobile, a global GSMA telecoms operator, provide data, voice and messaging services to the millions of airline passengers that use these services in flight. The collaboration between Ericsson, Panasonic and AeroMobile started in 2016 and is now fully operational and delivers services to Panasonic customers worldwide.

As part of Panasonic’s initiative to bring a superior connected experience onboard commercial aircraft, Panasonic and Ericsson have seamlessly migrated the existing service operating across a global fleet of aircraft onto the Core Network, delivered as a Service, while maintaining network performance and customer experience. 

Every passenger whose mobile service provider has a roaming agreement with AeroMobile can use the service, which is supported by mobile operators across the globe and delivered inflight on board more than 20 of Panasonic’s global commercial airline customers.

The geo-redundant solution is delivered through Ericsson’s ground-breaking Core Network as a Service and includes virtualized network applications such as packet core, unified data management, mediation, and mobile switching delivered on the Ericsson NFV Infrastructure. The Core Network solution is part of Ericsson’s as a Service offering to service providers globally, and is able to support 5G services to the passenger and airline. 

Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile, says: “Our partnership with Ericsson, and the technology provided, will allow us to better serve the communications needs of our passenger and airline customers. Furthermore, the solution enables us to grow our footprint and expand into other services offering a richer experience for the passenger and operational efficiencies for our airline customers. We are looking forward to continuing our exciting collaboration with Ericsson.”

Marielle Lindgren, Head of Customer Unit UK and Ireland at Ericsson, says: “Panasonic Avionics is the first customer on Ericsson’s newly introduced Core Network as a Service solution, which aims to bring Ericsson’s leadership and expertise to a wide range of service providers. We’re proud to have initially been chosen as Panasonic Avionics’ supplier for a 5G ready core network, and pleased that the project is now live.”

The two companies will explore other services to address further market segments and opportunities, while ensuring service continuity and the constant evolution of the live network, including exploring new 5G use cases.

Agreement furthers the U.S.-specific proposal which would protect C-band video and data transmissions and support accelerated 5G rollout by mobile operators

Luxembourg and Paris | July 12, 2018– Leading global satellite operators Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), SES (Euronext Paris: SESG) and Eutelsat (Euronext Paris: ETL) announced today that they are aligned on a market-based proposal for the future use of the lower C-band spectrum in the U.S. Eutelsat has agreed to join the breakthrough proposal initiated by Intelsat, Intel and SES.

The market-based proposal was developed in response to a proceeding initiated by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The proposal reflects the unique U.S. telecommunications environment and aims to protect the quality and reliability of the extensive services provided by satellite operators in the C-band spectrum to U.S. broadcasters, media, and data companies. The proposal establishes a commercial and technical framework that would enable terrestrial mobile operators to quickly access spectrum in the 3,700 to 4,200 MHz frequency band in the U.S., speeding the deployment of next-generation 5G services.

C-band spectrum plays an essential role in the U.S. broadcasting ecosystem, delivering seamless distribution of video and audio programming to more than 100 million U.S. households, and reliably providing critical data connectivity in rural areas and emergency situations, as well as services delivered to the U.S. government.

The proposal specifies the use of a consortium, which is open to all satellite operators delivering services in the C-band downlink frequencies in any part of the lower 48 United States. The consortium will oversee the governance of the initiative, define and implement the methodology for spectrum clearance, and serve as the sole interface for market-based transactions with parties interested in deploying terrestrial mobile services in specific portions of the C-band.

With Eutelsat joining the proposal, the three satellite operators will continue to work with customers, other stakeholders, and the FCC on the market-based proposal. The next phase of this effort will begin with the FCC’s planned adoption of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Thursday, July 12. Intelsat, SES, and Eutelsat together represent a very substantial majority of the relevant satellite C-band spectrum in use in the U.S.

“We are pleased to be joining ths proposal which aims to create fair conditions for the shared use of C-band with mobile operators in the U.S. while protecting the quality of services provided to our customers over the long term,” said Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat. “By joining this collaborative process, we will be able to advance our interests and those of our clients and contribute to the momentum of the initiative.”

In a joint statement, Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler and SES President and CEO Steve Collar said: “We are pleased to have Eutelsat join Intelsat and SES in this endeavor, demonstrating that the industry is able to unite, collaborate and fully implement our market-driven proposal. Our solution is the only one which will maintain the high quality of the hundreds of incumbent services operating in the C-band today, protect the significant investments in space and ground infrastructure delivering these crucial services while also supporting the U.S. goal of accelerating the 5G era.”

· Panasonic Avionics Corporation will provide LTE technology to the air transport and business aviation markets with future expansion into maritime and mining markets
· The Ericsson 5G-ready core solution is based on Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN)
Lake Forest, CA | November 17, 2016– Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has been selected by Panasonic Avionics Corporation to enable the next generation of connectivity services to the aviation and additional multiple markets.

Under the terms of the new contract, Ericsson will implement its 5G-ready core solution for Panasonic Avionics through its subsidiary AeroMobile, a global inflight connectivity provider and registered mobile network operator. The solution will enable crew and passengers on aircraft, cruise ships and yachts, and employees in the energy and mining sector, to enjoy 2G, 3G, LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Ericsson will provide Panasonic Avionics with a 5G-ready core that can be optimized for use across a wide and growing range of sectors, enabling connectivity not only for passengers, employees and different services onboard aircraft and ships, and also for the massive Internet of Things communication.

Ericsson’s 5G-ready core using NFV and SDN technologies brings ultra-scalability, programmability and automation to the networks. Real-time instantiation of network functions and network slicing enable network resource optimization, rapid service innovation, new business models and greater customer value for Panasonic Avionics.

Paul Margis, President and Chief Executive Officer, Panasonic Avionics Corporation says: “This innovative collaboration with Ericsson is an integral part of our strategy to address the global communications needs of consumers and businesses in the future, and it demonstrates our commitment to enabling connected devices through the Internet of Things.

“Using this new global communications platform, we will help our customers — across all of our vertical markets — leverage ubiquitous connectivity to improve their operations with real time data across all of their connected platforms.”

Anders Lindblad, Head of Business Unit IT and Cloud, Ericsson, says: “NFV is an important technology for the 5G-ready core, and industry-leading operators around the world are already using our solution in live commercial service. We are extremely happy that Panasonic Avionics selects Ericsson as the sole supplier for their 5G-ready core.”

Charlotta Sund, Head of Customer Group Industry and Society, Ericsson, says: “We look forward to working closely with Panasonic Global Communications to enable them to offer consumers and businesses the next generation of global connectivity solutions. Panasonic Avionics and AeroMobile will be important strategic customers for Ericsson as we embark on a long-term business relationship together.”

The new contract between Panasonic Avionics and Ericsson is only the first step of an extended strategic collaboration the two companies are embarking on, with other areas of focus including 5G and the Internet of Things.