UC Advanced - Issue #8

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News from the show

Ericsson and F5 Forge Partnership for Enhanced Financial Services Security

Ericsson announced a strategic collaboration with F5, a leading provider of application security solutions, aimed at fortifying financial services with advanced security measures to facilitate enterprise expansion. This partnership positions F5 as the preferred application security provider for the Ericsson Wallet Platform, heralding a new era of secure and scalable financial services. The Ericsson Wallet Platform, a pioneering solution in the financial services landscape for over a decade, has facilitated transactions worth over USD 40 billion monthly across 24 countries, serving more than 400 million wallets. By integrating F5’s robust security capabilities, Ericsson aims to extend its services beyond Communication Service Providers (CSPs) to banks, fintechs, and enterprises worldwide, bridging the technology gap and catering to diverse markets. Michael Wallis-Brown, Head of Ericsson Mobile Financial Services, expressed the significance of the collaboration, stating, “Partnering with F5 solidifies and

adds resilience to our presence in both developed and emerging markets. This collaboration redefines industry standards, driving innovation for secure, scalable, and technologically advanced financial services solutions globally.” Francois Locoh-Donou, President and CEO of F5, echoed the sentiment, emphasising F5’s commitment to providing expertise in application and API security. “Our partnership with Ericsson Wallet Platform will enable customers to manage and secure the ever- increasing number of APIs – which are critical for agility, speed, and financial regulation in mobile financial services,” he stated. Commencing in 2024, the Ericsson and F5 collaboration promises to deliver trusted and globally scalable application and API security solutions for enterprises, fintechs, and telecom companies. This joint effort is poised to unlock new revenue streams for organisations by offering secure and scalable digital financial services to a broader spectrum of consumers.

f5.com

ericsson.com/en/ mobile-financial- services

5G Predicted to Dominate Mobile Connections by 2029, Says GSMA Intelligence

New data from GSMA Intelligence (GSMAi) forecasts a significant surge in 5G connections, with projections indicating that 5G will represent over half (51%) of mobile connections by 2029, soaring to 56% by the end of the decade. This marks a remarkable milestone, solidifying 5G as the predominant connectivity technology. The rapid expansion of 5G has outpaced previous mobile generations, surpassing one billion connections by the end of 2022 and is expected to reach 5.5 billion connections by 2030. As of January 2024, 261 operators across 101 countries have launched commercial 5G services, with an additional 90 operators committed to rollouts. Notably, 47 of these services are provided by 5G Standalone (SA) networks, with an additional 89 planned

deployments in the near term. These deployments will leverage network slicing, ultra- reliable low-latency communications support, and simplified 5G SA network architecture. The proliferation of 5G SA networks, coupled with enhanced support for private and dedicated networks, is expected to drive the adoption of connected devices, particularly in the enterprise sector. GSMAi data indicates that the enterprise segment currently accounts for 10.7 billion IoT connections, surpassing consumer connections. By 2030, enterprise connections are projected to more than double, reaching 38.5 billion, with smart buildings and smart manufacturing comprising a significant portion. The introduction of 5G-Advanced with 3GPP Release 18 is anticipated to be a pivotal milestone in IoT delivery, sparking

Peter Jarich

gsmaintelligence.com

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