5G Factor: Rural, P5G, AI, and Security Wax

In this episode of The 5G Factor, our series that focuses on all things across the 5G ecosystem, we review key 5G ecosystem developments including T-Mobile’s $4.4 billion acquisition of UScellular’s wireless operations, NVIDIA kicking P5G tires, AI-RAN Alliance considerations, and what Fortinet’s cybersecurity portfolio brings to wireless/mobility environments.

Our analytical review drilled down on:

T-Mobile Acquires UScellular Wireless Operations: Good News for Rural Users. T-Mobile will pay approximately $4.4 billion for the assets being acquired from UScellular in the transaction that combines cash and up to $2.0 billion in debt to be assumed by T-Mobile. Upon closing, T-Mobile’s 5G network will expand to serve UScellular customers, especially those in underserved rural areas, by moving from a roaming experience outside of the UScellular coverage areas to nationwide access. We explore why the additional capacity and coverage generated by the combination of T-Mobile/UScellular spectrum and wireless assets and capabilities can stimulate competition for wireless services across rural areas, particularly in relation to Verizon and AT&T service offerings as well as help reduce the digital divide.

Private 5G Momentum: NVIDIA Kicks Tires and AI Considerations. NVIDIA received approval from the FCC to build a private 5G SA network at its Santa Clara, CA HQ to test its implementation with unnamed O-RAN vendors. The move follows high-profile organizations such as Tesla, John Deere, Lufthansa Technik, and NEC elevating their respective private 5G (P5G) commitments as P5G installations worldwide have passed the 2K threshold. We delve into the recent progress in the P5G market and how NVIDIA’s interest in P5G coincides with its 5G ecosystem initiatives including as a major backer of the AI-RAN Alliance and the development of the Grace Hopper chip to support new AI applications at the edge plus in RAN software.

Fortinet Brings Secure by Design Assurance to Wireless. Fortinet recently spotlighted its long-standing commitment to responsible radical transparency as an early signer of the Secure by Design pledge developed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). CISA’s latest initiative strongly aligns to Fortinet’s existing product development processes already based on Secure by Design and Secure by Default principles. Fortinet is committed to adhering to robust product security scrutiny at all stages of the product development lifecycle, helping to ensure that security is designed into each product from inception all the way through to end of life, which we view as an important differentiator. We examine how the Fortinet platform combines unified SASE, security operations, and secure networking that protect the entire attack surface alongside integration ease with existing infrastructure plus our key takeaways from Fortinet’s Mobility Field Day 11 presentations.