Ericsson Launches Stadium-optimized Wi-Fi Solution

Social networking and Video apps are used heavily during major events such as sports matches and concert and mobile traffic in stadiums is usually high. To offer the most seamless experience for mobile device users at stadiums, Ericsson has launched a stadium-optimized Wi-Fi solution which addresses user density and interference challenges to deliver high-performance coverage for mobile video and data apps.

  

The new Ericsson product is a stadium-optimized Wi-Fi solution which consists of two products - the AP 5114 stadium-optimized Wi-Fi access point and the WIC 8000 Wi-Fi controller – which together create a Wi-Fi network that is integrated with the mobile network.

The product is in response to the fact that even though attending a sports match, concert or other event in a full stadium is a great experience that many people instantly want to share with friends and family, by – for example – uploading videos and photos to social networking sites, interacting via Facebook, Twitter or SMS during such events can sometimes be challenging due to the sudden increase in network traffic.

 In its Traffic and Market Data report, Ericsson forecasts that mobile data traffic will increase 10-fold between 2011 and 2016, mainly driven by video. This predicted growth, combined with the popularity and ubiquity of Wi-Fi on mobile devices, has created a trend toward operators deploying their own Wi-Fi networks. Given that social networking and video apps are used particularly heavily during major events, mobile traffic in stadiums is especially high.

The result is that, from the operators’ perspective, stadiums are like very dense metropolitan “villages” that require a wide range of wireless solutions – such as small cells, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and Wi-Fi as a complement to the existing macro network – to address all of the coverage and capacity requirements.

 “This Wi-Fi solution ­– which represents our first Wi-Fi product launch since our acquisition of BelAir Networks in April this year – enables stadium owners and managers to provide fans with the same options that they have when watching events at home, including instant replays and multi-view content feeds. Our solution meets all of the requirements that operators have for comprehensive, coordinated and integrated wireless coverage in stadiums,” said Dave Park, Ericsson’s head of Wi-Fi product line. 

Delivering additional radio network capacity and coverage through the deployment of small cells as part of a heterogeneous network is central to most mobile operators’ mobile broadband strategies, and Wi-Fi is a key element. With Wi-Fi fully integrated into mobile access and core networks, users will enjoy seamless access to high-performance mobile broadband, whether they are connected over 3GPP or Wi-Fi, and operators will be able to choose connectivity to optimize the user experience.

The Global Market Forecast report released by Strategy Analytics in February 2012 states that by 2015, annual sales of Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets will reach 1.7 billion units.  Meanwhile, Ericsson’s Traffic and Market report predicts that mobile data traffic will grow with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of around 60 percent (2011-2017), driven mainly by video.

World: Ericsson Calling on Students and SMEs to Apply for Ericsson Application Awards 2013

Ericsson is calling for students and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who have an idea for a great app to enter the Ericsson Application Awards 2013.

The Ericsson Application Awards gives apps developers an opportunity to gain a foothold in the app industry while also earning recognition and making contacts within the telecom industry.

This year, there will be two categories: one for students and one for small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 100 employees.

The theme for this year’s competition is “Apps for City Life”, in support of Ericsson’s vision for a Networked Society in which – through a combination of mobility, broadband, the cloud, applications and services – anything and everything is connected.Participating teams also need to develop an application based on the Android platform that addresses the theme.

Last year’s winner in the company category was MedAfrica app, a mobile health-care app developed in Kenya by Shimba Technologies while the first prize in the student category was awarded to a painting and chatting app developed in China. A medico-social platform that provides access to medical information developed in Egypt won the Technology for Good prize.

Overall, 143 teams from more than 50 countries took part and a total of 242 ideas, videos and apps were submitted – twice as many as in the previous year.

This year, several prizes will be awarded in each category:

·         First place: EUR 25,000

·         Second place: EUR 10,000

·         Third place: EUR 5000

·         Fourth and fifth place: certificates

The prize money will be shared equally among the registered team members with the winning teams being contacted to ensure payment of prize. Winners will be announced on: www.ericssonapplicationawards.com

The deadline for submitting entries for Ericsson Application Awards 2013 is February 28, 2013 with evaluation of entries starting in March 1, 2013. Announcement of semi-finalists (top 5) in each category will be done on March 16, 2013 while the global evaluation of semi-finalist entries will be done on March 20, 2013 before the finalist teams ( 2 in each category) can be announced on April 25, 2013.

The submitted applications will be evaluated according to:
- Android application (Native or Web)
- Addresses the theme "Apps for the Networked Society"
- Working application prototype
- Innovative solution
- Business potential

ECA briefs Africa IGF on 2013 Innovation Prize for Africa, Calls for More Entries

Cairo-- In order to create increased awareness about the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) initiative and further get more tech-innovators to submit their entries during next year’s awards, the ECA briefed delegates attending the Africa Internet Governance Forum on the status of the initiative.

At a pre-event workshop held on Tuesday October 2, Ms Eskedar Nega, a Programme Officer at ECA’s ICT, Science and Technology Division (ISTD) described the IPA initiative, founded by ECA and the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) in 2012, as an “African programme that promotes and encourages innovation in the continent.”

       

“The IPA focuses on African-led solutions aimed at recognizing innovative breakthroughs to unlock new African potential and mobilizing leaders from all sectors to fuel African innovation,” said Ms Nega, adding that the theme for the IPA 2013 is“the Future We Innovate” with deadline for entries being October 31, 2012.

So far, applications have been received from various countries – including Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Rep. of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Mali.

“Just like last year, most of the applicants are drawn from Nigeria and Kenya and we hereby urge innovators from other African countries to submit their innovative ideas and projects. IPA has further benefits for the finalists and winners in that it links them venture capitalists to fund their project and also offers training as well as networking opportunities,” said Ms Nega at the Africa IGF pre-event workshop held at the Smart Village in Cairo, Egypt.

Dr. Mohamed Sanad - who emerged overall winner of the 2012 IPA with his low-cost, base station antenna has that can cover all wireless applications at different frequency bands including WiMax, digital TV, CDMA and GSM – highlighted the features of his invention and the impact the Prize had on his work in Egypt and globally.

Dr Sanad  said that with initiatives such as IPA aiming at promoting innovation, Africa should be able to export technology rather than being a mere importer of technology, noting that the continent’s youth should be encouraged to build confidence and become competent globally.

The workshop recommended that policymakers need to promote an innovation ecosystem aimed at strengthening the capacity of innovators and entrepreneurs; establish public and private institutions which can drive innovation and increase the availability of resources to better nurture the capacity of potential innovators in Africa. The session further recommended that there is a need to raise awareness on the importance of intellectual property rights to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa.  

The IPA prize honours and encourages innovative achievements that contribute toward developing new products, increasing efficiency or saving cost in Africa. The prize also promotes among young African men and women the pursuit of science, technology and engineering careers as well as business opportunities with potentials of contributing to sustainable development in Africa. 

Overall, it aims to among other things: mobilize leaders from all sectors to fuel African innovation; promote innovation across Africa in key sectors of interest through the competition: promote science, technology and engineering as rewarding, exciting and noble career options among the youth in Africa by profiling successful applicants and encourage entrepreneurs, innovators, funding bodies and business development service providers to exchange ideas and explore innovative business opportunities.

The IPA anticipates that it will in future results will be evident from increased commercialization of research and development (R&D) outputs in Africa; increased funding of start-ups, adoption of new and emerging technologies and accelerated growth of an innovative and dynamic private sector; and increased economic activity and African led development that results in lasting impact.

First Africa IGF Opens with Calls for Enhanced Collaboration to Tackle Cybercrime

CAIRO--Following the successful hosting of the five regional internet governance forums or IGFs by the respective regions, the inaugural Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfrIGF) opened Wednesday amidst calls for increased partnership and collaboration to curb cyber crime and enhance online security in the continent.      

In his opening address, Egypt’s ICT minister Eng Hany Mahmoud noted that enhancing security and building confidence and trust in the use of ICT applications is one of the “most important emerging issues that are threatening the ICT sector worldwide.”

“Collaboration of regional and international efforts from all stakeholders involved is much needed. In this respect, Egypt has established its national CERT and we are ready to discuss together policy challenges and find ways for cross-border cooperation on cybersecurity. As well, openness and free flow of information should be maintained in way that preserves the stability and robustness of the global Internet,” said Eng Mahmoud.

The minister added  that the UN General Assembly would decide on a number of important issues such as the report of the 15th session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development of the Economic and Social Council on Internet Governance Improvements, the Enhanced Cooperation consultations, and the WSIS Review Meeting Decision.

“We have the World Conference of International Telecommunications (WCIT) that encompasses a lot of articles pertaining to Internet Public Policy matters. Such issues require series collaboration and coordination from our side to be able to face the international community with one African voice,” he said, adding that the first African IGF is a catalyst for creating more convergence between the views coming from the five different African regions.

Mr  Moctar Yedaly, African Union Commission’s (AUC) head of Post and Telecommunication Division, ICT Policy and Development programmes, said that the “more the modern society depends on the Internet the more relevant Internet governance will be.”

The 2-day meeting, being held at the Smart Village Convention Centre, has been organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission (AUC), government of Egypt through the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the five African sub-regional IGFs.

The five regional IGFs include the West Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF), the East Africa Internet Governance Forum (EAIGF), Forum de Gouvernance de l’Internet en Afrique Centrale (FGI-CA), the Southern Africa Internet Governance Forum (SAIGF) and the North Africa Internet Governance Forum (NAIGF).

The event has drawn participants from across the continent to define Africa’s collective common position on Internet Governance and share best practices based on the results of national and sub-regional consultations. The conference was preceded by pre-conference workshops in the afternoon of 2 October 2012.

Mr Masango Chengetai from the IGF Secretariat in Geneva stated that there are 12 regional IGFs and more than 22 national IGFs covering the globe, as well as thematic IGF initiatives such as the Youth IGF.

“It is important that Africa makes its voice heard in the global Internet Governance debate. Good Internet governance begins at home, that is at the national and regional level, where the policies are incorporated into legislation and are actually implemented. It is better to have a public comment before a law is passed then after,” said Chengetai, adding that the Africa IGF has a pivotal role in interconnecting the regional IGFs and can provide a united African perspective to the global Internet governance discussions.

Mr Makane Faye, who read the speech on behalf of Dr Aida Opoku-Mensah, the director of UNECA’s ICT, Science and Technology Division (ISTD), said that Internet governance, as a key issue emerging from the WSIS process, is an important multi-stakeholder platform.

“The key to making Internet Governance a success at both the sub-regional and regional levels is dependent on the take up and active participation at the national level. To this end, national forums on the management of Internet resources and critical infrastructure are encouraged in countries,” said Faye.

So far, Africa has hosted 2 annual IGF meetings - with the 2009 IGF being held in Egypt while the 2011 IGF, which had the highest attendance, was held in Nairobi. The African Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) was launched in 2011 to support and promote the consolidation of the on-going regional initiatives and reach out to continental and global stakeholders and guide in their engagement in continental, regional and national initiatives.

The seventh global IGF will take place on November 6-9, 2012, in Baku, Azerbaijan under the theme: “Internet Governance for Sustainable Human, Economic and Social Development.

“We expect that this conference will promote discussions on the African IG agenda and shape the way for Africa's participation in the next IGF, in Baku,” said Faye