Ericsson targets operators with Media Delivery Network enhancements

Simon Frost

Ericsson will use the forthcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to launch a number of enhancements to its Media Delivery Network.

Simon Frost, head of TV marketing at Ericsson said the launch would be focused on TV operators. Future developments include features that will enable operators to offer white label CDNs to media companies and other third parties. Frost said that when CDN processing can be virtualised, operators will be able to deliver white label CDN capabilities inside the network.

Frost said there will be an eightfold increase in network traffic by 2020 most of which will be video.

“From an operator perspective, you are seeing a flat outlook in terms of profitablity because you are scaling cost rather than opportunity,” said Frost. He said realising opportunity would be about optimisation of networks to reduce the impact of increased bandwidth consumption.

Ericsson is providing support for managed and unmanaged video over mobile and fixed networks. A new cache platform, a new optimisation pillar to deliver video over mobile as well as fixed networks, including multiscreen edge services, and Connect, which provides a business suite of enablers to enable operators to make money from their networks, will be the main highlights of the enhanced Media Delivery Network platform

“The internet is not yet TV scale and the operator has a crucial role to play,” said Frost.

In terms of the evolution of business models, Frost said Ericsson is already working with a US carrier to provide ‘sponsored data’ enabling users to consume data over mobile outside the data cap.

Ericsson is also using MWC to launch its Digital Telco Transformation project, a new consulting offering that the company says will enable operators to embrace online and mobile channels to interact with their customers. The company said it would develop a “complete toolbox” to enable telco customers to go digital. Digital in this case implies digital interaction with customers and digital business processes within companies, according to the company.