Four exciting days in our photo blog. Those who want to experience the highlights of Deutsche Telekom at MWC Barcelona 2023 will find many pictures here.
Day four: March 2, 2023
Network APIs - sounds unwieldy, but at the Mobile World Congress it is becoming increasingly clear: the hidden little helpers will soon bring us innovations. Little helpers? Yes, such "Application Programming interfaces" give software specialists access to certain network properties. For example, for the smooth and fine holograms that we will all be able to see of ourselves during video calls in the future. So network APIs are the stars of the fourth day of the fair.
Come along to Hall 8, where the motto is "Four Years from Now" (4YFN). There are innovations there, many of which we are likely to encounter in everyday life within the next four years. Hence the name. © DTAG
Telephone conversations in which the person you are talking to appears as a hologram are in the starting blocks. Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica, Orange and Vodafone have started a joint project. Because the technology only makes sense if it can be used by all customers across networks. To this end, the four network operators are working together with the start-up Matsuko, which can be found at the Hubraum stand. For the caller, it feels like a normal video call: the smartphone held in front of the face is filmed by the selfie camera. For the person being called, the conversation partner appears realistically as a digital hologram in the VR glasses, as Constanze Kettlitz-Profe from Deutsche Telekom is trying out here. © DTAG
Even without VR glasses, the view on the mobile phone or tablet displays looks three-dimensional. © DTAG
Everything must run smoothly, without jitter. Subtleties such as lip movements should look realistic from every perspective. To achieve this, the Matsuko team uses Deutsche Telekom's network APIs, as Mariana Kýrová and Štefánia Puzderová report. Specifically, for the properties of high data throughput and low "latency", or delay. "In January, we even managed the first transatlantic holographic phone call at Deutsche Telekom in Berlin," says Štefánia Puzderová at the Hubraum booth. In addition to Matsuko, several start-ups that work with Deutsche Telekom APIs are represented there. © DTAG
"Hubraum" is the name of the Deutsche Telekom Group unit that looks after start-ups. As a so-called "tech incubator", Hubraum brings early-stage start-ups together with Deutsche Telekom and creates new business opportunities for both sides - in Berlin, Krakow and Tel Aviv. Here at 4YFN, it's all about the start-ups Hubraum is working with as part of the "5G Early Access Program" for APIs. It's a give and take ... © DTAG
... as Anna Piwowarczyk and Mario Bodemann from Hubraum tell me. The start-ups' software experts give feedback on what easy access to network properties should look like for them and their ideas. "It's like a cycle," Piwowarczyk explains. "We develop APIs as a product and test them. The start-ups give feedback. We collect that and incorporate it into the product. For the developers, everything should be as simple as possible." In the picture, the two show their freshly produced feedback report. © DTAG
Another start-up in the "5G Early Access Program": DriveU.auto. It has developed a solution for shuttle vehicles that travel without a driver: Only when necessary does a human intervene remotely, seeing the respective situation on the screen in real time. The solution specifically addresses situations in which a vehicle brakes unnecessarily and wants to wait, for example because leaves are flying onto the road. A short command and it continues the journey. Doron Elinav and Dor Tzabari from DriveU.auto show an example live on a monitor, which can be seen in more detail in the next picture. © DTAG
Navigate through a factory with an augmented reality view on your mobile phone and then have instructions, for example for maintenance, in front of your eyes when you reach your destination: This is what the business customer solution of the start-up VIEWAR looks like. No one has to programme or "code" anything for this: "Everything can be set up and adapted in the company itself without any prior knowledge," emphasises Adnan Ćosić (r.) of VIEWAR. © DTAG
For the corporate world, this means: augmented reality for everyone. To demonstrate this, Adnan Ćosić scanned the booth and its surroundings within a quarter of an hour and marked objects for additional information. © DTAG
Let's go for a test walk, here with an animated robot as a "guide" - and in a shock-proof way, because all solid obstacles such as walls and objects are recorded. © DTAG
Very happy at our meeting at the Hubraum booth: Aleksandar Bogoevski from CTHINGS.CO. He is happy about having won a new customer the day before. They signed a contract right away. The start-up has developed a platform and, as an associated device, an "Edge Gateway" for companies. The Internet-of-Things solution makes it possible to collect raw data in a wide variety of forms - for example, status data from networked machines, buildings or networks - process it clearly into information and use it for further processing. For example, for predictive maintenance. "We make data collection easier, safer and more flexible," says Aleksandar Bogoevski. © DTAG
Day three: March 1, 2023
Sustainable packaging, road safety, easy collaboration in companies and rules for AI ... Trade fair Wednesday also brings many examples of how Deutsche Telekom wants to improve people's lives. Today's photo blog also spotlights more of those who are on hand at the trade fair stand every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the many interested visitors.
"You're presenting cardboard boxes at a technology fair?" - curious questions like these are often heard by Saima Ansari, Dominica Vagasiova and Anja Kopperschmidt (from right to left) at their exhibit. "Some are surprised by what we've built here and have an 'aha' moment," Ansari says. The team cares about sustainability. It is demonstrating at the show how Deutsche Telekom's key network equipment suppliers are moving from conventional to sustainable packaging. Take Nokia, for example: The packaging for a network component is much smaller. It consists of cardboard including corrugated cardboard for padding. Without disposable plastic. "We show how it should go everywhere," says Saima Ansari. Environmentally friendly packaging is mandatory for network equipment such as antennas or routers. And new Deutsche Telekom products for the German and European markets have already been sustainably packaged since mid-2022. © DTAG
SMS, voicemail, chat, fixed network ...: Deutsche Telekom wants to make it easier for people in companies to work together. It is the first network operator in Germany to offer "Mobile Microsoft Teams" to business customers. "Finally, fewer communication channels," says Thorsten Martens, who is presenting the solution at the trade fair: Across all devices, a current presence status that updates automatically. Voicemails as text, no more missed calls - also regardless of the device - plus meetings and sharing documents on the go ... And when you arrive at your desk, you can continue working seamlessly on your computer. These are just a few of the benefits Thorsten Martens lists at the show. "Many interested parties come from network operators from all over the world, for example in South Korea and the United Arab Emirates," he says. "So providers who still have the integration ahead of them and have questions." © DTAG
The Internet of Things (IoT) - a big topic at the Deutsche Telekom stand. Here on the stage, for example. Together with its partner Spoke, Deutsche Telekom is showing how IoT can save lives in road traffic. Together, they have developed a solution that enables bicycles, cars and other road users to recognize each other digitally. Accidents involving cyclists in particular usually happen because they have been overlooked. This is soon to change, as Jarrett Wendt from Spoke and Benjamin Bastian (r.) from Deutsche Telekom explained. Spoke supplies the hardware and software for the solution and Deutsche Telekom the connectivity. © DTAG
"And when can I buy this?" - Kellen Pucher from Spoke hears this question more often when interested parties ask him about the security solution. By the way: The employee of Deutsche Telekom partner Spoke is himself an enthusiastic cyclist "like everyone else in our company." This is how the solution works: from a attachment on the bike, for example on the seat post, the signals travel via the network "chip to chip" to the information systems in the cars, to the navigation systems of Google, Apple and Co. Cyclists, for example, receive a warning on their app. And when will the solution be launched on the market? The plan is 2024, says Kellen Pucher. © DTAG
In the event of natural disasters, networks also need a plan B. Veli-Matti Riepula and Michaela Kantová explain to the audience at the booth how terrestrial and satellite-based communications can be seamlessly integrated. So that contact with users is not interrupted if the infrastructure is compromised. Background: Flying antennas and satellites can support communications networks on the ground. If the network on the ground fails, antennas in the sky maintain contact with the smartphones of those affected. The connection is then rerouted via satellites. "The topic of 'non-terrestrial networks' is more in demand than ever," says Veli-Matti Riepula. © DTAG
Non-terrestrial networks (NTN) are communication networks with elements in space and in the air. These include antenna platforms in the stratosphere, so-called HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station). These can be free-floating high-altitude balloons, airships or motor gliders. Veli-Matti Riepula and Michaela Kantová were involved when Deutsche Telekom and partners celebrated a world premiere in February: they had set up an orchestrated 5G connection seamlessly across different network layers. This reached across the stratosphere into space and back again. The cellular service provided from the stratosphere followed the path across the satellite. And then back to Earth, to its interface on the ground. From there, the signals flowed into the core network or to the base station. © DTAG
King Midas as a cautionary example: If everything I touch turns to gold, that's only tempting until you realize that water and food are also affected. In his keynote, cyber security expert Bruce Schneier looks at the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) as hackers. He believes that we humans will be no more than collateral damage in this process. That's because AI develops solutions according to its standards, not human ones like ethics or morality. It looks for hacks. Moreover, we humans are unfortunately not good at precisely defining what is wanted and recognizing possible consequences. See King Midas. And the undesirable side effects of AI solutions will not always be easy to identify. A solution to this problem will be a major challenge for the future. © DTAG
One to zero for Europe! In the talk, Claudia Nemat and Bruce Schneier talked about how we humans can keep pace with the challenges of hacking AI. One good approach is AI guidelines, such as the ones Deutsche Telekom has already given itself in 2018. In general, Bruce Schneier praises the EU's approach to regulating algorithms and AI systems. Here, the Europeans would have an advantage over the USA. © DTAG
Dubrovnik has been completely transformed. Tourist crowds and congested streets are a thing of the past. Because today, the Croatian city is a "smart city". With Deutsche Telekom as a partner, it has developed an intelligent parking guidance system, for example. This works via 2,000 sensors installed under the floor of the parking spaces. They detect free parking spaces. And send this information to drivers. The parking space can then be paid for via app and the parking time extended. Air and water quality are also monitored via IoT. The results have not been satisfactory so far. Therefore, the city decided to reduce the number of cruise ships in the port and regulate road traffic differently. "We want people to be at the center of our work," said Marijana Bacic (l.) and Jelka Tepsic from Hrvatski Telekom. On the right in the picture: presenter Sarah Jennifer Boone. © DTAG
A dedicated mobile communications network for the company campus. In short: campus network. That was the topic of this talk on stage. The network is tailored to the individual needs of a company. It enables machines and processes to be networked without delay. There are numerous practical examples of this. For example, the port of Hamburg. There, everything revolves around security on the port premises. Automated drones are used to inspect container bridges and asphalt surfaces. This saves time compared to previous inspection procedures by employees, explained Matthias Gronstedt of HHLA Sky. From left: Antje Williams (Deutsche Telekom), Matthias Gronstedt (HHLA Sky), Guenther Meyringer (Asseco Ceit), Ales Höfner (Toyota) and Elvira Gonzales (Deutsche Telekom). © DTAG
Another example: robots. Guenther Meyringer is CEO of Asseco Ceit. A technology company that brings industrial solutions to the market. Here, the campus network is used for production and logistics. Here, the robots have the task of transporting heavy equipment. For example, vehicle doors or engines. And they do this from the production site to the warehouse and on to the factory. In the vehicle sector, the campus network is also used at Toyota. Ales Höfner explained that it is used to synchronize all the processes in the manufacturing process. © DTAG
Day two: February 28, 2023
Lots of technology - from "IoT" to "Network APIs". Plus a day of inspiring presentations and on-stage discussions. Did you know that diamonds can be made from dirty air? Here are our photo impressions from the trade show Tuesday.
It's nice to see how many people the Deutsche Telekom booth attracts. Our colleagues from the booth staff have a lot to do. © DTAG
One of the eye-catchers: the racing bike. Background: At the booth, Deutsche Telekom and its partner Spoke show how the Internet of Things (IoT) can save lives in road traffic. © DTAG
Deutsche Telekom and Spoke have developed a solution that enables bikes and cars to recognize each other. This makes the road a slightly safer place. © DTAG
Daily routine of a family: Alexander Fredric Ahnebrink uses this example to show how people come into contact with Deutsche Telekom technologies, services and products in their everyday lives - today and tomorrow. Artificial intelligence in service, voice assistance for the TV remote control and the new router concept "RDK" are just three of many examples. © DTAG
A big topic at the show: Network APIs. Markus Kümmerle from Deutsche Telekom (right) gives guests at the Deutsche Telekom booth a playful introduction to it. Such "application programming interfaces" are already standard in IT, but not in networks. In the future, Deutsche Telekom will provide these useful interfaces - for partner companies, such as start-ups. Their developers can then use them to incorporate certain network properties into their own applications. Today, the topic of network APIs was discussed twice on the Deutsche Telekom stage. See the following pictures. © DTAG
Network API topic: Noel Wirzius from Deutsche Telekom (2nd from right) reported on how software specialists can dock onto the Deutsche Telekom network to take advantage of its properties for their apps, for example. Deutsche Telekom enables easy access to various network properties. Maria Vircikova (center) is the head of Matsuko. The startup supports network operators like Deutsche Telekom as a technology partner to make hologram communication as easy as making a phone call. Certain network characteristics such as stable latency and data throughput via APIs would render the respective facial expression in a high-quality manner. The round with her, Hemanth Samath from Qualcomm and Riccardo Villareal from Microsoft made it clear: developers need easy access to APIs. The close exchange with them and the knowledge of their ideas and wishes is crucial for success. © DTAG
Developers must take center stage when it comes to APIs: This was also emphasized by Rob Roy from T-Mobile US and Nathan Rader from Deutsche Telekom (from left). After all, what ideas are taking shape and how? What does demand look like? It's still early days. One thing is clear: "We have the ingredients for hundreds of dishes," Roy compares. "'You guys have a gold mine,' one developer told me." Guests from the field: Marion Mirold from Siemens Energy and Prof. Dr. Dirk Elias from Bosch. Siemens, for example, relies on the API "Quality on demand" so that, for example, technicians* with AR glasses can be guided remotely in their on-site work. "This has to run stably and smoothly." It becomes clear how important the CAMARA Alliance initiated by Deutsche Telekom is, which ensures international standards. So that companies can use APIs in the network in the U.S. as in Germany, for example. In other words, across borders and independent of network operators. © DTAG
Ericsson, Vay and Deutsche Telekom are presenting "teleoperated driving" at MWC 2023. A professionally trained, so-called teledriver controls the vehicle remotely. The destination: the customer. From here on, the person drives himself or herself again. The idea: a car on demand that replaces a person's own car. In Germany, for example, the car sits unused in front of the door 95 percent of the day. The tenor of Jacob Possne (Ericsson), Thomas van der Ohe (Vay) on stage: The solution is more sustainable and would make cities far more livable. All this only works with reliable connectivity via the 5G network: with stable, low latency, i.e., low delay. Deutsche Telekom makes it possible. © DTAG
Clean air. That is Daan Roosegaarde's mission. He is the founder of Roosegaarde Studios, where projects are developed that combine technology and art. The focus is on technologies for the environment. For example, he created the world's largest outdoor air purifier. It's a tower that sucks in smog. And then redistributes purified air in parks or playgrounds. How does it work? The carbon sucked in from 1,000 cubic meters of air is subjected to high pressure for 30 minutes - in other words, it is pressed. The result: a diamond. The resulting diamonds are sold as jewelry. And the proceeds are in turn used to build more such towers. The result is a combination of technology and lifestyle. © DTAG
A second invention of his tackles the fine dust pollution caused by conventional fireworks. As Daan has realized, simply banning fireworks is not the way to go. His solution is to modernize celebratory traditions. Instead of black powder-based fireworks, lights that resemble fireflies light up the night sky. These are organic and biodegradable. © DTAG
Day one: February 27, 2023
Day one of the trade show: Full house at the Deutsche Telekom booth. Hundreds of interested people on site and at the press conference via livestream. The focus: strong networks and products and services for people, at home and on the move, for business and pleasure. For example, seamless satellite connections. And: sustainability. The press conference was the highlight at the start of the trade show. Review day one in our photo show.
Claudia Nemat, Board Member for Technology & Innovation, Dominique Leroy, Board Member for Europe, and Mishka Dehghan, responsible for Strategy, Product & Solution Development at T-Mobile US: three female Deutsche Telekom managers from two continents on stage in Barcelona. This is a first for Deutsche Telekom and probably also at the MWC. "Transatlantic women power - We give technology a heartbeat and in the same rhythm." It was about love for customers, winning their hearts, technology and transatlantic collaboration. © DTAG
"We give technology a heartbeat." Claudia Nemat launched into her "Magenta Keynote" with a commitment to people-centric technology. As a leading digital telecommunications company with people at its core. "We create products and experiences that are useful for people, for our customers, ecosystems, our employees, our shareholders and society. Products that are practical everyday helpers." For example, affordable smartphones. And products that do no harm, for example by reducing waste to a minimum. "I call this 'human-centered technology.' Technology has to serve people. Not the other way around." © DTAG
The Deutsche Telekom press conference is a magnet for journalists and other interested parties at MWC. The head of Technology & Innovation at Deutsche Telekom had three things at heart in her "Magenta Keynote":
We deliver useful products to our customers
We imagine the future and are shaping it today
We are reliable and sustainable
Above all, she presented Deutsche Telekom's current and future innovations.
© DTAG
For example, the router that solves problems before they occur. Deutsche Telekom developed a new "Router Operating System" for this purpose. It helps the service department to maintain ahead of time and customers to help themselves. Future routers will restart themselves if problems occur, they will expand parental control functions, can be controlled via app, help against phishing and more. To this end, Deutsche Telekom has joined a standardized platform for the development of broadband routers: "Reference Design Kit", RDK for short. The good thing is that the software runs for home networks with fiber optics just as it does with cable - and in the future, as a highlight, also with 5G, as at T-Mobile US. At the press conference, a video was shown from the current advertising for 5G routers (see picture). Another transatlantic highlight: the T Phone - an affordable, high-quality smartphone that gives more people access to 5G. And: "an example of global innovation," as Claudia Nemat clarified. © DTAG
Satellite solution - news number 1: with narrowband. Deutsche Telekom is making the Internet of Things (IoT) more attractive for business customers in the future - with the help of satellites, it wants to support the global value chain: "Seamless tracking on land, water and in the air," said Claudia Nemat. She gave an example: a car manufacturer in Shanghai uses satellite connectivity to track every vehicle on its way by sea to Hamburg. And from there, onward via mobile communications to the logistics centers and to the dealers. "At our booth, you'll see various IoT solutions, such as for wind farms and water management." And also for bicycles: thanks to sensors, car drivers can locate cyclists even in blind spots. © DTAG
Another useful and secure product for business customers: Deutsche Telekom provides premium internet to company locations worldwide. To this end, it combines the cloud-based "Wide Area Network" from the software company Teridion with its network. In addition, there is so-called modular universal CPE - "so to say a router for business customers that works according to the Lego principle". It is an "software-defined" development, which means that new performance features can be added quickly and flexibly. Security included. © DTAG
Second part of the press conference: "We imagine the future and are building it today." This includes another satellite solution, but with broadband connections: "We seamlessly connect earth and space." Especially imaginable for disaster areas with destroyed technology. Deutsche Telekom is pioneering applied research. To this end, it has conducted a trial in Croatia that is unique in the world to date: with satellites in space and satellite-like antenna systems at an altitude of only about 20 kilometers, i.e., in the stratosphere. Both are to be used when existing technology has been destroyed by disasters. The cell phone then maintains a connection with the antenna in the stratosphere. This in turn sends the cell phone's data into space and back to earth via a satellite. In this way, the cell phone still works even when the cell tower is gone. © DTAG
Another trade fair topic: network APIs, i.e. programming interfaces. Deutsche Telekom has an initial set ready for business customers and developers who need specific network properties. For Siemens, for example: technicians perform maintenance via XR glasses. They use them to get advice from experts who are at other locations. The latter always need precise images of the situation in the factories and must be able to interact throughout. Deutsche Telekom's API guarantees this. To ensure that this works internationally and independently of network operators, Deutsche Telekom initiated the global CAMARA Alliance. The goal: to create standardized network APIs. In the picture on the screen: Ross Ortega from Microsoft on API cooperation with Deutsche Telekom. © DTAG
"We are reliable and sustainable." Claudia Nemat cited the "Open RAN ecosystem" among others as an example of this. RAN stands for Radio Access Network, i.e., the antenna access network in a mobile communications network. And Open RAN because, unlike in the past, components are to function together not just from a few but from a large number of different technology suppliers. Claudia Nemat announced the first commercial deployment of Open RAN with several partners. Deutsche Telekom plans to equip the first commercial networks with Nokia and Fujitsu in Germany and Mavenir in Europe. Deployment is scheduled to start in 2023. © DTAG
News in packaging, too. Together with its partners, Deutsche Telekom is launching initiatives for less and more environmentally friendly packaging material. The goal: complete circular economy for technology and devices in 2030. For example, all products newly launched under the T brand since mid-2022 are packaged sustainably. And they contain no single-use plastic. Deutsche Telekom partners are making a strong commitment. One example Claudia Nemat showed on stage: the packaging for a Nokia network component called "G.fast DPU." This is much smaller. It consists only of cardboard including corrugated cardboard for padding: 60 percent less waste volume, 25 percent less weight. And: no plastic. © DTAG
"European Union: get out of the comfort zone" - that's what Deutsche Telekom chief Tim Höttges called for at noon during his speech to the GSM Association (GSMA) industry association. According to Höttges, the economy in the EU is strong. However, it plays only an insignificant role in terms of digital technologies. For example, there is a lack of EU-owned microchip production. Europe as a whole invests less than other individual countries in telecommunications. Investments in new business areas are also far too low. According to Höttges, the telecommunications market needs more European identity and less regulation. "We need high investments in our networks." Google, Facebook, Netflix, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft: currently, these six corporations accounted for over 50 percent - and thus the lion's share - of internet traffic. © DTAG
Tim Höttges drew a comparison with the U.S., where such hyperscalers and telecommunications companies operate in a far more favorable regulatory framework. He called for more European identity and less regulation for the telecommunications market. © DTAG
Full stage program right from the start: Here, Thorsten Müller from Deutsche Telekom presents the new Router Operating System. This runs on the "Reference Design Kit" (RDK) platform. It addresses a significant customer need: "I need internet in every corner of my home". RDK will enable Deutsche Telekom to integrate new services very easily in the future, for example for security and youth protection. Routers with the new software will optimize themselves, keep an eye on the security of other devices in the home network at the same time, and much more. The good thing is that the new approach works with all customer access technologies. With fiber optics, DSL and also 5G, as offered by T-Mobile US. It will provide the same user experience wherever Deutsche Telekom is active. In Germany as in its European markets and also as in the USA. "We will then be able to spread innovations everywhere immediately," says Thorsten Müller. © DTAG
Clearly one of today's highlights: Kate Crawford talks about the social and political implications of artificial intelligence (AI). For her ChatGPT represents a major turning point and the impact of this so-called generative AI will be drastic. We are witnessing a huge experiment whose outcome is uncertain and which raises many questions. Soon, most of the texts, images and videos on the Internet will be created by generative AI. But this AI is neither accurate nor error-free. How will we know in the future which content we can trust? How do we ensure that AI results are free of bias? How can the works of creative people be protected? Preserve jobs? This will be a major task for us as a society and, above all, for legislators. © DTAG
5G for every pocket: Everyone should be connected. And at an affordable price. With the T Phone, Deutsche Telekom enables a high-quality, 5G-capable smartphone for little money. "It's not just about speed, coverage or bandwidth. It's about making it affordable for people," clarified Dee Kaul from Telekom. The T Phone is to be equipped with even more Android functions in the future. Work is also underway on other 5G devices such as a tablet and wearables. The goal: All devices should work seamlessly with each other and enable a holistic customer experience at home. © DTAG
Turning customers into fans. That is Deutsche Telekom's aim. With the support of artificial intelligence, each customer will be offered a completely individual experience. "Personalization" is the keyword here. For example, in the case of a purchase offer. This ranges from the color design to - in the future - personalized texts. The style, length and illustration vary from customer to customer, explained Sören Schmidt from Deutsche Telekom. © DTAG