Telecom Review had the opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with Börje Ekholm, president and CEO of Ericsson, to discuss further Ericsson’s vision of the future and what they consider key for progress, among other interesting insights.

Service Management & Orchestration evolves the service layer of traditional OSS using intent-based orchestration, standard models (e.g., YANG) and closed-loop control to fully automate services across hybrid domains. With a real-time, end-to-end view of the entire service and a single interface into the BSS layer, service providers can achieve a zero-touch operational model that is essential for new multivendor digital services, including highly dynamic 5G and IoT offerings.

Brett Feldman at Goldman Sachs recently completed an interview with John Stankey, CEO of AT&T. Below is a transcript of that interview.

MTN GlobalConnect, a digital wholesale and infrastructure services company, is investing in an end-to-end digital ecosystem offering advanced digital solutions to businesses in Africa. Leading the journey is General Manager of Wholesale Mobility Kedar Gupte, who is driven by the market opportunity in a mobile-first economy. Telecom Review Africa had the chance to talk with him and learn what MTN GlobalConnect is planning for the digital wholesale mobility landscape of Africa.

MTN GlobalConnect, a digital wholesale and infrastructure services company, has set itself a goal to grow the fibre network from an 85,000 km of proprietary fibre to 135,000 km in the coming years and expand African connectivity. Leading the journey is CEO Frédéric Schepens, who is compelled and determined to grow social and economic benefits in Africa. Telecom Review Africa had the chance to talk with him and dig deeper into MTN GlobalConnect’s plans and ambitions.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) is the largest and only trade association in the Americas dedicated to the pursuit of all- fiber-optic network infrastructure to the home, to the business and to everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better broadband networks with fiber optics while working with its members to lead the organization forward, collaborate with industry allies and propel the deployment of fiber networks. Their weekly webcast is titled “Fiber for Breakfast” so be sure and tune in!

“We are helping our customers build dynamic digital ecosystems”, says Susan White, Netcracker, Netcracker has been helping CSPs adapt to the new normal and embrace digital transformation. In an exclusive interview with Telecom Review, Susan White, Head of Strategy and Marketing at Netcracker talked about the role that the company has been playing in the COVID-19 era and outlined the goals that Netcracker aims to achieve this year.

Verizon Business and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) announced a multi-year strategic partnership where Verizon will deploy their Network as a Service (NaaS), an all-encompassing solution that will deliver an enhanced customer experience to more than 9,000 Walgreens and Duane Reade retail locations across the US. The foundation of the partnership is underpinned by the full breadth of Verizon's assets including LTE, 5G, and Verizon Media, which will enable Verizon to continuously offer the latest in technological and business process innovation.

It is no secret that the telecom industry is undergoing a drastic change brought forth by digital transformation. Historically, differentiation among telecom suppliers was mainly determined by pricing and quality of services.  Now however, with customers feeling they can obtain comparable services from most suppliers, that focus has shifted—driven by improvements in technology and the way we do business—to how suppliers can make the customer experience frictionless.