Telecoms.com Podcast

The lads have one more assessment of the recent Mobile World Congress trade show, this time with the benefits of hindsight and special guest, analyst John Strand. Geopolitics, along with AI, dominated the chat at this year’s show, so they discuss as much of that at telecoms purist Iain can tolerate, before moving on to more sector-specific stuff. They conclude by examining the news that some EU officials are being investigated on suspicion of receiving bribes from Chinese vendor Huawei.

Join Paolo Pescatore, a telecom analyst, Danielle Rios, CEO of Totogi, and Sylwia Kechiche from Opensignal as they dive into the dynamic world of telecom at MWC. They share amusing anecdotes from the conference while unpacking the transition of telecom towards cloud solutions and AI. The discussion veers into the implications of satellite services like Starlink, the transformative role of AI, and the current state of 5G networks. With a cocktail of insightful commentary and a dash of chaos, this gathering is anything but ordinary!

The pod is delighted to welcome back special guest, analyst Dean Bubley, for his now traditional preview of an event he prefers not to attend. They tackle the likely themes of Mobile World Congress 2025 and you don’t need to be Nostradamus to know AI will dominate. But what does that mean? The guys take the time to pick it apart and sort the wheat from the chaff. The other main themes covered are 5/6G, network APIs and geopolitics and this is published early to get you in the mood ahead of next week’s event.

The guys are delighted to welcome Pablo Tomasi of analyst firm Omdia this week, whose appearance is so well timed as to create the impression of planning. All three of them attended Ericsson’s big pre-MWC media and analyst presentation in London, so they start off by reviewing that, specifically Ericsson’s bets on the future of the mobile industry and the likelihood of them paying off. That leads to conversation about enterprise telecoms in general, before they conclude with a robust debate about the implications of Nokia’s new CEO appointment.

Just the core crew again this week as they brave the foul weather to bring you your weekly fix of telecoms banter. Chinese vendor Huawei snuck out a singly financial data point last week but Ian and Scott still managed to bang on about it, and the inevitable tangents, for an hour or so. They eventually moved on to look at the current state of US chip firm Intel before briefly questioning Google’s principles when it comes to AI.

Join an engaging discussion as the hosts dive into China's DeepSeek, exploring its implications in the AI race against the US. With laughter and Terminator references, they analyze Nokia's impressive quarterly performance amidst shifting telecom dynamics. Plus, there's a humorous take on Meta's attempts to mend fences with Trump. From personal anecdotes about sobriety to the intertwining of telecom and AI, this conversation blends serious insights with lighthearted banter, making complex topics accessible and entertaining.

In the last relatively sober pod of the month, the lads are delighted to welcome special guest Jussi from Hamina Wireless. Pausing only to introduce Iain to the Finnish drink lonkero, Jussi introduces his company’s focus on the optimisation of wifi. That leads to plenty of tangents around indoor connectivity, private 5G, etc, before they eventually move on to discuss Ericsson’s latest quarterly numbers and conclude with a look at America’s big Stargate AI infrastructure announcement.

Finally back in the studio, the lads are joined by Paul from CC Group PR and his colleague Rich, who ensures an extra long recording by his constant interruptions. They start by talking about an imminent webinar, hosted by CC and featuring elite telecoms hacks, that aims to set the scene for the Mobile World Congress trade show, leading to plenty of tangents around the show, journalism, and PR in general. They eventually move on to cover a couple telecoms moans about how rubbish the EU is, before concluding with a review of a new book about Huawei.

The hosts dive into the ongoing US-China dynamics, spotlighting Huawei's pivotal role amidst geopolitical tensions. They share personal reflections on Dry January and discuss innovation stagnation at CES. The rise of Open RAN in telecom sparks a debate on industry shifts, and there's a humorous take on the hypothetical future of Canada as the 51st state. Attention also turns to AI's integration in tech and the implications for free speech, particularly regarding Meta's evolving stance on censorship in the current digital landscape.

The podcast year culminates in its traditional Christmas quiz, hosted by Elena from Liberty Communications. Pausing only to reflect on a big day out for Iain and Scott the day before and a farcical attempt to use a beer hat just before recording, they eventually get into the quiz. Expect rabid competitiveness, buzzer drama, and unbridled tangents, but you’ll have to listen to the end to find out who wins. Have a great Christmas and see you in the (sober for a bit) new year.