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Network Economics

China’s 5G Story: Inspiring Rollout Journey and Ongoing Challenges

Despite concerns about the commercial viability of 5G, China Mobile has recently reported that an impressive 689 million customers have signed up for its 5G package. This remarkable figure reflects China’s unique journey towards 5G rollout and commercialization. Join us as we explore the exciting developments in China's 5G market.

Addressing the USA Broadband Availability Gap: Expected Funding and Scenario Planning for States

Our recent study determines that BEAD will provide sufficient funding for the majority of states to close the digital divide. Other states will face constraints as the BEAD funding formula does not account for local cost differences. For this once-in-a-generation opportunity, all will need to closely evaluate their deployment strategies and tradeoffs.

Broadband Infrastructure Playbook – July 2022 Update

The Playbook is a comprehensive guide designed to assist state broadband offices to best leverage federal funds available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The July 2022 Update incorporates content from the NTIA NOFO.

Broadband Infrastructure Playbook Updated

Cartesian - July 12, 2022 - The Broadband Infrastructure Playbook has been updated with content from the NTIA NOFO. The Playbook is a comprehensive guide designed to assist state broadband offices to best leverage federal funds available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Broadband Infrastructure Playbook

The Playbook is a comprehensive guide designed to assist state broadband offices to best leverage federal funds available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Broadband Infrastructure Playbook Launch

Cartesian - March 4, 2022 - Today marks the launch of the Broadband Infrastructure Playbook, a comprehensive guide designed to assist state broadband offices to best leverage federal funds available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Broadband Infrastructure Playbook Research Project Underway

Fiber Broadband Association - December 15, 2021 - The FBA and NTCA commissioned Cartesian, a global telecom, media and technology consulting firm, to conduct the research for the Broadband Infrastructure Playbook. Highlights from the playbook will be presented during a webinar in early 2022.

Connected Britain 2021

Join us at the Business Design Centre in London, where Cartesian will be participating in four panels on day 1 of the Connected Britain conference that addresses the future of UK connectivity.

FTTH Virtual Conference 2021

Join us virtually at the FTTH Conference, where Vice President Michael Dargue will be presenting on LEO satellites in a workshop on Broadband Technologies to Address Post-Pandemic Demand.

US Broadband Infrastructure: Costs to Close the Digital Divide

The amount of funding required to fund gigabit deployment to all unserved areas depends on how ‘unserved’ is defined.

US Broadband Infrastructure: Geographic Trends

Although significant availability gaps are an issue in many rural areas, adoption gaps occur in both rural and non-rural geographies.

The Growth of “New” Legacy: An Ongoing Threat to Transformation

In our Product Insights series, we look at some of the challenges and solutions for enabling digital transformation. Today, we focus on tackling one of the key issues – how to execute an effective platform migration strategy.

US Broadband Infrastructure: The Adoption Gap

Is lack of adoption of fixed broadband a bigger problem than lack of availability of this service?

US Broadband Infrastructure: The Availability Gap

How much has gigabit speed availability increased over time, and how many US households still don’t have access to broadband internet?

Press release: US can address pressing broadband needs with proposed infrastructure funds, report shows

ACA Connects and Cartesian develop detailed analyses to help policymakers prioritize broadband infrastructure funding

Addressing Gaps in Broadband Infrastructure Availability and Service Adoption

The digital divide is both an availability problem and an adoption problem. Approximately 12M households do not have access to 25/3 Mbps broadband service, and about 30M do not subscribe to such service when it's available.

Rolling out FTTP: The B2B Business Case for GPON

In this blog article, we look at the technology and market developments that are making GPON-based products suitable alternatives to Ethernet-based network designs for the enterprise market.

Gigabit Access 2021

Join us at Gigabit Access 2021 where Principal Jaume Fornos will moderate a panel on strategy and technology for gigabit cable, and VP Michael Dargue will moderate a panel on strategies for a more sustainable network rollout.

Project Rollout

Project Rollout is a virtual event that focuses on the delivery of gigabit-capable broadband in the UK. Join us in discussions on the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband networks and investment in the UK's digital infrastructure.

Webinar: Fiber Broadband Association: RDOF – LEO Satellite Assessment

In this webinar, hosted by The Fiber Broadband Association, Cartesian VP Michael Dargue will join others in exploring the RDOF - LEO Satellite Assessment research in-depth.

Press release: New Research Highlights Concerns Whether Starlink™ Will Meet Federal Broadband Capacity Requirements

Via Business Wire - 8 February 2021 - The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) and NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association today submitted to the FCC a technical assessment and model to aid the agency’s efforts to scrutinize the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) long-form applications for Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) Satellite broadband networks.

Connected Italy 2020

Vito Morawetz hosts a panel on next generation connectivity that will include discussion on strategies for fibre & 5G networks, private-public partnerships, and unlocking the socioeconomic benefits.

Total Telecom Congress 2020

Rishi Modha and David Davies lead panel discussions on AI and digital transformation at the virtual Total Telecom Congress event. Join us for an exciting 2 days for the opportunity to hear from 200 industry-leading speakers.

Connected Britain 2020

Michael Dargue, Jaume Fornos and Vito Morawetz lead panel discussions on rolling out fibre and 5G, and the evolving telecoms investment landscape. Join us and hear what leaders from across the industry have to say about these important topics at Connected Britain's virtual event.

Submarine Networks EMEA

Join us at EMEA’s leading annual submarine communications gathering. Learn strategies for optimising cable route planning with Vito Morawetz on Day 2.

Total Telecom Congress 2019

Jaume Fornos will moderate a panel that discusses the evolution of sales, marketing and retail during the ‘New Commercial Models’ track at this year’s Total Telecom Congress.

Ars Technica – 50% of US homes still won’t have fiber broadband by 2025, study says

Via Ars Technica – 18 September 2019 – Fiber broadband is now available to more than 30% of households across the US, and fiber networks should reach 50% of homes by 2025, a new study says…

FierceTelecom – All-fiber deployments to 90% of U.S. households achievable by 2029 – report

Via FierceTelecom – 16 September 2019 – The Fiber Broadband Association released a study that said all-fiber deployments were on pace to hit about 50% of U.S. households by 2025.

Fiber Broadband Association – New Study Finds All-Fiber Deployments to 90% of Households Achievable in Next Decade

Via Fiber Broadband Association – 10 September 2019 – Today, the Fiber Broadband Association and strategy consulting firm Cartesian released a study that explores the costs associated with deploying all-fiber networks to all households across the entire United States.

C-SPAN – 5G Networks and Rural Broadband

Via C-SPAN – 4 September 2019 – Telecommunications industry leaders and wireless technology experts held a briefing regarding the deployment of 5G networks. They also discussed rural broadband access, rural fiber connectivity, and Federal Communications Commission wireless spectrum auctions.

Carriers World 2019

How is the shift to cloud increasing complexity in enterprise service offerings? What is the impact of the changing enterprise landscape on CDNs? Vito Morawetz and Michael Dargue lead these panel discussions at Carriers World 2019.

Light Reading – C-Band Proposal Fixates on Fiber

Via Light Reading – 15 July 2019 – While the winners and losers of the battle over the coveted C-Band are yet to be determined as the FCC continues to weigh the options, one proposal being made by a group with some cable industry backing could be a boon for the nation's fiber network and data center providers.

Cablefax – ACA Connects Says Study Proves C-Band Plan Would Work

Via Cablefax – 10 July 2019 – ACA Connects has offered up evidence to the FCC that it is possible to free up at least 370MHz of C-band spectrum in all urban markets in 18 months through its joint plan with Competitive Carriers Association and Charter. That’s nearly twice the amount capable of being freed through the proposal offered up by the C-Band Alliance…

Fiber Broadband Association – New Study Explores Cost of Fiber Deployment in Rural Areas

Via Fiber Broadband Association – 4 June 2019 – Engaged by the Fiber Broadband Association, strategy consulting firm Cartesian conducted a study to explore the costs associated with deploying all-fiber networks to all homes across the entire United States.

Lessons from the Field: Rolling out FTTx

In this blog post, Jaume Fornos shares operator insights from his FTTx rollout panel discussion at Gigabit Access 2019 including fibre developments, learnings, and success factors.

Ultra-Fast Broadband Acceleration Seminar

Michael Dargue presents on the state of the broadband market in 2019 at UFBB BASe

8 Steps to Power Your Network Virtualization Journey

Based on findings from our network virtualization survey, here are eight recommendations that would help your SDN and NFV projects.

Connected Britain 2019

How does the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review encourage faster rollouts of digital infrastructure? Michael Dargue will tackle this question with a panel of industry experts at Connected Britain.

How to Plan for Network Transformation

All communications infrastructure has a limited life span. Restructuring and migrating networks are essential to network operations. “Network transformation” – changes that include decommissioning and customer migration – is a complex process that has many phases and touches many departments in the network operator. In this article, examine the major issues operators face when undertaking network transformation projects and get insights for a best practices approach.

Gigabit Access 2019

The 5th annual Gigabit Access conference aims to help operators to understand how to develop their networks with emerging and disruptive technologies, and deliver the right technology mix for your situation.

The Role of Process Mining in Digital Transformation: Part 2

The key distinction of Process Mining is its flexibility. In Part 2 of our two-part series, we discuss three specific use cases in digital transformation for telecom companies.

The Role of Process Mining in Digital Transformation: Part 1

Process Mining is an emerging process improvement technique that organizations are adopting to drive their digital transformation efforts. How can telecom companies use it and does it replace traditional Business Process Reengineering practices? In our two-part series of articles, we explore the digital transformation opportunity for telecom companies and what changes are needed to fully reap the benefits.

Edge Europe

How are industry players developing the Edge services ecosystem? Michael Dargue leads a panel discussion at Edge Europe to discuss competing strategies.

Total Telecom: Culture – not technology – is the key to digital transformation for telcos

Via Total Telecom – 1 November 2018 – Operators’ Digital Transformation strategies will only be effective if they place employees at the heart of programmes and ensure a cultural shift, as a well as a technical one. This was the resounding message delivered during a Corporate Transformation panel at Total Telecom Congress 2018.

Total Telecom Congress 2018

Facilitating discussions on network transformation, corporate digital transformation and CRM revolution, Massimo Fatato, Michael Dargue and Jaume Fornos join leading telco industry executives at Total Telecom 2018.

Edge Congress

Is Latency the Primary Drive for Edge? Get the views from industry experts in this panel discussion lead by Jonathan Steinberg at Edge Congress 2018.

Broadband World Forum

Join us at the largest event in the world to focus on networks. Michael Dargue will speak on network virtualization at the executive pre-conference workshop.

Edge Computing Congress

What’s the story with open edge initiatives? Find out in Michael Dargue’s panel discussion at the Edge Computing Congress.

Carriers World 2018

Join us at the wholesale carrier and operator event of the year! Massimo Fatato and Michael Dargue will host panel discussions on network automation and data driven technologies.

BBWF – Your Role in 5G: What it means for you

Via Broadband World Forum – 3 September 2018 – Trying to digest the vast amounts of information related to 5G is like drinking from a fire hydrant, which is why we’ve created this report ahead of Broadband World Forum 2018. In this report, Adrian Pennington asks is 5G the Holy Grail for operators it seems to be and what will its impact be on different types of operator.

Telecoms.com – Roaming for MVNOs: Opportunities and Strategies

Via Telecoms.com – 17 August 2018 – The ‘roam like at home’ regulation has been a boon for European consumers, who can now use their phones without extra charges when visiting EU countries. But it poses challenges for MVNOs, which must pay wholesale rates in order for their customers to roam.

Capacity Media – Bridging the work skills gap

Via Capacity Media – 20 July 2018 – Capacity speaks to Cartesian's Massimo Fatato on the cultural shift the wholesale industry greatly needs and how employee evolution is key to virtualisation.

Bdaily – Living in a hybrid world- The challenges of integrating legacy architectures with virtualized networks

Via Bdaily – 18 July 2018 – Communications Service Providers (CSPs) today are being presented with several opportunities to accelerate their digitalization journeys. However, as the progress behind network virtualization continues to gather momentum, operators and CSPs are quickly realising that there are several challenges along the way.

Business Chief Europe – Insight: Realising the business need for virtualisation

Via Business Chief Europe – 6 July 2018 – While there are more opportunities than ever before, there is also more competition, coming from both traditional and Over-the-Top (OTT) services, which have changed the rules of the telecom game forever.

Vanilla Plus – The future calls: Realising the business need for virtualisation

Via VanillaPlus – 4 July 2018 – Anyone familiar with the industry will know that it’s currently an interesting time to be a Communication Service Provider (CSP). But, as with most sectors, it’s also a very tricky time.

Telecoms.com – Three steps to network virtualization

Via Telecoms.com – 3 July 2018 – Despite the hype around network virtualization, the road to transformation is proving to be a complex one to navigate. This is something operators and Communications Service Providers (CSPs) are quickly discovering as they start rolling out new systems and services…

Vanilla Plus – Living in a hybrid world: The challenges of integrating legacy architectures with virtualised networks

Via Vanilla Plus – 8 Jun 2018 – Communications Service Providers (CSPs) are being presented with several opportunities to accelerate their digitalisation journeys. However, as the progress behind network virtualisation continues to gather momentum, operators and CSPs are quickly realising that there are several challenges along the way, says Massimo Fatato, managing partner at Cartesian…

Connected Britain 2018

Massimo Fatato, Michael Dargue and Jaume Fornos join the stakeholders leading Britain's digital future at Connected Britain to facilitate discussions on our "Connected Society" and "Digital Britain".

ITProPortal – Living in a hybrid world: The challenges of integrating legacy architectures with virtualised networks

Via ITProPortal – 10 May 2018 – Communications Service Providers (CSPs) today are being presented with several opportunities to accelerate their digitalisation journeys. However, as the progress behind network virtualisation continues to gather momentum, operators and CSPs are quickly realising that there are several challenges along the way…

The Real Impact of Roam Like at Home on MVNOs

Nearly a year after the EU’s Roam Like at Home regulation took effect, operators share their experiences and views with Michael Dargue during a panel discussion at MVNOs World Congress 2018.

Gigabit Access 2018

Jaume Fornos discusses business models & technologies for ubiquitous rural access at Gigabit Access 2018.

Why Is the Cost of FTTH Not Falling Faster? Five Things That Don’t Follow Moore’s Law

We look at reasons why the costs of building fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) remain high compared to other technology investments.

ITProPortal – Skills gaps and culture clashes: Why people problems are holding back virtual network deployments

Via ITProPortal – 4 Jan 2018 – Network virtualization is currently garnering plenty of interest and excitement as the future for the communications sector, with Software-Defined Networks (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) being seen as key to tackling a range of issues…

CSP Strategies to Reduce Business Risk in Fiber Deployment

Fiber networks require huge upfront investment and have a payback period of many years. The business cases that support these investments always contain a degree of risk – most noticeably on the demand side, but costs can also be uncertain when digging in a new location.

Network Virtualization: Implications for Cost Accounting

As CSPs deploy network virtualization, cost accounting will become more difficult. This post looks at why accurate cost attribution is essential in the telecoms sector and explores NFV-specific accounting challenges.

VanillaPlus – Skills shortages and culture conflicts hinder the world of virtual networks

Via VanillaPlus – 5 Dec 2017 – As the demands facing network operators and communication service providers (CSPs) have increased, network virtualisation has garnered plenty of interest and excitement as the future for the communications sector, writes Steve Upton, the senior vice president of Networks and Operations Consulting at Cartesian…

Mobile World Live – Blog: Have operators been misled over NFV?

Via Mobile World Live – 27 Nov 2017 – …Recent research by consultancy Cartesian revealed many operators believe progress towards NFV is being hampered by a lack of technical maturity and the intricacy of operational changes required to virtualise networks.

NetworkingPlus – Virtualisation deployment “lagging” as industry faces new roadblocks

Via NetworkingPlus – 20 Nov 2017 – Despite a clear desire to virtualise networks and shift to cloud-based technology, communication service Providers (CSPs) are facing serious roadblocks along the way. Specialist consulting firm Cartesian says progress is being “hampered by a lack of technical maturity and operational issues that have proven to be even harder than many expected...”

VanillaPlus – The future waits: Virtualisation deployment is lagging as the telecoms industry faces new roadblocks, says report

Via VanillaPlus – 20 Nov 2017 – Despite a clear desire to virtualise networks and shift to cloud-based technology, Communication Service Providers (CSPs) are facing serious roadblocks along the way, according to new research from consulting firm Cartesian. Operational issues and technical complexities are, says the firm, impeding progress towards the next era of communications…

RCR Wireless News – Operational challenges encumbering NFV deployment, says report

Via RCR Wireless News – 17 Nov 2017 – Operational challenges and immature virtualized technologies are hindering NFV deployments among communications service providers (CSPs). That is at least the conclusion of a recent report titled “The Future of Networks: Dealing with transformation in a virtualised world” by specialist consultancy Cartesian…

Telemedia Online – Virtualization deployment lagging as telecoms industry faces new roadblocks

Via Telemedia Online – 17 Nov 2017 – Despite a clear desire for virtualization of networks and shift to cloud-based technology, Communication Service Providers (CSPs) are facing serious roadblocks along the way, according to new research from specialist consulting firm Cartesian…

TelecomTV – Network Virtualisation is starting to overwhelm half the world’s CSPs

Via TelecomTV – 16 Nov 2017 – A new report entitled “The Future of Networks: Dealing with transformation in a virtualised world”, from the specialist consultancy and research house Cartesian, puts something of a damper on perceptions that network transformation is powering ahead at Communications Service providers (CSPs) all around the world…

Dealing with Transformation in a Virtualized World

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) are under pressure to embrace network virtualization. But, the technology is still in its relative infancy, and deployment has proven to be more difficult than expected. We surveyed a cross-section of decision-makers in the telco industry. This article outlines our survey and key findings from our report, "The Future of Networks".

ComputerWeekly – Operational issues are putting telcos off NFV, report claims

Via ComputerWeekly – 15 Nov 2017 – Telecoms operators and other communication service providers (CSPs) are holding back from deploying network functions virtualisation (NFV) because of mounting operational issues – despite a majority believing that those that do not virtualise their networks will struggle to compete in the future.

4rfv.com – Cartesian, in collaboration with the Broadband Forum, releases The Future of Networks Report

Via 4rfv.com – 15 Nov 2017 – Despite a clear desire to virtualize networks and shift to cloud-based technology, Communication Service Providers (CSPs) are facing serious roadblocks along the way, according to new research from specialist consulting firm Cartesian…

Cartesian, in collaboration with the Broadband Forum, releases “The Future of Networks” report

Cartesian’s report, "The Future of Networks", produced in collaboration with the Broadband Forum, distills the perspectives of senior business, technical, and operational executives from across the telecoms industry and reports on how companies are handling the biggest change the telecoms sector has seen in decades.

The Future of Networks: Dealing with Transformation in a Virtualized World

A survey report with insights into the state of NFV/SDN deployment and the challenges of network virtualization in the telecoms industry. Produced in collaboration with the Broadband Forum, this report distills the perspectives of senior business, technical, and operational executives from across the telecoms industry and reports on how companies are handling the biggest change the telecoms sector has seen in decades.

A Business Guide to Fiber Network Expansion

Network planning is a complex challenge for Communication Service Providers and other organizations involved in network expansion. This guide outlines best practices for network planners, and discusses key considerations that will help to build a comprehensive business case, including ideas to reduce cost and revenue risk.

MVNO Performance: Evolution, Business Models, and Optimization

In this presentation, you will receive insights gathered from more than 50 MVNO projects delivered across the world over the last two decades and business advice from our leading strategists.

Planning for Network Transformation – Best Practices for Success

What are the true measures of the success of a network transformation? The answer is that there are many, and they all must be addressed as operators develop their network transformation plan.

Developing Network Cost Models

Cartesian develops fixed and mobile network cost models to support business cases and investment decisions. Regulatory agencies also call on us to develop and audit the models that underpin charge controls for wholesale access and network services.

Understanding the Quad-Play Business Model

Service providers continue to invest heavily to build quad-play bundles, many with high hopes for lower churn and better margins. The value of these bundles to customers and service providers is yet to be proven. However, with an increasing share of the market, quad-play bundles cannot be ignored.

Cartesian in the News: Falklands contracts strategic review of Telecommunications provision

The Falkland Islands Government have announced that Cartesian Ltd have recently been appointed to carry out a strategic review of Telecommunications Provision in the Falklands Islands. Cartesian will be starting work on the review immediately, with the first draft report due on 24th December.
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