TELEKOM INFRA
Telekom
Infra : Startup agility at MNO Scale
With the right people in place , the next step was to fill the gap left by the removal of T-Mobile ’ s IT capabilities . “ We were originally dependent on the T-Mobile Netherlands systems , so the priority was to build up our own IT systems ,” Varghese explains , adding that once the human and technical elements were in place , the final phase was to “ leverage both the technology and the people into a company culture that was uniquely our own . We knew we wanted to have a startup mentality because , although we were under the Deutsche Telekom umbrella , we were small , we were different - we were not an MNO . So , we developed this new culture with the aim of becoming this sharp , agile startup company that can , at the same time , still leverage the Deutsche Telekom group ' s strength .”
The Anchor for 5G Immediately following the completion of the carve out , Telekom Infra became a key element of T-Mobile Netherlands ’
5G rollout . “ We enabled T-Mobile to be the number one Network Service Provider in the country for 5G . They were the first to launch a commercial 5G service in the Netherlands because of us . We really enable our anchor customer - which is T-Mobile - to be the market leader , particularly relating to 5G ,” says Varghese . “ In order to help T-Mobile Netherlands achieve that goal , we had to make sure we were ready for the launch of 5G far ahead of schedule . T-Mobile switched on its 5G network in the Netherlands in July of 2020 , and we had been working to be ready for that launch since the beginning of 2019 . The launch has been a phenomenal success for us , and for T-Mobile Netherlands .”
Preparing for the 5G rollout in the Netherlands , Varghese adds , was not without its complications . One of the key challenges , he explains , for an operator looking to upgrade to 5G , is that “ a lot of the latest technologies , like Advanced Antenna System
108 November 2021