Embedded Files
August 2025. As satellite Direct-to-Device D2D communications shift from concept to early implementation, the technology is reshaping how connectivity can be delivered globally.
July 2025. Spain is facing increasingly intense and difficult-to-control wildfires with over 11,000 hectares burned this summer. In response, Sateliot proposes a data-driven prevention approach using satellite-based IoT connectivity. Its system enables monitoring of remote areas without mobile coverage, as demonstrated in California with 4,000 sensors. Using standardized NB-IoT technology, the sensors connect without modifying SIM cards or antennas and at a much lower cost than traditional methods. With 6 satellites already in orbit and over 100 planned by 2028, Sateliot has signed contracts worth €270 million and is backed by major investors.
July 2025. Sateliot has commissioned Spanish company Alén Space to manufacture five new satellites for its low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation, scheduled for launch in 2026. These satellites feature enhanced payload capacity and performance to support advanced 5G communications for both civilian and security applications. This step aligns with Sateliot’s goal to deploy over 100 satellites by 2028 , providing global, secure, and 3GPP-validated 5G coverage. The company previously collaborated with Alén Space on the successful launch of four satellites in 2024, the first 5G NB-IoT R17 satellite constelation.
- 2023. AT&T and AST successfully demonstrated a 2-way satellite voice call using a standard smartphone
- 2024. In a world first, ESA and Telesat have successfully connected a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite to the ground using 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology in the Ka-band frequency range, marking a crucial step towards making space-based connections as simple as using a mobile phone.
- 2025. TMobile partnership with Starlink aiming to offer D2D text messaging first and data services in July, with plans to expand to voice at the end of year, using existing mid-band spectrum in personal communications services (PCS) range (1850-1990 MHz) held by TMobile.
July 2025. Spain is facing increasingly intense and difficult-to-control wildfires with over 11,000 hectares burned this summer. In response, Sateliot proposes a data-driven prevention approach using satellite-based IoT connectivity. Its system enables monitoring of remote areas without mobile coverage, as demonstrated in California with 4,000 sensors. Using standardized NB-IoT technology, the sensors connect without modifying SIM cards or antennas and at a much lower cost than traditional methods. With 6 satellites already in orbit and over 100 planned by 2028, Sateliot has signed contracts worth €270 million and is backed by major investors.
July 2025. Sateliot has commissioned Spanish company Alén Space to manufacture five new satellites for its low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation, scheduled for launch in 2026. These satellites feature enhanced payload capacity and performance to support advanced 5G communications for both civilian and security applications. This step aligns with Sateliot’s goal to deploy over 100 satellites by 2028 , providing global, secure, and 3GPP-validated 5G coverage. The company previously collaborated with Alén Space on the successful launch of four satellites in 2024, the first 5G NB-IoT R17 satellite constelation.
July 2025. Starlink has also deployed the largest satellite ground network ever. Over the past year, Starlink has expanded to 42 new countries, territories and other markets around the world while growing by 2.7 million+ active customers globally and serving more than 6 million and counting with high-speed, low-latency internet. During that time, the SpaceX team has also launched more than 100 Starlink missions, adding 2,300+ satellites to the constellation, and invested heavily in our ground infrastructure, network backbone, and internal technologies and systems. More than 100 gateway sites in the United States alone – comprising a total of over 1,500 antennas – are strategically placed to deliver the lowest possible latency, especially for those who live in rural and remote areas. As a result, Starlink can provide download speeds of 100s of Mbps to individual customers. In the United States alone, the median download speed across more than 2 million active Starlink customers during times of peak demand is nearly 200 Mbps.July 22, 2025. Starting this week, you can access the satellite Internet connection on your mobile phone. The mobile phones that will be able to access it will be those launched after 2020, including iOS (Apple) and Android. Starlink’s main objective is to provide internet connection in the most remote places on the planet. Those areas where it is practically impossible to have internet access. Now, mobile phones will be able to connect directly to the satellite signal without the need for intermediaries, i.e., towers or antennas. Users will be able to access it as if it were an extra from their telephone company.
July 2025. One NZ Satellite offering the first and only satellite-powered mobile network in the country, One NZ Satellite offers you coverage where traditional cell towers don’t reach – that’s around 40% of our land mass! Customers can send and receive TXTs anywhere with a line of sight to the sky, at no extra cost on an eligible phone and plan.
July 2025. Rogers Launches Satellite-to-Mobile Service in Canada. Rogers launched today Rogers Satellite, a new satellite-to-mobile text messaging service to all Canadians. Starting today, all Canadians can sign up to use Rogers Satellite beta trial at no cost. Only 18 per cent of the country is covered by traditional wireless networks. With this new technology, Rogers now covers over 5.4 million square kilometres within Canada, over 2.5 times more than any other wireless carrier.Rogers Satellite will initially support text messaging and text-to-911 and will expand to support apps, data and voice services, including 911 voice services. Rogers Satellite uses low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites and Rogers national wireless spectrum. Wireless spectrum ensures this technology works on most modern smartphones.
July 2025. Huawei has launched South Africa's latest fibre-to-the-room (FTTR)+X solution for all-optical smart homes. The iFTTR OptiXstar F50 delivers intelligent, high-speed, whole-home connectivity that goes far beyond traditional FTTH models. Using Wi-Fi 7, distributed AI engines and advanced optical+Wi-Fi architecture, the solution establishes a new smart home foundation that integrates connectivity, computing, storage and application enablement. In doing so, it empowers providers to unlock new revenue opportunities, deliver richer services and significantly enhance customer satisfaction.
July 2025. BT slices 5G for SailGP UK event. BT Group partnered with global sailing championship SailGP to deploy its standalone (SA) 5G network slicing technology at the upcoming sailing Grand Prix in the UK, marking the operator’s first time deploying multiple concurrent slices at a single event. Photographers will be able to use Sony’s connected camera system to upload high-resolution images in real time using BT’s SA 5G network. In addition, broadcast production will utilise Sony’s 5G live tools to transmit high-definition footage to 212 countries. The event will also introduce a new 360-degree AR and VR experience, offering fans an immersive onboard view supported by low-latency, high-capacity 5G radios co-developed by BT and Ericsson.
July 2025. AT&T intros nationwide 5G RedCap for mid-tier IoT in the US. AT&T has launched nationwide 5G RedCap coverage across the US, targeting mid-tier IoT use cases with lower-cost, lower-power 5G connectivity, and replacing its decommissioned NB-IoT network. RedCap covers 200M+ POPs and supports wearables, AR/VR, and IoT sensors. AT&T leads US RedCap efforts, certifying modules and launching devices. Nearly 1B RedCap/eRedCap connections are expected by 2030
July 2025. One NZ Satellite offering the first and only satellite-powered mobile network in the country, One NZ Satellite offers you coverage where traditional cell towers don’t reach – that’s around 40% of our land mass! Customers can send and receive TXTs anywhere with a line of sight to the sky, at no extra cost on an eligible phone and plan.
July 2025. Rogers Launches Satellite-to-Mobile Service in Canada. Rogers launched today Rogers Satellite, a new satellite-to-mobile text messaging service to all Canadians. Starting today, all Canadians can sign up to use Rogers Satellite beta trial at no cost. Only 18 per cent of the country is covered by traditional wireless networks. With this new technology, Rogers now covers over 5.4 million square kilometres within Canada, over 2.5 times more than any other wireless carrier.Rogers Satellite will initially support text messaging and text-to-911 and will expand to support apps, data and voice services, including 911 voice services. Rogers Satellite uses low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites and Rogers national wireless spectrum. Wireless spectrum ensures this technology works on most modern smartphones.
July 2025. Huawei has launched South Africa's latest fibre-to-the-room (FTTR)+X solution for all-optical smart homes. The iFTTR OptiXstar F50 delivers intelligent, high-speed, whole-home connectivity that goes far beyond traditional FTTH models. Using Wi-Fi 7, distributed AI engines and advanced optical+Wi-Fi architecture, the solution establishes a new smart home foundation that integrates connectivity, computing, storage and application enablement. In doing so, it empowers providers to unlock new revenue opportunities, deliver richer services and significantly enhance customer satisfaction.
July 2025. BT slices 5G for SailGP UK event. BT Group partnered with global sailing championship SailGP to deploy its standalone (SA) 5G network slicing technology at the upcoming sailing Grand Prix in the UK, marking the operator’s first time deploying multiple concurrent slices at a single event. Photographers will be able to use Sony’s connected camera system to upload high-resolution images in real time using BT’s SA 5G network. In addition, broadcast production will utilise Sony’s 5G live tools to transmit high-definition footage to 212 countries. The event will also introduce a new 360-degree AR and VR experience, offering fans an immersive onboard view supported by low-latency, high-capacity 5G radios co-developed by BT and Ericsson.
July 2025. AT&T intros nationwide 5G RedCap for mid-tier IoT in the US. AT&T has launched nationwide 5G RedCap coverage across the US, targeting mid-tier IoT use cases with lower-cost, lower-power 5G connectivity, and replacing its decommissioned NB-IoT network. RedCap covers 200M+ POPs and supports wearables, AR/VR, and IoT sensors. AT&T leads US RedCap efforts, certifying modules and launching devices. Nearly 1B RedCap/eRedCap connections are expected by 2030
June 2025. As mobile networks expand into new vertical domains, the low altitude economy (LAE) is emerging as one of the most promising frontiers for connectivity. The LAE is not just a collection of novel use cases. It represents a structural shift in how connectivity infrastructure is being designed and deployed. A layered approach is taking shape, combining reuse of existing terrestrial networks, new network deployments tailored for low altitude operation, and integration with non terrestrial networks such as satellites. Together, these networks are already delivering coverage up to 600 metres with end to end latency under 100 milliseconds and uplink speeds beyond 25 Mbps. At the same time, high precision positioning has become a foundational capability. Ground based augmentation stations working alongside satellite navigation systems now enable dynamic centimetre level positioning. This level of precision is crucial for autonomous flight, obstacle avoidance, route planning and location specific services across a variety of sectors.Cities across China have begun deploying municipal low altitude supervision platforms, while in Hong Kong, projects are under way to demonstrate short range drone logistics between buildings in complex urban environments. One notable example involves the delivery of medical documents and supplies across a hospital campus, significantly reducing transport time and increasing reliability. Other projects are helping to modernise traditional industries such as oyster farming, providing real time monitoring and efficient delivery in remote coastal areas.
April 2025. Unlike terrestrial networks, HASP stratospheric platforms operate at an altitude of around 20 km, where atmospheric conditions, signal propagation, and handover processes present unique challenges. HAPS must maintain stable connectivity despite varying wind speeds, temperature fluctuations, and the need to integrate seamlessly with existing terrestrial and satellite networks. To tackle these complexities, NTT Docomo has been actively testing different aspects of HAPS connectivity, focusing on signal propagation, latency, and practical use cases for mobile communication. NTT C89 latest initiatives space-business strategy, highlights mobile-connectivity services using unmanned vehicles, or high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), that fly in the stratosphere for days or months, using relays to provide mobile connectivity in mountainous and remote areas, including at sea and in the sky.
April 2025. Private 5G networks are redefining industrial automation, and Hyundai Motor Company, in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, is at the forefront of this transformation. The two companies have successfully completed an industry-first trial of Reduced Capability (RedCap) technology over a private 5G network, bringing new efficiencies and cost savings to smart manufacturing. Hyundai has already integrated private 5G (P5G) into mass production at its Ulsan Plant, the world’s largest single automotive manufacturing facility, and Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA). Hyundai integrated Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X35 5G Modem-RF System into its Diagnostic Scan (D Scan) system, enabling real-time wireless vehicle inspections. This ensures that every assembled vehicle meets quality standards before leaving the production line, something that was previously difficult with Wi-Fi due to interference and connection instability. With Samsung’s RedCap-powered private 5G solutions, Hyundai achieved: Lower power consumption for IoT devices; increased uplink capacity for real-time data transmission; enhanced automation and monitoring across smart factory operations.
April 2025. Private 5G networks are redefining industrial automation, and Hyundai Motor Company, in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, is at the forefront of this transformation. The two companies have successfully completed an industry-first trial of Reduced Capability (RedCap) technology over a private 5G network, bringing new efficiencies and cost savings to smart manufacturing. Hyundai has already integrated private 5G (P5G) into mass production at its Ulsan Plant, the world’s largest single automotive manufacturing facility, and Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA). Hyundai integrated Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X35 5G Modem-RF System into its Diagnostic Scan (D Scan) system, enabling real-time wireless vehicle inspections. This ensures that every assembled vehicle meets quality standards before leaving the production line, something that was previously difficult with Wi-Fi due to interference and connection instability. With Samsung’s RedCap-powered private 5G solutions, Hyundai achieved: Lower power consumption for IoT devices; increased uplink capacity for real-time data transmission; enhanced automation and monitoring across smart factory operations.
March 2025. Iridium and Gatehouse Satcom advance standardized Non-Terrestrial Network IoT with Iridium NTN Direct, the first 3GPP standards-based satellite direct-to-device (D2D) and narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) service delivering truly global coverage. A unique aspect of the Iridium NTN Direct service is its pairing of Iridium’s truly global LEO constellation with IoT capabilities based on 3GPP standards. Once fully deployed, Iridium NTN Direct will make standardized devices more accessible and affordable in remote locations or even everyday consumer devices. These devices will transfer data via the Iridium satellite network to ground stations, where Gatehouse Satcom’s 5G NB-IoT NodeB – together with other components – will manage and facilitate the data flow. Besides providing the NodeB, Gatehouse Satcom has collaborated with Iridium since the early phases of the project, conducting a feasibility study that helped validate the technical concept. As with many satellite projects, Gatehouse Satcom has also provided test and verification software for in-lab validation and test with other system parts. Gatehouse Satcom has been chosen to deliver the NodeB for the Iridium NTN Direct service’s Radio Access Network – a key component facilitating uplink and downlink transmissions, modulation, encoding, and scheduling of transmissions. Development of the service is well underway, and it is expected to launch in 2026. The Iridium constellation – a network of 66 LEO satellites – will receive a software upgrade to enable NB-IoT capabilities, allowing Iridium to operate both its traditional satellite communication services and the NB-IoT Iridium NTN Direct service on the same network.
Feb. 2025. T-Mobile Starlink has officially entered the public beta phase. As part of the beta, people in the program will be able to send SMS text messages when they're outdoors. When a user’s cell phone gets out of range of a cell tower, the phone automatically connects to the T-Mobile Starlink network and that messages will be sent and received. Further, the service works on most smartphones from the last four years. In July, the carrier plans to begin charging for the service. T-Mobile Starlink also broadcasts Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) nationwide to anyone in range and with a compatible device, ensuring that everyone has access to critical, potentially life-saving messages. With the beta and full launch, T-Mobile will support more-recent devices across both Android and iOS. Though initial Starlink service will focus on texting, the plan is to add support for voice and data.
Feb. 2025. Telefónica applies 5G and Artificial Intelligence to healthcare with solutions in ophthalmology and oncology. CatEye is a solution with 5G connectivity, promoted in collaboration with Edgendria Innovación, which allows to determine whether the patient has cataracts to a sufficient degree to advise surgical intervention. The 5G Intelligent Blood Monitoring project incorporates the advantages of 5G and edge computing to the PointCheck technology of Leuko, the startup with which Telefónica has developed this pilot, to improve the monitoring of oncology patients.
Jan. 2025. Qualcomm confirms in a press release that Samsung Galaxy S25 series smartphones are the first commercial devices to feature Snapdragon Satellite. This feature enables users to send and receive messages via satellite using narrowband (NB) to connect with non-terrestrial networks (NTN). The Samsung Galaxy S25 carry the customised Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy. This chipset includes the Snapdragon X80 5G modem that the Snapdragon Satellite is part of. However, the feature has not yet been activated on any of the flagship phones. It may be enabled via future software updates, with availability varying by region.
Dec. 2024. In a world first, ESA and Telesat have successfully connected a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite to the ground using 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology in the Ka-band frequency range, marking a crucial step towards making space-based connections as simple as using a mobile phone. This achievement opens up possibilities that were previously out of reach, as combining low-flying satellites with standardised 5G technology allows for real-time, interactive connections. The potential applications are extensive, from advancing telehealth services in remote areas to autonomous vehicles, connectivity for disaster response teams, and in-flight internet services. ESA's 5G/6G laboratory at its ESTEC in the Netherlands successfully connected to the LEO 3 satellite operated by Telesat. The LEO 3 satellite serves an important role for low-latency customer applications testing, as well as antenna (PhasedArray 64m2) and modem development. Using Amarisoft's 5G technology, the team established and maintained a stable connection with the satellite as it moved across the sky, from just above the horizon to its peak elevation of 38 degrees and back down again. While similar experiments have been conducted with satellites in geostationary orbits, this marks the first successful implementation of 5G NTN technology with a LEO satellite moving fast with respect to a user on the ground. The key innovation of this experiment was the use of open standards, developed by the 3GPP rather than proprietary waveform technology. This means that mobile devices could potentially connect straight to satellites D2D (direct-to-device), potentially reducing the cost and complexity of terrestrial infrastructures and increasing interconnectivity between different providers. The technology allows seamless switching between ground-based networks and satellites, ensuring continuous coverage whether you are in a city centre or on a remote mountainside.
Dec. 2024. SpaceX completes Starlink’s first direct-to-cell phone constellation. SpaceX launched 20 Starlink satellites, 13 of which are equipped with direct-to-cell technology. This marks the completion of the first phase of this specialized network. Starlink aims to create a global high-speed internet network using thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). In the demonstration, Starlink successfully sent and received the first text messages via T-Mobile’s network using its new direct-to-cell satellites on January 8th. Starlink’s direct-to-cell technology is advancing connectivity. Even in the most remote areas, people can now use their regular cell phones to access high-speed internet. Starlink announced that the current Starlink satellites can provide a bandwidth of around 10 Mbps per beam. However, future Starlink satellites will be capable of offering significantly higher speeds. To ensure seamless and reliable internet connectivity, these satellites need to communicate with each other efficiently. Laser backhaul is a technology that allows satellites to communicate with each other using laser beams. The massive Starlink constellation currently comprises 6,799 operational satellites in LEO. Approximately 330 of the operational Starlink satellites possess the capability to provide direct-to-cell service. SpaceX has ambitious plans to deploy a massive constellation of up to 34,400 Starlink satellites, with an initial target of 12,000.
Sept. 2024. The French mobile operator Free is announcing that it has deployed 5G SA (Standalone Access) on the 3.5 GHz frequencies of its public network on a national scale. By doing this, it has become the first mobile operator in France to offer this technology to its subscribers. The operator declared itself to be the first telco in the country to deploy 5G SA "on a national scale," a choice of words that hints at nationwide coverage. Free asserts that it has the largest 5G network in France, made up of 20,000-plus cell sites, including 6,950 sites that use 3.5 GHz spectrum. The network is available in almost 10,500 municipalities, it says, which means coverage of almost 95% of the population. Even if all of those 3.5 GHz sites are now 5G SA – and Free does not directly say that – it's still a fair way from nationwide coverage. Broad population coverage, sure. But perhaps not as widespread as the telco would like to suggest. Orange says it has the largest 3.5 GHz 5G network in France, and with 10,401 operational sites it has evidence to that effect... and indirectly challenges Free's national coverage claim on 5G SA.
Feb. 2025. T-Mobile Starlink has officially entered the public beta phase. As part of the beta, people in the program will be able to send SMS text messages when they're outdoors. When a user’s cell phone gets out of range of a cell tower, the phone automatically connects to the T-Mobile Starlink network and that messages will be sent and received. Further, the service works on most smartphones from the last four years. In July, the carrier plans to begin charging for the service. T-Mobile Starlink also broadcasts Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) nationwide to anyone in range and with a compatible device, ensuring that everyone has access to critical, potentially life-saving messages. With the beta and full launch, T-Mobile will support more-recent devices across both Android and iOS. Though initial Starlink service will focus on texting, the plan is to add support for voice and data.
Feb. 2025. Telefónica applies 5G and Artificial Intelligence to healthcare with solutions in ophthalmology and oncology. CatEye is a solution with 5G connectivity, promoted in collaboration with Edgendria Innovación, which allows to determine whether the patient has cataracts to a sufficient degree to advise surgical intervention. The 5G Intelligent Blood Monitoring project incorporates the advantages of 5G and edge computing to the PointCheck technology of Leuko, the startup with which Telefónica has developed this pilot, to improve the monitoring of oncology patients.
Jan. 2025. Qualcomm confirms in a press release that Samsung Galaxy S25 series smartphones are the first commercial devices to feature Snapdragon Satellite. This feature enables users to send and receive messages via satellite using narrowband (NB) to connect with non-terrestrial networks (NTN). The Samsung Galaxy S25 carry the customised Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy. This chipset includes the Snapdragon X80 5G modem that the Snapdragon Satellite is part of. However, the feature has not yet been activated on any of the flagship phones. It may be enabled via future software updates, with availability varying by region.
Dec. 2024. In a world first, ESA and Telesat have successfully connected a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite to the ground using 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology in the Ka-band frequency range, marking a crucial step towards making space-based connections as simple as using a mobile phone. This achievement opens up possibilities that were previously out of reach, as combining low-flying satellites with standardised 5G technology allows for real-time, interactive connections. The potential applications are extensive, from advancing telehealth services in remote areas to autonomous vehicles, connectivity for disaster response teams, and in-flight internet services. ESA's 5G/6G laboratory at its ESTEC in the Netherlands successfully connected to the LEO 3 satellite operated by Telesat. The LEO 3 satellite serves an important role for low-latency customer applications testing, as well as antenna (PhasedArray 64m2) and modem development. Using Amarisoft's 5G technology, the team established and maintained a stable connection with the satellite as it moved across the sky, from just above the horizon to its peak elevation of 38 degrees and back down again. While similar experiments have been conducted with satellites in geostationary orbits, this marks the first successful implementation of 5G NTN technology with a LEO satellite moving fast with respect to a user on the ground. The key innovation of this experiment was the use of open standards, developed by the 3GPP rather than proprietary waveform technology. This means that mobile devices could potentially connect straight to satellites D2D (direct-to-device), potentially reducing the cost and complexity of terrestrial infrastructures and increasing interconnectivity between different providers. The technology allows seamless switching between ground-based networks and satellites, ensuring continuous coverage whether you are in a city centre or on a remote mountainside.
Dec. 2024. SpaceX completes Starlink’s first direct-to-cell phone constellation. SpaceX launched 20 Starlink satellites, 13 of which are equipped with direct-to-cell technology. This marks the completion of the first phase of this specialized network. Starlink aims to create a global high-speed internet network using thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). In the demonstration, Starlink successfully sent and received the first text messages via T-Mobile’s network using its new direct-to-cell satellites on January 8th. Starlink’s direct-to-cell technology is advancing connectivity. Even in the most remote areas, people can now use their regular cell phones to access high-speed internet. Starlink announced that the current Starlink satellites can provide a bandwidth of around 10 Mbps per beam. However, future Starlink satellites will be capable of offering significantly higher speeds. To ensure seamless and reliable internet connectivity, these satellites need to communicate with each other efficiently. Laser backhaul is a technology that allows satellites to communicate with each other using laser beams. The massive Starlink constellation currently comprises 6,799 operational satellites in LEO. Approximately 330 of the operational Starlink satellites possess the capability to provide direct-to-cell service. SpaceX has ambitious plans to deploy a massive constellation of up to 34,400 Starlink satellites, with an initial target of 12,000.
Sept. 2024. The French mobile operator Free is announcing that it has deployed 5G SA (Standalone Access) on the 3.5 GHz frequencies of its public network on a national scale. By doing this, it has become the first mobile operator in France to offer this technology to its subscribers. The operator declared itself to be the first telco in the country to deploy 5G SA "on a national scale," a choice of words that hints at nationwide coverage. Free asserts that it has the largest 5G network in France, made up of 20,000-plus cell sites, including 6,950 sites that use 3.5 GHz spectrum. The network is available in almost 10,500 municipalities, it says, which means coverage of almost 95% of the population. Even if all of those 3.5 GHz sites are now 5G SA – and Free does not directly say that – it's still a fair way from nationwide coverage. Broad population coverage, sure. But perhaps not as widespread as the telco would like to suggest. Orange says it has the largest 3.5 GHz 5G network in France, and with 10,401 operational sites it has evidence to that effect... and indirectly challenges Free's national coverage claim on 5G SA.
Sept. 2024. Sofia Digital developed a DVB-I demonstrator application for Media Broadcast in Germany. The application was designed for Android televisions and smartphones, providing users with access to a comprehensive list of DVB-I services along with EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data. DVB-I Android application integrates 5G Broadcast capabilities to enhance service delivery and data management. New features that leverage cutting-edge technologies include 5G Broadcast and DVB-I service integration, automatic signal switching, support for 5G multicast.
August 2024. The European 5G Broadcast Handset Taskforce, with members from the EBU and BNE, has reached a key milestone: the release of a 5G Broadcast receiver profile for Europe. With standardisation largely completed and the first smartphone prototypes ready, this profile paves the way for a sustainable business model for 5G Broadcast and marks a crucial step toward its inclusion in the next ETSI specification. This receiver profile will help companies within the broadcast ecosystem to prepare for a roll-out of 5G Broadcast services in EU. 5G Broadcast has been ready for commercial rollout since early 2023. Standardization has been largely completed, trial operations by the leading broadcasters in Europe have been underway for several years, and the first smartphone prototypes including essential features of 5G Broadcast have already been developed. The broadcast ecosystem benefits from harmonized technical requirements for the end-user devices (mobile phones), to ensure compatibility across Europe, therefore also allowing a sustainable business model for broadcasters and broadcast network operators.
August 2024. Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications confirmed that a specific working group has started its work to promote 6G communication technologies. The main goal of the working group is to prepare Finland’s national 6G roadmap and promote cooperation and information exchange in the field of next-generation wireless network technologies. The working group has representation from the state administration as well as stakeholders from the research and business fields. The 6G working group is also represented by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of Labor and the Economy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the State Cybersecurity Director, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, the Finnish Transport Agency, Business Finland, VTT, Nokia, FiCom, DNA, Telia, Elisa, Technology Industry, Aalto University, Helsinki University, University of Oulu and University of Tampere. The term of office of the working group lasts until May 31, 2025.
August 2024. Deutsche Telekom and ALSO, with its technology partner Ludium Lab, a company specializing in cloud gaming, jointly presented their plans of an offer for the gaming scene: 5G+ Gaming ensures smooth and lag-free mobile gaming. The new gaming solution is implemented via Deutsche Telekom's 5G standalone network. The special feature of this network is the ability to use certain network functions. These primarily include Network Slicing, in which the network is divided into virtual slices that specialize in certain properties. In the case of cloud gaming, these are low response times. Another feature used for 5G+ Gaming ensures a smooth picture by optimizing the available data rate and thus ensuring low response times even in a busy cell. Deutsche Telekom is the first network operator to integrate these intelligent additional functions into its 5G network and offer them to the customers. As soon as the customer starts a game on the Sora Stream platform, they are informed whether they are playing in 5G+ Gaming mode.
August 2024. NTT DOCOMO announced today that it will initiate the commercial deployment of New Radio-Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) across three frequency bands Sub-6 (3.7GHz and 4.5GHz bands) and millimeter-wave (28GHz band) for high-speed transmissions connecting two 5G base stations and simultaneously transmitting/receiving across multiple frequencies supported by these stations. From August 1, the technology will offer Japan's fastest download speeds, up to 6.6Gbps, using 5G Standalone (SA) architecture. These features will initially be available in specific zones within the 5G SA coverage areas in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, with plans for a gradual expansion. Standalone (SA) mode is an optional 5G service for certain smartphones and other mobile devices under a 5G service contract. Utilization requires a 5G SA subscription, a compatible device, and a compatible SIM card. Services must be used within a 5G SA coverage area.
August 2024. The 5G RedCap technology is designed to bridge the gap between conventional 5G and IoT, focusing on application scenarios that require moderate data rates, low power consumption, low costs, and native 5G features like network slicing:* State Grid Shandong Advances 5G RedCap large-scale commercialization to facilitate building new power systems; *5G RedCap environmental monitoring by Shenzhen Nanshan district ecological bureau; *5G RedCap and 5G-Advanced private network integration helps Baoshan Iron&Steel go digital.
August 2024. Does new work by Hrvatski Telekom and Drei Austria – to hive off airtime channels in their national 5G networks for port operations and emergency services, respectively – somehow suggest that network slicing is ‘coming of age’, finally? Port operators APM Terminals and ENNA Group have tapped Deutsche Telekom subsidiary Hrvatski Telekom for a ‘private’ slice of its public 5G network at their joint-venture development at the new Port of Rijeka, set to be the largest shipping port in Croatia when it opens in 2025. Hrvatski Telekom will deploy new radio (RAN) infrastructure at the shipping terminal, but the service will be managed on a ‘slice’ via its public core 5G network. Critical comms provider Frequentis has taken a slice of Drei Austria’s national public 5G network in its home country to develop and test applications for public safety and emergency response control centres – as used by civil and military air traffic control, air defence, emergency services, port authorities, and railways.
August 2024. Huawei noted that a mature 5.5G industry ecosystem is taking shape with the first version of 5.5G standards frozen in June 2024 and more than 20 commercial 5.5G devices now on the market. China Unicom Beijing had carried out a large-scale 5.5G network demonstration at the beginning of 2024 followed by the recent commercial 5.5G network deployment in China’s capital city. The network provides support for services such as immersive video, UHD live streaming and cloud gaming, according to the vendor. 5G-Advanced networks will not require large investments by operators in new network architecture and will be launched using 5G Standalone (SA) networks. Huawei is working with its partners to make sure that future 5.5G applications, devices and services will be fully compatible with current 5G networks.
August 2024. The European 5G Broadcast Handset Taskforce, with members from the EBU and BNE, has reached a key milestone: the release of a 5G Broadcast receiver profile for Europe. With standardisation largely completed and the first smartphone prototypes ready, this profile paves the way for a sustainable business model for 5G Broadcast and marks a crucial step toward its inclusion in the next ETSI specification. This receiver profile will help companies within the broadcast ecosystem to prepare for a roll-out of 5G Broadcast services in EU. 5G Broadcast has been ready for commercial rollout since early 2023. Standardization has been largely completed, trial operations by the leading broadcasters in Europe have been underway for several years, and the first smartphone prototypes including essential features of 5G Broadcast have already been developed. The broadcast ecosystem benefits from harmonized technical requirements for the end-user devices (mobile phones), to ensure compatibility across Europe, therefore also allowing a sustainable business model for broadcasters and broadcast network operators.
August 2024. Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications confirmed that a specific working group has started its work to promote 6G communication technologies. The main goal of the working group is to prepare Finland’s national 6G roadmap and promote cooperation and information exchange in the field of next-generation wireless network technologies. The working group has representation from the state administration as well as stakeholders from the research and business fields. The 6G working group is also represented by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of Labor and the Economy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the State Cybersecurity Director, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, the Finnish Transport Agency, Business Finland, VTT, Nokia, FiCom, DNA, Telia, Elisa, Technology Industry, Aalto University, Helsinki University, University of Oulu and University of Tampere. The term of office of the working group lasts until May 31, 2025.
August 2024. Deutsche Telekom and ALSO, with its technology partner Ludium Lab, a company specializing in cloud gaming, jointly presented their plans of an offer for the gaming scene: 5G+ Gaming ensures smooth and lag-free mobile gaming. The new gaming solution is implemented via Deutsche Telekom's 5G standalone network. The special feature of this network is the ability to use certain network functions. These primarily include Network Slicing, in which the network is divided into virtual slices that specialize in certain properties. In the case of cloud gaming, these are low response times. Another feature used for 5G+ Gaming ensures a smooth picture by optimizing the available data rate and thus ensuring low response times even in a busy cell. Deutsche Telekom is the first network operator to integrate these intelligent additional functions into its 5G network and offer them to the customers. As soon as the customer starts a game on the Sora Stream platform, they are informed whether they are playing in 5G+ Gaming mode.
August 2024. NTT DOCOMO announced today that it will initiate the commercial deployment of New Radio-Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) across three frequency bands Sub-6 (3.7GHz and 4.5GHz bands) and millimeter-wave (28GHz band) for high-speed transmissions connecting two 5G base stations and simultaneously transmitting/receiving across multiple frequencies supported by these stations. From August 1, the technology will offer Japan's fastest download speeds, up to 6.6Gbps, using 5G Standalone (SA) architecture. These features will initially be available in specific zones within the 5G SA coverage areas in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, with plans for a gradual expansion. Standalone (SA) mode is an optional 5G service for certain smartphones and other mobile devices under a 5G service contract. Utilization requires a 5G SA subscription, a compatible device, and a compatible SIM card. Services must be used within a 5G SA coverage area.
August 2024. The 5G RedCap technology is designed to bridge the gap between conventional 5G and IoT, focusing on application scenarios that require moderate data rates, low power consumption, low costs, and native 5G features like network slicing:* State Grid Shandong Advances 5G RedCap large-scale commercialization to facilitate building new power systems; *5G RedCap environmental monitoring by Shenzhen Nanshan district ecological bureau; *5G RedCap and 5G-Advanced private network integration helps Baoshan Iron&Steel go digital.
August 2024. Does new work by Hrvatski Telekom and Drei Austria – to hive off airtime channels in their national 5G networks for port operations and emergency services, respectively – somehow suggest that network slicing is ‘coming of age’, finally? Port operators APM Terminals and ENNA Group have tapped Deutsche Telekom subsidiary Hrvatski Telekom for a ‘private’ slice of its public 5G network at their joint-venture development at the new Port of Rijeka, set to be the largest shipping port in Croatia when it opens in 2025. Hrvatski Telekom will deploy new radio (RAN) infrastructure at the shipping terminal, but the service will be managed on a ‘slice’ via its public core 5G network. Critical comms provider Frequentis has taken a slice of Drei Austria’s national public 5G network in its home country to develop and test applications for public safety and emergency response control centres – as used by civil and military air traffic control, air defence, emergency services, port authorities, and railways.
August 2024. Huawei noted that a mature 5.5G industry ecosystem is taking shape with the first version of 5.5G standards frozen in June 2024 and more than 20 commercial 5.5G devices now on the market. China Unicom Beijing had carried out a large-scale 5.5G network demonstration at the beginning of 2024 followed by the recent commercial 5.5G network deployment in China’s capital city. The network provides support for services such as immersive video, UHD live streaming and cloud gaming, according to the vendor. 5G-Advanced networks will not require large investments by operators in new network architecture and will be launched using 5G Standalone (SA) networks. Huawei is working with its partners to make sure that future 5.5G applications, devices and services will be fully compatible with current 5G networks.
July 2024. To support the mobile streamed footage during the Opening Ceremony – and at the sailing – mobile operator Orange set up a private 5G network, with antennas along the Seine resulting in the first-ever standalone 5G network in France. More than 200 Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones were attached to the bow and sides of each of the athlete vessels with the aim of providing viewers with an intimate view of the athletes’ reactions during the Opening Ceremony. The Samsung devices were also used to capture footage of the Olympic sailing competitions by installing a smartphone on selected competition boats, which would allow fans to experience the thrill of the race up close, and truly immerse themselves in the action.
July 2024. SpaceX now has more than 100 direct-to-cell satellites in orbit. SpaceX launched the first Starlink sats equipped with direct-to-cell capabilities in January 2024 and has quickly ramped up to more than 100. These satellites are designed to communicate directly with unmodified cell phones to provide service outside of cellular networks. Commercial service with partner T-Mobile will start in the U.S. this fall. SpaceX has been working with T-Mobile since August 2022 and the satellites use a portion of T-Mobile’s mid-band nationwide spectrum to communicate with cell phones. A number of satellite operators, telcos, and device manufacturers are pursuing satellite-to-cell connectivity through a number of different partnerships and methods of sharing spectrum. Apple, which uses Globalstar’s satellites, recently announced it is expanding satellite messaging on the iPhone with iOS 18 beyond just emergency situations.
June 2024. Sateliot is the first 5G IoT satellite constellation. Sateliot is a startup in the New Space sector, founded in 2018. It contract with Exolaunch for launch and deployment of LEO satellites. Exolaunch is a global leader in launch mission management, integration, and satellite deployment services. Sateliot start-up company facilitate connectivity for all current narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices via satellite. Sateliot is building a constellation of 250 unique satellites enabling 5G NB-IoT connectivity from space, revolutionizing connectivity solutions globally. The constellation of LEO satellites will enable Sateliot to offer services at comparable costs to those of terrestrial cellular networks, a significant stride towards widespread adoption of IoT in previously inaccessible regions. Sateliot’s solution is based on 5G NB-IoT in 3GPP Rel 17 NTN (Non Terrestrial Network). 5G from space is based on the use of LEO satellites for connectivity- not HAPS or other NTN types. While 3GPP Rel 19 (to be completed December 2025) will provide a complete solution, Sateliot says that is not needed now to offer a minimum workable solution, via 3GPP Rel 17 NTN. This minimum workable Rel 17 NTN solution is related to NB-IoT only, so, there is no need to wait for Rel 18 or Rel 19. Sateliot has already found a commercially available chipset and RF module from its main vendor.
June 2024. At Athonet's Uptime 2023 conference, HubOne presented a talk on Private Mobile Network in Paris Airport.
May 2024. China has operated the world's first network coverage across maritime routes with 100-kilometer level 5G-advanced (5G-A) integrated communication and sensing low-altitude, injecting new momentum into the nation's development of new quality productive forces. Drones can achieve precise flights surpassing 100 kilometers in the 5G-A covered maritime areas, primarily due to the adoption of multi-band coordination and low-altitude coverage optimization, which enabled comprehensive 5G network coverage across the maritime area within the altitude of 300 meters and a horizontal distance of 100 kilometers.
May 2024. A Japanese consortium recently unveiled the world’s first high-speed 6G prototype device. It can transmit data at a whopping 100 gigabits per second (Gbps), covering more than 300 feet. That’s a 20x improvement over the current 5G technology. The prototype device was a result of collaboration among Japan’s leading telecom companies, including DOCOMO, NTT Corporation, NEC Corporation, and Fujitsu.
April 2024. Telefonica Germany (O2 Telefonica) and the 6G Health Institute (6GHI) have launched a campus network with 5G Network slicing technology at the 6GHI facilities in Markkleeberg, in the state of Saxony. The implementation of 5G slicing within the premises of 6GHI marks another advancement for research in the in-house 6G Health Lab powered by O2 Telefonica.
April 2024. Oulu University Hospital, alongside Boldyn Networks, WICOAR Technologies, and the University of Oulu, has launched Europe's first operational private 5G network in a hospital setting. Funded by the European Commission, the 'Hola 5G Oulu' project aims to revolutionize patient care with advanced wireless technologies. This innovative project aims to harness the power of 5G technology to enhance patient care through wireless wearable technologies. The project addresses these challenges by establishing a robust and secure 5G network specifically designed for the demanding environment of healthcare. Starting with a pilot on one patient ward floor and selected operating theatres, this network lays the groundwork for advanced data sharing, visualization techniques, and the deployment of wireless wearable technologies. The choice of 5G for this project is pivotal. Its high capacity and security features make it ideal for supporting wireless solutions in healthcare, where reliability and data protection are paramount. The introduction of wireless wearable technologies promises a sea change for patients and healthcare professionals alike. These devices will enable real-time monitoring and diagnostics, reducing nurses’ administrative tasks and allowing doctors to spend more time with patients. Furthermore, the ability for anesthetists to remotely monitor surgeries enhances patient safety and operational efficiency.
March 2024. Discover the future of hybrid work with 5G Windows 11 PCs enabled by SoftBank, T-Mobile, Telia, Ericsson, Microsoft, and Thales, offering seamless connectivity and automated eSIM management. In today’s rapidly evolving work environment, the demand for seamless, secure, and efficient connectivity is more pressing than ever. Traditional connectivity solutions often fall short, especially for laptop users who face the challenge of finding secure Wi-Fi networks. Ericsson’s innovative Ericsson Virtual Cellular Network (EVCN), a pioneering initiative from Ericsson ONE, is set to transform this landscape by automating eSIM profile management, thereby enabling enterprises to establish their own virtual cellular networks. This breakthrough facilitates swift and secure connections for employee laptops to various 5G networks using Windows 11 PCs, which are adept at selecting eSIM profiles and automatically switching networks according to predefined enterprise policies. By ensuring high-performance 5G connectivity for Windows 11 PCs, employees can securely access cloud-based services such as Microsoft Teams and Office 365, whether they are working from the office, home, or on the move. The EVCN solution, combined with cloud technologies and 5G connectivity, is redefining the reality of hybrid work, offering a cost-efficient and sustainable IT solution that promises to elevate employee productivity and security across various work settings.
Feb. 2024. Turkcell, in partnership with Ericsson, has recently achieved a significant breakthrough in 5G connectivity by successfully completing a 5G Standalone (SA) network slicing proof of concept (PoC). This pioneering demonstration not only highlights the ability to instantaneously create tailored 5G network slices to address the distinct connectivity demands of both enterprises and consumers but also showcases the ability to manage multiple slices on a single 5G device. This development is crucial for introducing flexible charging schemes and underscores the transformative potential of 5G SA networks. uring the PoC, Turkcell and Ericsson exhibited how different user profiles, such as ‘work’ and ‘personal’, could be assigned to separate network slices on a 5G device. This innovation grants developers, businesses, and users unprecedented control over their network capabilities, emphasizing the strategic advantage of adopting 5G SA technology. The trial was executed on a cutting-edge 5G Core testbed located within Turkcell’s Telco Cloud infrastructure. This setup included Ericsson’s versatile dual-mode 5G Core and innovative Dynamic Radio Resource Partitioning for 5G RAN Slicing, alongside the comprehensive Ericsson Radio System suite. Ericsson Orchestrator facilitated crucial automation capabilities, while Ericsson Charging introduced a novel approach to billing based on specific slice characteristics. Key to the PoC’s success was the use of Ericsson Dynamic Network Slice Selection, which incorporates the User Equipment Route Selection Policy (URSP). This technology enables a singular device to access multiple network slices concurrently, ensuring a seamless separation of services and optimizing traffic management to enhance the user experience.
Feb. 2024. San Sebastian AENA airport and telecommunications infrastructure and services operator Cellnex Telecom have brought into service the first private network based on 5G technology in Spanish airports. The pilot project is itself one of the first on the European airport scene. In this project, Cellnex will enjoy the collaboration of Nokia as its partner for the 5G network, while Inetum will supply and operate the associated drones. Cellnex was responsible for installing and rolling out this 5G network, on which various use cases related to drone operations will be developed, mainly in terms of security and advanced monitoring, and to the acquisition, collection and secure processing of environmental data (gases and particles in suspension, temperature, humidity and noise). 5G as one of the key technologies for its digital transformation process. 5G will be a turning point when applied to airports, laying the foundations for the future development of the airport itself and serving as the basis for a wide range of new applications and functionalities that will allow a more efficient and sustainable service. This new technology, and its relevant applications and functionalities, will also foster the sustainable management of airport activity, making it compatible with local nature conservation and environmental management.
Jan. 2024. Telia Finland explores SaaS model and public cloud for 5G SA core network. Deploying in public clouds and buying on a SaaS basis has been too big of a leap, even for the more modern-minded communications service providers (CSPs). This could change with the implementation of 5G standalone (SA) core networks, as operators consider deployment options. Just 40 operators have rolled out the 5G core in commercial networks. Telia Finland has taken a pioneering first step in exploring the SaaS model and a public cloud environment for 5G SA with an innovation network Sirius, in partnership with Nokia and backed by EU research funding. The Sirius project will build a 5G SA network along cross-border highways and seaways with a dedicated 5G core and mobile edge computing (MEC). The network will use Nokia’s 5G SA core delivered in a SaaS model as well as the vendor’s Network as Code platform for application development. The idea is to provide an innovation environment where third party service providers and developers can use the latest 5G network features to create new applications for industrial and transportation use cases. For Telia, it is also a test of SaaS-delivered network functions.
Jan. 2024. Siemens and Sony Corporation (Sony) are partnering to introduce a new solution that combines the Siemens Xcelerator open business platform portfolio of industry software with Sony’s new spatial content creation system, featuring the XR head-mounted display with high-quality 4K OLED Microdisplays and controllers for intuitive interaction with 3D objects. Enabling designers and engineers to create and explore design concepts in a borderless immersive workspace, the new solution will kickstart content creation for the industrial metaverse. Expected to be available later in 2024, Siemens’ NX™ Immersive Designer, an integrated solution that combines Siemens’ NX software and Sony technology, brings immersive design and collaborative product engineering capabilities to Siemens’ flagship product engineering solution. In addition, Siemens and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are strengthening their partnership and making it easier for businesses of all sizes and industries to build and scale generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Siemens is integrating Amazon Bedrock - a service that offers a choice of high-performing foundation models from leading AI companies via a single API, along with security, privacy, and responsible AI capabilities - with Mendix, the leading low-code platform that is part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio.
Jan. 2024. The metallurgical industry is steadily adopting 5G technology, a pragmatic step towards enhanced digitalization. This evolution is driven by the collaborative efforts of Ericsson, Mugler, and SMS Group, who have established a private 5G Campus network at the SMS Hilchenbach site. This project represents a significant move towards improving data transmission speeds, security, and eco-efficiency in industrial processes. The solution lies in the deployment of a private 5G network, providing a platform for testing and developing industry-specific applications. This network, based on Ericsson Private 5G Technology (EP5G) and implemented by Mugler, offers an innovative approach to handling massive data rates securely and flexibly, essential for real-time applications in large-scale plants. The 5G Campus network at SMS is not just a concept but a reality, with the system becoming operational just four weeks post-project launch. This rapid deployment demonstrates the feasibility and efficiency of private 5G networks in industrial settings. The choice of a standalone private 5G network is strategic. It provides a licensed frequency and coverage area tailored for SMS, enabling global data provision and processing in real time – a critical requirement for the metallurgical industry’s evolving needs. The 5G-enabled network positions SMS as a frontrunner in the metallurgical industry’s digital transformation. It creates new opportunities for developing materials and reducing energy consumption, setting new industry standards.Dec. 2023.
July 2024. SpaceX now has more than 100 direct-to-cell satellites in orbit. SpaceX launched the first Starlink sats equipped with direct-to-cell capabilities in January 2024 and has quickly ramped up to more than 100. These satellites are designed to communicate directly with unmodified cell phones to provide service outside of cellular networks. Commercial service with partner T-Mobile will start in the U.S. this fall. SpaceX has been working with T-Mobile since August 2022 and the satellites use a portion of T-Mobile’s mid-band nationwide spectrum to communicate with cell phones. A number of satellite operators, telcos, and device manufacturers are pursuing satellite-to-cell connectivity through a number of different partnerships and methods of sharing spectrum. Apple, which uses Globalstar’s satellites, recently announced it is expanding satellite messaging on the iPhone with iOS 18 beyond just emergency situations.
June 2024. Sateliot is the first 5G IoT satellite constellation. Sateliot is a startup in the New Space sector, founded in 2018. It contract with Exolaunch for launch and deployment of LEO satellites. Exolaunch is a global leader in launch mission management, integration, and satellite deployment services. Sateliot start-up company facilitate connectivity for all current narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices via satellite. Sateliot is building a constellation of 250 unique satellites enabling 5G NB-IoT connectivity from space, revolutionizing connectivity solutions globally. The constellation of LEO satellites will enable Sateliot to offer services at comparable costs to those of terrestrial cellular networks, a significant stride towards widespread adoption of IoT in previously inaccessible regions. Sateliot’s solution is based on 5G NB-IoT in 3GPP Rel 17 NTN (Non Terrestrial Network). 5G from space is based on the use of LEO satellites for connectivity- not HAPS or other NTN types. While 3GPP Rel 19 (to be completed December 2025) will provide a complete solution, Sateliot says that is not needed now to offer a minimum workable solution, via 3GPP Rel 17 NTN. This minimum workable Rel 17 NTN solution is related to NB-IoT only, so, there is no need to wait for Rel 18 or Rel 19. Sateliot has already found a commercially available chipset and RF module from its main vendor.
June 2024. At Athonet's Uptime 2023 conference, HubOne presented a talk on Private Mobile Network in Paris Airport.
May 2024. China has operated the world's first network coverage across maritime routes with 100-kilometer level 5G-advanced (5G-A) integrated communication and sensing low-altitude, injecting new momentum into the nation's development of new quality productive forces. Drones can achieve precise flights surpassing 100 kilometers in the 5G-A covered maritime areas, primarily due to the adoption of multi-band coordination and low-altitude coverage optimization, which enabled comprehensive 5G network coverage across the maritime area within the altitude of 300 meters and a horizontal distance of 100 kilometers.
May 2024. A Japanese consortium recently unveiled the world’s first high-speed 6G prototype device. It can transmit data at a whopping 100 gigabits per second (Gbps), covering more than 300 feet. That’s a 20x improvement over the current 5G technology. The prototype device was a result of collaboration among Japan’s leading telecom companies, including DOCOMO, NTT Corporation, NEC Corporation, and Fujitsu.
April 2024. Telefonica Germany (O2 Telefonica) and the 6G Health Institute (6GHI) have launched a campus network with 5G Network slicing technology at the 6GHI facilities in Markkleeberg, in the state of Saxony. The implementation of 5G slicing within the premises of 6GHI marks another advancement for research in the in-house 6G Health Lab powered by O2 Telefonica.
April 2024. Oulu University Hospital, alongside Boldyn Networks, WICOAR Technologies, and the University of Oulu, has launched Europe's first operational private 5G network in a hospital setting. Funded by the European Commission, the 'Hola 5G Oulu' project aims to revolutionize patient care with advanced wireless technologies. This innovative project aims to harness the power of 5G technology to enhance patient care through wireless wearable technologies. The project addresses these challenges by establishing a robust and secure 5G network specifically designed for the demanding environment of healthcare. Starting with a pilot on one patient ward floor and selected operating theatres, this network lays the groundwork for advanced data sharing, visualization techniques, and the deployment of wireless wearable technologies. The choice of 5G for this project is pivotal. Its high capacity and security features make it ideal for supporting wireless solutions in healthcare, where reliability and data protection are paramount. The introduction of wireless wearable technologies promises a sea change for patients and healthcare professionals alike. These devices will enable real-time monitoring and diagnostics, reducing nurses’ administrative tasks and allowing doctors to spend more time with patients. Furthermore, the ability for anesthetists to remotely monitor surgeries enhances patient safety and operational efficiency.
March 2024. Discover the future of hybrid work with 5G Windows 11 PCs enabled by SoftBank, T-Mobile, Telia, Ericsson, Microsoft, and Thales, offering seamless connectivity and automated eSIM management. In today’s rapidly evolving work environment, the demand for seamless, secure, and efficient connectivity is more pressing than ever. Traditional connectivity solutions often fall short, especially for laptop users who face the challenge of finding secure Wi-Fi networks. Ericsson’s innovative Ericsson Virtual Cellular Network (EVCN), a pioneering initiative from Ericsson ONE, is set to transform this landscape by automating eSIM profile management, thereby enabling enterprises to establish their own virtual cellular networks. This breakthrough facilitates swift and secure connections for employee laptops to various 5G networks using Windows 11 PCs, which are adept at selecting eSIM profiles and automatically switching networks according to predefined enterprise policies. By ensuring high-performance 5G connectivity for Windows 11 PCs, employees can securely access cloud-based services such as Microsoft Teams and Office 365, whether they are working from the office, home, or on the move. The EVCN solution, combined with cloud technologies and 5G connectivity, is redefining the reality of hybrid work, offering a cost-efficient and sustainable IT solution that promises to elevate employee productivity and security across various work settings.
Feb. 2024. Turkcell, in partnership with Ericsson, has recently achieved a significant breakthrough in 5G connectivity by successfully completing a 5G Standalone (SA) network slicing proof of concept (PoC). This pioneering demonstration not only highlights the ability to instantaneously create tailored 5G network slices to address the distinct connectivity demands of both enterprises and consumers but also showcases the ability to manage multiple slices on a single 5G device. This development is crucial for introducing flexible charging schemes and underscores the transformative potential of 5G SA networks. uring the PoC, Turkcell and Ericsson exhibited how different user profiles, such as ‘work’ and ‘personal’, could be assigned to separate network slices on a 5G device. This innovation grants developers, businesses, and users unprecedented control over their network capabilities, emphasizing the strategic advantage of adopting 5G SA technology. The trial was executed on a cutting-edge 5G Core testbed located within Turkcell’s Telco Cloud infrastructure. This setup included Ericsson’s versatile dual-mode 5G Core and innovative Dynamic Radio Resource Partitioning for 5G RAN Slicing, alongside the comprehensive Ericsson Radio System suite. Ericsson Orchestrator facilitated crucial automation capabilities, while Ericsson Charging introduced a novel approach to billing based on specific slice characteristics. Key to the PoC’s success was the use of Ericsson Dynamic Network Slice Selection, which incorporates the User Equipment Route Selection Policy (URSP). This technology enables a singular device to access multiple network slices concurrently, ensuring a seamless separation of services and optimizing traffic management to enhance the user experience.
Feb. 2024. San Sebastian AENA airport and telecommunications infrastructure and services operator Cellnex Telecom have brought into service the first private network based on 5G technology in Spanish airports. The pilot project is itself one of the first on the European airport scene. In this project, Cellnex will enjoy the collaboration of Nokia as its partner for the 5G network, while Inetum will supply and operate the associated drones. Cellnex was responsible for installing and rolling out this 5G network, on which various use cases related to drone operations will be developed, mainly in terms of security and advanced monitoring, and to the acquisition, collection and secure processing of environmental data (gases and particles in suspension, temperature, humidity and noise). 5G as one of the key technologies for its digital transformation process. 5G will be a turning point when applied to airports, laying the foundations for the future development of the airport itself and serving as the basis for a wide range of new applications and functionalities that will allow a more efficient and sustainable service. This new technology, and its relevant applications and functionalities, will also foster the sustainable management of airport activity, making it compatible with local nature conservation and environmental management.
Jan. 2024. Telia Finland explores SaaS model and public cloud for 5G SA core network. Deploying in public clouds and buying on a SaaS basis has been too big of a leap, even for the more modern-minded communications service providers (CSPs). This could change with the implementation of 5G standalone (SA) core networks, as operators consider deployment options. Just 40 operators have rolled out the 5G core in commercial networks. Telia Finland has taken a pioneering first step in exploring the SaaS model and a public cloud environment for 5G SA with an innovation network Sirius, in partnership with Nokia and backed by EU research funding. The Sirius project will build a 5G SA network along cross-border highways and seaways with a dedicated 5G core and mobile edge computing (MEC). The network will use Nokia’s 5G SA core delivered in a SaaS model as well as the vendor’s Network as Code platform for application development. The idea is to provide an innovation environment where third party service providers and developers can use the latest 5G network features to create new applications for industrial and transportation use cases. For Telia, it is also a test of SaaS-delivered network functions.
Jan. 2024. Siemens and Sony Corporation (Sony) are partnering to introduce a new solution that combines the Siemens Xcelerator open business platform portfolio of industry software with Sony’s new spatial content creation system, featuring the XR head-mounted display with high-quality 4K OLED Microdisplays and controllers for intuitive interaction with 3D objects. Enabling designers and engineers to create and explore design concepts in a borderless immersive workspace, the new solution will kickstart content creation for the industrial metaverse. Expected to be available later in 2024, Siemens’ NX™ Immersive Designer, an integrated solution that combines Siemens’ NX software and Sony technology, brings immersive design and collaborative product engineering capabilities to Siemens’ flagship product engineering solution. In addition, Siemens and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are strengthening their partnership and making it easier for businesses of all sizes and industries to build and scale generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Siemens is integrating Amazon Bedrock - a service that offers a choice of high-performing foundation models from leading AI companies via a single API, along with security, privacy, and responsible AI capabilities - with Mendix, the leading low-code platform that is part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio.
Jan. 2024. The metallurgical industry is steadily adopting 5G technology, a pragmatic step towards enhanced digitalization. This evolution is driven by the collaborative efforts of Ericsson, Mugler, and SMS Group, who have established a private 5G Campus network at the SMS Hilchenbach site. This project represents a significant move towards improving data transmission speeds, security, and eco-efficiency in industrial processes. The solution lies in the deployment of a private 5G network, providing a platform for testing and developing industry-specific applications. This network, based on Ericsson Private 5G Technology (EP5G) and implemented by Mugler, offers an innovative approach to handling massive data rates securely and flexibly, essential for real-time applications in large-scale plants. The 5G Campus network at SMS is not just a concept but a reality, with the system becoming operational just four weeks post-project launch. This rapid deployment demonstrates the feasibility and efficiency of private 5G networks in industrial settings. The choice of a standalone private 5G network is strategic. It provides a licensed frequency and coverage area tailored for SMS, enabling global data provision and processing in real time – a critical requirement for the metallurgical industry’s evolving needs. The 5G-enabled network positions SMS as a frontrunner in the metallurgical industry’s digital transformation. It creates new opportunities for developing materials and reducing energy consumption, setting new industry standards.Dec. 2023.
- switch-off of 2G/3G networks and operators’ evolution from 4G/LTE to 5G networks (GSA had identified 177 completed, planned or in progress 2G and 3G switch-offs in 59 countries and territories. 56 operators have already completed their 2G or 3G shutdowns, 101 have planned and 12 are in progress. Europe remains the region with the highest number of shutdown plans, with 107 or 60% of all switch-offs)
- best performing 5G operators’ speeds and ‘5G experiences’ (582 operators investing in 5G worldwide, 294 commercial 5G launches, 2,700+ 5G devices announced, at least 1,886 commercial 5G devices available, more than $50 billion spent on 5G related spectrum auctions and assignments, 255 vendors producing or planning 5G devices)
- speed of migration to 5G Standalone networks (SA)
- growing use of 5G for private networks (NPN)
- emergence of 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN)
Mobility report 2023. During the third quarter of 2023, 163 million 5G subscriptions were added to make up a total of 1.4 billion. Mobile network data traffic grew 33 percent between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023. Subscriber migration to 4G and 5G from previous-generation mobile technologies is fueling traffic growth. 5G continues to increase its share of the overall smartphone (weak) market. 5G devices capable of supporting new network functionalities will enable services beyond mobile broadband. The capabilities of 5G are allowing service providers to offer new packages that include advanced services such as network slicing, or that boost user experience for specific activities or events. Cellular IoT connections expected to reach 3 billion in 2023.
01 Dec. 2023 Dubai, UAE. ITU has published the framework for the development of standards and radio interface technologies for the sixth generation of mobile systems, popularly referred to as 6G. The details of the 6G framework are contained in Recommendation ITU-R M.2160 Framework and overall objectives of the future development of IMT for 2030 and beyond approved by the ITU Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-23) at its recent meeting in Dubai. ITU-R will now focus on defining technical requirements, the submission process, and the evaluation criteria for potential 6G radio interface technologies. The ITU-R Recommendation represents significant progress in the development and implementation of globally accepted standards for mobile systems using 6G. The submissions will then be evaluated against the agreed minimum requirements prepared by ITU's expert group on IMT systems (ITU-R Working Party 5D), with the prospect of getting a final set of 6G technology standards approved by 2030. The IMT-2030 Framework Recommendation identifies 15 capabilities for 6G technology, 9 of those capabilities are derived from existing 5G systems.
Dec. 2023. AT&T's plans on Open RAN and 6G are acceleratiing Open and Interoperable Radio Access Networks (RAN) in the US. The plan is for 70% of its wireless network traffic to flow across open-capable platforms by late 2026. The company expects to have fully integrated open RAN sites operating in coordination with Ericsson and Fujitsu, starting in 2024. Beginning in 2025, the company will scale this Open RAN environment throughout its wireless network in coordination with multiple suppliers such as Corning Incorporated, Dell Technologies, Ericsson, Fujitsu, and Intel.
Nov. 2023. US administration released Memorandum titled Modernizing United States spectrum policy and establishing a national spectrum strategy (Spectrum Strategy). Publication comes after many months of coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission), public listening sessions, Tribal Nation consultations, meetings with stakeholders, consideration of written comments and guidance from federal agencies, and government-only listening sessions. Memorandum itself (1) reaffirms the joint management of spectrum resources by NTIA and the FCC, with NTIA (National Telecommunications Information Administration) serving as principal advisor on spectrum issues; (2) announces the Interagency Spectrum Advisory Council as a forum for various agency leaders to work with NTIA on spectrum policy; (3) develops a White House dispute resolution process to resolve issues between NTIA and other agencies with respect to spectrum issues; and (4) requires publication of principles and methods on spectrum management that will guide the federal government.
Oct. 2023. BT Group launched a testbed to develop and trial a range of XR applications across work, home, health and entertainment, using its mobile unit EE’s 5G infrastructure and private networks. The operator stated it is inviting partners and customers to collaborate at the testbed and explore opportunities and challenges of capabilities including network exposure functions, cloud-rendering, enhanced localisation and 5G in delivering XR use cases. While the testbed will initially be a testing environment, BT added it had already completed demonstrations of services for car retail, education, sports broadcasting and medical imaging. BT wants to understand how networks, platforms, services and apps can be optimised for cloud GPU-rendered immersive XR experiences delivered over EE’s public and private 5G networks.
Oct. 2023. 3GPP Release 17 established the NR-NTN and IoT-NTN standards while the upcoming 5G Advanced Release 18 will introduce new capabilities, coverage/mobility enhancements and support for expanded spectrum bands. Only a few NTN-based satellites have been launched to date. A noteworthy example is Spanish LEO operator Sateliot, the first company to deploy satellites complying with 3GPP’s Release 17 IoT-NTN standard. Sateliot currently has two satellites in orbit and recently carried out a successful roaming test between its satellite network and Telefonica’s 5G terrestrial network using an IoT device with a standard SIM card. Sateliot plans to start commercial activities in 2024. Ultimately, the company hopes to launch a total of 250 nanosatellites, which will enable it to offer global 5G IoT-NTN services.
Oct. 2023. Germany’s largest airport, Fraport AG wanted a secure, reliable network that would cover all 2,500 hectares of Frankfurt Airport. NTT was chosen as their partner to design and build a private 5G network that would serve as the network base for connecting the technology needed to optimize airport operations. Being able to transmit large volumes of data allows Fraport to speed up work processes. Frankfurt Airport is home to airlines, air traffic control, police authorities, airport fire department and many more. And all these interconnected elements have to communicate to keep operations running smoothly and ensure safety.
Oct. 2023. SpaceX has achieved yet another milestone in space-based internet services after launching new versions of its satellites that can communicate via lasers. The first batch of satellites was launched 2021. to polar orbit and provided internet services over Alaska, where setting up ground stations was challenging. Starlink's constellation will be equipped with more than 8,000 such lasers that enable inter-satellite communication with pinpoint accuracy even as they are thousands of miles apart. Data transfers on each such laser link can be conducted at speeds of 100 Gbps. Starlink is looking to increase the applications of its space-based internet services to areas such as the maritime and aviation industries.
Sept. 2023. Vodafone claimed to have made the world's first space-based 5G call placed using an unmodified handset with the aid of the AST SpaceMobile-operated BlueWalker 3 satellite (aperture of 64m2 to connect to cellphones via 3GPP-standard frequencies). The 5G call was made on September 8 from Maui, Hawaii, to a Vodafone engineer in Madrid, Spain, from an unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone, using the WhatsApp voice and messaging app.
Sept. 2023. 5G Broadcast is clearly in its infancy. 5G Broadcast, a technology that is starting to be tested by US low-power TV stations, took a big, official step forward today. 3GPP on Friday formally published the technical specs for 5G Broadcast in version 18.3.0 of the specs for 36.101 (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access, or E-UTRA). The updated specs show approval for "LTE based 5G terrestrial broadcast" to operate in a new 108 band (470MHz – 698MHz). This effectively makes all US low-power UHF stations 3GPP-eligible to broadcast in 5G. Initial use cases being explored for 5G Broadcast include broadcasting local TV signals to 5G smartphones, transmitting alerts to consumers and delivering large files (including video and other critical information) to first responders. 5G Broadcast is also emerging as a potential complement or competitor to ATSC 3.0, the next-gen, IP-based broadcast signaling standard.
Sept. 2023. Slovak Telekom (ST) is to begin the phased shutdown of its 3G network on 3 October in gradual region-by-region closure. The full shutdown is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The spectrum freed by the network closure will be used to improve the operator’s 4G and 5G services. Rival operator Orange is planning to keep its 3G network fully operational until 31 December, with its own phased switch-off to take place early next year.
Sept. 2023. Siemens is launching a private infrastructure developed in-house for the 5G mobile communications standard. The solution enables industrial companies to build their own local 5G networks that will provide optimal support for automation applications. 5G is crucial for applications like mobile robots, autonomous logistics, and driverless transport systems in factories. Other scenarios for industrial 5G wireless technology include the integrated use of connected tablets, VR glasses, and smart tools. In addition, edge devices can be used flexibly. In contrast to other wireless technologies, private 5G networks use a licensed frequency band and can therefore be operated without interference.
Sept. 2023. STC Bahrain, a leading telecommunications operator in the MENA region, has announced the successful completion of 5G-Advanced (5.5G) trials, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of next-generation connectivity. The live demonstration took place during the 31st Arab Spectrum Management Group (ASMG) event, utilizing the U6GHz frequency spectrum for 5G-advanced, made available through the TRA’s (Telecommunications Regulatory Authority) Innovation license. During the initial phase of testing, STC Bahrain achieved an impressive transfer speed of over 10Gbps, setting a new standard in 5G connectivity.
Sept. 2023. Ericsson committed to introducing compatibility for open fronthaul across its cloud RAN and radio portfolio starting in 2024, a move it claimed underlined its commitment to leading the industrialisation of open RAN. It stated it worked together with the industry through the O-RAN Alliance to reach a critical milestone towards defining the next-generation open fronthaul interface, required to bring performance at scale to open RAN. The vendor stated it deployed more than 1 million radios which are hardware ready for the next-generation of open fronthaul technology.
Sept. 2023. Verizon collaborates with the Tennessee Titans to introduce enhanced 5G connectivity and managed private wireless network solutions, redefining fan experiences at Nissan Stadium. The main objective is to enhance the fan experience during games and events at Nissan Stadium. This includes improved connectivity for communication within the stadium and ensuring fans can capture and share on-field actions seamlessly. Key implementations include: introduction of Accelerated Access, leveraging facial authentication technology for quicker ticketing and access control; installation of several 5G Ultra Wideband cell sites at Nissan Stadium for enhanced wireless performance; managed Private Wireless Solution to support coach-to-coach communication on the field across all U.S. NFL stadiums.
August 2023. PoC of a Private/Local 5G use case in Japan of Hanshin Electric Railway is about the private network trialled for preventing safety accidents at train stations and railroad crossings, instant inspection of facilities between train stations, and emergency response in train cabins. The test utilized local 5G, AI video analytics, and cameras (ground cameras at train stations/crossings, in-vehicle security cameras, and vehicle front cameras).
June 2023. Verizon Business has partnered with Pryor Creek Music Festivals to implement a secure, private 5G local-area network (LAN) for the Rocklahoma outdoor music festival, slated for Labor Day Weekend 2023. Verizon Business is deploying a Celona-based 5G LAN to address these challenges. The turnkey solution will power connectivity needs throughout the venue, from parking areas to multiple stages and backstage facilities. This 5G LAN includes a fully integrated private wireless system, featuring RAN access, a full stack converged 4G/5G core, subscriber SIMs/eSIMs, and cloud-based orchestration. The benefits are multifaceted: Enhanced experience for attendees due to reduced wait times; reliable and secure connectivity for vendors and sponsors; efficient management of point-of-sale systems and ticket/barcode scanners.
June 2023. COMPRION announces that its 5G NR test solution for mobile device certification, now supports One-Box tester configuration. To obtain 5G market approval for a mobile device, the handset must pass 5G USIM/USAT device tests according to GCF and PTCRB test plans, using a SIM simulator and a 5G network simulator. Rohde & Schwarz has recently introduced the CMX500 One-Box Signaling Tester. It allows executing also those 5G USIM/USAT tests, which require parallel simulation of multiple 5G SA (standalone) cells, in a single test instrument.
June 2023. The City of Bellevue and T-Mobile have teamed up to help make roads safer by providing early warnings and notifications for potentially dangerous road interactions. City of Bellevue, recognized as one of the top cities in the nation for digital innovation, and T-Mobile announced the launch of a joint project that uses network-based Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology and T-Mobile 5G to provide near real-time communications between cars, traffic infrastructure and vulnerable road users ― including pedestrians and cyclists. This is all in support of Bellevue’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate road-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2030. To help achieve this goal, T-Mobile will provide cellular connectivity, C-V2X equipment, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, technical integration and end-to-end testing. The City of Bellevue will utilize these assets to implement and evaluate various C-V2X use cases designed to detect and protect individuals on the road.
March 2023. Simulation service Magister SimLab making mobile and satellite network simulations accessible for everyone. Network simulators are often used to study and analyze networks as part of research or standardizatio. SimLab service offers a possibility to use a user-friendly, vendor independent, high-class online simulation service: simulators have been developed and verified in different ESA activities and are used in 3GPP related standardization process; utilize to testing new features, supporting standardization, sales demonstrations and more!
April 2023. SpaceX launches in low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite to operate on the 5G cellular standard and bring global connectivity to Internet of Things. The SNO Sateliot is the first of a constellation of over 250 spacecraft. The relatively small, 22-pound (10-kilogram) orbital data relay is designed to communicate with terrestrial cell towers and fill gaps in data networks worldwide. Users can seamlessly switch from a terrestrial to a non-terrestrial 5G network, with no need to purchase any extra hardware, such as antennas or modems. Also, they can keep using their current SIM cards and mobile operators, thanks to the standard roaming agreements carried out by Sateliot. This eases the way to a massive Internet of Things adoption worldwide.
London, April 2023. Ofcom has spent some of its time in recent months investigating the UK cloud services market amid growing concerns about the increasingly dominant presence of US-based hyperscalers, namely Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. At the time, Ofcom said that the UK's cloud market was worth £15 billion (US$16.7 billion) and that the three hyperscalers generate around 81% of revenues in the UK public cloud infrastructure services market, according to data from Synergy Research Group (SRG). In 2021, AWS accounted for 40%, Microsoft for 25% and Google for 16% of the total revenues. Ofcom now estimates that AWS and Microsoft have a combined market share of 60–70%, with Google accounting for 5–10%. It has highlighted concerns about so-called egress fees, or the charges that customers pay to transfer their data out of a cloud, noting that the hyperscalers set them at significantly higher rates than other providers. SRG provides regular reports on global cloud markets and has documented the growing dominance of AWS, Google and Microsoft. In a recent report in February, it estimated that the top three hyperscalers accounted for 66% of worldwide enterprise spending on cloud infrastructure services at the end of 2022, up from 63% a year ago.
Hamburg, March 2023. Nokia and Lufthansa Technik, the leading provider of technical aircraft services, have deployed a 5G industrial-grade private wireless network to accelerate a project that enables remote engine parts inspection for its civil aviation customers. Through Lufthansa Technik’s Virtual Table Inspection at its Hamburg facility, the hyperfast 5G private wireless network will remove the need for customers to physically attend servicing by providing seamless video access to the engine overhaul shop floor.
Barcelona, 17 Feb. 2023. Operator Telefónica, alongside kit vendor Ericsson and chip firm Qualcomm will set up a 5G mmWave network in Hall 3 of MWC later this month, which they are claiming as a first commercial network deployment. The network uses Ericsson’s mmWave radio AIR 5322 and high-capacity RAN Processor 6651 to enable, and the radio access network equipment is powered by Ericsson Silicon chipset. Qualcomm’s 5G mmWave device bar will showcase 5G mmWave devices loaded with by Snapdragon including smartphones, PCs, CPEs, hotspots, and others. The use of 26GHz and beyond 5G mmWave spectrum is the optimum way to achieve high speeds and high capacity, and to deliver the best 5G experience in crowded areas. Especially interesting is the role of 5G mmWave in the area of Fixed Wireless Access, digitalization, Industry 4.0, and connected vehicles, providing extremely high-performance coverage and enabling a completely new range of use cases to be explored.
Madrid, 14 Feb. 2023. Mobile operator Orange Espana has announced the commercial launch of its 5G Standalone (SA) network, with the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville the first to enjoy its ‘5G+’ offering. The company stated that from launch, coverage in the four cities will exceed 90% of their respective populations and that as 2023 unfolds, it plans to add other cities/towns to the 5G+ footprint. Orange’s website claims the new network is capable of 1.5Gbps peak data speeds while providing improved indoor 5G coverage and consuming ‘up to 20 times less energy’, enabling longer device battery life; other advantages of 5G SA touted by the operator include better network latency for online gaming and future uses such as virtual reality and autonomous vehicles, and more advanced network security.
London, 7 Feb. 2023. Vodafone UK starts 'risky' shift to 5G Standalone (SA) network. It has been carrying out "friendly user" trials of standalone technology, gathering feedback and pondering next steps. This gives it a chance to assess unforeseen technical glitches ahead of any widescale deployment. It is also monitored traffic levels and customer behavior and observing if that differs from usage of non-standalone tech. Therein could lie the opportunities for service innovation. But rolling out a commercial standalone network is not for the faint-hearted. One of the main challenges involves spectrum. With insufficient sites, a standalone connection might fail. A further complication is that some of Vodafone's 4G sites in London are now at their capacity limits. Outside the radio access network (RAN), he is also facing the transition to an entirely new core developed by an entirely different supplier. That system is what the industry dubs "cloud-native" – with functions that can supposedly be scaled up or down and deployed in various cloud environments. Distributing it across numerous sites promises service improvements and new features for customers. Vodafone's use of AWS Wavelength technology to support new latency-sensitive applications for business customers. The introduction of further edge sites is possible in future, depending on space and power needs.
Sophia Antipolis, France/Brussels, Belgium 24 January 2023. The 6G-IA (Smart Networks and Services Industry Association) and ETSI have recently signed a MoU reflecting a strong mutual interest in bringing European research results for 5G, 6G and related technologies into the wider standardization landscape. The 6G-IA brings together a global industry community of telecoms and digital actors such as operators, manufacturers, research institutes, universities, verticals, SMEs and ICT associations. The association carries out a wide range of activities in strategic areas including standardization, frequency spectrum, R&D projects, technology skills, collaboration with key vertical industry sectors, notably the development of trials, and international cooperation
Jan. 2023. DeepSig Releases AI-Native Upgrade to Intel FlexRAN. 5G DeepSig is shipping its OmniPHY-5G software upgrade to FlexRAN licensees. Intel is a leading provider of virtualization software for 5G OpenRAN base stations. OmniPHY-5G replaces FlexRAN wireless algorithms with neural networks to improve the customer experience through higher data rates while reducing power consumption, achieving Greener 5G. While industry leaders such as Nokia, Ericsson, and Qualcomm see AI-Native as a key enabler of 6G, DeepSig is demonstrating that the technology is ready for deployment to significantly enhance 5G. OmniPHY-5G is delivered as a fully developed SDK with a FlexRAN compatible API. A reference integration with FlexRAN is provided as a patch that can deployed in unmodified FlexRAN implementations for immediate use. This first OmniPHY-5G release targets standard 5G MIMO configurations. A massive MIMO version will be released later this year.
Dec. 2022. Networld Europe has helped the EU Commission write the next ICT work programme by offering its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) as a baseline document and European take on necessary technology areas. The objective of this task is also to make Information and Communications Technology research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) more available throughout all of Europe for both citizens and businesses. NetworldEurope is the European Technology Platform for communications networks and services. The Platform gathers players of the communications networks sector: industry leaders, innovative SMEs, and leading academic institutions.
Dec. 2022. European Commission’s implementing decision has reserved certain frequencies for mobile communications on planes, allowing airlines to provide messaging, phone calls and data services to passengers flying in the EU. This update of the Commission implementing decision on mobile communications on-board aircraft paves the way for the wide-spread deployment of 5G services. The European body noted that the service is provided within the cabin of an equipped aircraft using picocells to connect the users and route calls, texts and data, typically via a satellite network, between the airplane and the ground-based mobile network. The deadline for member states to make the 5G frequency bands available for planes is 30 June 2023.
Dec. 2022. Tipping point for 5G SA could come in 2023. It's fair to say that the march to the standalone (SA) version of 5G technology has been somewhat on the slow side. As things stand, the SA variant has remained conspicuous by its absence in many countries. Reasons for this will vary, but one cited by Telefónica Deutschland (O2) is that there are not enough compatible devices in the market, among other aspects. 5G SA by its nature is more complicated, in part because it removes anchors to the 4G environment and sends operators into less familiar waters. However, recent reports indicate that 5G SA launches are starting to increase in frequency, opening the possibility that 2023 could be the year when this more advanced version of 5G starts to take hold.For instance, the November update from the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) indicated that at least 36 operators in 21 countries and territories have launched public 5G SA networks. That compares to just 20 operators at the end of 2021. The GSA also found that at least 20 operators are deploying or piloting 5G SA for public networks, while 32 are planning to deploy the technology. A further 20 operators are understood to be involved in evaluations, tests or trials of 5G SA. Overall, the GSA has identified 111 operators in 52 countries and territories worldwide that have been investing in public 5G SA networks in the form of trials, planned or actual deployments.As confidence about the pace of 5G SA launches grows, the potential of networking slicing is again attracting coverage and attention. A freshly minted report has even attempted to pin down revenue forecasts, predicting that network slicing will accrue additional revenues of $16.1 billion by 2029, over and above what the infrastructure would have earned otherwise.
Nov. 2022. For some applications, FPGA technology can be far more cost-effective than ASICs, insists the company Napatech, brandishing details of a forthcoming 5G product to prove it. That product uses FPGAs to run the 5G user plane function (UPF), a part of the 5G packet core responsible for the inspection, forwarding and routing of traffic. In modern-day 5G networks, the UPF can be hosted just about anywhere – in an edge data center, collocated with the radio access network (RAN) or even within a public cloud. But it tends to gobble up server resources. Napatech's solution involves bypassing the server processor and instead running the UPF on a SmartNIC (essentially, a network interface card with added cleverness). The performance of an ASIC is best the day it ships from the fab and does not get any better. An FPGA is programmable and so if an algorithm changes or gets updated, or if someone figures out a different way of implementing something, you just upgrade it in software. For certain applications, an FPGA is the right solution. Napatech's experts ensured their code was fully compatible with the APIs within DPDK, a set of open-source data plane libraries.
Oct. 2022. At the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix (GP) F1, Singtel became the world’s first service provider to deploy 5G network slicing at a major sporting event – and demonstrated the commercial opportunities of differentiated connectivity services. In July 2022, it became the first country in the world to be fully covered (95 percent) by 5G standalone (SA).
July 2022. Singapore became the first country in the world to be fully covered (95 percent) by 5G standalone (SA). It has currently achieved island-wide coverage of over 95 percent with 3.5 GHz TDD and 2.1 GHz spectrum bands. As of March 2023, more than 760,000 subscribers had signed up for 5G subscriptions. In terms of the top 10 most used applications, the behavior of 4G and 5G subscribers is largely similar with strong data usage across social media and video applications. This is expected to change as new applications that leverage 5G, such as AR and VR, become more prevalent. The Singaporean government’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is driving a national digital transformation plan, which emphasizes the importance of a world-class 5G infrastructure to enable innovative new use cases and transform industries. Among the initiatives are new policies to encourage and foster collaboration between industry players. Examples of such IMDA initiatives include partnering with:
Oct. 2022. Keysight Technologies has announced PathWave System Design (SystemVue) 2023 software to speed the design process for 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN) and other wireless systems. The latest improvements to PathWave System Design empower RF system designers to create digital twins of their architectures and transform from a hardware-centric to a simulation-centric design flow. New 5G NTN systems have challenging complexity, which is stressing development lifecycles. Simulations that use measurement-derived models deliver higher fidelity in mission-critical applications such as satellite communications and aerospace defense. System architects want to explore real-world “what if” scenarios prior to building hardware to reduce technical risk and minimize time-to-market. Organizations are demanding that systems are virtually prototyped in their target scenario, so system and mission engineers are turning to simulation, virtual prototyping, and digital twins. These techniques shift the development process left in time and remove the need for multiple physical prototypes.
Sept. 2022. With 5G deployments set to double through 2027, HEAVY.AI’s framework built on NVIDIA Omniverse helps optimize wireless site placements to reduce the cost and complexity of network operations and improve the customer experience. Advanced data analytics company HEAVY.AI unveiled solutions to put carriers on more even footing. Its initial product, HeavyRF, delivers a next-generation network planning and operations tool based on the NVIDIA Omniverse platform for creating digital twins. Without the digital twin approach, telco operators must either: physically place microcell towers in densely populated areas to understand the interaction between radio transmitters, the environment, and humans and devices that are on the move — or use tools that offer less detail about key factors such as tree density or high-rise interference. Using an RF-synchronized digital twin would enable planners to optimize capacity and coverage, plus interactively see how changes in deployment patterns translate into customer acquisition and retention at the household level. The goal is to use machine learning and big data pipelines to continuously mirror existing real-world conditions.
Sept. 2022. NTT is launching a private 5G network for the City of Las Vegas. Once deployed, it will be the largest open, municipal network CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Services Devices) band deployment in the USA. Schools, citywide IoT devices, smart cities applications and more will benefit from the private network. Private 5G from NTT gives clients a complete private 5G network partnership with global availability, seamless systems integration into their business applications, and as-a-service delivery full stack solution delivered on-premises, at the edge or as a cloud service, with flexible deployment options.
Sept. 2022. Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone have clubbed together – working alongside tech company Matsuko – to pilot holographic calls. Using unmodified smartphones, which send 2D video to the cloud where it's rendered into 3D holograms, the trial was done from multiple locations: Madrid, Bonn, Paris and Dusseldorf. The pilot's first phase was done using throughput speeds of between 2 Mbit/s and 4 Mbit/s and a latency of 40-60 milliseconds, through a mixture of 5G and edge computing. Holographic content, asserted the official announcement, can also be "streamed to viewers in an AR/VR/MR environment with a clarity and sharpness never previously possible." The announcement also stated that previous "network-related issues," which "impeded the smooth and natural holographic movement of the holograms," have apparently been resolved.
Sept. 2022. Together with Dish in the US and Rakuten in Japan, 1&1 in Gemany is part of a trio of companies deploying open RAN. Where operators would normally buy all the components and software for any mobile site from one vendor's system, open RAN should – in theory – support combinations of different suppliers, thanks to new interfaces. The networks all three are building represent a radical departure in other ways, too, taking advantage of the latest software and Internet technologies as opposed to standard telecom fare. 1&1 has given responsibility for the rollout of its network to Rakuten Symphony, a telco-facing part of the Japanese firm touting software and system integration expertise. Rakuten is relying heavily on NEC for its own deployment in Japan, ensuring its RAN software – which it gained with last year's acquisition of a US software developer called Altiostar – can harmonize with NEC's 5G equipment. 1&1 has partners Vantage (subsidiary of Vodafone), GfTD and ATC as site providers or tower companies. 1&1 has indicated that launch plans will not be impacted by component shortages , and the 2030 50% population coverage target is still on track.
Aug. 2022. In separate announcements, Ericsson and Nokia touted their latest collaborations with Google, demonstrating network infrastructure support for network slicing on devices running Android 13. User Equipment Route Selection (URSP) is the feature that enables one device using Android to connect to multiple network slices simultaneously. URSP capabilities extend network slicing to new types of applications and use cases, allowing slices to be tailored based on network performance, traffic routing, latency and security. In situations where no USRP rules are available, carriers can configure their network so traffic from work profile apps can revert to a pre-configured enterprise Access Point Name connection, meaning the device will always keep a separate mobile data connection for enterprise-related traffic even if the network doesn’t support URSP delivery.
Aug. 2022. UK operator Virgin Media O2 activated open RAN technology in macro sites in its network in the Northamptonshire region. The operator worked on the multi-vendor open RAN deployment with NEC and Rakuten Symphony and is using its existing telco cloud supply chain. The successful activation of first UK macro-sites demonstrates the potential of the multi-vendor Open RAN model.
July 2022. Analyst firms have for years been touting the financial benefit of commercial network slicing capabilities, especially tied to penetrating different market verticals. However, progress has been slow.Nokia released multi-vendor network slicing software in late 2020 that allows network operators to spin up and scale down virtual slices of their respective networks for various uses. This followed network trials with operators in Asia.Deutsche Telekom showed off a trial with Ericsson and Samsung in mid-2021. It used Ericsson’s 5G SA core and a Samsung smartphone to support a mobile gaming service.The trial marks another sign of progress toward the commercialization of the NS technology. Telefónica, Ericsson, and Google headlined laboratory work to orchestrate an end-to-end automated network slicing concept in a 5G standalone (SA) environment, including lifecycle support and radio resource portioning. The laboratory test showed the ability to onboard a network slice from the core to the radio access network (RAN) in less than 35 minutes. These included self-described “complex service configurations” that required full automation to manage the provisioning and service assurance of the network slice. The test used Ericsson’s Dynamic Radio Resource Partitioning technology that is part of the vendor’s 5G RAN Slicing software platform it launched in early 2021. The technology dynamically allocates spectrum resources at millisecond intervals to support different service requirements across network slices.
July 2022. Deutsche Telekom expanded its work with Google Cloud to drive further innovation into the depth and toward the edge of DT’s various 5G network operations around Europe. The expansion will see the two firms trial a handful of Google features, including a 5G standalone service on DT’s Austria operations that will allow the operator to untether its 5G network from its legacy 4G LTE core. DT is also testing Google Cloud and its Distributed Cloud Edge platform to support infrastructure and services closer to the end user.
Birmingham, UK, August 2022. For the past three years, BBC R&D has been looking at the potential of 5G to support live broadcasting, working on standards, commercial and regulatory requirements and various tests and trials. The Commonwealth Games has given us an ideal opportunity to deploy 5G standalone (SA) non-public networks (NPN) for real. BBC R&D are working with BT to provide the network and backhaul and Vislink subsidiary Mobile Viewpoint to provide the technology that encodes and manages the video stream over the networks. BBC R&D also conducted other tests to examine the handover between cells and from the private to the public network. This will enable teams to use the same kit in different scenarios, giving production teams more flexibility. The team had two live cameras, each with a Mobile Viewpoint unit that took the video feeds and connected to the dedicated 5G network. The BT-provided network was in dedicated spectrum centred around 4050 MHz, allowing us to configure the network to favour uplink traffic typical in a production environment. In contrast, public networks tend to support more downlink-heavy applications. The other key aspect of this trial is that there is no on-site production facilities. The signals are passed through the 5G network and backhauled to a Mobile Viewpoint decoder based in our master control room in London. The two cameras are synchronised at this point, so team can intercut if required (this option could be moved if latency is more of a concern than synchronisation). From there, the output is decoded and sent to whichever wants to use the cameras.
Budapest, Hungary, January-March 2022. The first real-world industrial 5G network in Hungary was launched at the Huawei Technologies European Supply Center (ESC) facility in Páty. As part of the complete digitization of the facility, which has now been completed, a number of improved solutions have been introduced to support production and logistics processes. The plant will have its own core network and a so-called local, edge computing system similar to the cloud. The four self-driving trucks in the logistics department connect to the server via the ultra-fast 5G network with virtually zero latency, and the images from the cameras mounted on them are transmitted over the network to a central computer that calculates and gives their route. Thanks to the self-driving vehicles, the material handling process in the facility is fully automated from arrival to storage, then to the collection of parts and transport to the assembly points. Also connected to the 5G network are production workstations that support the assembly of larger materials so that the material is not moved in the factory, but the workstation goes to perform the task. In addition, workstations equipped with an artificial intelligence-supported visual image processor also support quality assurance tasks, meaning that the finished product is captured with high-resolution cameras instead of the human eye, and then the machine-vision device filters out defective products or packaging and compares finished workpieces. with the original prototype. The 5G network and its associated advanced industrial solutions bring a number of tangible benefits: stock and production lead times have been significantly reduced, the risk of error in some product lines has been reduced, outstanding work safety and improved workplace ergonomics. Also a key advancement thanks to the private 5G network is the exceptionally high data security across the entire factory.
Hamburg, Germany, April 2022. Dataport set up the first 5G campus network with technology partner Ericsson, wherethe practical application of the for public administration are tested. To drive digitalization in the public sector, Dataport has commissioned the first private 5G standalone (SA) campus network in Hamburg for its new 5G test lab. Designed and built by O2 Telefónica with Ericsson’s Private 5G (EP5G), Dataport's 5G lab marks the start of 5G SA technology testing for the future data processing and throughput requirements of the public sector. Dataport expects 5G technology to boost efficiency and innovation in the field of networking, public administration and smart cities, and is making its laboratory available to interested companies and public institutions to gain experience with 5G. Hamburg, Germany, June 2019. The Hamburg port implements a 5G network slicing testbed for smart city applications, such as smart interactive augmented reality, smart environment measures, smart logistics, and smart-transportation. This project is a part of the 5G Mobile Network Architecture for diverse services, use cases, and applications in 5G and beyond) (5G MoNArch). To enable network slicing at Hamburg port, NFV and SDN are adopted. Furthermore, the players of the network slicing enabled smart port are the 5G UEs, BSs with support for slicing, central cloud, edge cloud, and data centers. To turn the vision of network slicing into reality, a transmitter is installed at a television tower at the port. Moreover, sensors are used at the port authority ships to enable real-time environmental measurements.
Santa Clara, USA, March 2022. While the opportunity and objective for open RAN is clear, it still faces significant challenges, particularly around specifications development, testing, and integration across multiple layers and players. Every single configuration that needs to be used has to be then tested! Moreover, interoperability testing comes down to the specific profiles vendors and operators intend to use across different interfaces and configurations. This compounds concerns relative to the fragmentation of different profiles because operators still want high performance, which requires lifecycle management - performance is impacted and requires tweaking every time a parameter gets changed, she added. The reality is nowadays 10,000 sites are deployed every month. Open RAN players will find it very difficult to sell their solutions to the classic operators?
Espoo, Finland, Feb. 2022. Nokia deploys world’s first 5G Edge Slicing solution on live commercial network with mobile operators Cellcom and Telia. Nokia’s Edge Slicing solution consists of a virtualized RAN-Transport-Core-Enterprise network with a distributed cloud core deployed at a customers’ premises or in close proximity. Nokia’s innovative next-generation solution is available now and enables operators to provide 5G Virtual Private Network services on 4G and 5G public networks as well as offer new services to enterprise customers. Once launched, both companies will be able to offer new services to their customers - driving new revenue opportunities - as well as partner with cloud application and infrastructure service providers. Nokia and Cellcom’s trial with sliced RAN-Transport-Core is taking place in Netanya, Israel, and is focused on business applications and the customer experience as well as enterprise interconnectivity over a high-speed metro network. Nokia and Telia are running a live trial in Tampere, Finland together with high-tech global engineering group, Sandvik. The trial demonstrates how next-generation 5G Edge Slicing functions can operate with different mining equipment and digital applications. High-performing virtualized networks enable service providers to bring edge cloud application platforms close to enterprise customers.
Helsinki, Finland, Feb. 2022. Elisa, the Nordic country's largest mobile operator, involves the public cloud and an all-encompassing deal with Google. Elisa's automation business Polystar reckons its network assurance and automation functionalities might benefit from Google's artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Elisa, more broadly, has also begun injecting some of that Google magic (AI, data analytics etc) into the services it offers customers. On the customer-facing side, Elisa has now decided to add various Google Cloud features into its own hybrid cloud offering. This seems to build on a partnership between Elisa and Google last year that sold cloud services to more than 30 companies. Elisa would not be the first operator to host its 5G network inside the public cloud. Dish, a US firm building a network from scratch, plans to run just about everything it possibly can on AWS. AT&T, a brownfield American telco, has signed a 5G hosting deal with Microsoft Azure.
Espoo, Finland, Feb. 2022. Nokia launches Intelligent RAN Operations to manage the power of 5G with machine learning (ML). The solution goes beyond automation with machine learning to help mobile operators keep costs down with superior 5G network management; reduces base station energy consumption by up to 15 percent without compromising end-user experience; improves operational efficiency by up to 80 percent according to customer trials, boosting network quality. Also, Nokia has now just announced two new SaaS offerings in the areas of security and analytics. The first is iSIM Secure Connect, which is designed to enable carriers to manage machine-to-machine and consumer device subscriptions for embedded SIM (eSIM) and integrated SIM (iSIM)-enabled devices. The second is an analytics offering from Nokia's AVA (AI & Analytics, Virtualization and Automation) portfolio. Nokia AVA Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) is designed to enhance network operations with AI/ML driven closed-loop automation, in order to improve the customer experience and drive new sources of revenue
Kawasaki, Japan, Feb. 2022. KDDI, Samsung, and Fujitsu claim to have the world’s first 5G standalone open radio access network (RAN) site up and running. The site, which transmits live traffic on the Japanese carrier’s existing 5G core, combines Samsung’s virtualized distributed unit (vDU) and virtualized central unit (vCU) with Fujitsu’s massive MIMO radios in Kawasaki, Japan. The feat involves the use of Samsung’s virtualized RAN (vRAN) software that is also open RAN compliant running on commercial off-the-shelf servers, Samsung’s baseband, and Fujitsu radios connected via open interfaces, KDDI explained. The operator said it plans to deploy open RAN in other parts of the country following this framework. This single 5G open RAN site is not a trial or proof of concept, but rather an effort to “kick off commercial deployment in Japan.”
Brisbane, Australia, Jan. 2022. Telstra and Ericsson announced the first deployment of Ericsson Private 5G, an on-premise dedicated 5G network for enterprise that utilises a single-server 5G dual mode core. Telstra Enterprise customer AgriFood Connect, joint initiative of the University of Queensland, created to accelerate the adoption of technology and innovation across agriculture and manufacturing industries will be the beneficiary of this new technology. Private wireless connectivity platform facilitates advanced operations through automation, flexibility and intelligent connectivity. Using a single server 5G dedicated network based on a dual mode core, Private 5G facilitates both LTE and 5G Standalone (SA) simultaneously. The 5G SA capability delivered from the Private 5G product, coupled with Telstra’s advanced network capabilities, offers an industrial wireless connectivity platform for enterprise that can deliver low latency, enhanced resiliency and the capacity to meet even the most demanding business operation requirements.
Munich, Germany, Jan. 2022. Academia and key industry players have identified the D-Band, ranging from 110 GHz to 170 GHz, as a candidate frequency band for beyond 5G and 6G mobile communications as well as for future automotive radar applications. Rohde & Schwarz in collaboration with IHP, has performed the industry's first full 2D/3D antenna characterization of transceiver modules operating in the D-Band. The test setup consists of the antenna test system, vector network analyzer and the antenna measurement software. The performance of the various devices under test (with different antenna structures, including on-chip single and stacked patches with air trenches and an on-chip antenna array.) was characterized by spherical measurements, using two different setups. These measurements are valuable to understand the physics of the antenna structures and to further improve their performance.
Nanjing, China, Jan. 2022. A high-tech laboratory Purple Mountain Laboratories, has announced a major achievement related to 6G-oriented terahertz 100/200Gbps (gigabits per second) real-time wireless communication, with a transmission rate 10-20 times higher than 5G networks. With the support of the national key research and development plan for 6G, the first 360-430GHz terahertz 100/200Gbps real-time wireless transmission communication experimental system was built. That led to the fastest real-time transmission for terahertz real-time wireless communication that's been publicly reported in the world. Adopting the photonic terahertz technology route, that is generating terahertz signals through two higher-frequency lightwave beat frequencies, a single-wavelength net rate of 103.125Gbps and a dual-wavelength net rate of 206.25Gbps was achieved for the first time in real-time wireless transmission. Terahertz wireless communication is considered to be the core technology of 6G networks. The 5G network uses the frequency bands in the 24 GHz to 100 GHz range, known as the mmWave. The terahertz frequency band, ranging from 300GHz to 3THz, is rich in frequency resources, which can support 100Gbps-1Tbps (terabits per second, which is equal to 1,000Gbps) ultra-high-speed wireless communication. This will increase the peak transmission speed of the existing 5G system, which can serve future 6G holographic communication, the metaverse and other new applications.
London, UK, Dec. 2021. Mobile operators EE (BT) and Three UK have today become the first two network providers to reach a special deal, which will enable them to deploy 4G and 5G based mobile (mobile broadband) services across the entire London Underground by late 2024 (ticket halls, platforms and tunnels). Vodafone to follow. Transport for London (TfL) announced in June 2021 (here) that it had awarded a 20-year concession deal to global mobile infrastructure firm BAI Communications (BAI), which will build the network itself and then make it available via wholesale for Mobile Network Operators (MNO) to harness.
Queensland, Australia, Dec. 2021. Telstra, Ericsson and Qualcomm reached a theoretical maximum uplink speed of 986 Mbps, the highest uplink peak rate ever recorded on a commercial network. The demonstration happened in Telstra’s 5G Innovation Center, using commercial network. The trial used Ericsson’s New Radio-Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) technology, which allows mobile devices to use both mid-band and mmWave frequencies. And the trial also used Ericsson’s software with four-component carrier aggregation, in which four contiguous channels of 100 MHz are combined, resulting in higher data speeds. The uplink peak rate was achieved by combining the data rates from four 100 MHz channels of Telstra’s millimeter wave spectrum combined with 100 MHz of 3.6 GHz mid-band spectrum. A smartphone form-factor test device was powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System.
Arlington, USA, Dec. 2021. DeepSig announced it completed the world’s first AI-Native 5G over-the-air call. Featuring a commercial 5G handset and 5G standalone network to data services on the public internet, the call is a major industry milestone that proves the benefits of AI-Native wireless systems for 5G. AI-Native 5G enables networks to work smarter and continually improve, which means they use less energy and provide faster, more reliable connections. Patented AI ML software significantly enhances 5G baseband performance and at lower costs compared to traditional methods used in mobile networks today. For the call demonstration, DeepSig replaced specific radio receiver algorithms within a 5G vRAN distributed unit (DU) with an AI neural network trained “natively” from actual radio environments. This completes over-the-air calls from commercial user equipment (UE) through the radio unit (RU) connected to the AI-enhanced DU, a standard central unit (CU) and 5G core. DeepSig’s pioneering work on AI-Native 5G also sets the stage for 6G standards to make AI and ML a fundamental part of tomorrow’s networks.
Espoo, Finland, Dec. 2021. Nokia today announced that it is ready to supply its O-RAN fronthaul multi-vendor solution to NTT DOCOMO 5G network following successful testing. The move will enable the Japanese operator to further select independent combinations of hardware and software to optimize its network in the future. It follows the work of the O-RAN ALLIANCE in creating a common specification enabling interoperability between different vendors. It is the latest milestone demonstrating Nokia’s commitment to O-RAN and open networks.
Wolfsburg, Germany, Dec. 2021. Nokia flagged the deployment of another 5G private mobile network in Germany, this time with Volkswagen AG at the latter’s main plant in Wolfsburg. The campus network is based on 5G standalone technology and uses Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) solution to provide reliable, secure, real-time connectivity and enable Volkswagen to trial new smart factory use cases. The network also uses dedicated 3.7GHz/3.8GHz frequencies that Volkswagen was allocated by BNetzA.
Bonn, Germany, Oct. 2021. Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Ericsson have demonstrated the use of 5G end-to-end network slicing in a customer-centric service delivery model for video streaming, where a customer can control and adapt slice performance based on demand. Ericsson provided the commercial-grade 5G Standalone (SA) network. The demo was conducted in DT’s lab in Bonn. The proof-of-concept sets a benchmark for “network-as-a-service” innovation, revealing how 5G network slicing can enable a new level of flexibility and control for enterprise customers. It also involved fully automated configuration, provisioning and end-to-end orchestration of the slicing service. Standardized network exposure APIs (Application Programmer Interfaces) provide mechanisms which allow third-party authorized applications to monitor and adjust the behavior of such “slices” within the boundaries of their subscribed service. In this proof of concept, it was applied to a video broadcast. A video director, with access to a dedicated “video production” slice, used an application to choose between multi-camera streams in low and high resolution for a broadcast.
New York, USA, Sep. 2021. The NFL has extended its partnership with Verizon for the next 10 years to focus on implementing Verizon’s 5G network to improve venue operations, scouting and training, and health and safety across the league. Verizon has installed its 5G network in 25 of 30 NFL stadiums. Verizon is currently working to add LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to its 5G computing services to help venue operators track the flow of people inside stadiums and prevent overcrowding. Verizon began installing 5G in NFL stadiums in 2019 to create augmented reality experiences and multi-camera viewing options in the NFL app. Verizon says its 5G technology could support real-time analytics and visualizations given to NFL players and coaches during games, and it could also help stage on-site mobile gaming events at NFL venues. Mobile game developer Skillz became an NFL partner earlier this year.
San Diego, USA, May 2021. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. introduced a pair of new 5G chips for devices that claim to deliver speeds up to 10 Gb/s. The company is targeting a broad swath of applications with its fourth-generation 5G modems, including new services and capabilities for industrial IoT. The company’s first, purpose-built Internet of Things (IoT) modem solution is equipped with 5G connectivity and optimized for Industrial IoT (IIoT) applications. With the global expansion of 5G, the 315 5G IoT modem is a new solution serving the high end of IoT broadband modems. The 315 5G IoT Modem supports global 5G NR sub-6GHz bands and operates in stand-alone (SA) only mode, with the capability to switch to LTE as needed, and can be deployed over private or public 5G networks, leveraging network slicing or in isolation. This solution is optimal for IoT applications that can be seamlessly integrated with existing ethernet and wired technologies. Quectel Wireless Solutions has announced the release of two new 5G New Radio (NR) module series, the RG500S and RM500S. Based on the new Qualcomm 315 5G IoT Modem-RF System, both modules are able to support customers in building dedicated 5G devices for a variety of verticals including industrial IoT, retail, smart energy, private 5G networks, and many others.
Lewisville, USA, April 2021. Ericsson has built a fully functioning factory for 5G radios in Lewisville, Texas, that is operated by 200 5G robots, which the company says has increased efficiency and reduced costs. The newly built facility began producing Ericsson’s Street Macro millimeter-wave 5G product – the same equipment that is deployed within the factory, using 28 GHz spectrum in a private network with on-site core that also utilizes LTE frequencies, additional wireless technologies and advanced data processing to realize the potential of Industry 4.0. In addition, Ericsson has been working both with manufacturers of the mobile robots on how that use case can continue to both be developed and be adopted, through getting the 5G connectivity built into the robots themselves. While the pandemic has limited the company’s ability to physically bring visitors to the site, Simonsson says that video and virtual tours have been held. Ericsson has also worked with mixed reality in the factory for remote support, it has seen the parallels with gaming in the consumer space and learns about what is important in the experience of interacting with people at other sites: Increased video quality, high-speed video transfer, low lag.
San Diego, USA, Feb. 2021. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. introduced the world’s first 10 Gigabit 5G and first 3GPP Release 16 modem-to-antenna solution, designed with an upgradable architecture to rapidly commercialize 5G Release 16 and extend 5G in mobile broadband, fixed wireless, industrial IoT and 5G private network applications.
Oulu, Finland, Jan. 2021. Year 2021 turns out to kick-start major global 6G research initiatives. Impressive research programmes have been launched with ambitious technical targets as well as national or regional goals in current global competition in the field. Horizon 2020 ICT-52 call resulted in nine 6G projects which started in January this year. ITU-R has also increased activities on IMT systems towards 2030 and beyond by launching vision work at the recent ITU-R meeting. The activities include the defining of the framework and overall objectives, in addition to the on-going technology trends work on technical and operational characteristics.
Barcelona, Spain, Jan. 2021. The new H2020 5G-PPP Phase 3 project 5GMediaHUB "5G experimentation environment for 3rd party media services" began its activities in January 2021 with a kick-off meeting held virtually, in which the 17 consortium partners from 11 European countries. The 5GMediaHUB project's objective is to develop a testing and validation environment over two existing 5G experimental platforms located in Barcelona and Oslo, in order to create the 5GMediaHUB Experimentation Facility which will constitute an elastic, secure, trusted, all-in-one and multitenant service execution and Network Applications (NetApps) development environment. 5GMediaHUB will offer 3rd party application developers, such as service providers, the opportunity to experiment, test and validate their media applications by using the 5GMediaHUB Experimentation Facility. This will reduce the time needed for an enterprise to make its services available to end-users. The use cases that will be tested are Immersive Augmented, Virtual and Extended Reality applications; smart media production; and smart media content distribution. The outcomes of the experiments will offer valuable information and insight regarding the 5GMediaHUB Experimentation Facility performance.
USA, Dec. 2020. Qualcomm, Ericsson and T-Mobile are investigating how speedy 5G connections might be used to pilot remote control cars and drones: low-latency control and first-person-view (FPV) video for local operation. Their goal is to prove that 5G technologies are fast enough to make Drone Racing League (DRL) pilots feel like they're actually sitting inside the toys they're steering. What they're targeting is latency – the time it takes for a drone to send a video of what it sees to the virtual reality goggles being worn by its pilot, and then the time it takes for that pilot's reactions to be sent back to the drone. Such calculations are measured in milliseconds. Partnering with T-Mobile, custom-build new racing drones will be powered by 5G in 2021. These drones will enable high definition-video streaming to create new immersive first-person viewing opportunities and experiences for the tens of millions of DRL fans and T-Mobile customers. Interestingly, human reaction time is typically around 200-250 ms and that the fastest a human can process and understand visual information is around 15 ms. We can summarize that latency below 15 ms does not affect human performance, whereas anything above 100 ms will begin to negatively impact the performance noticeably. Around 50 ms is an ideal balance in terms of stressing technological limits and achieving close to optimal human performance in fast-paced real-time settings.
Worcester, UK, Dec. 2020. Worcester Bosch has launched the UK’s first 5G factory using a 5G private network and mobile edge computing infrastructure provided by Ericsson and managed by BT. The factory, which is part of the Worcestershire 5G Testbed (W5G), uses 5G to run real-time machine sensors, allowing them to address problems on the production line before they happen. Another benefit has been the installation of a network of collision detection sensors, making the factory and its products much safer for on-the-ground employees and consumers alike. 5G technology has long been heralded as a key driver for Industry 4.0. Its ultra-low latency, high speeds and reliability make it infinitely easier to implement the smarter manufacturing technologies run on the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT). With a private 5G network, factories can roll out AI and machine learning quickly, without needing to disrupt the production line and supply chain through changes to infrastructure.
Seoul, Korea, Dec. 2020. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced a significant performance breakthrough on its 5G SA Core, in collaboration with Intel. The two companies achieved a 5G SA Core data processing capacity of 305Gbps (Gigabits per second) per server and latency improvement in a mobile network environment with commercial features enabled. This superior performance of Samsung’s 5G SA Core was accomplished using the 2nd generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor and the Intel® Ethernet Network Adapter E810 with Enhanced Dynamic Device Personalization (DDP). The capacity of 305Gpbs is equivalent to hosting more than 200,000 users that are live-streaming standard definition (SD) videos simultaneously. The resulting performance advancement will not only help increase cost-efficiency for 5G Core network deployments, but also help accelerate the delivery of next-generation, high-capacity networks. This will foster more immersive 5G use cases that require much higher data volume processing with low latency. These include augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X), experiences, which can be enjoyed without impact to performance through greater capacity.
Montreal, Canada, Dec. 2020. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Videotron today announced the launch of 5G service to Videotron’s users. Videotron’s 5G service sets Montreal, Canada’s second largest city, as the starting point of the 5G commercial rollout and will expand in time throughout Videotron network across the province of Quebec. After many successful decades in the cable television and internet access business, Videotron deployed its wireless operation in 2010 and has been the fastest growing new operator since then. With the combined effort, Videotron has now successfully expanded its services to 5G. For the launch, Samsung has provided 5G RAN, which covers 600MHz, 700MHz, 2.6GHz and AWS spectrums. Moreover, Samsung's 5G RAN supports both LTE and 5G NR, enabling convenient operation of a network, and saves installation space while reducing CAPEX and OPEX.
Stuttgart, Germany, Nov. 2020. Bosch is putting its first 5G campus network into operation at its Industry 4.0 lead plant in Stuttgart-Feuerbach. Bosch will be setting up 5G networks in the coming months at its research campus in Renningen, Germany and is also launching its first 5G solutions for industrial use. At the plant, Bosch is using 5G for the widespread use of autonomous transport systems. Eight small base stations from Nokia provide coverage across the manufacturing facility, which covers around 10,000 square metres. This lets wirelessly connected machines and systems communicate with each other in real time and exchange data within a few milliseconds. The networks can be optimized and tailored to highly demanding industrial applications and are integrated into the existing IT infrastructure and continuously monitors the activity. The two companies are jointly responsible for network planning, operation, and servicing. As part of the KICK project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Nokia and other partners are researching how artificial intelligence can simplify the operation and maintenance of 5G campus networks.
Hong Kong, Nov. 2020. China Unicom Research Institute preps for 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics with mmWave trials. So, to boost uplink capacity and coverage Unicom has developed a solution that involves rescheduling timeslots and deploying dedicated Massive MIMO equipment. Combining all of these in the time, frequency and power domains had resulted in improvements during trials. Unicom engineers have also come up with the idea of flexibly readjusting timeslots for the heavy demands of HD video backhaul, achieving a 1Gbit/s data rate. A just-completed pilot installation at the Beijing National Opera House is delivering downlink speed of 4.7 Gbit/s. Unicom is planning hybrid low-orbit satellite and high altitude coverage. mmWave's high data rate is able to deliver better user experience for consumers. In combination with MEC and AI, mmWave is also going to be essential for industrial use cases. One of the big use cases coming up is the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. China Unicom is the official telecom partner. Trials of the first Huawei-built mmWave basestations began last month, based on different venues and different scenarios.
USA, Nov. 2020. Company John Deere plans to build private 5G networks using the CBRS licenses that it won. John Deere paid $545,999 for five CBRS licenses in five counties including Rock Island County in Illinois and Black Hawk County, Scott County, Dubuque County and Des Moines County in Iowa. John Deere has both a short-term and long-term vision for how it will use its CBRS licenses, Hedgren added. In the short-term, the company will simplify its manufacturing facilities. In the long-term John Deere has much bigger aspirations for 5G. Hedgren said that the company believes it can incorporate other technologies such as edge computing, analytics and even autonomous devices that will make it possible for the tractor company to conduct asset tracking and inventory management.
Doha, Qatar, Oct. 2020. As the nation gears up for the world’s biggest sporting spectacle in 2022, Ooredoo Qatar announces a new era of 5G opportunities demonstrating 5G experiences with Ericsson at Al Janoub Stadium. They successfully championed demonstrations through the Virtual Stadium at Mall of Qatar and a Connected Ambulance in the stadium itself. The 5G immersive sports demo was live broadcasted to a Virtual Stadium where consumers experienced the Virtual Reality and immersive experience of the match remotely. The Ooredoo network also delivered to the nearly 40,000 spectators at the stadium opening more than 6 TB of mobile traffic. Additionally, over 10,000 spectators used the free Wi-Fi in the stadium, making use of more than 2 TB throughout the 90 minute duration of the game.
US Postal Service Office, USA, Oct. 2020. A new report by the inspector general of the US Postal Service lays out a detailed and compelling proposal for how the 228-year-old government agency could play a major role in the deployment of 5G. The Inspector General (OIG) "concluded that there may be an opportunity to leverage the Postal Service's network of over 31,000 facilities nationwide," the agency wrote. Across its 24-page report, the OIG offers a number of proposals, including: putting 5G cell towers on top of post offices nationwide, running fiber backhaul through post offices and into 5G cell towers, offering free public Wi-Fi services in post offices in rural areas, hosting edge computing data centers inside post offices, supporting public safety communications via post offices, having postal workers collect data on broadband availability.
Espoo, Finland, Oct. 2020. Nokia has introduced a 5G automation network slicing solution suitable for vendors seeking to cut the costs associated with increasing networking capacity. Nokia is the first vendor to provide slicing in 5G networks in a multivendor network environment. The new 4G and 5G slicing system complies with 3GPP and IETF slicing specification. Vendors will be able to create, modify, and delete large swathes of slices in real-time and create different customer policies and profiles depending on clients. the new automation facilities, controllers, and assurance tools simplify network functions at the service layer by automatically sending instructions to domain controllers through open APIs. Each domain controller then determines how best to manage network slicing and will embed assurance monitors for analyzing performance. In addition, closed-loop optimization is implemented.
Mountain View, California, USA, Sept. 2020. Google announced the launched date of the new Pixel devices a few days back. The invite had mention of smart speakers, Google Pixel devices (Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5 5G). And, now a tip reveals that the devices might only be available for pre-orders on the said September 30 but shipping will start a few weeks later.
Bon, Germany, Sept. 2020. Federal network agency BNetzA (Bundesnetzagentur), which oversees the telecoms industry in Germany (among many other industries within its purview), announced earlier this week that it has so far awarded 74 licences to applicants for deploying private 5G networks (called local networks in Germany, or “lokale Netze”) on 3.7-3.8GHz. According to the BNetzA press release, the regulator expected the frequencies to be primarily used for Industry 4.0, “but also in the agricultural and forestry sector”. Presumably the other recipients have not granted the agency the permission to make their names public. There are system integrators (NTT DATA Deutschland GmbH), specialised engineering companies closer to core telecoms technologies (Rohde & Schwarz, Corning Services), car makers (Audi, Mercedes), broadcasters (Bayerischer Rundfunk), event company (Deutsche Messe AG which operates the Hannover trade fairs), etc. Meanwhile BNetzA has just concluded the consultation process, started in July, on how best to make the 26GHz, specifically the 24.25 – 27.5 GHz, also available for “local 5G networks”. When this band is open to applications, BNetzA expects to see more active participation thanks to the high bandwidth this frequency can enable, especially from sectors like infrastructure development, Industry 4.0, and IoT. On the other hand, when enterprises and public sector entities are actively building their own private 5G networks in countries this is allowed, a question must be asked of the 5G operators’ ambition to support business use cases with their public 5G networks, including the much lauded end-to-end network slicing capabilities to come with standalone mode 5G. It is true that some operators are involved in building the private networks. Vodafone Deutschland for example has been working with Lufthansa Technik to build the 5G network at an aircraft hangar at Hamburg Airport. In most cases, however, mobile operators are entirely bypassed. Nokia said publicly that no operator was involved in its private 5G project for Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway service.
Tokio, Japan, Sept. 2020. Samsung Electronics and Japanese telco KDDI have succeeded in verifying 5G Network Slicing technology. The companies successfully demonstrate world's first end-to-end network slicing with a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). The test was done in a Tokyo lab that used a RAN intelligent controller with a handset, 5G base station, and 5G standalone core equipment. 5G network slicing (NS) is a network architecture that enables the multiplexing of virtualised and independent logical networks on the same physical network. Each slice is used for different tasks to allow networks to be ultra-fast and have ultra-low latency. Test also showed that users can switch between an ultra-fast virtual network and an ultra-low latency network without compromising connection quality for certain services.
Tokio, Japan, Sept. 2020. NTT DOCOMO and NEC Corporation announced that they have expanded multi-vendor interoperability by interconnecting a new 5G base station baseband unit (5G-CU/DU), developed by NEC and Samsung Electronics and compliant with O-RAN Alliance specifications, with 5G base station remote radio units (5G-RUs) of other vendors on DOCOMO's commercial network. Expanding multi-vendor interoperability based on O-RAN open interface specifications will enable the most appropriate base stations to be used depending on deployment scenarios and taking advantage of specific vendor and equipment characteristics. This will drive the rapid and flexible development of 5G service areas.
Helsinki, Finland, Avg. 2020. Elisa je pokrenula prvu 5G SA Ericsson mobilnu mrežu u Skandinavskim zemljama. Vodeći Finski mrežni operator je pokrenuo prvu komercijalnu 5G NSA mrežu u Junu 2019. godine. Nova SA pilot mreža omogućava brže, pouzdane i efikasne 5G konekcije, samo uspostavljanje veze je 6x brže u odnosu na NSA mrežu. Korisničko iskustvo je daleko poboljšano i otvoren je put inovativnim primenama u industriji.
Ljubljana, Slovenia, Jul 2020. Telekom Slovenije je pokrenuo prvu komercijalnu 5G NSA Ericsson mobilnu mrežu, softverskom nadogradnjom LTE VOLTE baznih stanica na 2.6 GHz u većim gradovima. 5G mreža proširiće se do kraja godine na 1/3 teritorije i obezbediće poboljšano korisničko iskustvo, kao i nove servise kritične infrastrukture, uključujući IoT. Planiraju se i 5G kampus mreže na jedinstvenoj fizičkoj infrastrukturi u sektorima energetike, transporta i logistike, industrije, pametnih gradova i zdravstva.
Espoo, Finland, July 2020. 5G NSA Nokia mobilnu mrežu, Sandvik je selektovao za unapređenje digitalne transformacije rudarskog test-pogona Tampere. Mreža omogućava nove integrisane glasovne i video komunikacije 4K video formata za automatizaciju sektora rudarstva. Super brze 5G konekcije predstavljaju budućnost digitalizovanih rudarskih operacija.
London, UK, July 2020. Nakon 12 meseci od pokretanja prve komercijalne 5G NSA mobilne mreže na postojećoj 4G LTE infrastrukturi, Vodafone i Ericsson su instalirali prvu samostalnu 5G SA mrežu u univerzitetskom Coventry kampusu. Sledeća faza 5G tehnologije malih servisnih zona omogućila je unutrašnje pokrivanje prostorija za VR obuku studenata i zdravstvenih profesionalaca. Visok kapacitet i protoci podataka, izuzetno malo kašnjenje i NS tehnologija 5G SA mrežne arhitekture, predstavlja osnovu velikog inovacionog potencijala koji do sada nije praktično pokrenut. 5G omogućava korisnicima najbolje do sada ostvarene usluge u pogledu kapaciteta i brzine prenosa podataka. Ali savremene konekcije predstavljaju samo početak dubljih organizacionih promena u pametnoj proizvodnoj industriji, saobraćaju i zdravstvenom sistemu a koje vode ekonomskom oporavku i digitalnoj budućnosti.
May 2020. China Broadcasting Network (CBN) announced the nationwide construction of the world's first 700MHz2x30MHz 5G SA network cooperating with CMCC (China Mobile Limited ). CBN granted 5G license in June, 2019. as one of the four 5G carriers. CBN is network operator authorized by the government to operate nationwide cable TV network as well as 5G network providing cable TV, mobile, fixed broadband, satellite communication services.
2019 was pivotal year for 5G with 50 service launches by network operators in 27 countries worldwidea. Which 5G use cases are likely to change our world by 2025?
01 Dec. 2023 Dubai, UAE. ITU has published the framework for the development of standards and radio interface technologies for the sixth generation of mobile systems, popularly referred to as 6G. The details of the 6G framework are contained in Recommendation ITU-R M.2160 Framework and overall objectives of the future development of IMT for 2030 and beyond approved by the ITU Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-23) at its recent meeting in Dubai. ITU-R will now focus on defining technical requirements, the submission process, and the evaluation criteria for potential 6G radio interface technologies. The ITU-R Recommendation represents significant progress in the development and implementation of globally accepted standards for mobile systems using 6G. The submissions will then be evaluated against the agreed minimum requirements prepared by ITU's expert group on IMT systems (ITU-R Working Party 5D), with the prospect of getting a final set of 6G technology standards approved by 2030. The IMT-2030 Framework Recommendation identifies 15 capabilities for 6G technology, 9 of those capabilities are derived from existing 5G systems.
Dec. 2023. AT&T's plans on Open RAN and 6G are acceleratiing Open and Interoperable Radio Access Networks (RAN) in the US. The plan is for 70% of its wireless network traffic to flow across open-capable platforms by late 2026. The company expects to have fully integrated open RAN sites operating in coordination with Ericsson and Fujitsu, starting in 2024. Beginning in 2025, the company will scale this Open RAN environment throughout its wireless network in coordination with multiple suppliers such as Corning Incorporated, Dell Technologies, Ericsson, Fujitsu, and Intel.
Nov. 2023. US administration released Memorandum titled Modernizing United States spectrum policy and establishing a national spectrum strategy (Spectrum Strategy). Publication comes after many months of coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission), public listening sessions, Tribal Nation consultations, meetings with stakeholders, consideration of written comments and guidance from federal agencies, and government-only listening sessions. Memorandum itself (1) reaffirms the joint management of spectrum resources by NTIA and the FCC, with NTIA (National Telecommunications Information Administration) serving as principal advisor on spectrum issues; (2) announces the Interagency Spectrum Advisory Council as a forum for various agency leaders to work with NTIA on spectrum policy; (3) develops a White House dispute resolution process to resolve issues between NTIA and other agencies with respect to spectrum issues; and (4) requires publication of principles and methods on spectrum management that will guide the federal government.
Oct. 2023. BT Group launched a testbed to develop and trial a range of XR applications across work, home, health and entertainment, using its mobile unit EE’s 5G infrastructure and private networks. The operator stated it is inviting partners and customers to collaborate at the testbed and explore opportunities and challenges of capabilities including network exposure functions, cloud-rendering, enhanced localisation and 5G in delivering XR use cases. While the testbed will initially be a testing environment, BT added it had already completed demonstrations of services for car retail, education, sports broadcasting and medical imaging. BT wants to understand how networks, platforms, services and apps can be optimised for cloud GPU-rendered immersive XR experiences delivered over EE’s public and private 5G networks.
Oct. 2023. 3GPP Release 17 established the NR-NTN and IoT-NTN standards while the upcoming 5G Advanced Release 18 will introduce new capabilities, coverage/mobility enhancements and support for expanded spectrum bands. Only a few NTN-based satellites have been launched to date. A noteworthy example is Spanish LEO operator Sateliot, the first company to deploy satellites complying with 3GPP’s Release 17 IoT-NTN standard. Sateliot currently has two satellites in orbit and recently carried out a successful roaming test between its satellite network and Telefonica’s 5G terrestrial network using an IoT device with a standard SIM card. Sateliot plans to start commercial activities in 2024. Ultimately, the company hopes to launch a total of 250 nanosatellites, which will enable it to offer global 5G IoT-NTN services.
Oct. 2023. Germany’s largest airport, Fraport AG wanted a secure, reliable network that would cover all 2,500 hectares of Frankfurt Airport. NTT was chosen as their partner to design and build a private 5G network that would serve as the network base for connecting the technology needed to optimize airport operations. Being able to transmit large volumes of data allows Fraport to speed up work processes. Frankfurt Airport is home to airlines, air traffic control, police authorities, airport fire department and many more. And all these interconnected elements have to communicate to keep operations running smoothly and ensure safety.
Oct. 2023. SpaceX has achieved yet another milestone in space-based internet services after launching new versions of its satellites that can communicate via lasers. The first batch of satellites was launched 2021. to polar orbit and provided internet services over Alaska, where setting up ground stations was challenging. Starlink's constellation will be equipped with more than 8,000 such lasers that enable inter-satellite communication with pinpoint accuracy even as they are thousands of miles apart. Data transfers on each such laser link can be conducted at speeds of 100 Gbps. Starlink is looking to increase the applications of its space-based internet services to areas such as the maritime and aviation industries.
Sept. 2023. Vodafone claimed to have made the world's first space-based 5G call placed using an unmodified handset with the aid of the AST SpaceMobile-operated BlueWalker 3 satellite (aperture of 64m2 to connect to cellphones via 3GPP-standard frequencies). The 5G call was made on September 8 from Maui, Hawaii, to a Vodafone engineer in Madrid, Spain, from an unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone, using the WhatsApp voice and messaging app.
Sept. 2023. 5G Broadcast is clearly in its infancy. 5G Broadcast, a technology that is starting to be tested by US low-power TV stations, took a big, official step forward today. 3GPP on Friday formally published the technical specs for 5G Broadcast in version 18.3.0 of the specs for 36.101 (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access, or E-UTRA). The updated specs show approval for "LTE based 5G terrestrial broadcast" to operate in a new 108 band (470MHz – 698MHz). This effectively makes all US low-power UHF stations 3GPP-eligible to broadcast in 5G. Initial use cases being explored for 5G Broadcast include broadcasting local TV signals to 5G smartphones, transmitting alerts to consumers and delivering large files (including video and other critical information) to first responders. 5G Broadcast is also emerging as a potential complement or competitor to ATSC 3.0, the next-gen, IP-based broadcast signaling standard.
Sept. 2023. Slovak Telekom (ST) is to begin the phased shutdown of its 3G network on 3 October in gradual region-by-region closure. The full shutdown is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The spectrum freed by the network closure will be used to improve the operator’s 4G and 5G services. Rival operator Orange is planning to keep its 3G network fully operational until 31 December, with its own phased switch-off to take place early next year.
Sept. 2023. Siemens is launching a private infrastructure developed in-house for the 5G mobile communications standard. The solution enables industrial companies to build their own local 5G networks that will provide optimal support for automation applications. 5G is crucial for applications like mobile robots, autonomous logistics, and driverless transport systems in factories. Other scenarios for industrial 5G wireless technology include the integrated use of connected tablets, VR glasses, and smart tools. In addition, edge devices can be used flexibly. In contrast to other wireless technologies, private 5G networks use a licensed frequency band and can therefore be operated without interference.
Sept. 2023. STC Bahrain, a leading telecommunications operator in the MENA region, has announced the successful completion of 5G-Advanced (5.5G) trials, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of next-generation connectivity. The live demonstration took place during the 31st Arab Spectrum Management Group (ASMG) event, utilizing the U6GHz frequency spectrum for 5G-advanced, made available through the TRA’s (Telecommunications Regulatory Authority) Innovation license. During the initial phase of testing, STC Bahrain achieved an impressive transfer speed of over 10Gbps, setting a new standard in 5G connectivity.
Sept. 2023. Ericsson committed to introducing compatibility for open fronthaul across its cloud RAN and radio portfolio starting in 2024, a move it claimed underlined its commitment to leading the industrialisation of open RAN. It stated it worked together with the industry through the O-RAN Alliance to reach a critical milestone towards defining the next-generation open fronthaul interface, required to bring performance at scale to open RAN. The vendor stated it deployed more than 1 million radios which are hardware ready for the next-generation of open fronthaul technology.
Sept. 2023. Verizon collaborates with the Tennessee Titans to introduce enhanced 5G connectivity and managed private wireless network solutions, redefining fan experiences at Nissan Stadium. The main objective is to enhance the fan experience during games and events at Nissan Stadium. This includes improved connectivity for communication within the stadium and ensuring fans can capture and share on-field actions seamlessly. Key implementations include: introduction of Accelerated Access, leveraging facial authentication technology for quicker ticketing and access control; installation of several 5G Ultra Wideband cell sites at Nissan Stadium for enhanced wireless performance; managed Private Wireless Solution to support coach-to-coach communication on the field across all U.S. NFL stadiums.
August 2023. PoC of a Private/Local 5G use case in Japan of Hanshin Electric Railway is about the private network trialled for preventing safety accidents at train stations and railroad crossings, instant inspection of facilities between train stations, and emergency response in train cabins. The test utilized local 5G, AI video analytics, and cameras (ground cameras at train stations/crossings, in-vehicle security cameras, and vehicle front cameras).
June 2023. Verizon Business has partnered with Pryor Creek Music Festivals to implement a secure, private 5G local-area network (LAN) for the Rocklahoma outdoor music festival, slated for Labor Day Weekend 2023. Verizon Business is deploying a Celona-based 5G LAN to address these challenges. The turnkey solution will power connectivity needs throughout the venue, from parking areas to multiple stages and backstage facilities. This 5G LAN includes a fully integrated private wireless system, featuring RAN access, a full stack converged 4G/5G core, subscriber SIMs/eSIMs, and cloud-based orchestration. The benefits are multifaceted: Enhanced experience for attendees due to reduced wait times; reliable and secure connectivity for vendors and sponsors; efficient management of point-of-sale systems and ticket/barcode scanners.
June 2023. COMPRION announces that its 5G NR test solution for mobile device certification, now supports One-Box tester configuration. To obtain 5G market approval for a mobile device, the handset must pass 5G USIM/USAT device tests according to GCF and PTCRB test plans, using a SIM simulator and a 5G network simulator. Rohde & Schwarz has recently introduced the CMX500 One-Box Signaling Tester. It allows executing also those 5G USIM/USAT tests, which require parallel simulation of multiple 5G SA (standalone) cells, in a single test instrument.
June 2023. The City of Bellevue and T-Mobile have teamed up to help make roads safer by providing early warnings and notifications for potentially dangerous road interactions. City of Bellevue, recognized as one of the top cities in the nation for digital innovation, and T-Mobile announced the launch of a joint project that uses network-based Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology and T-Mobile 5G to provide near real-time communications between cars, traffic infrastructure and vulnerable road users ― including pedestrians and cyclists. This is all in support of Bellevue’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate road-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2030. To help achieve this goal, T-Mobile will provide cellular connectivity, C-V2X equipment, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, technical integration and end-to-end testing. The City of Bellevue will utilize these assets to implement and evaluate various C-V2X use cases designed to detect and protect individuals on the road.
March 2023. Simulation service Magister SimLab making mobile and satellite network simulations accessible for everyone. Network simulators are often used to study and analyze networks as part of research or standardizatio. SimLab service offers a possibility to use a user-friendly, vendor independent, high-class online simulation service: simulators have been developed and verified in different ESA activities and are used in 3GPP related standardization process; utilize to testing new features, supporting standardization, sales demonstrations and more!
April 2023. SpaceX launches in low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite to operate on the 5G cellular standard and bring global connectivity to Internet of Things. The SNO Sateliot is the first of a constellation of over 250 spacecraft. The relatively small, 22-pound (10-kilogram) orbital data relay is designed to communicate with terrestrial cell towers and fill gaps in data networks worldwide. Users can seamlessly switch from a terrestrial to a non-terrestrial 5G network, with no need to purchase any extra hardware, such as antennas or modems. Also, they can keep using their current SIM cards and mobile operators, thanks to the standard roaming agreements carried out by Sateliot. This eases the way to a massive Internet of Things adoption worldwide.
London, April 2023. Ofcom has spent some of its time in recent months investigating the UK cloud services market amid growing concerns about the increasingly dominant presence of US-based hyperscalers, namely Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. At the time, Ofcom said that the UK's cloud market was worth £15 billion (US$16.7 billion) and that the three hyperscalers generate around 81% of revenues in the UK public cloud infrastructure services market, according to data from Synergy Research Group (SRG). In 2021, AWS accounted for 40%, Microsoft for 25% and Google for 16% of the total revenues. Ofcom now estimates that AWS and Microsoft have a combined market share of 60–70%, with Google accounting for 5–10%. It has highlighted concerns about so-called egress fees, or the charges that customers pay to transfer their data out of a cloud, noting that the hyperscalers set them at significantly higher rates than other providers. SRG provides regular reports on global cloud markets and has documented the growing dominance of AWS, Google and Microsoft. In a recent report in February, it estimated that the top three hyperscalers accounted for 66% of worldwide enterprise spending on cloud infrastructure services at the end of 2022, up from 63% a year ago.
Hamburg, March 2023. Nokia and Lufthansa Technik, the leading provider of technical aircraft services, have deployed a 5G industrial-grade private wireless network to accelerate a project that enables remote engine parts inspection for its civil aviation customers. Through Lufthansa Technik’s Virtual Table Inspection at its Hamburg facility, the hyperfast 5G private wireless network will remove the need for customers to physically attend servicing by providing seamless video access to the engine overhaul shop floor.
Barcelona, 17 Feb. 2023. Operator Telefónica, alongside kit vendor Ericsson and chip firm Qualcomm will set up a 5G mmWave network in Hall 3 of MWC later this month, which they are claiming as a first commercial network deployment. The network uses Ericsson’s mmWave radio AIR 5322 and high-capacity RAN Processor 6651 to enable, and the radio access network equipment is powered by Ericsson Silicon chipset. Qualcomm’s 5G mmWave device bar will showcase 5G mmWave devices loaded with by Snapdragon including smartphones, PCs, CPEs, hotspots, and others. The use of 26GHz and beyond 5G mmWave spectrum is the optimum way to achieve high speeds and high capacity, and to deliver the best 5G experience in crowded areas. Especially interesting is the role of 5G mmWave in the area of Fixed Wireless Access, digitalization, Industry 4.0, and connected vehicles, providing extremely high-performance coverage and enabling a completely new range of use cases to be explored.
Madrid, 14 Feb. 2023. Mobile operator Orange Espana has announced the commercial launch of its 5G Standalone (SA) network, with the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville the first to enjoy its ‘5G+’ offering. The company stated that from launch, coverage in the four cities will exceed 90% of their respective populations and that as 2023 unfolds, it plans to add other cities/towns to the 5G+ footprint. Orange’s website claims the new network is capable of 1.5Gbps peak data speeds while providing improved indoor 5G coverage and consuming ‘up to 20 times less energy’, enabling longer device battery life; other advantages of 5G SA touted by the operator include better network latency for online gaming and future uses such as virtual reality and autonomous vehicles, and more advanced network security.
London, 7 Feb. 2023. Vodafone UK starts 'risky' shift to 5G Standalone (SA) network. It has been carrying out "friendly user" trials of standalone technology, gathering feedback and pondering next steps. This gives it a chance to assess unforeseen technical glitches ahead of any widescale deployment. It is also monitored traffic levels and customer behavior and observing if that differs from usage of non-standalone tech. Therein could lie the opportunities for service innovation. But rolling out a commercial standalone network is not for the faint-hearted. One of the main challenges involves spectrum. With insufficient sites, a standalone connection might fail. A further complication is that some of Vodafone's 4G sites in London are now at their capacity limits. Outside the radio access network (RAN), he is also facing the transition to an entirely new core developed by an entirely different supplier. That system is what the industry dubs "cloud-native" – with functions that can supposedly be scaled up or down and deployed in various cloud environments. Distributing it across numerous sites promises service improvements and new features for customers. Vodafone's use of AWS Wavelength technology to support new latency-sensitive applications for business customers. The introduction of further edge sites is possible in future, depending on space and power needs.
Sophia Antipolis, France/Brussels, Belgium 24 January 2023. The 6G-IA (Smart Networks and Services Industry Association) and ETSI have recently signed a MoU reflecting a strong mutual interest in bringing European research results for 5G, 6G and related technologies into the wider standardization landscape. The 6G-IA brings together a global industry community of telecoms and digital actors such as operators, manufacturers, research institutes, universities, verticals, SMEs and ICT associations. The association carries out a wide range of activities in strategic areas including standardization, frequency spectrum, R&D projects, technology skills, collaboration with key vertical industry sectors, notably the development of trials, and international cooperation
Jan. 2023. DeepSig Releases AI-Native Upgrade to Intel FlexRAN. 5G DeepSig is shipping its OmniPHY-5G software upgrade to FlexRAN licensees. Intel is a leading provider of virtualization software for 5G OpenRAN base stations. OmniPHY-5G replaces FlexRAN wireless algorithms with neural networks to improve the customer experience through higher data rates while reducing power consumption, achieving Greener 5G. While industry leaders such as Nokia, Ericsson, and Qualcomm see AI-Native as a key enabler of 6G, DeepSig is demonstrating that the technology is ready for deployment to significantly enhance 5G. OmniPHY-5G is delivered as a fully developed SDK with a FlexRAN compatible API. A reference integration with FlexRAN is provided as a patch that can deployed in unmodified FlexRAN implementations for immediate use. This first OmniPHY-5G release targets standard 5G MIMO configurations. A massive MIMO version will be released later this year.
Dec. 2022. Networld Europe has helped the EU Commission write the next ICT work programme by offering its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) as a baseline document and European take on necessary technology areas. The objective of this task is also to make Information and Communications Technology research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) more available throughout all of Europe for both citizens and businesses. NetworldEurope is the European Technology Platform for communications networks and services. The Platform gathers players of the communications networks sector: industry leaders, innovative SMEs, and leading academic institutions.
Dec. 2022. European Commission’s implementing decision has reserved certain frequencies for mobile communications on planes, allowing airlines to provide messaging, phone calls and data services to passengers flying in the EU. This update of the Commission implementing decision on mobile communications on-board aircraft paves the way for the wide-spread deployment of 5G services. The European body noted that the service is provided within the cabin of an equipped aircraft using picocells to connect the users and route calls, texts and data, typically via a satellite network, between the airplane and the ground-based mobile network. The deadline for member states to make the 5G frequency bands available for planes is 30 June 2023.
Dec. 2022. Tipping point for 5G SA could come in 2023. It's fair to say that the march to the standalone (SA) version of 5G technology has been somewhat on the slow side. As things stand, the SA variant has remained conspicuous by its absence in many countries. Reasons for this will vary, but one cited by Telefónica Deutschland (O2) is that there are not enough compatible devices in the market, among other aspects. 5G SA by its nature is more complicated, in part because it removes anchors to the 4G environment and sends operators into less familiar waters. However, recent reports indicate that 5G SA launches are starting to increase in frequency, opening the possibility that 2023 could be the year when this more advanced version of 5G starts to take hold.For instance, the November update from the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) indicated that at least 36 operators in 21 countries and territories have launched public 5G SA networks. That compares to just 20 operators at the end of 2021. The GSA also found that at least 20 operators are deploying or piloting 5G SA for public networks, while 32 are planning to deploy the technology. A further 20 operators are understood to be involved in evaluations, tests or trials of 5G SA. Overall, the GSA has identified 111 operators in 52 countries and territories worldwide that have been investing in public 5G SA networks in the form of trials, planned or actual deployments.As confidence about the pace of 5G SA launches grows, the potential of networking slicing is again attracting coverage and attention. A freshly minted report has even attempted to pin down revenue forecasts, predicting that network slicing will accrue additional revenues of $16.1 billion by 2029, over and above what the infrastructure would have earned otherwise.
Nov. 2022. For some applications, FPGA technology can be far more cost-effective than ASICs, insists the company Napatech, brandishing details of a forthcoming 5G product to prove it. That product uses FPGAs to run the 5G user plane function (UPF), a part of the 5G packet core responsible for the inspection, forwarding and routing of traffic. In modern-day 5G networks, the UPF can be hosted just about anywhere – in an edge data center, collocated with the radio access network (RAN) or even within a public cloud. But it tends to gobble up server resources. Napatech's solution involves bypassing the server processor and instead running the UPF on a SmartNIC (essentially, a network interface card with added cleverness). The performance of an ASIC is best the day it ships from the fab and does not get any better. An FPGA is programmable and so if an algorithm changes or gets updated, or if someone figures out a different way of implementing something, you just upgrade it in software. For certain applications, an FPGA is the right solution. Napatech's experts ensured their code was fully compatible with the APIs within DPDK, a set of open-source data plane libraries.
Oct. 2022. At the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix (GP) F1, Singtel became the world’s first service provider to deploy 5G network slicing at a major sporting event – and demonstrated the commercial opportunities of differentiated connectivity services. In July 2022, it became the first country in the world to be fully covered (95 percent) by 5G standalone (SA).
- Supported by network slicing, racing fans at the Singapore GP enjoyed high-quality video streams, taking their event experience to the next level.
- A consumer service based on 5G network slicing must be appealing, valuable and differentiated with clear benefits compared to a 4G service.
- Network slicing enables the introduction of new business models for different market segments.
July 2022. Singapore became the first country in the world to be fully covered (95 percent) by 5G standalone (SA). It has currently achieved island-wide coverage of over 95 percent with 3.5 GHz TDD and 2.1 GHz spectrum bands. As of March 2023, more than 760,000 subscribers had signed up for 5G subscriptions. In terms of the top 10 most used applications, the behavior of 4G and 5G subscribers is largely similar with strong data usage across social media and video applications. This is expected to change as new applications that leverage 5G, such as AR and VR, become more prevalent. The Singaporean government’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is driving a national digital transformation plan, which emphasizes the importance of a world-class 5G infrastructure to enable innovative new use cases and transform industries. Among the initiatives are new policies to encourage and foster collaboration between industry players. Examples of such IMDA initiatives include partnering with:
- Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to develop a 5G-enabled Building Information Modeling (BIM) system that will improve productivity and safety in the construction industry
- Land Transport Authority (LTA) to explore the use of 5G in autonomous vehicle technology
- Energy Market Authority (EMA) to investigate the potential of 5G in smart grid technology
- a multinational automotive manufacturer deploying 5G-enabled robots that will help transport vehicle-manufacturing materials for the development of Singapore’s first build-to-order (BTO) electric vehicle (EV) factory
- the healthcare sector as a key area for 5G implementation, with potential applications including remote healthcare monitoring and telemedicine
Oct. 2022. Keysight Technologies has announced PathWave System Design (SystemVue) 2023 software to speed the design process for 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN) and other wireless systems. The latest improvements to PathWave System Design empower RF system designers to create digital twins of their architectures and transform from a hardware-centric to a simulation-centric design flow. New 5G NTN systems have challenging complexity, which is stressing development lifecycles. Simulations that use measurement-derived models deliver higher fidelity in mission-critical applications such as satellite communications and aerospace defense. System architects want to explore real-world “what if” scenarios prior to building hardware to reduce technical risk and minimize time-to-market. Organizations are demanding that systems are virtually prototyped in their target scenario, so system and mission engineers are turning to simulation, virtual prototyping, and digital twins. These techniques shift the development process left in time and remove the need for multiple physical prototypes.
Sept. 2022. With 5G deployments set to double through 2027, HEAVY.AI’s framework built on NVIDIA Omniverse helps optimize wireless site placements to reduce the cost and complexity of network operations and improve the customer experience. Advanced data analytics company HEAVY.AI unveiled solutions to put carriers on more even footing. Its initial product, HeavyRF, delivers a next-generation network planning and operations tool based on the NVIDIA Omniverse platform for creating digital twins. Without the digital twin approach, telco operators must either: physically place microcell towers in densely populated areas to understand the interaction between radio transmitters, the environment, and humans and devices that are on the move — or use tools that offer less detail about key factors such as tree density or high-rise interference. Using an RF-synchronized digital twin would enable planners to optimize capacity and coverage, plus interactively see how changes in deployment patterns translate into customer acquisition and retention at the household level. The goal is to use machine learning and big data pipelines to continuously mirror existing real-world conditions.
Sept. 2022. NTT is launching a private 5G network for the City of Las Vegas. Once deployed, it will be the largest open, municipal network CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Services Devices) band deployment in the USA. Schools, citywide IoT devices, smart cities applications and more will benefit from the private network. Private 5G from NTT gives clients a complete private 5G network partnership with global availability, seamless systems integration into their business applications, and as-a-service delivery full stack solution delivered on-premises, at the edge or as a cloud service, with flexible deployment options.
Sept. 2022. Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone have clubbed together – working alongside tech company Matsuko – to pilot holographic calls. Using unmodified smartphones, which send 2D video to the cloud where it's rendered into 3D holograms, the trial was done from multiple locations: Madrid, Bonn, Paris and Dusseldorf. The pilot's first phase was done using throughput speeds of between 2 Mbit/s and 4 Mbit/s and a latency of 40-60 milliseconds, through a mixture of 5G and edge computing. Holographic content, asserted the official announcement, can also be "streamed to viewers in an AR/VR/MR environment with a clarity and sharpness never previously possible." The announcement also stated that previous "network-related issues," which "impeded the smooth and natural holographic movement of the holograms," have apparently been resolved.
Sept. 2022. Together with Dish in the US and Rakuten in Japan, 1&1 in Gemany is part of a trio of companies deploying open RAN. Where operators would normally buy all the components and software for any mobile site from one vendor's system, open RAN should – in theory – support combinations of different suppliers, thanks to new interfaces. The networks all three are building represent a radical departure in other ways, too, taking advantage of the latest software and Internet technologies as opposed to standard telecom fare. 1&1 has given responsibility for the rollout of its network to Rakuten Symphony, a telco-facing part of the Japanese firm touting software and system integration expertise. Rakuten is relying heavily on NEC for its own deployment in Japan, ensuring its RAN software – which it gained with last year's acquisition of a US software developer called Altiostar – can harmonize with NEC's 5G equipment. 1&1 has partners Vantage (subsidiary of Vodafone), GfTD and ATC as site providers or tower companies. 1&1 has indicated that launch plans will not be impacted by component shortages , and the 2030 50% population coverage target is still on track.
Aug. 2022. In separate announcements, Ericsson and Nokia touted their latest collaborations with Google, demonstrating network infrastructure support for network slicing on devices running Android 13. User Equipment Route Selection (URSP) is the feature that enables one device using Android to connect to multiple network slices simultaneously. URSP capabilities extend network slicing to new types of applications and use cases, allowing slices to be tailored based on network performance, traffic routing, latency and security. In situations where no USRP rules are available, carriers can configure their network so traffic from work profile apps can revert to a pre-configured enterprise Access Point Name connection, meaning the device will always keep a separate mobile data connection for enterprise-related traffic even if the network doesn’t support URSP delivery.
Aug. 2022. UK operator Virgin Media O2 activated open RAN technology in macro sites in its network in the Northamptonshire region. The operator worked on the multi-vendor open RAN deployment with NEC and Rakuten Symphony and is using its existing telco cloud supply chain. The successful activation of first UK macro-sites demonstrates the potential of the multi-vendor Open RAN model.
July 2022. Analyst firms have for years been touting the financial benefit of commercial network slicing capabilities, especially tied to penetrating different market verticals. However, progress has been slow.Nokia released multi-vendor network slicing software in late 2020 that allows network operators to spin up and scale down virtual slices of their respective networks for various uses. This followed network trials with operators in Asia.Deutsche Telekom showed off a trial with Ericsson and Samsung in mid-2021. It used Ericsson’s 5G SA core and a Samsung smartphone to support a mobile gaming service.The trial marks another sign of progress toward the commercialization of the NS technology. Telefónica, Ericsson, and Google headlined laboratory work to orchestrate an end-to-end automated network slicing concept in a 5G standalone (SA) environment, including lifecycle support and radio resource portioning. The laboratory test showed the ability to onboard a network slice from the core to the radio access network (RAN) in less than 35 minutes. These included self-described “complex service configurations” that required full automation to manage the provisioning and service assurance of the network slice. The test used Ericsson’s Dynamic Radio Resource Partitioning technology that is part of the vendor’s 5G RAN Slicing software platform it launched in early 2021. The technology dynamically allocates spectrum resources at millisecond intervals to support different service requirements across network slices.
July 2022. Deutsche Telekom expanded its work with Google Cloud to drive further innovation into the depth and toward the edge of DT’s various 5G network operations around Europe. The expansion will see the two firms trial a handful of Google features, including a 5G standalone service on DT’s Austria operations that will allow the operator to untether its 5G network from its legacy 4G LTE core. DT is also testing Google Cloud and its Distributed Cloud Edge platform to support infrastructure and services closer to the end user.
Birmingham, UK, August 2022. For the past three years, BBC R&D has been looking at the potential of 5G to support live broadcasting, working on standards, commercial and regulatory requirements and various tests and trials. The Commonwealth Games has given us an ideal opportunity to deploy 5G standalone (SA) non-public networks (NPN) for real. BBC R&D are working with BT to provide the network and backhaul and Vislink subsidiary Mobile Viewpoint to provide the technology that encodes and manages the video stream over the networks. BBC R&D also conducted other tests to examine the handover between cells and from the private to the public network. This will enable teams to use the same kit in different scenarios, giving production teams more flexibility. The team had two live cameras, each with a Mobile Viewpoint unit that took the video feeds and connected to the dedicated 5G network. The BT-provided network was in dedicated spectrum centred around 4050 MHz, allowing us to configure the network to favour uplink traffic typical in a production environment. In contrast, public networks tend to support more downlink-heavy applications. The other key aspect of this trial is that there is no on-site production facilities. The signals are passed through the 5G network and backhauled to a Mobile Viewpoint decoder based in our master control room in London. The two cameras are synchronised at this point, so team can intercut if required (this option could be moved if latency is more of a concern than synchronisation). From there, the output is decoded and sent to whichever wants to use the cameras.
Budapest, Hungary, January-March 2022. The first real-world industrial 5G network in Hungary was launched at the Huawei Technologies European Supply Center (ESC) facility in Páty. As part of the complete digitization of the facility, which has now been completed, a number of improved solutions have been introduced to support production and logistics processes. The plant will have its own core network and a so-called local, edge computing system similar to the cloud. The four self-driving trucks in the logistics department connect to the server via the ultra-fast 5G network with virtually zero latency, and the images from the cameras mounted on them are transmitted over the network to a central computer that calculates and gives their route. Thanks to the self-driving vehicles, the material handling process in the facility is fully automated from arrival to storage, then to the collection of parts and transport to the assembly points. Also connected to the 5G network are production workstations that support the assembly of larger materials so that the material is not moved in the factory, but the workstation goes to perform the task. In addition, workstations equipped with an artificial intelligence-supported visual image processor also support quality assurance tasks, meaning that the finished product is captured with high-resolution cameras instead of the human eye, and then the machine-vision device filters out defective products or packaging and compares finished workpieces. with the original prototype. The 5G network and its associated advanced industrial solutions bring a number of tangible benefits: stock and production lead times have been significantly reduced, the risk of error in some product lines has been reduced, outstanding work safety and improved workplace ergonomics. Also a key advancement thanks to the private 5G network is the exceptionally high data security across the entire factory.
Hamburg, Germany, April 2022. Dataport set up the first 5G campus network with technology partner Ericsson, wherethe practical application of the for public administration are tested. To drive digitalization in the public sector, Dataport has commissioned the first private 5G standalone (SA) campus network in Hamburg for its new 5G test lab. Designed and built by O2 Telefónica with Ericsson’s Private 5G (EP5G), Dataport's 5G lab marks the start of 5G SA technology testing for the future data processing and throughput requirements of the public sector. Dataport expects 5G technology to boost efficiency and innovation in the field of networking, public administration and smart cities, and is making its laboratory available to interested companies and public institutions to gain experience with 5G. Hamburg, Germany, June 2019. The Hamburg port implements a 5G network slicing testbed for smart city applications, such as smart interactive augmented reality, smart environment measures, smart logistics, and smart-transportation. This project is a part of the 5G Mobile Network Architecture for diverse services, use cases, and applications in 5G and beyond) (5G MoNArch). To enable network slicing at Hamburg port, NFV and SDN are adopted. Furthermore, the players of the network slicing enabled smart port are the 5G UEs, BSs with support for slicing, central cloud, edge cloud, and data centers. To turn the vision of network slicing into reality, a transmitter is installed at a television tower at the port. Moreover, sensors are used at the port authority ships to enable real-time environmental measurements.
Santa Clara, USA, March 2022. While the opportunity and objective for open RAN is clear, it still faces significant challenges, particularly around specifications development, testing, and integration across multiple layers and players. Every single configuration that needs to be used has to be then tested! Moreover, interoperability testing comes down to the specific profiles vendors and operators intend to use across different interfaces and configurations. This compounds concerns relative to the fragmentation of different profiles because operators still want high performance, which requires lifecycle management - performance is impacted and requires tweaking every time a parameter gets changed, she added. The reality is nowadays 10,000 sites are deployed every month. Open RAN players will find it very difficult to sell their solutions to the classic operators?
Espoo, Finland, Feb. 2022. Nokia deploys world’s first 5G Edge Slicing solution on live commercial network with mobile operators Cellcom and Telia. Nokia’s Edge Slicing solution consists of a virtualized RAN-Transport-Core-Enterprise network with a distributed cloud core deployed at a customers’ premises or in close proximity. Nokia’s innovative next-generation solution is available now and enables operators to provide 5G Virtual Private Network services on 4G and 5G public networks as well as offer new services to enterprise customers. Once launched, both companies will be able to offer new services to their customers - driving new revenue opportunities - as well as partner with cloud application and infrastructure service providers. Nokia and Cellcom’s trial with sliced RAN-Transport-Core is taking place in Netanya, Israel, and is focused on business applications and the customer experience as well as enterprise interconnectivity over a high-speed metro network. Nokia and Telia are running a live trial in Tampere, Finland together with high-tech global engineering group, Sandvik. The trial demonstrates how next-generation 5G Edge Slicing functions can operate with different mining equipment and digital applications. High-performing virtualized networks enable service providers to bring edge cloud application platforms close to enterprise customers.
Helsinki, Finland, Feb. 2022. Elisa, the Nordic country's largest mobile operator, involves the public cloud and an all-encompassing deal with Google. Elisa's automation business Polystar reckons its network assurance and automation functionalities might benefit from Google's artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Elisa, more broadly, has also begun injecting some of that Google magic (AI, data analytics etc) into the services it offers customers. On the customer-facing side, Elisa has now decided to add various Google Cloud features into its own hybrid cloud offering. This seems to build on a partnership between Elisa and Google last year that sold cloud services to more than 30 companies. Elisa would not be the first operator to host its 5G network inside the public cloud. Dish, a US firm building a network from scratch, plans to run just about everything it possibly can on AWS. AT&T, a brownfield American telco, has signed a 5G hosting deal with Microsoft Azure.
Espoo, Finland, Feb. 2022. Nokia launches Intelligent RAN Operations to manage the power of 5G with machine learning (ML). The solution goes beyond automation with machine learning to help mobile operators keep costs down with superior 5G network management; reduces base station energy consumption by up to 15 percent without compromising end-user experience; improves operational efficiency by up to 80 percent according to customer trials, boosting network quality. Also, Nokia has now just announced two new SaaS offerings in the areas of security and analytics. The first is iSIM Secure Connect, which is designed to enable carriers to manage machine-to-machine and consumer device subscriptions for embedded SIM (eSIM) and integrated SIM (iSIM)-enabled devices. The second is an analytics offering from Nokia's AVA (AI & Analytics, Virtualization and Automation) portfolio. Nokia AVA Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) is designed to enhance network operations with AI/ML driven closed-loop automation, in order to improve the customer experience and drive new sources of revenue
Kawasaki, Japan, Feb. 2022. KDDI, Samsung, and Fujitsu claim to have the world’s first 5G standalone open radio access network (RAN) site up and running. The site, which transmits live traffic on the Japanese carrier’s existing 5G core, combines Samsung’s virtualized distributed unit (vDU) and virtualized central unit (vCU) with Fujitsu’s massive MIMO radios in Kawasaki, Japan. The feat involves the use of Samsung’s virtualized RAN (vRAN) software that is also open RAN compliant running on commercial off-the-shelf servers, Samsung’s baseband, and Fujitsu radios connected via open interfaces, KDDI explained. The operator said it plans to deploy open RAN in other parts of the country following this framework. This single 5G open RAN site is not a trial or proof of concept, but rather an effort to “kick off commercial deployment in Japan.”
Brisbane, Australia, Jan. 2022. Telstra and Ericsson announced the first deployment of Ericsson Private 5G, an on-premise dedicated 5G network for enterprise that utilises a single-server 5G dual mode core. Telstra Enterprise customer AgriFood Connect, joint initiative of the University of Queensland, created to accelerate the adoption of technology and innovation across agriculture and manufacturing industries will be the beneficiary of this new technology. Private wireless connectivity platform facilitates advanced operations through automation, flexibility and intelligent connectivity. Using a single server 5G dedicated network based on a dual mode core, Private 5G facilitates both LTE and 5G Standalone (SA) simultaneously. The 5G SA capability delivered from the Private 5G product, coupled with Telstra’s advanced network capabilities, offers an industrial wireless connectivity platform for enterprise that can deliver low latency, enhanced resiliency and the capacity to meet even the most demanding business operation requirements.
Munich, Germany, Jan. 2022. Academia and key industry players have identified the D-Band, ranging from 110 GHz to 170 GHz, as a candidate frequency band for beyond 5G and 6G mobile communications as well as for future automotive radar applications. Rohde & Schwarz in collaboration with IHP, has performed the industry's first full 2D/3D antenna characterization of transceiver modules operating in the D-Band. The test setup consists of the antenna test system, vector network analyzer and the antenna measurement software. The performance of the various devices under test (with different antenna structures, including on-chip single and stacked patches with air trenches and an on-chip antenna array.) was characterized by spherical measurements, using two different setups. These measurements are valuable to understand the physics of the antenna structures and to further improve their performance.
Nanjing, China, Jan. 2022. A high-tech laboratory Purple Mountain Laboratories, has announced a major achievement related to 6G-oriented terahertz 100/200Gbps (gigabits per second) real-time wireless communication, with a transmission rate 10-20 times higher than 5G networks. With the support of the national key research and development plan for 6G, the first 360-430GHz terahertz 100/200Gbps real-time wireless transmission communication experimental system was built. That led to the fastest real-time transmission for terahertz real-time wireless communication that's been publicly reported in the world. Adopting the photonic terahertz technology route, that is generating terahertz signals through two higher-frequency lightwave beat frequencies, a single-wavelength net rate of 103.125Gbps and a dual-wavelength net rate of 206.25Gbps was achieved for the first time in real-time wireless transmission. Terahertz wireless communication is considered to be the core technology of 6G networks. The 5G network uses the frequency bands in the 24 GHz to 100 GHz range, known as the mmWave. The terahertz frequency band, ranging from 300GHz to 3THz, is rich in frequency resources, which can support 100Gbps-1Tbps (terabits per second, which is equal to 1,000Gbps) ultra-high-speed wireless communication. This will increase the peak transmission speed of the existing 5G system, which can serve future 6G holographic communication, the metaverse and other new applications.
London, UK, Dec. 2021. Mobile operators EE (BT) and Three UK have today become the first two network providers to reach a special deal, which will enable them to deploy 4G and 5G based mobile (mobile broadband) services across the entire London Underground by late 2024 (ticket halls, platforms and tunnels). Vodafone to follow. Transport for London (TfL) announced in June 2021 (here) that it had awarded a 20-year concession deal to global mobile infrastructure firm BAI Communications (BAI), which will build the network itself and then make it available via wholesale for Mobile Network Operators (MNO) to harness.
Queensland, Australia, Dec. 2021. Telstra, Ericsson and Qualcomm reached a theoretical maximum uplink speed of 986 Mbps, the highest uplink peak rate ever recorded on a commercial network. The demonstration happened in Telstra’s 5G Innovation Center, using commercial network. The trial used Ericsson’s New Radio-Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) technology, which allows mobile devices to use both mid-band and mmWave frequencies. And the trial also used Ericsson’s software with four-component carrier aggregation, in which four contiguous channels of 100 MHz are combined, resulting in higher data speeds. The uplink peak rate was achieved by combining the data rates from four 100 MHz channels of Telstra’s millimeter wave spectrum combined with 100 MHz of 3.6 GHz mid-band spectrum. A smartphone form-factor test device was powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System.
Arlington, USA, Dec. 2021. DeepSig announced it completed the world’s first AI-Native 5G over-the-air call. Featuring a commercial 5G handset and 5G standalone network to data services on the public internet, the call is a major industry milestone that proves the benefits of AI-Native wireless systems for 5G. AI-Native 5G enables networks to work smarter and continually improve, which means they use less energy and provide faster, more reliable connections. Patented AI ML software significantly enhances 5G baseband performance and at lower costs compared to traditional methods used in mobile networks today. For the call demonstration, DeepSig replaced specific radio receiver algorithms within a 5G vRAN distributed unit (DU) with an AI neural network trained “natively” from actual radio environments. This completes over-the-air calls from commercial user equipment (UE) through the radio unit (RU) connected to the AI-enhanced DU, a standard central unit (CU) and 5G core. DeepSig’s pioneering work on AI-Native 5G also sets the stage for 6G standards to make AI and ML a fundamental part of tomorrow’s networks.
Espoo, Finland, Dec. 2021. Nokia today announced that it is ready to supply its O-RAN fronthaul multi-vendor solution to NTT DOCOMO 5G network following successful testing. The move will enable the Japanese operator to further select independent combinations of hardware and software to optimize its network in the future. It follows the work of the O-RAN ALLIANCE in creating a common specification enabling interoperability between different vendors. It is the latest milestone demonstrating Nokia’s commitment to O-RAN and open networks.
Wolfsburg, Germany, Dec. 2021. Nokia flagged the deployment of another 5G private mobile network in Germany, this time with Volkswagen AG at the latter’s main plant in Wolfsburg. The campus network is based on 5G standalone technology and uses Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) solution to provide reliable, secure, real-time connectivity and enable Volkswagen to trial new smart factory use cases. The network also uses dedicated 3.7GHz/3.8GHz frequencies that Volkswagen was allocated by BNetzA.
Bonn, Germany, Oct. 2021. Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Ericsson have demonstrated the use of 5G end-to-end network slicing in a customer-centric service delivery model for video streaming, where a customer can control and adapt slice performance based on demand. Ericsson provided the commercial-grade 5G Standalone (SA) network. The demo was conducted in DT’s lab in Bonn. The proof-of-concept sets a benchmark for “network-as-a-service” innovation, revealing how 5G network slicing can enable a new level of flexibility and control for enterprise customers. It also involved fully automated configuration, provisioning and end-to-end orchestration of the slicing service. Standardized network exposure APIs (Application Programmer Interfaces) provide mechanisms which allow third-party authorized applications to monitor and adjust the behavior of such “slices” within the boundaries of their subscribed service. In this proof of concept, it was applied to a video broadcast. A video director, with access to a dedicated “video production” slice, used an application to choose between multi-camera streams in low and high resolution for a broadcast.
New York, USA, Sep. 2021. The NFL has extended its partnership with Verizon for the next 10 years to focus on implementing Verizon’s 5G network to improve venue operations, scouting and training, and health and safety across the league. Verizon has installed its 5G network in 25 of 30 NFL stadiums. Verizon is currently working to add LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to its 5G computing services to help venue operators track the flow of people inside stadiums and prevent overcrowding. Verizon began installing 5G in NFL stadiums in 2019 to create augmented reality experiences and multi-camera viewing options in the NFL app. Verizon says its 5G technology could support real-time analytics and visualizations given to NFL players and coaches during games, and it could also help stage on-site mobile gaming events at NFL venues. Mobile game developer Skillz became an NFL partner earlier this year.
San Diego, USA, May 2021. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. introduced a pair of new 5G chips for devices that claim to deliver speeds up to 10 Gb/s. The company is targeting a broad swath of applications with its fourth-generation 5G modems, including new services and capabilities for industrial IoT. The company’s first, purpose-built Internet of Things (IoT) modem solution is equipped with 5G connectivity and optimized for Industrial IoT (IIoT) applications. With the global expansion of 5G, the 315 5G IoT modem is a new solution serving the high end of IoT broadband modems. The 315 5G IoT Modem supports global 5G NR sub-6GHz bands and operates in stand-alone (SA) only mode, with the capability to switch to LTE as needed, and can be deployed over private or public 5G networks, leveraging network slicing or in isolation. This solution is optimal for IoT applications that can be seamlessly integrated with existing ethernet and wired technologies. Quectel Wireless Solutions has announced the release of two new 5G New Radio (NR) module series, the RG500S and RM500S. Based on the new Qualcomm 315 5G IoT Modem-RF System, both modules are able to support customers in building dedicated 5G devices for a variety of verticals including industrial IoT, retail, smart energy, private 5G networks, and many others.
Lewisville, USA, April 2021. Ericsson has built a fully functioning factory for 5G radios in Lewisville, Texas, that is operated by 200 5G robots, which the company says has increased efficiency and reduced costs. The newly built facility began producing Ericsson’s Street Macro millimeter-wave 5G product – the same equipment that is deployed within the factory, using 28 GHz spectrum in a private network with on-site core that also utilizes LTE frequencies, additional wireless technologies and advanced data processing to realize the potential of Industry 4.0. In addition, Ericsson has been working both with manufacturers of the mobile robots on how that use case can continue to both be developed and be adopted, through getting the 5G connectivity built into the robots themselves. While the pandemic has limited the company’s ability to physically bring visitors to the site, Simonsson says that video and virtual tours have been held. Ericsson has also worked with mixed reality in the factory for remote support, it has seen the parallels with gaming in the consumer space and learns about what is important in the experience of interacting with people at other sites: Increased video quality, high-speed video transfer, low lag.
San Diego, USA, Feb. 2021. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. introduced the world’s first 10 Gigabit 5G and first 3GPP Release 16 modem-to-antenna solution, designed with an upgradable architecture to rapidly commercialize 5G Release 16 and extend 5G in mobile broadband, fixed wireless, industrial IoT and 5G private network applications.
Oulu, Finland, Jan. 2021. Year 2021 turns out to kick-start major global 6G research initiatives. Impressive research programmes have been launched with ambitious technical targets as well as national or regional goals in current global competition in the field. Horizon 2020 ICT-52 call resulted in nine 6G projects which started in January this year. ITU-R has also increased activities on IMT systems towards 2030 and beyond by launching vision work at the recent ITU-R meeting. The activities include the defining of the framework and overall objectives, in addition to the on-going technology trends work on technical and operational characteristics.
Barcelona, Spain, Jan. 2021. The new H2020 5G-PPP Phase 3 project 5GMediaHUB "5G experimentation environment for 3rd party media services" began its activities in January 2021 with a kick-off meeting held virtually, in which the 17 consortium partners from 11 European countries. The 5GMediaHUB project's objective is to develop a testing and validation environment over two existing 5G experimental platforms located in Barcelona and Oslo, in order to create the 5GMediaHUB Experimentation Facility which will constitute an elastic, secure, trusted, all-in-one and multitenant service execution and Network Applications (NetApps) development environment. 5GMediaHUB will offer 3rd party application developers, such as service providers, the opportunity to experiment, test and validate their media applications by using the 5GMediaHUB Experimentation Facility. This will reduce the time needed for an enterprise to make its services available to end-users. The use cases that will be tested are Immersive Augmented, Virtual and Extended Reality applications; smart media production; and smart media content distribution. The outcomes of the experiments will offer valuable information and insight regarding the 5GMediaHUB Experimentation Facility performance.
USA, Dec. 2020. Qualcomm, Ericsson and T-Mobile are investigating how speedy 5G connections might be used to pilot remote control cars and drones: low-latency control and first-person-view (FPV) video for local operation. Their goal is to prove that 5G technologies are fast enough to make Drone Racing League (DRL) pilots feel like they're actually sitting inside the toys they're steering. What they're targeting is latency – the time it takes for a drone to send a video of what it sees to the virtual reality goggles being worn by its pilot, and then the time it takes for that pilot's reactions to be sent back to the drone. Such calculations are measured in milliseconds. Partnering with T-Mobile, custom-build new racing drones will be powered by 5G in 2021. These drones will enable high definition-video streaming to create new immersive first-person viewing opportunities and experiences for the tens of millions of DRL fans and T-Mobile customers. Interestingly, human reaction time is typically around 200-250 ms and that the fastest a human can process and understand visual information is around 15 ms. We can summarize that latency below 15 ms does not affect human performance, whereas anything above 100 ms will begin to negatively impact the performance noticeably. Around 50 ms is an ideal balance in terms of stressing technological limits and achieving close to optimal human performance in fast-paced real-time settings.
Worcester, UK, Dec. 2020. Worcester Bosch has launched the UK’s first 5G factory using a 5G private network and mobile edge computing infrastructure provided by Ericsson and managed by BT. The factory, which is part of the Worcestershire 5G Testbed (W5G), uses 5G to run real-time machine sensors, allowing them to address problems on the production line before they happen. Another benefit has been the installation of a network of collision detection sensors, making the factory and its products much safer for on-the-ground employees and consumers alike. 5G technology has long been heralded as a key driver for Industry 4.0. Its ultra-low latency, high speeds and reliability make it infinitely easier to implement the smarter manufacturing technologies run on the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT). With a private 5G network, factories can roll out AI and machine learning quickly, without needing to disrupt the production line and supply chain through changes to infrastructure.
Seoul, Korea, Dec. 2020. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced a significant performance breakthrough on its 5G SA Core, in collaboration with Intel. The two companies achieved a 5G SA Core data processing capacity of 305Gbps (Gigabits per second) per server and latency improvement in a mobile network environment with commercial features enabled. This superior performance of Samsung’s 5G SA Core was accomplished using the 2nd generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor and the Intel® Ethernet Network Adapter E810 with Enhanced Dynamic Device Personalization (DDP). The capacity of 305Gpbs is equivalent to hosting more than 200,000 users that are live-streaming standard definition (SD) videos simultaneously. The resulting performance advancement will not only help increase cost-efficiency for 5G Core network deployments, but also help accelerate the delivery of next-generation, high-capacity networks. This will foster more immersive 5G use cases that require much higher data volume processing with low latency. These include augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X), experiences, which can be enjoyed without impact to performance through greater capacity.
Montreal, Canada, Dec. 2020. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Videotron today announced the launch of 5G service to Videotron’s users. Videotron’s 5G service sets Montreal, Canada’s second largest city, as the starting point of the 5G commercial rollout and will expand in time throughout Videotron network across the province of Quebec. After many successful decades in the cable television and internet access business, Videotron deployed its wireless operation in 2010 and has been the fastest growing new operator since then. With the combined effort, Videotron has now successfully expanded its services to 5G. For the launch, Samsung has provided 5G RAN, which covers 600MHz, 700MHz, 2.6GHz and AWS spectrums. Moreover, Samsung's 5G RAN supports both LTE and 5G NR, enabling convenient operation of a network, and saves installation space while reducing CAPEX and OPEX.
Stuttgart, Germany, Nov. 2020. Bosch is putting its first 5G campus network into operation at its Industry 4.0 lead plant in Stuttgart-Feuerbach. Bosch will be setting up 5G networks in the coming months at its research campus in Renningen, Germany and is also launching its first 5G solutions for industrial use. At the plant, Bosch is using 5G for the widespread use of autonomous transport systems. Eight small base stations from Nokia provide coverage across the manufacturing facility, which covers around 10,000 square metres. This lets wirelessly connected machines and systems communicate with each other in real time and exchange data within a few milliseconds. The networks can be optimized and tailored to highly demanding industrial applications and are integrated into the existing IT infrastructure and continuously monitors the activity. The two companies are jointly responsible for network planning, operation, and servicing. As part of the KICK project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Nokia and other partners are researching how artificial intelligence can simplify the operation and maintenance of 5G campus networks.
Hong Kong, Nov. 2020. China Unicom Research Institute preps for 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics with mmWave trials. So, to boost uplink capacity and coverage Unicom has developed a solution that involves rescheduling timeslots and deploying dedicated Massive MIMO equipment. Combining all of these in the time, frequency and power domains had resulted in improvements during trials. Unicom engineers have also come up with the idea of flexibly readjusting timeslots for the heavy demands of HD video backhaul, achieving a 1Gbit/s data rate. A just-completed pilot installation at the Beijing National Opera House is delivering downlink speed of 4.7 Gbit/s. Unicom is planning hybrid low-orbit satellite and high altitude coverage. mmWave's high data rate is able to deliver better user experience for consumers. In combination with MEC and AI, mmWave is also going to be essential for industrial use cases. One of the big use cases coming up is the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. China Unicom is the official telecom partner. Trials of the first Huawei-built mmWave basestations began last month, based on different venues and different scenarios.
USA, Nov. 2020. Company John Deere plans to build private 5G networks using the CBRS licenses that it won. John Deere paid $545,999 for five CBRS licenses in five counties including Rock Island County in Illinois and Black Hawk County, Scott County, Dubuque County and Des Moines County in Iowa. John Deere has both a short-term and long-term vision for how it will use its CBRS licenses, Hedgren added. In the short-term, the company will simplify its manufacturing facilities. In the long-term John Deere has much bigger aspirations for 5G. Hedgren said that the company believes it can incorporate other technologies such as edge computing, analytics and even autonomous devices that will make it possible for the tractor company to conduct asset tracking and inventory management.
Doha, Qatar, Oct. 2020. As the nation gears up for the world’s biggest sporting spectacle in 2022, Ooredoo Qatar announces a new era of 5G opportunities demonstrating 5G experiences with Ericsson at Al Janoub Stadium. They successfully championed demonstrations through the Virtual Stadium at Mall of Qatar and a Connected Ambulance in the stadium itself. The 5G immersive sports demo was live broadcasted to a Virtual Stadium where consumers experienced the Virtual Reality and immersive experience of the match remotely. The Ooredoo network also delivered to the nearly 40,000 spectators at the stadium opening more than 6 TB of mobile traffic. Additionally, over 10,000 spectators used the free Wi-Fi in the stadium, making use of more than 2 TB throughout the 90 minute duration of the game.
US Postal Service Office, USA, Oct. 2020. A new report by the inspector general of the US Postal Service lays out a detailed and compelling proposal for how the 228-year-old government agency could play a major role in the deployment of 5G. The Inspector General (OIG) "concluded that there may be an opportunity to leverage the Postal Service's network of over 31,000 facilities nationwide," the agency wrote. Across its 24-page report, the OIG offers a number of proposals, including: putting 5G cell towers on top of post offices nationwide, running fiber backhaul through post offices and into 5G cell towers, offering free public Wi-Fi services in post offices in rural areas, hosting edge computing data centers inside post offices, supporting public safety communications via post offices, having postal workers collect data on broadband availability.
Espoo, Finland, Oct. 2020. Nokia has introduced a 5G automation network slicing solution suitable for vendors seeking to cut the costs associated with increasing networking capacity. Nokia is the first vendor to provide slicing in 5G networks in a multivendor network environment. The new 4G and 5G slicing system complies with 3GPP and IETF slicing specification. Vendors will be able to create, modify, and delete large swathes of slices in real-time and create different customer policies and profiles depending on clients. the new automation facilities, controllers, and assurance tools simplify network functions at the service layer by automatically sending instructions to domain controllers through open APIs. Each domain controller then determines how best to manage network slicing and will embed assurance monitors for analyzing performance. In addition, closed-loop optimization is implemented.
Mountain View, California, USA, Sept. 2020. Google announced the launched date of the new Pixel devices a few days back. The invite had mention of smart speakers, Google Pixel devices (Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5 5G). And, now a tip reveals that the devices might only be available for pre-orders on the said September 30 but shipping will start a few weeks later.
Bon, Germany, Sept. 2020. Federal network agency BNetzA (Bundesnetzagentur), which oversees the telecoms industry in Germany (among many other industries within its purview), announced earlier this week that it has so far awarded 74 licences to applicants for deploying private 5G networks (called local networks in Germany, or “lokale Netze”) on 3.7-3.8GHz. According to the BNetzA press release, the regulator expected the frequencies to be primarily used for Industry 4.0, “but also in the agricultural and forestry sector”. Presumably the other recipients have not granted the agency the permission to make their names public. There are system integrators (NTT DATA Deutschland GmbH), specialised engineering companies closer to core telecoms technologies (Rohde & Schwarz, Corning Services), car makers (Audi, Mercedes), broadcasters (Bayerischer Rundfunk), event company (Deutsche Messe AG which operates the Hannover trade fairs), etc. Meanwhile BNetzA has just concluded the consultation process, started in July, on how best to make the 26GHz, specifically the 24.25 – 27.5 GHz, also available for “local 5G networks”. When this band is open to applications, BNetzA expects to see more active participation thanks to the high bandwidth this frequency can enable, especially from sectors like infrastructure development, Industry 4.0, and IoT. On the other hand, when enterprises and public sector entities are actively building their own private 5G networks in countries this is allowed, a question must be asked of the 5G operators’ ambition to support business use cases with their public 5G networks, including the much lauded end-to-end network slicing capabilities to come with standalone mode 5G. It is true that some operators are involved in building the private networks. Vodafone Deutschland for example has been working with Lufthansa Technik to build the 5G network at an aircraft hangar at Hamburg Airport. In most cases, however, mobile operators are entirely bypassed. Nokia said publicly that no operator was involved in its private 5G project for Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway service.
Tokio, Japan, Sept. 2020. Samsung Electronics and Japanese telco KDDI have succeeded in verifying 5G Network Slicing technology. The companies successfully demonstrate world's first end-to-end network slicing with a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). The test was done in a Tokyo lab that used a RAN intelligent controller with a handset, 5G base station, and 5G standalone core equipment. 5G network slicing (NS) is a network architecture that enables the multiplexing of virtualised and independent logical networks on the same physical network. Each slice is used for different tasks to allow networks to be ultra-fast and have ultra-low latency. Test also showed that users can switch between an ultra-fast virtual network and an ultra-low latency network without compromising connection quality for certain services.
Tokio, Japan, Sept. 2020. NTT DOCOMO and NEC Corporation announced that they have expanded multi-vendor interoperability by interconnecting a new 5G base station baseband unit (5G-CU/DU), developed by NEC and Samsung Electronics and compliant with O-RAN Alliance specifications, with 5G base station remote radio units (5G-RUs) of other vendors on DOCOMO's commercial network. Expanding multi-vendor interoperability based on O-RAN open interface specifications will enable the most appropriate base stations to be used depending on deployment scenarios and taking advantage of specific vendor and equipment characteristics. This will drive the rapid and flexible development of 5G service areas.
Helsinki, Finland, Avg. 2020. Elisa je pokrenula prvu 5G SA Ericsson mobilnu mrežu u Skandinavskim zemljama. Vodeći Finski mrežni operator je pokrenuo prvu komercijalnu 5G NSA mrežu u Junu 2019. godine. Nova SA pilot mreža omogućava brže, pouzdane i efikasne 5G konekcije, samo uspostavljanje veze je 6x brže u odnosu na NSA mrežu. Korisničko iskustvo je daleko poboljšano i otvoren je put inovativnim primenama u industriji.
Ljubljana, Slovenia, Jul 2020. Telekom Slovenije je pokrenuo prvu komercijalnu 5G NSA Ericsson mobilnu mrežu, softverskom nadogradnjom LTE VOLTE baznih stanica na 2.6 GHz u većim gradovima. 5G mreža proširiće se do kraja godine na 1/3 teritorije i obezbediće poboljšano korisničko iskustvo, kao i nove servise kritične infrastrukture, uključujući IoT. Planiraju se i 5G kampus mreže na jedinstvenoj fizičkoj infrastrukturi u sektorima energetike, transporta i logistike, industrije, pametnih gradova i zdravstva.
Espoo, Finland, July 2020. 5G NSA Nokia mobilnu mrežu, Sandvik je selektovao za unapređenje digitalne transformacije rudarskog test-pogona Tampere. Mreža omogućava nove integrisane glasovne i video komunikacije 4K video formata za automatizaciju sektora rudarstva. Super brze 5G konekcije predstavljaju budućnost digitalizovanih rudarskih operacija.
London, UK, July 2020. Nakon 12 meseci od pokretanja prve komercijalne 5G NSA mobilne mreže na postojećoj 4G LTE infrastrukturi, Vodafone i Ericsson su instalirali prvu samostalnu 5G SA mrežu u univerzitetskom Coventry kampusu. Sledeća faza 5G tehnologije malih servisnih zona omogućila je unutrašnje pokrivanje prostorija za VR obuku studenata i zdravstvenih profesionalaca. Visok kapacitet i protoci podataka, izuzetno malo kašnjenje i NS tehnologija 5G SA mrežne arhitekture, predstavlja osnovu velikog inovacionog potencijala koji do sada nije praktično pokrenut. 5G omogućava korisnicima najbolje do sada ostvarene usluge u pogledu kapaciteta i brzine prenosa podataka. Ali savremene konekcije predstavljaju samo početak dubljih organizacionih promena u pametnoj proizvodnoj industriji, saobraćaju i zdravstvenom sistemu a koje vode ekonomskom oporavku i digitalnoj budućnosti.
May 2020. China Broadcasting Network (CBN) announced the nationwide construction of the world's first 700MHz2x30MHz 5G SA network cooperating with CMCC (China Mobile Limited ). CBN granted 5G license in June, 2019. as one of the four 5G carriers. CBN is network operator authorized by the government to operate nationwide cable TV network as well as 5G network providing cable TV, mobile, fixed broadband, satellite communication services.
2019 was pivotal year for 5G with 50 service launches by network operators in 27 countries worldwidea. Which 5G use cases are likely to change our world by 2025?
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