The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) plans to invest £40m in converting local and regional authorities into ‘5G Innovation Regions.’ The funding will support regions with solid strategies to leverage 5G and wireless tech for sectors such as agriculture and transportation. One potential application is using 5G-powered drones to gather field data, enabling farmers to make efficient, informed decisions.
T-Mobile has taken a bold step forward in the world of 5G technology, initiating the rollout of its latest innovation that promises lightning-fast speeds of up to 3.3Gbps. The breakthrough is achieved through carrier aggregation, a technique that combines four distinct 5G channels into one for compatible devices. At present, only Samsung’s newer Galaxy S23 phones are capable of harnessing this impressive speed boost.
In a remarkable stride, Bharti Airtel has connected over 20 million IoT devices via its B2B branch, Airtel Business, amid India’s 5G evolution. This permits a vast assortment of IoT features offered through multiple connectivity mediums. Major deals have propelled Airtel to surpass a key milestone. Moreover, the Airtel IoT platform facilitates enterprises to manage their IoT connections via the Airtel IoT Hub.
In an exciting leap forward for 5G technology in Europe, Ericsson and O2 Telefónica in Germany have joined forces to accomplish a remarkable feat in the development of 5G Cloud RAN technology. Their groundbreaking Proof of Concept (PoC) deployment at O2 Telefónica’s Wayra innovation hub in Munich showcased the immense capabilities of Ericsson’s first 5G Cloud RAN installation on the continent. The PoC utilized cutting-edge mmWave frequency and a centralized control unit (CU), achieving an impressive end-to-end speed of over 4 gigabits per second.
In a recently revealed Q2 report, Nokia showed flat sales at €5.7 billion year over year, suggesting reduced capital expenditure by operators. Interestingly, while a 5% sales growth in Nokia’s Mobile Networks unit occurred, a troubling 6% decline at the Network Infrastructure division offset this boost. With stark contrasts across regions, North American sales notably dropped by 42% as 5G deployments slowed, while energetic 5G deployments in India couldn’t adequately balance the losses. Mirroring these figures, Ericsson too reported a 9% year over year decrease in Q2 revenue. A gloomy yet realistic outlook from Nokia’s CEO Pekka Lundmark, coupled with analyst firm Dell’Oro’s forecast on the shrinking RAN predictions, suggests telecommunications could be in for a turbulent few years.
As companies globally adopt innovative strategies, leveraging considerable commercial benefits from their 5G investments is at the forefront. Pioneered by Chinese service providers, the paradigm shift towards traffic value-based operations has significantly enhanced revenue. Unique 5G experiences such as ultra-high speed and low latency have unlocked new function scenarios, exemplified by the booming live broadcast industry in China. Meanwhile, European and Middle East counterparts effectively implement rate-based charging models, showcasing the versatility of the 5G platform. This status quo suggests that as we advance, the necessity to adapt traffic value-oriented operations for effective monetization becomes paramount, opening new revenue vistas and novel business models.
Spain’s government is pumping €448 million into the upgrade of over 8,000 isolated 5G base stations, an initiative set to stimulate economic and civil activity while bridging the digital divide. Interestingly, the bulk of the funds are being allocated to lesser-known entities, including wholesale and retail fibre providers Lyntia and Avatel. The rollout is part of Spain’s broader mission of delivering ultrafast broadband coverage by 2025, concurrently ramping up public access to high-speed connections. Furthermore, a €10 million fund invites proposals for innovative 5G projects in sectors such as agriculture and connected vehicles.
Outpacing the global auto industry, Zeekr, a subsidiary of Geely, has launched a groundbreaking 5G-enabled factory in Ningbo, China. Developed alongside China Unicom Zhejiang, this advanced facility leverages 5G for superior data processing, revolutionizing car manufacturing customizability. However, obstacles such as infrastructure robustness and data security come with the territory of employing 5G in production processes. Nonetheless, the potential of this intelligent blend of automotive and digital tech seems irresistible, prompting worldwide industry attention towards Zeekr’s trendsetting venture.
Despite robust projections for 5G growth, the radio access network (RAN) equipment market experiences a downturn, according to Dell’Oro Group. A typical industry cycle shows that after the booming initial rollout of new mobile tech, stagnation follows as operators complete their spending cycles. However, 5G RAN could still expand by 20%-30% by 2027, failing to offset decreasing LTE investments. As telecom industry anticipates the inception of 6G, dwindling subscriber growth and restrained capital expenditures, due to economic considerations, are putting pressure on the market.
In a quantum leap for telecommunications, the emergence of 5G-Advanced next year is set to revolutionize user experiences and catalyze operator revenue growth. Unveiling at the 2023 MWC Shanghai, Huawei is geared to lead this evolution with its innovative capabilities and AI-empowered design. Pioneering 5.5G network solutions, the telecom giant intends to enhance services for a sprawling customer base spread over 260 5G networks worldwide. Close on its heels, is the seamless integration of cloud with the core network, creating intelligent entities of simple Internet-based objects, promising profound implications in IoT.
