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Verizon has announced a successful edge computing trial on a live 5G network, conducted using their newly formed 5G test bed in Houston. The company’s engineers used Multi-Access Edge Compute (MEC) equipment and MEC platform software, incorporated in a network facility closer to the network edge, and managed to decrease network latency by half. The test results are important for next generation networks, enabling 5G to support low-latency applications such as Virtual Reality (VR). Low latency refers to minimizing the round-trip time taken by data packets. This is an essential yet enormously challenging attribute for a 5G network, and its high performance requirements. At present, many mobile applications depend on cloud-based processing that is handled in centralized data centers, and the physical distances involved increase latency. According to Verizon, locating the computing power nearer to the users at the network edge significantly decreases the time to deliver services. …

The networking and telecommunications company Ericsson and Germany’s largest network provider Deutsche Telekom, have announced that together they are the first to successfully demonstrate a wireless transmission on the mmWave spectrum, that can transfer data four times faster than currently existing services.  The achievement of the data transmission rate of 40 Gbps with a latency of under 100 microseconds is a considerable advancement towards the fulfilment of stringent latency requirements of 5G, and the anticipated 100 Gbps backhaul networking. Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks, Ericsson, said: “Microwave continues to be a key technology for mobile transport by supporting the capacity and latency requirements of 4G and future 5G networks. Our joint innovation project shows that higher capacity microwave backhaul will be an important enabler of high-quality mobile broadband services when 5G becomes a commercial reality.” A backhaul is an intermediate link between the core network and…

Huawei will put a new smartphone on display in the UK this week, the Huawei P Smart 2019. China’s leading smartphone manufacturer is starting the year with this budget-friendly handset, comprising cutting-edge features, combined with a premium look and feel. The company says that the P Smart is “a mid-market device targeting young consumers who are looking for an affordable, high quality user experience.” Justin Costello, Huawei’s Director of Marketing, UK and Ireland, said, “Huawei’s devices truly disrupted the smartphone arena in 2018, making us the fastest growing smartphone brand in the UK and the second biggest globally. With its outstanding AI, photography and performance capabilities, the Huawei P Smart 2019 delivers a superior smartphone experience at an accessible price point.” As the successor to the P Smart model launched a year ago, the Huawei P Smart 2019 has been improved with a larger screen, a front AI…

As anticipated, the European Parliament has voted in favour of the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC). The new EU telecoms rules will open the possibilities for faster access to radio spectrum waves and greater investments in high-speed connectivity. They will also ensure better protection and services for end-users of either traditional (calls, SMS) or web-based solutions (Skype, WhatsApp, etc.). Vice-President for the Digital Single Market, Andrus Ansip, and Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel, made a joint statement, which said, “Today’s vote by the European Parliament is a positive and necessary step towards ensuring that the telecoms sector in the EU is fit for purpose.” “The new telecoms rules that will now be put in place as a result, are an essential building block for Europe’s digital future and a source of new digital rights for European citizens. They are crucial for meeting Europeans’ growing connectivity needs and boosting…

Three telecommunication giants, Verizon, Motorola and Samsung, have shared some good news and provided updates regarding progress with the long-awaited 5G network. Verizon has announced that they have successfully accomplished the connection of a 5G-upgradeable Motorola smartphone using a Qualcomm 5G modem and Samsung’s 5G technology to their 5G network. The team performed tests that included video calling and Internet browsing by means of a 5G link. According to Bill Stone, vice president, Technology Development and Planning for Verizon, “In the past two years, we have consistently led the world in 5G, including launching the world’s first commercial 5G service last month”. Obviously upbeat about this successful test using an actual smartphone, he assured, “We will be the first to offer a 5G upgradeable smartphone on our network in 2019.” Verizon’s 28 GHz spectrum and Samsung 5G New Radio solutions were employed to complete the transmissions. The 5G-enabled…

Today, 14th November 2018, the European Parliament is expected to vote on the final approval of the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC), which digs deeper into the EU’s telecom regulatory context. This reform paves the way for new fibre and 5G networks, and also expands the level of consumer protection available to the subscribers of telecom and OTT services. The EU officials first presented the Digital Single Market (DSM) strategy in May 2015, and the following year they introduced a connectivity agenda with proposals for the telecom sector. The DSM strategy contains diverse subjects, including support for cross-border e-commerce, prevention of geo-blocking, expansion on EU policies for the cloud, AI and competitiveness. The key legislation for the DSM must be completed by May 2019. It will presumably assist in reaching the new targets for broadband connectivity set by the Commission for 2025: gigabit speeds for digital businesses and public…

EE is the first mobile operator to launch a 5G network trial site in the UK. The BT owned telco has based its testing predominantly using Huawei network equipment, coupled with the 3.4GHz spectrum it bought at the UK communications regulator (Ofcom) auction. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the behavior and performance of 5G technology in real-life settings outside of the testing lab. The initial trial is located in the Montgomery Square area of Canary Wharf, London, where more than 150,000 people pass through on a daily basis. It might seem strange that a practical trial has been started with no commercially available 5G devices, but the end goal is to evaluate the 5G spectrum and to test devices for performance, speed and coverage in areas with traditionally high 4G mobile network usage. “This live trial is a big step forward in making the benefits…

While 5G maintains its dominant position in telecom news headlines, Qualcomm has made a major move towards the realization of this disruptive technology with the announcement of the first fully-integrated QTM052 5G NR mmWave  and QPM56xx sub-6 GHz RF modules for mobile devices. These antennas will be used in conjunction with the Snapdragon X50 5G module to achieve the stellar target speeds of 5G networks. “Qualcomm Technologies’ early investment in 5G has allowed us to deliver to the industry a working mobile mmWave solution that was previously thought unattainable, as well as a fully-integrated sub-6 GHz RF solution. Now, these type of modem-to-antenna solutions, spanning both mmWave and sub-6 spectrum bands, make mobile 5G networks and devices, especially smartphones, ready for large scale commercialization,” commented the president of Qualcomm Incorporated. Even though the mmWave signals can offer the critically higher speeds that are essential for this cutting-edge network, they can…

M1 will start testing 5G small cells at the end of the year. Those trials will be conducted in partnership with the Finnish company, Nokia. The main goal of those tests will be to give informations on the best way to install 5G small cells for a commercial purpose in a “dense cell grid architecture” and to validate the efficiency of low-latency for the “Internet of Things”. Denis Seek, CTO of M1 stated, “The practical learning from early 5G field trial is critical for the success of developing high-performance and demand-driven 5G services for our customers in future and enables us to play a key role in Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives.” If Nokia has been working with M1 on network trials since 2016, it won’t be the only company working with the operator. The Chinese tech giant Huawei will also run trials with M1 by testing the 28GHz mmWave spectrum…

5G will be available for trial in seven cities across the UK. Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, and London were selected to run the tests on the upcoming network. Those new infrastructures will be running the new 5G at the end of 2018 between October and December. Earlier this year, Vodafone paid £378 million, to get 50Mhz of the 3.4GHz spectrum. Nick Jeffery, Vodafone’s chief executive stated, “We want to make 5G and new fibre broadband services available to consumers and business throughout the UK, delivering a Gigabit society for all. We will also be bringing ultra-fast 4G to several hundred sites in hard to reach rural areas this year, building on our position as the network that offers the best voice coverage in the UK.” Vodafone’s goal is to launch a full 5G service in the UK by 2020, when 5G devices will be available on the market.