China Mobile signs 5G RAN sharing deal with new entrant CBN
As expected, China Mobile has signed a 5G network sharing agreement with China Broadcasting Network (CBN). This will be a counterweight to the RAN sharing deal between its rivals, China Telecom and China Unicom, and will give the market leader access to the TV provider’s 700 MHz spectrum, which will be very valuable for extending 5G coverage cost-effectively. The companies will jointly fund and deploy a 700 MHz network and CBN – a national cableco which was granted its first mobile licence last year – will have access to Mobile’s 2.6 GHz network. It will also receive investment from its partner, to reduce its costs and time to market. CBN has 80 MHz of spectrum in 700 MHz and 100 MHz in 4.9 GHz, while Mobile has 260 MHz in the 2.6 GHz and 4.9 GHz bands. CBN plans to invest RMB250m ($35.2m) to deploy commercial 5G service in 16 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
MNOs believe slice-as-a-service will generate new revenues
Network slicing coming with 5G will enable MNOs to generate new revenues through specialized services that would be difficult or uneconomic to introduce otherwise. The associated programmability and flexibility of 5G networks will help service providers address customer needs with greater precision.
This is the main finding of a recent survey of 50 mobile operators around the world by communications software and services group Amdocs. This found 52% of MNOs believe network slice-as-a-service (NSaaS) will be the leading approach to network slice monetization, while 30% expect to charge for specific QoS parameters, such as throughput and latency.
Comcast adds 5G to all Xfinity Mobile plans
US cableco Comcast is now offering 5G on all its Xfinity Mobile plans, which are enabled by an MVNO deal with Verizon. It is including 5G for no extra charge in its new unlimited and per-GB data plans. These plans can be mixed and matched within families, and customers can use the Xfinity Mobile app to switch their plans on-demand at any time – a move towards dynamic pricing. Fellow cableco Charter recently said its Spectrum Mobile MVNO service would offer 5G to its unlimited customers. Comcast and Charter together added 505,000 postpaid customers in the most recent quarter, well ahead of AT&T’s 87,000 postpaid net adds, and Verizon’s 68,000 net losses.
Africell wins licence for fifth market, in Angola
Africell has acquired the fourth mobile operator licence in Angola, taking on Movicel and Unitel. The new licence was originally awarded to newcomer Telstar but was then revoked, and there was speculation that a large regional group like MTN would fill the vacancy. However, Africell stepped in, and will now compete against the existing duopoly, as well as wireline incumbent Angola Telecom, which plans to launch a mobile network. Africell operates in four other African markets, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. In Angola, it will also be able to offer TV, phone and Internet services.
Fujitsu and Qualcomm use sub-6 GHz carrier aggregation to hit 3Gbps
Fujitsu and Qualcomm have demonstrated a 5G New Radio call with peak data rates of 3Gbps, by aggregating non-contiguous spectrum in two sub-6 GHz bands, 3.5 GHz and 4.9 GHz. Qualcomm says its Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System could hit even higher rates, up to 5Gbps, by aggregating 200 MHz of total spectrum across selected sub-6 GHz bands. Such speeds are commonly associated with the more challenging millimeter wave 5G spectrum. Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X60 Modem-RF System will support aggregation across all main 5G bands and combinations, including mmWave and sub-6 GHz, and FDD or TDD. That will feature in smartphones in 2021.
Las Vegas extends optical and audio surveillance with NTT
The city of Las Vegas has extended its controversial surveillance based on cameras and audio sensors operating within NTT’s Accelerate smart data platform. This extension follows an initial trial, which provided information about traffic and also situations where crime was either suspected of taking place or likely to occur. The expanded platform provides a dashboard to access and view sensors, data streams and analytics, with an automated system notifying law enforcement and maintenance personnel of safety hazards.
This can include large crowds gathering quickly, gunshots, breaking glass and other signs of vandalism. The platform employs machine learning algorithms to determine data profiles associated with normal activity and also those indicative of particular hazards. By not employing specific facial recognition, the deployment aims to avoid infringing civil liberties, although there are still concerns over increasingly intrusive surveillance.
U-blox launches WiFi-based module for vehicle to everything
Swiss based u-blox has announced a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) module incorporating its own chip using the WiFi version of the technology based on the IEEE 802.11p standard. Known as DSRC in the USA and ITS-G5 in Europe, this connects vehicles with each other and roadside infrastructure beyond line of sight. It can be used both for navigation and transmission of safety or warning messages, with this module pitched particularly at platooning, where commercial vehicles travel in conveys to save fuel by reducing aggregate drag from air resistance. But u-blox emphasized that V2X, despite the name, is not just for the automotive industry but will also be applied in other sectors such as agriculture and mining, where heavy machines in close proximity need to synchronize their activities.