5G Standalone boosts coverage but not speed in low bands
Deployments of 5G Standalone (SA) in low bands below 1 GHz reduce latency and extend coverage but do not increase speed compared with Non-Standalone (NSA), which relies on existing 4G cores.
This finding has been reached by network analysis firm Opensignal from a study of T-Mobile’s 5G SA network in the USA, one of the largest SA deployments outside China. T-Mobile has deployed 5G in the low band primarily to boost coverage and so the finding that users’ time connected to 5G significantly increased after the SA network had been launched came as little surprise.
But users might have hoped also for some increase in speed, given that SA is supposed to usher in ‘true 5G’ performance. In fact users did not experience faster speeds on SA 5G, but Opensignal concedes this is likely to change in 2021, as users get new smartphones capable of connecting simultaneously to both T-Mobile’s 600 MHz and 2.5 GHz 5G bands. At least SA did reduce latency even in the 600 MHz band.
TIM shows digital divide can be closed, at a price
Italian telco TIM has shown that the digital divide, whose inequities have been amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic, can be closed with effort and investment. The telco claims to have achieved 100% coverage for high speed broadband in excess of 100Mbps in the 7,500-square mile region of Apulia by filling in a backbone of fiber-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), or fiber-to-the-home in some cases, with a combination of satellite and FWA (fixed wireless access). The operator has reached 99.4% of households in the area with either FTTH at 1Gbps, or FTTC feeding out to copper for the last loop at 200Mbps.
Deutsche Telekom to set up 1.4m-square meter private 5G network
Deutsche Telekom has been recruited to build a 1.4m square meter private 5G network for trade fair operator Deutsche Messe, which has secured a licence from German network agency BNetzA.
This will be used for major events such as the annual Hannover Messe Industrie 4.0, which has been forced online during the Covid-19 pandemic but with expectations of returning close to normal for 2022. Siemens has been appointed alongside DT to build a separate private 5G network for industrial applications in the main hall in time for the online event in April 2021. The rest of the site will be covered by the end of the year, using the new frequency allocation in the 3.7-3.8 GHz range.
Port of Seattle deploys Nokia private network
Nokia is deploying its Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) at the Port of Seattle with LTE/5G private wireless networking to increase efficiency, worker safety and terminal handling performance by reducing the complexity of port flow.
The network is capable of delivering ubiquitous connectivity indoors and out across the port’s Terminal 5 operations, cranes, trucks and lifts, while enhancing communication between logistics parties, according to the vendor.
The Nokia DAC incorporates ruggedized tablets and smartphones for terminal-wide, mobile voice communications and yard inventory applications. The system is being deployed through an agreement with Tideworks Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carrix, a privately held marine terminal and rail operator.