Vodafone set to Open(RAN) a pioneering new UK R&D centre

Vodafone has set out its plans to launch a pioneering new R&D centre in the UK that will focus on OpenRAN.

OpenRAN is set to bring about a new paradigm for how telecoms networks are deployed. Free of vendor lock-in, operators can use the interoperable equipment which suits their particular needs for cost and performance.

Andrea Donà, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone UK, said:

“The OpenRAN ecosystem is still in its infancy, and we want to spur its...

21 April 2021 | 5G

FCC is re-establishing its 5G security council which disbanded in March

The FCC is re-establishing its Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC), with a primary focus on improving 5G network security.

CSRIC VII was disbanded in March. Recent cyberattacks such as the high-profile SolarWinds breach have demonstrated the need for CSRIC to re-establish and continue its crucial work.

Jessica Rosenworcel, Acting Chairwoman of the FCC, said:

“I am committed to working with our federal partners and the...

16 April 2021 | 5G

Virgin and O2’s merger is granted provisional approval

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has granted provisional regulatory approval of Virgin’s proposed merger with O2.

In November last year, the European Commission – which, pre-Brexit, had regulatory oversight over the deal – referred the proposed merger to the UK’s competition regulator.

Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive at the CMA, said at the time:

“These are incredibly important UK markets, that continue to evolve, and the deal needs to be...

14 April 2021 | 5G

5G Future Forum calls for new members to advance 5G and MEC adoption

London-based global industry group 5G Future Forum (5GFF) is calling for new members to help drive the adoption of 5G and multi-access edge computing (MEC).

5GFF was founded in January 2020 by América Móvil, KT Corp, Rogers, Telstra, Verizon, and Vodafone.

Jae-ho Song, CDXO of KT Corporation, said:

“When uncertainties are rampant, a breakthrough can provide a beacon of opportunities previously untapped.

With a bolstered ecosystem of expanded...

7 April 2021 | 5G

Inmarsat helps the Australian Defence Force to become a satellite operator

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is now using Inmarsat’s satellites for its operations following an AUS$221 million contract.

As a virtual satellite operator, the ADF is able to control its service use directly. Inmarsat says it has enabled the ADF to increase efficiency by 300 percent while reducing operating costs by 70 percent.

Brigadier Gregory Novak, Commander of the ADF’s Defence Strategic Communications Branch, said:

“Inmarsat has supported ADF...

29 March 2021 | Australia

5G will spark re-invention in a defining year for telecoms

The potential for 5G with its seemingly limitless list of use cases is something that service providers have teased for a number of years. 5G represents a significant network evolution and there is far greater contrast in the step up from 4G to 5G than was experienced during the rollout of LTE networks. Across the next 12-18 months, standalone 5G will be rolled out enabling service providers to start to see a return on 5G infrastructure and spectrum investments. This will be a year for...

19 March 2021 | 5G

UK completes 5G spectrum auction following two-month delay

British telecoms regulator Ofcom has completed its 5G spectrum auction following a two-month delay.

The spectrum auction was initially scheduled to take place in January but was pushed back amid another wave of COVID-19.

“The auction and subsequent release of spectrum remain central to the future rollout of mobile networks and 5G. The economy’s recovery from COVID-19 is dependent on resilient digital infrastructure and we urge Ofcom to resist any further requests for...

17 March 2021 | 5G

Nok-picky: Nokia partners with Google Cloud, AWS, and Azure

Nokia has announced a flurry of new partnerships with all three of the major cloud providers—Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft Azure.

The Finnish telecom giant’s partnership with Google Cloud will see the companies develop 5G solutions together which combine Nokia’s Radio Access Network (RAN), Open RAN, and Cloud RAN, with Google’s edge computing platform to deliver additional 5G monetisation opportunities for CSPs.

Bikash Koley, VP, Google...

15 March 2021 | 5G

Featured: Telecoms’ list of innovative companies to watch in 2021

Wherever you are reading this, every country has rightly cheered its frontline healthcare workers over the past year amid the coronavirus pandemic. But just as vital have been another frontline group; those people and companies keeping us connected when we’ve needed it most.

In this feature, Telecoms will be looking at some of the vendors delivering the innovations that are enabling people to work, learn, and live, even in the midst of a global pandemic. In alphabetical...

5 March 2021 | 5G

Eight 5G solution providers join Ofcom and Digital Catapult-led OpenRAN initiative

Eight 5G solution providers have joined an OpenRAN initiative led by UK telecoms regulator Ofcom and innovation centre Digital Catapult called SONIC.

The vendor-neutral and interoperable equipment OpenRAN delivers is seen as being the solution to disrupting the perceived monopoly held by the large telecoms vendors—helping to drive innovation, improve security, offer flexibility, and reduce deployment costs.

SONIC (SmartRAN Open Network Interoperability Centre) is a...

25 February 2021 | 5G