5G and Fiber Focus is a weekly global feature including notable 5G and fiber trials, launches, use cases and major equipment supply contracts. It also features in-depth analysis of strategies, expansion plans, business models and other related initiatives.
THE AMERICAS
– Lumen Technologies Inc. struck a deal with telecom equipment provider Corning Inc. to acquire 10% of the latter's global fiber capacity for the next two years. The deal will enable Lumen to build a new network to interconnect AI-enabled datacenters. Separately, Corning agreed to supply next-generation optical cable to Lumen, in a bid to more than double the latter's miles of intercity fiber amid the AI surge, Dow Jones Newswires reported.
– Costa Rican telecom regulator Sutel published the requirements for its upcoming 5G spectrum auction, BNamericas reported. The regulator will offer 90 MHz of frequencies on the 700 MHz band, 100 MHz on the 2,300 MHz band, 300 MHz on the 3.5 GHz band, 1,250 MHz on the 26 GHz band, and 2,000 MHz on the 28 GHz band. Interested operators should submit their proposals within 20 business days after Sutel's call for bids is published on the government's official gazette.
– T-Mobile US Inc. has assembled at least five partnerships with fiber-optic internet providers in the US, in a bid to serve millions of customers in the future, Dow Jones Newswires reported. This came as the wireless carrier has not had to build out its fiber network.
– The working group overseeing projects funded by Brazil's 2021 5G auction, which includes telecom regulator Anatel and local operators, has greenlit the government's private network project, Teletime reported. State-owned telco Telecomunicações Brasileiras SA (Telebras) will operate the private mobile network with its own LTE core and radio access network-sharing agreements.
– TIM SA is dropping Sweden's Ericsson as a vendor in its 5G network, Mobile Time reported, citing the Brazilian telco in a news conference. TIM will retain Nokia Oyj and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. as vendors, although Ericsson will still provide maintenance services for the equipment already in use on TIM's network.
– Brazilian operator Unifique Telecomunicações SA, which acquired regional spectrum in the 2021 5G auction, is launching its new 5G network in the city of Taquari, Rio Grande do Sul state, Tele.Síntese reported. The company earlier launched the mobile service in some cities in neighboring Santa Catarina state.
– Shenandoah Telecommunications Co.'s Glo Fiber business plans to deploy next-generation, fiber-optic broadband services to about 13,800 homes and businesses in Zanesville, Ohio.
ASIA-PACIFIC
– Australian operator TPG Telecom Ltd. launched a 3G SMS checker tool to help customers determine if their mobile phones are compatible with 4G/5G networks and support emergency Triple Zero calls.
– SK Telecom Co. Ltd.'s second-quarter mobile phone sales increased 2.1%, year over year, to 2.673 trillion won, thanks to an increase in 5G subscribers and roaming service users, Maeil Business Newspaper reported. The South Korean operator also recorded 16.2 million 5G subscribers as of June-end, equivalent to 71% of its subscriber total.
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
– Zegona Communications PLC-owned Vodafone España SAU and Telefónica SA signed a nonbinding term sheet to create a joint fiber network company in Spain, Dow Jones Newswires reported. Zegona will own 10% of the company and Telefónica will have majority ownership. A third-party financial investor will also be added to the share capital of the new joint venture company, which is expected to cover about 3.5 million premises.
– Five UK-based alternative fiber network operators, led by Nexfibre Networks Ltd., formed an alliance called Physical Infrastructure Access Coalition to push for better access to Openreach Ltd.'s physical infrastructure, Advanced Television reported. The group's other members are Allpoints Fibre Ltd., Community Fibre Ltd., Gigaclear Ltd. and the newly merged Netomnia Ltd. and BRSK Ltd.
– Deutsche Telekom AG established a 5G network and edge datacenter at automobile manufacturer Volkswagen AG's plant in Emden, Germany, Telecompaper reported. The telco is reportedly working on new storage and logistics solutions with Volkswagen's logistics unit.
– Portuguese telecom regulator Anacom launched a public consultation on a planned decision to push back the deadline for telco operator Nowo Communications SA's 5G network launch by a year, to 2025-end, Telecompaper reported. Anacom said the extension will not harm competition, consumer interests or spectrum efficiency.
– Portuguese operator NOS SGPS SA completed 37 pilot tests for its 5G Hub platform, which aims to boost 5G innovation, Telecompaper reported. The project is a part of Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan and 5G Test Bed.
– T-Mobile Polska SA now has 2,800 5G base stations on the C band across Poland after setting up 19 new stations, Telecompaper reported.
Featured research
Multichannel Trends: Fiber Connect 2024: Closing the digital divide with $110B: At the Fiber Connect 2024 conference and expo in Nashville, Tenn., speakers were cautiously optimistic about the impact of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program on closing the digital divide.
Wireless Investor: Mobile Market Industry Overview, Q2 2024: S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan offers its latest quarterly report examining industry trends and data for the mobile sector, including Brazilian operators starting to offer 5G fixed wireless access in 2023.
MediaCensus: Top 3 operators account for two-thirds of US homes passed, Q4'23: Whether passed by fiber, copper, coax, hybrid cables or other technologies (excluding fixed wireless and satellite), the "homes passed" metric allows an in-depth view of potential rates of connectivity across the US wired connectivity landscape.
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