5G Focus is a weekly global roundup of notable 5G trials, launches, use cases and major equipment supply contracts. It will also feature in-depth analysis of strategies, expansion plans, business models and other related initiatives.
The 5G spotlight was back on Asia last week as China's Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. launched a new 5G smartphone and opened a 5G training center in Birmingham, U.K. NTT Docomo Inc. unveiled plans for 5G trials in big Japanese cities, while South Korean telco KT Corp. rolled out 5G roaming services in Finland, Italy and Switzerland.
Chart Watch
AT&T Inc. is facing several obstacles across its business, including heavy investment as it and its peers build out next-generation 5G wireless networks, analysts told S&P Global Market Intelligence. The telco previously said it would have nationwide 5G coverage by the first half of 2020.

Must Read
FCC to vote on bidding procedures for auction of spectrum deemed 'prime' for 5G: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will vote Sept. 26 at the agency's monthly open meeting on proposed auction procedures for a spectrum auction in the 3.5GHz band, which wireless operators say is crucial for 5G deployment.
FCC approves initial commercial deployments in 3.5GHz band: The U.S. FCC approved initial commercial deployments for five Spectrum Access Systems in the 3.5GHz mid-band spectrum, which is seen as important for 5G.
Altice USA CEO: Mobile business 'could get large,' help sell other products: Altice USA Inc. thinks it can tap a broad customer base with the launch of its mobile product, which will include 5G services as they become available.
Analysts debate AT&T's M&A strategy as shareholder agitates for change: AT&T is in a precarious leverage position, but its diversification strategy could yield positive outcomes in an evolving media landscape, debt analysts said.
US AND CANADA
* Verizon Communications Inc. will let customers in parts of New York City access its 5G Ultra Wideband network from Sept. 26. With the addition of New York, Verizon will be providing its 5G mobility service to 11 cities, with plans to expand the coverage to more than 30 cities in 2019.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* China Telecom Corp. Ltd. reached a strategic 5G partnership with Tencent Holdings Ltd.-owned Tencent Video that will leverage the telco's multi-access edge computing platform for better 5G video experience, Securities Times reported Sept. 20. The parties will also set up a joint 5G laboratory to develop apps with lower data usage.
* Thailand and Russia's telecom regulators signed a joint statement on bilateral cooperation, Krungthep Turakij reported. The countries agreed to team up on international mobile roaming, digital television broadcasting and preparations for 5G.
* Mobile operator NTT Docomo will launch 5G trials in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and other big cities in Japan, ahead of the commercial rollout of its 5G network in spring 2020, according to a statement.
* Malaysia is open to Huawei participating in the country's 5G network rollout, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Chairman Al-Ishsal Ishak told the Nikkei Asian Review. As a result, Huawei plans to provide 5G technologies and products to various sectors in Malaysia in partnership with the local government and telecom operator Maxis Bhd., Berita Harian reported Sept. 19.
* NTT Docomo teamed up with Fujitsu Ltd., NEC Corp. and Nokia Corp. to achieve multivendor interoperability across a variety of 4G and 5G base station equipment compatible with the international standards of the Open Radio Access Network Alliance, according to a Sept. 18 news release.
* Malaysian mobile carrier DiGi Telecommunications Sdn. Bhd. partnered with Cyberview Sdn. Bhd. to set up a laboratory for academics, businesses and developers to test 5G use cases, The Star reported Sept. 18. The laboratory will begin operations Oct. 1.
* True Corp. is collaborating with China Mobile Ltd. to accelerate the telco's adoption of 5G technology in Thailand, Prachachat reported.
* NTT Docomo will not offer Huawei handsets for its upcoming 5G network due to Android access concerns, the Nikkei Asian Review reported, citing unnamed NTT Group executives. The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. unit will reportedly not procure Huawei 5G phones due to concerns about restricted access to services from Alphabet Inc. unit Google LLC. Docomo also plans to begin selling 5G-compatible phones next spring.
* Japanese carrier SoftBank Corp. plans to complete the initial stage of building its 5G network two years ahead of schedule, the Nikkei Asian Review reported Sept. 17. The SoftBank Group Corp. unit will increase staffing and ramp up construction in a bid to reach the goal by early 2023 instead of the original 2025 target.
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Nokia pushed for the adoption of 5G as a "natively green" next-generation mobile connectivity solution, arguing that it is more energy efficient than 4G. The Finnish technology giant made the call as it joined other companies in speeding up efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
* KT launched 5G roaming services in three European countries by teaming up with Telecom Italia SpA's TIM in Italy, Sunrise Communications Group AG in Switzerland and Elisa Oyj in Finland, ZDNet Korea reported Sept. 22. The new roaming service will be initially available to users of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.'s Galaxy S10 5G handsets.
* Huawei unveiled its new 5G Birmingham Training Centre, a facility in Birmingham, U.K., that would help boost 5G training collaboration between local businesses and the education community. Once fully operational, the facility would train more than 1,000 network engineers yearly on the latest 5G technology, according to a Sept. 20 news release.
* Huawei on Sept. 19 unveiled its Mate 30 smartphone series at an event in Munich, Germany. Available in 4G and 5G variants, the Mate 30 handsets run on Huawei's new Kirin 990 chipset. While the devices will operate on an open-source version of Android, Mate 30 phones will not come preinstalled with Google apps such as Gmail, YouTube LLC or Play store due to Huawei's inclusion in the U.S. government's entity list, CNBC reported.
* Russia's State Radio Frequencies Commission intends to conduct a 5G auction for frequencies in the 25.25-27.5GHz bands during the first quarter of 2020, Telecompaper reported Sept. 19, citing sources mentioned by Izvestia. The government agency will make a decision in October.
* Mobile TeleSystems PJSC teamed up with Huawei, NVision Group ZAO and the Moscow municipality's IT department to test smart city services on the pilot 5G network in Moscow, Telecompaper reported Sept. 19.
* Swedish telecom regulator PTS said Sept. 18 that it will conduct an external review on the need for new rules and standards governing 5G sector risks. The watchdog said the review is needed to examine the security of networks and services prior to the expansion of 5G networks.
* Digi Communications NV failed to enter the shortlist of companies bidding to obtain 5G licenses in Hungary for not meeting eligibility requirements, Broadband TV News reported Sept. 16. Hungarian telecom regulator NMHH approved the bids of Magyar Telekom, Telenor Magyarország Zrt. and Vodafone Magyarország. Digi will challenge the decision, according to the report, citing Ziarul Financiar.
Featured Research
5G survey: Spectrum, technology roadmap highlights: 5G service is slowly but surely moving from hype to reality, according to Kagan's first global survey of 56 mobile carrier executives, completed in September.
Summer surge for fiber to the home, DSL in Q2'19: A surge in global operator spending on both fiber and DSL solutions during the second quarter of 2019 is partly due to accelerated investment in fiber to support 5G networks and services.
Carrier executives on rural, fixed 5G plans: Despite the poor propagation of 5G's earmarked spectrum, nearly every one of the 56 global mobile network execs Kagan surveyed in August has plans to deploy 5G into rural areas. But the timelines differed.
Kagan is a group within S&P Global Market Intelligence's TMT offering, providing exclusive research and commentary.
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