The 5G journey in Malaysia: Progress and future prospects

The 5G journey for Malaysia: Progress and future prospects

Significant progress has been made on the ground in Malaysia, where populated areas reported coverage of 81.7%—an impressive figure considering that Korea and Singapore had barely reached those levels by September and October.

Malaysia achieved 80 per cent coverage in populated areas (CoPA) by late 2023, building on historic progress.

Deputy communications minister Teo Nie Ching recently informed the Dewan Rakyat that a total of 7,114 sites have been deployed across...

9 July 2024 | 5G

5G and security: The dual telecoms challenges facing the new UK government

As the newly elected Labour government takes office in the UK after 14 years of Conservative rule, industry leaders are calling for urgent action on cybersecurity and digital infrastructure.

The recent high-profile cyberattacks on critical organisations like the NHS and MoD have exposed significant vulnerabilities in the UK's digital defences, prompting experts to demand a more robust approach to cybersecurity and accelerated 5G rollout.

Mark Coates, VP EMEA at Gigamon,...

5 July 2024 | 5G

Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 extend network sharing

Vodafone UK and Virgin Media O2 have announced a landmark agreement to extend and enhance their mobile network sharing arrangement for over a decade.

The agreement, which builds upon the existing partnership between the two telecom giants, is largely independent of the proposed merger between Vodafone UK and Three UK. However, should the merger receive regulatory approval, the deal includes provisions for Virgin Media O2 to acquire spectrum from the newly formed entity, dubbed...

3 July 2024 | 5G

Dutch 5G auction: KPN, Odido, and VodafoneZiggo secure crucial spectrum

Netherlands’ telecoms regulator announced this week that KPN, Odido, and VodafoneZiggo have each successfully acquired 100 MHz of spectrum in the coveted 3.5GHz band.

The long-awaited auction, which raised a total of €174.4 million, saw each operator secure their spectrum allocation for just over the reserve price.

KPN invested €58.4 million, VodafoneZiggo paid €57.5 million, and Odido (formerly T-Mobile Netherlands) acquired its share for a comparable amount....

2 July 2024 | 5G

US 5G performance surges as carriers deploy mid-band spectrum

The US is experiencing a significant boost in 5G performance as major carriers deploy newly acquired mid-band spectrum. Recent data from Ookla's Speedtest Intelligence reveals substantial improvements in download speeds and network quality across the country.

T-Mobile has maintained its leadership position, leveraging additional 2.5 GHz spectrum acquired in Auction 108. The carrier's median 5G download speed increased by an impressive 29.64 Mbps in just one month, reaching 287.14...

24 June 2024 | 5G

GSMA Open Gateway: Unlocking mobile networks’ potential with APIs

In a new report, the GSMA has provided an update on its Open Gateway initiative first introduced in 2023.

Open Gateway leverages mobile networks' global reach by providing access to network capabilities through common application programming interfaces (APIs). One year on, the initiative boasts nearly 50 operator sign-ups—representing about two-thirds of the global mobile market share.

The initiative's success hinges on the deployment of its APIs. Currently, 17 APIs...

20 June 2024 | 5G

NEC develops compact antenna for ‘Beyond 5G’

NEC has developed and demonstrated a radio-over-fibre system utilising a 1-bit fibre transmission method. The innovation could make it affordable to build stable millimetre-wave communication networks for ’Beyond 5G’ (B5G).

The 1-bit method allows high-frequency analog signals to be transmitted using inexpensive electrical-to-optical converters intended for general-purpose digital communications. This enables the realisation of compact and low-cost distributed antenna...

17 June 2024 | 6G

Nokia unveils world’s first immersive voice and audio call technology

Nokia unveils world's first immersive voice and audio call technology

Even as these little pocket computers have made the leap from mobile devices to indispensable digital hubs, smartphone communications have languished in the audio doldrums. It's a bold claim, but Nokia reckons that it's managed to achieve the "world's first immersive voice and audio call," powered by a new codec.

The demonstration marked an industry first when Nokia enabled a live immersive audio and video call over a commercial 5G network in Finland between Pekka Lundmark,...

12 June 2024 | 5G

KPN and ABP form tower company amid rising data demand

KPN and Dutch pension fund ABP have entered into an agreement to form a new tower company, known as TowerCo. This partnership aligns with KPN's ‘Connect, Activate & Grow’ strategy, aiming to optimise the value of its passive infrastructure assets while maintaining strategic flexibility.

The agreement comes in response to the surging consumption of data and the deployment of new technologies. With the growing demand for network expansion and densification, KPN recognises...

5 June 2024 | 5G

Committee warns UK set to miss 4G coverage target

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee's report on the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme reveals critical issues in meeting the UK government's 95% 4G coverage goal by December 2025.

Launched in 2020, the SRN aims to improve 4G coverage from 91.4% to 95% of the UK landmass. Despite a steady increase to 93.1%, sustaining this progress becomes increasingly challenging as the remaining areas are harder to reach.

The report highlights that three out of four mobile...

3 June 2024 | Legislation & Government