Page 80 - SAMENA Trends - January 2020

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Telstra Reaches Milestone for Number of Connected 5G Devices

Australia’s Telstra has provided an update end-users. Indeed, it was not until May begun selling its first 5G-capable devices
on its 5G rollout, ZDNet reports, with the 2019 that the operator announced it had for consumers.
mobile network operator (MNO) revealing
at the at CES 2020 trade show that it
now has a total of 100,000 5G devices
connected to its network. Meanwhile, the
MNO was also said to have confirmed
that it currently has 800 5G-capable sites,
while noting that it is still aiming to extend
5G connectivity to a total of 35 cities
by mid-2020. As previously reported by
CommsUpdate, Telstra began activating
5G sites in August 2018 but commercial
services were not available at the time
due to the lack of compatible devices for

DOCOMO, MobiledgeX to Conduct PoC Trials to Verify Worldwide Distribu-

tion of 5G Applications

Japan’s leading mobile operator by MEC infrastructure, such as servers and based software studio ‘1000 realities’,
subscribers, NTT DOCOMO, is teaming up storage systems, located on the edges distributed to the MEC platform, DOCOMO
with US-based MobiledgeX to conduct a of mobile operator networks that are Open Innovation Cloud, connected to 5G
joint proof of concept (PoC) trial in Tokyo close to customers in markets overseas. and LTE networks operated by DOCOMO
to test a solution that ‘leverages multi- Developers, device manufacturers and in Japan. Edge Realities uses space-
access edge computing (MEC) for the other technology partners with stringent recognition technology to superimpose AR
worldwide distribution of applications’. performance and data-governance needs content on real objects and large spaces
With the cellco aiming to launch its will be able to distribute their applications without using place markers. The MEC
5G network this year, DOCOMO will quickly and easily worldwide, without platform will enable the content to be
collaborate with MobiledgeX to help a having to confirm usage conditions or positioned in space and displayed, without
variety of partners distribute innovative system availability in each operator’s any time lag. Finally, the partners note that
5G solutions worldwide, it said. In a press MEC infrastructure respectively.’ Further, Tanseisha and DOCOMO Innovations will
release, the two parties confirmed that the PoC trials will include an augmented- support the PoC.
‘MobiledgeX’s solution offers a developer reality (AR) application based on the ‘Edge
portal site for distributing applications to Realities’ platform supplied by Poland-

India Operators Select Vendors for 5G Trials

The three major mobile operators in deployed its 4G network. Second- and kit. In June 2019, the Indian government
India and state-run BSNL applied to the third-ranked Vodafone Idea and Airtel will set up a committee to review Huawei’s
Department of Telecommunications to also team with Ericsson, Nokia and ZTE, network security and previously expressed
conduct 5G trials, with Vodafone Idea while BSNL will work only with ZTE, the reluctance to allow the vendor to deploy
and Bharti Airtel opting to use Huawei newspaper stated. In early January, the its 5G gear, due to fears over back-doors
gear in the tests, The Economic Times government gave the green light for all which could allow the Chinese government
reported. Reliance Jio, with a 35 per cent equipment suppliers, including Huawei, to to spy on users. India plans to hold 5G
market share by subscribers, is sticking participate in the trials. The country faced spectrum auctions by the end of Q1.
with its existing supplier Samsung, which continued US pressure to ban Huawei’s

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