Page 99 - SAMENA Trends - May-June 2022

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Cell C to Deploy 5G Across Its Network

South African mobile operator Cell C is planning to add 5G
technology to its network, according to company CTO Schalk
Visser. Agence Ecofin writes that the company is currently in talks
with its infrastructure partners to deploy the technology, though
the date of the commercial launch has not yet been disclosed.
TeleGeography notes that Cell C secured 10MHz in the 3500MHz
band in March 2022 for ZAR288 million (USD18 million). Cell C has
moved almost 50% of its network to virtual Radio Access Network
(vRAN), allowing it to run its operations as software on other
network operators’ hardware. These upgrades will make it easier
for the company to expand 5G across the country.

EU Reaches Deal to Enforce USB-C in 2024

European Union (EU) lawmakers reached an agreement following scope, the legislation will need to be approved formally by the
years of wrangling for USB-C to become the common charging EU parliament and council later this year, which appears to be a
port for devices in the bloc by late 2024, a landmark move that formality. The EU estimates the obligations will lead to more re-use
could have major ramifications for Apple. In a statement, European of chargers and help consumers save up to €250 million a year on
Parliament and European Council negotiators said a deal had unnecessary charger purchases. Disposed and unused chargers
been reached to enforce new rules requiring manufacturers to are estimated to represent about 11,000 tons of e-waste annually.
use USB-C charging in products, meaning consumers no longer “Today we have made the common charger a reality in Europe,”
need a different charging cable every time they purchase a new said European Parliament rapporteur Alex Saliba.
device. The majority of smartphones already offer USB-C, although
Apple is an exception, with iPhones using its Lightning connector.
Apple sold 56 million iPhones in Europe in 2021. The new rules will
require mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras,
headphones, headsets, handheld gaming consoles and portable
speakers to be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless
of their manufacturers. Laptops will also have to be adapted to
the requirements by 40 months after the rules comes into force.
Furthermore, charging speed will also be harmonized for devices
that support fast charging, added the statement, allowing users
to charge their devices at the same speed with any compatible
charger.
E-waste
The European Commission first began a campaign for a common
charging port in 2009, in a bid to curb e-waste, and a proposal was
drafted in 2021. Now that an agreement has been reached on the

One Montenegro Claims Record 5G Transfer Rate in Testing

Following deployment of its first 5G base transceiver station (BTS) devices,’ commented Branko Mitrovic, who thanked the Agency
in the capital Podgorica last week, mobile network operator (MNO) for Electronic Communications and Postal Services (EKIP) for
One Montenegro (formerly Telenor Montenegro) claims to have authorizing the temporary use of 3.6GHz spectrum for testing.
achieved a data transfer rate of over 1.6Gbps during testing – said With the support of its new owner, Hungary’s 4iG, Mitrovic also
to be the fastest 5G speed recorded in the country to date. ‘One is reiterated One remains committed to accelerating investment in
building a network for the future, which will provide much more than 5G networks and will bid for additional frequency resources during
dizzying speeds – it will enable further development of supporting EKIP’s multi-band auction scheduled for the second half of the
industries and start a completely new era of interconnected year.

99 MAY-JUNE 2022