Page 85 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

European Open RAN Advocates Demand EU Support

A quintet of heavyweight operator groups European Union member states and and resilience, decisive action and
urged European authorities to take industry stakeholders, with a call for all collaboration is needed now”. The report
immediate action to stimulate the open parties to collaborate. “Open, intelligent, flagged a lack of presence of European
RAN sector to ensure the continent does virtualized and fully interoperable RAN is vendors in the “six major technology and
not lag North America and Asia in the 5G era essential if Europe is to meet its target of service categories that comprise the
and beyond. In a joint statement Deutsche 5G for all by 2030,” the operators stated. open RAN value chain”, pointing to cloud
Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, Telecom Italia “It will help drive stronger, more resilient hardware as one area. A limited number of
and Vodafone Group pressed for regulatory supply chains and platforms, as well as semiconductor suppliers in the region was
adoption of five recommendations pulled promote digital autonomy and continued also highlighted. Deutsche Telekom CTIO
from a wider Analysys Mason report technology leadership.” Citing conclusions Claudia Nemat pressed for immediate,
commissioned by the group. The operators from the Building an open RAN ecosystem decisive action. “In North America and
argued moves to secure Europe’s place for Europe report, the heavyweights Asia there is strong backing for open RAN.
in the open RAN ecosystem should said if the continent is to “maintain its Europe should not fall behind but seek a
be “urgently prioritized” by politicians, competitiveness, technology leadership leading position”.

Algar Telecom Launches 5G

Using 2.3GHz Band

Brazilian regional operator Algar Telecom has
launched a commercial Non Standalone (NSA) 5G
service using its newly acquired 2.3GHz spectrum.
The launch means that Algar is the first Brazilian
player to utilize frequencies secured in the recent
multi-band spectrum auction. The 5G network
went live on 15 December and covers selected
parts of Uberlandia and Uberaba, as well as Franca
in Sao Paulo. TeleGeography notes that Algar
acquired regional spectrum in the 2.3GHz, 3.5GHz
and 26GHz bands in the country’s 5G spectrum
auction. Unlike the 3.5GHz band, the 2.3GHz band
does not require cleaning for interference before 5G
use. Algar executive Marcio De Jesus commented:
‘The company already had a good part of its
infrastructure adequate or easy to adapt to the 5G
offer. We made investments in backhaul structures,
network core and service platforms.’

Telefonica Connects 5G Mobile Stations Via Microwave Relay Solutions

Telefonica Deutschland has announced systems to a core network almost in real shifting the previously applicable physical
that it is connecting its 5G mobile stations time, as required by the 5G mobile radio limits for microwave radio relay systems
via high-capacity microwave radio relay standard for broadband applications, and due to the high flexibility as well as
systems where no fiber-optic infrastructure among other things, is therefore also the cost and time savings, the microwave
will be available in the foreseeable possible via directional radio. In rural radio relay solution thus supports the goal
future. Thanks to technological progress, areas in particular, Telefonica will therefore of a rapid 5G network expansion,’ a press
innovative radio relay solutions now increasingly use high-capacity 80GHz release from the company said. Telefonica
support bandwidths of several gigabits directional radio (‘E-band’) in addition to is aiming to supply the entire population of
per second. Reliable transmission of fiber-optics, depending on the location, Germany with 5G by the end of 2025.
mobile radio signals from mobile radio when expanding its 5G network. ‘By

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