Page 116 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

FCC Launches 5G Testbeds in Two Cities

The US Federal Communications However, those approved to test in the to 40GHz. In Utah, operators will have
Commission (FCC) sought to make Innovation Zones will be allowed to access to a total of four square miles of
it easier for companies to test next- conduct multiple, unrelated pilots under a test space, comprised of three connected
generation technologies, creating two single authorization. In a statement FCC areas including a college campus,
new urban innovation zones in New York Chairman Ajit Pai said the areas would downtown area and corridor connecting
City and Salt Lake City, Utah. Its move provide innovators with broader access to the two. Fixed and mobile testing there
is designed to cut regulatory red tape resources while also protecting licensed will be permitted across low and mid-band
and make it easier for companies to test users in those areas. The New York City spectrum ranging from 700MHz to 7.1GHz
new technologies outside of a traditional zone encompasses just under a tenth of Both zones will be active for a period of
campus or laboratory setting. Trialing a square mile in Manhattan and allows five years, though the FCC could extend
new technologies like 5G would usually fixed and mobile testing across a variety of the terms.
require companies to seek individual bands including 2.5GHz, 3.7GHz to 4.2GHz
licenses from the FCC for each experiment. (C-Band), 5.9GHz, 28GHz, and 38.6GHz

5G Network Now Available at Beirut Airport

Lebanon launched its mobile 5G network service at the Beirut
Rafik Hariri International Airport. “Beirut’s airport is the
first in the region to provide 5G service for its passengers,”
said Telecommunications Minister Mohammed Choucair
from the airport where he announced the news. Choucair
thanked all parties collaborating to take this move, he
said: “We thank the General Manager of OGERO and the
Middle East Airlines. We hope to see an improvement not
only at the airport but throughout Lebanon.” For his part,
Transport Minister Youssef Fenianos said: “Everything is
on the application that we launched in collaboration with
Ogero to facilitate the travel of passengers.” “The service
will be available for all passengers,” he noted.

Ucell, Uzmobile Testing 5G in Uzbekistan

State-backed Uzbek mobile operator Ucell September. The operator adds that later non-hierarchical (disproportionate)
announced on its website that it has begun this year it will switch on a live 5G network access and Massive MIMO’, with internet
testing 5G mobile network technology in section at Tashkent’s International access speeds of around 1Gbps. Based on
response to recent calls from the country’s Business Centre, before gradually adding test results, it will draw up a program of
President and the Ministry of Information further 5G coverage in other locations. commercial 5G equipment procurement and
Technologies & Communications (MITC) Another state-owned Uzbek cellco, rollout which it expects to take ‘more than
inviting operators and tech providers to Uzmobile (part of Uzbektelecom), also one and a half years’. On Uzbektelecom’s
submit 5G deployment proposals. Ucell disclosed on its website details of 5G Facebook page, a company engineer
gained permission to test a 5G network tests, similarly in partnership with Huawei. posted a 5G testing device screenshot
earlier this month, and is now using Uzmobile said that it installed its first set showing a data connection speed of
equipment provided by Huawei to conduct of 5G base stations on its network on 14 1.455Gbps (downlink)/114Mbps (uplink)
tests at the company headquarters in September which were ‘put into operation on the Uzmobile network in Tashkent. The
Tashkent. So far, peak data speed has for pre-trial testing’ using ‘frequencies engineer added that ‘in the near future’
reached 1.376Gbps (downlink). Ucell is up to 6GHz’ and non-standalone network more details would be published ‘about the
currently preparing ‘a demonstration of architecture, supported by its existing 4G zones where it will be possible to test 5G’.
5G in test mode’ at ICT Expo 2019 (part infrastructure. Uzmobile added it will be
of Uzbekistan’s ICT Week) on 25-27 testing technologies including ‘multiple

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