Page 61 - SAMENA Trends - September 2023

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Telekom Deutschland Achieves ‘World Record’ 12Gbps Speed by Aggregating

3.6GHz, 6GHz Bands

Telekom Deutschland has set what it
claims is a ‘new world record’ by achieving
download speeds of 12Gbps in a trial in
Alzey, Rheinhessen. The test aggregated
commercial 3.6GHz 5G spectrum with
a 400MHz block of unlicensed 6GHz
spectrum, with the peak download speed
measured at a distance of 100 meters. The
6GHz band alone was capable of supporting
speeds of 11Gbps, Telekom noted. Abdu
Mudesir, Head of Technology at Telekom
Deutschland, commented: ‘6GHz spectrum
has the characteristic to meet the growing
demand of our customers for more
capacity and more speed. That is why we
hope that the World Radiocommunication
Conference will set the direction for mobile
radio use.’ Telekom began testing 6GHz 5G
frequencies in November 2022 in Bonn.

Ofcom: Over Half of UK Can Access Full-Fiber, Mobile Coverage Steady

coverage hasn’t witnessed a significant
increase since the last update, the industry
is actively working on expanding its
coverage. Approximately 93 percent of the
UK is expected to have reliable outdoor 4G
coverage from at least one operator. This
figure is anticipated to rise to 95 percent by
the end of 2025, courtesy of the Shared
Rural Network initiative. However, certain
geographic and road areas in the UK
continue to suffer from 4G not-spots—
where no mobile operator provides reliable
service. Geographic not-spots have
In the latest release of Ofcom’s Connected by major fiber operators, complemented marginally decreased from eight percent to
Nations report, the regulator has provided by smaller providers serving specific seven percent since the previous report,
insight into the state of mobile coverage communities and regions. Moreover, while road coverage remains largely
and broadband availability across the the report reveals that gigabit-capable consistent—with just four percent of all
UK. The report, which delves deep into broadband is now accessible to 75 percent roads designated as in-vehicle not-spots.
the accessibility of essential services, of UK homes—a slight increase from the These figures vary significantly across
brings encouraging news regarding full- previous figure of 73 percent. Superfast different nations, particularly in Scotland
fiber broadband accessibility and a steady broadband, defined as download speeds and Wales. Regarding calls and texts,
course for mobile coverage. of at least 30 Mbit/s, continues to maintain coverage remains relatively stable. Mobile
Full-fiber reaches majority of UK homes 97 percent availability across the country. operators offer a range of predicted
The standout revelation from the report The remaining three percent of properties, coverage from 85-93 percent of the UK,
is the availability of full-fiber broadband, mainly located in challenging-to-reach depending on the operator. Additionally, 99
which is now accessible to the majority areas, may benefit from recent publicly- percent of all UK premises are expected to
of UK households. 52 percent of homes, funded initiatives aimed at bridging this have outdoor voice call coverage from all
equivalent to 15.4 million households, now connectivity gap. mobile operators.
enjoy the benefits of full-fiber services. Steady mobile coverage
The milestone has been primarily achieved The report indicates that while mobile
61 SEPTEMBER 2023