UKTIN launches plan to boost telecoms ecosystem

The UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN) has launched a plan to boost research, development and innovation within the UK telecoms industry.

The aim of the inclusive industry forum is to help organisations accelerate R&D investment, collaboration and commercialisation of emerging technologies.

Nick Johnson, Head of UKTIN, said:

“The launch of our services is a pivotal moment for the UK telecoms sector.  Fragmentation across the ecosystem has...

GSMA launches ‘climate resilience’ innovation fund

The GSMA has launched an innovation fund to support the creation and deployment of “climate resilience” solutions.

While everyone is affected by climate change, some populations are more vulnerable than others. The GSMA aims to support SMEs and startups that are building solutions that will help such communities anticipate, absorb, and/or adapt to climate-related shocks.

Max Cuvellier, Head of Mobile for Development at the GSMA, said:

“De-risking...

UK announces plans to ‘unleash’ 5G and 6G innovation

The UK Government has announced plans to “unleash” 5G and 6G innovation, including through a partnership with South Korea.

Up to £25 million has been set aside for the ‘Future Open Networks Research Challenge’. Academics and industry players can apply for funding to support their early-stage research into open and interoperable telecom solutions, such as Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN).

The Future Open Networks Research Challenge is part of the UK...

Huawei CEO wants global experts to figure out 6G in Shanghai campus

Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei wants to attract global experts to the company’s Shanghai campus to get an early lead in 6G.

Speaking during an internal company meeting, Ren said that its Qingpu, Shanghai campus is “beautiful and suitable for foreigners”. Furthermore, he said: “If there are 700 or 800 foreign scientists working here, they will not feel they are in a foreign country.”

China is already the leader in 6G patents, something that the country’s national...

The 5G TELUS Lab: the future of creativity

Companies all over the world are gearing up for 5G, the fifth-generation cellular technology that makes wireless networks several times faster and enables the transmission of vast amounts of data. 5G is already used for a range of applications that include self-driving cars, virtual reality, and even remote surgery.  5G’s ultra-fast speeds and lower latency, when combined with augmented or virtual reality also hold a host of new possibilities for the entertainment...

Nokia achieves the world’s first 5G SA carrier aggregation

Nokia can boast of another world-first as it successfully completes a carrier aggregation in a 5G standalone (SA) network environment.

The vendor partnered with Taiwan Mobile to combine spectrum in the 700MHz (n28) and 3500MHz (n78) bands in a New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR CA) trial.

Tom Koh, SVP and CTO of the Technology Group at Taiwan Mobile, said:

“This trial is an important milestone as we execute our 5G strategy and deliver best-in-class 5G services...

Japan sets new internet record with 319Tb/s data transfer speed

Japan has set a new internet data transfer speed record of 319Tb/s just under a year after setting the previous bar.

Last year, Japan and the UK collaborated to achieve an internet speed record of 178Tb/s. That was an incredible feat, but the new record set by Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communication Technology (NIST) is simply astounding.

The 319Tb/s speed was achieved with a four-core fibre optic cable that remained around the size of a single. A...

Enea’s industry-first schema extends 5G Core to manage 4G data

Enea claims to have created the first virtualised data schema to extend 5G Core to manage 4G network data.

The schema enables mobile operators to map 4G and 5G data models into a single customisable view from the 5G Core to the edge.

Roland Steiner, Senior Vice President for Telecoms at Enea, said:

“Data is at the heart of 5G and operators need genuine agility to maximise their potential. But network providers have struggled to manage 4G and 5G data on their...

UK opens £1M SONIC Labs to accelerate 5G OpenRAN deployment

The UK government has announced the launch of two new labs to accelerate the development, testing, and deployment of 5G OpenRAN.

One of the new “SONIC Labs” will be based in London while the other will be in Brighton. The sites will enable various manufacturers to supply components for 5G radio equipment and test them prior to real-world deployments.

Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman launched the SONIC Labs at a virtual event this morning. He...

Vodafone gives OpenRAN contracts to Samsung, NEC, Dell, Wind River, and others

Vodafone has given valuable contracts to Samsung, NEC, Dell, Wind River, and others as part of its commitment to use OpenRAN in its network.

OpenRAN gives the opportunity for smaller telecoms vendors to compete against legacy players with standards-based and interoperable equipment.

Matthew O’Neill, Head of Networks at NTT DATA UK, said:

“Vodafone’s announcement will progress the development of OpenRAN technology across Europe – a positive move that...