3GPP elects three Samsung researchers as vice-chairs

Samsung has announced that three of its researchers have been elected as vice-chairs within the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project).

The achievement solidifies Samsung's influence within the world's largest telecommunications standard development organisation. With these new appointments, Samsung now boasts a total of seven officials within 3GPP, comprising two chairs and five vice-chairs.

Since its inception in 1998, 3GPP has united telecommunications powerhouses...

23 August 2023 | 5G

Ericsson achieves 5.7Gbps in world’s first 6CC data call

Ericsson has pushed the boundaries of 5G Carrier Aggregation by seamlessly integrating six component carriers (6CC) to achieve a record-breaking download speed of 5.7Gbps.

The groundbreaking data call was orchestrated through the harmonious convergence of three Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) bands with three Time Division Duplex (TDD) bands within the sub-6GHz spectrum range.

Sibel Tombaz, Head of Product Line 5G RAN at Ericsson Networks, said:

"We are...

18 August 2023 | 5G

Web3 project Helium Mobile launches $5/month unlimited plan

Helium Mobile, the “People’s Carrier,” aims to disrupt the telecoms industry with its unlimited plan.

Helium Mobile’s no-contract $5/month plan is initially launching in Miami and offers unlimited talk, text, and data. This disruptive offering comes as a result of Helium Mobile's innovative approach, making use of Dynamic Coverage.

Dynamic Coverage enables subscribers to access both the localised Helium network – run by a global network of individuals who are...

16 August 2023 | 5G

SK Telecom invests $100M in Anthropic to develop a LLM for telcos

SK Telecom (SKT) has announced a $100 million investment in Anthropic to develop a large language model (LLM) customised for telecommunications companies.

Anthropic is a renowned AI safety and research firm based in San Francisco. SKT’s venture capital firm, SK Telecom Venture Capital, has previously invested in Anthropic.

The deepening collaboration between SKT and Anthropic aims to create a groundbreaking advancement in AI for telcos. The partnership has set its...

14 August 2023 | Digital Transformation

5G Standalone deployments lag in H1 2023

Expectations were high for a surge in 5G Standalone (5G SA) deployments in 2023, yet the first half of the year saw only seven materialise.

30 deployments are listed by STL Partners as "in progress" on their tracker. In a report, the telecoms research firm examined the likelihood of these deployments occurring within 2023 and whether 5G SA remains a critical priority.

Previously, experts predicted a significant uptick in 5G SA core deployments in 2022, but the reality...

11 August 2023 | 5G

Drahi: If Altice corruption allegations are true, I feel ‘betrayed’

Patrick Drahi, the billionaire founder and controlling shareholder of Altice International, publicly addressed the corruption allegations that have recently surfaced involving the company's Portuguese operations.

Speaking during a Q2 2023 call for debt investors, Drahi expressed shock and disappointment over the allegations and stated that if proven true, he feels "betrayed and deceived."

The corruption probe, which came to light last month, centres around procurement...

8 August 2023 | 5G

BT appoints Allison Kirkby as CEO

BT has officially announced the appointment of Allison Kirkby as its new chief executive.

Kirkby will succeed Philip Jansen and is expected to assume the role by the end of January 2024 at the latest.

“I’m incredibly honoured to have been appointed as the next chief executive of BT Group. BT is such an important company for the UK, and our many customers both in the UK and internationally and is uniquely placed to help everyone benefit from the rapid advances in...

31 July 2023 | 5G

Churches partner with Vodafone to enhance rural coverage

Vodafone and Net CS have joined forces to embark on an ambitious project to enhance mobile technology in 11 Church of England parish churches across the country.

The primary goal of this partnership is to provide robust and reliable 4G coverage to rural communities in the vicinity of these historic churches.

The first phase of the project has already been completed, with the installation of the new mobile technology at two churches: the Blessed Virgin Mary in Brompton...

27 July 2023 | Networks

State of mobile in the UK: A review of H1 2023

In the first half of 2023, RootMetrics conducted extensive testing to assess the end-user mobile experience across major metropolitan markets, nations, and the UK as a whole.

EE, the longstanding leader, continued to shine in the UK-wide testing. It secured the top position in all seven RootScore categories, securing the UK Overall RootScore Award for the tenth consecutive year.

Marc Allera, CEO of EE, said:

"The quality and reliability of mobile networks are...

25 July 2023 | Telecoms

GSMA: 5G to fuel APAC mobile revolution by 2030

The Asia Pacific (APAC) region is poised to experience a dramatic shift in its mobile landscape as 5G technology rapidly gains momentum, according to the recently published Mobile Economy APAC 2023 report by the GSMA.

The report highlights the exponential growth of 5G adoption in the region, projecting that 5G connections will account for over two-fifths (41%) of mobile connections by 2030, a surge from just 4% in 2022.

Julian Gorman, Head of APAC at the GSMA, said:...

24 July 2023 | 5G