AgriBusiness Connect, Ericsson harness 5G to ramp agricultural businesses in Aus...

Wednesday, 20 December 2023 10:33

AgriBusiness Connect, Ericsson harness 5G to ramp agricultural businesses in Australia

By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

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• 5G subscriptions hit 610 million in 2023: Ericsson report
  in 5G
  By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

  Almost one in five of all global mobile subscriptions will be 5G subscriptions by the end of 2023, predicts Swedish telecommunications vendor Ericsson. The vendor estimates in its Ericsson Mobility Report there will be 610 million new 5G subscriptions for 2023—a 63% increase in 2022—bringing the total to 1.6 billion, more than 100 million than previously predicted.

  Ericsson notes the uptake of 5G subscription in North America continues to be strong.

  The region is expected to have the highest 5G subscription penetration globally at 61%.

  5G subscription growth has also been strong in India throughout 2023. At the end of 2023 – fourteen months after its commercial launch – 5G penetration is expected to have topped 11% in India.

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  In the six years between the end of 2023 and 2029, global 5G subscriptions are forecast to increase by more than 330%—from 1.6 billion to 5.3 billion. It is expected to become the dominant mobile technology in 2028.

  5G coverage is forecast to be available to more than 45% of the global population by the end of 2023 and 85% by the end of 2029.

  North America and the Gulf Cooperation Council are expected to have the highest regional 5G penetration rates by the end of 2029 at 92%. Western Europe is forecast to follow at 85% penetration.

  “The rollout of 5G continues and we see an increasing number of 5G standalone networks being deployed, bringing opportunities to support new and more demanding applications for both consumers and enterprises,” said Ericsson executive vice president and head of networks Fredrik Jejdling.

  5G mid-band is the ideal choice for delivering 5G as it combines high capacity with coverage.

  Global 5G mid-band population coverage is currently more than 40%, an increase from 30% in 2022. The increase is mainly driven by large mid-band deployments in India, but also several mid-band deployments in Europe.

  “As most traffic is generated indoors, where people typically spend most of their time, there is a growing need to extend 5G mid-band coverage both indoors and outdoors to ensure a comprehensive 5G experience in all locations,” said Ericsson Mobility Report executive editor Peter Jonsson.

• Telstra snaps up new mid band spectrum
  in Business Telecoms
  By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

  Internet provider Telstra has secured up to 110MHz of additional “mid band” in the 3.4/3.7GHz spectrum auction held by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which was held last Tuesday.

  CommsWire reported yesterday that TPG Telecom has acquired new licences in the 3.7GHz spectrum band.

  CommsWire also reported last Wednesday that the ACMA has completed the allocation process for area wide licences in the 3.4-4.0GHz band in remote areas with 31 companies applying for the spectrum.

  Telstra said it invested $546 million in this spectrum to deliver even better 5G experiences to mobile customers across most parts of Australia through an additional 55 to 110MHz of spectrum.

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  This included securing an additional 80MHz of spectrum in Sydney and Melbourne.

  Telstra acquired a large proportion of the available spectrum at a high price, setting up its mid band spectrum assets for the next 20 years.

  The spectrum will increase capacity to support demand across metro and regional areas and will enhance customer network experience and speed.

  Telstra CEO Vicki Brady said the additional mid-band spectrum means more Telstra customers will enjoy an even better 5G experience as the new spectrum is deployed.

  “5G has completely changed how we use mobile devices and we continue to see customers’ demand for data growing. Adding this mid-band spectrum to our network means our customers will get an even better and more consistent mobile experience through more capacity to carry data,” said Brady.

  Mid-band 5G spectrum is used by almost all 5G mobile devices. Spectrum in the mid-band carries the majority of traffic on Telstra’s 5G network.

  The 3.4/3.7GHz auction is expected to be the final allocation of new mid-band spectrum licences by the ACMA or the foreseeable future.

  The new licences will be for a duration of 20 years in the 3.7 GHz band and seven years in the 3.4GHz band.

• TPG Telecom acquires new spectrum
  in Business Telecoms
  By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

  Australian internet provider TPG Telecom announced it has acquired new licences in the 3.7GHz spectrum band.

  TPG Telecom acquired spectrum in metropolitan and regional areas totalling to $128.2 million as part of the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s spectrum auction.

  CommsWire reported yesterday that the ACMA has completed the allocation process for area wide licences in the 3.4-4.0GHz band in remote areas with 31 companies applying for the spectrum.

  TPG Telecom said the 3.7GHz spectrum will improve and extend 5G services and coverage across Australia.

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  “Spectrum is a critical asset, enabling TPG Telecom and its family of brands to meet our customers’ growing needs for high-speed 5G services today and into the future,” said TPG Telecom CEO Iñaki Berroeta.

  “Once deployed, this spectrum will deliver a huge capacity boost for our 5G mobile and fixed wireless services, providing greater speeds and better performance for new and existing consumer and business customers.”

  The acquisition of the spectrum licences will be funded through TPG Telecom’s existing debt facilities.

  TPG Telecom said the new spectrum complements its current 5G spectrum licences including its 3.6GHz and 26GHz millimetre wave holdings.

  The licence term for the 3.7GHz spectrum band is 20 years.

• Qualcomm to provide 5G training for a university in Spain
  in 5G
  By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

  Semiconductor company Qualcomm has partnered with Escola de Enxeñaría de Telecomunicación de la Universidade de Vigo to provide 5G training courses for its students.

  The training courses will provide certification through the Qualcomm Academy program.

  It is designed to develop the 5G skills and knowledge of university students as well improve their prospects in the technology ecosystem.

  "As 5G expands across multiple fields and industries, there is a need for skilled professionals, so we are excited that students at the Escola de Enxeñaría de Telecomunicación de la Universidade de Vigo and throughout Spain, could receive training on the latest 5G technologies through the Qualcomm Academy," said Qualcomm Europe senior vice president Enrico Salvatori.

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  "We want them to be able to acquire the skills needed to help transform the wireless industry in Spain, and I believe our training can go a long way in helping,” claimed Qualcomm senior director of program management and head of Qualcomm Academy program Vikram Malhotra.

  The agreement will see the following:

  Students can enroll in two free 5G courses taught by Qualcomm’s engineers. The courses (5G Primer and Fundamentals of Cellular Communication & 5G) cover an overview of 5G, how it works and how it is transforming the way the world works.

  After completing the free training portion of this program, students can enroll in QWA's 5G introductory level 5G certification exam. This certification can be used to show employers that students understand the basics of 5G and how it works.

  "For the Escola de Enxeñaría de Telecomunicación de la Universidade de Vigo this training agreement is a further step in the university’s close collaboration with the industrial fabric. The possibility that the students at the university can be trained in 5G with a reference entity such as Qualcomm Technologies is an opportunity that, in Spain, only three other universities currently have: the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, the Universidad de Málaga and the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia," concluded Escola de Enxeñaría de Telecomunicación director Rebeca Diaz.

• Nokia, Orange test 5G SA core on open source
  in Business Telecoms
  By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

  Finnish telco vendor Nokia claimed it completed the first interoperability tests of 5G Standalone (SA) Packet Core’s User Plane Function (UPF) in the Sylva open-source cloud software environment, which was conducted at the Project Sylva Validation Centre in France, operated by partner Orange.

  The test validation is a key step offering a flexible cloud-native solution that enables large scale deployments of 5G SA Core Network functions.

  For 5G private wireless enterprise customers, Project Sylva aims to provide an efficient way to deploy Industry 4.0, IoT and B2B2X cases at the edge.

  “The test addresses use cases (industrial campus, IoT, computer vision) where the traffic can be managed locally on a simple and open infrastructure and can still be controlled by the public network,” said Orange group chief technology officer Laurent Leboucher.

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  “The validation program is intended to demonstrate that cloud-native workloads can deploy in a reference telco cloud stack, promoting standardisation to reduce fragmentation,” said Sylva validation program leader and Telefonica head of cloud and infrastructure Luis Velarde.

  The Project Sylva aims to provide a reference open source cloud software framework that addresses the technical challenges of the industry.

  Sylva was launched at the end of 2022 under the Linux Foundation Europe and its supporters include Nokia and Orange.