WCA March 2019

Telecom news

“Speed remains top-of-mind for consumers,” said Emily Groch, the director of telecom insights at Mintel Comperemedia. “Providers that cannot compete on speed will lose out if they cannot differentiate [themselves] through other key features that consumers value when it comes to their Internet service.” Ø Ø With increased speeds and reduced latency on 5G, next- generation networks are set to enable gaming to become richer and more real-time than ever before. Expect to see carriers partner with game developers and platforms to target fans of specific gaming franchises or genres through co-branded marketing efforts or sponsorships. In addition, eSports partnerships and sponsorships are expected to become highly prized relationships for cellular/Internet marketers. Ø Ø Seniors are becoming more tech-savvy as tech becomes cheaper, easier to use, and offers “more relevant functionality” for this age group. Providers will respond by stepping up their marketing efforts to the senior segment, and 5G will help super-charge the mobile device market in the coming years. “Expect to see improved technologies [assistive robots, hearables, wearables, smart- home] make tech more relevant for seniors, creating partnership opportunities for wireless and home Internet providers seeking to reach this highly relevant segment,” said Ms Groch. Elsewhere in telecom . . . Ø Ø The European Parliament has approved the European Electronic Communications Code as proposed in 2016 by the European Commission under its Digital Single Market strategy. The Code modernises the European Union (EU) telecommunications regulation framework, last comprehensively updated in 2009. Upon formal adoption the new rules took effect 3 rd on December, whereupon EU member states had two years within which to transpose the entire code into national law.

In a joint statement, Digital Single Market and Digital Economy and Society officials cited some of the aims of the code: supporting 5G network deployment across Europe; ensuring access to new mobile spectrum resources in the near term; boosting investment in high-speed broadband net- works across the EU, including remote areas; promoting access to affordable communications services (including universally available Internet, eGovernment, online banking and video calls); and granting EU citizens new digital rights irrespective of whether they use traditional calling, SMS (the short-message texting service) or web-based services such as Skype. In addition, new provisions on intra-EU calls will apply starting on 15 th May, with calls among any EU countries costing users a maximum of $0.21 per minute and intra-EU SMS capped at $0.068 per message. Ø Ø Finland’s Nokia and the telecommunications company Ooredoo Myanmar Ltd have set up the first 5G-ready technology centre in Myanmar, the result of a collaboration with Yangon Technological University (YTU). The Nokia Technology Centre will be utilised by the students of Myanmar’s first diploma programme in telecommunications. The curriculum, directed by the University of Oulu in Finland, is expected to benefit from the centre, which Nokia said is equipped with end-to-end radio, Anyhaul transport, and a core network solution that supports the latest 5G technology in addition to 4G/3G/2G. As reported on 19 th December by Al Bawaba , the Middle East technology news site, a new diploma programme designed for postgraduate YTU students, launched in March 2018 by the two universities, required a lab to enhance its curriculum and enable students to apply their theoretical knowledge in a test-bed environment. Nokia, whose technology informed the syllabus, decided to join forces with Ooredoo to create the centre as a key enabler for the programme.

Ø Ø First, 5G will be used for truly mobile connectivity, mainly in devices such as smartphones. Second, 5G will be used to connect “less mobile” devices, mainly 5G modems or hotspots: dedicated wireless access devices, small enough to be mobile, that will connect to the 5G network and then connect to other devices over Wi-Fi technology. Finally, there will be 5G fixed- wireless access (FWA) devices, with antennas providing a home or business with broadband in place of a wired connection. Ø Ø All of these 5G devices will operate over traditional and new cellular radio frequency bands in the low- (sub-1 GHz, such as 700 MHz), mid- (1-6 GHz, such as around 3.5-3.8 GHz), and millimetre-wave (mmWave, such as 28 GHz) ranges. According to Deloitte, while smartphones, modems and hotspots will mostly use low- and mid-range frequencies, 5G FWA devices will often operate using mmWave technology, which offers the potential for higher bandwidth than sub-6 GHz frequencies. Because mmWave frequencies struggle to penetrate walls or pass through certain types of glass, the company sees many 5G FWA devices as requiring mounting antennas on windows or on a building’s exterior wall. Three telecommunications marketing trends for the Canada of 2019 The Canadian market intelligence agency Mintel Comperemedia on 11 th December said that three trends will make a particular impact on Canada’s telecom industry this year. Here are capsule takes on Mintel’s predictions: Ø Ø 5G fixed and mobile wireless is expected to not only bring better connectivity to underserved areas, but also greater competition to well-served markets, driving lower prices for consumers and more aggressive promotions from home Internet providers.

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Wire & Cable ASIA – March/April 2019