WCA September 2020

Telecom news

Rural wireless carriers in the USA are calling for Huawei “compensation” as a matter of urgency During June, the Rural Wireless Association wrote to the House and Senate Appropriations Com- mittees, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, requesting that congress make funds available for the implementation of the Secure and Trusted Communications Net- works Act (Secure Networks Act) reimbursement programme. As deter- mined by Congress, the administra- tion and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Huawei and ZTE equipment currently in use by rural carriers poses a threat to US national security but, without the necessary funds to replace their existing equipment, carriers lack the means to make the change and have no way to maintain their networks. In addition to removing the perceived security threat, the reimbursement funding will boost employment opportunities for Americans and ensure that rural Americans continue to be connected to broadband services through the COVID-19 pandemic. It is feared that if legislators wait until the fiscal year 2021 appropriations process to release the needed funding, it will place undue stress on the rural carriers’ networks and threaten the continued availability of critical services to rural communities. Google’s advertising technology business under the antitrust microscope In early June it was reported that the US Justice Department and most state attorneys general have opened investigations into allegations that Google has broken antitrust laws. The federal probe will focus on search bias, advertising, and management of Google’s Android operating system. It is believed that a break-up of Google’s advertising technology business will form part of the expected suit. Google spokeswoman Julie Tarallo McAlister said the company will continue to engage with the Justice

German regulator defends its 5G industrial plan

Germany’s telecom regulator has defended a controversial decision to reserve 5G spectrum for industrial groups, saying it was taken because many German companies want to build their own 5G networks and avoid using an operator’s public service. Responding to criticism from Orange, Germany’s federal network agency, the Bundesnetzagentur, said its consultations had revealed “huge demand” for 5G spectrum outside the telecom industry. Light Reading reported a spokesman saying, “Many verticals stated that they would need networks with heightened security regarding data and business secrets. Because of that, they aspire to build their own networks and avoid a connection to public networks.” The remarks came days after a senior 5G executive at Orange attacked Germany’s scheme as inferior to France’s planned approach of awarding all spectrum to operators, while requiring them to meet business 5G demands. Speaking at Light Reading’ s 5G Networking Digital Symposium in early June, Arnaud Vamparys, Orange’s senior vice president of radio networks, said Germany’s decision to reserve 100 MHz of 5G spectrum for industrial use would disadvantage smaller companies who lack the resources to build their own private 5G networks. Mr Vamparys added that limiting the amount of spectrum licensed to operators would also affect the quality of services they can provide to their customers. Germany’s move will allow industrial groups with their own spectrum to avoid using operators in their private networks for manufacturing plants or offices. Instead, they can choose to partner directly with an equipment vendor, such as Ericsson or Nokia, and operate the system internally.

Who will roll out the global 5G network? Building on a long-standing partner- ship between the companies, which includes 4G LTE network provision, Bell Canada will be using Ericsson Radio System products in its 5G coverage. Mirko Bibic, president and CEO of BCE Inc and Bell Canada, said, “Bell’s 5G strategy supports our goal to advance how Canadians connect with each other and the world, and Ericsson’s innovative 5G network products, and experience on the global stage, will be key to our roll-out of this … technology across Canada.” Stephen Howe, chief technology officer of Bell Canada, added, “Ericsson plays an important role in enabling Bell’s award-winning LTE network. … 5G’s high capacity and near-instant connections will enable next-generation applications like mobile 4K video and immersive augmented reality, connected vehicles, and industrial IoT automation

on a massive scale, and our plan is to deliver the benefits of the 5G wireless revolution to cities and rural locations alike.” Elsewhere, as reported by the UK’s Telegraph newspaper, industry watchers are warning that blocking new Huawei equipment from 5G networks from 2023 is not only highly impractical, but will come with a high price for UK telecoms operators forced to remove existing technology. Experts warn that the ban could cause problems with repairs and upgrades to the current network infrastructure, as also claimed for the USA by the Rural Wireless Association. UK-based Enders Analysis warns that a full ban on Huawei from 5G networks could cost UK telecoms operators £1.5 billion. Matthew Howett, analyst at research company Assembly, said that setting a deadline for ending the installation of Huawei equipment is “not much of a compromise” and the cost for operators would be similar to the impact of a full ban.

Illustrations: BigStockPhoto.com • Artist: Asmati

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2020

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