Page 42 - SAMENA Trends - April-May 2021

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

BT Labs' End-To-End Network Core Trial Marks Important Milestone for

Standalone 5G

BT’s mobile business, EE, was first to launch rolled into the live network, this technology within 5G networks. The testbed continues
5G in the UK and continues to expand its will help to realize the full performance to offer BT and its partners the opportunity
leading network. It offers customers faster potential of 5G technologies, enabling to explore a number of 5G use cases and
speeds and greater capacity in the short numerous economic opportunities for their application within a number of key
term. And as the underlying structures of business across vertical industries like strategic verticals. These include:
5G continue to evolve, some of the bigger public safety, eHealth, manufacturing • eMBB (Enhanced Mobile Broadband) –
impacts of 5G-enabled technology will and logistics, transportation, media and providing high data rate services such
arrive in the years ahead. In line with BT’s entertainment, and automotive. In 2019, as HD video or Virtual Reality (VR)/
commitment to building the strongest BT officially launched its own 5G-VINNI Augmented Reality (AR);
foundations for the UK, our research teams testbed at Adastral Park and opened the • URLLC (ultra-reliable, low-latency
at the BT Labs, Adastral Park, continue to project to applications to use the facilities communications) – further minimizing
innovate in communications and digital to demonstrate 5G innovation. And earlier network latency for mission critical
technology, helping to unlock 5G’s future this year, we made a significant step services such as autonomous driving or
potential for customers and partners. One towards the future of 5G as the testbed’s remote diagnosis and surgery
important strand of our 5G research is part underlying infrastructure underwent a • mMTC (massive machine-type
of the Horizon 2020 program – an EU-led major upgrade – evolving its network communications) – powering
Research and Innovation program with core to a full 5G stand-alone (5G SA) 5G services with high density of
nearly €80bn of funding available over its architecture. As opposed to all current connectivity, such as smart city grids or
lifetime. Through this project, we’ve been commercial 5G networks, 5G SA provides massive IoT networks.
able to accelerate 5G innovation on subjects a fully 5G end-to-end solution without In order to investigate these concepts, BT
that are still years away from the market, data traffic being redirected through a 4G is currently using the 5G-VINNI testbed to
investigating everything from autonomous network core, as is currently the case for engage in a series of experiments, tests
drones to 360o remote robotic control. One all UK mobile networks. The underlying and trials of different 5G Innovations.
of the projects that we have helped build technology, is a proof of concept based Watch this space for future details as we
and test is called 5G-VINNI (5G Verticals on a Samsung-supplied commercial 5G explore these exciting new technologies
Innovation Infrastructure), whose aim is to NR SA solution, offering the possibility of and continue to develop 5G to its maximum
create a set of interconnected, open, end- greater flexibility, improved performance potential!
to-end 5G testbeds across Europe. Once & stability, and a future-proof architecture

China Mobile Revenue Climbs on 5G Handset
Growth

China Mobile warned gains fueled by its 5G business could prove a double-
edged sword in terms of increased expenses, as it revealed growth in key
metrics for the first quarter. In an earnings statement, chairman Yang Jie said
following its large-scale 5G network deployment, it expects corresponding
depreciation and electricity expenses to increase at relatively high rates. The
operator ended March with 189 million 5G package customers compared
with 31.7 million in Q1 2020 and for the first time revealed it had 92.8 million
customers, defined as those using the next-generation network over the
course of a month. Surprisingly its 4G use base also grew during Q1, up
36 million year-on-year to 788 million. Net profit increased 2.3 per cent to
CNY24.1 billion ($3.7 billion), with total operating revenue rising 9.5 per cent to
CNY198.5 billion. The revenue growth was fueled by a 67 per cent increase in
handset sales to CNY20.8 billion, which the operator credited to a wider range
of 5G models at more affordable prices. Telecoms service turnover increased
5.2 per cent to CNY177.7 billion. Total subscribers fell by 6 million to 940
million. ARPU edged up 1.1 per cent to CNY47.40, while average monthly data
usage increased 34.9 per cent to 11.2GB. The volume of total voice minutes
increased 8.3 per cent and SMS usage dropped 12.6 per cent.
42 APRIL-MAY 2021