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Tag: LTE

  • Vodafone Idea doubles 4G speeds in Mumbai

    Vodafone Idea doubles 4G speeds in Mumbai

    India’s Vodafone Idea has announced it has doubled 4G download speeds in the Mumbai metro area as part of a major network modernization program in the city.

    The operator is deploying new technologies in the metro area including Massive MIMO, small cells and more TD-LTE cell sites, and has so far deployed more than 5,000 such sites across several regions.

    As part of the network upgrade, Vodafone Idea has also installed over 1,900 pieces of dedicated indoor coverage equipment at high rises and commercial buildings.

    Vodafone Idea’s capacity and coverage in Mumbai has also benefited from 4G spectrum refarming conducted as part of the network consolidation between the former Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, which combined to become Vodafone Idea last year in a $23 billion merger.

    “I am happy to announce that ‘Mumbai just got two times faster’ which means that our customers will now experience two times the download speeds on the 4G network,” Vodafone Idea business head Sunil Tolani said.

    This is based on statistics from Valu Connex Telecom Services indicating that average download speeds in Mumbai have improved by 2.16 times compared to prior to the modernization program.

    “We will be utilizing multiple [advertising] media like OOH [out-of home], radio and digital to reach out to our audience and hope they will enjoy the benefits of our focused network initiatives in Mumbai,” Tolani concluded.

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  • Google Fi, the next carrier?

    Google Fi, the next carrier?

    If you are satisfied with your current phone but would prefer to switch carriers, hybrid MVNO Google Fi has a deal for you. First, some explanation. Google Fi uses two million Wi-Fi hot spots to bring you service. When you are out of Wi-Fi range, your phone checks to see which of the three 4G LTE networks that Fi supports (T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular) has the strongest signal at the moment, and connects you to it. Doing this allows Google to keep Fi’s prices down.

    Now, let’s talk about the free month of service that Google Fi is offering to those bringing their compatible phone and number to the MVNO from another wireless provider. The offer is available from now through March 24th, and a list of supported handsets can be found here. You must sign up for a full service plan (not just data) and the phone must remain activated on Fi for 30 consecutive days.

    A week after activating your phone on Fi, you will get an email confirming the credit, which will show up on the following invoice. The credit that Google gives you will cover “a single subscriber’s unlimited talk and text, data usage, and taxes and fees for one month.” The offer is limited to one per person, or six per group plan and requires Google Payments and Google Fi accounts.

    Something else to consider, is that you cannot change your phone while in the aforementioned 30-day period. One Fi subscriber had problems with the Samsung Galaxy phone he moved over to the MVNO and could not dial out about 90% of the time. He bought a Fi compatible LG handset, and while it worked without a hitch, Fi denied him the free month.

    Google Fi costs $20/month for unlimited domestic talk and text for one person ($15 additional for each added subscriber up to a total of six), unlimited international texts, and access to cellular coverage in over 200+ countries. High-speed data costs $10/GB each month, but once you hit 6GB, the rest of the month is free. This means that for an individual, the monthly bill cannot exceed $80 (before taxes and fees) or $205 for a family of four. But there is a catch. Once you consume more than 15GB of data in one month, your data speed is throttled until the next billing cycle begins. Or, you can decide to continue receiving high-speed data by paying $10/GB for any amount of high-speed data you use over 15GB in the same month.

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  • Vodafone Idea taps Ericsson for 5G-ready LTE upgrade

    Vodafone Idea taps Ericsson for 5G-ready LTE upgrade

    Vodafone Idea has contracted Ericsson to deploy 5G-ready LTE equipment as part of its network consolidation and modernization program. Under the agreement, Ericsson will help integrate the networks of the merged Vodafone India and Idea Cellular. As part of the contract, Ericsson will supply radio systems and transport equipment from its 5G-ready Ericsson Radio System portfolio.

    The deployments will provide Vodafone Idea with high capacity, low latency microwave backhaul and an easy upgrade path to 5G.

    Vodafone Idea plans to consolidate its existing deployed 2G and 3G network to maximize spectrum availability for LTE. This will be followed by ongoing optimization of the network in order to enhance end-user experience.

    “We have been strategic partners to both Vodafone India and Idea Cellular for several years, and now we enter a new phase of partnership with this deal with Vodafone Idea,” Ericsson head of SEA, Oceania and India Nunzio Mirtillo said.

    “The 5G-ready solutions in the Ericsson Radio System portfolio will help boost the capacity of Vodafone Idea’s LTE network and broaden the availability of high-quality mobile broadband services for its customers. These deployments will play an important role in building [the operator’s] future-ready 5G network.”

    Vodafone India and Idea Cellular completed a $23 billion merger in September, but the combined company is currently operating both the Vodafone and Idea brands independently.

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  • Nokia, STC to deploy LTE air-to-ground trial network

    Nokia, STC to deploy LTE air-to-ground trial network

    Nokia and Saudi Telecom Company subsidiary STC Business have teamed up to launch a pilot LTE-based air-to-ground network in Saudi Arabia. The agreement was signed at GITEX Technology Week 2018, and follows a successful trial of Nokia’s LTE-based air to ground solution on a flight from Riyadh to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Under the agreement, Nokia and STC will jointly work to build a commercial strategy for providing customers with in-flight connectivity, as well as on the network managed services and rollout of air-to-ground services across the STC Group.

    During the trial, Nokia provided a dedicated end-to-end network, including an air to ground RAN, core infrastructure and applications, while Nokia’s technology partner for aviation equipment Thales provided the onboard equipment.

    “The air-to-ground technology will enable STC to provide new and revolutionary services for their customers and add new revenue streams,” Nokia MEA head of end-to-end sales solutioning Mohamed Abdelrehim said.

    “With high-speed and low-latency broadband, airline passengers will be able to communicate with their loved ones or for business without any disruption because of air travel. Also, the airline crew will be able to improve operational efficiency because of better real-time communication between the flight crew and ground staff.”

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  • MyTel launches 4G services

    MyTel launches 4G services

    Myanmar’s fourth operator MyTel has launched 4G services, and plans to expand its network to all 15 states and regions of the nation next month.

    The operator started selling SIM cards in Nay Pyi Taw, eastern Bago and Kayin State earlier this month.

    MyTel plans to differentiate by focusing its rollout more in regional areas and provinces away from large cities. The company has previously indicated plans to cover around 90% of the population with 4G-only services by the end of 1H18.

    The operator has set its base rates at 10 kyat ($0.0075) per minute for in-network calls and 23 kyat per minute for out of network calls, and 10 kyat per SMS.

    As a promotion, MyTel has also introduced a new plan offering 750MB of data and a 100 minute welcome bonus, as well as 50% top-up bonuses per recharge.

    MyTel completed its first call over its network last month during a ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw.

    MyTel is 49% owned by Vietnamese state-owned operator Viettel and 51% owned by a consortium of 11 local ICT companies. The joint venture was established to secure Myanmar’s fourth and last telecoms license.

  • Teletalk and Robi sign network sharing deal

    Teletalk and Robi sign network sharing deal

    Bangladesh operators Teletalk and Robi Axiata have arranged to share network sites across the country to improve the network experience for their respective customers.

    The two operators have signed an agreement on the network sharing deal at a meeting this week attended by company executives including Robi CEO Mahtab Uddin Ahmed and Teletalk managing director Kazi Md Golam Kuddus.

    The agreement is also aimed at accelerating the 4G network rollout process once LTE licenses are awarded to mobile operators.

    Bangladesh’s 4G auction is scheduled to take part in February, and is expected to draw participation from the two operators as well as Grameenphone and Banglalink.

    CityCell, which recently had its operations suspended as a result of failure to pay required license and related fees, has also raised the prospect of participating in the auction in order to re-enter the market.

    The auction will encompass spectrum in the 2100-MHz, 1800-MHz and 900-MHz bands. The deadline for applying to take place is January 14 and the auction will be held on February 14. Operators will need to deploy a 4G network nationwide within 36 months as part of the auction terms.

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  • Myanmar’s Global Technology to deploy LTE

    Myanmar’s Global Technology to deploy LTE

    Myanmar broadband service provider Global Technology Group has revealed plans to roll out LTE-based wireless broadband services in 30 cities starting in April.

    The operator plans offer high-end wireless broadband services to both residential and business customers.

    The rollout will cover cities in the Nay Pyi Taw, Magway, Bagon, Mon, Kayin and Tanintharyi regions, to cater to an anticipated spike in demand for data traffic as a result of the growing popularity of streaming based services.

    Global Technology Group secured a network facilities service license in 2015 and a fiber network license in March. So far the operator has deployed FTTx based broadband services to the Yangon, Mandalay and Bago regions.

    The company competes with state-owned operator Myanmar Post and Telecom (MPT), which commenced an FTTH deployment in August and currently serves over 80% of the nation’s FTTH customers.

    MPT has announced a target of expanding the reach of its FTTH network to cover the entire country in 2018.

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  • Globe expanding LTE network amid growing demand

    Globe expanding LTE network amid growing demand

    The Philippines’ Globe Teleom expects to be generating around half of its mobile data traffic from LTE by the end of the year.

    The operator plans to deploy 600 more LTE cell sites by this time to cater to growing demand, taking its total network of sites up to nearly 5,600.

    Currently around 43% of Globe’s data traffic comes from its LTE network, which operates on the 700-MHz, 1800-MHz and 2600-MHz bands.

    Total mobile data traffic for the first six months of the year climbed 85% year-on-year to 280 petabytes as smartphone penetration increased to around two thirds of the opeartor’s total mobile subscribers, Globe’s latest statistics indicate.

    Globe has been concentrating its LTE rollout on Metro Manila and other densely populated areas.

    But a significant number of its customers are still using 3G SIMs with LTE devices or vice versa, so the operator is encouraging customers to upgrade for a superior experience. Since January the company has migrated around 900,000 customers using LTE devices onto LTE SIMs.

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  • Smart targets 70% LTE coverage by year end

    Smart targets 70% LTE coverage by year end

    The Philippines’ Smart Communications aims to make LTE services available in 70% of the population by the end of the year.

    A recent study from JP Morgan estimates that Smart’s nationwide LTE coverage reached 51.5% by the end of May, Smart VP of network planning and engineering Mario Tamayo said in a statement.

    Smart, the wireless division of PLDT, said the findings show that Smart is on track to meet the targets the company stipulated in the three-year network rollout plan the operator to the National Telecommunications Commission in July last year.

    The plan stated that the operator is targeting making LTE available to 95% of the company’s cities and municipalities by the end of 2018.

    The report also estimated Smart’s average broadband speeds at 11.1Mbps on a nationwide basis, ahead of rival Globe Telecom.

    Smart said it is currently re-equipping its cell sites to use low-frequency bands such as 700 MHz and 850 MHz to provide better indoor coverage, while simultaneously deploying high-frequency bands like 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz to increase the cell sites’ capacity.

    “We are asking for people’s patience and understanding as we are upgrading our network facilities. We assure you that we are taking steps to minimize the impact of these activities on our subscribers,” Tamayo said.

    “In the end, our commitment to all our subscribers is that they will enjoy progressively better mobile data services in the next few months, particularly for those using LTE devices.”

    To promote adoption of its LTE network the company has launched a new data package offer, Video Prime 99, that comes with 2GB of data and a subscription to the iflix and iWant TV streaming services. The offer is valid for seven days.

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  • Unicom, Ericsson, Qualcomm demo VoLTE over Cat-M1

    Unicom, Ericsson, Qualcomm demo VoLTE over Cat-M1

    China Unicom, Ericsson and Qualcomm have completed the first demonstration of LTE Cat-M1 Voice over LTE use cases.

    The demonstrations at last week’s Mobile World Congress Shanghai involved providing connectivity for a fire alarm trigger panel and a GPS emergency tracking device.

    The demos were conducted using Unicom’s spectrum, Ericsson’s IoT and VoLTE capable network infrastructure and IoT devices equipped with Qualcomm multimode IoT modems.

    Adding VoLTE support to Cat-M1 allows IoT devices based on the cellular IoT technology to make voice calls as well as sending data.

    The demonstrated showed that emergency communications devices can be designed or retrofitted to  support wireless connectivity, supporting voice communication between the devices and emergency centers.

    In the case of the fire alarm trigger panels, people triggering an alarm were able to describe the situation to first responders and get immediate guidance.

    The GPS emergency tracking device demonstration meanwhile showcased the ability of such devices to send GPS location data while enabling VoLTE calls for coordinated emergency response.

    “China Unicom aims to drive the development of the IoT and accelerate cellular network development and large-scale business implementation by constructing the leading 4G FDD network,” Unicom executive director and senior vice president Guanglu Shao said.

    “We launched NB-IoT on a pre-commercial basis on May 12 in Shanghai. This cooperation on eMTC with Ericsson and Qualcomm is a new venture intended to boost social intelligence and the Internet of Everything through wide cooperation and the construction of leading networks.”

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  • MPT upgrading new LTE network to 4×4 MIMO

    MPT upgrading new LTE network to 4×4 MIMO

    Myanmar Post and Telecom (MPT) has adopted 4×4 multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology for its recently-launched 4G network covering Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw.

    The operator is using LTE-Advanced technology capable of internet speeds of up to 150Mbps in 47 townships across the three cities.

    MPT meanwhile plans to extend its LTE-Advanced network to Bago, Taunggyi, Mawlamyine, Monywa, and Patheingyi in July and to 20 other major cities the following month, the report states. The deployment is expected to cover all 30 major cities in the nation by November.

    MPT announced the commencement of its LTE rollout last month after securing approval along with the market’s other operators to use 1800-MHz spectrum for 4G. The state-owned operator has partnered with Japan’s KDDI and Sumitomo for its mobile operations.

    As part of its deployment, the operator is offering customers the ability to swap their existing 3G SIMs for a 4G SIM while maintaining their current phone number.

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  • Gigabit LTE set to make up 30% of LTE subs by 2026

    Gigabit LTE set to make up 30% of LTE subs by 2026

    Gigabit LTE – a configuration of the LTE Advanced Pro standard – is on track to grow to account for 30% of total LTE subscriptions by 2026, according to ABI Research.

    The research firm predicts that Gigabit LTE will grow to nearly 2 million subscriptions by the end of this year, which will be less than 5% of total LTE Advanced Pro subscriptions.

    But the configuration is expected to grow to account for 70% of LTE Advanced Pro subscriptions and 30% of overall LTE subscriptions by 2026.

    ABI Research senior analyst Prayerna Raina said Gigabit LTE demonstrates that 4G still has a lot to offer.

    “Gigabit LTE… is a critical network milestone for operators in an increasingly competitive environment in the evolution to 5G,” he said. “It is essential for operators to support the ever-rising bandwidth needs of consumers, while also upgrading the network to support 5G networks in future.”

    The first Gigabit LTE service for mobile devices was launched in the US by Sprint in March. Australia’s Telstra meanwhile launched a Gigabit LTE mobile hotspot service in Sydney in February and is expected to support Gigabit LTE mobile devices as they become available.

    Market trends indicate that LTE Advanced and Gigabit LTE will coexist with 5G for some time, Raina said.

    “Today, operators globally are in various stages of upgrading their LTE networks. Over the next four to six years, we expect mobile networks to evolve considerably with the proliferation of LTE Advanced, LTE Advanced Pro, and Gigabit LTE on one hand and the launch of 5G on the other hand,” Raina said.

    “The vendor ecosystem is essential to this network evolution with device availability being critical for the service launch. It is, therefore, imperative for vendors to align their competitive strategies with the operators’ network transition timeline as well as alliances in the ecosystem.”

    LTE overall is meanwhile forecast to grow to account to around 30% of total mobile subscriptions this year and 50% by 2024, ABI Research forecasts.

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  • LTE revenues seen to have reached $600B in 2016

    LTE revenues seen to have reached $600B in 2016

    LTE service revenues will account for over $600 billion in 2016 and expected to grow further at a CAGR of more than 5% over the next four years, according to a new report by SNS Research.

    By 2020, LTE and 5G infrastructure investments are expected to account for a market worth $32 billion. This includes spending on distributed macrocells, small cells, C-RAN architecture equipment and mobile core solutions.

    SNS Research finds that more than 150 LTE operators have already deployed carrier aggregation technology. By 2020, over 50% of all LTE subscribers will be supported by LTE-Advanced networks.

    Also, mobile operators are pursuing a range of technologies including unlicensed LTE (LTE-U, LAA, LWA, MulteFire), VoLTE and eMBMS, as they seek to maximize the value of their LTE investments while addressing mobile data traffic growth.

    Further, though 5G is yet to be standardized, vendors are aggressively investing in 5G development efforts with a principal focus on new air interface transmission schemes, higher frequency bands and advanced antenna technologies such as Massive MIMO and beamforming.

    SNS Research said that, as a natural upgrade path for mobile operators from the previously detached GSM, CDMA and TD-SCDMA ecosystems, LTE has emerged as the first truly global mobile communications standard.

    While LTE and LTE-Advanced deployments are still underway, mobile operators and vendors have already embarked on R&D initiatives to develop so-called “5G” networks, with a vision of commercialization by 2020.

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  • Globe launches 4CC LTE-A

    Globe launches 4CC LTE-A

    The Philippines’ Globe Telecom announced it has become the first operator in the nation to implement 4-component-carrier aggregation LTE-Advanced using the 2600-MHz band.

    The upgrade effectively doubles LTE capacity in areas covered by the deployment, the company said, and will be capable of generating speeds of up to 400 Mpbs once compatible devices hit the market.

    So far Globe has implemented the upgrade at 110 sites mostly in Metro Manila, including most areas in Makati and certain areas in Quezon City, Marikina, Antipolo, and San Mateo.

    The operator aims to deploy the technology in more than 500 sites this year across more of Metro Manila as well as key areas of North Luzon and South Luzon.

    Globe is using its new 2600-MHz band spectrum allocation acquired through its joint purchase with rival PLDT of conglomerate San Miguel Corporation’s telecommunications assets last year.

    Since acquiring the spectrum, the company has also deployed around 1,200 2600-MHz LTE sites mostly in Visayas and Mindanao.

    “This is the first time that a telco operator in the Philippines is making use of this 4-component carrier spectrum LTE-Advanced technology and we are maximizing the potential of the new spectrum assigned to us for the benefit of our customers,” Globe SVP for program governance Joel Agustin said.

    “This technology milestone significantly improves customer experience as smartphone penetration in the country continues to increase.”

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  • Telstra to launch LTE-Broadcast this year

    Telstra to launch LTE-Broadcast this year

    Telstra has announced plans to launch LTE-Broadcast (LTE-B) services this year, and roll out the technology across Australia by 2018.

    The company is working with network vendor Ericsson to enable LTE-B in existing Telstra Media services this year.

    Telstra also plans to launch a 24×7 linear streaming channel using the technology, initially for certain compatible Samsung devices.

    LTE-B is a dedicated technology for broadcasting media over LTE networks for enhanced mobile video services such as mobile TV broadcasting and live streaming video services. The technology is also known as enhanced broadcast multcast services (eMBMS).

    LTE-B is designed to provide a constant bitrate data channel for broadcast content, with the bitrate not decreasing regardless of how many subscribers are watching simultaneously.

    Telstra group managing director for networks Mike Wright said 99% of Telstra’s 4GX-branded sites are already LTE_B compatible, and the operator aims to achieve nationwide coverage by next year.

    “Telstra’s LTE-B product roadmap will include 24 x 7 linear streaming, live sports coverage beyond stadiums, pre-loading of popular content, news clips and games highlights,” he said. “We plan on enabling LTE-B across many devices, and are excited to deliver an enhanced mobile experience to our customers.”

    In line with these ambitions, Telstra is also adopting technologies including session continuity and dynamic switching, and aims to introduce these capabilities to its network by November 2017.

    Session continuity allows for seamless transitions between unicast and broadcast areas during video streaming. Dynamic switching shifts the transmission between unicast or broadcast depending on which technology will deliver a superior experience based on the current number of simultaneous users.

    “This technology will be crucial to improving the LTE-B experience for our customers. For instance, when network capacity becomes limited and multiple users are consuming the same content, the MooD capability can shift the transmission to broadcast,” he said.

    Telstra and Ericsson are also members of the global LTE-Broadcast Alliance, which is holding its first forum at this week’s Mobile World Congress, the annual mobile industry conference held in Barcelona.

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