If the deal is approved, it will be the end of the four-player era in the French mobile market and will be the beginning of an infrastructure-heavy model. Through this announcement, Orange is trying to solidify its dominance in fibre optic deployment and 5G infrastructure.

The deal involves a structure where Orange leads a consortium in negotiations with Bouygues and Iliad, the parent company of Free. As part of the plan, Orange intends to absorb SFR’s massive subscriber base while divesting specific assets to avoid potential antitrust probes.

Industry analysts label this as a defensive consolidation. They claim it is mostly powered by the demand for high capital expenditure for 6G R&D and the saturation of the European mobile market.

The Orange Group press release stated: “The scale required to compete with global tech giants and state-backed operators from Asia is no longer achievable in a fragmented market.”

The CAC 40 (Cotation Assistée en Continu) is the benchmark stock market index for France. It tracks the performance of the 40 largest and most significant companies listed on the Euronext Paris exchange.

They welcomed this announcement, though a rigorous vetting process from the European Commission’s competition watchdog and French regulator, ARCEP, will follow. Regulators in the EU have been historically wary of reducing the number of players from four to three, fearing that prices won’t be competitive for consumers anymore.

Orange has made a stability pledge and promised to maintain current pricing tiers for a fixed period, and has committed to accelerated rural connectivity targets. The involvement of Bouygues and Iliad in the negotiations is a complex carving strategy designed to ensure that no single entity gains an unfair monopoly over the nation’s spectrum.

SFR is a brand that has long been associated with Altice’s aggressive expansion, and the integration of SFR is going to be a multi-year project. For Orange, this is not about market share capture but more about the convergence of services.

SFR’s B2B wing has an extensive cable network, while Orange will be the undisputed leader in European quadruple play services, which include mobile, broadband, TV, and fixed line offerings.

The talks continue through the second quarter of 2026, and the telecom sector is watching the negotiations closely. If the Orange-SFR deal is successful, it will be a blueprint for similar consolidations in Germany and Spain, leading to a more resilient but less crowded European telecommunications sector.

The post Orange Group in exclusive talks for SFR acquisition appeared first on International Finance.

Recognising the critical role of connectivity in driving social and economic development, Ethio Telecom is making significant investments in expanding its network infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. One of Ethio Telecom’s most significant initiatives in recent years is the deployment of 100 new rural mobile solutions across 305 kebeles. This impactful initiative has already brought telecom access to over 903,000 residents, which will improve their lives and opportunities.

“We believe that access to communication and digital services is a fundamental right, not a privilege. We focus on bridging the digital divide and empowering all Ethiopians, including those in the most remote areas. While financial viability is a consideration, our commitment to inclusion and serving all segments of society takes precedence. We are driven by a vision of a connected Ethiopia where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” Ethio Telecom stated.

The deployment of these 100 new rural mobile solutions is aligned with Ethiopia’s broader goals of achieving universal connectivity and leveraging digital technologies to drive socio-economic development.

These eco-friendly, solar-powered systems provide essential 2G and 3G services, with the potential for future 4G upgrades. Crucially, these solutions eliminate the need for rural residents to make long-distance travel to access telecom services, saving valuable time and resources.

The modular design of these systems allows for easy upgrades as technology advances, ensuring that rural communities remain connected to the latest digital innovations. These rural mobile solutions, however, are not only scalable and sustainable models for rural development but also solar-powered systems designed to operate efficiently in off-grid areas, reducing reliance on traditional energy sources and minimising operational costs. This approach ensures that the solutions are both economically viable and environmentally friendly, aligning with global sustainability goals.

These rural mobile solutions provide a gateway to essential digital services in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, and finance. This access empowers communities to improve their livelihoods, access vital information, and participate more fully in the digital economy.

Additionally, it empowers the community to access mobile financial services through its mobile money platform, telebirr, promoting financial inclusion. This allows rural residents to perform transactions, save money, and access micro-loans without the need for physical bank branches.

Ethio Telecom’s dedication to connecting the unconnected underscores its commitment to building a more inclusive and connected Ethiopia. The company remains steadfast in its mission to expand connectivity and digital services, ensuring that all Ethiopians have the opportunity to benefit from the transformative power of technology.

The post Ethio Telecom: Connecting the unconnected appeared first on International Finance.

Under the ownership of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim’s family, the company declared in April 2024 that one of the primary objectives of its projected USD 7 billion capital expenditure budget for 2024 was 5G expansion.

The term “5G networks” describes the next generation of wireless cellular technology, which offers faster upload and download speeds as well as more reliable connections.

Talking about 5G expansion during a third-quarter earnings call, Daniel Hajj, CEO of America Movil, stressed that the technology’s continued adoption “will continue the same way for 2025.”

He called attention to the rollout of 5G in Mexico and other parts of Latin America.

Meanwhile, CFO Daniel Garcia mentioned that refinancing existing debt will be necessary in order to obtain additional financing in certain markets, citing Peru, Colombia, and Brazil.

He continued, “The current debt levels will be maintained.”

The CEO’s remarks come after the company’s disappointing third-quarter results in its primary market of Mexico.

JPMorgan analysts highlighted America Movil’s impressive results in Brazil and Colombia in a research note.

According to Hajj, there is a “very positive trend” as more Brazilian consumers who were previously prepaid subscribers move to contracts requiring regular payments.

To increase cooperation between the Mexican telecom company and space technology company SpaceX, the latter, led by maverick tycoon Elon Musk, is also being investigated (as an investment/partnership opportunity) by America Movil.

According to its executives, SpaceX would be able to join America Movil’s primary mobile services network through the possible agreement.

After announcing that it had tripled its quarterly profit, América Móvil’s shares rose by over 3% following the earnings call.

Who Is Carlos Slim?

Carlos Slim Helu was born in Mexico City, to Lebanese parents along with his five siblings.

Carlos’s father was a successful businessman who instilled a love of commerce in all his children from a very young age. By the time he was just 12 years old, Carlos had already made his first investment in shares of the National Bank.

Carlos worked for his father’s company until he was seventeen years old, following his death in 1953.

He studied civil engineering at Mexico’s National Autonomous University. He taught algebra and linear programming while he was in school, but as soon as he graduated, he entered the business world.

Carlos started his own brokerage at the beginning of his career after receiving years of business training from his father.

He would put his money into small, independent companies, and by 1965, he had expanded to the point where he could buy out or incorporate other businesses.

He invested in many types of businesses, but his primary interests were in real estate, construction, and mining. In 1966, his estimated net worth was USD 40 million.

He kept making investments, and by 1980, he had combined his holdings into a main business known as Grupo Galas.

The year 1982 saw a sharp decline in oil prices, which had a devastating effect on the Mexican economy. As a result, he increased the size of his holdings and made investments in foreign businesses; soon, he owned 50% of “The Hershey Company.”

He kept expanding his authority over telephone communication companies in 1990 with the intention of eventually purchasing “Telmex,” the Mexican phone company, from the government.

Soon after acquiring the business, he created a Telmex version for the US market and even acquired stock in the US mobile firm Tracfone.

Throughout the 2000s, Carlos continued to invest in major corporations, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Telekom Austria, The New York Times Company, and Volaris. By January 2015, he had become the largest individual shareholder of The New York Times Company.

With a USD 56 billion net worth in 2020, Carlos Slim ranks among the richest in the world.

America Movil Triples Quarterly Net Profit In Q3

Meanwhile, America Movil said that its net profit for the third quarter of last year more than tripled. This increase was partly attributed to lower financing costs and higher foreign earnings due to the peso’s decline.

In a filing to the primary stock exchange in Mexico, the company reported a 217% increase in net profit to 6.43 billion Mexican pesos (USD 326.37 million).

The company’s revenues for the period totalled 223.46 billion pesos (USD 11.35 billion), an increase of nearly 10% from the previous year.

Net profit came in below the estimate from analysts polled by LSEG, who had forecast dollar-denominated net earnings of USD 1.11 billion from revenues of USD 11.47 billion for July through September.

The company said its higher earnings were nonetheless helped by the sale of some towers as well as the depreciation of the Mexican peso, boosting the peso-denominated value of earnings made abroad. By the end of September, the Mexican peso had weakened more than 13% against the US dollar compared to a year earlier.

America Movil said the peso had weakened against most currencies in the regions where it operates, “with the notable exception of the Brazilian real.”

The venture’s core earnings, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), rose around 12% in the quarter to 89.42 billion pesos, an increase of 6% stripping out the impacts of foreign exchange.

The company also added 1.8 million subscribers, including 1.4 million post-paid customers, driven mainly by gains in Brazil, the region’s largest economy. In the fixed-line segment, the company added 327,000 broadband accesses.

The post Business Leader of the Week: Carlos Slim-led America Movil makes 5G push as its 2025 theme appeared first on International Finance.

The 6G technology has the potential to achieve previously unheard-of data speeds, extremely low latency, improved reliability, and ubiquitous connectivity. With these capabilities, it could open up a wide range of previously unthinkable applications. The introduction of 6G networks is anticipated to completely transform industries, economies, and society at large by enabling the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem and enabling the smooth integration of AI and immersive technologies.

As per a report published by the 5G Infrastructure Association, 6G technology is expected to introduce a near-instant and unrestricted complete wireless connectivity, which will significantly transform the way businesses function. And if forecasts come true, this game-changing technology might exist by the start of the following ten years.

Ericsson CEO Borje Ekholm said, “Future networks will be a fundamental component for the functioning of virtually all parts of life, society, and industries, fulfilling the communication needs of humans as well as intelligent machines. As accelerating automation and digitalisation continue to simplify people’s lives, the emerging cyber-physical continuum will continuously improve efficiency and ensure the sustainable use of resources.”

“The vision for 6G is built on the desire to create a seamless reality where the digital and physical worlds as we know them today have merged. This merged reality of the future will provide new ways of meeting and interacting with other people, new possibilities to work from anywhere and new ways to experience faraway places and cultures,” Ekholm added.

6G is ready to deliver the hype

Even though 5G networks have improved latency and speed, 6G is poised to take these advancements to unprecedented levels.

Donald Butts, InterDigital’s Senior Director of Technology Strategy, said, “While we have seen early adoption of 5G for practical virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications, 5G has not been able to deliver on the early hype due to myriad factors like costs, chip shortages, and politics. As a result, we’ve seen lacklustre adoption across both consumer and industry sectors despite there being a lot of work done in developing services and bringing them to market.”

Although 5G isn’t able to provide fully immersive experiences, Butts explains that 5G has set the stage for 6G to expand on and make these opportunities possible.

“While 5G provides data transfer rates that are far superior to previous generations, it still falls short of the conditions required to support immersive experiences. Extended reality (XR) and full immersive experiences require data transfer rates of 200Mbps to 5Gbps – far beyond what is currently possible with 5G. 6G, however, certainly holds promise in this regard, because it will utilise higher frequency bands and is said to provide speeds up to 100 times faster than 5G. This will be crucial to providing immersive experiences ‘on the go’, which may aid in its widespread adoption,” Butts added.

Going beyond communications

According to Victor Holmin, World Wide Technology’s Director of Portfolio and Consulting, 6G will mark a shift “beyond communications.”

“The network 6G will go beyond communications by creating a distributed neural network with the ability to integrate physical, biological and cyber systems. This will be done through establishing a bridge between cognitive computing, communications and sensing technologies. 6G will mark the beginning of a new era: the Internet of Behaviours and Intelligence of Everything,” Holmin explains.

The sensor network, increased connectivity speeds, and the latest wave of edge computing and AI-driven applications will open up a plethora of new intelligent industry use cases. If these predictions become a reality, the deployment of 6G has the potential to dramatically increase capabilities, across the full spectrum of global industries, including transforming the way that teams collaborate.

“Instead of spending hours on 2D Zoom or Teams meetings, we will meet in 3D digital spaces, where our avatars will have ‘real’ eye contact. We will be able to meet in groups and even express body language in real-time. If we need to hold a one-on-one meeting, we could simply switch all the participants out and find a quiet virtual space to connect. And if you want to visit a factory or try out a product, you could simply ‘fly’ or ‘teleport’ to a digital twin and experience it from there,” predicts technology blogger and influencer Bernard Marr.

Moreover, 6G will enable the virtual world more than in the past, according to Holmin.

“With 6G supporting virtual environments and haptic technology, the virtual world will be closer to the in-person experience than ever before. It could be possible to no longer need to spend time commuting to the office, as the office could virtually come to us in a matter of seconds through VR and AR applications. Virtual meetings would feel almost as real as in-person ones without us having to leave our homes,” Holmin noted.

Enabling the future of remote work

The introduction of 6G networks is expected to significantly alter remote work and how people and businesses interact and function. Employees working from remote will enter a new era of productivity, efficiency, and flexibility with access to advanced technologies, immersive collaboration, and improved connectivity. The distinction between physical and virtual workspaces will become less clear, allowing people and businesses to fully realise the benefits of remote work and transform the nature of work itself.

“The added capacity of 6G has the potential to give workers the ability to control and interact with industrial machinery in real-time from the safety of their home office. Haptic sensory suits, fuelled by the ease of quickly moving data across the network, could allow workers to maintain full control from the safety of a desk through a controller and headset while still communicating with colleagues,” Holmin comments.

The potential capabilities are so great that the so-called ‘Internet of Behavior’ would come to pass if we could develop brain-machine interface devices that allow for the real-time sharing of thoughts and sensations.

“With 6G, the network itself will no longer be a constraint but instead ensure that almost any use case can be easily deployed. With a network as flexible as 6G is set to be, service providers will need to be flexible themselves, working collaboratively across the telecoms ecosystem and with customers to deliver solutions,” Holmin said.

The cyber-physical continuum

The cyber-physical continuum, which connects the physical world of senses, actions, and experiences, and its programmable digital representation, will allow free movement between the two. This is made possible by 6G. In addition to the metaverse as it is commonly known, which is a virtual world where avatars interact in virtual reality and augmented reality, 6G’s cyber-physical continuum goes much farther, offering a much closer connection to reality.

The cyber-physical continuum will enable the seamless coexistence of digital and physical objects as merged reality, improving the real world by projecting digital objects onto digitally represented physical objects. In the future, networks will be essential to almost every aspect of life, society, and industry, serving both intelligent machines and humans’ communication needs. The growing cyber-physical continuum will continuously increase efficiency and guarantee the sustainable use of resources as people’s lives become more simplified by the rapid automatisation and digitalisation of society.

To send data and update the digital representation in real time, countless sensors will be embedded in the real world. Actuators in the physical world will perform tasks that have been programmed in the digital representation in the interim. The 6G network platform aims to bring intelligence, constant connectivity, and complete synchronisation to this new reality.

How a 6G rollout could change work pattern

A rollout of 6G will enhance the way we connect online. Rather than devoting numerous hours to 2D Zoom or Teams meetings, we will convene in 3D virtual environments where our avatars will establish ‘authentic’ eye contact. We will have the capability to convene in clusters and convey nonverbal cues instantaneously. If a one-on-one meeting is required, we could easily swap out everyone and locate a peaceful virtual area to meet. Furthermore, you could ‘fly’ or ‘teleport’ to a digital twin and experience a product or factory directly from there.

Also, businesses will be able to offer engrossing VR and AR training experiences with 6G technology, which will expedite knowledge transfer between teams and improve retention. The aerospace and engineering giant Honeywell is already enhancing its training initiatives with AR and VR. New hires are given mixed reality headsets by the company, which allow them to ‘see’ the work that other employees are performing. The VR and AR technology overlays information to help the new hires learn as they imitate the tasks.

With the 6G rollout, people can experience the new social media world. We will use mixed reality glasses to view people’s 3D worlds—rendering them in real-time and customising them just for us—instead of accessing their 2D profiles on smartphones. For instance, we might go to someone’s virtual house and enjoy their artwork and vacation memories rendered in three dimensions. Alternatively, we could arrange a virtual planet get-together for a fireside conversation with our new and old social media friends.

The medical field will undergo a revolution thanks to 6G technology. We’ll have smart sensors floating through our bloodstream, measuring and monitoring every facet of our health with lightning-fast data speeds. These networked devices will gather data continuously, analyse it, and provide recommendations and health issue predictions ahead of time.

Additionally, smart devices that can provide medical attention and physical support will be available to us. These devices will be backed by online digital avatars that are updated regularly. Our healthcare sector will transition from a reactive to a personalised and predictive model with the help of these new developments. This will significantly affect everyone who works in the healthcare industry today and completely change the way we take care of our health in the future.

With 6G connectivity, we will have real-time, 4D maps that can help us manage the extreme traffic of our future cities, including autonomous vehicles on the ground (and even in the air). Highly precise sensors in cars and base stations that can navigate and provide you with the fastest, most comfortable commute will make your commute better.

The post Beyond 5G: The 6G Revolution appeared first on International Finance.

Open6GC mainly offers asymmetric and symmetric mobile network authentication, hardware-backed root of trust, and intelligent cross-chain offloading.

Bloxtel provides a comprehensive solution for the web3 decentralised ecosystem, thereby enabling the integration of blockchain for mobile network deployment, apart from supporting decentralised networks by facilitating integration with progressive mobile operators.

Why The Venture Is Unique?

For providing the world’s most advanced 5G standalone platform featuring decentralised SIM technology. Bloxtel’s dSIM comes with user pros like 70% threat reduction for the network (no single failure point and tokenization ensuring cyber attackers are unable to disrupt network operations), 80% latency reduction (peer-to-peer local breakout and packet loss mitigation, which enables faster real-time processing for mission-critical AI-enabled IoT devices), 90% cost reduction (decentralised serverless infrastructure ensuring a zero CAPEX/OPEX strategy for a fully autonomous 5G network) and ten times more capacity muscling up (blockchain-native network core architecture, along with network slicing, significantly scaling up network capacity).

Also, Bloxtel’s decentralised 5G standalone network core software, integrated with dSIM technology, provides superior features like:

Asymmetric Authentication: Public key cryptography allows Bloxtel’s client’s devices (personnel and IoT) to connect instantly and securely with the start-up’s network infrastructure. The venture calls it ‘6G AKA’ in comparison to traditional symmetric authentication known as ‘5G AKA’, provided by its rivals.

Identity Tokenization: Bloxtel’s clients can associate tokenized proofs of ownership with their network subscriptions to prevent costly SIM swap attacks.

Electronic Subscriptions: With a single click, Bloxtel’s clients can order, issue or manage batches of dSIMs electronically. The product works with both eSIM-compatible hardware and older-generation devices.

Integrity Verification: Bloxtel deploys 5G access gateways and small cells in its client’s website, which make the latter tamper-resistant with remote boot attestation and runtime integrity measurement.

Intelligent Slicing: Bloxtel clients can create dedicated virtual access point names (APNs) with Quality-of-Service (QoS) rules and AI-based policy enforcers for a multitude of enterprise applications in their business websites.

Confidential Access: “Have the peace of mind that all of your data traffic from and to connected devices (personnel & IoT) in your private 5G network will never transit through a remote third-party network function server. Your network, your data,” states the American telecom start-up.

Bloxtel assigns its dedicated site technicians to implement the client’s private 5G network deployment. These professionals relay installation and operating parameters into an FCC (Federal Communications Commission)-certified Spectrum Access System (SAS).

The SAS then enables the Bloxtel clients to use the shared 3550-3700 MHz radio band, known as Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). For other markets, the start-up works with the principle of setting up agreements with public operators to sublicense their unused spectrum in tthe clients’ business websites.

“To get started, we ship you an Operator Evaluation Kit that includes a plug-and-play 5G small cell and 5G access gateway. Once installed, you can configure and manage your network including remotely provisioning your IoT devices with dSIMs from a decentralised web application called Operator dApp,” Bloxtel remarked further.

Taking A Product Tour

Among Bloxtel’s key products, the first is ‘Indoor 5G Coverage’. Unlike earlier forms of 5G deployments, which used to rely on existing 4G infrastructure (known as non-standalone/5G NSA), Bloxtel’s 5G Standalone operates without depending on older network infrastructures.

Deploying a private 5G network for indoor cellular coverage helps organisations enhance their connectivity options, improve efficiency, and maintain control over their network infrastructure. Bloxtel’s solution also provides superior indoor cellular coverage compared to traditional Wi-Fi/public cellular networks.

Bloxtel’s ‘Indoor 5G Coverage’ comes with pros like ultra-low latency (ideal for applications like robotics and automation that require real-time data transfer), high bandwidth (enabling efficient transfer of large amounts of data, which is beneficial for applications like high-definition video streaming, virtual reality, augmented reality, and IoT devices), enhanced network security (especially for sectors like healthcare, finance, and manufacturing), easy to customise (client ventures can tailor private 5G networks to their specific needs), network slicing (creating virtual networks within a single physical network), high reliability and reduced interference (Bloxtel provides dedicated and interference-free network operation environment).

Also, the client ventures can stay future-proof in its connectivity infrastructure, while facilitating long-term cost savings and complying with data regulations.

Bloxtel’s ‘Sim Swap Attack Protection’ uses the start-up’s patented dSIM technology to set up the digital proof of ownership. The process involves electronically providing evidence that helps the client enterprise to have legal control over their dSIM assets.

Bloxtel’s AI-powered video analytics involves machine learning algorithms analysing video footage in real-time/post-processing to detect, classify, and respond to various objects and events.

AI algorithms are trained to recognise and detect specific objects/entities in video feeds. Bloxtel’s AI can even identify defects in products in a factory’s assembly line. The start-up’s AI-powered video monitoring can perform facial recognition to identify individuals in the video footage, which comes in handy during critical security situations.

Bloxtel’s AI-powered video analytics has been tailored to analyse the behaviour of objects/people in video streams to detect unusual activities. The application can even detect vehicle accidents, fires, break-ins, or crowd disturbances, through multiple camera feeds.

The solution can create virtual boundaries and trigger alerts when an object/person enters the restricted area. It can analyse historical video data to predict/identify trends. This solution comes in handy for retailers looking to optimise store layouts based on customer traffic patterns. The tool can even assist smart city initiatives like efficient traffic management, waste management, and public safety enhancements.

Bloxtel also assists its client ventures with 5G neutral hosting, which is an emerging business model in which a business can securely share its deployed private 5G infrastructure to support offloading from other paying mobile operators. Last but not least, we have Bloxtel’s ‘Peer Node Validation’, where the start-up’s private blockchain offers a different level of transparency from public blockchains.

Gaining A Decisive Market Edge

While others provide expensive and complex to deploy 5G NSA products, Bloxtel, with its patented dSIM technology, makes its client’s private 5G standalone look and act like Wi-Fi.

While the start-up’s industry peers provide everything-in-the-cloud solutions, Bloxtel sees the approach as a traditionally centralised one, which comes with deployment complexity.

Bloxtel has disrupted the above trend with its white-glove and turnkey serverless platform, which comes with a guaranteed carrier-grade Service Level Agreement (SLA) of 99.999% of uptime, with an average of less than six minutes of downtime per year. The whole infrastructure can be deployed in a manner as simple as configuring a Wi-Fi router. The client needs ‘Power’ and ‘Backhaul Connectivity Sources’.

Bloxtel will provide its client ‘Operator Evaluation Kit’, which will include a plug-and-play 5G small cell and 5G access gateway. The client, then, can configure and manage its network including the IoT devices from a decentralised web application called ‘Operator dApp’.

The post Start-up of the Week: Bloxtel & blockchain-based 5G revolution appeared first on International Finance.

There are several questions about the 5G, like whether is it mildly upgraded 4G mobile broadband, or is it the technology that will connect industries and services, power a massive number of IoT (Internet of Things) devices, and serve as the backbone support for future innovation? In this article, International Finance will try to answer these questions.

What is 5G?
The fifth-generation mobile network is known as 5G. The air interface that enables 5G, which replaces 4G LTE, is 5G NR (New Radio). The 3GPP, an organisation that develops industry standards, created the 5G specification. Similar to 4G, 5G is a cellular mobile network that supports mobile broadband. The fundamental idea is the same: networks are divided into cells, and devices get cellular connectivity by connecting to radio waves emitting from a carrier-installed node. It just makes use of additional radio frequency (RF) waves that were not available to 4G. Increased capacity, increased bandwidth, and improved speeds are the main advantages of 5G over 4G.

The background
Mobile networks typically receive a standard-related technological upgrade every ten years. In the 1980s, 1G networks were analogue networks. Since 2G networks were digital networks, their introduction in 1991 marked a significant turning point for GSM. For instance, SMS texting was supported by 2G networks. GSM, TDMA, and CDMA were the three forms of 2G networks. Later, the 2G GSM networks introduced GPRS and EDGE (2.5G and 2.75G, respectively), which provided basic and slow mobile data. Although browsing the web on 2G required waiting several minutes for a page to load, this was just the start of mobile Internet.

The first commercial 3G networks were rolled out in 2001. In contrast to 2G, which stood for digital voice calling, 3G stood for mobile data. Similar to 2G, 3G was available in a variety of forms, including W-CDMA (which was used in international phones and later developed into HSPA), UMTS, and CDMA2000, to mention a few. The spread of 3G networks takes a very long period; for instance, India did not have 3G networks until 2010. While 3G enabled mobile internet, data speeds were not very great because the initial 3G UMTS data speed target was only 144Kbps. HSPA and HSPA+ (3.5G) did improve data speeds, but for the most part, browsing the web on 3G was a slow experience with speeds ranging from 1Mbps to 10Mbps on average.

Then in the beginning of 2010, the 4G LTE network was started. The 4G standard made quick, practical mobile data a reality. It had a target data download speed of 100 Mbps, but because of congestion, many 4G networks today have lower download rates.

It unlocked new industries such as ride-sharing. It brought IP-based telephony in the form of Voice over LTE (VoLTE). The network 4G LTE was the successor to both global 3G (WCDMA/UMTS/HSPA), and EVDO Rev A. The 4G networks were the best yet, and smartphones featuring 4G were more powerful than ever. The network has been iterated upon by LTE-Advanced, and advancements in 4G keep happening with new modem chips being released every year. The 4G is a mature technology and one that has changed the world.

As with any other network, 4G was unable to keep up with the rising data needs. Data speeds started to decrease as 4G networks became crowded and more people started using them.

For the past four years, 5G networks and modems have been under development, but commercial 5G just started to become a reality in 2019. More 5G networks were deployed in 2020, and more 5G products were made available for purchase. More than half of the world still does not have widespread access to 5G, but that will change over the course of the next five years. The rollout of 4G networks is more or less complete, and so, carriers are turning their attention to 5G.

The applications of 5G
5G is a broad term. It has applications in three fields, which are mobile data and voice, enterprise solutions and IoT connectivity. The 5G addresses the first area for smartphone users. Experts say that with applications in fields like autonomous cars, smart cities, uses in the medical industry, smart machinery, smart manufacturing, etc., the business sector will undoubtedly gain from the 5G rollout. With respect to the third field, IoT, the telecommunications and mobile industries have been proclaiming for years that 5G will connect IoT devices in massive numbers. Everything around us will be connected. For smartphone users, the latter two fields are academically interesting, but it is the first field—mobile data and voice—that actually matters for end users.

The 5G refers to faster data—in certain cases much quicker—for smartphone users. Additionally, the new networks guarantee extremely low latency, comparable to cable internet. For use cases that depend on extremely low latency, like multiplayer cloud gaming, this will be a major issue. While 4G networks have never been able to achieve latency levels comparable to cable broadband, 5G promises to do just that.

Additionally, the bandwidth and network data capacity of 5G will be substantially higher. According to reports, when a significant number of users start utilising the network, it won’t be as overloaded as 4G. The 5G will offer better customer service, less downtime, and higher quality of service for carriers who have overloaded 4G networks. But it is all about the speeds. The maximum downlink speed of the 5G specification is 20Gbps, which is 10 times faster than the fastest 4G LTE modem chip (which tops out at 2Gbps). Of course, 20Gbps is currently just a theoretical goal. The best modem chips released by chip vendors Qualcomm and Samsung can go as high as a theoretical maximum of 10Gbps when using millimetre wave 5G.

Customers will naturally expect that 5G networks will be orders of magnitude quicker than their current 4G LTE networks given these speeds. Low-band 5G networks from carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T are only marginally faster than 4G networks. These become sometimes slower as the radio frequency spectrum is so important, a 5G network doesn’t necessarily guarantee it will be significantly quicker than a 4G network. The 5G networks with data downlink speeds of just 30–50 Mbps are possible, despite other mid-band 5G networks having data downlink rates of 500–600 Mbps.

The technology behind 5G
The Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), which also powers 4G, drives the 5G network. Digital data is encoded using the OFDM technique, which uses multiple carrier frequencies. It is the technology of choice since it is reliable and effective. Similar to 4G (FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE), 5G uses both frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD) technology.

The spectrum is the main feature that distinguishes 5G from 4G. The electromagnetic frequency spectrum utilised to transport data across the air is referred to as the spectrum. Higher speeds and more data capacity are possible with 5G because of its ability to exploit a wider range of RF waves than 4G networks. It is noted that around 10-20MHz of 5G spectrum in a low band such as 600MHz will give speeds ranging from 50Mbps-100Mbps, but as you move up the frequency spectrum, the speeds will also go up rapidly.

A technique called Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) enables the reuse of the 4G spectrum. This is what US carriers like AT&T are doing. However, experts say, greater frequencies are required to provide the fastest 5G speeds.

There are two 5G operating modes, these are non-standalone mode (NSA) and standalone mode (SA). Nearly all carriers currently rely on NSA 5G. In this mode, the 5G network is reliant on a 4G core network and 4G base stations. These networks use 4G network capabilities for data link transport. Since carriers may leverage their 4G core networks and network infrastructure, NSA deployment is made simpler for them. The disadvantage here is that it’s dependent on older technology used for 4G, so speeds won’t be as high, while latency won’t go as low as it can go in SA mode. However, there are still benefits to the 5G protocol itself that consumers will hopefully realize.

The real 5G fantasy that carriers are starting to promote is the SA mode. Verizon and T-Mobile in the US both provide commercial standalone 5G networks, but AT&T is now taking its time. Due to the usage of a 5G core network and separate network infrastructure, SA 5G networks are totally independent of 4G. Since this data link transfer does not rely on 4G technology, SA networks can guarantee significantly faster speeds and lower latency. Newer smartphone releases that are powered by the most recent modems support both modes, which means they support both the existing NSA networks and future SA networks.

Network bands
The 5G network comes in two types. One is 5G at frequencies below 6 GHz, which is the real 4G LTE replacement. The other is 5G mmWave, or millimetre wave. The majority of users will only encounter sub-6GHz since carriers throughout the world have been wise enough to handle mmWave cautiously. But in some countries, including the US, carriers have launched mmWave first due to the initial shortage of sub-6GHz spectrum. While countries like South Korea, Japan, and Russia have jumped on the mmWave bandwagon, the vast majority of the world has chosen to play it safe with sub-6GHz.

The term sub-6GHz means a network bandwidth radio frequency that is less than 6GHz. All 4G bands are sub-6GHz. On the other hand, mmWave denotes bands with radio frequencies greater than 6GHz. Although mmWave bands offer a range of 24GHz to 100GHz, in reality, carriers have only launched networks in the 26GHz to 39GHz range so far.

Experts believe that with thorough deployment, 5G can play an essential part when it comes to revolutionizing the telecom sector. For companies, those who harness it will benefit from the efficacies as well as the prospects for innovation that the 5G network provides.

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The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is one of the important reasons for telecom services providers rolling out 5G services in the Asia-Pacific region.

About 12.4% of telecom carrier respondents in Asia-Pacific consider IIoT among the top reasons for 5G deployment, according to the report from the International Data Corporation (IDC).

Most telecom carrier companies saw vital industries, including manufacturing, Smart Cities with smart mobility, and smart buildings, as the most critical use cases for the introduction of 5G, the study commented.

“The shift to a greener, lower carbon future will be made possible through digitisation and connectivity,” said Piyush Singh, Senior Market Analyst, Telecommunications and IoT, Asia Pacific at IDC, while interacting with the IANS.

One of the concepts in ‘Industry 4.0’ is efficiency equals energy saving.

“Anything and everything organisations do to save energy ultimately increase efficiency,” the official added further.

Manufacturing facilities all throughout the Asia-Pacific region have implemented private/dedicated networks for controlling various pieces of equipment on-premises.

“Unstable wireless communication and latency are the barriers for the adoption of digital transformation in any firm which can be solved with the help of 5G. IoT devices require very dependable communication, which may also be provided via private 5G network easily,” said the report.

As the Asia-Pacific region experiences exponential growth in 5G connections, driven by the potential of IIoT and the need for enhanced connectivity, organisations are poised to benefit from improved efficiency, increased sustainability, and greater opportunities for digital transformation, the study mentioned further.

As per a Mobile Economy Asia-Pacific 2022 report by the GSM Association (GSMA), 5G adoption will grow across Asia-Pacific, with more than 400 million 5G connections, equivalent to just over 14% of total mobile connections, by 2025.

Amid the progress of 5G adoption across the region, monetising 5G remained top of mind for the operators, according to the report.

Consumers in the region are warming to 5G, and are increasingly adding content and services such as live sports to their 5G plans, found a separate GSMA consumer survey.

The report also stated that immersive experiences, which take advantage of the low-latency and high-bandwidth capabilities of 5G networks, were also gaining traction among consumers. Entertainment experiences such as concerts, and gaming labs, which customers pay a premium for in the physical world, would provide avenues for operators to demonstrate the value of 5G in the coming days.

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The theoretical top speed of 5G technology is 20 Gbps, compared to 1 Gbps for 4G. Lower latency is another benefit of 5G, which can enhance the performance of corporate applications and other digital experiences (such as online gaming, videoconferencing, and self-driving cars).

While past cellular technology generations (such as 4G LTE) concentrated on guaranteeing connectivity, 5G takes connectivity to the next level by providing connected customer experiences from the cloud. Cloud technologies are utilised by 5G networks, which are virtualised and software-driven.

New connected experiences for users and improved network performance and speed will be brought about by 5G technology.

With the help of connected devices continually delivering data on vital health indicators like heart rate and blood pressure, 5G technology and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity will make it possible to monitor patients in the healthcare industry.

In addition, vehicles will be able to communicate with other cars and entities on the road, such as traffic signals, thanks to the use of 5G and ML-driven algorithms in the auto sector. These are only two commercial uses for 5G technology that can give users a better, safer experience.

Mobility will be made more accessible by the 5G network’s seamless open roaming capabilities between cellular and Wi-Fi connections. Without user involvement or the need to reauthenticate, mobile users can stay connected when they switch between outside wireless connections and wireless networks inside buildings.

Improved performance is one of the characteristics that the new Wi-Fi 6 wireless standard, also known as 802.11ax, has in common with 5G. Wi-Fi 6 radios can be installed where consumers need them, improving geographic coverage while being less expensive. These Wi-Fi six radios are part of an automated, software-based network.

In urban and underserved rural areas, where demand may exceed 4G technology’s capability, 5G technology should increase connectivity. To enable quicker data processing, new 5G networks will also have a dense, distributed-access architecture and relocate data processing closer to the edge and the consumers.

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The result of agriculture and industries also diverts our minds to a less-discussed aspect of 5G being an economic growth driver than just an internet speed enhancer. PriceWaterCooperhouse predicts that by 2030, 5G would add $330 billion to the global gross domestic product and $15 billion to the manufacturing sector.

Why will 5G Be the Next Big Economic Driver?
Infrastructure plays an essential role in an economy to uplift the gross domestic product (GDP), and the introduction to Industry 4.0 means the use of digitisation in every industry possible. A white paper published by Nokia claims that in Latin America, there is only one broadband service for five families, making it difficult for them to reach out for new sources. The 5G network spectrum will thus play a crucial role in supporting the deep-tech services for digitisation to work efficiently in the face of the scarcity of broadband services.

5G spectrum will improve the telecom sector by a colossal margin and will be helpful in the overall infrastructural development of the country. Infrastructure includes development in logistics, transportation, network connections, public services, etc. By economic law, with the rise in infrastructure, there would be more jobs and thus rising gross domestic product in the global market. A $50 billion infrastructure investment in Brazil is the right step toward developing livelihoods and disposable income. A significant challenge in this segment would be 5G spectrum deployment at the right time at the right place.

In Brazil, 5G would be more focused on the mining and agriculture sector. 5G would bring more digitalisation in the primary industry of the economy like the agriculture and manufacturing sector. It would help to be an integrated ecosystem between the technology partners and agribusinesses. Industry leaders understand the disadvantages of operating without technology and the internet in today’s competitive world. Industry 4.0 focuses on the use of 5G-powered smart farming and agriculture practices. The 5G-powered farm includes machine-to-machine data transferring, proper rainwater and crop harvesting, livestock tracking and management, adequate water irrigation and drone sprayers giving real-time data to the farmers or companies.

Countries like Brazil are primarily based on agriculture, and thus, having precision agriculture practices is necessary to increase productivity. 5G in the industrial sector enhances the use of machine learning and data monitoring. Gone are the days when employees collected data and analyzed it. Today, AI machines and IoT have taken over these roles. Due to intense competition and a shorter product life cycle, deep-tech is necessary for the manufacturing sector. High-end technologies are entirely dependent on high bandwidth internet and network connection. In Brazil, industry leaders are adopting foreign manufacturing techniques like cellular IoT, augmented reality and virtual reality. Brazil has been a supplier of automobiles, manufacturing 2 million vehicles per year. Automotive being the core manufacturing sector of Brazil, the companies are trying to adopt the 5G spectrum for efficiency and effectiveness to extend the market share.

It is believed that 5G will offer 10 Gbps speed for businesses to transfer and simulate data in real-time quickly. The introduction of 5G will benefit the manufacturing sector in various ways. It integrates more machines to gather a single stream of data, followed by companies using 5G networks for advanced predictive maintenance. It can establish a better assembly line at the production unit and efficiently manage resources. All these practices will lead to better production and reflect on the growth of the country’s economy.

The telecom industry of Brazil could see a change in paradigm after setting up 5G spectrum on a pan-country basis. Stretching out the use of 5G to the secondary sector would solve problems from the roots. For example, retailers and wholesalers should be given 5G cards by the telecom providers in Brazil for better connectivity. Brazil is the 9th largest economy and a contender for being the largest economy in the world. Implementing 5G in the country means more job creation, faster payment methods, less margin of error, digitalization of all government activities, including tax payments and customs payments.

One of the backbones of any country is the logistics and supply chain industry. Logistics acts as a bridge between the supplier and the customer. Introducing 5G in transportation and logistics would increase the process by 5 times. We all are aware of the data and paperwork required for each shipment. The 5G spectrum will ensure that all the operations are transparent and with no delay in lead times.

Brazil’s tertiary and service sector contributes 65 percent to the total GDP. The 5G telecom network in health, financial, retail sales, e-commerce would lift the economy. 5G in the health sector means an advanced tool for the management and doctors to make apt decisions at the right time, tracking patients’ movement inside the facility, identifying hotspots when there’s an outbreak, etc. Speaking about 5G in the financial sector boils down to better monetary analysis, better financial decisions, improved cash management techniques, faster and better transfer of financial data, and better investments.

Last but not least, 5G telecom networking will play a massive role in transforming the e-commerce industry. Since 2010, we have seen a rise in last-mile delivery and e-commerce platforms like Amazon. Hyper data mining is possible due to 5G technology, allowing companies and governments to understand consumer behavior better. The companies can sit on a heap of data and analyze it within seconds. Brazil is a country with a majority working-age population; 5G telecom networking would mean better service for the younger generation, more spending, and a rise in the country’s GDP. The open 5G telecom network development will create a competitive and secure ecosystem in Brazil, helping them be in the ambitious game of globalization.

Implementation of 5G telecom network in Brazil
In a developing democratic country, the superiors and democrats vest most of the power, leaving the commoners with old/scarce resources. This approach shouldn’t be the case while implementing Brazil’s 5G network spectrum. $9 billion is a considerable investment for any developing nation, and that investment shouldn’t be debt in the future. 5G is expected to be available in Brazil by July 2022, making these nine months crucial for proper planning and implementation of 5G spectrum deployment.

Deploying 5G to more than 200 million active mobile connections will be an enormous task for the Brazilian Government. The main job for the government would be to assign the 5G contract to the right company carefully. According to an interview with the superintendent of Anatel, telecommunication and technologies are directly related to the country’s success because they move the most diverse sectors of the economy.

Rolling Out the 5G Telecom Network in Government Offices
Government offices and providers are the locus point for all the citizens. The government carries out most of the public services, and implementing the 5G spectrum in these services would improve the overall living index of the country. For example, in South Korea, the government has set up 5G telecom network dongles that are less costlier than broadband for visitors to use whenever necessary. When measuring the growth of an economy, we have to consider factors like the happiness index, living standard index, and security index. With the introduction of 5G, all of the mentioned factors could see a positive marginal change.

Along with government ownership, the private players should also get the 5G spectrum allotment depending on the auction basis. For example, there is enormous competition between Airtel, Reliance, and Vodafone Idea to win India’s 5G telecom spectrum bid. The private players have a hierarchy that is beneficial for developing the system, resulting in the economy’s growth. Privatization will also enable huge companies like Petronas in Brazil to collect data and store them faster, increase communication speed, rely less on other networks, and make better use of Internet of Things technology like RFID chips and Navigators.

One of the significant challenges for Brazil would be to eradicate the difference between urban and rural society concerning the arrival of 5G. Thus, the responsibility falls on the private players to enter the local markets with 5G technology in Brazil. Due to globalization, privacy is being affected on a large scale. Recently, we have seen many legal cases concerning data breaches and cyber security. With the advent of 5G, companies and individuals could develop better software systems requiring high bandwidth.

The introduction of 5G in Brazil will improve its status at the global level. But it could still encounter a few issues. Firstly it would be the involvement of the US and Huawei in Brazil concerning the 5G spectrum, followed by the announcement of the 5G network in only developed parts of the cities. Such bias development could be a hindrance for development. The next issue would be disagreements concerning the auction notice between the technical areas of the federal audit court. Last but not least, placement of antennas all over Brazil.

Industry 4.0 started in Germany using Drones, AI-powered machines, blockchain technology, and the Internet of Things. Due to globalization, Industry 4.0 is spreading like fire, and we can already see the effects in Brazil with the introduction of data-driven technology. The major industries of Brazil are iron and steel production, automobile assembly, petroleum processing, chemicals production, and cement making. The leaders of these companies should make an effort to implement 5G as much as possible and reduce the reliance on 4G and slower broadband services.

What lies ahead
All the technology and software in Industry 4.0 will require high-speed internet, and thus 5G will play an essential role in deciding the future of Brazil’s economy. Implementing the 5G telecom network in Brazil would be a tough challenge for the government, especially when determining the providers and handling the barriers within a democratic society. But with a $9 billion investment of 5G telecom spectrum, the government and businesses can surely increase job opportunities for Brazilians. The government could focus on improving the standard of living for the citizens and visitors, thus attracting more tourists and increasing the tourism revenue. Being a primarily agrarian country, using 5G in agricultural practices will surely enhance the entire pipeline of the secondary and tertiary markets. The 5G implementation would be like a domino effect, improving from the primary to the tertiary sector. Yet, an addition to this chain would be wholly integrating the data collected and information shared.

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The collaboration between the two companies comes as a part of du’s plan to simplify network rollout and efficiently manage the expected growth in data traffic over its 5G network. It is also aligned with the UAE’s long-term sustainability strategy, and Ericsson is also set to demonstrate its reduced power consumption benefits using its ultralight Massive MIMO radios.

Saleem AlBlooshi, chief technology officer, du, told the media, “At du, we seek to build modern networks that bring about positive transformations in sustainability and in enhancing the efficiency of operations, to meet the demands of our customers at present and in the future. Network modernisation meets the long-term strategic goals of reducing the carbon footprint and implementing the best practices in sustainability through deploying modern technological features that meet the highest standards of sustainability in various operational aspects.”

He added: “Our cooperation with Ericsson to deploy 5G MIMO and RAN solutions is a new step in the endless efforts to achieve the ambitions and goals for the future, as well as embodying the aspirations to enhance the sustainability of operational operations. This is achieved by modernizing the infrastructure to ensure the provision of higher capacity for the network and reducing the carbon footprint. We are confident that in cooperating with Ericsson, we will be able to bring about significant qualitative improvements and positive transformations of the network operations, thereby supporting the UAE vision towards a more sustainable future.”

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