Recently, I have read an interesting white paper from Anritsu, which covered trends in wireless frequency band allocation for 5G-A and 6G. The most recent WRC was held in Dubai, UAE, in November-December 2023 (WRC-23), which covered the frequency bands to be added to the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) system standardized by the ITU, where […]

If you’re living in the UAE, you’ve probably noticed the new billboards across the streets promoting the latest evolution of 5G technology. Etisalat is calling it 5.5G (5G-Advanced) while DU brands it as 5G+ — but in reality, they’re both referring to the same milestone: 5G-Advanced. So, what is 5G-Advanced? 5G-Advanced (3GPP Release 18 and […]

mmWave offers the fastest 5G speeds available today; however, its use cases are currently limited. With its extremely short range and poor penetration through obstacles, mmWave mainly makes sense in dense urban areas and crowded venues such as concert halls, stadiums, and airports. In contrast, sub-6GHz 5G provides broader coverage across cities, suburbs, and rural […]

Ofcom is auctioning a total of 5.4 GHz of mmWave spectrum across the 26 GHz and 40 GHz bands. This marks a significant milestone for 5G evolution in the UK and the biggest release in UK history. The mmWave licence framework and auction design have several implications for how 5G and private wireless networks might […]

5G FWA isn’t just a “nice-to-have” – it’s the future of home connectivity. The latest data from CTIA shows a clear trend: 5G FWA is driving nearly all new broadband growth in the U.S. For the third year in a row, 99% of new home broadband subscribers chose 5G, as consumers prefer wireless choices. In fact, […]

The recent Spirent article rightly highlights the potential of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) and the role of the 5G Core in enabling monetization. However, 5G-A should be seen primarily as a future-oriented evolution rather than a current monetization engine, but why? Release 18 standards are just being finalized. Most mobile operators are still expanding 5G standalone (SA) […]

The question is: Actual 5G or Icon-only 5G. A study based on the mobile app SignalTracker shows that nearly 40% of 5G connections are actually 4G, as per PolicyTracker. Actual 5G is about twice as fast as icon-only connections, averaging 49 Mbps compared to 27 Mbps in the tests. In UK tests, when the 5G […]

When discussing 5G NTN, it’s important to understand what NTN is, how it functions, and the purpose of Transparent Architecture. What is 5G NTN? 5G NTN refers to the integration of satellite or High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) into the 5G ecosystem. It expands connectivity to: Rural and remote regions. Maritime and aviation sectors. Disaster-hit or […]

Before the advent of Rel.17, IoT deployments were plagued by connectivity challenges, especially in remote and rural areas. Terrestrial networks often fall short in providing reliable coverage, resulting in data gaps and operational inefficiencies. High infrastructure costs further compounded these challenges, restricting the scalability and effectiveness of IoT solutions. 3GPP’s Release 17 introduced NTN NB-IoT, […]

Network Slicing is essentially the ability to divide your network into individual use cases, each tailored to provide specialised services. Traditionally, in 4G, the APN (Access Point Name) was probably the earliest form of network slicing in a mobile network, allowing operators to divide their networks according to service requirements. Accurate 5G network slicing, as […]

For the introduction of 5G, 3GPP has specified five possible configurations, or ‘options’, for connecting to an EPC or a new 5G core network (six if the current 4G system is included). The features that distinguish each Option are: Use of Dual Connectivity; Radio Access Technology acting as master node Core Network used. The Options […]