Wireless Networks

5G private networks continue to make waves in a number of markets, this time in Slovenia, with the news that Kontron, a provider of mission-critical communication solutions, and operator Telekom Slovenije have launched the first commercial standalone (SA) 5G private network in the country.

Mobile telecommunications provider Zain Kuwait and Parallel Wireless, a provider of open RAN hardware-agnostic solutions, have successfully completed what they describe as a groundbreaking 5G standalone (SA) proof of concept (POC).

Malaysian 5G wholesale operator Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and Ericsson announced on Tuesday that DNB has launched 5G-Advanced technology on its network.

Ooredoo Qatar announced on Sunday it has contracted Ericsson to supply and deploy its latest RAN and microwave backhaul solutions to expand the operator’s 5G coverage, including to remote areas.

Technology giant Ericsson and Bahrain operator Batelco, part of the technology company Beyon Group, have announced the expansion of Batelco’s mobile broadband network to enhance its 4G and 5G capabilities by strengthening its network coverage and capacity across Bahrain.

EDOTCO Bangladesh, which describes itself as the country’s leading integrated telecommunications infrastructure provider, has launched its newly modernised 5G-ready tower operation centre (TOC) in Dhaka.

Sri Lankan telco SLT-Mobitel announced on Tuesday it has successfully conducted what it claims is the first trial of 5G-Advanced in the country, even as the mobile sector awaits news of a possible 5G spectrum auction in the near future.

Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), Malaysia’s 5G network provider, and EDOTCO Group, the national digital infrastructure provider, say they have successfully completed the installation of 5G in-building solutions (IBS) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and KLIA terminal 2 (KLIA2).

USAID’s Better Access and Connectivity (BEACON) project has soft-launched the first Open RAN laboratory in the Philippines, in collaboration with international and local telco industry stakeholders, and is targeting a full launch in May this year.

Telkom Kenya, Rakuten Symphony and Airspan announced on Tuesday that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on testing Open RAN technology in Kenya.

ZTE said it has successfully collaborated with Viettel-backed Peruvian telco Bitel to upgrade its 4G mobile network ahead of the telco’s official launch of 5G on Monday.

Malaysia’s mobile data service company U Mobile has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation Berhad (SDEC), the implementing agency driving Sarawak digital economy initiatives for the East Malaysian state that is home to an estimated 2.5 million people.

Indian operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) is clearly getting 2025 off to a busy start in terms of network upgrades and rollouts. This week has seen the news that it has partnered with HCLSoftware, the software business unit of Indian global technology company HCLTech, to make its 4G and 5G networks smarter and more efficient.

Revenues from fixed wireless access (FWA) equipment are set to exceed US$48 billion over the next five years, driven by growing adoption across enterprise and residential markets in North America and India, according to a report from Dell’Oro Group.

4iG Group, a leading ICT company in Hungary and the Western Balkans, has announced a partnership with tech giant Ericsson for the deployment of a next generation mobile network in Albania after the recent acquisition of 5G frequencies by One Albania, a subsidiary of 4iG.

Indonesian telco Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison announced on Friday it is collaborating with ZTE to deploy extensive microwave backbone networks across Indonesia to expand coverage of its 4G network, especially in remote islands and rural areas.

Two months after Ghana saw the launch of its first 5G wholesale network, telecoms operators have yet to lease capacity from it to offer commercial 5G services, according to Minister of Communications and Digitalization Ursula Owusu.

Turkish telecoms giant Turk Telekom has announced a new 5G project focusing on smart agriculture in collaboration with Chinese telecommunications company ZTE.

Indian startup Amantya Technologies has won funding under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) to develop a Made in India 5G standalone (SA) core for public and enterprise deployments.

Toni Eid, founder of Telecom Review Group, was undoubtedly right when he said: “5G-Advanced has seen remarkable progress in the Middle East.” He was speaking at the recent 18th Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit 2024 in Dubai where he was delivering the opening speech prior to a panel entitled World’s First 5G-A Region Sets Sail.

Ericsson says it has successfully designed and deployed an ATEX Zone 1-certified solution on an offshore site for one of Ooredoo Qatar’s enterprise customers. The solution, an ATEX-certified Ericsson Enclosure 6129, supports the operation of conventional radio access network (RAN) equipment in harsh and hazardous environments.

EdgePoint Towers, part of EdgePoint Infrastructure, the ASEAN-based independent telecommunications infrastructure company, has announced the completed deployment of its Outdoor Common Antenna System (CAS) at The Exchange TRX, a 70-acre development by Ministry of Finance Malaysia in the heart of Kuala Lumpur for international finance and business.

Nokia has partnered with Indian ISP Ishan Technologies to upgrade its broadband services in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The University of Dubai and MEA-Comm UAE, a technology company working to transform the region into a thriving digital economy, say they have signed an MoU to launch the first regional 5G testbed to, as they put it, “accelerate Industry Revolution 4.0 in the UAE and MEA region”.

Ukrainian telco Kyivstar announced on Wednesday it’s launching voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) services for eligible subscribers, enabling them to make calls via Wi-Fi access points in locations with weak mobile signals.

Ericsson and Saudi Arabian telco Mobily said on Tuesday they have successfully completed a trial of Ericsson’s 5G uplink interference optimizer, an Open RAN rApp that uses AI to make 5G uplinks run faster and more efficiently.

Edotco said on Monday its Bangladesh unit has signed a multi-year deal with Grameenphone to extend their existing infrastructure leasing agreement to support the telco’s 4G network expansion into underserved areas.

Nokia and UAE-based telco du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), said they have deployed what they claim is the first commercial deployment of a 5G Cloud RAN solution in the Middle East and Africa region.

Tonga now has 5G after the country’s two main mobile operators – state-owned incumbent Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC) and Digicel Tonga commercially launched their respective 5G networks within a week of each other.

Multi-project developer Red Sea Global (RSG), whose projects include what are described as 'regenerative tourism destinations' AMAALA and The Red Sea in Saudi Arabia, says it has unveiled the region’s first unified critical communication system (UCCS).

MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecommunications operator, and the ORAN Development Company (ODC) have agreed a strategic partnership through which they say they will develop and test innovative open RAN (ORAN) solutions tailored to unique requirements of networks across Africa.