Wireless Networks

MTN Sudan has signed a 10-year network as a service (NaaS) contract with NuRAN Wireless, a supplier of mobile and broadband wireless infrastructure solutions, for the deployment of rural mobile infrastructure in Sudan.

Niger’s Zamani Telecom has completed a wide-ranging upgrade of its 4G TD-LTE network.

Claro, the second – and only other – network in Guatemala after Tigo, has claimed a 5G launch not long after its rival. This week it has launched 5G operations with initial coverage in parts of all of Guatemala's 22 departments (or administrative divisions).

Another major communications deal involving india’s oil industry has been announced as broadband satellite and managed network services provider Hughes Communications India (HCI) says it has been chosen to deploy and manage a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) for Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) across its 10,800-site retail enterprise network.

Mobile network expansion is in the news again, with Vodacom in South Africa and Telkom in Kenya announcing plans to invest in better coverage.

Tigo Guatemala, part of the Millicom stable of operators, has activated what it claims to be Guatemala’s first 5G network, at the Experience Centre in Cayalá, a purpose-built private city with a focus on housing, dining, shopping, entertainment and business, on the outskirts of the capital Guatemala City.

Operator AT&T Mexico and vendor Nokia have announced that they are collaborating to bring the benefits of 5G to Mexico.

Brazil has seen its first Standalone (SA) 5G networks go live in the capital Brasilia, with Claro, TIM and Vivo all launching their networks after receiving government approval.

Lenovo, which claims the world’s widest portfolio of technology products, and operator Etisalat UAE are planning to build a new 5G edge solution. This, they say, will enable the rapid roll-out of 5G connectivity for a wide range of edge-of-network deployment scenarios.

Brazilian capital Brasilia is to lead the way in the country’s 5G rollout with the launch of  a 3.5GHz 5G network on Wednesday 6 July.

While government and industry in another major economy, India, are still debating how and when to enable private 5G networks, in Brazil steel producer Gerdau and Embratel, a major player in both voice and data communication, have already announced an agreement to roll out a dedicated 5G and LTE private network.

China Mobile-backed Pakistani operator Zong has partnered with ZTE to implement a dual-band (1800MHz and 2100MHz) FDD Massive MIMO upgrade on its 4G network.

Chilean operator Entel claims to have extended its 5G coverage to all regions in the country, with the deployment currently 83% complete.

Is Kenya aiming to encourage an end to roaming charges in Africa? If reports from the local press are true, the country’s ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru may be hoping to pursue this course.

Etisalat UAE, the telecoms pillar of e& (formerly known as Etisalat Group), has announced the successful deployment and testing of mobile network slicing through 5G in collaboration with Huawei.

Hungary’s Magyar Telekom has stated that its 3G network “will no longer be available anywhere from 1 July”, with phased shutdowns already in effect.

Ericsson and Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) have successfully demonstrated a 5G Voice over New Radio (VoNR) call over the operator’s 5G network.

Ukraine’s Kyivstar is using 2300MHz TDD frequencies to boost the capacity of its 4G/LTE network in cities where demand is escalating due to increased migration.

Latvian operator LMT has selected Nokia’s 5G Standalone (SA) Core to help deliver 5G services including network slicing, enhance its network experience and reliability, and more quickly monetise its network assets.

Angolan operator Unitel has signed a three year partnership agreement with Chinese vendor Huawei.

Two Brazilian MVNOs have reportedly been the winners of a tender process to provide mobile connectivity to up to 700,000 students via the public network across the country – the first time that MVNOs have won a bid from the federal government to provide mobile connectivity.

NEC Corporation and Juniper Networks have partnered with Algeria Telecom to deploy the operator’s nationwide IP metro commercial network.

Wireless broadband technology Curvalux has announced a collaboration agreement Brazilian ITC Consultancy Tree Net to bring highspeed Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solutions to Brazil.

stc Bahrain has launched a 5G Standalone network which it claims marks a first for the Kingdom.

Malaysia’s controversial shared network access approach to 5G may have received another setback with rumoured demands for a bigger stake and reviews of the plan from the four largest Malaysian operators, Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi Telecommunications, Maxis Bhd and U Mobile.

Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Casa Systems to explore 5G capabilities and pave the way for next-generation network services in Vietnam.

Vodafone Idea (Vi) has selected Nokia’s DWDM solution in the access layer to upgrade its network to 5G for meeting future service capacity and reliability needs.

Viettel Cambodia – which operates as Metfone – has signed a credit package agreement with MB Cambodia to upgrade its domestic network.