This week saw significant developments across the global 5G landscape, with major milestones in network deployments, spectrum allocation, and infrastructure investments. Key themes included completion of coverage obligations in Europe, major network expansions in the US, ongoing spectrum reallocation discussions, and advances in Open RAN technology.
Spanish operators Movistar, MasOrange and Vodafone have successfully met their 700MHz 5G coverage obligations ahead of the June 2025 deadline. The operators had varying population coverage requirements ranging from 53% to 69% based on their spectrum license conditions from the 2021 auction.
In the US, T-Mobile completed a $2 billion network expansion across Florida, enhancing 5G coverage and speeds for 22 million residents. The investment focused on upgrading existing sites and expanding coverage in both urban and rural areas to support emergency services and smart city initiatives.
The VodafoneThree merger in the UK has led to significant spectrum reallocation, with VMO2 acquiring 78.8MHz of spectrum across multiple bands for £343 million. This creates a more balanced distribution of spectrum holdings, though some asymmetries remain in specific bands that could impact future 5G rollout costs.
In the US, former FCC Chair Ajit Pai warned that America has lost its 5G leadership position to China, calling for renewed focus on both 5G and AI development to maintain technological competitiveness.
Orange France and Samsung achieved a milestone in Open RAN development, completing the first 4G and 5G calls on a virtualised and open RAN network. The successful field test in southwestern France paves the way for expanded deployments planned across multiple sites by year-end.
The 6GHz band may soon be opened for unlicensed fixed wireless access services, potentially adding significant spectrum capacity for FWA providers. Industry stakeholders are awaiting regulatory decisions expected in March 2025.
T-Mobile Completes $2B Network Expansion in Florida
Highlights comprehensive network modernization supporting 22 million residents
https://www.lightreading.com/5g/t-mobile-completes-2b-5g-upgrade-in-florida
VodafoneThree Spectrum Reallocation Analysis
Deep dive into UK spectrum holdings post-merger and implications for 5G
https://www.lightreading.com/5g/vodafonethree-spectrum-situation-may-leave-it-with-huge-5g-bill
Orange and Samsung Advance vRAN
First successful virtualised Open RAN calls mark key milestone
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/samsung/orange-samsung-advance-virtual-open-ran-goals/
Former FCC Chair Warns on 5G Leadership
US position in global 5G race examined
https://www.rcrwireless.com/20250630/5g/former-fcc-chair-ajit-pai-warning-america-has-lost-5g-lead-to-china
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