5G News Round Up for the Week to 1 December 2024

Overview

This week saw significant developments across the 5G landscape, with major announcements in open RAN deployment, network modernization, and enterprise digital transformation. Notable highlights include Deutsche Telekom’s landmark open RAN deal with Nokia, groundbreaking fiber capacity trials by multiple operators, and new research showing accelerated enterprise investment in digital technologies.

Key Developments

Open RAN and Network Infrastructure

Deutsche Telekom has awarded Nokia a significant contract to deploy over 3,000 open RAN-compliant sites in Northern Germany, replacing existing Huawei equipment. This marks a strategic win for Nokia following their recent loss of AT&T’s open RAN contract to Ericsson. The deployment, in partnership with Fujitsu, will comply with German government mandates to remove Chinese vendors’ equipment by 2029.

Network Performance and AI Integration

Major operators demonstrated significant advances in network capacity:
– Verizon and Ciena achieved 1.6Tb/s in fiber trials using WaveLogic 6 Extreme technology
– KT completed successful trials reaching 1.2Tb/s over long-distance (530km) and 1.6Tb/s over medium-distance (110km) segments
These developments are particularly significant for supporting growing AI and data-intensive applications.

Enterprise Digital Transformation

GSMA Intelligence’s latest research reveals enterprises are increasing digital transformation investments from 9% to 11% of revenue by 2030. Key findings include:
– 60% of businesses prioritize revenue growth over cost reduction
– 85% consider 5G crucial for digital transformation
– AI comprises 14% of enterprise technology expenditure
– Cybersecurity and revenue growth are primary transformation drivers

Satellite Communications

The FCC has granted conditional approval for SpaceX’s Starlink to provide direct-to-device satellite coverage in rural America, marking a significant step in eliminating mobile dead zones through its partnership with T-Mobile US.

Suggested Reading

The Rise of Digital Industries: Navigating Enterprise Needs
Highlight: Comprehensive analysis of enterprise digital transformation trends and investment priorities
URL: https://data.gsmaintelligence.com/research/research/research-2024/the-rise-of-digital-industries

Nokia Secures Open RAN Win with Deutsche Telekom
Highlight: Strategic implications of major European open RAN deployment
URL: https://www.mobileworldlive.com/nokia/nokia-secures-open-ran-win-with-deutsche-telekom-deal

Verizon, Ciena Hit 1.6Tb/s in AI Fibre Trial
Highlight: Breakthrough in network capacity for AI applications
URL: https://www.mobileworldlive.com/verizon/verizon-ciena-hit-1-6tb-s-in-ai-fibre-trial

Private 5G Networks Poised to Close Gap on DAS
Highlight: Analysis of enterprise adoption trends in private networks
URL: https://www.mobileworldlive.com/5g/private-5g-networks-poised-to-close-gap-on-das

Starlink D2D Service Gets Conditional FCC Nod
Highlight: Regulatory milestone for satellite-to-mobile communications
URL: https://www.mobileworldlive.com/starlink/starlink-d2d-service-gets-conditional-fcc-nod