5G News Round Up for the Week to 26 January 2025

This week saw significant developments in global 5G deployments, with major announcements from Asia Pacific and emerging markets. Key themes included spectrum auctions, network infrastructure investments, and the increasing intersection of 5G with AI and security applications. Regulatory developments highlighted the ongoing balance between fostering innovation and ensuring market competition.

Spectrum & Infrastructure Developments

Pakistan is preparing for a significant spectrum auction in May 2025, offering frequencies across four bands (3500MHz, 2600MHz, 2300MHz and 700MHz). The country’s Ministry of IT and Telecom is finalizing policy reforms covering spectrum pricing, auction format and taxation framework, with deployment planned to begin in June. The GSMA has emphasized the importance of rational pricing approaches given the market’s declining ARPU.

In Malaysia, U Mobile announced ambitious plans to deploy the country’s second national 5G network within 18 months, selecting Huawei and ZTE as equipment suppliers. The operator secured financing from CIMB Bank, though analysts suggest additional partnerships may be needed to achieve nationwide coverage requiring 5,000-7,000 sites.

Security & Enterprise Applications

Singapore demonstrated advanced 5G applications in national security, with Singtel partnering with defence agencies DSTA and HTX to develop customized network slicing solutions. The implementation aims to enhance situational awareness and emergency response capabilities while ensuring dedicated network resources for critical operations.

Industry Analysis & Innovation

A joint report from Liberty Global and EY highlighted AI’s potential to transform telecom network efficiency, projecting that equipment life could be extended by 70% while networks handle 50 times more data with only 10% increased energy consumption. However, the report also warned of AI’s significant energy demands, forecasting sector-wide consumption of 134TWh annually by 2027.

Market Competition & Regulation

The telecommunications equipment market continues to evolve, with detailed analysis emerging of Huawei’s rise to market leadership. Meanwhile, in the IoT sector, Sequans Communications’ acquisition of Switzerland’s ACP signals consolidation in the emerging eRedCap technology space, aimed at next-generation IoT applications.

Suggested Reading

House of Huawei: Inside the Secret World of China’s Most Powerful Company
Highlight: Comprehensive analysis of Huawei’s evolution from startup to global 5G leader

https://www.lightreading.com/5g/how-huawei-went-from-chinese-startup-to-global-5g-power

Smarter Networks, Greener Planet
Highlight: Analysis of AI’s potential impact on telecom sustainability

https://www.mobileworldlive.com/ai-cloud/liberty-global-ey-lay-out-telco-ai-potential/

Pakistan’s 5G Roadmap
Highlight: Detailed examination of spectrum allocation strategy

https://www.mobileworldlive.com/regulation/pakistan-readies-5g-auction/

Singapore’s Security-Focused 5G Implementation
Highlight: Case study of network slicing for defense applications

https://www.mobileworldlive.com/singtel/singtel-brings-network-slicing-to-defence-agencies/

Malaysia’s Dual Network Strategy
Highlight: Analysis of competitive 5G infrastructure deployment

https://www.mobileworldlive.com/5g/u-mobile-sets-aggressive-5g-rollout-target/