Industry comment

In the rapidly evolving telecoms environment, all players must be prepared for the challenges brought by constant change. Our consultants offer an expert perspective on the issues that confront the telecoms industry.

28GHz auction in South Korea: second time lucky?

February 7, 2024

Will Stage X – the successful bidder in South Korea’s second auction of 28GHz spectrum that concluded in January 2024 – be able to mount a viable business proposition around its spectrum acquisition? Or will there be a repeat of the outcome from the earlier 2018 auction?

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Dedicating 28GHz spectrum band to satellite services: Africa

May 5, 2022

Satellite provides links for mobile and broadband services, plus satellite-powered connectivity for broadband services in underserved / unserved areas. We find that wholly or partially repurposing the 28GHz band for 5G / mmWave may precipitate adverse technical and economic impacts, as countries seek to expand ubiquitous broadband access across land, sea and air – a crucial issue for Africa, with about 55% of its total 1.37 billion inhabitants living outside densely populated areas.

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Dedicating 28GHz spectrum band to satellite services: Asia-Pacific

December 22, 2021

Deviating from the globally agreed spectrum allocations by wholly or partially repurposing the 28GHz band for 5G may present adverse impacts (technical and economic), as countries seek to expand ubiquitous broadband access across land, sea and air. Our economic cost-benefit analysis finds that there is considerable value in retaining 28GHz for satellites.

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5G and radiation regulations: do we need to raise the bar?

October 30, 2020

Concerns about exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) originating from mobile base stations are not new. What is the situation on EMF emissions for 5G? We find that imposing stricter exposure limits may actually result in increased environmental and health risks.

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5G spectrum landscape in South America

August 18, 2020

As 5G networks are being deployed around the world, spectrum has moved to centre stage as one of the key resources enabling the take-up of this new technology. The success of 5G is highly dependent on availability of spectrum, therefore government and regulator planning in this matter is instrumental. In South America consultations for 5G spectrum allocation are already underway and some countries are planning to auction 5G spectrum in 2020-2021.

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Espectro 5G – panorama en Sudamérica

August 18, 2020

A medida que las redes 5G proliferan alrededor del mundo, el espectro se ha trasladado al centro de la escena como uno de los recursos clave que permite el despliegue de esta nueva tecnología. El éxito del 5G depende en gran medida de la disponibilidad de espectro por lo tanto, la planificación de gobiernos y reguladores en esta materia es de suma importancia. En Sudamérica ya se han realizado consulta públicas para la asignación de espectro 5G y algunos países están planeando subastar espectro durante el 2020-2021.

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5G: what will it cost?

May 28, 2020

5G is promising to improve user experience and promote the development of innovative services and new economic opportunities. The technical advantages of 5G in comparison to previous mobile standards are well understood, but how will the new features translate into economic gains for operators?

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Digitising higher education: challenges for low income countries

May 1, 2020

The impact of ICT and Internet access on the education sector in the last 20 years has been enormous. For students, broadband Internet access offers opportunities to improve personal circumstances, including better access to learning materials, software tools, distance learning and job markets.

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