Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Sony Wireless, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, N Squared II, among others.
Sony Deploys Private 5G at 17,000-Capacity Yokohama Arena
Sony Wireless Communications has deployed its MOREVE private 5G service at Yokohama Arena, one of Japan’s largest indoor entertainment venues with capacity for approximately 17,000 people. The dedicated cellular network is intended to maintain predictable connectivity when public mobile networks become congested during major concerts and sporting events. Potential applications include electronic ticketing, event operations, real-time broadcasting, crowd management and high-bandwidth venue services. Dedicated spectrum and local network resources allow operational traffic to remain separated from public cellular demand generated by thousands of spectators. The deployment provides another commercial example of private 5G moving beyond factories and logistics facilities into large public venues where guaranteed capacity, low latency and local control can provide operational advantages over conventional Wi-Fi or public mobile connectivity.
AT&T Seeks 55 Additional 3.45 GHz Spectrum Licences for 5G Capacity
AT&T has asked the US Federal Communications Commission for approval to lease 55 licences in the 3.45 GHz band from N Squared II. The additional mid-band holdings would give AT&T more spectrum resources for mobile-network capacity in markets covered by the licences. The 3.45 GHz band is strategically important for US 5G because it combines substantially greater capacity than low-band spectrum with wider propagation than millimetre-wave frequencies. Operators can combine mid-band holdings through carrier aggregation to improve speeds and network capacity without deploying completely new cell grids. The proposed lease comes as US operators continue optimising spectrum portfolios following several years of major C-band and 3.45 GHz investments and ahead of additional federal spectrum auctions.
Verizon and T-Mobile Seek 4 GHz Tests as Industry Prepares for 6G
Verizon and T-Mobile have requested experimental licences from the US Federal Communications Commission to evaluate wireless equipment in the 4 GHz spectrum range, frequencies increasingly being examined for future 6G networks. Mid-band spectrum around 4 GHz is attractive because it could provide a compromise between wide-area coverage and the large bandwidth required for next-generation services. Experimental licences allow operators and equipment suppliers to measure propagation, interference and equipment performance before commercial spectrum allocations are finalised. The testing comes as governments worldwide begin identifying candidate 6G bands and operators evaluate how existing tower grids could support future frequencies. Early propagation data will be important in determining how much additional infrastructure would be required for commercial 6G deployment.
