Since the middle of 2019, the UK’s mobile operators have been racing to deploy 5G technology around the country, broadly proclaiming that the technology would revolutionise the consumer experience in a short few years.
But while the new technology has the potential to unlock many exciting new use cases, from virtual reality to industrial automation, particularly as 5G standalone networks begin to be rolled out in recent months, the reality for most consumers is that a 5G connection currently offers them little more than a minor speed boost…

Since the middle of 2019, the UK’s mobile operators have been racing to deploy 5G technology around the country, broadly proclaiming that the technology would revolutionise the consumer experience in a short few years.

But while the new technology has the potential to unlock many exciting new use cases, from virtual reality to industrial automation, particularly as 5G standalone networks begin to be rolled out in recent months, the reality for most consumers is that a 5G connection currently offers them little more than a minor speed boost. 

Perhaps this is why, at least in part, that a new study from YouGov, conducted via Global Profiles, shows Brits to be broadly disillusioned with the relatively new technology. 

The study, which explored attitudes towards 5G across 28 global markets, asked participants to respond to the statement ‘Having 5G benefits my life in many ways combined”, selecting ‘agree’, ‘disagree’, or ‘neither agree nor disagree’.

In the UK, 44% of respondents disagreed with the statement, while 36% were neutral, leaving just a fifth of participants to agree that 5G was beneficial. 

Of the 28 nations surveyed, this left the UK the third-least optimistic about 5G, with just Bulgaria (19% ‘agree’) and Austria (18% ‘agree’) even more pessimistic.

By contrast, Thailand was the most positive nation, with 74% of those surveyed saying that 5G would benefit their lives in many ways and just 15% saying that it would not. 

Taken together, 51% of all global respondents were positive about 5G, while 15% said they disagreed that it was having benefiting their lives. 

Thus, over two years since 5G began to be rolled out around the world, it seems that 5G still has something of an identity crisis in the public eye, with countries with more advanced 5G deployments not necessarily being more positive about the technology. 

Both Malaysia and India, for example, have yet to launch public 5G services, but the marketing surrounding the new technology in these countries is seemingly effective, with 68% and 51%, respectively, saying it would have a positive impact on their lives. Perhaps one could argue that they have yet to be disappointed. 

That said, some of the more advanced 5G nations on the list, like Saudi Arabia and China, were broadly positive about the technology (60% and 59% positive responses, respectively). 

In Switzerland, on the other hand, only 22% of respondents were positive about 5G, despite the fact that the country has some of the most comprehensive and advanced 5G deployments in Europe. In fact, 43% of Swiss respondents said that 5G would have a negative effect on their lives, perhaps an indicator of the troubles the country has faced when it comes to 5G protests and (largely unfounded) fears over 5G radiation exposure, both of which caused delays to the country’s network rollouts. 

In the coming years, however, 5G attitudes among consumers could begin to change due to the long-awaited rollout of standalone 5G architecture, which will allow for some of the more exciting use cases, like drones, virtual reality, and cloud gaming, to become reality. As these technologies themselves begin to mature and proliferate, 5G will finally have some major differentiating factors versus 4G, potentially giving it a higher profile in the public eye and even additional monetisation opportunities for telcos. 

Until these networks become a reality, however, it seems that telcos worldwide – but especially UK telcos – must content with a consumer audience not yet convinced of the benefits of 5G technology.

How can telcos change the public perception of 5G? Find out from the experts at this year’s live Connected Britain conference 

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When it comes to establishing a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network, Canada-based satellite player Telesat has some catching up to do. 
Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation, the largest currently deployed, already has over 2,200 devices in orbit, while the UK government-backed OneWeb’s revival from bankruptcy in 2020 has seen it go on to launch nearly 400 devices…

When it comes to establishing a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network, Canada-based satellite player Telesat has some catching up to do. 

Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation, the largest currently deployed, already has over 2,200 devices in orbit, while the UK government-backed OneWeb’s revival from bankruptcy in 2020 has seen it go on to launch nearly 400 devices, around two third of its planned global constellation. Even Amazon’s long-delayed Project Kuiper will begin launching prototypes later this year, as well as announcing its first launch contracts for some of its planned 3,276 satellites.

Telesat, meanwhile, currently has just one LEO satellite in orbit. Launched in January 2018, the satellite has since been part of numerous trials and demonstrations, proving the viability of a larger constellation dubbed Lightspeed. Ultimately, they aim for the constellation to comprise 298 satellites, with the devices beginning to be launched in full in the latter half of 2025.

Commercial services are not set to begin globally until the start of 2026.

The project has considerable backing from the Canadian government, which agreed to invest $1.15 billion in the company late last year. In total, the company has received around $4 billion in investment to help advance the deployment of Lightspeed. 

Now, it seems the company is already beginning the paperwork required to operate beyond the Canadian borders, applying for a spectrum licence in the UK from telecoms regulator Ofcom. 

The spectrum requested from Ofcom falls in the Ka-band (27.5 GHz to 30 GHz range), theoretically giving them the ability to deliver multigigabit-speed broadband services to enterprises, as well as supporting mobile backhaul, maritime and offshore platforms, aviation, and government organisations.

Ofcom is now considering the company’s application for an Earth Station Network Licence, which would allow them to connect user terminals directly to the orbiting constellation using the spectrum in question. The regulator is inviting comments by the wider ecosystem over the next month, with a decision expected on September 12 2022. 

Interestingly, this spectrum is remarkably close to that potentially used to provide mmWave 5G services, with Ofcom itself currently in the process of ironing out the details of its upcoming mmWave 5G spectrum auction. The auction will make spectrum in the 26 GHz band (24.25–27.5 GHz) and 40 GHz band (40.5–43.5 GHz) available to UK mobile operators, with the consultation period for the auction’s proposed rules ends next month. The auction itself is not expected to take place until 2024.

How will satellite broadband services reshape the connectivity landscape of the UK? Find out from the experts at this year’s live Connected Britain conference 

Also in the news:
Orange targets digital divide with new digital skills centre in Brussels
Australian businesses connected in days not weeks
Startup Stories: The Belle of Belfast City

Following the launch of a similar centre in Paris, France, earlier this month, Orange is now celebrating the launch of its second European ODC, this time in the Belgian capital, Brussels. The operator calls the ODC a “complete ecosystem for acquiring digital skills testing and fine-tuning actual projects”, with the centre positioned directly in the centre of the city, in the BeCentral hub within Brussels Central Station. The ODC comprises numerous elements, the including a Digital Academy and a digital production workshop known as the Solidarity Fab Lab. At the Digital Academy, participants will receive training in various digital training programmes…

Following the launch of a similar centre in Paris, France, earlier this month, Orange is now celebrating the launch of its second European ODC, this time in the Belgian capital, Brussels.

The operator calls the ODC a “complete ecosystem for acquiring digital skills testing and fine-tuning actual projects”, with the centre positioned directly in the centre of the city, in the BeCentral hub within Brussels Central Station.

The ODC comprises numerous elements, the including a Digital Academy and a digital production workshop known as the Solidarity Fab Lab.

At the Digital Academy, participants will receive training in various digital training programmes, including Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, CyberSecurity and even 5G network applications. It will also host public training sessions on more basic topics, such as how to use the internet for administration tasks, with a major focus on ‘training the trainer’ giving people the skills to help support family members.

The Solidarity FabLab, meanwhile, was described by a spokesperson as ‘putting the physical into the digital learning of the ODC’, allowing participants to receive training and the use of a 3D printer, a laser cutting machine, a digital embroidering machine, and IoT electronics.

The project will also have close ties with other Orange programmes, like Orange Fab, the Group’s start-up accelerator, and Orange Ventures, its investment arm, which may invest in successful start-ups coming out of the Digital Academy. Around 600 people are expected to receive training in the Brussel’s ODC this year.

The creation of the centre is part funded by the Belgian government, which has committed €2 billion, with Orange committing €1 million.

According to Deputy Prime Minister, Petra De Sutter, who was present at the launch, as many as four in ten Belgian’s are at risk of digital exclusion.

The launch comes as part of Orange’s broader Engage 2025 plan, which aims to extend digital inclusion and training programmes to 34.5 million people throughout Europe by 2025. The company also aims to train a further 4.5 million people in more advanced digital skills, such as coding and the use of AI.

This plan also includes the launch of ODCs in each of Orange’s European markets by 2023, with these plans initially being impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Covid was both an acceleration and a slowing down,” explained Jégo-Laveissière. “It’s accelerated our capabilities to create new content, especially for e-learning, but it slowed us down because nobody was able to able to meet with partners or even physically open a new location.”

According to Jégo-Laveissière, Orange will open ODCs in Poland, Spain, and Luxembourg by the end of the year, followed by Romania, Moldova and Slovakia in 2023. Discussions are ongoing with various governments and local authorities regarding joint funding and collaboration, though Orange admits that it may have to go it alone in some markets.

“We need to be ready with an ecosystem – if we create these things together, it’s much more powerful,” said Jégo-Laveissière. “We are working closely with the authorities, whether they are local or global, but in some countries we are doing it on our own.”

The opening of this centre cannot come soon enough. According to the Belgian government, up to 40% of Belgian society is at risk of digital exclusion in the years to come, much of which comes from a lack of education and engagement with the requisite skills and technologies. While just 7% of Belgians have no access to the internet at all, 17% of those with access only do so in a limited way and cannot perform basic tasks online.

“Digital literacy is more than crucial today and it determines how much you have access to digital services. In this way, digital skills are a ticket to fully participating in society,” explained Belgian Deputy Prime Minister, Petra de Sutter. “Up to 40% of the population is at risk of digital exclusions, even when considering access to the internet and smartphones.”

Particularly following the rapid digitalisation of services following the pandemic, the digital divide remains a major challenge worldwide, disproportionately affecting a wide array of very different demographics, from children to the elderly to those with less education. As a result, attempts to combat digital exclusion need to be similarly varied, and that seems to be what Orange is attempting here, creating a one-stop-shop for the local society’s digital needs, from the basics to digital start-up incubation.

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A new subsea link between Greece and Egypt is on the card after Telecom Egypt signed Heads of Agreement with a subsidiary of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) of Greece, Grid Telecom. The link will actually be an extension of a subsea cable system…

A new subsea link between Greece and Egypt is on the card after Telecom Egypt signed Heads of Agreement with a subsidiary of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) of Greece, Grid Telecom.

The link will actually be an extension of a subsea cable system, which is currently being laid across the Mediterranean Sea and will provide a new reliable telecommunications corridor interconnecting Africa, Asia and Europe – addressing increasing traffic demand between the three. The link will provide the shortest route across the Mediterranean basin to the Balkans as well as improving connectivity to the likes of Genoa and Marseilles.

The Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, Adel Hamed, commented:
“With the increasing demand for connectivity regionally and around the globe, Telecom Egypt is working on improving and extending its international network and continuously investing in new cables. Our collaboration with Grid Telecom will increase our network’s resiliency and reach.”

The Chairman and CEO of IPTO, Manos Manousakis, stated:
« The Southeast Mediterranean incubates major synergies that will contribute to the wider region’s emergence as a significant hub for both data and energy. In this context, with the fact that Egypt is a key hub location for all subsea cables from East to West, we are very pleased that the cooperation between IPTO’s subsidiary Grid Telecom and Telecom Egypt, will bring a new international route that will enhance the strategic role of Crete island as a neutral open-access node on the intersection of three continents. »