Sunday, December 20, 2020

Week 51 in Telecoms, Internet, Media

Corporate

Networks

General

  • Eur Council & EP approve EC's Horizon Europe fund, EUR 95.5b until 2027 (follow-up to Horizon 2020)
  • Ookla Speedtest Global Index (Nov 20)
    • global average FBB 92/49 Mb/s, MBB 46/13 Mb/s
    • FBB: Sing #1 (241 Mb/s), HK #2 (223), Thailiand #3 (213), Monaco #4 (207), NL #26 (134)
    • MBB: UAE #1 (170), SK #2 (167), Qatar #3 (160), China #4 (148), Australia #5 (113), NL #7 (100)

FTTH

5G
  • Environmental
    • Haut Conceil pour le Climat (FR) report (Maitriser l’impact carbone de la 5G): 5G to lead to sharp increase in power consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; additional carbon emissions from data centres and device manufacturing
  • Security
  • Technology
    • 3GPP delays Release 17 (SA NR 5G, ultra-low latency, MIMO support, RAN slicing, integrated access & backhaul, MBS positioning, multicast & broadcast, multi-SIM support, etc) by 6 mo to mid 2022: stage 2 functional freeze June 2021, stage 3 protocol freeze March 2022, coding freeze June 2022; to decide on Release 18 roadmap by end 2022  
    • Samsung demos 305 Gb/s over 5G SA Core per server, with Intel  
    • Swisscom trials CA and VoNR on SA 5G, with Ericsson, OPPO, over SA 5G  
  • Launches
    • Free (Iliad) launches 5G in 700 MHz & 3.5 GHz bands (70 MHz) with smartphones at 5255 sites (pops coverage <40%; all sites for 700 band, 220 for 3.5 band) in FR, no extra cost for Free Mobile Plan subs; Free Unlimited 5G 10 EUR/mo for Freebox Pop subs, 16 for other Freebox subs; extra SIM 150 GB/mo for 20 EUR/mo for mobile-only subs; uses mainly European equipment  
    • Linkem launches 5G FWA (coop with Fastweb) in 3 towns (Modugno, Grottaglie, Avellino), target 50 YE 2020, 500 YE 2021, 2000 YE 2023; max 1 Gb/s  
    • Fastweb (Swisscom) launches 5G (26 GHz) in 50 cities (part of NeXXt Generation 2025 plan) as UltraFWA network, max 1 Gb/s, no caps; target 500 cities by 2021, 2000 by 2024; total coverage 2024E 8m HP in grey areas, 4m in white areasl CPE based on Qualcomm X55; to launch mobile 5G service 201227 in Milan, Bologna, Rome, Naples, target 90% pops coverage 2025 (to be included FWA at no extra cost)  
    • Vidéotron launches 5G (600, 700 MHz; 2.6 GHz) in Montreal, with Samsung (RAN)  
    • 3 Denmark (= Hi3G Access = 3 Group Europe = CK Hutchison 60%; Investor AB 40%) launches 5G in Copenhagen & Roskilde (425k covered subs o/w 15k have 5G smartphone), with 14 smartphones; no price premium; real speeds 25-345 Mb/s down, 23-38 Mb/s up; targets nationwide coverage summer 2022  
    • Wind Hellas launches 5G in Athens, Thessaloniki; target 60% pops coverage after 3 yr 
    • Cosmote launches 5G in Athens, Thessaloniki, other cities, with Ericsson; no price premium
    • Proximus launches 5G in 3.6-3.8 GHz band (based on temporary license)  
  • Applications
    • Vodafone DE trials 5G for broadcast pre-production at football stadium, with Sky DE  
    • AT&T demos 3D AR concert over 5G, with Ericsson, Songland (= NBC); spectators place 3D version at home and interact  
    • Telia FI launches FWA over 5G; max 400 Mb/s for 40 EUR/mo, max 1 Gb/s for 45 EUR/mo, installation fee EUR 500  
    • Aerospace & Saab launch Private 5G at plant in Linköping (SE), with Combitech, Vinnergi (SI), Nokia; spectrum subleased from Edzkom (formerly Ukkoverkot) & 3 Sweden (50 MHz in 2.6 GHz band)  
    • Chunghwa Telecom launches Private 5G at AES Group factory in Kaohsiung (to add 7 factories in 2021)  
LEO
  • Project Kuiper (Amazon; LEO) demos user terminal prototype (phased array antenna), smaller & cheaper than standard sat equipment; 400 Mb/s and 4K video with GEO  
  • SpaceX to raise funds  
  • AST SpaceMobile plans equatorial sat network (no expensive specialized satellite phones or ground antenna systems required, 4G and 5G phones suffice; to serve 49 countries, 1.6b pops), 1.6b covered pops; plans first launch of 20 sats, target 100 after 2 yr, 233 by 2027; targets 9m subs YE 2023, ARPU for SpaceMobile ~$1; targets 2023: rev $181m, EBITDA $130m; targets 2027: rev $9.7b, EBITDA $9.6b; supported by Vodafone/Vodacom and AT&T as wholesale customers (50/50 rev share); plans IPO via SPAC (symbol ASTS)  
  • OneWeb launches 36 sats; to raise $400m; target total 650 LEO sats 

Services

Retail, hardware
  • Sunrise: Launches XPLORA X5 Play eSIM: smartwatch for kids (voice calls, voice messages, SOS button, GPS for tracking, no internet), CHF 12.25 for We Connect subs (17.25 CHF/mo in 24 mo contract)
  • Telenet Business launches Tellie platform for care institutions: video calling from TV
Wholesale
Music
Video
Web services

Regulation

Telecoms

  • AGCom (IT) starts antitrust investigation against Sky IT
  • Spectrum
    • EETT (GR) launches multiband (700 MHz, 2 GHz, 3-4-3.8 GHz, 26 GHz) auction 201216, expected to raise EUR 367m - Raises EUR 372m after 6 rounds; Cosmote 123m for 2 700MHz blocks (51m), 4 2GHz blocks (35m), 15 3.5GHz blocks (31m), 2 26GHz blocks (6.5m); Vodafone 130m for 2 700MHz blocks (51m), 4 2GHz blocks (35m), 14 3.5GHz blocks (38m), 2 26GHz blocks (6.5m); Wind 119m for 2 700MHz blocks (50m), 4 2GHz blocks (35m), 10 3.5GHz blocks (30m), 1 26GHz block (3.3m)  
    • Appeals Court Sweden allows PTS to conduct auction - To start 210119  
    • MinEZK (NL) plans 3.5 GHz (3450-3750) auction 22Q1, to be available 220901, consultation 21Q1; goals: realistic chances for all candidates, realistic proceeds, simple & transparent auction model; auction model to be proposed by DotEcon; auction rules to be published 21H1, applications from 21H2 

Google

  • DoJ antitrust trial to start 230912, next staus hearing 210121 [see 200827]
  • 10 US state AGs (all Republican, led by Texas AG) start antitrust lawsuit against Google (colluding with Facebook) over monopoly in Search (redesign disadvantaged specialised (vertical) search engines, such as Amazon, TripAdvisor, Yelp, Angie's List; as Google prioritises own results) & online ads, co-conspired with Facebook to rig ad auctions and fix prices - Google denies, points to falling ad and ad-tech prices
  • Antitrust lawsuit by AGs (bipartisan) from 35 US states, DC, Guam, Puerto Rico related to Search & Search Advertising (violating Sherman Act, self-reinforcing, limiting consumer options), requires design changes - Google opposes (redesign 'to prominently feature online middlemen in place of direct connections to businesses')
  • Rejects ACCC's News Media & Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code as unworkable ("Google to pay to show links in an unprecedented intervention that would fundamentally break how search engines work", no website or search engine paid to connect people to other websites), proposes News Showcase as alternative
  • 4 Private publishers file 2 antitrust lawsuits (1 by Sweepstakes Today, 1 by Genius Media Group, The Nation, The Progressive) over digital ad sales 
Platforms
  • FTC orders Amazon, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Discord, ByteDance, Reddit, Snap, Twitter to reveal data collection policies, to respond in 45 days [in relation to tracking, personal info, privacy, kids, ads]
  • EC launches
    • DSA (Digital Services Act; e-commerce; remove illegal goods, transparency on algorithms & other recommendation engines; each acuisition to be reported; max fines 6% of annual global turnover)
    • DMA (Digital Markets Act; gatekeepers based on size (active in >= 3 states, annual rev >$6.5b, market value >EUR 65b, >45m MAU, >10k annual business customers), role, duration; may not use data from 3rd-party sellers, may not block users & businesses from using competitors, may not favor own services in rankings; fines max 10% of global turnover; systematic non-compliance may result in behavioral orders, forced divestments or breakups); national Digital Services Coordinator to monitor every 6 mo; to be negotiated with member states & EP - BEREC supports (ex-ante regulatory framework)
  • Facebook opposes Apple's iOS 14 (to show App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt from early 2021, limits data sharing, requires users' consent, reuqires opt-in for tracking), prepares advertisers
  • Facebook supports Epic Games in complaint against Apple's App Store policies - Judge orders Tim Cook & Craig Federighi (both Apple) to testify

at 9:11 pm
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