Vodafone explains why it’s not rushing for 5G investment

Vodafone will start testing of 5G mobile networks in seven of Britain’s 10 largest cities later in 2018 — amid indications that it is not yet ready for massive investment in the next gen networks.
Vodafone LTE network
The strategy of Vodafone is to start limited deployments of 5G networks in dense urban areas in some markets next year, Reuters reported.

Vodafone Group officials signalled that it is in no rush to roll out 5G services though 5G has the potential to offer ten-fold increase in mobile broadband data speeds.

Ooredoo is the first telecom operator to launch 5G globally. Ooredoo 5G is not available on smartphones. Qualcomm, Intel, MediaTek will be launching 5G chipsets that will be powering 5G smartphones. Recent research reports indicate that 5G smartphones will be too costly to afford in the initial phase.

Ooredoo recently said 5G on a broadband network will offer up to 1.2 Gbps download and 100 Mbps upload speed on CPEs. Ooredoo has the capability to increase speeds that can go up to 5Gbps on Ooredoo 5G network later.

Vodafone and several leading telecom operators are cagey about making investment in 5G right now because the eco-system is not yet ready for offering smartphones and other devices to offer seamless voice and data connectivity on a 5G network.

Vodafone has said its broad program of 4G network upgrades undertaken across Europe in recent years, combined with its strong position in licensed radio airwaves, ensures that it has capacity to meet traffic demand for years to come.

The company is waiting until 5G-ready phones and other devices start to become available in the 2020 time-frame before it considers fuller 5G deployments. Vodafone has forecast that 5G is unlikely to be adopted by 50 percent of phone users before the middle of the next decade, or around seven years out.

BSNL, a leading telecom operator in India, this week said it would aim for 5G launch — in 2020 — in line with the global launch of global service providers.

Airtel, the number one telecom operator in India, has already started deploying pre-5G Massive MIMO technology in select telecom markets across the country. The strategy of Airtel is to make investment in massive MIMO that can expand the network capacities by 5-7 times on the same spectrum.

Vodafone UK 5G plans

Vodafone UK, Britain’s third largest mobile operator, said it is laying the groundwork for 5G services as a supplement to existing 4G networks at 40 locations around Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Manchester.

It plans to target highly trafficked urban areas including sports venues, offices, factories and hospitals, as well as some popular holiday locations, a Vodafone UK spokesman said.

Earlier this month, rival mobile operator EE, a unit of BT Group, said it would switch on the UK’s first 5G trial network in East London in October. Vodafone said its latest 5G trials will kick off between October and December of this year.

Baburajan K