Author: Jeremy Horwitz / Source: VentureBeat
Italy, Portugal, and Australia are each setting the stage for 5G cellular network launches in 2019, as regulators in each country have announced near-term plans to auction 5G-specific radio spectrum to mobile carriers. The regulatory moves follow last week’s 5G legislative agreements in the United States and European Union, demonstrating how countries are moving to hasten availability of faster next-generation cellular networks.
Of the three nations, Italy has been the strongest in testing 5G services, thanks to early government assistance to domestic carriers TIM, Vodafone, and Wind Tre. Last year, leading carrier TIM and Huawei announced a collaboration on 3.7GHz tests across Italy, named Turin as Italy’s first 5G city, and reached 20Gbps speeds using the country’s first 28GHz millimeter wave antenna. Separately, number two carrier Vodafone made Italy’s first 5G data connection with Huawei 3.7-3.8GHz equipment in Milan, achieving over 2.7Gbps speeds and “just over a millisecond” latency. Third-place carrier Wind Tre has worked with Qualcomm and ZTE on 3.7GHz trials in Italy, as well.
Italian regulator Agcom said that it will auction 2.5 billion Euros worth of spectrum in the 3.6-3.8GHz and 26.5-27.5GHz bands, offering 18-year terms. Agcom also plans to offer 30 megahertz of 700MHz spectrum for a shorter 15-year term. Notably, telecom industry groups in Europe have criticized terms…
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