Comments are due April 28, replies May 28, in docket 21-63 on the FCC open radio access network notice of inquiry, said Monday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved the NOI 4-0 earlier this month (see 2103170049).

Non-standalone 5G offers up to 1.7 Gbps of throughput, slightly better than the fastest LTE, said Samer Geissah, Telus director-technology strategy and architecture, during a Fierce Wireless webinar Wednesday. “We see a lot of usage on video, we see a lot of usage on downloads.” Since the Canadian provider has been enhancing its 4G network, faster speeds won’t immediately be the main selling point for 5G, but it will become faster when stand-alone networks are fully deployed, he said. Advances “will come in waves,” he said. Many uses being studied look at video analytics and how fifth-generation can be used to “more efficiently to do what we currently do otherwise,” Geissah said. Streetlight traffic control systems used to use sensors embedded in the ground, he said: “Now, with a connected camera, you literally have to just do some software adaptations.” The biggest fifth-gen challenge is the ecosystem's complexity, said Tony Montalvo, Analog Devices vice president-technology for automotive, communications and aerospace. “It used to be we had quite a small number of very large customers,” he said: With open radio access networks, the company has to work with many more companies. “There are more bands, wider bands, more complex band combinations … plus an explosion in the number of antennas,” he said. Crown Castle sees growing opportunities from private networks and use of citizens broadband radio service spectrum, said Vice President-Technology Strategy Mark Reudink.

Omnispace and Lockheed Martin will partner on exploring development of 5G capability from space, they said Tuesday. They said the proposed space-based network would have commercial, enterprise and government applications. Omnispace would use its 2 GHz S-band spectrum rights, and the network would connect directly to devices from non-geostationary orbit, it said.

The FCC notice of inquiry on open radio access networks got changes in version approved 4-0 last week, versus the draft, starting in the section on increased competition and network vendor diversity, based our comparison. Officials say questions were added on adoption and other issues (see 2103170049). “We seek comment on whether and how the current market structure in the traditional RAN sector may impact or affect the deployment and adoption of Open RAN solutions,” the final version said: “How many options are available to carriers in selecting equipment manufacturers? How interoperable is this RAN equipment, if at all, with other hardware and software? Is this equipment or software proprietary? What restrictions, if any, do equipment manufacturers place on wireless carriers’ equipment choices or options?” The NOI now asks about “the effects of competition in the industry, and would transitioning to Open RAN resolve, ameliorate, or worsen these issues?” The final notice probes vertical supply chain relationships in the networking equipment market and “the potential effects of current market conditions on the demand for and deployment of Open RAN solutions.” Commenters are asked to “identify barriers to entry or market conditions that may affect or impede the deployment and adoption of Open RAN solutions now or in the future.” The NOI raises additional adoption issues: “If the benefits of Open RAN can only be realized by economies of scale, should the Commission provide funding or incentives to operators that choose to implement such systems in their wireless networks?”

SoftBank launched its 5G millimeter-wave service in Japan using devices based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platforms and modem, Qualcomm said Friday. All initial 5G mmWave-compatible mobile devices in SoftBank’s lineup, including soon-to-be-announced 5G smartphones, are expected to be Qualcomm-powered, along with a pocket Wi-Fi 5G mmWave mobile hot spot.

Dish Network signed a master lease agreement with American Tower allowing Dish space on up to 20,000 communications sites as it deploys a 5G network. “DISH now has the complete, robust infrastructure portfolio we need to support our nationwide 5G network deployment,” said Dave Mayo, executive vice president-network development: “Our team has already developed colocation plans for American Tower sites across the country.” Dish now has MLAs with the three big U.S. tower companies, Raymond James’ Ric Prentiss emailed investors.

Nokia announced an agreement with Amazon Web Services Monday to research and enable cloud radio access network and open RAN technologies. “The collaboration, which will be conducted at Nokia’s facilities, aims to develop innovative proof of concepts to explore and enable Cloud RAN and related technologies,” said a news release: “Nokia is pursuing a strategy of collaborating with AWS to extend the reach of its Cloud RAN technologies in support of 5G deployments and the development of new use cases.” Nokia also announced an agreement with Google Cloud “to develop new, cloud-based 5G radio solutions.” Nokia also reached an agreement with Microsoft “to develop new market-ready 4G and 5G private wireless use cases designed” for business customers. The collaboration combines Nokia’s cloud RAN technologies with Microsoft Azure cloud-based services.

A year into the pandemic, wireless networks continue to keep people connected and the U.S. is pulling ahead on 5G, CTIA President Meredith Baker blogged Monday. "It’s now clear that the U.S. is poised to be at the forefront of the 5G Economy and become home to 5G innovations that will carry us through the next decade," said Baker.

Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler blasted the Trump administration’s lack of focus on 5G and spectrum, in a Brookings blog post Friday. A promised national spectrum strategy “was never delivered,” Wheeler said: “Donald Trump left office having made big statements about 5G and the importance of spectrum, but without a strategy to achieve those goals,” he said: “The failure of the Trump administration to decide among various priorities to establish a national spectrum policy has left the nation rudderless. It now falls to the Biden administration to place a firm hand on the rudder.”

Commercialization of 5G “continues to be strong,” Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf told his company's annual meeting Thursday, his last before his June retirement when he will be replaced by President Cristiano Amon. “We're early on” but 2020 “was the year that 5G really started to ramp,” Mollenkopf said. More than 140 operators have launched it in nearly 60 countries, and 270 more operators “are investing, making their plans known to go to 5G,” he said. Qualcomm expects a billion 5G connections in 2023, “two years faster than that same mark in 4G,” he said. Adoption of 5G smartphones remains "strong,” said Mollenkopf. Industry sold 225 million 5G smartphones in 2020, he said. “We expect that to grow to 500 million at the midpoint in 2021 and continue to grow.”