WCA November 2019

Telecom news

The Commerce Department over- sees the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has warned that the FCC’s move to release 24GHz spectrum for 5G could impact the nation’s ability to forecast hurricanes and weather events. The situation has created a public rift between the FCC and the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the federal agency that oversees the US government’s use of spectrum. Others, however, argue that the White House has consistently made a priority case for 5G across all government agencies. The NTIA’s first annual report detailed its efforts to release more spectrum for commercial uses, including 5G. The report itself was developed in response to President Trump’s call for a catalogue of the government’s use of spectrum and for a national spectrum strategy. Commenting on its report, the NTIA said it demonstrates “that the United States already leads the world in spectrum available for 5G technology, and is working to … double the radio spectrum available for the next generation of wireless network technology.” The agency drew particular attention to the US government’s release of almost 5.9GHz that could be used for 5G, with a further 13GHz potentially available for licensed 5G networks. Technology’s underdog, or civilisa- tion’s bright new future: either way, 5G is continuing its global spread at a pace. Reaching the parts other networks can reach In an effort to cut costs, while expediting the rollout of 5G across China, China Unicom and China Telecom have confirmed plans to cooperate on a national 5G network. While working together, the two companies will still be independent on the construction and operation of their own backbone networks. China has been pushing forward with 5G services in hopes of securing a competitive edge in the technology, powering services such as tele- medicine and autonomous driving.

US-China trade tensions could impact the Philippines

The United States government’s plan to improve Internet services to the Philippines could grind to a halt if the Justice Department follows through with a threat to block a US-China submarine cable. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department is opposing the 12,800km Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN), linking Los Angeles with Hong Kong, following security concerns. The PLCN’s Philippine branches will be built by Facebook, as part of a tripartite deal with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and Bases Conversion and Development Authority, builders of the Luzon Bypass. Investors in the cable include Google and Facebook, but it is the Beijing-based Dr Peng Telecom & Media Group that is causing concern. The Luzon Bypass will consist of two cable landing stations connected by a 250km cable network corridor. The bypass exploits the geographical advantage of the Philippines by providing a terrestrial bypass route for international submarine cable owners to avoid the Luzon Strait, which has a history of multiple simultaneous cable breaks. The Facebook cable is intended to provide Filipinos with a cheaper source of bandwidth. In exchange for the use of the bypass, Facebook will provide the Philippine government with a free annual capacity of 2Tb per second to power government initiatives, including a free Wi-Fi project. China Telecom, already active in the Philippines as part a consortium granted ‘third telecommunications provider’ status by President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, has previously revealed its plans to explore the construction of its own undersea cable to the Philippines via the Luzon Bypass.

Does the White House get 5G?

provide novel, low-cost capabilities across a broad range of commercial sectors, including transportation.” The latest budget recommendations, directed at 2021 spending, mention connectivity and spectrum but omit 5G: “Departments and agencies should support the development and deployment of advanced communi- cations networks by prioritising R&D consistent with the National Spectrum R&D strategy.” Other priorities, such as AI, quantum science and computing, energy and medicine, have reappeared in the 2021 recommendations. Democratic Federal Communications Commission (FCC) commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, on social media, described the omission as “… strange. This is the infrastructure of the future. It should be a priority.” Mike Dano, writing for Light Reading [“5G Is Not Among Trump’s R&D Priorities”] suggests that 5G is a victim of an on-going feud between the Department of Commerce and the FCC.

The annual recommendations for federal research and development have been issued by the White House. Some telecoms watchers have expressed surprise that, despite 5G figuring prominently in the same report in 2018, there is no mention of the technology this year. In July 2018 the administration ranked connectivity, specifically 5G, as among top priorities for government research and development spending in 2020: “Advanced communications networks, including 5G wireless networks and beyond, will be critical to an increasingly connected society. “Agencies should support the development and deployment of these networks, including by prioritising R&D to manage spectrum, secure networks, and increase access to high speed Internet. Connected systems, including autonomous and unmanned systems such as drones and self-driving cars, rely heavily on robust and secure connectivity to

Illustrations: BigStockPhoto.com • Artist: Asmati

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Wire & Cable ASIA –November/December 2019

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