According to a new report from Global Market Insights, the mobile virtual network operator market size is anticipated to record a valuation of $125 billion by 2027, driven by the enormous increase in Internet and mobile usage in recent years. The report included four key trends set to transform the MVNO market, including innovative solutions, growing adoption, a flourishing Latin American market, and an increasing distribution market.

Speaking of mobile connectivity, in a first, SOLiD has been selected by BAI Communications, which will be using SOLiD’s distributed antenna system as a linchpin to deliver high-speed mobile connectivity across the London Underground. This will transform the Underground from, in Transport London’s words, from a “not-spot to a hot spot.”

5G News

We’re rounding the corner into the fourth quarter of 2021, which means the industry is starting to take stock of 5G with metrics, research, and reports. In 5G news, a new Juniper Research report reveals that the total number of 5G connections will reach 3.2 billion by 2026, rising from 310 million in 2021 for total growth of 940 percent. How we’re using those connections is the subject of another brand-new Juniper Research study. It has found that the global number of roaming subscribers using 5G services will increase from 4.5 million in 2021 to 210 million in 2026. The research lays out imperatives for roaming vendors to develop 5G-enabled roaming services. And a third Juniper study focuses on 5G-compatible smartphones, which will account for over 50 percent of smartphone sales revenue by 2025, up from $108 billion this year. Recent research from Omdia further benchmarks 5G-enabled smartphones, pegging that currently over 80 percent of 5G smartphones sold this year support only Sub6, the mid- and low-frequency 5G that supports lower data transmission speeds. There is clearly a gap between the hype and the reality that we can hold in our hands. 

Beyond the realm of research, 5G news included headlines related to 5G rollouts and milestones. In Europe, Nokia announced that it has been selected by A1 Telekom Austria Group (A1) to extend its 5G footprint outside of Austria into Bulgaria, Serbia, and Slovenia. In Asia, Nokia and Taiwan Mobile announced the achievement of the world’s first New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR CA) by combining spectrum in the 700MHz (n28) and 3500MHz (n78) bands. The trial, which took place in a 5G standalone (SA) network environment, opens the way for 5G experiences with enhanced connectivity and capacity. Also in Asia, ZTE and the Hangzhou Branch of China Telecom have conducted 300MHz 5G QCell verification in Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, to prepare for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, taking place in late September. China Telecom and ZTE will provide smart 5G for up to 80,000 spectators during the games.

Stateside, the Federal Communications Commission took its latest step forward in making additional mid-band spectrum available for 5G service in the United States, granting more than 5,000 licenses for wireless operations in the band and paving the way for carriers to use this spectrum to provide 5G and other advanced wireless services. Additionally, the FCC announced that over four million households have enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, the nation’s largest broadband affordability program to date.

Together, General Motors and AT&T are working to develop a 5G network architecture to serve as the new standard in automotive connectivity. The companies are laying the groundwork to enable cellular connectivity for millions of GM vehicles coming off the assembly line over the next decade in the United States.

Leaderboard, Transformation and Innovation News

It was a fast-paced month in leaderboard, transformation, and innovation news. The global semiconductor shortage is causing bottlenecks in numerous industries. The international technology group Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) issued warning of failures in economically critical areas such as connectivity, payment systems, and electronic identities related to the shortage. With dire headlines also rolling in about the climate crisis, a new Digital Outlook report from Telenor and leading Norwegian innovators