Eurobites: Nokia to offer dollops of DelOps for the 5G core

Deutsche Telekom and Ericsson are investigating the use of solar power at mobile broadband sites at a DT site at Dittenheim, about 100 miles north of Munich. As part of the project, small solar modules with a total surface area of about 12 square meters were erected at the site, while Ericsson's Power System handled the necessary voltage conversion and other technical issues. The operator says that the tests showed that solar energy is able to contribute to more than two-thirds of the site's total power during peak hours.

In other Ericsson news, the Swedish vendor has, along with Nokia and Huawei, been named a "Leader" in Gartner's 2021 Magic Quadrant for 5G Network Infrastructure for Communications Service Providers, being recognized for its "completeness of vision and ability to execute."

Swisscom has chosen Teoco's Asset Radio 5G software to address its 5G network planning needs. The software features dynamic spectrum sharing, which enabled the operator to test a range of network scenarios.

Swisscom has also spun off its Trust Services division, which specializes in translating complex regulations and compliance rules into processes and technology, into an independent public limited company, Swisscom Trust Services Ltd., which will be headed by Nik Fuchs.

RootMetrics has issued another survey of 5G in the UK, offering snapshots of how each of the main four mobile operators is faring with the new(ish) technology. EE "offers broad 5G availability and fast 5G speeds;" O2 "shows consistently fast speeds, but limited availability overall;" Three "shows a growing 5G footprint, fast speeds, but low availability;" and Vodafone "shines in London and was fast elsewhere, but availability has room to grow."

In what could have ramifications for the future of non-terrestrial broadband, the European Commission has announced three projects – one on drone technologies, one on space communication and a third on space traffic management – that it hopes will give Europe the edge in these areas. As Reuters reports, the initiative is an attempt to get the civil, defense and space industries to collaborate more productively.

Which brings us to Vodafone, which is providing its 4G network as part of a trial in the remote west coast of Scotland to explore the use of drones to deliver medical supplies and samples in the region on behalf of the National Health Service. Drone delivery could massively shorten delivery journey times in some areas, from 36 hours by road and ferry to just 15 minutes. Also taking part in the trial are drones company Skyports and consultancy Deloitte.

Spotify, the Swedish-owned audio-streaming giant, is to launch in 85 new markets, including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria. As the BBC reports, Spotify is attempting to counter the threat from Apple, Amazon and Google's rival music-based services by throwing money at attention-grabbing podcasts from the likes of Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading