Eurobites: Ericsson claims 5G CA breakthrough

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Vodafone UK reduces emissions; European Commission looks into Qualcomm/Autotalks deal; BT enters Orbit.

Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe

August 18, 2023

2 Min Read
Eurobites: Ericsson claims 5G CA breakthrough
(Source: Ericsson)

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Vodafone UK reduces emissions; European Commission looks into Qualcomm/Autotalks deal; BT enters Orbit.

Ericsson says it has raised the bar for 5G carrier aggregation technology by achieving the world's first 6CC (six component carrier) data call, setting what it claims is a record download speed in this context of 5.7 Gbit/s. The data call was completed in an Ericsson lab using three FDD (frequency division duplex) bands combined with three TDD (time division duplex) bands in sub-6GHz. Ericsson reckons that six-component carrier capabilities will allow communications service providers to make the most of their network and spectrum assets to deliver faster data speeds and capacity for downlink-heavy applications.

  • Vodafone UK has reduced the carbon emissions produced by its own operations – so-called Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions – by 92% in the three years since March 2020, according to figures in its newly published Carbon Reduction Plan. Most of the reduction has been achieved by exclusively using electricity generated from renewable sources – a commitment partly made possible by long-term investments in solar and wind farms in various UK locations. The decommissioning of what the company has called "energy-hungry legacy equipment" has also helped. (See Vodafone's new energy deal won't make it much greener and Vodafone UK sets sights on cutting energy use amid data tsunami.)

  • The European Commission is to carry out an investigation into Qualcomm's proposed takeover of Autotalks, an Israeli company that makes chips specifically for use in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications for semi-autonomous and driverless vehicles. As Reuters reports, the Commission said in a statement that Qualcomm "cannot implement the transaction" before getting clearance from Brussels.

  • BT has sold its first few products and services via its new Orbit ordering system, which it describes as a "fundamental rework" of its approach to customer ordering. Orbit allows BT's frontline staff to view a customer's retail history with the operator (if they have one), detailing what other BT products and services they already use. The rollout of Orbit started this week, with 62 stores across four UK regions using it to date.

  • As England's mighty soccer lionesses prepare to give their Spanish rivals a mauling in the Women's World Cup final on Sunday [How's the impartiality training going? – Ed.], Dutch operator KPN has announced the arrival of W-sport, a women's sport TV channel of Belgian origin, onto its TV platform. Soccer-wise, Dutch audiences on KPN will be able to see weekly action from England's Women's Super League (WSL), Germany's Frauen Bundesliga, the USA's NWSL and Sweden's Damallsvenskan. Additionally, W-sport will also serve up women's volleyball, triathlon and netball, among other sports.

    — Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading

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About the Author(s)

Paul Rainford

Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading

Paul is based on the Isle of Wight, a rocky outcrop off the English coast that is home only to a colony of technology journalists and several thousand puffins.

He has worked as a writer and copy editor since the age of William Caxton, covering the design industry, D-list celebs, tourism and much, much more.

During the noughties Paul took time out from his page proofs and marker pens to run a small hotel with his other half in the wilds of Exmoor. There he developed a range of skills including carrying cooked breakfasts, lying to unwanted guests and stopping leaks with old towels.

Now back, slightly befuddled, in the world of online journalism, Paul is thoroughly engaged with the modern world, regularly firing up his VHS video recorder and accidentally sending text messages to strangers using a chipped Nokia feature phone.

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