Japanese operator SoftBank was assigned new spectrum in the 3.7 GHz and 28 GHz bands for 5G, and is focused on high-altitude platforms for the Internet of Things and 5G.  The proposed merger of its US segment Sprint with T-Mobile looks set to be approved, while Sprint is deploying 5G… Read more...

There is no globally harmonized spectrum for IoT, and there is no indication that this situation will change. IoT spectrum considerations therefore remain in the hands of national regulators. Read more...

A lack of national-level spectrum policy is stymieing the development of the commercial drone industry. This is despite the progressive identification of spectrum for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) at the international-level and ongoing innovation supporting innumerable use cases for commercial drones. In this second note of a two-part series on… Read more...

The Indian operator is frequently name-checked as a model for successfully breaking into a mobile market with its straight-to-4G, data-only strategy. But Reliance Jio Infocomm looks like a one-off: finding another visionary, billionaire backer like Mukesh Ambani, willing to invest a significant chunk of his capital in spectrum and infrastructure… Read more...

Japan will be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 and the country plans to use the event as a showcase for new technologies such as 5G. Japan is one of the countries interested in using 28 GHz for 5G, even though the band was not selected for further… Read more...

Just 7% of Japan's land mass is made up of 'intensively built-up' areas and is inhabited by almost 60% of Japan's 125 million-strong population. Comparatively, over half of the nation's land mass is 'moderately built-up', but is inhabited by 15% of the population.   Read more...

NTT DOCOMO is Japan's leading mobile operator, but it is also a key player on the world stage in 5G innovation.  With the government gearing up for the country's first spectrum auction, the operator has urged against giving excessive weight to the economic value of spectrum. Read more...

SoftBank and its US segment, Sprint, seek to lead the pack in 5G rollout, with Sprint preparing to launch a US 5G mobile network using 2.5 GHz in the first half of 2019 while the FCC reviews a proposed merger between Sprint and T-Mobile. In Japan the 5G focus is… Read more...

Steady progress is being made in releasing 700 MHz for mobile with 30 auctions anticipated over the next three years. Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas are the furthest advanced but few definite plans have been made in Africa or central Asian countries. Read more...

Japan will be hosting the Olympic Games in 2020 and the country plans to use the event as a showcase for new technologies such as 5G. As a result, both its government and its operators are very active in testing the technology. Read more...