5G trials are on the way to Algeria and Mexico, according to recent reports, though the uses of 5G being tested will be very different.
Agence Ecofin, an information agency specializing in public management and the African economy, reports that Algerian mobile network operator Mobilis plans to test 5G mobile technology from next month, starting in the capital Algiers. The aim is to improve the company’s broadband internet connectivity offering. The company’s CEO announced the planned trials on 18 July.
The operator may have other worries than 5G connectivity, however. It will, at the same time, have to deal with official dissatisfaction with the state of its 4G coverage and quality in a number of areas of the country. This, apparently, needs addressing urgently if Mobilis wants to avoid official sanctions.
A very different 5G trial is imminent in Mexico. According to TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, Mexico’s Federal Telecommunications Institute has reportedly given TV Azteca permission to trial 5G-based broadcast solutions in Tlalpan, Mexico City and at the Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara using spectrum in the 3350MHz-3450MHz (3.5GHz) band. The spectrum will be available for a period of six months.
TV Azteca is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate owned by Grupo Salinas. It is the second-largest mass-media company in Mexico.
Other operators in the country already hold blocks of 5G-suitable 3.5GHz spectrum, while 600MHz spectrum is due to be sold off. However, the country’s upcoming auction of 5G-ready 600MHz spectrum was postponed earlier this year due to the coronavirus epidemic. Other bands are also being considered for 5G use.
