Wireless Watch 646 July 11 2016: RAN disruption

Key Issues: Mobile RAN disruption

• Fiddling while Rome burns: EU operators’ 5G Manifesto misses the point 2
• Facebook adds OpenCellular to its disruptive, non-MNO network vision 9
• SK Telecom slices network right down to physical infrastructure 14

Comment:

• Sony “defocuses” on overseas markets as Samsung looks reinvigorated 16
• Italy braces itself for French-style disruption with Iliad’s bid 18
• Intel backs off Android, but Chrome OS is increasingly more strategic 20
• Alibaba and Intel announce major connected car initiatives 22
• BT and CityFibre face off over new UK competition rules 26

M&A Watch:

Vodafone India poised to acquire Telenor’s subsidiary 27

4G Watch:

Ericsson and Vodafone claim Europe’s fastest LTE uplink 28

IoT Watch:

SK Telecom lays down the table stakes for IoT pricing 29

Mobile OS and Content:

Huawei’s OS project is already outdated; its real power struggle is in VR 31

Spectrum Watch:

China Mobile demonstrates 3.3 GHz TD-LTE, in bid for additional spectrum 33

WiFi Watch:

CableWiFi Alliance survives US M&A, could be even more disruptive 34

Operator Watch:

Telecom Italia kicks off Europe’s first live Cloud-RAN trials 36