Pete Bell

Pete Bell is a Research Analyst for TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database and also contributes to the daily CommsUpdate newsletter. He has a particular interest in wireless broadband and was responsible for TeleGeography’s 4G Research Service until it was integrated into GlobalComms.

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Recent Posts

Tracking the 4G Decade

December 2019 marked the tenth anniversary of the world’s first commercial LTE network launch. Scandinavian telco Telia paved the way in Stockholm and Oslo way back in 2009.

As for the decade that followed? Let’s take a closer look.

To Hull and Back: KCOM Creates U.K.’s First Fiber City

Fixed-line telephone markets in many European countries were originally served by a single national operator—but not the U.K. Most of the United Kingdom became a monopoly for BT, whose origins go back to 1846 and the world’s first commercial communications operator: the Electric Telegraph Company.

Hong Kong Cellcos Hail 5G Spectrum Prices

The government of Hong Kong has completed a round of 5G spectrum auctions, having sold frequencies in the 3.3GHz, 3.5GHz, 4.9GHz, and 26GHz ranges this year. The sales raised a total of HK$1.91 billion ($244 million) in spectrum utilization fees (SUFs).

The territory is looking to be among the front-runners in the race to launch 5G networks in the Asia-Pacific region.

Termination Rates Continue Downward Trend

Mobile termination rates (MTRs) have been falling steadily over the past decade. That trajectory is set to continue through the next few years.

Under the Calling Party Pays (CPP) system, which applies to the bulk of mobile markets worldwide, incoming calls are free and the cost of the call is covered by the originating user. Termination rates are designed to allow cellcos at the receiving end of a call to recoup their costs in these markets.

Jio Prepares for Round Two

The stage is set for India’s second telecom battle in the space of three years.

No Lifeline for Wireline: Fixed Voice Continues to Fall

The fixed voice telephony market continued its downward trend in 2018—and the decline shows no signs of stopping.

Mislatel Ready to Shake Up Filipino Mobile Market

The Philippines has moved one step closer to breaking the cellular market duopoly of well-established operators PLDT/Smart and Globe Telecom.

Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company (Mislatel)–the new major player (NMP) that was licensed in November 2018–has formally been issued its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN). This paves the way for a planned commercial launch next year.

Our Forecast? 1.9 billion 5G Users by 2025.

As more and more 5G mobile networks are launched, we’ve become curious about how the market will fare in the coming years.

According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Forecast Service, the cellular market as a whole will be home to almost 9 billion subscriptions by the end of 2025, up from around 7.8 billion in December 2018. This excludes fixed-wireless and machine-to-machine/internet of things connections.

Tower Power: Supporting the World’s Cellcos

Spain-based telecom infrastructure firm Cellnex announced a series of deals to acquire mobile towers in three European countries.

The $3 billion (EUR2.7 billion) transaction will see Cellnex buying network equipment from Iliad in France and Italy, as well as Salt in Switzerland.

MVNO Market Maintains Upward Trajectory

The market for MVNO services remains buoyant. Customers of resellers accounted for 4.6% of all mobile users worldwide at the end of 2018. This is up from 4.3% a year earlier and less than 2% in December 2011.