5G testing underway
TESTING of 5G mobile telecommunications services is now underway in Fiji, with testing frequencies already issued by the Government and mobile service providers already carrying out tests and nearing the deployment of 5G-based mobile services in the country.
“The Ministry (of Communications) has just issued testing frequencies for 5G and we are co-ordinating around them what this test entails, that’s also something we’re having discussions around for the next few weeks with the ministry,” chair of the Telecommunications Authority of Fiji (TAF) David Eyre told this newspaper.
“The test period will be for a certain window, 12 months is what I recall but the specifics of what you’re wanting to test in that 12 months is also important. 5G can bring a lot of benefits in terms of the efficient use of frequency, for example, but it’s also a capital intensive project as well…so, where do you do it, do you do it in the urban areas first and roll it out to other parts of the country?
You’re talking about the whole ecosystem, the types of devices that are out there, etc.”
Both mobile telephone service providers Vodafone Fiji and Digicel Fiji are in testing stages, with Vodafone Fiji’s 5G live user trials being conducted in select parts of Suva following its license to test issuance in February.
Yesterday, Digicel Fiji, which received its 5G testing license in April last year, issued a statement inferring it was near deployment stage, saying it will do so “through a process known as spectrum refarming”.
“This utilises the existing network spectrum, reducing the potential for interference with current services used by customers and businesses,” it said. “Digicel Fiji’s 5G devices and network have undergone rigorous testing to ensure compliance with Fiji’s established safety regulations.”
Mr Eyre said as an access technology, 5G would help alleviate some issues that the operators might have on their networks, “such as congestion and service quality, for example. So it’s efficient use of technology resources”.
The test period will be for a certain window, 12 months is what I recall but the specifics of what you’re wanting to test in that 12 months is also important
– Telecommunications Authority of Fiji chairman David Eyre