Smart completes 5G test with Nokia
Nokia announced it achieved peak data rates of 2.5Gb/s during a trial of 5G equipment conducted with Philippines operator PLDT’s subsidiary Smart.

The trial took place at Nokia’s Manila technology centre and delivered latency of 1ms using 100MHz of spectrum.

Manuel Pangilinan, chairman and CEO of PLDT and Smart, said the test forms a key part of the operator’s efforts to future-proof its network. CTO Joachim Horn added the demo is a key step towards developing 5G capabilities by 2020.

Vietnam’s handset exports rise 11%
Vietnam’s exports of mobile devices increased 11 per cent in the first 11 months of the year to $29.8 billion, according to Vietnam Customs.

The US was the country’s largest export market, accounting for $3.47 billion, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Korea and Austria, Viet Nam News reported.

Handset and wireless devices represented 19.7 per cent of total exports.

Chunghwa urged to cut IP peering fee
Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC) urged market leader Chunghwa Telecom to lower its IP peering fee rate from TWD314 per megabyte ($9.80) to TWD170/MB next year, DigiTimes reported.

The regulator said the lower level is closer to the average of $5.5/MB in the Asia-Pacific region.

The operator, with a 33 per cent share of the country’s mobile connections, said it will evaluate the request.

China Mobile taps Gemalto for connected-car platform
China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator, announced it will use Gemalto’s remote subscription management solution as it moves into the connected-car market.

The vendor will supply its LinqUS on-demand connectivity subscription management solution and the GSMA compliant embedded SIMs (eSIMs). These will allow a new subscription profile to be securely provisioned in any car equipped with an eSIM and end-users will enjoy “in-car “connected services throughout the lifecycle of the car, such as infotainment, navigation support, safety or vehicle diagnostic, Gemalto said in a statement.

The company has deployed more than 20 on-demand connectivity solutions, and has executed at least 300 over-the-air deployments around the globe, said Suzanne Tong-Li, president of greater China and Korea at Gemalto. “We believe we are in a sweet spot to help operators like China Mobile make a successful leap to IoT.”