LIVE FROM 5G REALISED, LONDON: Ofcom conceded UK operator concerns around 5G regulation remain a concern, but hailed broader swift progress being made towards launching the next-generation technology.

Mansoor Hanif, CTO of the regulator (pictured), admitted earlier comments by operators regarding barriers hampering deployment efforts means there needed to be government decisions made on some issues “pretty quickly”.

However, in a presentation, he stated the country is making good progress in the global race to 5G, noting that the country which was the 54th to launch 4G would be in the first wave to have the new network technology.

Hanif rebuked calls from 3 UK COO Graham Baxter not to impose coverage obligations in a spectrum auction in 2020, stating 5G “had to be fair for everyone” with a possibility of offering financial incentives to companies willing to roll out in remote areas.

“We’re trying to get a fair outcome, not earn a certain amount of money for the exchequer,” he added.

Hanif said there was also a need to investigate a number of innovative technological solutions which could help coverage provision. These include Massive MIMO antennas on top of existing broadcast towers and satellite solutions.

Commenting on a spate of announcements by companies developing 5G over satellite, he expects greater cooperation between operators and these new players, especially when it comes to areas where coverage provision is more difficult. This was despite “a lot of friction between satellite and terrestrial industries in the past”.