In February 2020, as Cullen International launched its first Global Trends benchmark on 5G very little was known outside China about Covid-19 and about the global health emergency the newly discovered virus was about to generate.
By March 2020, when Covid-19 was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, 5G mobile services were commercially available in a handful of countries, with availability usually limited to urban areas.
Economic uncertainties brought by lockdowns raised concerns over the reduced purchasing power of consumers and businesses and the potential impact on the demand for 5G services and handsets.
Concerns were also raised on the supply side, over possible slowdowns in 5G network buildouts. According to new global research by Cullen International, Covid-19 had different impacts around the world.
While 5G spectrum assignments were postponed in some countries, they were carried out according to schedule in others. During the pandemic China and the US amongst other countries, announced financial support packages to accelerate 5G network rollouts. Significant developments were observed in the 5G industry, with network deployments and commercial launches observed in several countries across all continents.
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24 March 26
Middle East tightens oversight of IoT connectivity as roaming and licensing frameworks evolve
Cullen International’s latest analysis shows that, while some MENA countries allow IoT connectivity through cross-border roaming arrangements, others increasingly rely on telecommunications licensing frameworks and identity verification requirements to regulate connected devices.
23 March 26
National frameworks for high-risk suppliers in Europe
Cullen International’s latest benchmarks on national frameworks addressing security concerns associated with high-risk suppliers (HRS) survey the scope of the frameworks (whether limited to 5G networks or also extending to other telecoms networks or critical sectors), as well as the measures implemented to restrict or ban HRS in 5G networks (including concrete restrictions in practice).
20 March 26
Authorities in the Americas rely on existing competition law frameworks to address the market power of online platforms
This new benchmark covers how countries in the Americas address the market power of online platforms. It examines recent legislative developments, as well as selected competition law cases in which authorities assessed the conduct or mergers of major digital platforms.