Telco CEOs worldwide are discovering something they should have learned in kindergarten: Share everything. One network is cheaper than two. Two are cheaper than the 4-7 usually needed for competition to work its magic. In China, the government has directed the telcos to work together to reduce the cost of 5G. When the Minister speaks, the telcos listen.
This is a worldwide trend. Vodafone is cooperating with Telecom Italia and UK’s Telefonica O2. In Rwanda, the government has only allowed a single 4G network, wholesale only. The result: one of the poorest countries in the world better 4G coverage than many European nations.
China Unicom CEO Wang Xiaochu Wang Xiaochu hopes for a deal with the new 4th operator, China Broadcast. He’s also talking to China Mobile & Telecom.
• Strive for network “co-build co-share” & synergy to speed up 5G deployment
• “Co-build co-share” could deliver material savings in CAPEX, tower usage fee, network maintenance expense & power charge
• Customer could experience seamless service upgrade without replacing SIM & mobile number for 5G service
• Resources sharing could allow customers to enjoy compelling experience & raise subscriber quality