Telefónica responds to BEREC call for 5G coverage, service metrics

Telefónica Group was one of the few industry respondents to a consultation by the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) on the feasibility of implementing harmonised 5G coverage information and quality of service metrics, particularly for use by industry verticals targeted with the technology. Telefónica noted that much of this information could be addressed and provided under commercial contracts, and that at the current stage of 5G development, providing too much coverage data could compromise commercial strategy. Cisco Systems, meanwhile, considered that should information be made available, the differing needs of indoor and outdoor deployments would have to be taken into account. A joint submission from the GSM Association and the European Telecommunications Network Operators’ Association was more vehemently opposed to additional requirements on operators in the nascent sector. While BEREC dismissed many of the industry concerns, it did conclude that the sector is insufficiently developed to merit further action on open coverage information, but may revisit the matter in future years.