5G: the rural opportunity

Plum was engaged by a UK-based wireless services operator, to assess new commercial models for 5G deployment and assess related benefits in rural areas. Our work included detailed review of emerging regulation on spectrum management and policy issues. We also carried out primary research to assess stakeholders’ needs in rural areas, and built commercial and[…]

Future supply of and demand for telecommunications infrastructure in Hong Kong

Plum undertook a study for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB), Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The purpose of the study was to review the existing telecommunications infrastructure capacity in Hong Kong. It comprised identifying a set of assessment indicators to assess its adequacy; development of benchmarks to assess the supply[…]

Technical and commercial due diligence: support on proposed funding deal

Plum was engaged by a leading London-based investment bank to provide technical and commercial due diligence to support a planned funding deal for a UK based technology vendor. We engaged with the vendor’s CEO and CFO to review product solutions, market potential, and commercial plans. We developed a report for the bank to advise on[…]

Plum Insight: Who will meet the UK’s broadband USO?

On June 19th Ofcom published a document seeking expressions of interest from telecommunications operators to become providers of the UK’s broadband universal service. This Insight paper provides a commentary on the document, discussing the specification of the USO, how it is to be funded and the questions yet to be answered. Plum’s understanding of the[…]

High performance wireless broadband: an opportunity for rural and enterprise 5G

Plum was commissioned jointly by UKWISPA[1] and INCA[2] to conduct an independent and updated assessment of the potential benefits of fixed wireless access (FWA) technologies, for provision of broadband services in the UK market. Our focus has been directed towards review of the performance levels available with modern commercially available FWA solutions. Within the study,[…]

Use cases, spectrum requirements and valuation of spectrum for private LTE

These reports examine use cases, spectrum requirements and valuation of spectrum for use by private LTE. The first report defines private LTE, considers environments where private LTE might be used focusing on industrial automation and identifies what spectrum these applications will need. To do this it sets out a methodology to characterise the identified private[…]

Wholesale local access charge control cost modelling – external review

Plum was appointed by Ofcom’s Competition Group (Financial and Economic Modelling Division) to carry out an external and independent review to assess the quality of a series of LRIC modelling workbooks and associated documents, in association with the wholesale local access charge control WLACC market review in the UK. Our work included a detailed review[…]

Plum Insight: Ensuring value with Connected Capex

Whilst discounted-cash-flow methods are prevalent for project appraisal within many firms, overall performance, influenced by market pressures and managements’ own self interests, is often focused on short-term measures such as quarterly earnings. In this Insight paper, we examine the efficacy of capital investment in the telco industry; by definition, ‘investment’ suggests a focus on the[…]

Commercial and economic impacts from IPR policy changes

Plum has recently completed a detailed report assessing the commercial and economic impacts that could result from important policy changes affecting use of intellectual property in technical standards. These changes were, rather contentiously, adopted by the US based IEEE organisation in 2015, following support from the US Department of Justice. Our report reviews intensive industry[…]