Private LTE is set to outpace Wi-Fi in the mining sector as companies look to roll out underground wireless connectivity, according to new predictions.

Data traffic at Finnish operator DNA has grown by 60 percent during the past year, with streaming fuelling all-time high data consumption.

Orange has expanded its 4G+ network by deploying the technology in a town near Lyon, offering residents speeds of up to 680MBps.

Karuby is a somewhat nondescript village around a half hour's drive west of Helsinki but it is these humble surroundings that Finnish operator DNA chose as the launchpad for Gigabit LTE.

A better experience for all users, not just those with the most high-spec devices, is EE’s lofty ambition as it begins to roll out Gigabit LTE across its network.

EE’s forthcoming drone fleet could be used for tasks as diverse as transporting network infrastructure to increasing coverage, according to the operator’s ‘Droneman’.

TIM is readying the launch of a 700MBps mobile internet service in seven areas of Italy as part of a wider upgrade of its fixed and cellular networks.

French operator SFR has doubled down on efforts to extend 4.5G across its network after it hit 628.31MBps in a 4x4 MIMO trial on LTE.

Vodafone UK and Ericsson will jointly roll out technologies such as Massive MIMO and carrier aggregation on Vodafone’s network as well as collaborate on research, as part of a new agreement.

DNA has begun trialling 1GBps speeds on its network through tri-carrier aggregation, ahead of a wider rollout of the technology.

Vodafone Turkey has held a demonstration of Massive MIMO technology at a basketball match, boosting downlink throughput by 13 percent.

The UK is set to be Vodafone’s testing ground for Massive MIMO as the operator launches it for the first time in the country and Europe as a whole.

Sunrise is planning to axe its 2G network by the end of next year as it looks to expand its LTE network, while Bouygues and SFR have also been granted permission to refarm spectrum.

Worldwide mobile data traffic is set to grow eightfold to hit 71 billion GB per month in 2022 as European smartphone users lag in usage behind North American counterparts.

EE has used millimetre wave backhaul to connect one of its air-masts, which the mobile operator hopes to use to connect areas in emergency situations.

Cellular connectivity will account for a fifth of all internet traffic by 2021, Cisco has predicted, with IoT devices accounting for more than half of connected devices by early next decade.

Turkcell has pushed forward with its 5G plans in a live FDD Massive MIMO test that it claims boosted throughput fivefold compared to traditional LTE configurations.

Vodafone Germany has rolled out 500MBps speeds to nine cities in a 4.5G project that combines three spectrum bands.

EE has hit speeds of 429MBps on its live network through a combination of dual-carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO and 256QAM.

Belgium's BASE is to research Internet of Things, LTE-Advanced and 5G technologies after signing a partnership agreement with ZTE.