evelopers line up to be
fi rst to any great challenge.
For fi fth-generation mobile
networks (5G), more than 200 network
operators in 85 countries are actively
testing, performing trials on, or
deploying the technology, according
to the Global Mobile Suppliers
Association. Unlike its predecessors,
5G will make an impact far beyond
faster speeds. It will enable a variety
of exciting new technologies, like
autonomous driving, augmented/
virtual reality, and a much broader
reach for the Internet of things (IoT).
These technologies and the markets
they create will transform our society
in ways we never imagined.
As you might expect, 5G technology
will deliver much faster data rates
and unprecedented reliability.
High data throughput, courtesy of
enhanced mobile broadband, will
enable lightning-fast downloads and
even real-time high-defi nition video
streaming. Massive machine-type
communications will connect billions
of “things” to the internet, giving
rise to a new frontier of applications
such as smart farming and optimal
traffi c management. Ultra-reliable,
low-latency communications will fully
deliver previously limited use cases
like autonomous vehicles and remote
surgery.
What you might not expect is that
5G’s high-bandwidth and real-time
capabilities hold enormous potential
for society. If you can imagine a world
where fi rst responders could treat
traumas miles away from the nearest
hospital, so can developers. And while
these capabilities may feel far off ,
they are closer than most think. Infact, the barriers have already been
broken: The fi rst telesurgery using
5G took place at the Hospital Clinic
of Barcelona, from an auditorium at
Mobile World Congress in February- And remote surgery using 5G
was performed on a human brain in
China in March 2019.
Delivering this kind of wireless
speed, responsivity, and reliability
requires a series of technical
advancements. The fi rst is frequency
spectrum. Prior to 5G, cellular
communications mostly resided in
crowded frequency segments below
3 GHz, where physics are good but
data rates are restrained by limited
spectrum availability. What 4G proved
The 5G promise is exciting. The technologyis highly complex. And the disruption potential tothe mobile communications industry is enormous.