Covering Disruptive Technology Powering Business in The Digital Age

Written by: Izzat Najmi Abdullah, Journalist, AOPG.

The rapid rise of 5G technology has been nothing short of revolutionary. In just four years since its first commercial deployment, 5G has already reached one billion users, dwarfing the adoption rate of its predecessor, 4G, by a factor of seven. The impact of 5G on our lives, businesses, and society at large has been profound, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down.

5G, of course, is the star of Huawei’s 2023 Global Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF), which is set to take place in the city of Dubai, UAE. And Disruptive Tech News is covering it for you!

The 5G Evolution: Meeting New Demands

With the exponential growth in 5G adoption, new demands have emerged. In the consumer realm, 5G has supercharged the development of short videos, increasing daily viewing times from 0.7 to 1.8 hours. The proportion of high-definition videos on mobile networks has surged from 40% to 60%. Moreover, innovative services like glasses-free 3D and virtual reality are delivering unprecedented immersive experiences, raising the bar for 5G network capabilities.

5G’s transformative power is not limited to consumers. It is also catalysing the digitalisation of industries. Over 50,000 5G industry applications have already been deployed worldwide, with varying needs for uplink and downlink capabilities. From 3D machine vision quality inspection to handling massive HD video backhaul, industries are relying on 5G networks like never before.

The Internet of Things (IoT), too, is undergoing a seismic shift. 5G must continue to evolve to accommodate diverse applications with varying transmission rates and power consumption profiles. Whether it is video surveillance, wearables, industrial sensors, or asset tracking, 5G is the linchpin for the IoT.

Not to forget, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLM) are also booming, demanding even greater coverage and reduced latency from 5G networks. The massive data requirements for training LLMs and the need for real-time, efficient interaction call for high-quality 5G networks with full-scenario coverage, catering to industries in the throes of digital and intelligent transformation.

The Road to 5.5G: A Quantum Leap Forward

Looking ahead, 5.5G beckons. Building on the foundation of 5G, 5.5G represents a natural evolution, enhancing and expanding upon 5G’s capabilities and applications. This next-generation technology promises to empower applications like glasses-free 3D, the Internet of Vehicles, intelligent IoT, and high-end manufacturing.

Compared to 5G, 5.5G is an even greater game changer, boasting a staggering 10 Gbps downlink, 1 Gbps uplink, support for 100 billion connections, and native intelligence. This translates into a tenfold increase in speed and a quantum leap in latency reduction.

Realising 10 Gbps downlink capabilities hinges on a fusion of low and mid bands and the use of new large-bandwidth bands such as millimetre wave (mmWave) and upper 6GHz (U6G) bands. Innovations like extremely large antenna arrays for mmWave are paving the way for continuous coverage in urban areas.

Uplink transmission, often a bottleneck, is set to receive a significant boost with 5.5G’s dedicated uplink frequency bands. This not only resolves uplink challenges but also slashes energy consumption, enabling 5.5G to be greener and more sustainable.

From Vision to Reality: Making 5.5G a Global Phenomenon

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recently unveiled the vision for 6G, but it will probably take a decade for such a new mobile technology generation to go from vision to global adoption. In an increasingly digital and intelligent society, waiting is a bane, and that makes 5.5G the bridge to meet the growing demands of consumers and industries alike as the road to 6G is being built.

To pave the way for 5.5G, operators must repurpose existing spectrums for 5G and secure new large-bandwidth bands to deliver the promised 10 Gbps experience. This calls for international cooperation to accelerate the allocation of the mmWave spectrum and promote the unified identification of the 6GHz spectrum.

Huawei is among those leading the way in this regard with Rel18, the first release of 5.5G set for the second quarter of 2024. In the same year, Huawei will launch a complete suite of commercial 5.5G network equipment, fully ushering in the 5.5G era.

It goes without saying that the 5.5G revolution is upon us. The question is: Are you ready?

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