Advancing the Benefits and Opportunities of 5G-Advanced

Mobile technology has shaped entire industries and even our lives for the past 40 years. In 2021, mobile technologies and services generated 5% of global GDP, equivalent to US$4.5 trillion of economic value added. The mobile ecosystem also supported approximately 26 million jobs, raising almost US$500 billion through taxes on the sector alone. But how did we get here??

The mobile telecommunications technology revolution began with 1G in the 1980s and continued with 2G in the 1990s, 3G in the 2000s, 4G in the 2010s, and now 5G in the 2020s. Each of these generations saw continued advancements during the decade in which they were deployed, improving the generational technology to meet new demands and needs.?

However, technological change continues to race ahead at breakneck speed as we prepare to make another leap forward. 5G-Advanced promises to provide all kinds of smart connectivity, including services that focus on uplink communication and connect people moving at high velocities, such as those on trains and planes.?

What is 5G-Advanced?

Huawei's David Wang first defined?5.5G? for a better, intelligent world in 2020. So when I wanted to learn more about 5.5G's key characteristics and capabilities, I sat down with Joey Wang to talk about industry developments and solutions related to 5G, LTE, indoor coverage, and vertical industry applications.

Listen below to hear him discuss how 华为 is on a mission to build intelligent 5.5G that supports 10 Gbps downlink, 1 Gbps uplink, and 100 billion connections as they embark on a new journey of 5G.

My journey then led me to the GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association) which represents the interests of the global mobile industry. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators and more than 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organizations.

Armed with a curious mind, I wanted to learn more about how the GSMA innovates, incubates, and creates new opportunities for its members. So I recently caught up with Barbara Pareglio , Executive Director for Advanced Air Mobility and IoT Technical Director, GSMA , at this year's MWC in Las Vegas to discuss advancing the 5G Era Benefits and the opportunities 5G-Advanced will unlock.

Listen in as we discuss why 5G-Advanced is important and how the GSMA is helping to spread knowledge and accelerate the adoption of this technology.

5G-Advanced will also harness artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable efficient network configuration, operation, and optimisation in a sustainable way. Over time, 5G-Advanced could evolve to support integrated sensing and communication, ambient IoT, tactile and multi-modality communication services, mobile Metaverse services, and networks of service robots with ambient intelligence.?

In a recent podcast interview, Olof Liberg from 爱立信 shared with me how the telecoms industry is aligning around 5G-advanced to support immersive reality, evolving IoT, and sustainability. In summary, 5G-Advanced will serve various sectors with different ecosystems, needs, and regulatory environments.?

By increasing connectivity, improving efficiency, and impacting behaviour change, mobile network-enabled technologies are also primed to play a crucial role in helping avoid emissions.

5G-Advanced is on a mission to enhance network performance and unlock the potential of the metaverse, smart mobility, and industrial automation with real-life network case studies. You can learn more about advancing the 5G Era in a recent?Webinar? that explores the benefits and opportunities of 5G-Advanced.

In this post, I have shared three conversations with industry experts from Huawei, GSMA, and Ericsson who are working at the heart of these technological advancements. But, I now want to invite you into the conversation. What excites or concerns you about the future of 5G-Advanced and the journey to 6G and beyond?

Please share your insights, opinions, use cases, and potential opportunities on the horizon that create value for businesses, and users while improving the world.