5G or ‘fifth generation’ is the upcoming standard of mobile communication expected to bring lower latency to networks, along with better and wider connectivity, and best of all, super speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
Now, in a move that will push the roll-out of 5G services and devices, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the organisation that defined the shift from GSM to 3G and 4G LTE, has set the specifications for 5G hardware equipment in cell towers as well as smartphones. The 5G specs were confirmed by 3GPP at a meeting of the group in Lisbon, Portugal.
This will enable the global mobile industry to initiate full-scale development of 5G NR for large-scale trials and commercial deployment as early as in 2019, as confirmed by telecom bodies and smartphone makers.
Notable Industry players like AT&T, BT, China Mobile, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, LG Electronics, MediaTek, Nokia, Qualcomm Technologies, Samsung, Sony Mobile, Vodafone, and ZTE have welcomed the announcement to accelerate the deployment of 5G NR. These companies can now start developing hardware, components and devices to support 5G wireless networks.
“As one of the key players, Huawei has committed to develop a single global 5G standard. With the a successful cooperation and join efforts with global organizations including governments, regulatory agencies, research organizations, academia, industries, and many more sectors, 3GPP 5G NR standardization Phase 1 has been completed with great progress. Huawei will keep working with global partners to bring 5G into the period of large-scale global commercial deployment from 2018,” said Yang Chaobin, president of Huawei 5G product line.
Marcus Weldon, president of Nokia Bell Labs and chief technology officer, Nokia, said: “This is a key milestone in bringing 5G to market, and one in which Nokia is proud to have played a significant role. 5G will advance new possibilities for the role of wireless technology in society, leading to dynamic innovation in mobile broadband and in industrial automation for industry 4.0, enabling the creation of exciting new applications that connect and control our physical and digital worlds.”
Back in February, 3GPP also revealed the new official logo for 5G, one you can see as the image for this article.
As a precursor to 5G networks, Bharti Airtel had announced the deployment of India’s first Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology back in September. The company is starting the first round of deployment in Bangalore and Kolkata and will be expanding to other parts of the country soon.