Attributed to: Syed Ahmad Hafez Syed Nadzari, Editor, AOPG.

There is little doubt 5G has been a game-changing innovation. It has enabled faster, more seamless and more reliable connectivity and has ushered advancements in various technologies, like the Internet of Things and the cloud. But that is not all. 5G has a lot more to offer the world but only if we reimagine it—only if we reinforce and reinvent it. Only then can 5G lead to greater prosperity.

That is the overriding theme of the keynote recently delivered by Huawei Carrier BG President Li Peng at MWC Barcelona 2023, where he talked about turning 5G from “good” to “great.”

5G Evolution: The Next Step Towards Greatness

The rollout of 5G has been fast and unimpeded, with three years of 5G rollout equalling five years of 4G rollout. There are now over 240 5G networks worldwide. As a result, over 17 million homes around the world are now 5G-connected, while over 1 billion 5G subscribers globally are able to enjoy the benefits of 5G, such as watching uninterrupted high-quality streaming videos, improved mobile gaming experiences, better virtual and augmented reality applications and seamless connectivity between devices.

“It has taken 5G only three years to achieve the progress 4G made in five years. From this perspective, 5G has already achieved success," said Li.

Despite that success, there is still so much value in 5G yet to be unlocked—and doing so would mean turning 5G from good to great and unleashing its full capabilities and benefits.

Li knows exactly what needs to be done: "To turn 5G from good to great, the industry needs to reimagine 5G business, reinforce 5G coverage and reinvent 5G technologies."

Reimagine

People crave excellent digital experiences, whether watching HD videos or buying something online or just surfing the web. This is why 5G carriers must reimagine their approach and look to make 5G more experience-centric—something that can be accomplished by improving 5G network capabilities to create new standards for next-generation experiences.

Granted, improvement comes at a cost but 5G carriers must note that 70% of users are open to paying for better 5G experiences. This means carriers can get creative in terms of improving their 5G. They can, for example, adopt a Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) model, which can help foster a better, more thriving 5G application and content ecosystem.

Additionally, strengthening network capabilities will allow 5G carriers to expand the home and SME markets. There are still 200 million copper broadband lines that are in urgent need of upgrade around the world and more than 60 million SMEs want access to leased line services. Li shared that one European carrier had already achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of above 90 and increased its ARPU by over 60% by providing 5G FWA.

Reinforce

Whilst the 5G rollout has been faster as compared to that of 4G, there remains an imbalance in terms of 5G coverage among regions and countries. In other words, some have expansive 5G coverage, while others have yet to access this connectivity ecosystem. To address this imbalance, 5G carriers will have to reinforce 5G coverage by expanding it and providing more people with the kind of fast, seamless and reliable connectivity 5G provides. 

In turn, providing deeper 5G coverage helps carriers better monetise user experiences. Proof of it is the significantly higher ARPU and revenue growth last year of the world’s top 20 carriers in terms of 5G network rollout as compared to the global average. To this end, Li advised carriers to think more about how to extend 5G coverage from outdoors to indoors and from urban to suburban and rural areas. By increasing the coverage of 5G base stations and allowing 5G signals to penetrate more walls and buildings, 5G carriers will be able to help more users to enjoy better experiences.

Reinvent

Turning 5G from good to great will require breakthroughs in network capacity and coverage, with the ultimate goal of providing 5G for all—if not as many as possible. To do this, Li encouraged 5G carriers to innovate their 5G base station equipment so they can provide better and deeper coverage. This is the reason Huawei launched MetaAAU in 2022.

MetaAAU is Huawei’s third-generation AAU for 5G base stations that offers about 30% higher capacity and coverage compared to its previous generation counterpart, making it ideal for carriers pursuing deeper 5G coverage. Additionally, Huawei launched this year its BladeAAU, allowing for simple deployment of 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks all on a single pole.

Keeping Tabs on 5.5G for Greater Capabilities and Better Opportunities

While 5G carriers can still maximise 5G in a variety of ways, they need to look ahead just as well, particularly with 5.5G looming. This means working closely with 3GPP to advance 5G standards to ensure that the entire telecom industry can make a seamless transition to 5.5G in the years ahead.

5.5G is essentially the same as 5G—only faster, more automated and more intelligent. It can also support more frequency bands and will be able to deliver 10 times greater network capabilities, which would translate to 100 times more opportunities, like rapid enhancements in enterprise cloudification, mobile private networks and integrated sensing.

There is no doubt 5G can open up more opportunities for people and carriers alike and that it can lead to great prosperity. But for these to actually happen, all industry partners, according to Li, must work together and innovate nonstop to accelerate this leap in 5G.