5G: Evolution or Revolution?

5G looks set to transform the way we work, live and communicate and deliver significant economic benefit both globally and here in Australia. 

5G’s low latency connections coupled with edge computing power will unlock future use cases ranging from Augmented Reality to Robotics. 

Cheap, low-power sensors coupled with ubiquitous 5G connectively will enable smarter factories, smarter cities and smarter communities. 

And superfast 5G connectivity will deliver the equivalent of ‘fibre to the phone’, although interestingly the phone will only be one of many devices that can benefit from this explosion in bandwidth

So, with all this exciting potential, when can we expect this 5G-enabled future to arrive?  The answer is that the shift to 5G will take many years and it is likely that we will see a series of waves of 5G development and innovation driven by four factors. 

Firstly, let’s start with the 5G network rollout. In order to deliver 5G coverage, mobile sites that today deliver 4G will need to be upgraded to 5G and potentially some new sites built. Telecommunication companies like Optus are busy rolling out 5G at pace, but this process is likely to take a number of years to complete.

Secondly, there is the need for mobile spectrum - the radio frequencies over which wireless signals are transmitted - to be freed up for 5G use.  Much of this spectrum is already being used for 3G or 4G, so mobile operators will need to repurpose this spectrum for 5G and this is often a complex and lengthy process. Even the opportunity created by so-called millimetre wave spectrum - an as yet untapped spectrum band that 5G has been specifically designed to use - will require the Australian Government to unlock it through an auction process.

Thirdly, the so-called ‘network core’ that supports 5G will require a fundamental redesign. The core is a layer of the mobile network that provides the smarts that, in the case of 5G, enables exciting future applications such as edge computing, network slicing and super low latency connections. This process of replacing the legacy 4G core with a new 5G-capable core is, once again, a multiyear endeavour.

Finally, the devices that connect to 5G need to evolve. Like all technologies, the first generation of devices often balances features and benefits in favour of speed to market. As engineers come to grips with the 5G and the technology matures, the performance of these devices will improve. Similarly, the 5G standards themselves - the framework that underpins a large ecosystem of chipset manufacturers, device vendors and network providers - will continue to be refined and enhanced leading to multiple ‘versions’ of 5G being released approximately every 18 months for the next 5-7 years.

The net effect of all these factors is that the shift to 5G is likely to be more of a marathon rather than a sprint. Each year will bring incremental improvements in network coverage and performance along with corresponding advances in devices and applications.

However, there are a number of 5G benefits we should celebrate that are very much here and now, with many more exciting developments to come in the next 18 months.

Let’s start with our Optus 5G Home product. The current 5G technology is ideally suited to providing the customer with flexibility of choice to fixed line broadband technologies such as ADSL, HFC and NBN. A customer signing up to a 5G Home broadband today service can avoid many of the real-world hassles associated with legacy broadband technologies such as technician visits, missed appointments or internal wiring.

Video streaming is another application where current 5G technology can provide immediate benefits for consumers. Higher quality video requires higher speed, higher bandwidth connections and 5G can enable such connections. Consumers today already love their streamed video, whether it is at home or on the move. 5G will allow these customers not only to consume more of the video they love, but also to unlock video experiences such as 4K Ultra HD.

The emergence 5G-capable smartphones will also provide customers with new and enhanced features and functionality, as manufacturers improve things like screen resolution, cameras and battery power.  As the range of 5G-capable handsets continues to expand, customers can ensure that they are future-proofed by buying a handset that incorporates the latest in 5G chipset technology.

The 5G enabled future isn’t quite here yet but when all of the above factors fall into place and it does arrive, we will wonder how we ever lived without it.