China to spearhead 5G technology
- By Guo Yiming
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 29, 2015
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) will boost development into next-generation mobile telecommunication networks, or 5G, one of the ministry's officials said during a SCIO press conference on July 22.
5G networks dwarf their predecessors not only in terms of connection speed, as they enable an ultra-HD movie of around 8GB to be downloaded in just six seconds, but they also have advantages in reliability, capacity and accessibility. In telecommunications jargon, a 5G network is a joined-up, super-fast, all-encompassing network that makes much more efficient use of the radio spectrum.
Experts predict that China may spearhead 5G technology in the global race and seize countless opportunities as the broad commercial installation of 5G networks rolls out by 2020.
Taking the lead in the global race
As early as 2013, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, along two other ministries, set up the "MG2020," a team dedicated to the development of 5G technical standards, and several companies also invested heavily in order to be better positioned in the 5G competition.
"As related government agencies are deeply involved in 5G-related standardization, enterprises should lead in patent research, product development and global promotion," said Cao Shumin, head of the Telecommunications Research Academy under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Experts said China might be a game-changer in the global telecommunication industry and may be able to set a world standard in the 5G era.
Pre-commercial testing to begin in 2018
Network equipment makers all over the world are being particularly aggressive in pursuing 5G development, and Chinese telecommunication giants are no exception. Huawei, ZTE, Datang and China Mobile are all trying to find a niche in this global race.
During the 2015 Mobile World Congress (MWC) recently held in Shanghai, Huawei announced that it will launch a pre-commercial 5G service with its partners in 2018 and its official commercial service will be available in 2020.
In fact, ZTE has already introduced the idea of pre-5G and launched its base station integrating a baseband unit (BBU) and remote radio unit (RRU) that significantly enhances spectral efficiency by four to six times compared to traditional base stations.
"With pre-5G getting in place, users can enjoy 5G performance without changing their 4G devices before the new air interface standards are released," said Liu Peng, vice president of the company.
Boundless opportunities
There are over 1.2 billion active mobile broadband users across the world, and global mobile internet traffic is expected to 30 fold by 2020, according to a recent European Union survey.
The staggering numbers signal boundless opportunities for 5G networks with a wireless data capacity 1,000 times larger than the current level, which would be able to serve 7 billion broadband users.
5G technology allows a lot more than just making phone calls or surfing the Internet. It is also expected to give a boost to the Internet of Things as the world is embracing a so-called fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0.
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