If telco evangelists are to be believed, 5G or fifth generation cellular mobile technology will become a part of our lives in 2019, changing everything and connecting millions of objects in smart cities. , it will be possible to run self-driving cars. Stream high-resolution videos at lightning speed. But how realistic is this?
Why do we care?
It can impact any industry.
5G could transform nearly every industry, from gaming to transportation to healthcare, if its promise of weaving together a vast network of sensors and machines, all able to communicate with each other, comes true. In this Forbes article, Daniel Newman outlines his five new technologies powered by 5G. In particular, it could make immersive games cheaper and robotic remote surgery more reliable.
Self-driving cars require reliable networks to send and receive data. Rob Topol, general manager of his 5G business at Intel, said in an interview with VentureBeat that 5G is like “oxygen” to self-driving cars. 5G has the potential to change the way IoT devices connect to each other, so anyone working on an Internet of Things project is closely monitoring developments.
Interesting European startups working on 5G technology
- Athonet, Italian software company that wants to take on Nokia and Ericsson
- Continual, an Israeli startup working on connected car technology
- Berlin-based Core Network Dynamics produces mobile network infrastructure software.
- Vsora is based in Paris and provides multi-core digital signal processing for 5G chips.
- Accelleran is based in Antwerp, Belgium and provides small cell networks to mobile operators.
- U-Linc, based in Guildford, UK, is a company spun out of the University of Surrey’s 5G Innovation Center that has discovered new ways to connect IoT devices.
- CommAgility is based in Loughborough, UK and develops embedded signal processing and RF modules for mobile networks. The company recently acquired German rival MimoOn.
Should your company be included on this list? Let us know: maija@sifted.eu
There’s a lot of money floating around in the 5G ecosystem.
The EU has committed to investing €700 million in 5G solutions and technology through 5Gpp projects, and the private sector is expected to invest a further €4 billion. It’s a good time for 5G startups and researchers.
Lenders appear to be actively supporting 5G projects. The European Investment Bank loaned Nokia 500 million euros to support 5G research, followed by a 250 million euro loan from the Nordic Investment Bank.
Barcelona, like Umea in Sweden, was established as a city-wide test lab for 5G technology.
The government also plans to raise funds by selling 5G spectrum to telecommunications companies. Below is a summary of planned spectrum sales in Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Finland. Telcos such as Vodafone are already starting to worry about potentially high prices.
What is 5G?
It’s certainly fast.
The key feature is that 5G connectivity is much faster than 4G. While 4G mobile networks allowed you to download data at around 50 Mbit/s (though in reality, most people have never experienced such speeds), 5G will allow you to download speeds of 700 Mbit/s. is expected to reach. This means that you could theoretically download 4K movies directly to your phone without any delay at all. The BBC has a short video here showing what that speed is like.
But that’s not the point.
The most interesting thing about 5G isn’t faster video downloads. It can also handle many connected devices in dense areas (which makes it suitable for connecting sensors in smart cities) and operate reliably (which makes networks of self-driving cars (helps you connect). For example, it helps prevent accidents. )
5G is actually not one new feature, but three new features. A commonly shared diagram from the International Telecommunication Union helps explain it.
Many of the first 5G trials we’re hearing about now are about enhanced mobile broadband at the top of the pyramid: high-speed video. Self-driving cars and sensors use different parts of the radio frequency spectrum, and these capabilities are often provided later.
When will 5G come?
Mobile phone: 2019
5G-capable phones are certainly getting closer, especially after chipmaker Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 855 chipset, which is the basis of many 5G phones.
The first 5G phones are expected to hit the market in 2019. Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has said it wants to launch its 5G phone first in Europe. Samsung is also planning a 5G phone in early 2019, so Mobile World Congress, Europe’s big telecommunications conference in February, is sure to be packed with 5G phone announcements. It is reported that iPhone will support 5G in 2020.
These first phones are unlikely to be cheap, with analysts predicting that OnePlus phones could cost around $650 (£513). Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon predicts that 5G will be installed in mid-range devices in 2020. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that adoption will likely be more rapid than with 4G.
Network: Don’t hold your breath
But you don’t just need devices; you also need a network to run them. These unfold more slowly. There are a number of 5G trials happening around the world, including Vodafone’s test to see if it can bring broadband to rural Ireland. This page may be a bit old, but here is a list of all his published 5G tests in Europe.
About 25 wireless carriers are expected to launch 5G services around the world in 2019, and that number is likely to double by 2020, Deloitte predicts. However, many of these are likely to be limited to small areas in large cities, with nationwide coverage coming much later. For example, T-Mobile launched its commercial 5G network in Poland in December, but it is currently limited to just central Warsaw.
Large-scale deployment will likely take at least seven years. The European Union has said it wants 5G to be available across the region by 2025, but the bloc has been overly optimistic about technology rollout in the past and has revised its goals, for example for high-speed broadband coverage. There was a need.
The UK government has set a somewhat conservative target date of providing 5G coverage to most of the country by 2027. Perhaps only small states like San Marino will be able to boast ubiquitous 5G coverage in the coming years.
What is the problem?
There’s a scope issue.
5G uses several different parts of the radio spectrum, both very low frequencies, which can travel long distances and pass through walls, and very high frequencies, which can process more data. (A good guide on 5G frequencies can be found here.)
High frequencies above 6 gigahertz are the most interesting, as they give 5G extremely high data processing capabilities. However, the range is very short and can be blocked by objects such as walls and trees. This article from Computerworld estimates that 4G cell phone towers can cover about 30 miles, while 5G has a range of about one-third of a mile.
Cell phone operators will need a lot of 5G towers – imagine a box on every streetlight or traffic sign – and that won’t be cheap. For example, Vodafone is considering installing its 5G antennas on manhole covers to cover the entire city. It also begs the question of whether this is really the answer to providing broadband to rural areas. McKinsey’s infrastructure cost study provides further information.
It has become very political.
5G is also highly contentious geopolitically, with many countries concerned about the use of equipment from China, especially Huawei. U.S. politicians and executives are trying to lock Chinese companies out of the lucrative 5G market, while Japan, Australia and New Zealand have banned Huawei from participating in their 5G buildouts.
Not everyone is ruling out Huawei. For example, the Chinese company is working with Altice Portugal to upgrade its network to 5G standards. It is the latest in a series of 23 5G commercial deals signed by the company, including 14 in Europe, five in the Middle East and three in Asia.
Photo by Christoph Scholz
