At this point, almost everyone seems to have an opinion about 5G and whether it’s meeting people’s expectations. Many people are generally dissatisfied with 5G or don’t necessarily think it’s a good reason to upgrade to the next phone. I would argue that carriers and smartphone OEMs are already moving to 5G and continue to retire 3G and 4G to improve the 5G experience. Although the current situation looks much better than it did 12 to 18 months ago, many dissatisfied customers believe they are not realizing any of the benefits of 5G. After all, carriers have been marketing 5G since 2018 and working toward a 2019 launch, but many mobile phone customers are dissatisfied with it in 2023.
Some of the early opposition to 5G stemmed from the misconception that 5G was a new spectrum band (millimeter wave, or mmWave). While it is true that 5G introduces a new frequency range of 28 GHz to 39 GHz for cellular applications, that spectrum will always be present in 3G and 4G and all other previously available cellular spectrum. (700 MHz to 2500 MHz). . Fearmongers are linking these new, unknown bands (already used for other purposes) to false claims of cancer and pressuring local governments to ban 5G deployments, with some That’s actually what I did.
But because there wasn’t enough spectrum to go around, all these concerns paled in comparison to the real issue of lower frequency spectrum availability. Lower cellular frequencies are a way to achieve coverage, and that’s why they are so coveted. As a result, the US government auctioned off his millimeter wave spectrum for 5G, forcing carriers to promote it as their prime 5G spectrum. At the same time, other countries, particularly South Korea and the United Kingdom, were the first to take advantage of 3.5 GHz and other mid-band frequencies, which have more spectrum available and offer better coverage than mmWave.
But that’s not all. In the rush to provide 5G connectivity to users as soon as possible, the industry has aggressively promoted the introduction of 5G radio access network (RAN) equipment. Industry standards body 3GPP, with support from carriers, has implemented a half-step called 5G Non-Standalone (NSA). This will allow the 5G RAN network to be connected to his 4G core. This is a step back from the original 5G standard, which required an entirely new network with 5G RAN. and 5G Core – Provides users with a complete 5G experience with new applications. This all-5G setup eventually became known as 5G Standalone (SA).
The original 5G standard, officially named 3GPP Release 15, had all the tools needed to make 5G a success. Subsequent releases saw improvements in power consumption, along with other tweaks that make 5G applicable to more scenarios. This includes his scaled-down version of 5G for low-power applications, called 5G RedCap (Reduced Capacity). It is also known as NR-Lite in 3GPP Release 17. I believe that 3GPP Release 18 and later releases will improve 5G and address specific needs. Fundamentals are still important when delivering technologies such as augmented reality (XR). And I believe standalone 5G needs to become ubiquitous.
Still, there are bright spots in the industry, such as private 5G and fixed wireless access (FWA), which are starting to gain momentum but may be perceived by consumers as something other than 5G. After all, if you look at most marketing from carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, they all refer to FWA as some form of “home internet” or “air” and avoid using the word 5G. (even though that’s exactly what it is). Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom operator, calls his newly launched FWA 5G service ‘JioAirFiber’, and his 5G SA network combined with FWA gateways will reach as many as 200 million users. It may be possible.
There are many factors to consider when looking at today’s 5G landscape, but ultimately 5G standards and government spectrum auctions made the current chaotic situation possible. Carriers are also promoting 5G in ways that are detrimental to the future of 5G, with some carriers’ 5G rollouts actually driving customers away.
That said, there are some bright spots for 5G, including improved coverage, increased standalone deployments, and rapid adoption of fixed wireless access. If you want to explore these topics and learn more about the current state of 5G, download my new research paper to learn more about where we came from and where the industry is headed with his 5G recommend to.
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