As digital technology’s evolution is accelerating, we have always imagined the future where people are looking for a better experience in the future intelligent world, and business is looking at how digital can improve productivity and efficiency. More importantly, with climate change, the demand for sustainability in ICT is increasing.
With the large-scale deployment of 5G globally, various innovative applications are helping operators achieve business success. Additionally, 5G has enabled many digital services, such as 5G cameras, AR-assisted maintenance, remote control, robotic patrolling, etc. These use cases are widely used in mining, healthcare, transport, manufacturing, utility and government sectors, significantly improve sector’s security, safety, efficiency. 5G is genuinely accelerating the industry’s digital transformation. However, we recognise that 5G still needs to be improved, it can further enhance 5G capabilities and expand business boundaries. 5.5G marks a key milestone in leading to the future intelligent world. In the 5.5G:
A series of new wireless technologies will be introduced to enable broader spectrum band, higher spectrum efficiency and larger coverage. As such more devices will be connected and the speed of network can reach 10Gbps for many more users. It means users will enjoy a more immersive experience in communication and download 100 4K films simultaneously in a jiffy.
Moreover, Passive IoT technology will combine cellular networks and passive label technologies to provide low terminal prices with long battery life, and able to cover long coverage distances. Together with other technologies, RedCap, and NB-IoT, the 5.5G network will support 100 billion connections which is 100 times more than the IoT connections we have today.
Also, wireless sensing technology will be introduced, it will provide centimeter-level positioning accuracy, millimeter-level imaging resolution, and all-weather detection. This integrated communication and sensing technology can be used for in vehicle-road synergy, human health detection, real-time status detection, tally, and stocktaking.
These new technologies will form three new capability dimensions as part of 5.5G, including Uplink Centric Broadband Communication, Real-Time broadband communication and Harmonised communication and sensing.
The future 5.5G will provide users with a more immersive experience, and enhance many industry digital use cases. Such as, future remote operations will be more precise, and a quality check in the manufactory production line will be faster and more accurate. Water management will be more efficient and predictable. Driving on the road will be safer, measurement and monitoring, and agriculture production will improve. Positioning and tracking in logistics will be more real-time and reliable.
With the increased sustainability demands, the future 5.5G deployment must be green at the beginning. In Huawei, we propose systematically approach to improve the overall network energy efficiency from three dimensions: site, network, and operation, which will accelerate the green development of the ICT industry, achieve more bits, less watts that means reducing the energy consumption per bit and improving the energy efficiency of our networks.
The industry ICT markets are increasingly changing. I believe, 5.5G is one of the cores that will enable smart industry use cases. Together with the new ICT and industrial-oriented capabilities, it will
- Unleash high-value industry’s revenue potentials,
- Develop new skill sets to improve human capacity
- Attract more investment in growing new ecosystem ventures, which are part of the digital services
- Support overall sustainability practices enable many digital use cases to manage sustainability aspects.
- Improve the immersive digital services inclusion (not only the internet inclusion), which will definitely enhance the quality of life
