5G and our connected future

Last week five of our specialist telecommunication consultants attended the 5G World event in London. The much awaited exhibition brought together telecommunication providers, mobile network operators and industry experts from across the globe, with the aim of aiding the development of 5G across major markets.

An exciting opportunity to meet like-minded professionals with an interest in the development of mobile technology, this exhibition not only allowed our specialist consultants to hear first-hand how mobile technology is evolving as we move towards 5G but also gave insight into the development of network function virtualisation (NFV), software-defined networking (SDN), cellular Internet of Things (IoT) and the Cloud.

5G, the fifth generation of mobile data communications, is set to be a fast and energy efficient wireless network that, through the use of both low and high frequency radio bands, will be able to cope with the demands of a connected future.

With the development of IoT, it is predicted that by 2020 close to 30 billion devices will be connected to the internet. This will no longer only include phones, tablets and computers but everyday items like your car, home appliances and even dog collars already have a connection to a network/platform.

5G’s quick reaction time and low latency will be the enabler in creating a fully connected world where full-length feature HD film can be downloaded in seconds, doctors can conduct remote surgery and cars can drive autonomously.

The Networkers team had the luxury of seeing the application of 5G in practice at 5G World 2016. Talks and demonstrations on small cell deployment, network and cloud orchestration and network slicing revealed that SDN and NFV are the key enablers in the transition from LTE 3GPP to 5G.

Industry giant and global partner Ericsson was keen to showcase its 5G products and solutions. Using a Lego robot controlled by a laptop our consultants were able to witness the low latency speeds that enabled the device to instantly stand up on two wheels.

The team also listened to a key note speech by Kim Young Sik, Senior Vice President Head of Network Technology Korea Telecom, during which he demonstrated a trial 5G network used to relay video for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Divisional director, Networkers, Saul Penhallow commented on the impressive demonstration:

“It was amazing to see how using a combination of drones to film the sport and cameras connected to the sportspeople could have such a profound effect on how we watch sporting events. Relaying content back over a 5G network at 20gbps with extremely low latency essentially made you feel like you were the one participating.”

With 5G predicted to disrupt every industry, an increased demand for telecommunication and technology professionals across a range of disciplines is expected. Our consultants predict that experts in SDN, NFV, IP & Cloud, broadcast and digital video, RAN, transmission, OSS/BSS and fibre optical FTTH will be needed across the board, to support growth opportunities within the technology industry.

5G World 2016 proved to be a key opportunity for our specialist consultants to witness the innovative developments within mobile network communications. They saw first-hand how 5G will proactively affect our day-to-day lives, as well as gaining an understanding of the opportunities for growth that network developments will be creating within the IT and telecommunications industries.

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