Shanghai—5G technology is the new Space Race. And Huawei is at the forefront of it all.
At the MWC19 Shanghai, 5G commercial networks were officially launched inside the Shanghai New International Expo Center, based on Huawei's 5G digital indoor system and extended 5G coverage to all of the seven exhibition halls.
With 5G commercial licenses being issued to operators globally, 5G is taking off and set to become a part of people's daily lives.
But what is 5G?
Using cutting-edge technology, 5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity which offers faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices, with average download speeds of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm. The technology is expected to help power a huge rise in Internet of Things as it provides the infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data that will allow for a smarter and more connected world.
“June 6th was a huge milestone. Now that China has issued its 5G licenses, 2019 is officially the year of 5G. As a Chinese company, and as a leader in 5G, we are super excited and eager to do our part,” said Ken Hu, Huawei Deputy Chairman at the MWC Shanghai 2019.
“5G is here. We will put our shoulders to the wheel and work with our partners to drive greater collaboration. Together, we can use the power of 5G to help all industries go digital,” Hu added.
With development well underway and testbeds already live across the world, 5G networks are expected to launch across the world by 2020, working alongside existing 3G and 4G technology to provide speedier connections that stay online no matter where you are, thereby connecting an intelligent future.
During the show many exhibitors demonstrated their latest 5G equipment, from smartphones to base stations, and 5G services.
Highlights included self-driving cars, a 5G mirror, and an 8K 360° VR experience, which visitors could use to enjoy the beautiful scenery of China's most famous places.
“5G will pay a pivotal role in the digitization of all industries. Right now China is in the process of evolving towards automated, digital, and AI-driven industrial development. And 5G arrived just in time to help. 5G can provide much greater bandwidth and lower latency than traditional wireless connections, and can also support different applications with dedicated network slices. This allows 5G to meet a wide range of industrial needs, and lays the foundation for a more fully automated, intelligent future,” Hu continued.
“At the same time, as more and more industries embrace intelligence, we will see much greater demand for technologies like cloud, AI, big data, and edge computing. With the support of 5G, these technologies will be able to support far more industrial applications than ever before—and much more efficiently, too,” Hu said.
Huawei Philippines COO Daniel Guo Zhi seconded.
“The 5G is faster and cheaper. It has no delay and it will not interfere with the activities of the user. The 5G network is an Internet of Things and it will definitely save every user’s time. In the long run, the 5G technology will change a lot of things in the [ICT] industry as it provides benefits for more people,” said Zhi.
Locally, Globe has partnered with Huawei Technologies for the planning and design of a mobile broadband network, as well as the establishment of a mobile innovation center for research and development of the 5G technology—an initiative making the Philippines the first country to commercially rollout 5G service in the Southeast Asian region.
“For the Philippines, the focus of the 5G technology will be in the NCR (National Capital Region) first, where the majority of the business and customers lie. And maybe next year, the terminal price of the 5G will drop by a $150, and more people may avail and enjoy the 5G service. Even this year, they can still use the CPE, which functions like a Wi-Fi and we still can benefit from this 4G form. Maybe two years from now, the 5G will be the standard form in mobile phones and infrastructures. But our cell phones can still handle both,” Zhi added.
Ken Hu said 5G will change the world. And that change is happening now.
