Mobiles tend to be the most important devices in the past decades and will continue to be. Mobile technology refers to the technology used in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. It includes hardware components such as processors, displays, cameras, and batteries, as well as software components such as operating systems, apps, and cloud-based services.
Mobile technology is important for several reasons:
Communication: Mobile devices allow us to have wireless communication with others through phone calls, text messages, email, and social media, no matter where we are.
Convenience: Mobile devices are portable and easy to use, which makes it convenient to access information, entertainment, and services while on the go.
Productivity: Mobile devices can be used for work, allowing employees to stay connected and productive even when they’re not in the office.
Access to information: Mobile devices provide easy access to a wealth of information through the internet, which can be useful for learning, research, and problem-solving.
Entertainment: Mobile devices are used for entertainment purposes such as watching videos, playing games, and listening to music.
Healthcare: Mobile technology can be used to monitor health and wellness, track fitness goals, and manage chronic conditions.
The 5G Era (Nokia’s Vision)
By the end of 2023, 5G is expected to have 692 million subscribers worldwide and currently covers 20% of the global population. In some places, such as Hong Kong, Kuwait, South Korea, and the US, it covers over 80% of the population. Even though it has already surpassed the rollout pace of 4G/LTE networks, there is still a lot of potentials for 5G to develop.
The standards body 3GPP introduced the world’s first 5G New Radio solution in Release 15, which provided a new cellular system for developers to add new features to the network. Releases 16 and 17 added improvements for Industrial IoT (IIoT), including support for time-sensitive communication (TSC) and the expansion of the 5G ecosystem, as well as enhancements like enhanced MIMO, small data transmission (SDT), and user equipment energy-saving.
Release 18, set to launch in 2024, will move us towards the 5G-Advanced Era, with Releases 19 and 20 in 2025/6 laying the groundwork for 6G. 5G-Advanced will build on the progress made in the 5G era and provide a strong foundation for more demanding applications, such as mobile extended reality (XR) service and high-precision location presence and timing technologies. It will also boost fundamental radio and system performance and introduce AI/ML technologies across the RAN, core, and management network domains. Energy efficiency will be a central focus, both in maximizing device battery life and reducing network power consumption. 5G-Advanced will be fully backward compatible, meaning it can coexist with legacy 5G devices and 5G NR Releases 15-17.
What Does Nokia Think of It?
5G-Advanced has the potential to bring about a significant transformation in the way we use and experience mobile connectivity. By offering improvements in areas such as throughput, operability, and service usage, 5G-Advanced can provide more efficient network operation, support for emerging technologies such as XR and IoT, and enhanced coverage and capacity.
With the introduction of AI and ML, 5G-Advanced can bring more intelligence into the network and adapt to changing environments, which can further improve network performance and end-user experience. It can also enable the use of non-terrestrial networks, such as drones and satellites, to extend connectivity to underserved geographies and enable new use cases such as driverless cars and industrial automation systems.
Overall, 5G-Advanced has the potential to create new opportunities for service providers to offer unique combinations of enhancements and features that can cater to the bespoke needs of their customers, ultimately improving the overall mobile experience and expanding the capabilities of 5G beyond connectivity.
What Will 5G Bring to the World?
5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology, and it promises to bring a host of new benefits to the world. Here are some of the potential impacts of 5G:
Faster speeds: 5G networks are expected to offer significantly faster speeds than 4G, with the potential for download speeds of up to 20 Gbps.
Reduced latency: 5G networks are also expected to have much lower latency than 4G, which will make real-time applications like gaming, video conferencing, and autonomous vehicles much more reliable and responsive.
Increased capacity: 5G networks will be able to handle a much larger number of connected devices simultaneously than 4G, which is important for the growing number of connected devices in the Internet of Things (IoT).
Improved network reliability: 5G networks are expected to be more resilient and reliable than 4G, with the ability to maintain connections in even the most challenging environments.
New applications: The high speeds, low latency, and increased capacity of 5G networks will enable a host of new applications and use cases, including virtual and augmented reality, smart cities, and remote surgery.
Overall, 5G has the potential to revolutionize the way we live, work, and communicate, ushering in a new era of connectivity and innovation.
