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Singtel signs MOU with Ericsson to study future of 5G networks

By Ng Chong Seng - on 27 Jan 2015, 4:49pm

Singtel signs MOU with Ericsson to study future of 5G networks

Estimated 5G requirement levels, according to Metis.

What comes after 4G? Why, 5G, of course! While fast data throughput is a key focus in this next-gen network technology, know that it’s also about planning for the future, a future that according to Metis, will see 1000 times the traffic volume and up to 100 times the number of connected devices we see today.

But unlike previous generations that focused on new technologies, 5G is more about building upon the current telecom systems, evolving existing versions of radio access, and making use of the cloud and other complementary technologies. As more and more things get connected to the Internet, and mobile data volumes expected to grow exponentially, building a sustainable platform that’s able to fit different operating requirements or scale based on different use cases becomes ever more important.

If you think defining 5G is hard work, it is. The aforementioned is only the tip of a very, very big iceberg, and there are other hurdles, from spectrum usage and energy consumption to latency, security, and cost, to cross before 5G is ready for mass consumption. According to the NGMN Alliance, 5G standardization activities will happen in 2016, with further developments and trials to be done between 2017 and 2019. In other words, commercial availability (be it from equipment vendors, telecom operators, or device makers) isn’t expected until at least 2020.

The 77 members, sponsors, and advisors of the NGMN Alliance.

Put another way, while 5G support isn’t coming to our smartphones anytime soon, the work to get it to has already begun. In the last Mobile World Congress (MWC), the NGMN 5G Initiative was launched, and since then, the alliance has been working on a white paper that details 5G guidelines. The executive version is ready (PDF link); and at this very moment, it’s being discussed by operators, vendors, and researchers from around the world in Singapore, at the NGMN Forum hosted by Singtel. A final, full public version of the white paper will be presented at MWC in Barcelona in early March, with further discussions happening at the NGMN Industry Conference & Exhibition in late March in Frankfurt, Germany.

Singtel Group CTO, Mr. Tay Soo Meng, and Region Head for Ericsson South East Asia and Oceania, Mr Sam Saba, at today’s MOU signing ceremony for Singtel and Ericsson’s partnership to explore the future of 5G. (Image source: Singtel.)

For something closer to home, today also marks the day Singtel and Ericsson sign a 5-year MOU (memorandum of understanding) to test technologies for future 5G standardization. The first telco in the world to have a commercial 300Mbps 4G LTE-Advanced service for smartphones, the largest telco in Singapore (who is one of the 24 leading operators in the NGMN Alliance) is also championing the finalization of the NGMN 5G white paper, and is working towards being one of the first in the world to roll out 5G in 2020. Investment details or trial timelines weren’t shared during the signing, but Singtel did say the partnership will include workshops to align 5G requirements, exchange ideas, and trials on potential technologies.

That said, today’s MOU isn’t the first 5G-related initiative that Singtel has signed with a leading telecommunications equipment and services company. Back in November last year, it inked a 5G Joint Innovation Program MOU with Huawei. Clearly, by working with two leading equipment and service vendors, Singtel hopes to harness the best of both worlds and put itself in a good position when the inevitable 5G world arrives.

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