ChannelVision Sept-Oct 2017

By Robin Kent This illustrates that the industry has yet to fully implement a working and reliable 4G experience for users, which begs the question: Can operators ensure 5G works sufficiently to provide a good con- sumer experience whilst making money? Mobile data use has rocketed during the past five years – increasing 74 percent in 2015 alone – taking the overall global figure to around 3.7 exa- bytes per month. Behind this data explosion is the growth of streaming services, such as Netflix, and consumers’ growing use of apps – all underpinned by the expectation of having a high-speed data connection at all times. This rising expectation of “always connected” consumers and the proliferation of multiple con- nected devices including self-driving cars and deliv- ery drones are driving service providers to take the lead in the 5G race. Similarly, 5G’s support of IoT is another key driving factor for its high demand; after all, Gartner estimates that the amount of connected IoT devices will reach 26 billion by 2020. Mobile operator Three is ready to implement an overhaul Race isOn The W hispers about 5G are getting louder, and expectations to implement it are increasing as it will serve to connect industries accounting for as many as 1.1 billion connections by 2025, according to GSMA. The evolution through 2G to 4G has prompted rapidly increasing use of services and applications that are data heavy – and often the telecom industry is struggling to keep apace. But are we ready for 5G? Mobile & Wireless Channel Vision | September - October, 2017 26

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