With some of the world waiting for consistent 4G coverage, the telecoms world has already turned its attention to 5G. With instant downloads and thoughts of virtual reality stealing the headlines, behind the scenes thoughts turn to ensuring that 5G will be the best wireless network to date.
With a large majority of 4G users finding that their coverage to be unreliable, 3G is still heavily relied upon. The big question is how will operators provide a consistent 5G service?
With the European commission vowing 5G will be available by 2020, plans must be in place to begin 5G advancements. Five of the largest telecoms companies; BT, Nokia, Vodafone, EE and Deutsche Telekom, have pledged to be part of these developments.
The main obstacle that network providers will need to overcome is laborious upgrade cycles on legacy networks. Currently these upgrades take approximately 6-8 weeks. Planning needs to be perfected before any work is carried out as this is a crucial part of the development. The current network infrastructure needs to be able to cope with increasing demand for coverage and dependability whilst still being ready to deal with any developments for the future. Testing of this infrastructure is vital to make the 5G dream a reality.
Large investments have been made into MIMO (Multiple – input multiple-output), a multiple antenna technology that has capabilities to largely improve transmission signals and reception of data. Nokia, Samsung, Verizon and Qualcomm have already carried out field tests in preparation of the commercialisation of 5G.
With the development and advancement of technology such as wearable tech, virtual reality, smartphones and routers, any new technology will need to undergo rigorous testing to meet the expectations that the user will demand; in an age where the consumer feels “lost” without their mobile device, it is more important than ever that these devices perform.
The success or failure of 5G is initially reliant on testing. Testing has been optimised for 2G and 3G networks by using automated testing solutions that test various elements of radio base station technologies (RBS) in around 30 minutes – a process that usually takes around 6 hours. Adaptions to these automated testing solutions for 5G will give operators the assurance that the developments and investments that they are making now will meet the demands of the future.
With 5G promising full HD movie downloads in a matter of seconds and video calling so engaging it’s as if there is no screen between callers, there is no doubt that 5G has the ability to dramatically change the landscape of telecommunications. As of 2016 however, the jury is still out on if the roll-out will be a triumph or a catastrophe.
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