Intel talks 5G
T3 talks to Alex Gledhill, Intel’s Global Account Director, about how it sees 5G shaping the future
Intel has made a big commitment to 5G infrastructure. The company has contributed to the first real-world 5G tests, developed its own 5G modem, and used its place on mobile consortiums to help define the vital 5G NR standard. It is also helping to build the back-end networks that 5G depends upon, much of which people like us will never see or even think about, but are a huge part of a 5G-connected future.
T3 Let’s start broad: why is 5G so important?
AG From connected cars to smart homes and smart cities, 5G will deliver the infrastructure required to support new technologies that will fundamentally change the world we live in. The improvement in connectivity and computing power will enable devices and applications to perform at infinitely faster ‘real-time’ speeds. Moving the intelligence to the ‘edge’ of the network will unlock revolutionary new capabilities; things like improved smart health solutions or ultrahigh resolution 4K 360-degree video for immersive virtual reality ( VR) and gaming experiences.
T3 Intel says that 5G will revolutionise the UK rail network. Is this just a case of better on-board Wi-Fi, or something more exciting?
AG The real-time speed of 5G will enhance our travel service experience, enabling a faster more efficient service, and will be substantial enough to satisfy artificial intelligence on board each train. AI can then be used to better understand each train – which ones will be busy, for example – and therefore run a more efficient service. Efficiency is key, and with a connected experience, we should see improvements in commuters’ journeys by train or road. With 5G, passengers will be able to conduct meetings and conferences on their journey to work.
T3 Could 5G lead to a reduction of the work week?
AG 5G will allow people to work efficiently whilst providing us with the flexibility we need to work wherever we want. It will enable technologies such as AI to take the heavy admin lift in various industries, therefore freeing up time so employees will, overall, become more productive. Autonomous vehicles will maximise commuters’ opportunity to increase productivity on their journey to and from the office. Using these previously unused hours will reduce the amount of time physically needed in the office.
T3 Who’s leading the 5G race? Will we see any unexpected entrants with big 5G releases?
AG The interesting thing is that technology companies and governing bodies are equally invested in bringing the technology to the masses. Intel is motivated to launch 5G commercial services this year and we are using our experience within PCs and data centres to
converge computing in a datacentric era, connected by 5G. T3 What future problems could 5G solve?
AG 5G will be important in tackling big world problems. One area that we think has huge potential is healthcare, from being able to make life-saving decisions in real-time with on-demand patient data to delivering offsite care with improved telemedicine and supplies to remote locations. 5G will be the driving force behind new life-saving technologies.
T3 Will 5G mean a complete transition to cloud infrastructure?
AG The transition is already underway. Telecom providers have been on that journey for several years by using virtualisation and moving networks to cloud-native tech. As the cloud gets closer to the edge, it does become increasingly more challenging to put entire networks onto the cloud as we know it today – the cloud will evolve.
T3 A recent Ericsson study predicts that 5G will lead to the death of the smartphone. What is Intel’s view? Will it also mean the end of the PC as we know it?
AG Smartphones and PCs will both evolve. 5G will enable more adoption of IoT technology, creating new platforms and guidelines for devices to operate on. We’ll begin to see more voicecontrolled tech materialising outside of the home. It is interesting, however, to see how PCs are already starting to evolve. For example, Intel recently announced Project Athena which is helping to bring a new class of advanced laptops, designed to enable new experiences and capitalise on next-generation technologies like 5G and AI, to the market.