Global 5G deployment

FIFTH generation or 5G is already deployed in nearly 700 sites globally.

For that to happen, several mobile players have poured billions of dollars to expand and upgrade networks to make this new technology, which promises a real change in the way we live, work and play, a reality.

A report by GSMA estimates that players would invest about US$160bil a year in capital expenditure.

Aside from the hype about 5G, it is beginning to show that it can do a lot more than the current 4G networks. In places where there is service, it takes only a few minutes to download a two-hour movie from Netflix.

The 5G technology is an evolution from 1G, which was all about voice and handheld devices the size and weight of a brick.

Then on with 2G, text and picture messages were added to mobility. With 3G, there was mobile Internet and video. The leapfrog into 4G - the current technology changed a lot of things, as multimedia and video became a huge factor for change, and it also saw the opening of the floodgates for disruptive services.

There is no stopping it now, as people want more in throughput and performance.

The first country to commercially roll out 5G services was South Korea followed by the US. Malaysia is still in its trial stages and any commercial deployment would be in 2021 or 2022. Even China is still undertaking trials with commercial roll out expected in Shanghai later this year.

Even though there are many countries that offer 5G now, the current deployments are limited to just a few neighbourhoods in the largest cities. The world will see more deployments in 2021 and mass adoption is only likely by 2025.

GSMA estimates that by 2025, there will be 1.4 billion connections globally, and of that, China will have 460 million 5G connections. Internet of Things (IoT) connections will triple to 25 billion by that time and global IoT revenue will quadruple to US$1.1bil, says GSMA.

It adds that 5G will add US$2.2 trillion to the global economy over the next 15 years. The sectors that will benefit the most are manufacturing, utilities, professional and financial services.

If 4G has disrupted some industries, what can we expect from 5G?

A lot is about to change with significant advancement in artificial intelligence and futuristic applications.

The 5G will further disrupt the existing trend and create smart cities to smarter homes, sensors, thermostats, self-driving cars, robotic surgeries, toothbrushes that can tell you if you are sick and a lot of this will work at the same time.

But then, there is the fear factor about 5G and issues of piracy and security. How will this be addressed, as our data will be exposed across a lot of applications?

And if you are thinking of limiting your screen time, just forget it.

It will just increase manifold with 5G.