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“5G will be a major
component of the
‘bandwidth mix’ of
the future.” – Juliet
Walker, Globecast
on average, we will see more UHD content and
the HD content will be streamed even at large
scale like in stadiums.”
“Building up 5G will help the networks
to cope,” says Omdia’s Wallis-Jones, who
suggests that the benefits offered by millimetre
wave spectrum are “immense” with further
spectrum auctions set to further help. “Access
networks will be massively strengthened.”
With an eye on the current Covid-19-enforced
lockdowns, PP Foresight’s Pescatore says
that networks are coping well today given
the increasing demands of working at home,
educating kids and entertaining the entire
household. “The move to a more software-
driven architecture underpinned by AI, cloud
with more services served from the edge,
makes attacks more likely. Security and
privacy represent key requisites to support the
rollout of next generation networks.”
EFFICIENCY. “With 5G we will for sure see
better spectrum efficiency in terms of bits/
Hz when higher bandwidth will be considered
which would necessarily mean higher data
rates,” says Rohde & Schwartz’s Aziz Taga.
“Nevertheless, 5G in unicast mode would
not necessarily mean better QoS and higher
user experience. Why? Because this has been
already promised by 3G, HSPA, LTE and
4G but the problem is still the same: limited
resources. Although there will be more
potential spectrum resources, we need also to
consider that the number of connected devices
is expected to be much higher than the case in
4G. Therefore, the consideration of Broadcast
and Multicast is a must. 5G multicast creates
opportunities for broadcast network operators
to make their infrastructure more dynamic
and allow them to discover new distribution
features. Also, this technology helps mobile
network operators to offload their heavy
streaming and data loads so that they avoid
infrastructure over-provisioning and therefore
serve their consumers with higher Quality of
Service while reducing Capex and Opex.”
“The growth in 5G mobile video viewing
is expected to place unprecedented scaling
10 EUROMEDIA
demands on wireless network operators,”
and what will drive such take up, Everson
warns Velocix’s Brickmeier. “To avoid network
reports that South Korea, the US, China and
congestion impacting the video quality
Japan are leading the way in 5G consumer
experienced by consumers, operators need
adoption as they are online now. “Enterprise
to scale-out their content delivery systems,
implementation will begin primarily with
using technology that more efficiently routes
proof-of-concepts in late 2020 and increase
and delivers video traffic over IP and wireless
in 2021 with live deployments. In addition to
networks. For instance, by using mobile-
the countries mentioned, we also see some
optimised CDN technology with multi-tier
western European countries rapidly preparing
delivery and inter-cache communications,
for this – especially Germany.”
demands over mobile backhaul networks
“As of January 2020, commercial 5G
can be reduced by as much as 30 per cent.
networks have been deployed in 378 cities
Another key development is multi-access edge
across 34 countries,” notes Forrest. “EMEA
computing (MEC), which allows elastically
leads the way, counting 168 cities with
scalable caches to be deployed closer to
commercial 5G services, while Asia follows
consumers at the periphery of 5G radio
with 156 cities, and the Americas with 54
access networks. Used together, these newer
cities. But, of course, all are considered as
technologies can provide a reliable and cost-
fledgling networks, available in select parts
effective alternative to expensive backhaul
of cities, as operators secure more mobile
network upgrades.”
spectrum and begin to extend their coverage
“It’s the famous Jevons paradox,” observes
and capacity.”
V-Nova’s Meardi. “The efficiency with which
According to Forrest, there have been
a resource is used tends to increase (rather
differing strategies for 5G deployment across
than decrease) the rate of consumption of that
countries. “For example, whilst mobile
resource. 5G should certainly enable greater
operators in the USA are battling it out to
mobile video consumption of all media types,
improve coverage and gain subscribers,
but demand is likely to continue rocketing to
initially using the promise of high bandwidth
quickly occupy the additional
over mmWave spectrum,
bandwidth that becomes
in South Korea all three
available, especially with
major operators instead
the ‘new normal’ of digital
collaborated to build the
collaboration. It remains
essential elements of the 5G
to be seen if the backbone
network that placed them
infrastructure to support the
ahead of other countries; the
expanded connectivity to
result is that over 85 cities
devices will be able to keep
are now connected in South
pace. All of these factors
Korea.”
mean that innovation and
GOVERNMENT.
utilisation of advanced
“Commercial services
compression to ensure
started in April 2019 and the
an efficient use of that
government subsequently
bandwidth for video remain
pledged investments
critical.”
worth $26 billion to
“A key application
TAKE UP. As to which
establish a ‘fully-fledged
for 5G is video.”
countries and regions will
5G environment’ by 2022.
- Thierry Fautier,
see the fastest enterprise
Initially smartphone/
Harmonic
and consumer take-up of 5G
mobile use-cases drive