CIO OPINION
America . While UMTS took five years to reach Latin America from its first global launch and LTE took two years , 5G made itself present one month later .
It is a sign that operators understand very well the importance of staying in a state of constant technological evolution .
User equipment
However , besides the importance of making technology available , massification changes the scenario for the population . In other words , this new technology should be accessible to as many people as possible . Two fundamental variables come into play here : Coverage and availability of terminals .
That is the first challenge . There are still no economies of scale for 5G cell phones . What does this mean ? It means that the production of these devices has not yet reached the volume needed to make them affordable for most of the population . To drive mass adoption of the technology , the cost of the devices needs to be less than US $ 125 , but it could take some time .
Counterpoint Research projections estimate that the worldwide smartphone sales of 5G smartphones will exceed those of 4G this year , but only after 2023 the price drop below US $ 150 . This massification of handsets is expected as service coverage with the new technology advances .
5G networks in Latin America
Until now , there are about 27 5G networks deployed in Latin America and the Caribbean , including the most recent announcements from two operators in Guatemala , in addition to existing networks in the U . S . Virgin Islands , Puerto Rico , Trinidad and Tobago , Mexico , Suriname , Colombia , Peru , Chile , Brazil , Uruguay and Argentina . Meanwhile , 4G networks in the region now total 130 , according to TeleGeography and 5G Americas .
Industry 4.0
5G represents a considerable advance in access speed for end-users ( known as Embb ( Enhanced Mobile Broadband )) and , from the operators ’ point of view , is a much more cost-efficient alternative to providing this connectivity .
But the real leap forward that this new generation of mobile technologies provides has to do with the fact
To drive mass adoption of the technology , the cost of the devices needs to be less than US $ 125 , but it could take some time .
www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO LATAM 45