The UK has made significant progress in rolling out 4G over the past year, achieving more than 52 million active subscriptions and roughly 89% geographic coverage in towns and cities. As the country prepares for 5G, demand for mobile data is accelerating and faster speeds are enabling new, data-intensive applications—such as Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), high-resolution video (4K and 8K) and virtual reality. These developments present fresh connectivity challenges for the telecoms industry.
Pressure to keep people and businesses connected is especially acute in dense urban centres—London, Manchester and Birmingham—where millions compete for limited spectrum. At the same time, upgrades in infrastructure and technology are required to deliver the full promise of 5G. The industry must therefore take coordinated steps now to ensure successful future rollouts.
Smart spectrum use
Spectrum allocation is a primary concern. Ofcom and European partners have identified three frequency ranges expected to be crucial for 5G in Europe: 700 MHz, 3.4–3.8 GHz and 24.25–27.5 GHz. But spectrum is finite and costly, so maximising the use of existing holdings will be essential to meet intense urban and suburban demand.
Rather than relying solely on traditional roadside towers, operators will need to deploy many street-level outdoor small cells to add capacity and improve coverage where it is most needed. While initial small cell deployments and operational models emerged in 2017, the focus for subsequent years must be on scaling those deployments rapidly.
Scaling small cell infrastructure requires greater collaboration and investment across the ecosystem—mobile network operators (MNOs), infrastructure providers such as Arqiva, and asset owners must work together. That joint effort is crucial if the UK aims to compete effectively in the global 5G landscape.
Support for MIMO and dark fibre
Transitioning to 5G is not just a matter of increasing site counts; it also demands upgrades in how infrastructure supports advanced technologies like MIMO (multiple input/multiple output). MIMO uses multiple antennas at both transmitter and receiver to boost efficiency and reduce errors. This technique is already enhancing 4G and will evolve into Massive MIMO for 5G—scaling to hundreds or even thousands of antennas to dramatically increase throughput from the same spectrum.
Massive MIMO will require investment to upgrade existing physical infrastructure, including towers and antenna sites. Equally important is access to robust backhaul, particularly dark fibre. Denser and more coordinated networks will need dark fibre connections to support exploding mobile data traffic, expanding machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and continual introduction of new services.
For 5G networks to flourish, dark fibre must be available to mobile operators from multiple providers at competitive prices. Regulatory and commercial arrangements that improve access to fibre and other key assets will be a foundation for scalable 5G deployments.
Fixed wireless access
5G will reshape how service providers manage, sell and deliver connectivity. Network slicing, a capability of 5G, enables operators to run distinct services with tailored characteristics over shared infrastructure, creating opportunities for new business models and differentiated offerings.
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is a clear example. 5G FWA can offer much higher speeds and lower latency than many current home broadband technologies, and it can complement fibre-to-premise rollouts. FWA may reduce the time to market for ultrafast broadband, invite new entrants into broadband markets and enable more flexible commercial approaches from established providers.
Arqiva conducted the UK’s first field trial of 5G FWA with Samsung, deploying an end-to-end network in the 28 GHz band to demonstrate the potential of ultra-fast, high-bandwidth wireless connections for homes and businesses. Similar trials and detailed network planning by UK broadband providers are expected to increase as operators refine commercial models for 5G services over the next 12–24 months.
The road ahead
Although 2020 is often cited as an early milestone for 5G availability, it should be viewed as the beginning of a longer journey rather than the final destination. Early trials and pilot deployments will set the stage, but long-term success depends on sustained work to address the technical, regulatory and commercial challenges involved in delivering widespread, high-performance connectivity.
Close cooperation among infrastructure providers, network operators, local authorities and government will be essential. By aligning investment, streamlining access to critical assets such as dark fibre, and coordinating small cell and MIMO deployments, the UK can position itself as a strong contender in the 5G era and bring the benefits of next-generation connectivity to consumers and businesses across the country.
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