At the 2017 ZTE Wireless and Services User Congress held recently in Brussels, ZTE unveiled a comprehensive Pre5G solution intended to accelerate network evolution toward 5G. The announcement built on ZTE’s Pre5G innovation philosophy and introduced a set of technologies and products designed to provide a practical step between current 4G networks and full 5G deployments.
The Pre5G solution focuses on three core areas: delivering 5G-like enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) experiences, introducing a 5G-ready network architecture, and enabling 5G-oriented service applications. To achieve these goals, ZTE’s portfolio combines multiple mobile broadband technologies, including high-order MIMO, carrier aggregation across multiple bands, ultra-dense network deployments, and high-order modulation schemes. Together, these technologies are aimed at boosting peak cell throughput into the multi-gigabit-per-second range. ZTE reports that its Pre5G products and solutions have already been deployed in more than 60 networks across more than 40 countries, including China, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
The solution also targets a broad set of services and use cases. For consumers, eMBB-driven offerings enable rich content and immersive experiences such as ultra-high-definition video streaming, virtual reality, and online high-definition gaming. For the Internet of Things, Pre5G supports large-scale, energy-efficient connections through technologies such as NB-IoT and eMTC, enabling applications like smart city systems, intelligent parking, environmental monitoring, and wearable devices. These capabilities are designed to provide a smooth transition to the more expansive digital lifestyle expected with future 5G networks.
Alongside ZTE’s announcement, other industry developments are addressing practical deployment challenges for next-generation networks. Huawei and Telefónica introduced what they describe as the industry’s first 5G-oriented antenna deployment solution to help operators cope with limited antenna space when deploying high-band 4T4R configurations below 3 GHz and when implementing Massive MIMO. This challenge has become more apparent as operators move from 4G toward intermediate and 5G-era technologies. In parallel, Deutsche Telekom has been piloting high-speed 5G antennas in Berlin to demonstrate next-generation communications in a real-world urban environment, focusing on delivering very high throughput and ultra-low latency for end users.
Taken together, these initiatives highlight the industry’s practical approach to bridging today’s networks with tomorrow’s 5G capabilities: by combining advanced radio technologies, optimized deployment techniques, and targeted service innovations, operators can offer 5G-like performance and new applications today while preparing networks and ecosystems for full 5G rollout.