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With 5G set to dominate conversations at MWC 2018, the industry is increasingly focused on both immediate and long-term expectations. The central question is: what must happen for the sector to fulfil the promises of 5G? At Arqiva, we believe two major trends will shape that answer.
Virtualisation of the network
Traditionally, mobile networks have relied on standards-based, integrated vendor solutions that bundle hardware and software. This model has delivered benefits in terms of standardisation and consistent service delivery, but it demands extensive coordination across the industry and leads to major technology releases only every few years (for example 3G, 4G, and 5G).
Other sectors move faster because smaller groups can innovate independently and introduce more frequent, disruptive changes. That pattern is beginning to appear in mobile networking too, enabling hardware and software to take separate development paths. Decoupling those elements will lower barriers to entry and invite new players into network provision. It will also make it possible to run network functions on standard IT hardware, allowing operators to leverage ongoing improvements in computing performance more easily.
Removing the need to supply proprietary hardware opens the market to software-led companies. These firms, accustomed to agile cycles of trial, failure and rapid iteration, could accelerate the introduction of new network features. Standards will still be important for ensuring basic interoperability, but continuous, incremental feature development could become much more common.
Initially, virtualisation is likely to focus on core network functions, but it could quickly expand across the entire architecture. The disruption Google brought to the mobile operating system market with Android shows how software-first entrants can reshape the ecosystem and our approach to delivering services.
Densification of the network
Even as 5G introduces new technologies, the fundamental building blocks of a mobile network—spectrum, sites, backhaul and technology—remain the same. What will change dramatically is the number of publicly accessible access nodes, particularly in markets such as the UK.
Where 4G mostly involved upgrading existing sites, 5G will require a far greater number of nodes—potentially an order of magnitude more—meaning significant network densification. This scale of densification presents both technical and coordination challenges. From an infrastructure perspective, three major shifts are likely:
First, greater asset diversity. Today, telecoms gear is often mounted on street furniture like lampposts and CCTV columns to extend coverage. In a denser 5G environment, these assets may flip their primary role: they could become dedicated telecoms infrastructure that also provides lighting or other municipal services.
Second, widespread economic access to dark fibre will be essential so mobile network operators can deploy the backhaul architecture needed for 5G. Much physical infrastructure—ducts, conduits and routes—already exists, making this achievable, but the industry must move from merely passing these assets to actively connecting and utilising them.
Third, deployment must become simpler. By reviewing the full deployment value chain and adopting uniform processes, the sector can apply lessons from other industries that already operate at street level at scale, streamlining how equipment is rolled out.
Getting these three elements right—asset diversification, accessible dark fibre and simplified deployment—will be critical to building the infrastructure that enables 5G’s potential. That infrastructure, in turn, will be vital to the economic and social benefits 5G promises to deliver.
Interested in hearing industry leaders discuss topics like these and share practical use cases? Attend the co-located IoT Tech Expo, Blockchain Expo, AI & Big Data Expo and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo World Series in locations such as Silicon Valley, London and Amsterdam to explore the future of enterprise technology.