5G is closer than you think and IPX is at its heart

Reporting from 5G World in London.  Judging by the vibe at the world’s first dedicated 5G event we are well on our way to a truly connected planet (and at a high speed –pun intended). While 4G introduced fast IP services to a seamless user experience across devices, 5G will turn up the speed and enable a plethora (yes, I said a plethora) of new uses by powering the Internet of Things in a single framework.

 

 

Wait! What is 5G all about?  5G is mostly about three things:

1. Hordes of devices (28 billion in 2021)
2. Ultra-broadband (100 Gbps), and
3. Low latency (1 millisecond).

The sheer volume of connected devices will make IoT use cases unavoidable, ranging from voice-controlled smart homes to remote surgery, self-driving buses to robotics, ultra-HD video to fleet management. Speed trials have already hit  70 Gbps, and standardization is targeted to be completed in 2018 for implementations in 2020. And yet, operators in Korea, Japan and the US want to move even faster than that. It took four years to reach 100 million users for 3G, three years to reach 100 million users for 4G, and it will likely take two years to reach 100 million subscribers for 5G.

Getting prepared for what’s next

It’s all very exciting, particularly in the heat of the inaugural 5G World event in London. But what does it mean for us back in the real world today? No doubt many things, depending on your perspective. As a service provider committed to Making What’s Next Work Globally, the first requirement that comes to my mind is IPX. Without a robust IPX, this vision of a “hyperconnected” planet will be little more than trade show slideware.

What are your thoughts?

 

 

Recommended Posts