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Huawei, a global leader in technology and telecommunications, is propelling the industry into a new era with the announcement of the world’s first comprehensive suite of solutions for 5.5G technology.
This comes at a time when the adoption and utilisation of 5G by businesses and consumers has surged and continues expanding into new experiences, new connections, and new applications, noted Cao Ming, President of Wireless Solution at Huawei, during an International Media Roundtable at the 14th Global Mobile Broadband Forum held in Dubai in October.
This 5.5G network boasts remarkable features, including a 10 Gbps downlink, 1 Gbps uplink, a huge capacity of 100 billion-level connections, and native intelligence. “Huawei is at the forefront of innovation to ensure the solutions help operators deliver full-scenario tenfold capabilities and enable ultra-high energy efficiency, spectrum utilization, and O&M efficiency » said Cao. Speaking to journalists from across the world, Cao stressed the potential of this technology and the change it can usher into our societies.
A Network Beyond Expectations
Telecommunications companies worldwide have been deploying 5G networks at an accelerated rate, far surpassing the pace of any previous generation of mobile communications technology. Over the past five years, approximately 260 commercial 5G networks have been deployed globally, and the global 5G user base has reached an impressive 1.5 billion individuals.
The most exciting aspect of 5G lies in its capabilities, explained Cao. “The network’s strength, being ten times more potent than its 4G predecessor, is driving remarkable advancements in high-definition videos and cloud gaming. The limitations experienced during video playback, gaming, and HD video calls on 4G networks are gradually becoming a thing of the past, thanks to 5G. This represents just the beginning of 5G adoption, » he replied to a question on how 5G will benefit the gaming industry.
Indeed, with the upgrade of experiences, connections, and services, it is the time for 5.5G – a network which features capabilities of 10 Gbps downlink, 1 Gbps uplink, 100 billion-level connections, and native intelligence.
To help operators build 5.5G networks efficiently and enable full-scenario ten-fold capabilities, Huawei is releasing the industry’s first 5.5G solutions. Five fundamental technological pillars support these enhancements, explained Cao:
These pillars of innovation collectively empower 5.5G networks to deliver on their promises, ensuring a future-ready, efficient, and user-centric network.
In the realm of cellular Internet of Things (IoT), two mainstream 5.5G IoT technologies, Red Cap and passive IoT, have gained traction, with module developers and chipset manufacturers actively rolling out their offerings.
Redefining User Experience
In the past, video-related services, including video calls and games, predominantly operated in 2D. However, with the advent of 5G, a shift towards 3D and extended reality (XR) services is becoming evident. “The rise of 3D services and applications will exert substantial demand on network capabilities”, noted Cao.
As 5.5G networks are set to bring robust capabilities, telcos and various businesses can broaden their scopes, providing an opportunity for content providers, device manufacturers, and chip makers to expand their business horizons and identify new revenue streams. The potential for growth and innovation in this domain is vast, explained Cao.
However, as 5G adoption continues at an unprecedented pace, concerns have arisen about the need to upgrade existing infrastructure. Cao stated that Huawei is committed to helping operators evolve their networks seamlessly to protect the investments of telcos.
Readiness of Countries
Talking about the future uses of 5.5G technology, Cao stressed that the technology is rapidly gaining momentum worldwide and is on the brink of accelerated commercialisation. « Several factors contribute to this large-scale commercialisation. Release 18, slated to be frozen next year, will mark the completion of the 5.5G specification, affirming the industry’s readiness for the imminent transition. Moreover, 5.5G chipsets and devices have already hit the market, exemplified by Qualcomm’s release of the 5G Advanced chipset with a 10 Gbps downlink capacity, » noted Cao.
Regarding spectrum readiness, 20 countries worldwide have already auctioned the millimeter wave, paving the way for substantial progress in 5.5G deployment. The sub-6 gigahertz band is scheduled for discussion and identification in November this year at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC 23) in Dubai.
Cao noted: « The Middle East is expected to maintain its leading position in the 5.5G era. There have been many collaborations and initiatives like the MoU and innovative projects between Huawei and leading operators in the Middle East for the past one year, showcasing the region’s commitment to embracing and leveraging the potential of 5.5G technology. »
On the digital divide across geographies, Huawei realises that the development of technology is uneven in different territories. While the first wave 5G markets – including the Middle East, Europe, China, and countries in the Asia Pacific – deployed 5G nearly five years ago, countries in Africa are not at the same pace. Some critical points along the deployment journey of 5G include ecosystem maturity and market development.
Cao added that Huawei has been collaborating in different regions and hopes that through the efforts, countries and regions can enjoy the convenience brought by 5G sooner.
Empowering Industries through 5.5G
One of the pivotal aspects of 5.5G’s evolution is its transformative impact on various industries. The business-to-business (B2B) capabilities of 5G networks have already been embraced on a massive scale in the 5G era. Cao shared a few examples from China where fully connected factories are leveraging 5G to drive digitalisation within their operations.
Industries like automobile manufacturing are primed for significant enhancements, Cao stated. 5G and 5.5G technologies offer the potential to revolutionise productivity and facilitate digital transformation within the industry. “Huawei envisions a future where ICT solutions will enable automakers to build better, smarter vehicles, ensuring a seamless integration of technology into the automobile sector, » Cao said.
Huawei’s foray into the realm of 5.5G technology represents a significant leap forward for the telecommunications industry. As 5G adoption accelerates and industries continue to embrace digital transformation, the advent of 5.5G promises an even more connected and technologically empowered future.
In a world defined by rapid technological advancements, the convergence of 5G, cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we live and work.
Huawei’s 14th Global Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF) 2023 in Dubai, UAE, provided some useful insights into the latest developments as industry leaders announced groundbreaking innovations and shared experiences from their respective industries and geographies.
Heading up the programme, Yang Chaobin, Board Member and President of ICT Products & Solutions at Huawei, unveiled LampSite X, a next-generation 5G indoor digital product solution that promises to redefine the indoor digital experience.
LampSite X has been designed and configured by Huawei to help operators open up new business spaces and move towards greater digital intelligence. Yang announced that LampSite X brings unrivalled 5.5G capabilities indoors for the first time, thereby comprehensively upgrading indoor digitalisation.
With the explosive growth of mobile traffic, 80% of which is generated indoors, the need for advanced digital indoor capabilities is clearly strong. High-density indoor environments such as shopping malls, airports, railway stations and stadiums require a new paradigm. Huawei claims that LampSite X’s unique Distributed Massive MIMO technology enables a peak throughput of over 10 Gbps, offering not only unprecedented speeds but also the first-ever 5.5G 10 Gbps experience indoors. With the industry’s smallest and lightest design, paired with dynamic energy-saving capabilities, Huawei believes LampSite X is a game-changer in the world of indoor digitalisation.
The LampSite X series boasts a volume as small as 1L and weight of just 1kg, meaning it can be deployed with unparalleled flexibility in a wide range of settings. Yang stated: « This product is the only one in the industry to combine mmWave and sub-6 GHz, paving the way for ultra-high performance, diverse capabilities and minimal energy usage. »
“These capabilities extend to ultra-high uplink speeds, high-precision positioning down to sub-meter levels, low latency in milliseconds, and IoT integration. The unique ‘0 Bit 0 Watt’ solution ensures round-the-clock dynamic energy savings, maximizing efficiency.”
According to Yang, Huawei believes LampSite X will become a catalyst for digital transformation in both consumer and industry applications. In consumer scenarios (to-C) LampSite X enhances the end-user experience by increasing traffic and creating new business opportunities for operators. Giving an example from Hong Kong, Yang said: “In the 10 Gbps business districts, LampSite X has driven a 20 percent increase in traffic, leading to new and innovative business models.”
In business scenarios (to-B), Yang claimed the product’s multi-dimensional digital indoor capabilities are transforming smart factories, increasing efficiency and dramatically reducing production times.
Cao Ming, President of Wireless Solutions at Huawei, launched the industry’s first full-series solutions for 5.5G. “5.5G is well-timed to support new experiences, connections and services,” said Cao, highlighting that “Huawei’s full-series 5.5G solutions will help operators deliver full-scenario tenfold capabilities and enable ultra-high energy efficiency, spectrum utilisation and O&M efficiency.”
“5.5G has arrived just in time to upgrade the connections of people, homes, things, vehicles and industries. Huawei’s full-series 5.5G solutions can help operators efficiently build 5.5G networks thanks to continuous innovations across five categories of basic capabilities: broadband, multi-band, multi-antenna, intelligent and green,” Cao concluded.
From the operator viewpoint, Khalid Murshed, Chief Technology and Information Officer at Etisalat by e&, shed light on the UAE telecom landscape. He highlighted how the operator has embraced 5G, cloud infrastructure and AI integration, and positioned itself as a global leader in broadband technology.
Bocar Ba, CEO and Board Member of SAMENA Telecommunications Council, highlighted the crucial role of 5G in driving digital transformation across the Middle East, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). He recognised the collaborative efforts of regional governments, technology players and operators in advancing 5G development.
“Digital transformation in the Middle East is multifaceted. In the oil and gas industry, IoT devices, sensor systems, AR, VR, robotics control and automated guided vehicles are being deployed, reshaping the sector” observed Ba.
The education sector, too, is experiencing a technological revolution, alongside smart manufacturing, agriculture, smart buildings and mobility. Bocar stressed that the technological changes are having a positive impact on job creation, productivity and well-being across the GCC.
“The next phase of 5G, referred to as 5G Advanced, is on the horizon” said Bocar. “It promises to offer new opportunities, including enhanced user experiences, extended reality, real-time industrial automation and financial transactions.”
He highlighted the need for additional investment if the massive connectivity goals of 5G and 5G Advanced are to be fully realised across the GCC.
Regulatory agility is another critical aspect of driving 5G advancement, according to Bocar. “The agile regulatory approach is essential for addressing IoT standardisation and emerging challenges.”
The convergence of 5G, cloud infrastructure, and AI is ushering in a new era of digitalisation, both in the UAE and beyond.
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As the benefits of the digital economy become apparent in countries around the world, the issue of digital inclusion has never been more paramount – particularly in Africa, which is brimming with digital potential that can be fully realized with the right amount of innovation and cooperation.
That was the message from Daisy Zhu, Marketing VP for Overseas Carrier Accounts at Huawei. Speaking at MWC Kigali 2023, Zhu outlined Huawei’s innovations that can accelerate Africa’s digitalization process and help people in Africa benefit from digital technologies.
Digitalization has already been proven to boost economic growth. Research has shown that digital economy growth is 2.5x higher than traditional economy growth. In developing countries, every US$1 increase in ICT spending per capita translates into $3.5 in average GDP growth.
Digitalization also empowers people and changes lives. Zhu pointed to China’s own experience, where the digital economy has boosted GDP growth and helped China reduce poverty. The digital economy can do the same for African countries.
What’s missing is sufficient connectivity. Around 60% people in Africa (over 800 million people) still don’t have internet access, mainly because broadband connectivity is either too expensive or non-existent, particularly in rural areas with sizable populations. “As such, connectivity remains the cornerstone of digital inclusion,” said Zhu.
Getting mobile broadband connectivity to underserved and unserved areas has always been a challenge for mobile operators, especially in terms of backhaul and energy. To that end, she said, Huawei has developed several innovations for base station equipment specifically for rural deployments.
For example, its RuralStar Pro solution integrates a baseband unit (BBU), a remote radio unit (RRU), and a relay device into a single module that can be deployed by anyone in a village and remotely configured by an engineer. It’s also very power-efficient, using less than 120W. Then there’s the RuralLink solution, which leverages microwave fronthaul technology that enables rural sites to share the baseband resources of existing base stations, rather than deploying independent BBUs. Such rural solutions are designed to make wireless network deployment simpler, lower TCO. The integrated transmission, power supply, and wireless base station solutions help operators to recover rural investments in less than 2 years.
That said, Zhu pointed out that network connectivity is just the starting point in the push for digital inclusion – you also need digital platforms.
For example, operators can utilise an innovative digital intelligence platform such as Huawei’s CWR (Collaboration Workspace Realization) to identify which areas need to be covered and conduct precise marketing channels to effectively promote their internet and digital services, as well as affordable entry-level devices to access them.
Operators also need a digital service platform that can leverage connectivity to offer useful digital services, as is occurring in the Fintech sector, for example. “Fintech is booming in Africa,” said Daisy Zhu. « In the past two years, the number of financial technology start-ups in Africa has exceeded 5,000. » Extend connectivity from cities to remote areas, allowing more people to use financial services, change payment methods, and gain access to digital life.
Meanwhile, Zhu reminded operators that when it comes to enabling digital inclusion, there’s far more to it than technology. Another key factor is the ICT skillsets of the very people you aim to include. Put simply, not everyone knows how to use a search engine effectively. A survey from Research ICT Africa found that for many people, a significant barrier to internet usage is that even if they have access to broadband and can afford it, they don’t have the skills to make use of it – at least not to the level expected in the digital economy.
This means operators vendors, governments, local communities and other industries should work together to raise awareness of digital skills and provide necessary assistance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Huawei provided terminal and distance education technology training for digital learning and education teacher skills training in Senegal.
Many women lack the required level of digital literacy, especially in rural areas where more than half of Ghana’s population does not have access to any form of ICT. Therefore, Huawei has also joined Ghana’s “Girls-In-ICT” project, which aims to expand digital literacy and support women to benefit equally from digitalization. By 2022, the program had trained more than 5,000 girls across five regions.
The success of these projects reveals the true potential of the digital economy in Africa. The digital economy will transform Africa across so many sectors, from healthcare, food supply chains and living spaces to intelligent cities, transportation and enterprises. And the roadmap is already in place – the African Union’s digital transformation strategy envisions an “integrated and inclusive digital society and economy in Africa” by 2030.
Achieving that vision will require stakeholders from all sectors to work and innovate together, said Zhu. “We believe that innovation and cooperation will accelerate Africa’s digitalization process, unleash Africa’s digital potential, bring a better life and higher industrial efficiency to its people, and lead Africa to a smart society.”
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