Industry Thought Leadership

5G Force: Why Rapid Rollout of 5th Generation Connectivity is Crucial

April, 2019
Charles Yang
President

Huawei Middle East

The time for 5G is now. Business, standards, products, terminals, and security are fully ready, and a mature 5G ecosystem has emerged. Rapid integration of the next generation of network connectivity could be the turning point for Middle East governments pursuing strategic plans to develop globally-competitive, diversified, knowledge-based economies.
The success of 5G is largely dependent on two elements. Firstly governments, operators and their partners setting up adequate infrastructure, and secondly looking ahead to develop use cases which reach beyond traditional telecommunications services.

Preparing infrastructure for 5G is largely dependent on local governments and operators. Huawei commits to support from a top-level consultative perspective to ensure 5G is achieved with maximum speed and quality, and nurture a 5G ecosystem which will help organizations rapidly capitalize from the commercialization of 5G. Regional governments have demonstrated admirable foresight in prioritizing digitalization to drive forward the next stage of economic development – but challenges remain.

We want to emphasize the need for early and quick deployment and commercialization of 5G, to outline our capabilities as a brand, as well as demonstrate our vision for the future of 5G.

Eliminating barriers
As we work towards a future fueled by 5G, our focus is on how we can ensure the right foundations are in place to allow maximum benefits and efficiency for our evolving digital economy. We need to eliminate the barriers that would affect us achieving economies of scale, saving costs and increasing productivity, while preparing for major technologies of the future.

5G networks will require a far denser coverage than current networks provide. To this end, infrastructure and set-up must be carried out in an efficient and timely manner. New services that 5G will enable, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving networks, have the potential to drive demand as well as accelerate digitization of the economy. Who benefits from these services and why are operators questioning their investments?

To answer this, we must lay out how delayed deployment would impact the economic trajectory for governments and operators, and identify the myriad benefits they would miss.

Essential benefits
The fifth generation will enable a level of mobile connectivity that will power state-of-the-art technologies, such as AI, autonomous transport, cloud computing, and smart home appliances. 5G-enabled digitalization has the power to drive revenues for organizations across vertical sectors, from energy and utilities, to manufacturing, to healthcare, retail, financial services, and more.

For operators, the benefits are also manifold. Denser network coverage will allow for better faster coverage and more capacity, providing users with a consistent experience and ensuring customer satisfaction. It will also power the Internet of Things (IoT), where devices and systems are interconnected.

Huawei has been working with our ecosystem partners to test and validate industry use cases for 5G through our Wireless X Labs. Our research leaves no doubt that while initial investment to networks may be high, their cost will be rapidly recouped through the economic opportunities 5G will bring. We have established a number of special interest groups, including the Digital Sky Initiative, Wireless eHealth, and Connected Factory, to study new commercial applications which will justify investing in network transformation. Our research makes a clear case that organizations across the board will benefit from early investment in 5G, as innovation inspires new growth for enterprises.

Huawei’s 5G solution
As our Chief Marketing Officer of Huawei Wireless Solution, Peter Zhou stated: “Huawei is dedicated to taking complexity and creating simplicity. We are eager to make 5G deployment efficient and convenient through systematic innovation, helping 5G enter the fast track.”

Through our lead ranking in the industry we have devoted our efforts to quick and easy deployment. Huawei is leading a global movement to embrace the new era of digitalization 5G is inspiring.

We also prioritize forming key partnerships and working to provide innovative business opportunities for organizations, while looking to the future in terms of growing our AI-enabling intelligence operations.

Above all we want to provide solutions. A key solution to addressing infrastructural and cost issues is through choosing a partner that will facilitate the entire journey, from setting-up base stations to trialing and testing. Huawei is one of the only companies to provide End-to-End 5G solutions and full-lifecycle service capabilities which can be applied across all scenarios. Customized infrastructure tailored to their unique requirements means businesses can modify 5G in their own way towards their desired outcome.

At Huawei, our primary and unswerving commitment is to maintain customer network stability and security. When it comes to security, we believe the ultimate solution is extensive R&D – this is why in 2018 alone, Huawei invested USD 14.9 billion (14.1% of its sales revenue) in R&D, ranking fifth globally in The 2018 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard. Over the last ten years, Huawei’s R&D expenditure has reached more than USD 70.5 billion. According to official data released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Huawei filed 5,405 patent applications to this organization in 2018, ranking first among all companies globally.

Bringing digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world is Huawei’s commitment. On that note I urge regional partners and operators to exercise their vision and work together to deliver 5G faster, making its benefits more widely available so their economic and social impacts can be felt immediately across the Middle East.