Huawei executive demands ‘fresh mindset’ for 5G deployment
Huawei deputy chairman Ken Hu outlined the current status of 5G development around the world at the 10th annual Mobile Broadband Forum held today in Zurich. In addition to highlighting the value 5G has already brought to consumers and industries in early adopter countries, he also delved into the importance of favorable policy and cross-sector collaboration for speeding up the next stage of 5G development.
“We’ve made great progress,” said Hu. “But to make the most of 5G, we need to work together to deal with the real challenges that lie ahead: spectrum, site resources, and cross-sector collaboration. 5G is not just faster 4G. It will play a completely different role in our lives, so as an industry, we all need to have a fresh mindset to drive its future development.
“5G applications for enhanced mobile broadband, entertainment, and manufacturing are already here,” said Hu. “We can’t say for sure what type of applications we’ll see in the future, but right now it’s clear that every single industry will benefit from 5G technology.
“We hope governments can provide more spectrum resources to carriers, and consider more flexible pricing models. This will reduce the initial CAPEX burden on carriers as they rollout their 5G networks.”
Hu also recommended that governments start actively planning to meet new spectrum demand over the next five to ten years, noting that 6GHz spectrum bands are a good starting point.
“Our industry also needs more support for site resources,” Hu said. “Costs are still too high, and site availability always falls short of demand. Regulators should step up and improve the situation by opening up more public infrastructure for sharing, and providing guidance on site construction.”
In Europe, government ministries are working directly with carriers to identify co-use requirements for 5G sites and other forms of public infrastructure (such as traffic lights, signs, and bus stops) to drive down costs for everyone through infrastructure sharing.
Expanding cross-sector cooperation
Hu closed by emphasising the importance of cross-sector collaboration. “We still have some challenges in terms of vertical industry knowledge, use cases, and business case development. So we need to innovate together. If we can have an open mind, work together with industry partners to identify real problems, and explore what works and what doesn’t, that will make it easier for us to unleash the power of 5G.”
In order to promote cross-sector innovation and greater regional collaboration, Huawei opened its first 5G Joint Innovation Center for Europe in Zurich. The centre is a joint effort between Huawei and Sunrise and will serve as an innovation platform that helps European companies work together across sectors and develop industry-specific 5G solutions.
“Every country has its own economic strengths. These are the areas we can focus on, and combine 5G technology with industry-specific solutions to enhance each country’s competitiveness,” Hu concluded.
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