Mexico. Since last year, he has constantly referred to the future of mobile networks, specifically the transition of these to the fifth generation (5G). This evolution would allow higher upload and download speeds, as well as better quality indicators, for example, data transmission speed or latency.
At the end of 2017, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) published the minimum requirements on what a 5G network should mean, thus taking an important step in standardizing what would constitute the next step in mobile networks. Some of these features are that a single user on a network will be able to access a downlink equivalent to 20Gbps, while the uplink will be 10Gbps. Also, according to the ITU, a network with these characteristics will support 1 million people per square kilometer, while it will have a latency of between 1 and 4 milliseconds, depending on the data demand scenario.
All this translates into the possibility of effectively implementing a huge variety of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) such as those that have been revealed as a trend during the most recent broadcast of the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) this year, where autonomous cars were presented, smart city solutions, appliances controlled through digital assistants.
Although 5G mobile technology is not yet a reality within the reach of consumers of telecommunications services, it is expected that these networks will begin to be deployed in markets such as the United States by the hand of AT&T. On the other hand, in Mexico, in the middle of 2017, 50% of data traffic occurred in a 4G network. This indicator was 33% in 2016.
This accelerated growth in 4G coverage in Mexico comes amid the process of international standardization of 5G technology and the plans of operators in advanced economies to migrate towards this generation of mobile networks.
4G technology requires the deployment of infrastructure and materialization of the associated investment, as well as the allocation of radio spectrum necessary for the materialization of new generation services. The migration to 5G translates into the same efforts, especially those focused on tendering the 2.5GHz band, which means a pending issue in Mexico and even begin to exploit the 700Mhz band. Subsequently, it will be necessary to have a greater number of terminals available on the market that are capable of receiving signals in the aforementioned bands.
The evolution of mobile networks is not limited to the standardization of a new technology or the plans of operators to improve their network. It is necessary to meet conditions such as spectrum allocation and the consolidation of a mobile terminal market that allows the use not only of improved mobile broadband, but of applications such as IoT.
Text written by Samuel Bautista, from The Competitive Intelligence Unit
