5G to bring game-changing opportunities

MANILA, Philippines — In the very near future, expect “Fifth Generation” (5G) Internet to empower a global technology shift and establish greater inter-connectivity between people, enterprises and systems worldwide, according to the 2019 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report.

The latest study also shows that the adoption of 5G and its accompanying technology innovations will be even faster than expected, ushering download and browsing speeds way faster than current 4G models. Featuring ultra-fast connectivity speeds and low latency rates, 5G will definitively transform industries and enable the future of smart cities.

Platform for innovation

The most recent Ericsson ConsumerLab study reveals the accelerating pace of 5G adoption. By the end of 2019, there will be over 10 million 5G subscriptions worldwide. Meanwhile, 5G coverage is expected to reach 45 to 65 percent of the world’s population by 2024, as spectrum-sharing technology enables 5G deployments on LTE frequency bands. By 2024, 12 percent of subscriptions in South East Asia, Oceania and Indian region are predicted to be for 5G.

With 5G, consumers are also expected to stream video in higher resolutions and more immersive video formats such as Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual reality (VR). By 2024, video forecast will make up almost 75 percent of mobile traffic, while one in five smartphone users’ data usage could reach more than 200GB per month on a 5G device by 2025.

Ericsson South East Asia, Oceania and India head Nunzio Mirtillo shares, “As a company, Ericsson believes that there must be no compromise on Research and Development (R&D) because that provides two things, competitiveness and technology innovation. Based on facts, the adoption of 5G technologies are faster than we anticipated. By 2024, there will be close to two billion subscriptions, 35 percent of mobile data traffic would be carried by 5G networks and 45 percent of the world’s population will be covered by 5G. It will address both consumer and enterprise needs,” Mirtillo concludes.  “Ericsson was the first to deploy 5G live networks in four continents, providing us with the relevant expertise and experience to accompany operators on the journey to 5G. We have been actively investing in R&D to establish a flexible portfolio with 5G-ready radios, spectrum sharing solutions, virtualized network functions as well as cloud native applications to allow for a seamless transition. Today, our 18 live networks with pioneering customers bears testament to the confidence operators have in our products and services.”

Connecting the Philippines, ushering opportunities 

Global ICT leader Ericsson is constantly striving to build thriving 5G ecosystems through constant collaborations with leading telecom operators, over 40 universities and technology institutes as well as 30 industry partners worldwide. With this enriched experience in global 5G, Ericsson is well-positioned to open new opportunities for both businesses and communities in the Philippines.

“With ready and available spectrum, the Philippines has great potential for a game-changing 5G opportunity. Ericsson have been a long-term partner to major operators in the country, where we have established a strong local footprint over the past 31 years. Through our extensive collaboration with Smart, our technology is involved at all levels of the society, from connecting the remote province of the Batanes to the world with LTE to preserving mangrove forests with Internet of-Things (IoT) solutions. We have also recently signed a MOU with Smart to launch Clark City as the country’s first Smart 5G city as well as an alliance agreement to accelerate 5G innovations in the Philippines,” discusses Ericsson Singapore, Brunei and Philippines country head Martin Wiktorin.

Ericsson is a global technology leader with operations in 180 countries, enabling communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. As a company with innovation in its DNA, Ericsson strives to deliver the benefits of telephony and mobile broadband to billions of people worldwide.