By Tintswalo Baloyi

THE information and communications technology sector must collaborate to maximize the value of the fifth generation mobile network (5G), an industry executive has said.

Rotating Chairman, Ken Hu was speaking at the company’s 13th Global Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF) in Bangkok, Thailand.

“5G has grown faster than any previous generation of mobile technology,” he said.

“In just three years, we’ve seen solid progress in network deployment, consumer services, and industry applications,” Hu said

As of October 2022, more than 230 carriers around the world have launched commercial 5G services.

In total, the industry has set up over 3 million 5G base stations, serving more than 700 million subscribers.

“5G is in the fast lane,” Hu continued.

“We should all be proud of the progress we’ve made.”

Hu however said there is more the industry could do to maximize 5G’s value.

“We need to work together to fully unleash the power of 5G networks and expand into services like cloud and system integration. Together, we can drive leapfrog development in 5G networks, applications, and the industry as a whole,” Hu said.

To push 5G to the next level, Huawei worked with carriers and industry partners to propose four features for 5.5G, the next evolution of 5G technology.

“The industry needs to come together to define standards, prepare the spectrum, and build out the ecosystem,” Hu said.

MBBF is hosted by Huawei, together with its industry partners GSMA and GTI.

The annual forum gathers mobile network carriers, vertical industry leaders, and ecosystem partners from around the world to discuss how to make 5G a commercial success, as well as other high-priority industry topics like green development, intelligence, and 5G evolution. https://www.cajnewsafrica.com