The rise of 5.5G

VietNamNet•28/06/2023

5.5G will be the next step after 5G, offering download speeds of 10 Gigabit, upload speeds of 1 Gigabit, and the ability to support 100 billion connections and native AI.

Chinese carriers are betting on 5G.

Wen Ku, Chairman of the China Communications Standards Association, said that since its rollout in 2019, 5G has transformed both the daily lives of users and the telecommunications industry. Farmers can now livestream and promote their products using just a smartphone.

Following the rollout of 5G, major Chinese carriers have reported phenomenal growth figures. China Mobile reported an 8.1% year-on-year increase in telecommunications service revenue, with average revenue per mobile user (ARPU) rising 0.4% to $6.9. China Telecom also reported a 3.7% year-on-year increase in mobile communications service revenue, with mobile ARPU increasing 0.4% to $6.3, while China Unicom saw its mobile ARPU rise for the third consecutive year to $6.2.

Chinese operators have leveraged the diverse capabilities of 5G to explore new business models and revenue streams beyond traditional telecommunications services.

Following the rollout of 5G, major Chinese carriers have reported phenomenal growth rates.

As of April 2023, China had built or upgraded more than 2.7 million 5G base stations (BTS), accounting for 24.5% of the total mobile BTS nationwide. Statistics from September 2022 show that China had 500 million 5G users, equivalent to approximately 35% of the population. The rapid deployment of 5G networks by operators has also seen a high consumer adoption rate of 5G subscriptions. By the end of Q1 2023, the number of 5G subscribers in the country had increased to approximately 1.2 billion, a more than 40% increase from around 850 million 5G subscribers as of March 2022. The 5G subscriber penetration rate reached 60% nationwide across all operators.

Cao Ming, President of Huawei's Wireless Network Product Line, stated that it only took 3 years for 5G to achieve the level of acceptance in China that 4G took 6 years. Huawei is currently researching 5.5G – the next level of technology with speeds 10 times faster than existing 4G networks.

“5G has transformed people’s lives and work, and has become a crucial driver for the development of the digital economy , helping operators achieve business success. Huawei will collaborate with the industry to accelerate innovation and make 5.5G a reality,” said Cao Ming.

Cao Ming, President of Huawei's Wireless Network Product Line, said it only took 3 years for 5G to achieve the level of acceptance in China that 4G took 6 years.

The future will be 5.5G.

On June 27th, the 5G Innovation and Development Forum was held within the framework of the Shanghai Mobile Exhibition - MWC Shanghai 2023. During the forum, the IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group and its telecommunications industry chain partners jointly launched the initiative "Together Building 5G Ecological Prosperity" to promote 5G development and innovation in the Asia- Pacific region, accelerate the commercial adoption of 5G-A, and help the Asia-Pacific digital economy take off.

As the first new infrastructure supporting the development of the digital economy, 5G has been deployed faster than any previous generation of mobile communication technology since its commercial launch four years ago and has become a powerful driver for the growth of the digital economy.

At this forum, Cao Ming, President of Huawei's Wireless Network Product Line, delivered a keynote speech titled "Seizing New Opportunities for 5G Development and Stimulating New Momentum for the Rise of 5.5G".

According to Cao Ming, 5G has transformed the lives and work of everyone and has become a crucial driver for the development of the digital economy, enabling operators to achieve business success.

The development of 5G will enter a new phase of upgrading and industry convergence. The next three to five years will be a critical period for the expansion of 5G applications in China and even worldwide. 5G development is facing new strategic opportunities and tasks.

Cao Ming stated, “5G has transformed people’s lives and work, becoming a crucial driver for the development of the digital economy and enabling business operators to succeed. 5G connects people, connects things, connects vehicles, connects industries, connects homes, and connects sensors.”

Continuous business upgrades have provided new impetus for the mobile industry to leap to 5.5G. Huawei will drive innovation alongside the industry and make 5.5G a reality. The rapid development of 5G has taken the mobile industry to a new level, with new 5G experiences and applications driving customer upgrades.

Sharing her vision for the future of 5G on June 28, 2023, at the opening ceremony of MWC Shanghai 2023, Ms. Meng Wanzhou, the rotating Chairwoman of Huawei, delivered a keynote speech on the theme "Seizing the Opportunity for Digital Transformation Through 5G." Ms. Meng Wanzhou stated that 5G will create new devices and applications that deliver more immersive experiences in the future, such as 5G-New-Calling (a new generation of calls based on 5G networks with near-zero latency) and Naked-Eye-3D (a technology that projects three-dimensional images in a two-dimensional space without the need for visual aids). 5G is also ushering in a new era of hyper-connectivity between the Internet of Things, empowering IoT networks and driving the emergence of new productivity models.

Ms. Meng Wanzhou, the rotating chair of Huawei, delivered a keynote speech on the topic of "Seizing the Opportunity of Digital Transformation Through 5G" at MWC 2023.

Ms. Meng Wancho further emphasized that 5.5G will be the next step forward for 5G, with download speeds of 10 Gigabit, upload speeds of 1 Gigabit, and the ability to support 100 billion connections and native AI. 5.5G not only enables better connectivity but also creates incredible new business opportunities, meeting the needs of industries in IoT, sensors, and modern manufacturing.

“The digital infrastructure of the smart world of the future will be tightly integrated into every aspect of life, every industry, and every society. This infrastructure will not be based on individual technological advancements, but on extremely massive and complex systems, converging many elements and requiring systems-level thinking and design. Just like when watching a chess game, you can see the big picture; but when playing chess, you need to focus on the details. Similarly, the system's capacity to integrate technology and manage the transition is crucial for the future success of 5G,” said Ms. Meng Wanzhou.

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