Embracing 5.5G to Unleash Industrial Dividends – Huawei

5.5G is the natural evolution of 5G. With a tenfold increase in network capabilities, 5.5G is becoming hugely popular among industries. At the 5G Advanced: Completing the Enterprise Opportunity forum during MWC Barcelona 2024, Huawei proposed that 5.5G will enable industries to accelerate both digital and intelligent transformation.

5G has achieved significant success since its commercial use. By the end of 2023, 294 commercial 5G networks had been deployed worldwide, serving more than 1.4 billion 5G subscribers and establishing 5G as a major engine for carriers’ revenue growth. In 2023, 90% of carriers that invested in 5G saw revenue growth and achieved positive business cycles. 5G has helped industries go digital, and has been used at scale in more than 10 high-value scenarios, including 5G-enabled machine vision and 5G-enabled remote control. 5G has also become a new engine driving the development of the digital economy.

The industry is undergoing tremendous changes, making it essential to upgrade connectivity technologies. The rapid development of generative AI presents huge opportunities, driving the exponential growth of traffic.

In the B2B domain, 5G has been integrated with core production activities and glasses-free 3D technology has reached an inflection point in terms of experience. The emergence of new services, connections, and experience is bringing unprecedented opportunities, driving leading carriers to shift from traffic monetization to the monetization of deterministic experience and convergent new services. These changes place higher requirements on the capabilities of existing networks.

5.5G is the natural evolution of 5G. 5.5G delivers higher speeds, lower latency, higher network reliability, wider connectivity, and native intelligence, allowing it to meet the higher requirements of communications networks in the future.

5.5G supports multi-carrier aggregation, delivering a 10-Gbps downlink rate, 1-Gbps uplink rate, and a 10-fold improvement in network capabilities

Evolution towards 5.5G is a continuous process. In the first phase, TDD 3CC aggregation above 260 MHz is able to achieve a peak rate of at least 5 Gbps. This has enabled wireless networks to deliver a deterministic experience for people-connected services for the first time. In the second phase, a downlink peak rate of 10 Gbps can be achieved.

5.5G networks that deliver a deterministic experience will significantly improve consumer perception. Voice and 2D videos used to be the main methods of content interaction, but immersive 3D videos, XR, and holography are developing into the major forms of future content interaction. This upgraded experience will raise the bar for connectivity. Previously, services have generally required a latency of 100 ms, but the latency required for future services will be as low as 10 to 20 ms. This tenfold decrease in latency means that 5.5G networks enabled by 3CC aggregation will be integral to network deployment in order to provide a better experience. The high bandwidth delivered by 3CC aggregation will give full play to its strengths in transportation hubs, such as high-speed railway stations, subway stations, and airports, and venues like commercial offices, stadiums, tourist attractions, and urban villages.

In the home market, FWA will continue evolving towards FWA², leading to the emergence of three new application scenarios. First, FWA Pro can deliver a bandwidth of 1–2 Gbps, meeting the demand for high-speed services while providing a deterministic experience. This has allowed home users to enjoy better services, including ultra-HD videos and VR applications. Second, the cost-effective FWA Lite is primarily intended for markets evolving from 4G to 5G and new markets without connectivity. This solution will help carriers obtain new users, but help release 4G spectrum resources to 5G as home users migrate from 4G to 5G, thus improving network efficiency. Third, FWA Biz is a solution for enterprises across different industries. Built on FWA, the solution can achieve 99.99% network stability and 20-ms low latency. This has made it easier for carriers to replace microwave private lines and low-speed copper private lines, accelerating the interconnectivity of small- and medium-sized enterprises.

With 5.5G, carriers can monetize network capabilities across more dimensions and provide differentiated packages based on deterministic experience. Carriers are now able to meet diversified customer demands and increase their ARPU.

5.5G enables native intelligence, meaning networks will be capable of self-optimization and self-management to better adapt to different scenarios and service requirements

As wireless networks continue to evolve, they will be able to deliver a greater range of services. Networks will also inevitably become more complex, bringing challenges for carriers in terms of offering simplified O&M and lower energy consumption while delivering diversified services and guaranteed service experience. The 5.5G intelligent solution, IntelligentRAN, will help carriers build autonomous driving networks that feature intelligent and simplified O&M, intelligent network optimization, and intelligent service operations.

• 5.5G-enabled intelligent and simplified O&M:

  The solution provides capabilities like wireless FME copilots and key service assurance agents based on the telecom foundation model. These facilitate wireless intelligent alarm management, accurate alarm identification, quick fault location, and fault prediction and prevention. With this solution, carriers can shift from responsive O&M to predictive and preventive O&M, achieving “zero” network faults.

• 5.5G-enabled intelligent network optimization:

  Intelligent NEs have been introduced to implement intelligent resource scheduling, optimize the experience and capacity of multi-band and multi-site heterogeneous networks, and maximize spectrum efficiency. Features such as topology, time sequence, and grids have also been integrated to create a unified and general performance prediction model, resulting in a lower number of accumulated errors of multi-objective serial prediction, and the accurate and fast prediction of multiple KPIs. By employing the solution, carriers can realize optimal network performance and energy efficiency, meaning carriers can maximize energy saving results while guaranteeing stable network performance.

• 5.5G-enabled intelligent service operations:

  User-level dynamic simulations help implement precise network planning based on coverage, speed, and latency, and enable fast service provisioning, which can meet differentiated service SLA requirements. Real-time, dynamic resource scheduling can be achieved based on prediction capabilities guaranteeing smooth service experience and service-based network adaptation when faced with challenging scenarios such as service fluctuations, burst traffic, and large events.

5.5G marks the first time that communications capabilities have been expanded from connectivity to integrated sensing and communications, opening up new market opportunities

• 5.5G marks the first time that integrated sensing and communications have been possible, meaning that 5.5G can deliver both communications and sensing capabilities. The large-scale deployment of commercial 5.5G networks can deliver full-area, grid-based, and low-cost detection capabilities. Compared with traditional radars, 5.5G networks have the following advantages:
  • Spectrum sharing: The allocation of 10% of spectrum resources for sensing and 90% for communications maximizes spectrum resources.
  • Base station sharing: A wide-area native sensing network can be built based on millions of base stations.
  • Low cost: Communications can share most deployment costs.
  • Network collaboration: The blind spots of traditional radars can be overcome by multi-site collaboration.
• 5.5G can be applied in a variety of sensing scenarios, including low-altitude unauthorized drone flight warnings and route supervision; offshore sea-surface monitoring; inland waterway management; vehicle and pedestrian sensing; the sensing of high-speed railways and related perimeter intrusions; border intrusions; thrown objects; meteorological monitoring and predictions; the monitoring of micro-deformation of buildings, bridges, and mountains; and crop monitoring.
• Based on the native sensing and communications capabilities of 5.5G networks, carriers can fully utilize the strengths of cloud, computing, and connectivity to fill in the gaps of industry capabilities. They can also provide new and better key solutions to avoid homogeneous competition, greatly expanding carriers’ business boundaries and creating new business opportunities.

5.5G improves 5G IoT capabilities and enables IoT across various scenarios, making all things connected possible

5.5G drives IoT development, as it is capable of breaking the limits of 5G in some scenarios. 5.5G also improves network performance and connectivity and reduces costs, meaning that IOT-related goals that cannot be achieved with 5G become achievable. This makes all things connected possible, enabling carriers to maximize the commercial value of 5.5G.

• 5G RedCap and 5.5G RedCap intrinsically support 5G capabilities like large uplink rates, positioning, and network slicing. These lightweight solutions provide medium- and high-speed connections that meet the high SLA requirements of industry unified communications, such as smart power distribution, smart city monitoring, and industrial sensing, and cut deployment and usage costs.
• The RedCap industry ecosystem is rapidly maturing. In 2023, eight RedCap modules and more than 30 types of RedCap devices (DTUs, cameras, and CPE) were launched worldwide. It is estimated that over 100 types of RedCap devices will be launched for commercial use in 2024, and the average cost of a RedCap module is expected to drop from US$30 to US$20 this year. Furthermore, the average cost of RedCap-based data collection devices has decreased to just US$150. These costs will continue to fall as millions of RedCap devices start to be shipped from China.
• 5.5G P-IoT features large bandwidth, continuous networking, long-distance coverage, and low power consumption, allowing it to support IoT service scenarios that require speeds of 10 Kbps or lower. Such scenarios include warehousing, production and manufacturing, logistics, and remote monitoring.

5.5G further unleashes industry productivity and supports more industry scenarios, creating greater economic value

5.5G is expanding private network services from industry private lines only to private lines and ICT services, thus accelerating industry digital transformation. The 5G private network and private line market is developing fast and is set to reach US$20 billion by 2025. 5G private lines are extensively used across industries thanks to fast, low-cost deployment. 5.5G can further improve the network performance of private networks, including guaranteed 300 Mbps and millisecond-level latency. 5.5G can also be integrated with networking, computing, cloud, IoT, and other industry requirements to open up more possibilities for industry digital transformation. 5.5G supports an uplink transmission rate of 1 Gbps for a single user. This can meet the requirements of interactive, immersive services such as AI training data cloudification, cloud photos, and cloud conferencing. In industrial production, 5.5G can enable services such as AI quality inspections, security monitoring, and remote control. And in healthcare, the low latency and high reliability of 5.5G can make telemedicine applications possible.

With the enhancement of 5.5G capabilities, related technical applications are expanding from enterprises’ auxiliary systems to core production systems. 5G serves as an enabler and accelerator in the digital transformation of various industries. For example, 5G has been applied in more than 400 mines in countries around the world, including China, Thailand, Brazil, and South Africa, with more than 20 carriers now providing 5G services for mines. 5.5G technologies bring new momentum to the digital upgrade of industries, with 5.5G supporting ultra-large uplink rate of 1 Gbps and latency as low as 4 ms. These features can support enterprises’ core production processes such as high-density quality inspection and flexible production, greatly enhancing the productivity of enterprises. In the mining industry, for example, the length of a fully-mechanized mining surface in a coal mine ranges from 100 to 300 meters. Previously, it was difficult to clearly see the entire surface. However, 5.5G wireless access technology can be employed to provide network coverage for underground mining surfaces and areas in which explosions are set off, solving issues related to fiber disconnection and data collection failures. Low-frequency and large-bandwidth resources are used to backhaul videos from more than 100 cameras, and AI is used to stitch these videos into a panoramic video of the mining surface, providing a comprehensive and clear picture of underground operations.

5.5G expands IoV applications from in-vehicle entertainment to vehicle-road synergy, accelerating the arrival of smart transportation

As the automotive industry becomes more autonomous and electric, the number of connected vehicles worldwide is soaring. By the end of 2023, the number stood at 350 million, and 45% of all vehicles on sale today support autonomous driving at L2 or higher. These trends will see the traffic of connected vehicles soar by 100 times, and the data of usage (DOU) in vehicles to exceed 100 GB. These developments will require the support of high-speed 5G networks. To ensure transportation safety and improve efficiency, vehicle-road synergy requires networks with 99% reliability and 20-ms latency. This is where 5.5G comes in. New E2E technologies have already been verified in Shanghai, where a 1-km demonstration route boasts reliable 5.5G networks with stable latency. With vehicle-road synergy supported by 5.5G’s sensing capabilities, drivers no longer need to worry about complex traffic situations, while accidents caused by blind spots and other unexpected factors can be prevented. It is forecast that traffic management efficiency will improve by 30% and average commute times will be 20% faster.

Global carriers have reached an industry-wide consensus and are actively deploying 5.5G. During the Global Mobile Broadband Forum in October 2023, 13 world-leading carriers jointly announced the launch of the Global 5.5G Network Pioneers, marking 5.5G’s transition from technical verification to commercial deployment. At the 17th Telecom Review Leaders Summit in December 2023, experts and representatives from authoritative organizations and enterprises jointly announced the first year of 5.5G deployment. These organizations include ITU, du and e& (UAE), Ooredoo (Qatar), Vodafone Oman, Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia. Over the past year, leading carriers from the Middle East, Europe, and Asia Pacific (including China), have fully verified TDD 3CC on live networks and started commercial deployment.

Close industry collaboration and ecosystem collaboration are also key to unleashing the value of 5.5G. Huawei stands ready to work with industry and ecosystem partners to explore its extensive applications and provide end-to-end intelligent 5.5G solutions. Together, let’s usher in a new era of 5.5G-enabled intelligent connectivity and applications so that all participants will benefit from the development of 5.5G and achieve shared success.

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