Everyone wants to jump on the 5G bandwagon, perhaps without a complete understanding of what it can offer. What are some of the benefits and drawbacks of running a 5G network today?
There are two notable scenarios where leveraging 5G offers significant benefits.
The first one being that the use of 5G leverages more spectrum assets and wider channels, therefore delivering higher speeds. The second scenario is the enablement of new use cases, some of which include Industry 4.0 and Critical Communication. 5G in these instances would offer a more secure and cost effective Private Network model.
Having said this, the initial costs for rolling out a 5G network are very high. The benefits of building and running a 5G network should outweigh the costs, and therefore it’s important to consider whether your use case application truly requires wider channels and higher speeds, at least more than what a 4G network can provide. Another key disadvantage of 5G is that it currently has limited global coverage. Mainly large cities will benefit from 5G and remote areas may not get the coverage for some years.
What advice do you have for those who want to transition from a 4G LTE network to a 5G network?
I would say that the cost investment of transitioning from 4G to 5G is justified only if an operator or private network owner can benefit from more spectrum than a 4G solution can leverage, or if the use case demands more than what a 4G network can provide. Some examples include uplink intensive use cases like live streaming, low latency requirements such as video on demand or gaming, not to mention high reliability applications and network slicing.
What major impacts do you see 5G having across industries and the global market?
Overall broadband connectivity and industrial use cases (Industry 4.0) will change dramatically especially if regulators will enable more shared and unlicensed spectrum for the use of local municipalities and venue owners. This might be the first time we can say that wireless speeds can compete with wired technologies (cable, fiber) if the proper spectrum is available.
5G technology would offer a solid platform to the evolution of the Industry 4.0 world, impacting verticals like we’ve never seen before. Industries we see as potentially benefiting the most from 5G include retail, healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, agriculture and transportation, just to name a few.
Moreover 5G NR (New Radio) technology timing converges with ORAN (Open Radio Access Network) maturity, creating a paradigm-changing environment in the industry by enabling:
- A larger and more cost effective equipment vendor eco-system
- A large variety of use cases for enterprise
- Low cost of entry for any venue/business owner to create its own network tailored to its needs
- Put simply, 5G NR will provide a way for consumers and enterprises to build their own secure and scalable 5G network with a better quality of service, which would not be unlike the WiFi network in our homes.
What distinguishes BLiNQ’s 5G offering in the market?
The BLiNQ 5G offering is focused on some key goals, which include the following:
- Our product suite enables 5GNR technology in shared and unlicensed spectrum, so that everyone can benefit. Our core strategy is to build a Private Network solution as simple as WiFi.
- To strengthen the ORAN eco-system by offering ORAN compliant products and components
- Beyond these broad goals, BLINQ will enable accessibility to the Fixed Wireless Access and Private Network markets, to provide the best purpose-built, cost effective and reliable radios for outdoor connectivity to all industries.
Stay tuned for more upcoming content on BLiNQ’s 5G offering. If you have any questions for Radu simply reply to this email, or submit a contact form for any general queries.
Stay tuned for more upcoming content on BLiNQ’s 5G offering. Contact us if have any questions for Radu.
