Ready for 5G-Advanced? The next iteration of 5G technology brings new capabilities that can unlock revenue streams and reduce expenses for mobile operators. But what are the benefits and challenges of 5G-Advanced, and how can telcos prepare for the revolution? To answer these questions, Mobile World Live recently hosted a webinar discussing how mobile players can capitalize on 5G-Advanced upgrades.
The session was moderated by Joseph Waring, the Asia editor for Mobile World Live, and featured four expert panelists:
- Peter Jarich, head of GSMA Intelligence
- Egil Grönstad, senior director of technology development and strategy, T-Mobile
- Sean Casey, senior vice president of product management, CSG
- Munish Chhabra, head of mobility software and services, Radisys
If you didn’t catch the full conversation, read on for key insights from the webinar and takeaways you can apply to your own 5G-Advanced strategy.
What Is 5G-Advanced?
5G-Advanced (5G-A) is the next evolution of 5G. It offers greater capabilities and performance for mobile operators and their customers. 5G-A isn’t a wholly new generation of mobile technology, but rather a collection of enhancements and extensions that will be added to the 5G standard in the coming years.
“Some people have been talking about it as 5.5G, but really we should think about it as a steppingstone between the 5G that we kicked off and going forward to 6G,” Peter explained. As 5G-A bridges the two generations, it unlocks unprecedented speed, ultra-low latency, massive device connectivity, extended coverage and advanced network optimization through technologies like non-terrestrial networks and artificial intelligence (AI).
5G-Advanced will continue to evolve over time, with promising implications for operators that take advantage of it now.
Benefits of 5G-Advanced for Mobile Operators
5G-A stands to strengthen the end-to-end 5G network and proliferate 5G to virtually all devices. Mobile operators will find the standard’s enhanced capabilities most advantageous for the use cases they enable, including metaverse, 5G multicast services, low-cost internet of things (IoT) support and enhanced integration with satellite and drone resources.
Peter shared data from a 2023 GSMA Intelligence survey, which found that more than half of operators queried were buoyed by the possibility of improved uplink performance that accompanies 5G-Advanced. Another one-third of respondents prized the standard’s security enhancements.
However, the potential of 5G-Advanced extends far beyond bettering network performance. The greatest benefits for mobile operators lie in how the upgrades can create value through new revenue streams, cost reduction and an improved customer experience.
New Revenue Stream Use Cases With 5G-Advanced
5G-A is expected to lower costs—but saving on expenses doesn’t stand out as a top strategy driver for operators. Instead, GSMA Intelligence found that generating new revenue was the primary motivation for those surveyed.
The panel discussed a few of the primary ways in which 5G-A can create new revenue streams for operators.
- Lower-cost IoT opportunity: Supporting low-cost and no-battery devices, which broadens the market and opens the door to ambient IoT capabilities
- Integrated sensing and communication: Using the network as a “radar system” to transmit data and detect objects in the larger environment
- Verticalization: Leveraging open application programming interfaces (APIs) to expose the network and reach new enterprise verticals
- Non-terrestrial integration: Enhancing integration of cellular networks into satellite networks to cover remote regions and pave the way for ubiquitous connectivity
“5G-Advanced gives operators the opportunity to move in a space where they make their networks more open, more platform-based, develop new partnerships [and] find new revenue streams,” Sean said.
How to Reduce Costs With AI and 5G-Advanced
Improved network efficiency lets telcos lower expenses as they generate revenue. 5G-Advanced can also help operators optimize their network performance and reduce operational expenses, particularly through AI-powered automation, Munish emphasized.
It’s possible for operators to achieve these results with 5G-Advanced thanks to the following features:
- Energy savings from reduced cell site power and RedCap (Reduced Capability) enhancements that lower complexity and power consumption in the IoT space
- Improved spectrum efficiency by applying AI to use cases like beam management for optimized processes
- Greater automation to reduce operational expenses and minimize manual tuning
“I’ve been a big believer of this for many years,” Egil said. “We should be able to automate our network a lot more than what we are doing today.” He predicted that utilizing AI would reduce manual tuning, leading to huge cost-saving potential for operators.
Recommendations to Get Ready for 5G-Advanced
5G-Advanced is not a distant future, but a present reality.
“There is no silver bullet with 5G-Advanced,” Egil cautioned. He added that it’s the operators’ responsibility to expose the network through APIs and enable the new capabilities. They can then address specific use cases that require lower latency and ensure access to advanced features that 5G currently has. Realizing the promise of 5G-A’s enhanced features requires laying the foundation today.
Sean recommended that mobile operators looking to seize the opportunities of 5G-Advanced should act now and prepare their networks, systems and organizations for the next wave of innovation. “Operators can’t just focus on enhancing the network,” he advised. “They’ve also got to modernize their backend supporting systems to really take advantage of those commercial opportunities.” By keeping up with system changes, it will become much easier for operators to open the network to new partnerships and expand services into additional verticals.
To prepare for 5G-A, take early action on the following priorities:
- Enable the platformization of networks
- Modernize the customer experience
- Upgrade the business support system (BSS)/operating support system (OSS)
Ready to learn how to capitalize on 5G-Advanced?
Catch the experts’ full remarks and recommendations at the recorded webinar.
