Ericsson launches 5G platform, as global communications move toward VR & AR
The 5G technology can allow machines, automobiles and city infrastructure to be connected with each other.
Swedish communications giant Ericsson launched a 5G platform that will allow telecom operators to implement data-heavy applications like Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality everywhere.
The company expects that in 10 years, there will be a $582 billion USD market opportunity globally, as telecom operators leverage 5G technology for industry digitalization.
“With this launch, we introduce our 5G platform to support the beginning of a huge change in network capabilities, allowing our customers to offer more advanced use cases and new business models to their customers,” said Arun Bansal, head of Business Unit Network Products at Ericsson, in an official statetement.
Ericsson’s 5G platform will combine core, radio, and transport solutions alongside digital support systems, services, and security to enable companies to adopt 5G sooner.
“We are pleased with the progress Ericsson is making in advancing 5G technology commercially,” said Roger Gurnani, Chief Technology Officer, Verizon. “Our customer trials with 5G technology in 11 cities across the US are an important step in accelerating the path to the next generation of wireless services.”
Earlier in February 2017, Ericsson and IBM said they have created an integrated circuit designed for use in future “5G” base stations. The companies announced the first reported silicon-based millimeter wave phased array antenna module operating at 28 GHz.
The companies claim this new 5G technology is 10 times faster than before.
What is 5G?
5G is the term used to describe the next-generation of mobile networks beyond the 4G LTE mobile networks available today. The 5G technology can allow machines, automobiles and city infrastructure to be connected with each other.
“5G will not replace LTE, but in most deployments will co-exist with it through at least the late-2020s with the two technologies tightly integrated in a manner transparent to users,” states a report by Rysavy Research.
According to the report there will be a variety of key applications to take advantage of 5G network capabilities.
- 4K and 8K videos
- Augmented and virtual reality.
- Realization of the tactile internet — real-time, immediate sensing and control, enabling a vast array of new applications.
- Automotive, including autonomous vehicles, driver-assistance systems, vehicular internet, infotainment, inter-vehicle information exchange, and vehicle pre-crash sensing and mitigation.
- Monitoring of critical infrastructure, such as transmission lines, using long-battery- life and low-latency sensors.
- Smart transportation using data from vehicles, road sensors, and cameras to optimize traffic flow.
- Mobile health and telemedicine systems that rely on ready availability of high- resolution and detailed medical records, imaging, and diagnostic video.
- Public safety, including broadband data and mission-critical voice.
- Sports and fitness enhancement through biometric sensing, real-time monitoring, and data analysis.
