ANALYSIS & OPINION: CONVERGENCE
THE FAST LANE
Three routes to 5G that could ensure less capital and operational expenditure for operators, for all of which, convergence is key
RAF MEERSMAN 5
G is here. Or, rather, it should be here. Any telecom operator or broadband provider who wants to stick around for the coming decades is going to have to –
or at least plan to – deploy this next generation wireless network and its indispensable fibre network backhaul. This investment is nothing less than an
absolute necessity. Data traffic has already, and will continue to, explode in the coming years, caused by data-devouring applications such as TV streaming and online gaming. This evolution tests the limits of any data network infrastructure. FTTH (fibre-to-the-home) and 5G are the only futureproof technologies capable of coping with this data tsunami. Everyone claims to be a 5G expert
nowadays. Just Google ‘5G’ and you will get more than 713 million hits. I challenge you to find actual large-scale 5G projects. Spoiler alert! Apart from investments in South-East Asia and some small-scale projects in airports and urban areas in the West, the results are less than thrilling. And no, we do not consider ‘4.5G’-type networks a realistic alternative. Don’t look too far to find the answer,
as it will inevitably lead you to the same conclusion.
Large investment A 5G network has more speed, lower latency, and can be used in a much broader spectrum than its predecessor. However, these benefits come at a great cost for the provider. 5G
22 FiBRE SYSTEMS n Issue 26 n Winter 2020
www.fibre-systems.com @fibresystemsmag
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