The Fallacy of 5G

The 5G rollout across the UK is a two-phase strategy, namely, non-standalone and standalone. The initial phase, that is, non-standalone 5G relies upon the existing 4G infrastructure where mobile operators can leverage pseudo-5G connectivity to consumers while Ofcom purports that around 90% or so of British premises may experience outdoor coverage from at least one operator. The second phase standalone 5G (or 5G SA) is a longer-term strategy requiring dedicated equipment enabling all populated regions to enjoy full 5G coverage (UK Parliament: House of Commons Library). So, this begets the fallacy of 5G and how we are led to believe the future of mobile broadband is already here where, in reality, it is still a ‘work in progress!’

No Need to Reinvent the Wheel

Naturally, implementing the latter phase is costly to mobile operators, and the British government has not provided funding to alleviate the deployment of the new infrastructure—undoubtedly consumers will ease some of those associated costs with their ‘pay-as-you-go’ and monthly subscriptions. Nonetheless, I imagine both 4G and 5G infrastructures will coexist, as a hybrid network is formed across our nation supporting either technology until such time 5G SA becomes ubiquitous. Incidentally, several operators already offer 5G SA, but this is localised and not widely available.

I would also envisage that 3G connectivity should also be supported, to some extent, as this technology is apt for the Internet of Things (IoT) despite the latest generation being touted as the best remedy. Additionally, this mid-generation cellular network is suitable for agriculture, and other remote geographical areas, and is a far cry from an ‘overkill’ solution since most, if not all, IoT smart sensors (should-only) utilise small or minimal data payloads. Clearly, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel!

Failure to Connect

The non-standalone approach is more or less a band-aid solution providing some resemblance of 5G access for consumers and is primarily market-driven by mobile operators, essentially gathering market analysis regarding how data is used, who needs what and when, as more advanced use cases for the technology are devised with 5G SA in mind. For the longer-term approach with dedicated hardware and a connected future with cellular coverage, the British government is targeting 2030 to implement the standalone solution for all mobile operators and consumers.

The short-term reliance on established technologies such as 4G to assist in delivering 5G isn’t quite the wireless broadband triumph we hoped for—if you like, it’s an heartfelt attempt to redress a solution that suggests to consumers that they are using 5G cellular. In fact, if I wander into an urban area, or a shopping centre, for example, my phone switches to 5G, and it is indeed quite fast. But some areas are quite patchy across the UK and fail to deliver a consistent connection irrespective of generation.

Delivering True Wireless Broadband

I’m not sure about you, but I am living a recurring nightmare with 5G SA being the target for true 5G connectivity. You see, we all endured the alphanumeric fiasco that 4G, Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) which we believed to be true mobile broadband. As a consumer myself, I just want to know that I’m experiencing and paying for a connectivity service that ultimately delivers rather than experiencing a first or second attempt with a more prosperous outlook at some point.

I just want to know that I’m experiencing and paying for a connectivity service that ultimately delivers!

Having said that, the digital red carpet is being rolled out for 6G—and everyone is unnecessarily overexcited. As I mentioned earlier, industry is still mapping out a robust future with 5G SA. In the interim, we’ll experience 5.5G or 5G-Adavcanced which is an active path toward building upon the 5G SA solution, enhancing the capabilities of advanced applications which will form the next generation cellular technology while solidifying a foundation for true wireless broadband.

Until next time…

We must stage our approach to any problem one evolution at a time where, in turn, we can increasingly become confident in resolving issues as the technology matures. While the standalone and non-standalone 5G solutions are being drip-fed across our respective nations, there are an insurmountable number of terms and conditions. As such, we need to absorb some harsh realities about cellular technology where several areas across the UK, for example, are still awaiting 4G let alone the world overall. Moreover, many network providers are now postering themselves to be at the top position in the telecoms market to deliver 6G—I do think they are a tad overzealous and perhaps terribly premature.

So, this is where a “holding the consumer’s hand and educating them as to what is really happening” Dr G signs off.