publive-image

COVID-19 accelerates the need of robust 5G network technologies, bolstering investment in it.

The unprecedented crisis brought up by COVID-19 has increasingly caused millions of lives and significantly created a major decline in the global economy. The pandemic has not only impacted businesses and people’s routine work, but also exaggerated the way they interact and establish communications with others. It has also accelerated the adoption of digital technology as the delivery of goods and services is entirely shifting to online and electronically. As this increased transition continues to rise, 5G network technology will emerge as a key driver to this transformation.

5G has the potential to provide the essential communication fabric to handle heavy connectivity, throughput, latency and real-time usage demands. As more work and learning will perform remotely, the adoption of 5G technologies with other digital technologies will witness a huge uptake.

At present, almost every telecommunication service provider is expanding its arms to bring 5G standard. During the crisis, the FCC granted AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular temporary access to additional wireless spectrum as part of the Keep Americans Connected Pledge, to boost nationwide access. There are a number of countries making their footprint towards 5G, including China, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, Switzerland, Finland, Spain and the UAE. Thanks to the size of its market and the dynamic ecosystem of its private sector, reports show that the United States is well-positioned in playing a leading role in harnessing the power of this fifth-generation network technology.

Current State of 5G Deployments

Currently, network services providers across various economies are facing major 5G deployment challenges, upgrading network infrastructure and pouring big sums to acquire spectrum licenses. The increasing interest from the media and entertainment industry and the growing demand of seamless communications have progressively been fostering the technology’s testing and adoption.

According to the report, a majority of, 92 percent, of broadcasters are planning to adopt 5G in the next two years. And remote production has been acknowledged as a major application of 5G wireless solutions. As telcos continue to harness the 5G potential, more than half, almost 65 percent, would leverage it for remote production, while 61 percent for distribution as an alternative to satellite, DTT or cable.

Moreover, as per the GSMA’s annual state of the global mobile economy report, 5G is now live in 24 markets across the globe. The report further noted that there will be 1.8 billion 5G connections by 2025.

Undeniably, 5G promises the great potential to enable telecom providers to improve coverage and streamline production through multiple cameras and microphones. The technology holds unique qualities such as mobility, flexibility and reliability, and the remote production has emerged as the most significant application of 5G technology. Many industry experts consider that this could revolutionize the production workflows of live content never imagined before.