INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
As mobile phones have become more advanced we've seen the content we consume on them evolve as well; not so long ago we were blown away by
the fact that we could share images on our handsets or listen to music, but now your average smartphone is used for streaming HD video,
consuming entire albums and providing an online experience which is close to that which you'd get on a desktop computer.The game has
changed, and with it, we've seen a wide array of network standards pop up over the years, such as GPRS, 3G and, most recently, 4G
Despite the rapid development of technology, we're still at a point where the average mobile network struggles to satisfy our data needs,
and many people living in rural areas still don't have reliable 4G or even 3G coverage.Given these points, how far away are we from the
we ever really get to the point where Wi-Fi speeds are possible when we leave the comfort of our homesWhere we are now"For millions of
consumers across large parts of the UK, that is already a reality," counters BT Managing Director and Chief Architect Neil McRae
Where I am right now, my smartphone is able to download at well over 100Mb/sec, so for watching TV or video, it's perfect with no
buffering."McRae concedes that this situation isn't the same for many mobile users in the UK, but adds that companies like BT are expanding
populated, but the aim is to remove all 'notspots' as soon as possible so that everyone has at least a connection, and that then paves the
way for advanced technology like 5G.The 5G revolution5G is, in McRae's opinion, something of a game-changer when it comes to fulfilling
the vision of high-speed data access wherever you are in the UK
"Using the network at large, densely crowded locations such as stadiums, concerts, train stations and airports will improve because of 5G
"Whilst 4G has helped in these areas, the technology can struggle to cope with both the required bandwidth and the volume of devices making
5G helps us solve that."The radio interface has been redesigned to reduce latency and enable prioritization of traffic to keep latency low
The core network, building on 4G Long Term Evolution, is moving to an architecture much more like the fixed broadband network, with a lot
could deliver"Latency is, in effect, the responsiveness of the network; how quickly it can get a response from the internet
A few milliseconds can be vital in many industrial, healthcare, or automotive applications
And, for consumers, it will enable mobile multiplayer gaming, and it will be the difference between VR and AR experiences we have today and
those that in future will be indistinguishable from reality; a Turing Test for mobile experiences."Finally, 5G enables much higher
The average speed on our 4G network today is 30Mbps, and 5G can increase that even further
With higher bandwidth comes higher resolution video."VR everywhereAll of these things mean that when it comes to consuming media on the go,
5G will revolutionize everything
"We'll have more devices to consume on with higher-quality video," explains McRae
Five years ago, Facebook and Twitter were mostly populated with static images, and Netflix and YouTube were only really usable on Wi-Fi
Now, video is the norm in social media, and Netflix continually shows the greatest data growth of any service on our mobile network."In the
years to come, as 5G networks become prevalent and a high speed, low latency connection is widely available for consumers, brands will
create immersive, mixed reality experiences as a matter of course
And with the internet of things and more connected personal devices, there will be a digital overlay to our real-world environments, with
5G; McRae thinks the arrival of the next-generation mobile network will alter the way in which we watch live events, such as sports and
"With 5G, it will be possible to provide high-quality, real-time updates to fans with companion applications, plugging you directly into the
action on the track, all around the track."I also believe 5G will usher in a much more converged approach to services, and much more social
another headache mobile users have when they stray from their precious Wi-Fi hub is the data allowance of their phone contract; being able
McRae admits this is an issue, but the industry is changing, and by the time 5G is adopted fully, contract limits will have expanded to
much mobile video as they want
5G will go a long way to improve the economics of the network, but it will always be important to ensure we are able to invest in the
might be closer than you think
to you in association with HonorCYNjBw7G7i7EHwRWFH6cyG.jpg#
