5G technology is developing rapidly worldwide. As of December 2022, there were over 240 5G commercial networks globally, and the number of 5G users exceeded one billion. In China, the total number of 5G base stations has reached 2.31 million, accounting for over 60% of the global total. The proportion of 5G users is 2.75 times the global average.
The forward-looking nature of 5G-Advanced
With the popularization of 5G technology, we are confronted with new challenges and opportunities. 5G-Advanced (5.5G) emerged with the aim of further promoting the evolution of 5G technology and paving the way for future 6G technology.
In 2020, Huawei was the first to put forward the forward-looking vision of 5.5G. In April 2021, 5.5G was officially named 5G-Advanced by 3GPP and the related standardization work was initiated.
In June 2022, the 3GPP R17 version was frozen, marking the official entry of 5G into the 5G-Advanced stage.
Key features of 5G-Advanced
5G-Advanced will, on the basis of enhancing the existing three major scenarios of 5G (eMBB, uRLLC and mMTC), explore the following three new scenarios:
RTBC (Broadband Real-time Interaction
UCBC (Uplink Ultra-Wideband
HCS (Communication Sensing Fusion
In addition, the four key features of 5G-Advanced include:
Downlink 10 gigabit: The goal is to achieve a downlink rate of 10 GBPS.
Uplink Gigabit: Enhance the uplink rate to support more applications with high bandwidth demands.
Qianyi Internet of Things: Supports more device connections and realizes a wider range of Internet of Things applications.
Endogenous intelligence: The network will have a higher level of intelligence.
The application scenarios of 5G-Advanced technology in different industries
Industrial automation
By leveraging the low latency and high reliability of 5G-Advanced, further upgrades in factory automation can be achieved, such as remote control of robots, automated assembly lines, and intelligent monitoring systems.
Healthcare
5G-Advanced can support telemedicine and remote surgery, enabling doctors to provide medical services to patients at a distance in real time.
Through high-speed data transmission, patient records and high-definition medical images can be accessed instantly.
Smart City
By leveraging the massive connection capabilities of 5G-Advanced, various smart devices in the city can be connected and controlled, such as smart street lamps, traffic management systems, and environmental monitoring sensors.
Autonomous driving
The low latency and high-speed data transmission of 5G-Advanced are crucial for autonomous vehicles, enabling real-time communication between vehicles (V2V) and between vehicles and infrastructure (V2I).
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
The high bandwidth and low latency of 5G-Advanced will make VR and AR applications smoother and more immersive, promoting the application of these technologies in the fields of entertainment, education and training.
Financial services
By leveraging the high speed and low latency of 5G-Advanced, financial services can offer faster transaction execution and more secure remote services.
Agriculture
5G-Advanced can support precision agriculture technology, collecting and transmitting large amounts of data through Internet of Things devices to optimize crop planting, irrigation and harvesting.
Retail industry
5G-Advanced can support unmanned stores, smart shelves and personalized shopping experiences, enhancing efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Energy Management
5G-Advanced can be applied to smart grids to achieve more efficient energy distribution and demand response management.
Education
With 5G-Advanced, distance education can become more interactive and immersive, providing a high-quality online learning experience.
The development of 5G-Advanced technology will drive the digital transformation of these industries, enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and create new business models and services. With the maturation of technology and the deepening of its application, more application scenarios that have not yet been foreseen may emerge in the future.
