More than 28 billion devices will be connected in the next decade so in order to continue to enable global access and reach we must continue to develop new global standards that benefit industries everywhere.
It is perhaps an understatement to state that mobile communication has had a significant impact on society. Each time they are introduced, network generations have made giant steps – from the first generation that provided analog speech services, all the way through to fourth-generation networks designed to deliver true wireless mobile broadband capabilities – and transformed our lives forever.
5G is anticipated to be rolled out by 2020 to provide users – anyone or anything – access to massive amounts of information and the ability to share data anywhere, anytime. You could say it’s the enabler of the Networked Society.
The Networked Society introduces many challenges but offers even more opportunities for our industry. When everyone and everything are connected, the demand on the networks in terms of capacity, coverage, flexibility and quality will likely increase – as will the pressure on security, data protection, and privacy.
The growth of mobile broadband and the introduction of an environment for open innovation will help provide systems that are capable of delivering high-quality services and applications that will doubtlessly prove indispensable to diverse industry segments.
Global standardization is a crucial element of the success of current global mobile broadband systems and is expect to play an extremely important role in their development in the next few years. Convergence and alignment, rather than fragmentation, will continue to prove instrumental – especially when different industries become digitalized and use mobility as a core necessity.
Today’s mobile systems cater for more than seven billion subscriptions and we expect more than 28 billion devices will be connected in the next decade alone. In order to continue to enable global access and reach for future users and devices, it is essential we keep stay on track and develop new global standards that will enable a global ecosystem that benefits many industries in many ways.
