The next step in the evolution of mobile broadband is “5G,” and its arrival will be a watershed moment for the entire TV and media industry, delivering the flexibility and high reliability needed to deliver video to billions of users across the globe. Over the next few years alone, video will find itself within the connected car and wearable technologies, as well as tablets, smartphones and laptop computers. In our view, 5G will be a technology enabler for the media industry, bringing high-quality video experiences everywhere, ranging from indoor venues such as the home and workplace, to outdoor locations, such as densely populated live stadium events or on public transport.
Representing a stark change in the evolution of mobile technology, 5G can radically increase the speed and robustness of the services we can offer, as well as enhance the quality of the output. We need to concentrate on maximizing the future consumer experience and accelerating the development of new services in all markets (including emerging markets). Through the adoption of 5G, we will be able to provide essential and potentially unlimited access to information and data, anywhere, any time and to anyone. In other words, we can now unlock the pathway to delivering live TV at scale and enable pay-TV service providers, broadcasters, over-the-top providers and fundamentally, consumers, with the ultimate video quality.
5G: An unprecedented transformation in mobile technology
According to the June 2015 Ericsson Mobility Report, by 2020, 60% of all mobile traffic will be from video. This opens up a lot of opportunities – creating and potentially generating new revenue in the process – but we need networks that can capitalize on these openings. Although much of today’s spectrum is largely used up in terms of lower frequency bands, the growth and connectivity of every single user device will ensure that we can maximize the use of the remaining higher frequency spectrum.
As network traffic grows at pace, operators must contend with the challenge of generating sustainable business models that can deal with this huge scaling in cost. That means the networks themselves must become smarter and go beyond the capabilities of today. We also require agile platforms that are more flexible, highly scalable and can respond to new services and a plethora of new players across an ever-growing market with widely varying use cases.
2020: 5G is standardized in response to gigantic video consumption
5G is broader than any previous iteration the mobile industry has been able to deliver. That’s because we are seeing the convergence a number of industries across media, IP, telcos and network operators. Its arrival has emerged at an astonishing pace, especially when you consider that 2G technologies only launched in the 1990s, while 3G appeared in 2003, the first to offer video-enabled capabilities, and 4G has only emerged in recent years. Previous transitions (such as 3G to 4G) have offered gradual extensions and services, but 5G will have far wider implications for our industry.
When you think about the lead-up to 2020, the number of consumers using the networks will grow to unprecedented levels. Mobile broadband subscriptions will reach 7.7 billion globally by 2020, which will mark a radical shift across the entire TV landscape. Ubiquitous mobility, broadband and the cloud will transform the industry and 5G will therefore be instrumental in enabling this fully networked society, providing unrestricted sharing of information and data at any time, any place and any location. It will ultimately reduce the impact on the networks by allowing operators to provide TV-Anywhere services to bandwidth-hungry consumers.
The arrival of the first 5G launches could arrive by 2018, most likely in Japan and South Korea, with wider mainstream launches taking place by 2020. It will deliver the unparalleled connectivity to billions of IP-enabled devices, offering the very best experience for every screen. Now, we need to transform the entire network to enable this change, linking the connected device with the services available across network applications, cloud and IP infrastructures.
Simon Frost is the global head of media marketing and communications at Ericsson, playing a fundamental role in driving the company’s vision of media in the networked society and the emergence of the Internet era of TV, television’s greatest ever period of change. Frost has more than 20 years’ experience in the broadcast, pay-TV, Internet and telecommunications sectors and is leading Ericsson’s global marketing and communications strategy related to TV and media, reinforcing the company’s unique position at the convergence of the telecom, Internet and media industries. Prior to his current role, Frost has held several senior positions, including VP IPTV compression solutions and business development director (mobile and terrestrial TV) at Tandberg Television. He has previously worked for Harmonic and Philips Digital Networks, architecting customer video solutions.
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