While we’re still in the 5G guessing phase in terms of what exactly will the fifth generation of wireless technologies entail, many of the largest tech and telecommunications companies on the planet are already looking to lay the groundwork for the new infrastructure that will be necessary in order for us to enter into a new era of mobile communications and start using a new standard that will allow for much higher Internet speeds. However, the largest and consequently most important relevant entities on the planet haven’t yet reached a consensus in regards to what will the accepted 5G standard be; hence, we’re still in the aforementioned guessing phase.
Well, it seems like a solution is finally on the horizon as Samsung Electronics Co. is heading the currently ongoing Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) meeting with the goal of securing the lead on global 5G standardization efforts. The meeting is taking place in the South Korean city of Busan, started yesterday and will be concluded on Friday, April 15th. Around 400 or so technology experts from over 80 telecom companies around the globe are attending it with the goal of driving the global 5G standardization efforts forward. Samsung taking the lead of this meeting is significant because 3GPP is by far the largest standardization organization in the world and despite being a private entity, its say in regards to any technology standard is always final. The organization started debating 5G technology standardization last September during a “3GPP RAN 5G” workshop in Phoenix, Arizona and is expecting to complete international standards for the 5G mobile telecommunications network in June of 2017. As for Samsung specifically, the South Korean company has already started developing 5G technology in 2011 and is definitely well-acquainted with it.
And while Samsung is looking to take the global 5G standardization’s reigns, the last month’s Senate hearing saw the FCC chairman Tom Wheeler announce that the US plans to allocate spectrum for 5G in the very near future despite the fact that no actual standards have yet been agreed to. This statement of intent seems reminiscent of what the US did in regards to 4G implementation over half a decade ago. As things stand right now, the 3GPP is expecting to complete the first standardization phase of the 5G network by June of 2018.