The 3GPP recently completed and announced the first version of the true 5G standard and kicked off the implementation and buildout race, and chip giant Qualcomm has taken a moment to gather its own thoughts on the matter and the relevant thoughts of a number of other industry players in a blog post. The new standard is referred to as 5G NR, short for 5G New Radio, because it will require entirely new radio equipment, separate from what’s currently in wide use for 4G LTE networks. While LTE is not dead by any means, 5G NR is the new direction of the industry, and major players have already been working toward preparing for it and making the transition as easy as possible on themselves and their partners.
Qualcomm kicked off the proceedings by declaring its delight at being part of this “significant milestone” in the development of the mobile web and worldwide networking. China Mobile says that the completion of the standard is the first step to a unified worldwide wireless networking setup, while AT&T says that it has enabled the industry to move forward in regards to equipment advancement and the availability of consumer-facing solutions that utilize next-generation networks. Deutsche Telekom said that the completion of the new standard means that carriers and equipment manufacturers must double down on standalone 5G solutions in order to deliver the full power and value of 5G networking and features to customers. Huawei echoed China Mobile, and said that it would commit to the development of a single, worldwide 5G standard to unify network equipment development and carrier buildout. Nokia, meanwhile, is looking forward to all of the new technological advancements that 5G will enable. Samsung pledged to expedite the development and delivery of rich 5G solutions all across the stack, from network backhaul all the way to consumer devices.
The finishing of this initial standard is one of the biggest milestones that the world of mobile networking technology has seen in years, and marks the dawning of a new era in mobile. Now, ground-based telecoms, device manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, and wireless carriers have common ground to work from in bringing 5G solutions to consumers and innovators, with the promise of self-driving cars, advanced virtual reality, seamless high-speed networking, and other advancements that haven’t even been dreamed up yet just waiting for them all to get together and make good on the promise of the 5G standard.