MACTAN, Cebu—Through machine-to-machine (M2M) application, telcos will be able to cash in on their 5G investments in the future, as the broader Internet of Things (IoT) concept comes into full play, an industry expert has predicted.
Speaking at the Asian Carriers Conference, Syniverse Technologies Vice President for Advance Signal and Network Interoperability Mun Kein Chang explained that operators that are capitalizing on the 5G trend will have to find creative use cases that involve M2M applications.
This, as people-to-people (P2P) applications are already possible through the current mobile connectivity technology, and using 5G for simple tasks like video streaming may prove to be a mismatch for its inherent benefit.
“It’s not just going to be bigger, better and faster. It’s also about scaling,” he said. “5G is not going to be a P2P network, but it’s actually for the world of machines.”
Chang explained that IoT, which is a concept where machines are interconnected and can be remotely controlled via the Internet, will require a “different network, foundation and ecosystem —and that is 5G.”
He said his group has found that 5G would be best implemented and offered at the enterprise level. Use cases for the new connectivity include real-time supply chain tracking, video analytics for retail establishments, and online sports of mixed realities.
“5G isn’t really the key message, it’s part of the transformation that is called IoT. When it gets mainstream, you need 5G,” Chang said.
He added that the 5G trend will bloom in full in the next five years, when 60 percent of the world’s mobile shifts to this new technology for practical uses.
Earlier at the ACC’s opening, conference speaker Niklas Bergman said he finds 5G to be a challenge for telecom operators, citing the uncertainty of its application for individuals, but noted the wealth of its application for the enterprise segment.