Developments in the field of technology and telecommunications do not rest. As we revamp devices to be compatible with 5G networks and rollout progresses, the next evolution is already hovering on the horizon. The technology 6G, the sixth generation of wireless communications and successor to 5G, already has a date. 2030 It is the year that Huawei marks on the calendar for the arrival of this technology.
But, meanwhile, we will go through an intermediate state: 5G Advanced (or 5G+), the basis of what will be 6G. Huawei has called it 5.5G, and ensures that we will begin to see products on this technology much sooner, in 2025.
5.5G: It’s not a revolution, it’s an evolution
The company is working on technologies that are supported by this standard, which they explain is a natural evolution of the previous generation of mobile networks, not a revolution. Experts point out that 6G, as well as its intermediate evolution, 5.5G, will bring a Higher connection speed and lower latency.
Characteristics that had improved significantly with the arrival of 5G, but this time it has its sights set further. In addition to increasing the connection from mobile devices, this technology is specially designed for all devices and smart sensors that will be part of homes, cities, companies… as well as autonomous vehicles or applications in the connected industry.
The artificial intelligence, augmented reality, the metaverse or extended reality These are some of the technologies that will benefit especially from the new developments in mobile networks.
The goal is to achieve wireless connectivity that multiply by ten speed in data transmission, and reduce latency to 0.1 milliseconds. Practically receive the information in real time.
In this sense, Huawei has presented in the framework of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 what it considers to be the main characteristics that the 5.5G era will bring.
First, the experience of 10 Gbps, ten gigs per second. And it is that, basically everything can be multiplied by ten with this technology. Ten times faster, ensuring more immersive and interactive experiences, ten times more connections, ten times more intelligent, (allowing autonomous cars to go from level 3 to level 4 autonomy) and ten times more efficient. They ensure that CO2 emissions per terabyte of data transmitted in a mobile network will be reduced by a tenth.
Sustainability and efficiency These are two of the keys that 5.5G will bring, also because it will allow, on the one hand, the network to be used as a sensor, and, on the other hand, to 5G devices without batteries can be powered by the energy provided by the network itself, powered by the antenna. Electricity consumption can also be reduced by ten, since the smart sensors themselves can be turned off and on depending on the need.
On the other hand, this will allow to improve the immersive experiences, which until now were more limited. For example, 3D technologies are expected to see a huge increase. The company already has 3D technologies without the need for glasses, and they will improve with the arrival of 5.5G.
Industry, services and cities will also benefit from this evolution of networks.
Control of road traffic in the smart cities thanks to sensors, more intelligent and efficient urban infrastructures, allowing for the detection of, for example, incidents on the road and transmitting information in real time between infrastructures and vehicles to improve safety.
And security?
The 5G standard implemented greater security compared to its predecessors, such as the old 3G and especially 2G, which had (and still does, since there are still systems that connect to them) with real security problems.
Due to the increase and knowledge of the threats that can occur, the new protocols are developed with computer security. Of course, the devices, objects and sensors that are connected to them, must also implement security from the design to allow the protection not only of the data but also of the users, since the risks go beyond the digital to become a threat also in the physical environment.
