Say what you want about 5G hype, but there is no question that the time to invest in the technology and R&D to make these next-generation networks a reality is now.
Heavy Reading has been studying the potential for 5G for several years, but is stepping up its focus now as the global industry gets serious about 5G and works towards standards and commercial deployments. (See 10 Ways 5G Will Change Your Life, 5G: What Is It & Why Does It Matter? and Ready or Not, Here Comes 5G.)
To me, March's Mobile World Congress seemed to signal a turning point for the industry as everyone from operators to vendors to industry groups was talking about how to make 5G a reality by 2020, if not sooner in some parts of the world. The show was less about the hype and more about the very real challenges to overcome to deliver on the promises of 5G. A healthy dose of skepticism remains, but no one was denying that 5G is on the horizon. (See 5G Use Cases, Pre-Standards Groups Proliferate , NGMN Chairman Outlines His 5G Vision and 5G Visions Dazzle at MWC.)
Heavy Reading Senior Analyst Gabriel Brown has been tracking the market carefully and recently attended the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Ltd. 's industry event in Frankfurt, Germany. He'll also be hosting our own Light Reading one-day conference on 5G in New York on April 14 called "Building America's 5G Ecosystem. (See Growth of the 5G Ecosystem.)
Make sure you register to attend "Building America's 5G Ecosystem" in NYC to hear from service providers and influencers that are leading the way to bring 5G to the US and beyond.
Light Reading caught up with Brown in between the two conferences to get his opinions on all things 5G. Head over to the Prime Reading section of the site to see our full interview with the analyst, which touches on everything from the 5G standards process to the use cases to the challenges and opportunities and more. (See Heavy Reading Q&A: Getting to the Heart of 5G .)
— Sarah Thomas, , Editorial Operations Director, Light Reading
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