Gavin Murphy, propositions principal at BT Wholesale, said that 5G standalone (5GSA) presents a huge growth opportunity for channel partners when it comes into full effect over the new few years.
Murphy was speaking about delivering connectivity with 5G at this year's Channel Live at Birmingham’s NEC.
Murphy said that all the signs are that mobile use is on the increase, with 67 per cent of workers being hybrid or fully mobile. Added to that, he said, the International Data Corporation is predicting that 35 per cent of new small businesses will rely on 5G or fixed wireless access by 2025.
While most current 5G is at the edge and uses a 4G core, Murphy said that when 5GSA is fully implemented it will be a gamechanger, delivering full end-to-end 5G at the edge and core. As a result, he said that it will provide faster speeds, lower latency, greater capacity and better coverage.
"Everyone stands to benefit from 5G standalone," said Murphy. "That includes consumers and businesses from all verticals."
Network slicing
Murphy said that 5GSA will be further enhanced by network slicing by taking the physical network and splitting it into multiple independent virtual networks or slices. Each slice can be tailored to specific needs, such as low latency for real-time applications or high bandwidth for data-intensive services, he said.
This will create customised services, guaranteed performance and more efficient use of networks, said Murphy. Among the industries to benefit most from this technology, he said, are manufacturing, healthcare, transport and logistics, and extended reality, virtual reality, augmented reality and IoT.
Murphy said that 5G private networks are enabling industry 4.0, thereby improving security, operations, health and safety and business intelligence, strategy and planning. Specifically, they increase agility, productivity and worker safety, reduce operating costs, and improve sustainability and decision-making.
"Organisations are investing in 5G private networks for a host of different reasons," said Murphy. "They enable seamless mobility at very large sites; support for low latency applications; sensors with high data rates; enhanced tracking of moveable items; and advanced camera systems. They also work well in areas with a high degree of metal; are a replacement for fixed LAN; enable monitoring and improving business-critical processes; provide reliable coverage to more locations; and improved security for sensitive applications."
5G private networks
Compared to WLAN, Murphy said that 5G private networks outperform it on all fronts. These include, he said, quality of service, coverage, non-line of sight, latency/jitter, reliability, bandwidth support, security and mobility.
5G private networks also enable industries to go even further and faster than before, said Murphy. In particular, he highlighted their use in robotics and automation, autonomous guided vehicles and in enabling a vast volume of devices.
"There are a host of different uses cases where 5G private networks can be applied," said Murphy. "These range from in the field of connectivity, asset tracking, and augmented reality and virtual reality to monitoring (assets, people and processes), robotics and automation, and automated guided vehicles."
Murphy said that 5G private networks work best when tailored to specific industries. Those may include, he said, port operations, manufacturing, transport and logistics, health and smart places.
Growth opportunity
Having grown from a base of zero in 2019, Murphy said that the percentage of 5G mobile connections in Europe was currently around 18 per cent in 2024 and is set to increase to about 32 per cent in 2027, peaking at 87 per cent by 2030. This represents a huge growth opportunity, he said.
In 2023 alone, Murphy said that 5G UK traffic had grown 140 per cent to 151PB. And with only 43 per cent of handsets being 5G capable, he said that there is tremendous potential to expand that market.
"In summary, the opportunity for 5G is huge," said Murphy. "In the near-term, you can provide your customer with a better experience through providing them with faster speeds and lower latency, private networks; better coverage and reliability, and huge capacity. In the mid to longer term, you can deliver transformation through network slicing, 5G standalone, industry 4.0, and IoT – smart places/cities.
"You can also support new ways of working. In addition, you can meet the needs of multiple industries, including automotive, manufacturing and logistics. These range from EVs and connected and autonomous cars to IoT, private networks, real-time tracking and inventory management."