5G momentum is growing faster than expected

Sue Marek

The definition of 5G may still be unclear but the pace of 5G innovation is clearly accelerating. In nearly every conversation I have with wireless industry leaders, the discussion veers to 5G: What is 5G? How will 5G change our lives? And how quickly will it be deployed?

Nearly everyone is rallying around 2020 as the year we will see 5G become a reality. But in the meantime, standards need to be set, technology needs to be tested, and companies need to make decisions about their product lines.

Thus, 5G is more of a concept--a world where machines talk to machines, mission-critical apps are prioritized over less-critical communications, network speeds are in the 20 Gbps range, and latency is only in the mere milliseconds.

But moving from today's 4G networks to the 5G network of the future is going to require some pretty sophisticated engineering skills. Operators will not only need more spectrum, they will also have to refarm existing spectrum holdings in preparation for the next wave of network technologies that will likely include small cells, Het-Nets, distributed antenna systems and more.

To help you prepare for this new 5G world, I'm bringing together a stellar panel of experts to discuss the 5G roadmap for the future. Hear from top experts like Kris Rinne, SVP of network technologies at AT&T Labs; Mike Haberman, VP of network technology at Verizon Wireless; Ulf Ewaldsson, SVP, CTO, head of group function technology at Ericsson; Aicha Evans, VP, platform engineering group at Intel; and Chris Pearson, president of 4G Americas.

This breakfast panel, "5G Roadmap for the Future: How Do We Plan for Tomorrow's Wireless Networks" is being held in conjunction with the Super Mobility Week conference and will take place Sept. 9 from 7 a.m. until 8:45 a.m. at the Sands Convention Center. Register today by clicking here. I'm really looking forward to this 5G discussion. I hope you can join me in Vegas. --Sue