Interview
5G Standalone (SA) is poised to transform mobile networks in the UK, offering capabilities far beyond existing 5G deployments, according to Blessing Makumbe, Ericsson’s Head of Cloud Software and Services in North Europe
Speaking to Total Telcom at Ericsson’s Remixing 5G event, Makumbe explained that 5G SA’s rapidly increasing availability in the UK meant customers will soon experience the differentiated mobile experience sorely missing from 5G non-standalone.
“We’re at a point now where the value of 5G SA is no longer being questioned,” said Makumbe, noting that the device ecosystem is also now “fully ready” for widespread usage.
The UK’s mobile operators have set ambitious coverage goals for the coming decade, with EE is targeting 99% population coverage by 2030, Virgin Media O2 wants the technology available “in all populated areas” during the same period, and VodafoneThree is targeting 99.95% by 2034. This means that soon customers across the country will begin to notice not only a significant uptick in speed and reliability, but also the launch of new services, particularly those around guaranteed connectivity quality.
“The main driver will be customer experience. You want something that will be guaranteed wherever you are, whatever you’re doing,” explained Makumbe. “What we’re seeing through our Consumer Lab research is that users are willing to pay for these differentiated services.”
Network slicing – perhaps the poster child of 5G SA’s new capabilities – underpins many of these services. Currently, slicing has most prominently found use in the context of large-scale private networks, with the likes of VodafoneThree using them to create unique slices for media, broadcasting, and point-of-sale devices at a single sporting event. With broader availability of 5G SA, these slices could soon be something impacting individual consumers.
“What I’d like to see as a vision for the next few years is moving away from these specific slices for big events, and instead they become something we see on a day-to-day basis,” said Makumbe. “The big headline in the next three years will be the number of slices that each operator has. We’re talking about 20 to 30 slices – even more than that!’
Naturally, this improved service quality, reliability, and flexibility also has major advantages for enterprise customers too. For Makumbe, part of the challenge here is to understand each company’s unique requirements and collaborating on new ways to leverage the 5G network.
“Once you go to a port, for example, you begin to realise that there is a lot more that you can do in that space. It’s not just connectivity to enter and exit the port, it’s asset tracking, its surveillance, and its creating a lot of valuable data too,” he said.
From consumer experience to enterprise innovation, 5G SA has enormous potential to catalyse the UK’s economic growth. Whether operators successfully capitalise on this opportunity will soon become clear.
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