Huawei Rotating CEO Ken Hu Says 5G Needs Deep Innovation

Huawei showcases world's first 5G prototype operating on sub-6 GHz spectrum with peak rate reaching 10 Gbit/s

Shanghai, 16 July 2015 Huawei Deputy Chairman and Rotating CEO Ken Hu said deeper and more rapid innovation is needed to develop 5G technology, as virtual reality and other applications create the need for greater network bandwidth.

Huawei Deputy Chairman and Rotating CEO Ken Hu delivers a keynote speech

In a keynote speech at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, Hu said that 5G development has entered a critical phase, and that accelerating its development requires technological innovation, cross-industry collaboration, and additional spectrum resources.

"In the 5G era, virtual reality and immersive experiences will become key applications," Hu said. "We must increase investment in new technologies, especially air interface and network architecture. We're confident that our new air interface technology can at least triple spectrum efficiency without the need for new antennas or new sites."

Hu said the telecom industry has yet to establish close collaboration with other industries. He noted that each industry will have different needs, and that if 5G is to be widely adopted across verticals, its technologies and standards will have to satisfy those diverse needs.

"We hope to establish formal platforms for cross-industry collaboration to explore future needs, application scenarios, and technical standards for 5G. Technology providers, network operators, and other industries should work together to roll out industry-specific 5G demo networks."

Hu also said that like transportation network and power grids, 5G will become a critical piece of infrastructure in the future. In the 5G era, operators will need many more spectrum resources. He expressed hope that governments and regulators can quickly develop more forward-looking policies on spectrum allocation.

"We hope that key stakeholders can reach a consensus on 5G spectrum as soon as possible and identify at least 500 MHz of sub-6 GHz spectrum for 5G, thus creating the right conditions for 5G's development globally," Hu said.

Huawei has invested heavily in innovation and has emerged as a global leader in 5G. The company began researching 5G back in 2009 and its total investment in 5G will amount to US$600 million by 2018. The company now employs a team of over 500 experts dedicated to 5G research, and has established partnerships with over 20 universities on joint research, including Harvard University, Stanford University, the Technical University of Munich, and Tsinghua University. The company has published more than 190 academic papers on 5G.

Huawei has made significant breakthroughs in key 5G technologies, and is a key member of global organizations such as 5GPPP. It has also launched joint innovation projects with partners around the globe.

With NTT docomo, Huawei recently launched the world's first multi-user 5G testing site in Chengdu, China. The real-world testing environment provided at the site enables partners to systematically verify 5G air interface and network architecture.

At MWC Shanghai, Huawei also showcased the world's first 5G prototype operating on a sub-6 GHz spectrum with a peak rate reaching 10 Gbit/s.

Huawei is committed to developing 5G standards before 2018. It plans to launch the first 5G pilot network with its partners in 2018, improve the 5G industry chain, complete interoperability testing in 2019, and commercially launch 5G networks in 2020.