17 February 2016

Vodafone Group is partnering with Nokia and a number of other partners to research 5G technologies and prepare its networks for a transition towards the new mobile standard.

5G will be the next generation of mobile technology, which the International Telecoms Union expects to be formally defined by 2020. As part of the global research effort to develop 5G, Vodafone will work with its partners to define industry standards, establish technical guidelines and prepare product roadmaps.

Vodafone and its partners will:

• evaluate which 5G technologies will be introduced as industry standards;
• test hardware and software in Vodafone Group’s UK Innovation Labs;
• conduct trials on Vodafone’s radio and core networks in selected global markets;
• test and evaluate a wide range of 5G technologies and services; and
• prioritise the benefits of 5G that can be brought to market by 2020.

Researchers predict that 5G will help deliver a new wave of innovation in digital networks, which will benefit both consumers and a wide range of industries. 5G networks have the potential to:

• significantly reduce latency;
• allow ultra-fast download and upload speeds;
• improve spectral efficiency and network reliability; and
• substantially increase the number of devices that can simultaneously connect to the network, supporting the development of the internet of things.

Johan Wibergh, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone Group, said:

“The telecoms industry is still establishing what technology will deliver the benefits we expect from 5G, so it is important to establish dedicated research programmes with these leading global companies. We expect 5G to radically enhance the speed, resilience and intelligence of mobile networks, enabling Vodafone customers to remain confidently connected as their usage of mobile data increases.”

Marc Rouanne, Chief Innovation & Operating Officer at Nokia, said:

“5G will be a key enabler of the next industrial revolution, expanding the human possibility of technologies. Together with Vodafone, a long-standing customer, we will work on making 5G a commercial reality for the benefit of internet of things industries, focusing on European industry, in an attempt to make the world safer, cleaner, more liveable and sustainable, more efficient, more personal and peaceful... more human.”

Vodafone Group is a leader within the telecoms industry in the development of 5G. It holds the Chair in the NGMN (Next Generation Mobile Networks) 5G Requirements and Architecture group, founded the Chair of Mobile Communications at the Technical University of Dresden and co-founded the 5G Innovation Centre in the UK.

Did you know?

• Nokia is at the forefront of 5G development in many areas, and is involved in several 5G-related industry projects in Europe, including the 5G Public Private Partnership project 5G NORMA (5G Novel Radio Multiservice adaptive network Architecture) and collaborations with leading universities across the world to make 5G technologies viable and future-proof.
• Nokia can already demonstrate autonomous driving on its development 5G network architecture.
• The company developed a programmable 5G multi-service architecture and recently showcased pre-standard 5G cellular technology, delivering peak speeds of 19 Gbps over the air at realistic conditions.
• Nokia Networks is a founding member of the 5G Lab Germany, chaired by Vodafone at Technical University Dresden.