Sophia Antipolis, 22 September 2022: Members from the ETSI Fixed 5^thgeneration (F5G) group have just published a new white paper “F5G advanced and beyond”. This White Paper describes the drivers, dimensions, and technologies of the F5G advanced and beyond.

Nine key applications or industry trends are identified as key drivers for F5G Advanced. These can be grouped into two categories: those that are oriented towards services and applications, and those that are directed towards network transformation. Ultra-high-definition immersive experience services could put many new requirements on the network. Enterprises will continue their digitization and cloudification, and this is a huge opportunity for fixed networks. 

Industrial applications of fibre networks offer completely new markets for providers as well as add value for manufacturers. The metaverse could be a driver for new infrastructure capabilities. The digitization of network operations can help to reduce operational costs and improve service agility. Optical fibre infrastructure continuing to expand, becoming nearly ubiquitous. Smart society infrastructures can improve services for all while reducing their cost. Overcoming the green challenge is critically important for the planet and the sustainability of the network. At the same time, the business environment continues to change, and this can have major impacts on the network.

Given all of these drivers, the capability of the network is envisioned to increase in six main dimensions:

• Networks will become faster, increasing bandwidth to accommodate more services.
• They will become quicker, reducing latency as much as physically possible to enable new applications.
• Networks will become “wider” by increasing the network scope and number of endpoints, and greener by enhancing energy efficiency in several ways.
• Information systems will become smarter by integrating computing power into the network at all levels.
• Networks will become more aware to help improve operations and maintenance.
• Given the pervasive nature of the fixed network, trustworthiness of networks is also very important.

To propel the growth of the network along these six dimensions, various new technologies will be needed. These are detailed in the ETSI white paper.

One of the overarching goals of the ETSI Industry Specification Group (ISG) F5G on Fifth Generation Fixed Network is to establish a regular rhythm of evolution for the fixed telecommunications network. This technology enhancement corresponds to the series of generations defined for the wireless network. So far, F5G has published technical specifications on use cases, generations definition of fibre networks and architecture. The group is working on several upcoming specifications.