Huawei launches 5G-A Pioneers program with global operators

This article first appeared in Telecoms.com in June 2024.

This past June, Huawei, together with leading global 5G-A operators, launched its 5G-A Pioneers Program in Shanghai, an initiative aimed at driving the development of next-generation mobile networks.

Major 5G-A operators, including China's big three – China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom – as well as Hong Kong's HKT, UAE's du, and Oman's Omantel, will take part in the program to share their experiences and strategies for 5G-A deployment.

David Wang, Executive Director of the Board and Chairman of the ICT Infrastructure Managing Board at Huawei, emphasized the importance of the industry working together to roll out 5G-A.

"As we look towards 2030, it is crucial for the entire industry to continuously enhance 5G-A technology, promote the sustainable development of the 5G industry, and fully realize the vision of 5G transforming society," Wang said.

Compared to current 5G, 5G-A delivers much lower latency and increased speeds.  But its benefits extend beyond mere technical upgrades, creating opportunities to create new revenue streams and business opportunities for carriers.

China Mobile, the world's largest mobile operator, is deploying the first commercial 5G-A network. It already covers 250 cities and counties in China, and plans to expand nationwide by the end of 2024 and fully commercialize by 2026.

The company is testing 5G-A to build novel industry applications. Initial commercial use cases will be available by year-end, with large-scale deployment planned for 2025.

China Unicom has also made significant progress in 5G-A deployment. The company plans to further expand the coverage of 5G-A carrier aggregation for nationwide deployment.

Besides speed enhancements, China Unicom has shown 5G-A's potential in industrial manufacturing by using deterministic network capabilities, offering 4 ms latency and 99.999% reliability. Now, China Unicom aims to scale up these scenarios to boost revenue growth as part of its 5G-A strategy.

China Telecom has also deployed 3CC (Three Component Carrier), a technology that combines three frequency bands to boost network performance. This enables peak downlink speeds of 5 Gbps and uplink speeds of 1 Gbps, even in high-traffic areas.

China Telecom projects annual revenue growth of several percentage points with the expected penetration of 5G-A applications in emerging sectors.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's HKT has successfully deployed mmWave Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology to provide ultra-high-speed internet to remote villages and islands, ensuring uninterrupted service even under extreme network loads. This deployment ensures that underserved areas enjoy uninterrupted service even during periods of extreme congestion.

The use of mmWave FWA technology, which operates on high-frequency bands, allows HKT to provide fiber-like speeds wirelessly, eliminating the need for extensive and costly infrastructure in challenging terrains. This breakthrough showcases the potential of 5G-A networks to revolutionize internet access in rural locations.

The UAE’s du has made significant strides in 5G-A development, having launched the first 5G-A "Future Home" demonstration project with Huawei in Dubai in 2023. The company aims for nationwide 5G-A deployment within three years. Additionally, du emphasizes the green potential of its 5G-A rollout, with 20% of sites running on green energy and all sites using deterministic network capabilities to reduce energy consumption.

Omantel, Oman's leading carrier, sees 5G-A as an opportunity to connect the country's sparsely populated areas, having successfully tested 10Gbps speeds using mmWave technology. It has also deployed 5G RedCap devices at customer locations to provide reliable 150Mbps internet connections. Omantel plans to launch more 5G-A services this year.

In the coming years, platforms such as the Global Pioneers program will enable crucial collaboration as operators explore new use cases to boost revenues from 5G-A.

Huawei Board Director David Wang said, "Huawei looks forward to working hand-in-hand with the industry to build healthy 5G-A ecosystems, upgrade 5G-A standards, and share in the benefits of 5G-A development. Together, we will bring the intelligent world into reality faster."