Analyst: 5G is one part of network transformation
At an event for analysts in Shenzhen, China, Huawei CEO Eric Xu reportedly downplayed the transformation value fo 5G, running contrary to industry-wide talking points about the next-generation fo wireless, according to Mobile World Live.
“We do have expectations on 5G,” Xu reportedly said, “but maybe those expectations are not as big as some people might think. 5G is just one product line at Huawei. It is just a natural evolution fo the technology from 2G to 3G to 4G and now 5G. He called out early 5G deployments will focus on enhanced mobile broadband. “We don’t have other material differences in experiences for the consumer between the two technologies.”
Monica Paolini, principal of Senza Fili Consulting, is attending the event and provided commentary to RCR Wireless News. “I think that Huawei is working very hard on 5G, as much as their competitors,” Paolini said. “I think that their [strategic] vision focuses on topics that go beyond 5G. From a vendor perspective, 5G is a fait accompli.”
She said the timeline for operator adoption is unclear, “But we will get there. The message from Huawei–the way I see it–is focused on the drivers that create an urgency for 5G, both in terms of more demanding requirements and opportunity for new services and revenues…They put 5G (a technology) within the context of the overall transformation of wireless networks (e.g. automation and AI), linking the dots between what technology can deliver, and the society/the economy crave for or can benefit from. We do not need 5G per se, we need the connectivity it delivers and the services it can support.”
