At this week’s MWC Shanghai 2023, Huawei announced plans to launch commercial 5.5G network equipment in 2024, supporting downlinks for 10G.
Huawei said its new 5.5G gear will protect operators’ previous investment in 5G, while also improving network performance by 10 times.
The company says it has made significant progress 5.5G verification process, specifically for extremely large antenna array (ELAA) which underpins 10 Gbps downlinks, flexible spectrum access which helps realize gigabit uplink, and passive IoT which can enable 100 billion IoT connections. 50G PON is another key technology that can enable 10 gigabit speeds for F5.5G ultra-broadband networks, and is expected to be extensively used in homes, campuses, and productions in the future. Huawei has worked with over 30 operators around the world on technological verification and application pilots for these technologies.
Huawei’s Director and President of ICT Products & Solutions Yang Chaobin states “With a clearly defined standardization schedule, the 5.5G Era is already poised for technological and commercial verification. In 2024, Huawei will launch a complete set of commercial 5.5G network equipment to be prepared for the commercial deployment of 5.5G. We look forward to working with all industry players to embark on the new journey towards the 5.5G era.”
In addition to the development of key technologies for 5.5G wireless and optical access networks, Yang announced that the company has been working on applying AI-native technologies to 5.5G core networks to continuously enhance network capabilities and availability. This would allow AI capabilities to be delivered to the very ends of networks, so that they can better serve numerous industries. Net5.5G promises 10 gigabit access, ultra-broadband transport, and microsecond-level latency over AI networks, allowing it to serve as a next-generation network foundation for industrial digitalization by providing high-quality network access.
