5G will be a combination of licensed and unlicensed technologies – with Wi-Fi and its current evolution playing a leading role; the convergence of services and coexistence of technologies are vital to the 5G roadmap, according to a new whitepaper published by the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA).
The whitepaper explores the opinions of more than 65 companies across the globe.
Among other key finding, the three highest ranking industry verticals – by priority – were smart cities, IoT sensor networks and safety/surveillance.
“While plans to roll out 5G networks are well on their way, the industry still needs to agree upon the standards for the technology before 2020,” said Shrikant Shenwai, CEO, Wireless Broadband Alliance. “The WBA has put together this report to highlight the significant impact that Wi-Fi is having on the definition of 5G and what we as an organisation can do to bridge the gap between licensed and unlicensed technologies within this timeframe.”
