The UK will be at the forefront of developing the next generation mobile broadband technology with plans to build a 5G research and innovation centre in Surrey. The new £35m centre will be built at the University of Surrey after it received funding from mobile operators and the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund.
With the launch of super-fast broadband 4G network only a few weeks away researchers are turning their attention to its successor – 5G.
Professor Rahim Tafazolli, head of the university’s Centre for Communication Systems Research, said research had already begun into 5G, which he estimates will be launched in 2020. ‘There are massive challenges and opportunities facing the sector,’ he said. ‘The growth in the number of new applications running on the networks is accelerating, as ever more mobile devices become the preferred route for internet access. Such unprecedented data traffic growth requires the urgent introduction of new 5G advanced technologies that maximise the use of the limited available radio spectrum and provide for greener technologies and solutions.’
Although the UK played an important role in the development of 2G standards we have fallen behind our counterparts in subsequent generations of 3G and 4G standards. The UK is far behind in the launch of 4G while over 100 countries are already up and running with the network we are still not and have been widely criticised over this fact.
Professor Tafazolli went on to mention that ‘’the university’s industry partners have identified this proposal as the single biggest opportunity for the UK to regain a world leading position in the development of 5G technologies and for the development of vibrant businesses around the technologies.’
It is estimated that 5G could be in place by 2020.
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