Huawei Deputy Chairman and Rotating CEO Ken Hu has called for deeper and more rapid innovation to develop 5G technology as virtual reality and other applications create the need for greater network bandwidth.
In a keynote speech at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, Hu said that 5G development has entered a critical phase, and that accelerating its development requires technological innovation, cross-industry collaboration, and additional spectrum resources.
"In the 5G era, virtual reality and immersive experiences will become key applications," Hu said. "We must increase investment in new technologies, especially air interface and network architecture. We're confident that our new air interface technology can at least triple spectrum efficiency without the need for new antennas or new sites."
Hu said the telecom industry has yet to establish close collaboration with other industries. He noted that each industry will have different needs, and that if 5G is to be widely adopted across verticals, its technologies and standards will have to satisfy those diverse needs.
"We hope to establish formal platforms for cross-industry collaboration to explore future needs, application scenarios, and technical standards for 5G. Technology providers, network operators, and other industries should work together to roll out industry-specific 5G demo networks."
Hu also said that like transportation network and power grids, 5G will become a critical piece of infrastructure in the future.
In the 5G era, operators will need many more spectrum resources. He expressed hope that governments and regulators can quickly develop more forward-looking policies on spectrum allocation.
"We hope that key stakeholders can reach a consensus on 5G spectrum as soon as possible and identify at least 500 MHz of sub-6 GHz spectrum for 5G, thus creating the right conditions for 5G's development globally," Hu said.