Huawei bolsters its push for 5.5G networks with operators from the mainland, Hong Kong and the Middle East
- Huawei announced the launch of the industry’s first 5.5G products and solutions in Dubai on Wednesday
- The 5.5G technology has been hailed by Huawei as the next level of telecoms technology, providing a bridge for the evolution to 6G
Chinese telecommunications gear maker Huawei Technologies is pushing for the launch of 5.5G networks with operators from mainland China, Hong Kong and the Middle East, with promises to better enable new technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and smart cars.
Speaking at Huawei’s Global Mobile Broadband Forum, the company’s president of wireless solution Cao Ming said that 5.5G would offer a tenfold increase in speed over existing networks, as well as lower latency and more efficient power consumption for consumer and industrial uses, including VR games and connected vehicles.
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The 5.5G technology, also known as “5G-Advanced”, has been hailed by the company as the next level of telecommunications technology, providing a bridge for the evolution to 6G, which is expected to happen within the next decade.
Huawei previously announced that it planned to launch a complete set of commercial 5.5G network equipment in 2024, expanding its product portfolio for the technology.
“5.5G is already in the phase of accelerated commercialisation around the world,” Cao said in a media briefing on Wednesday, adding that chipsets and equipment for 5.5G have been launched by industry players, and nearly 20 countries around the world have the spectrum ready for 5.5G.
With the deployment of 5G networks expanding connectivity between people and homes, vehicles and industries, 5.5G will mark a step up for various traditional sectors, according to Cao.
“For industries to improve productivity and embrace digital transformation, 5G and 5.5G will have a big role to play,” Cao said.
In the past four years more than 260 5G networks have been deployed worldwide, covering nearly half of the world’s population, according to Huawei.
Being one of the first major economies to roll out 5G coverage four years ago, China’s coverage has ballooned. As of May, the country had more than 2.8 million 5G base stations, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.
