Despite the completely empty concerns of the conspirators about the next generation 5G network, the development of this technology around the world is proceeding at a rapid pace.
Very soon, 5G will bring huge benefits in many areas of life, including industrial production, telemedicine, agriculture, security and entertainment. How one of the main technologies of the 21st century is being developed in Russia and what it will give ordinary users – in the material “Lenta.ru”.
“The era of 5G has arrived”
Despite the fact that the official launch of 5G has not yet taken place in Russia, experimental zones are already working with might and main in million-plus cities. In August 2019, the Tele2 operator launched the first 5G pilot zone on Tverskaya Street – this zone covers the area from the Kremlin to the Garden Ring in the 28 GHz band. Ericsson equipment was used to test the platform.
“Today’s event means that the era of 5G in Russia has already begun – we are moving from tests and laboratory tests to operating the technology on a commercial network,” Sergey Edmin, CEO of Tele2, said at the time.
Almost simultaneously, a similar project was launched by MegaFon. The operator opened pilot zones in two places in the capital at once – on Sparrow Hills and in the Moscow City business center. All tests of the technology also take place in the 28 GHz band, the tests should continue until at least September 2020, although the license issued for these frequencies is valid until August 2021.
In October 2019, MTS opened a platform at VDNH for the development and testing of digital solutions and devices operating in 5G networks. This center has a 5G use case study area and case development equipment. Participants are promised expert support from the operator and project partners, as well as development grants to the authors of the best solutions.
By the way, MTS became the first Russian telecom operator to obtain a license to provide mobile communication services of the 5G/IMT-2020 standard in the 24.25-24.65 GHz band. The license is valid in 83 subjects of the country and will be valid until July 2025, but it can be extended if desired.
Beeline was the last of the domestic operators to launch pilot zones in Moscow. According to company representatives, the experience gained during the tests will be used in the further deployment of 5G networks, ready for increased loads throughout Russia. In September 2019, Beeline set a speed record in fifth generation networks – over three gigabits per second on a smartphone.
Alexei Chukar, Senior Director for Digital Transformation at the Higher School of Economics, said in a conversation with Lenta. “In general, this is still an experiment, but very, very successful,” he said.
What gives 5G?
Fifth generation communications bring benefits to many areas of activity, including the manufacturing sector, transport and other industries. This theory has been confirmed by practice in other countries where 5G is being actively implemented. At the same time, the network provides high reliability and low signal delay. As a result, 5G makes it possible to equip factories, residential buildings and city streets with smart solutions.
“5G technologies are applicable in energy, transport, healthcare, trade, public security, industry, housing and communal services, unmanned vehicles,” the press service of the Ministry of Communications explains.
A good example of the innovations associated with the development of fifth-generation networks in industry is the large shipbuilding company Hyundai Heavy Industries. The management introduced round-the-clock monitoring of all enterprises using 5G. Thanks to this, the company coordinates the production process and safety issues in real time. As a result, in less than a year, Hyundai Heavy Industries cut the backlog by half and increased productivity by 40 percent.
In the Russian industry, the introduction of 5G networks will also open up many additional opportunities, experts say. According to the director of the Russian Association for Electronic Communications (RAEC) Sergey Plutogarenko, infrastructure development will make it easier and more reliable to introduce the industrial Internet of things, robots, and production automation.
“The work of a number of infrastructure and platform solutions in the field of industry is impossible without the widespread implementation of 5G. This issue is becoming fundamental for ensuring the competitiveness and independence of the Russian industry,” Plugotarenko said in a conversation with Lenta.ru. He also added that without digital development and innovation, development synchronous with international trends is impossible.
Aleksey Chukarin from the HSE also predicts the positive impact of the introduction of 5G on the domestic industry. The expert believes that one of the key areas for the application of fifth-generation communication technologies will be the so-called Internet of Things – it is he who will allow reaching a new level of quality and productivity in the industry.
“The Internet of Things allows, due to a large number of sensors connected to a single network, to manage and control production processes in real time, to ensure constant monitoring of the quality of products, to monitor compliance with the technological process, which ultimately leads to an increase in the requirements of basic quality standards and improvement consumer characteristics,” the expert explains.
Fifth generation networks can also influence the development of education and science. According to Chukrasin, 5G and subsequent generations of communication will allow conducting geographically distributed experiments, ensuring high quality content transmission for a high density of subscribers (for example, in schools and universities).
