The Future of 5G: ZTE’s Pathway and Upcoming Breakthroughs
Verizon emerged as the inaugural US network provider to introduce 5G in 2019. Subsequently, Sprint swiftly joined the ranks, followed by T-Mobile and AT&T as the final major carriers to join the 5G revolution. Fast forward to 2023, ZTE has undeniably established a global presence in the realm of 5G.
ZTE’s Achievements in 5G Deployment
ZTE laid extensive and impressive groundwork in the decade leading up to the 2019 debut of 5G. The company planned precisely by studying trends in internet usage, starting from the 2009 rollout of 4G. ZTE created models of complex scenarios to study the effects of faster speeds on traffic and infrastructure.
Part of the ZTE 5G development included collecting, collating, and analyzing feedback from end users — taking their concerns seriously and addressing them to create solutions. Even after the rollout, ZTE listened to its users after implementing a one-click complaint process. That enabled the company to act swiftly to shore up any network issues and create a wonderful user experience.
ZTE was already strong in what are known as “pioneer markets.” Those are places where there was already significant network infrastructure upon which to build to forge the 5G network. By analyzing all the data it had gathered, the company could expand into emerging markets. ZTE applied what it had learned in pioneer markets and put it into action when building the ZTE 5G network.
Another part of ZTE’s rousing success is the company’s focus on well-programmed automatic systems, such as those for delivery of services and integration of systems.
The Rise of 5G Standalone Networks
A “standalone” network has only 5G infrastructure. In other words, it can be independent of older 4G support. Its backbone is cloud-based.
In 2021, standalone 5G networks were limited on a global scale. There were just 22 such networks in 16 countries. As of February 2023, that number had climbed to 40 networks in 19 countries. That’s about 16% of the total 5G rollout; the other 84% of companies use older 4G networks as the backbone.
Aside from helping the world achieve Net Zero by 2050, the most noticeable benefit will be the improved experience for end users. The lower lag and higher throughput will enable end users to do more with their phones than ever. Other benefits include less complexity in the hardware, greater network efficiency, and new services offered for individual and commercial consumers.
ZTE created China’s first standalone 5G network and is a world leader in implementing the technology.
5G’s Role in Building a Sustainable Future
ZTE 5G is fast. It has enormous bandwidth. Therefore, the network can operate with fewer connections and other equipment. It uses less energy because users can achieve the same network results with far fewer systems in place. It ensures that companies that produce the necessary components of the system can make fewer of them.
That means those companies use less energy, lowering everyone’s carbon footprint. Moreover, the 5G network is much faster than its predecessors. Users consume less energy because they don’t have to spend as much time online.
The “math” is quite instructive. Compared to 4G, ZTE 5G provides 12 times greater capacity overall on average and uses 15% less energy at the same time. At times of extremely low traffic, 5G uses 97% less energy than 4G. That’s a huge chunk out of the world’s carbon footprint.
Even businesses worldwide use 20%-60% less energy to meet connectivity needs. In some cases, large businesses have saved up to 25 gigawatts of power in a single year just by using 5G connectivity.
ZTE’s Vision for a Connected World
ZTE envisions a future where 5G technology is at the heart of a more connected world, driving innovations across various sectors. ZTE is focused on creating solutions tailored to different industries’ digital transformation and industrial upgrade needs.
ZTE is not just limiting its vision to connectivity but extending it to smart operations where AI is utilized in the O&M field to find and solve problems that traditional automatic O&M solutions couldn’t address. This is a step towards realizing a network that is more intelligent and responsive to the diversified service requirements of the modern world.
Moreover, ZTE is pivotal in promoting 5G technology globally. The company is part of the ongoing efforts to make 5G mainstream. Their initiatives foster collaborations between mobile operators and different enterprises to explore new opportunities that 5G standalone networks can offer. These collaborations are expected to spur the development of 5G applications, including smart homes, energy, and transport systems. This truly unleashes the power of connectivity around the world.
Conclusion
The progression of 5G technology brings forth promising prospects for the future, benefiting not only consumers but also the planet and the environment. ZTE’s advancements in 5G have set a precedent for other companies to emulate, as we steadily and indispensably move towards achieving Net Zero by 2050.
