5G is not just about access technology and more throughput. It is about a new framework to cater to the evolving needs of consumers, small business enterprises and the government. If 4G is about speeds and feeds, 5G is about creating experiences. Organisations would like to redistribute and automate their supply chains and make them agile.

Spectrum

Though spectrum is a scarce resource, the requirements of 5G are huge. It requires across low- , mid- and high spectrum ranges to ensure maximum coverage.

Low bands of sub-1GHz are better suited to support coverage of larger and remotely located areas. Mid-sized bands of 3.3 – 3.8 GHz offer benefits of both coverage and capacity. High bands such as 40 MHz are required for high broadband speeds.

OpenRAN

A Pan-India 5G rollout would require an investment of $ 30 billion from telcos. They are looking for new and more cost-effective ways of deploying and managing these networks. Here the concept of an open, virtualised mobile infrastructure or OpenRAN becomes critical.

Typically RAN makes up the majority of network cost. O-RAN enables telecom service providers to diversify supply chains, bring interoperability and agility. It can help reduce their capex by almost 50 percent.

Additionally, O-RAN will allow service providers to offer a package of new cloud-delivered services to enterprises and end-consumers. It will create new revenue streams for them. It will reduce their time to market these services.