The communications industry is entering a period of major transformation as connectivity and digital transformation initiatives in key verticals expand. Three key trends that have emerged since the second half of 2021 illustrate the magnitude of the problems we face. Last December, the 3GPP standards body made adjustments to the priorities and scope of 5G Release 18, the first release to be named "Advanced," which will support more device types and use cases. In addition, the trend towards network virtualization has also brought about major changes in how wired and wireless networks are deployed, reshaping business models. Finally, as the third year of 5G deployment draws to a close, the need to align with the next generation of technology (6G) is becoming more apparent and important. Are these trends really that important? We agree with this judgment for the following reasons.

Realizing the 5G and 6G Vision

Kailash Narayanan, President, Communications Solutions Group, Keysight Technologies

Evolving Standards, 5G SA, Private Networks

The original vision for 5G included increased scale, reliability, and network performance, enabling businesses to use mobile networks in innovative ways. It's early 2022, and most official networks are just beginning to evaluate the capabilities of Release 16, and 3GPP will wrap up Release 17 this year. Work on version 18 is expected to start in March.

Realizing the 5G and 6G Vision

Major themes at this year's Mobile World Congress include FinTech, the Internet of Everything and the Industrial Internet of Things. These verticals are just beginning to use mobile communications for core operations, and the capabilities specified in Releases 16 and 17 will help them realize their 5G vision. This coincides with the (necessary) scaling up of 5G standalone (SA) mode networks, with most of the early implementations in private networks. This shift reflects a dramatic change in the way companies prioritize and deploy mobile networks.

Virtualization

The process of virtualizing the mobile core network, which started with 4G systems in the mid-2010s, has rapidly progressed to the point where not only do all legacy network equipment manufacturers have virtual 5G SA cores, but hyperscale providers are now entering the market . AWS recently announced that they will offer Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) through the Citizens Broadband Wireless Service (CBRS), a sign that mainstream hyperscale data centers are starting to enter both the network infrastructure and communications services markets. The move complements an already established edge computing services partnership between hyperscale data centers and communications service providers (CSPs). Part of the early vision for 5G included extending virtualization to the now fully implemented Radio Access Network (RAN). There is a close link between RAN virtualization and the Open RAN standard. In December, both the UK and Japanese governments had set their own targets for adopting or at least seriously evaluating the nationwide adoption of Open RAN.

This type of government engagement move is not limited to the interoperability dimension, but also shapes the capabilities of next-generation wireless networks.

6G is just around the corner

Formal 5G systems are just beginning to explore capabilities beyond enhanced mobile broadband, and the industry is already collaborating with research institutes and governments to power 6G. Regions and countries that have historically been leaders in wireless have government-sponsored 6G plans, and some countries may even see direct government involvement. For example, the U.S. House of Representatives submitted an unprecedented bill to the U.S. Senate to establish a "6G Working Group" to investigate how to design and deploy 6G technology. Over the past two years, Keysight has been engaged in 6G research with industry leaders and academic institutions, and has seen an increasing pace of development.

What does this mean for 2022? The overlap of these three metrics marks the industry's next exciting 5G phase. First, vertical industries will begin to explore 5G and place new demands on the technology and services. Network performance and security will play a critical role in such a transition as the industry begins to enable new applications or new use cases. Virtualization will not only provide a more flexible network, but will also bring about dramatic changes in business models, and new players will emerge in the field of network equipment and network operations. Version 16 features will move from nascent to mainstream, and we will see the "other two corners" of the 5G capability triangle play an important role in the industry.

We are very excited to be involved as we work globally in RF performance, wireless network security, Open RAN, data center testing, network deployment and network visualization. We look forward to seeing all kinds of innovations in 6G - from the convergence of communication, sensing and positioning to the use of artificial intelligence throughout the network. 2022 promises to be another banner year for the networking, wireless and communications industries in general, as well as a year in which the industry witnesses major changes. Keysight technology is hard at work, waiting for the day.