Major mobile network operators and vendors issued a call to accelerate the 5G New Radio (NR) standardization schedule to enable large-scale trials and deployments as early as 2019, a year earlier than the previous expected timeline.
The first 3GPP 5G NR specification will be part of Release 15 - the global 5G standard that will make use of both sub-6 GHz and mmWave spectrum bands.
Companies backing this accelerated schedule for 5G include AT&T, NTT DOCOMO, SK Telecom, Vodafone, Ericsson, Qualcomm, British Telecom, Telstra, Korea Telecom, Intel, LG Uplus, KDDI, LG Electronics, Telia, Swisscom, TIM, Etisalat Group, Huawei, Sprint, Vivo, ZTE and Deutsche Telekom. A new workplan will be presented at the upcoming 3GPP RAN Plenary Meeting on March 6-9 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
"We support both the Standalone and Non-Standalone configurations of 5G New Radio," said Tom Keathley, senior vice president- wireless network architecture and design, AT&T. "Our focus is on prioritizing important specifications in the standards to bring 5G to market as quickly as possible. In the process of defining any standard, it is normal to make some decisions earlier than others. These accelerated decisions on key components of 5G New Radio standards will allow an earlier start on the development of the infrastructure and devices of tomorrow's 5G deployments."
"The faster we commercialize 5G based on 3GPP specifications, the faster we will realize its benefits for the entire industry. We are thrilled to participate in this initiative to accelerate the 5G ecosystem and commercial deployment," stated Arun Bansal, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit Network Products, Ericsson.
See Qualcomm's "Making 5G a Reality" presentation
https://www.qualcomm.com/invention/technologies/5g-nr
