Expert: 2019 to see 5G commercialization

An expert predicted that 5G commercialization is expected to be realized in 2019, with large-scale 5G application being completed in two to three more years, the People's Daily Overseas Edition reported.

The 1G to 4G technology solved communication between people, while 5G will solve communication between people and things, as well as between things, Ge Qi, head of Strategic Engagement, Greater China at the Global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA), told the newspaper.

The 5G will become important infrastructure in the internet era, Ge added.

With high speed, big capacity and low delay, 5G can be widely used in the internet of things, smart homes, remote services, virtual reality and augmented reality. As of November, a total of 182 operators have rolled out 5G tests, deployment and investment in 78 countries globally.

In June, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, or 3GPP, a global organization supervising cellular standards, agreed on the first specifications for the standalone 5G network.

Based on this standard, Ge predicted the 5G commercialization could be achieved in the world next year. However, it just marked the beginning of 5G services. Large-scale 5G commercialization will require two or three more years, Ge said.

From earlier experiences, only when low-price terminals appear, become mainstream and create a scale effect, will 5G network services rapidly become popular. In order to make 5G better serve the industry and society, there is a long way to go, Ge said.

However, it's possible that consumers could enjoy 5G services in the second half of 2019 or 2020, Ge added.

China is expected to become the world's largest 5G market by 2025, accounting for 430 million 5G connections, or one-third of the global total, according to GSMA.

China has accelerated 5G deployment, while some enterprises have achieved periodic breakthroughs in 5G technology and applications.

According to the plan of China's big three telecom carriers -- China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom -- China will realize 5G network commercialization by 2020.

China has issued licenses to the big three telecom carriers to use the low-and medium-band spectrum for nationwide 5G trial network construction, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Thursday.