On the morning of October 30 local time, the 15th Global Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF 2024) was held in Istanbul, Turkey. Ken Hu, Deputy Chairman and Rotating Chairman of Huawei, delivered the opening speech via video. He pointed out that 2024 marks a significant milestone for the mobile industry, with the first version of the 5G-A standard, 3GPP Release 18, officially finalized in June. As of now, 60 operators, together with industry partners, have announced the commercial use of 5G-A.
As an evolution and enhancement of 5G, 5G-A boasts ten times the capabilities of existing networks, lightweight RedCap technology, and the introduction of revolutionary new features such as integrated communication and sensing, passive IoT, and innate intelligence. These advancements connect people, homes, things, vehicles, and industries in unprecedented ways, meeting more application scenarios and business needs, and fully realizing the vision of "5G changing society." At the same time, as a preview of 6G, 5G-A can pave the way for 6G through pioneering exploration and foster relevant user habits in advance, preparing the industry chain for the arrival of 6G.
Research by GSMA indicates that over 50% of operators plan to deploy 5G-A within a year of the standard's release, with 5G-A expected to become mainstream by 2027.
