Building Momentum Partnerships

Partnerships are critical to the success of 5G, both between industry and government and between the telecoms industry and the multiple sectors that are set to be transformed as 5G enables a raft of new use-cases. Indeed, 5G is ultimately not just a product or technology, it is an ecosystem that demands collaboration between all stakeholders if it is to fulfil its full potential.

In this section, we explore each of the 5G leader countries´ efforts in terms of driving industry-government cooperation, building platforms to encourage collaboration between the different industry sectors, and encouraging international 5G collaboration. In section 5 we return to the theme of partnership when exploring efforts in promoting cooperation between the telecoms sector and the vertical industries through trials and test beds.

Government leadership and partnership initiatives

Across each of the countries benchmarked there is a strong political commitment to 5G and this translates, to varying degrees, into institutional mechanisms and collaboration platforms with industry (see Fig. 2 below). In each of the Asian markets under review, 5G discussion platforms have been set up at the national level since 2013 to facilitate cooperation between industry, government and research institutions. While the U.S. may be comparatively less interventionist in this regard, the government and regulator are continuously supporting 5G progress through new spectrum allocations and removing obstacles to deployment (section 3.2).

China

The Chinese government supports both the development of 5G standards and the commercial deployment of 5G networks through a range of policies and initiatives. These include the 13th Five Year Plan, which aims for a commercial launch of 5G services by 2020. As well as looking to further broaden internet access, the plan calls for ‘breakthroughs’ in 5G through expanded research and development efforts by 2020. The longer-term goal by 2025 is to build a leading mobile communications network.

In the “’Broadband China’ Strategy and Implementation Plan” that was published in August 2013, the Chinese government sets the following goals for 2020: (1) broadband networks will cover all urban and rural areas; (2) household penetration of fixed broadband will reach 70%; (3) the penetration of 3G/LTE users will reach 85%; (4) broadband networks will cover 98% of administrative villages; (5) broadband access rates for urban and rural households will reach 50 Mbps and 12 Mbps, respectively; for some developed cities, it will reach 1 gigabit Gbps; (6) broadband applications will be widely used in the industry and in daily life; (7) mobile Internet will have become very popular; (8) technological innovation and industrial competitiveness will have achieved an internationally recognized advanced level and (9) a robust security system for handling networks and information will have been set up.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), under Minister Miao Wei, has responsibility for the regulation and development of 5G. In February 2013 MIIT, together with the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology, established the IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group. Consisting of nearly 60 members drawn from vendors, operators, universities and research institutes, its objective is the promotion of 5G research. It is a not for profit organization with its seat in Beijing. Its structure is set out in Fig. 3 below.

The IMT-2020 PG has also established MoUs to collaborate on 5G with governments and industry associations in a number of countries and regions, including the EU, the US, Japan and Korea. China´s stated goal is to further enhance international cooperation in order to build a globally unified 5G standard and industry ecosystem.

Japan

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication (MIC) is responsible for 5G spectrum, policy development and deployment. In September 2014 the Japanese Government established the Fifth Generation Mobile Communication Promotion Forum (5GMF), which currently has over 120 members drawn from vendors, operators and the regulator. It is chaired by Kyoto University and focuses on promoting R&D through Industry-Academia-Government cooperation, promoting standardisation and international collaboration, and increasing awareness and collaboration through 5G field trials. Its organizational structure is set out in Fig 4 below.

South Korea

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), headed by Minister You Young Min, oversees 5G policy development and deployment. The Korean Communications Commission (KCC), established in 2008 and modelled on the FCC, is responsible for regulating the broadcasting and telecommunications sector.

The MSIT organises a quarterly 5G strategy committee meeting chaired by the 2nd Vice Minister, Mr Jong-Lok Yoon. It gathers government (MSIT), the private sector and research institution representatives to explore ways of delivering on the national 5G policy goal of becoming a global leading market by 2020 in 5G services, technology (no.1 for devices) and standards development. To help achieve this the South Korean government has allocated significant budget with two billion dollars to be invested through the i-Korea 4.0 project (launched November 2017) to promote AI, AV/VR, autonomous vehicles, robotics, smart cities and disaster monitoring and response.

South Korea’s 5G Forum was established in May 2013. It consists of 33 representatives from the vendor and operator communities, research institutes, and government. Its remit is to develop a 5G vision and roadmap (Fig 5 see below); study spectrum needs; provide a bridge between government and industry, and collaborate on global harmonization.

It is chaired by Seong-Mok OH, President of Network Group at Korea Telecom (KT). The structure of the forum is outlined below (Fig.6.). Prof. DongKu Kim, from Yonsei University, chairs the Executive Committee. The committee for global collaboration and partnerships with other organisations (the ‘Global Strategy Committee’) is chaired by Prof HyeonWoo Lee from DanKook university.

The 5G Forum has signed MoUs for international collaboration with 5GMF, 5GPPP, TeleBrasil, IMT-2020PG and 5G Americas, and with national bodies in Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey and Taiwan.

United Kingdom

The Government’s 2017 5G strategy sets out a framework and steps to advance the UK´s 5G agenda. It is led by the Department of Digital, Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS) and focuses on four challenges: accelerating the deployment of 5G networks and ensuring that the UK can take early advantage of the applications they enable; maximising the 5G’s productivity and efficiency benefits to the UK economy, creating opportunities for UK businesses at home and abroad, and encouraging inward investment.

Central to the strategy is the Government’s 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme, which promotes and tests use-cases across multiple industries and different 5G capabilities. Examples from this and other trials in 5G leadership countries are covered in section 5.

The trials programme is complemented by the recently launched UK 5G Innovation Network, which was commissioned by the DCMS but is overseen by an independent advisory board that will also advise the government on 5G strategy. It is run by a consortium led by Cambridge Wireless and comprises two networks: the TM Forum, which is an association of over 800 communication and digital service providers, and the Knowledge Transfer Network. Acting as a network of networks it will bring together multiple organisations working on 5G applications and services, from start-ups and SMEs to large businesses and academic institutions.

United States

The U.S. approach differs from the Asian front-runners in that it is more market-led and less interventionist. Nevertheless, its approach cannot be considered laissez-faire. Government institutions including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Congress and some state and local governments – are actively supporting 5G progress through consultations and decisions on spectrum allocations, and work to streamline and reduce the cost of siting wireless facilities.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) runs a number of 5G focused programmes including the Advanced Wireless Research Initiative, which aims to sustain U.S. leadership in mobile communications and technology. It includes PAWR (platforms for advanced wireless research), which is a public-private partnership to support a series of city-scale wireless research and testing platforms.

5G Americas is an industry trade organisation of telecoms service providers and vendors. Its mission is to advance the evolution to 5G. It is different from its Asian 5G promotional body counterparts in that it is not a public private partnership but uniquely an industry representative body. It has signed international MoUs with 5GPPP, IMT-2020PG, 5G Forum and 5GMF.

International cooperation

The Global 5G Event gathers the world´s leading 5G organisations to discuss R&D, spectrum, standardization, field trials and international cooperation. It takes place twice a year and is hosted by countries on a rotational basis. The next, and 5th event of its kind, is scheduled for May in Austin, Texas. The “Event” was established as part of a multi-lateral MoU between the world´s leading 5G promotion groups: 5GMF (Japan); 5G Forum (South Korea); 5G Americas, IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group (China) and the 5G-IA (EU). 5G Brasil has recently joined the organizing group.

There are also numerous MoUs between the different 5G leadership countries and third countries, including those outlined in section 2.2.

Courtesy: Bharat Exhibitions