Release of 17.11.2014
- As of 2020, all 5G system solutions will be made available and will gradually go live
- NGMN Alliance is a forum that sets trends for future mobile communications
- 5G to be innovation driver for new applications and business models
- Telekom Austria Group's best network quality repeatedly confirmed at the international level
Mobile Internet in 2020+
Data traffic in mobile communications networks and internet-enabled devices have increased significantly over recent years. Video and music streaming services, photo and movie downloads, as well as M2M applications, which consume more and more parts of everyday life and work, contribute to the steady increase of both Internet usage and broadband demand. For the real economy mobile Internet plays an increasingly important role: thus an excellent telecommunications infrastructure is necessary for a well-functioning economy and society.
NGMN Alliance Already Successful in Defining the 4G/LTE Standards
The "Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance" was founded in 2006 with a view to meeting ever-rising and constantly evolving requirements and expectations. Its main objective is to define common global standards for the development of next-generation mobile technologies. Following the successful introduction of 4G/LTE networks, vendors, telecom operators and research institutes are jointly defining the requirements of future mobile networks – the 5G standards - within the scope of the NGMN Alliance with a view to meeting steadily growing customer needs.
Recently, the Telekom Austria Group has also become a member of this Alliance and is now in a position to exert a decisive influence on the definition of the 5G requirements.
Günther Ottendorfer, CTO Telekom Austria Group and Board Member of this association, said:
"As a member of the NGMN Alliance, the Telekom Austria Group has committed itself to the definition of the 5G standards and can therefore make a significant contribution to future standardization in the mobile communications area. We are delighted to have the opportunity to turn our 5G visions into reality in the years to come and to play a key role in determining future technological developments."
Telecom operators have taken this data increase into account and have invested in network rollouts and ongoing developments of necessary network technologies, along with higher data rates and shorter runtimes. 'Big Data' has to be moved around in such a way as to prevent data traffic jams on the data highway.
The telecommunications industry is a highly dynamic sector that has brought about huge transformations for both economy and society over the past 15 years.
Telecom operators across Europe, Asia and the USA are currently upgrading their networks to meet the 4G/LTE standard and this development is increasingly gathering momentum. Mobile Internet will reach the limits of its capacity within the next decade therefore networks have to grow further. With the 5G technology, customers will be able to access transmission speeds of up to 1GB/s on their mobile devices.
In collaboration with leading international operators, experts can exchange their knowledge about end-to-end requirements with regard to 5G and formulate their specifications. In the current phase, engineers are collaborating in global teams to describe different functionalities, performance parameters and potential next-generation technologies, which will be made available as 5G standards starting from 2020 in addition to the current 4G/IMT advanced standards. Vendors, manufacturers and research institutes are also jointly fine-tuning future requirements and will soon present their results to the general public in a "White Paper". In regular meetings and workshops, requirements are subject to thorough scrutiny and potential 5G capabilities and solutions are reviewed. The main objectives encompass Tactile Internet, applications for the 4.0 industry and higher data transmission rates.
Peter Meissner, CEO NGMN Alliance, said: "The NGMN 5G Initiative offers leading network providers, manufacturers and research institutes a platform to collaborate on common solutions at the global level with the ultimate objective to drive the development of the 5G standards forward. The NGMN 5G White Paper, which will be published shortly, provides a definition of end-to-end requirements for the 5G standards. We are delighted to welcome Telekom Austria Group on board in this important phase and we are confident that Telekom Austria Group will make a valuable contribution to the 5G Initiative based on its extensive expertise and hands-on experience in the area of telecommunications technologies."
5G – A Driver of Future Developments for Both Economy and Society
5G is still at the research stage across the world. Within the framework of a research cooperation with the Technology University of Vienna (TU), numerous issues regarding future technologies that are also relevant for 5G have already been addressed in previous years. According to the NGMN's timetable, the association plans to start defining the new standards and developing the new systems and end-devices based on the NGMN expert requirements over the next few years. As of 2020, all 5G system solutions will be made available and will gradually go live.
5G does not only mean faster wireless Internet, more mobile connections between man and machine (Internet of Things), lower energy and battery consumption but also new base stations, a higher geographic density of base stations and a wider frequency spectrum. At the same time, higher transmission speeds will also allow for new applications and business models.
Infrastructure Leadership as a Decisive Selection Criterion for Customers
The Telekom Austria Group views an outstanding telecommunications infrastructure as an important differentiation factor. The Telekom Austria Group's mobile network reaches a total of 40 million inhabitants across its operating footprint and LTE services are offered in four of the Group's eight operating markets. Following the acquisition of the necessary frequency spectrum, the focus of network roll-out has been placed on LTE. To date, A1's network has reached total population coverage of over 52% in Austria, Si.mobil's network of over 68% in Slovenia, Vip operator's network of more than 40% in the Republic of Macedonia and Vipnet's network of roughly 23% in Croatia. The company's outstanding network quality has been repeatedly confirmed at the international level and most recently by the Futurezone network test in September, which rated A1's network as the best ever mobile network in Austria.
About NGMN Alliance
The NGMN Alliance was founded by leading international network operators in 2006. Its objective is to ensure that the functionality and performance of next generation mobile network infrastructure, service platforms and devices will meet the requirements of operators and, ultimately, will satisfy end-user demand and expectations. The NGMN Alliance will drive and guide the development of all future mobile broadband technology enhancements with a focus on 5G. The targets of these activities are supported by the strong and well-established partnership of worldwide leading operators, vendors, universities, and successful co-operations with other industry organizations.
Development Mobile Communications Technology