Will 5G be a step too far for some operators?

5G is the hottest of hot topics but exactly what 5G might actually be when it actually arrives is a moot point. Everyone in the industry seems to have a different point of view. So, how is 5G evolving, what are its key drivers and can we discern its final form yet? As Gianluca Noya points out, the business case for and processes of 5G are well understood and accepted but just what 5G might look like when it is introduced may well differ from operator to operator. Why? Well, as Gianluca Noya explains, 5G is a new wireless network system with much greater speeds and capacity, and much lower latency than existing cellular networks and it has been designed specifically to keep up with the ever-growing proliferation of devices that require a mobile Internet connection. It's not just about the phone, laptop or tablet device any more, or even the incredible proliferation of video traffic crossing the networks. It's also about IoT. That's things like home appliances, door locks, security cameras, cars, wearables and a myriad of other inert devices that are beginning to connect to the web. Unsurprisingly, some operators and service providers are beginning to wonder if they can ever manage a network of such size, complexity and continued runaway growth.

FILMED AT: Broadband World Forum 2016, ExCeL Convention Centre, London