December 14, 2016

expert reaction to published recommendations on the delivery of a 5g mobile network

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has published a report into how a 5G mobile network should be implemented in the UK.

Prof William Webb, CEO of Weightless SIG and former President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, said:

“The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) this morning published its recommendations on the delivery of 5G. 5G has become perhaps the most over-promised development in mobile communications yet, with claims of speeds a hundred times faster than currently available and vast increases in capacity.

“However, most of us would much prefer consistent and reliable connectivity everywhere rather than super-fast speeds in dense areas. Broadly, the NIC report recognises this and suggests that over the next few years we target connectivity in trains, on roads and in rural areas. It also recognises that the current mobile marketplace is poorly structured to deliver this and suggests targeted Government intervention. It rightly notes that 5G is still 5 years or more away and steers a more pragmatic course than other countries rushing to deploy a technology that is not yet ready.

“As I argue in my book The 5G Myth, vast improvements to our communications infrastructure can be made by harnessing 4G, making more intensive use of Wi-Fi and deploying emerging technologies to connect the Internet of Things (IoT). This could lead to important productivity improvements, a better quality of life and place the UK at the forefront of delivering applications and new business models around mobile. The NIC report is a bold and decisive move in the right direction and should be welcomed. The next steps are then to quickly add detail as to how we can lead the world in IoT deployment and consistent connectivity.”

Declared interests

None received