.

The UK mobile operator EE has announced that its 5G standalone (5G SA) service now reaches two thirds of the UK’s population. 5G SA provides lower latency and higher speeds than conventional (non standalone) 5G since it isn’t partly reliant on existing 4G infrastructure.

With a feature referred to as network slicing, 5G SA also offers differentiated services where a service can be tailored to the specific requirements of an industrial application or group of users.

For example, Vodafone recently carried out a trial of network slicing to provide mobile coverage at a Wales versus Ireland rugby match. One “slice” provided a service suitable for video sharing and other data heavy activities for those in a hospitality area while another gave guaranteed upload speeds for official photographers that were unaffected by more general mobile activity in the area.

Industrial applications that require ultra-low latency and high security may prove to be the biggest beneficiaries of 5G SA with network slicing. These include those that employ robotics, autonomous guided vehicles, and a high density of networked smart devices such as cameras, sensors, and actuators that remotely monitor and control industrial processes.

You can keep abreast of mobile technology development by studying PTT online courses including “4G and 5G radio access networks” and “Advanced mobile systems“

The need for more international communications capacity driven in part by the growth in access to cloud services including those using artificial intelligence has led to the continued expansion of the mesh of submarine cables that encircle the world.

For example, the new Medusa subsea cable will thread through the Mediterranean connecting Lisbon with countries such as Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Malta, Libya, Algeria, and Egypt. The cable will contain 24 optical fibre pairs each carrying 20 Terabits per second for a total system capacity of 480 Terabits per second.

Google, meanwhile, has announced its intention to deliver another high capacity transatlantic cable linking the USA with Bermuda, the Azores, and Spain.

PTT’s new online course “Optical line systems” explains the principles of the technologies that enable these high capacity, low latency connections. The course also gives up-to-date information about the capabilities, components and operation of the optical links that provide interconnections for telecommunications and cloud service providers over land as well under the sea.

Just when you were getting used to the benefits of 5G – at least if you are lucky enough to have 5G coverage in your area – steps are being taken for the development of 6G.

3GPP, the body responsible for setting international standards for mobile technology, recently convened a plenary meeting to discuss future developments. The subjects addressed by participants included the development of enhancements to 5G Advanced services and the preparation for a smooth transition to 6G.

There are two schools of thought as to how big a transition there should be. Some network operators are, perhaps understandably, arguing for an evolutionary approach to avoid expensive hardware changes. Instead, they suggest that upgrading existing mobile sites for 6G services should be possible by just software changes.

Others are calling for the European Union to reserve the upper 6 GHz radio band for just 6G services. Operating at these super high radio frequencies (SHF) offers increased download speeds but over a restricted range. However, this would require investment in new radio equipment.

So, when can we expect access to 6G? In the past a new generation of mobile service has been introduced every ten years. 5G services have been available since 2019. Based on past experience, therefore, we have another four years to wait. It also takes on average 20 years from launch for a new generation to becomes predominate over older services. Meanwhile, we can look forward to enhancements to 5G services and an expansion of coverage.

You can keep abreast of mobile technology development by studying PTT online courses including “4G and 5G radio access networks” and “Advanced mobile systems“.