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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“