‘More efforts needed to fully unleash the power of 5G’

Everyone needs to work together to fully unleash the power of 5G networks and expand into services like cloud and system integration, Hu Houkun, the rotating chairman of Huawei Technologies, has said.

He made the remarks in his keynote speech at the 13th Global Mobile Broadband Forum hosted by Huawei that kicked off in Bangkok on Tuesday.

“Together, we can drive leapfrog development in 5G networks, applications, and the industry as a whole as 5G has grown faster than any previous generation of mobile technology,” he said.

As of October 2022, more than 230 carriers around the world have launched commercial 5G services. In total, the industry has set up over three million 5G base stations, serving more than 700 million subscribers, he said.

Hu Houkun, also known as Ken Hu, said that 5G is in the fast lane, “And we should all be proud of the progress we've made. But there's more we can do to maximize its value.”

He added that in telecoms, consumer services still account for the bulk of carrier revenue. As 5G becomes more prevalent, its vastly superior experience is driving new shifts in consumer behaviour, including a sharp rise in high-definition video traffic.

He said new mobile applications that take advantage of 5G’s greater speeds and lower latency have doubled average user data consumption and are increasing average revenue per user by 20-40 per cent, contributing to steady growth in carrier revenue from connectivity.

In 2021, for example, Chinese carriers brought in over CNY 3.4 billion (roughly $500 million) in new revenue from more than 3,000 industrial 5G projects. What's more, these projects also generated 10 times that amount from related data and integrated ICT services, said Hu.

Business-to-business 5G applications are poised to become the fastest-growing revenue stream for carriers as 5G is enabling new service scenarios, applications, and business models, paving the way for unprecedented growth opportunities in the industry, he added.

“To seize these opportunities, there are a few things we need to do. If we work together, we can drive leapfrog development in 5G networks, applications, and the industry as a whole,” he concluded.