It will take time for 5G to achieve a breakthrough from "1 to N"

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Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has taken a variety of measures to promote the development of 5G. In early May, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the "5G Application "Sailing" Action Plan (2021-2023)", which is a programmatic action plan that points out the key directions, key goals and core tasks for the development of the 5G industry. At the "2021 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day Conference" held on May 17, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology promoted the five major basic telecommunications operators to launch the "5G Empowerment Industry Digitalization Joint Action"; Deputy Minister Liu Liehong emphasized in his keynote speech at the conference that we must grasp the innovation of 5G integrated applications, increase resource investment, and strengthen new momentum. We must grasp the complexity of 5G integrated applications, work together to overcome difficulties and fight hard battles, and embark on a 5G development path with Chinese characteristics.

In the past three years, China's 5G has achieved a breakthrough from "0 to 1", and network construction has reached a certain scale. As of the end of March 2021, 819,000 5G base stations have been built, covering all cities above the prefecture level in the country, accounting for more than 70% of the total number of 5G base stations in the world. The independent networking (SA) mode has been deployed on a large scale, and the world's largest independent 5G network has been initially built. 5G applications are also emerging in an endless stream. In the consumer field, there are a series of new products such as 5G messages (RCS converged communication), video ringtones, ultra-high-definition video, AR/VR, and cloud games. The combination of technologies such as 5G+big data+artificial intelligence+AR/VR is forming an emerging development model in the fields of game entertainment, event live broadcast, and residential services, promoting the deep integration of to B and to C business models. In the industrial field, there are more than 1,500 "5G+Industrial Internet" projects nationwide, covering 22 important industries of the national economy. In the field of people's livelihood, 5G application innovation in highways, urban roads, railways, and subways continues to deepen. High-definition video services such as 5G+4K/8K and 5G+VR/AR/MR are accelerating development. Typical applications such as 5G+smart hospitals, emergency rescue, public health, and healthy elderly care have been launched one after another.

It can be said that China's 5G development has achieved a world-leading systematic advantage and a breakthrough from "0 to 1". However, the problem facing 5G now is how to upgrade the breakthrough from "0 to 1" to a comprehensive improvement from "1 to N" and achieve large-scale application.

This "N" includes both 5G to C and 5G to B. In 5G to C applications, many users are indifferent to 5G. Whether it is live broadcast or game applications, 5G's network speed does not show greater advantages than 4G, and due to the high package fees and the expensive 5G mobile phones, public opinion has been pessimistic about 5G. Therefore, users do not show their expectations for 5G, but rejection and distrust. In 5G to B applications, although we have many different application cases, these cases are more isolated pilots that solve local problems. For example, in solving factory problems, 5G applications are more focused on machine vision. If these applications are promoted to a certain company, the company may not know what it wants to do with 5G. If it is promoted to an industry, it seems unclear from technical requirements, standard scale, to business model, and the needs of different industries are different. For the communications industry, standard specifications and clear requirements are the prerequisites for the large-scale commercial use of business applications. At present, the needs in the 5G to B field are more fragmented and overall vague. If these problems cannot be solved, how can we talk about large-scale applications?

Therefore, it is a very challenging process for 5G to achieve a breakthrough from "1 to N". This process is not only faced by the communications industry, but also by other industries. If we can refer to foreign experience from 1G to 4G, we can cross the river by feeling the stones; then today, after China's 5G enters the "no man's land", there is no reference. Vice Minister Liu Liehong said that China's 5G must "coordinate efforts to overcome difficulties and fight hard battles, and embark on a 5G development path with Chinese characteristics." This is not a slogan, but a clear requirement for the communications industry.

Now that 5G development has entered the "deep water zone", how can we explore and in which directions can we achieve a breakthrough in 5G applications "from 1 to N"? Finding the answer takes time and also tests the wisdom and patience of the industry.