GSMA MWC Barcelona Trend Watch – what comes after one billion 5G connections? The 2nd Wave of 5G

By Peter Jarich, Head of GSMA Intelligence

As forecast by GSMA Intelligence at the start of 2022, the mobile industry celebrated an incredible milestone as the first billion 5G connections were made by the end of 2022. While this is a key turning point for the industry, it was one of many important 5G accomplishments realised in 2022, including:

Standalone and mmWave 5G momentum
Early messaging and interest around 5G-Advanced
The launch of 5G in India

Individually, each of these represents unique aspects of 5G deployment and the wider 5G ecosystem. Together, they point to the fact that we are entering the 2nd Wave of 5G deployment.

Where the 1st Wave of 5G was driven by relatively mature markets and consumer use cases like eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband), the 2nd Wave will engage a diverse set of new audiences. To be sure, many familiar dynamics will remain, including a focus on compelling and affordable devices, continued network modernisation, and “the three S’s” – sustainability, security, and spectrum. However, the extension to new use cases and markets will challenge the mobile ecosystem to prove that 5G truly is flexible enough to meet diverse industry-, market- and operator-specific demands in a way that’s both inclusive and innovative.

In short, it’s no exaggeration to say that this 2nd Wave will be more important than the 1st Wave. Yes, 5G has got off to an incredible start. But now it must deliver, enriching lives and societies in all corners of the world.

That’s quite a tall order. So will 5G step up?

It is very likely that the 2nd Wave will be successful in extending the reach and value of 5G in a sustainable and secure manner. The ecosystems of operators, solution providers, and end-users (consumer and enterprise) will demand that it succeeds in living up to its potential.

The real question, then, is how quickly the 2nd Wave will unfold – will we see evidence of it in 2023? Will economic headwinds mean that the 2nd Wave gets off to slower start than its predecessor? Will 4G remain the dominant mobile broadband technology well beyond 2025?

It may seem trite to suggest that the answer is “time will tell.” But that’s completely accurate.

Looking ahead

That makes MWC Barcelona 2023, in turn, one of the most important editions in the MWC series. At the dawn of 5G’s next phase, MWC Barcelona provides an incredible opportunity to take stock of the accomplishments we’ve made as an industry, but also gain insights into the industry’s trajectory.

About MWC Barcelona 2023

The industry’s largest and most influential connectivity event

Themes

5G Acceleration
Reality+
OpenNet
FinTech
Digital Everything

5G Acceleration

5G is unlocking untapped value for all players across the entire ecosystem. With millions of 5G devices and huge waves of new data being collected, we are redefining how the world connects. Through greater software development, digital innovation and enhanced 5G delivery, mobile led platforms are becoming even smarter, creating new use cases and business models that will transform industry and enterprises. Our evolutionary path is accelerating technology towards 6G, quantum computing and more efficient networks. And this is a path with unimagined growth opportunities.

Topics include:

FWA: The Real 5G Success Story
Going Green: Are we Meeting Targets?
Ready to Talk 6G?
5G Advance, Ready for Take-Off!
Is a 5G Future for Everyone?
5G: Modernize to Monetize
A Quantum Leap into the Future
Spectrum: Delivering a 6G Future
Are Private Networks Over-Hyped?

Reality+

Immersive technology and 5G are fundamentally changing the way we live, work and consume information and media. As advanced technologies enable new touchpoints on the customer journey and business models begin to adapt, nothing engages attention like outstanding experience. As the exploration of extended reality and metaverse continues, 5G will be key to enabling the latest innovations in the physical, digital and virtual worlds. The customer experience in the next five years will be completely transformed – and now is the time to start exploring how we can unlock this virtual vision and bring people closer together.

Topics include:

From Metaverse to Matterverse, How To Do It Right?
Who are the New Consumers in Web 3.0
The F-word of Metaverse: Future, Fad or Fraud?
Natural Intelligence: Can AI Really Think for Itself?
Is There Anything That Can’t Be Connected?
How Immersive Technologies Can Transform the World?
XR, AI & 5G for a New Immersive Experience
Connecting Everyone and Everything Beyond the Mobile
Player One, Are You Ready?

OpenNet

Openness in mobile networks is providing significant value, as well as promising to make networks more agile and futureproof. Whilst open radio access networks have seen a significant shift in functionality, this market change must be managed carefully to deliver on that promise, whilst maintaining security and performance levels. Leveraging 5G, IoT, Edge and Cloud capabilities with open API functionalities will help mobile operators to create a differentiated value proposition that delivers scalable next-generation digital services. The long-term network evolution has begun – is it time to embrace open networks?

Topics include:

OpenRAN: The Debate
That’s My Slice!
How are Digital Twins Driving Network Transformation
Open Network Security: Who is Responsible?
A Match Made in Space: The Relationship of Satellite and the Edge
Conception to Execution: Optimizing the Testing Process
Adapting to Network Demands on the Edge
Building Metaverse Ready Networks
The Value of the Partner Ecosystem Event

FinTech

With the rise of NFTs (Non fungible tokens), cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, there is no denying that fintech is taking on an entirely new meaning and revolutionising the financial industry. Whilst technology in financial services has been around for a long time, the pandemic accelerated mobile banking and its adoption across generations. Human behaviour has shifted as a result, with growth in digital currencies and trade in NFTs opening new opportunities and risks. But given the speed at which technology is evolving today, mobile banking and digital currencies are not just about making payments more efficient; they are providing a new way to transact within a global digital economy.

Topics include:

NFTs: The One-Hit Wonder?
Breaking Down Fraud
Let's Disrupt FinTech!
Is the Future of Everything Decentralized?
DeFi-ning Opportunities
The Race Against Volatility: Shaping the Next Generation of Finance
Who Let the Cryptos Out? Widespread Adoption of Digital Currencies
Fighting Back Against Financial Fraud Crime
The Beating Heart of the Digital Payments Transformation
Money in the Metaverse

Digital Everything

The expansion of digital technologies represents an immense opportunity to create value for every industry. From entertainment, manufacturing and smart mobility, the industrial and enterprise world is facing rapidly moving challenges. Our resources are finite and we all need to do more, with less. Digitalisation, IoT and the combination of the real and the digital worlds are game changers for meeting these challenges, as we continue our evolution to Industry 4.0 and beyond.

Topics include: