Page 51 - SAMENA Trends - April-May 2021

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Enjoying Ubiquitous 5G Experiences with a Unified

Benchmark

Following the recent SAMENA Leaders’ experience benchmark by an S.L.A. model, is the final network experience benchmark
Summit, a new ‘5G Experience Benchmark’ which considers factors including 5G value. The 5G experience benchmark
has been proposed by Huawei to spectrum bandwidth, download rate, E2E is a multi-dimensional comprehensive
comprehensively evaluate and enhance 5G latency, and coverage, to comprehensively measurement model. For the specific
services for users across the Middle East. evaluate the 5G user experience. The 5G measurement method and detailed scoring
This benchmark is being proposed at a S.L.A user experience benchmark includes mechanism, it is suggested that regulatory
significant time as 5G commercialization three main indexes, Speed, Latency, authorities and operators should discuss
rapidly grows across the region. The and Availability, and the overall index is and cooperate to further clarify the
benchmark aims to enable telecom calculated by S*L*A. quantification. For example, top services
operators to focus on improving 5G user S indicates the speed. The average on an operator's network are different.
experiences, make precise investments, downlink rate of 5G UEs is measured and Based on different services, entities need
and improve ROI. In the GCC in particular, divided by the benchmark value according to perform modeling based on a large
5G commercialization is already moving to different bandwidth to obtain an index number of live network samples or lab
fast. In the past five months, with the score. This index will support operators to test data. In addition, the baseline values
release of multiple 5G smartphones, the evaluate its speed quality who has different corresponding to good user experience,
number of 5G users in the Middle East is spectrum bandwidth. such as the rate and latency, are provided
estimated to increase from 0.7 million to L indicates latency. The top 5G applications to help measure and score the network
3.1 million, realizing around 350% growth. are measured and calculate the good experience gap and identify the operator
On some networks in Kuwait and Saudi latency ratio to obtain an index score. This network construction direction. It is hoped
Arabia, for example, the 5G traffic ratio index will support operators to evaluate that regulatory agencies and operators
has already exceeded 30%. A positive 5G E2E latency quality for its top applications. can reach a consensus on the availability
business cycle is emerging in the Middle A indicates the availability of 5G network. of rate and latency firstly, use these
East. Globally, 5G has enabled diversified The 5G availability score is obtained by dimensions as the criteria for measuring
emerging services from imagination to identifying the current network population their networks, and then perform detailed
reality. Taking China and South Korea as coverage and multiplying the 5G network measurement and analysis based on their
examples, VR/AR, 4K, multi-view video, camping ratio. This index will support networks. This is the key for operators
and cloud gaming have brought enhanced operators to evaluate its 5G availability for to identify the experience problems and
digital experiences to many. On the other end users in combination of 5G covered gaps, then to make precise investments
hand, it also brings 5G user experience areas and non-covered areas. The score and to improve the user experience, finally
issues to the surface. 5G users have higher obtained by multiplying the three indexes, accelerate digital economic growth.
expectations for 5G, as well as higher
requirements for the network experience.
According to the experience of the world's
5G pioneer market, 5G users are mainly
sensitive to the network rate, real-time
experience, and 5G service availability.
In the GCC, the insight also shows that
although 5G has been deployed on a large
scale, there are many opportunities to
enhance user experience with better speed
and less latency, especially for gaming
and video users. This requires the industry
to build a unified benchmark to evaluate
comprehensive 5G experiences, again
enabling operators to focus on the user
experience, make precise investments,
and improve ROI. In the SAMENA Leaders’
Summit, Huawei proposed the 5G

51 APRIL-MAY 2021