Page 99 - SAMENA Trends - October 2019

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Malaysia Gears Up for 5G Demos across 6 States

Malaysia announced eight companies committed an initial various industries, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia
investment of MYR116 million ($27.7 million) to run 5G trials, Commission (MCMC) Chairman Al-Ishsal Ishak said 32 5G sites
which will kick off in October and run for six months. With the across six states will demonstrate 55 use cases involving nine
goal of accelerating the deployment of 5G for businesses across verticals: agriculture; education; entertainment and media; digital
healthcare; manufacturing and processing; oil and gas; smart
cities; smart transportation; and tourism. Ishak said the projects
will focus on cultivating the development of “a holistic and
inclusive 5G ecosystem in pursuit of stimulating demand as well
as adoption” of 5G technology for businesses and consumers.
“We hope to commercialize some of the use cases beginning
third quarter of 2020,” he said. Ishak added that the support
and investment from the participating companies “reiterates the
industry’s commitment in establishing a strong use for viable
5G applications that will transform various industries as well
as impact positively the living standards of Malaysians”. MCMC
aims to attract additional investment for 5G development as well
as proposals to enhance connectivity in the other states. The
country’s largest mobile operators – Digi and Maxis – last week
detailed plans to increase infrastructure sharing to prepare for
5G, as they begin field trials and raise capex to support the new
technology. Maxis has a 27 per cent share of mobile subscribers in
the country, while Digi holds a 26 per cent share, ahead of Celcom
Al-Ishsal Ishak, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)
Chairman Axiata’s 22 per cent, Q2 data from GSMA Intelligence showed.

5G Will Not Be ‘the Network of Networks’ For Enterprise Verticals

5G is being positioned as a “network of ABI Research. mMTC is positioned to unify verticals establish a critical mass for 5G
networks” that will encompass public cellular IoT technologies into one system and, in turn, economies of scale.” This
and private components, licensed and introduce connectivity for millions of may not happen, especially in the first 5
and unlicensed spectrum, and even different types of IoT devices. In theory years of 5G, when the telco supply chain
expand beyond cellular, to satellite and according to its specification, 5G adapts to the requirements of enterprise
communications. But in reality, 5G will will enable connectivity that ranges from verticals. This may also mean that 5G
only be one component of the enterprise low power, low data rates, to ultra-high will miss the enterprise digitization wave
vertical technology stack, states global bandwidth and low latency, all under one that is currently sweeping many markets,
tech market advisory firm, ABI Research, system. “From a pragmatic viewpoint, 5G especially if the telco community does
in its new whitepaper, The Five Myths of will be another component in a patchwork not act immediately. Telco operators and
5G. “The telco industry has somewhat of communication technologies and will the infrastructure supply chain must build
designed 5G as a technology that will certainly add unique value. However, it enterprise vertical expertise and partner
complement, or even replace, several other will not be the “network of networks” the with specialists when it is not necessary to
competing communication technologies. telco industry is currently discussing,” organically grow this expertise internally.
This is, in fact, built into the standard: says Carlaw. Enterprise verticals—just “5G will only be one component of the
5G includes eMBB, Ultra-Reliable Low- like the telco industry—have their own enterprise vertical technology stack, and
Latency Communication (URLLC), and established supply chains and families of larger than connectivity only if the telco
Massive Machine Type Communication communication technologies. “Enterprise value chain builds expertise for each
(mMTC) use cases. The first use case vertical end users prefer “function over vertical separately,” Carlaw concludes.
on this list, eMBB, builds on previous form,” focusing on practical requirements, These findings are from ABI Research’s
cellular generations, while URLLC can rather than insisting on standardized The 5 Myths Of 5G report. This report is
enable Time Sensitive Networks (TSNs), technologies. It is true that 5G can part of the company’s 5G Industry research
and can replace proprietary protocols introduce a more cost-effective base service, which includes research, data, and
and even Industrial Ethernet,” explains (especially for chipsets and devices), but ABI Insights.
Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at this will only materialize when enterprise

99 OCTOBER 2019