Thailand likely to see full 5G within 4 years, Huawei says
THAILAND is expected to see a full commercial 5G wireless broadband service in place within the next four years, by which time the ecosystem is expected to have been put in place, Huawei Technologies (Thailand) managing director Qiang Hua said yesterday.
Qiang said that it would not be too late for Thailand, if the commercial service was launched in that time. The availability of a 5G service was not dependent only on the allocation of the spectrum bands to telecom operators to provide services, he said, but requires the collaboration of all related parties and all industries to ensure a fast uptake of the service.
Industry will be the major user of 5G services, including for those involved in the emerging “smart farming”, connected vehicle and smart cities sectors.
Huawei will launch its first 5G mobile phones in the global market next year, Qiang said. The company is China’s leading information and communications technology solution provider.
Huawei is holding an invitation-only Huawei Mobile Thailand Congress 2018 from yesterday to April 5 at its Customer Solution Innovation and Integration Experience Centre (CSIC) in Huawei’s new Bangkok offices on Pharam 9 Road. The event is presenting technologies and solutions including 5G, the “all-cloud” network, and Internet of things (IoT) technologies.
Qiang said that the event is essential for the company to demonstrate the importance of joining Huawei in its efforts to create a healthy ecosystem that will create fresh opportunities, businesses, services and applications. They hope to attract their most important potential industry partners in Thailand, as well as leading industry organisations and institutions, operators, and other stakeholders.
NBTC commissioner Prawit Leesatapornwongsa said at the same event yesterday that US, Europe, China, Japan, and South Korea are expected to be among the first wave of countries to debut the commercial 5G service. Thailand can be in the second wave of the commercial launch of 5G service, if the country has continued to advance on implementing its Thailand 4.0 policy, he added.
Prawit said that the coming of the 5G service does not mean it would replace the existing 4G service here. Therefore, Thai telecom operators will consider carefully before making an investment in the 5G technology as they will also have to carry the cost of maintaining their 4G networks as well.
