Huawei: 60 4.5G Networks Will Launch In 2016

Huawei predicts 2016 will mark the start of a five-year period of rapid adoption 4.5G technology that will boost speeds and capacity ahead of the commercial launch of 5G in 2020.

It is claimed 60 4.5G networks will start operating in 2016 and Huawei said more than 20 operators have already tested the upgrade to LTE, including in Hong Kong where TechWeekEurope witnessed the technology in action first hand.

The Chinese network equipment manufacturer first detailed its vision of an incremental upgrade to 4G last year and claims the additional capacity, faster speeds and low latency can support the Internet of Things, virtual reality applications and critical industrial processes.

4.5G adoption

“4.5G is the natural evolution of 4G and necessary transition to the 5G,” said Ryan Ding, president of product and solutions at Huawei. “It can effectively protect operators’ investments and enable them to provide faster services and better user experience on the basis of existing infrastructures.

“In 2016, which marks the beginning of the global large-scale commercialization of 4.5, Huawei remains committed to helping global operators tap into and create new business opportunities and broaden the market potential.”

It is claimed 4.5G will support 100,000 connections per cell – 100 times that of LTE – and offer latency of 10ms compared to 50ms. 4.5G is compatible with existing LTE and LTE-A deployments, allowing mobile operators to benefit from some of the advantages of 5G while protecting their 4G investments.

Recent figures from the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) suggest there are 480 active LTE networks in 157 countries, with the former figure expected to reach 550 by the end of 2016.

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