The turmoil brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has catalysed a dramatic shift towards digital solutions across the world. This coincides with the widening commercialization and spread of 5G – a phenomenon which may manifest in more robust networks which are better able to provide connectivity to a wider audience, for a greatly expanded set of use cases. Digital transformation across governments, businesses and societies has thus become tied to ever-accelerating efforts aimed at improving 5G network rollout and incentivizing uptake among consumers and businesses.
As we step into the final stretch of 2021, and as some economies begin tentatively grasping at a semblance of normalcy, there is a need to reflect on the future of 5G, and the implications of its expansion beyond more traditionally well-serviced urban areas. Questions remain regarding whether 5G can fulfil its more ambitious claims of improving and extending inclusivity by widening access to high-speed networks and facilitating the use of digital solutions in traditionally underserved communities, and among underprivileged communities.
This presents an opportunity to conduct a timely assessment of whether existing standards which directly apply to 5G, developed and circulated by the 3GPP, and accompanying technologies such as the IEEE’s Wi-Fi 6, are conducive to promoting inclusivity. This can be considered in light of the rise of innovative new developments in standards creation, which have led to the rise of Open RAN and other new and transformative networking technologies.
This 90-minute session brings together experts representing government, industry, and academia to discuss the impact of current and future standards on 5G, and the ways in which 5G can be leveraged to create inclusive outcomes. This event is organised and supported by Access Partnership and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) as part of the Australian Government funded ASEAN-Australia Digital Trade Standards Initiative.
Speakers:
- Fuad Siddiqui, Senior Partner, Bell Labs Consulting
- Manish Kasliwal, Vice-President of Business Development, American Tower Corporation
- More TBC
