TIA and InterDigital Release 5G Operator Survey: Asia to Lead Development, Network Infrastructure to be Overhauled

WILMINGTON, Del., July 29, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mobile operators expect Asia to lead the development and deployment of 5G, ahead of North America and Europe. A dominant majority of operators also agree 5G will require system architecture to undergo a major transformation from today's cellular network. This is according to a survey of mobile operators worldwide completed by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and sponsored by InterDigital, Inc. IDCC, a mobile research and development company.

Globally, 74 percent of all mobile operators believe 5G will require a "radically different" or "substantially different" system architecture from classic cellular network. 

Widespread agreement that a major transformation is on the horizon indicates that the development of 5G will incorporate a range of new technologies that support new networking models. This will likely include the use of software-centric network concepts such as network functions virtualization (NFV) and software defined networks (SDN).

Within the operator community, 71 percent forecast that Asia will play a leading role in the development and deployment of 5G.

The survey also revealed regional differences in the perception of low-band versus high-band spectrum frequencies as most critical. For instance, 30 percent of Asian operators rank the 60-90 GHz band as critical to 5G, in contrast to only 10 percent of North American operators and 7 percent of European operators. This likely indicates a stronger interest among Asian operators for millimeter wave technologies.

Operators expect 5G to use multiple low-band and high-band frequencies.

The survey shows that operators tend to lean towards low-band spectrum as more critical than high-band spectrum for 5G launches. The sub 5 GHz bands were ranked as "critical" by around 30% of respondents compared to 21% for 5-30 GHz and 13% for millimeter wave.

The survey also touched on a wide range of topics, including key technologies, use cases, deployment schedules, and interoperability issues. The over fifty respondents to the online survey included executives from operators around the world.

"Mobile operators carry much of the initial planning and burden of making mainstream 5G a reality, and their expectations reveal a glimpse of the technologies, regional differences and key drivers that may define the 5G revolution," said Dr. Byung K. Yi, Executive Vice President, InterDigital Labs, and Chief Technology Officer of InterDigital. "The survey reaffirms the widely held belief that new networking models, technologies and standards are critical to the development and deployment of 5G."

To access the full survey results, please click here to download the 5G Networks Global Operator Survey and Whitepaper.

About InterDigital^®

InterDigital develops technologies that are at the core of mobile devices, networks, and services worldwide. We solve many of the industry's most critical and complex technical challenges, inventing solutions for more efficient broadband networks and a richer multimedia experience years ahead of market deployment. InterDigital has licenses and strategic relationships with many of the world's leading wireless companies. Founded in 1972, InterDigital is listed on NASDAQ and is included in the S&P MidCap 400^® index.

InterDigital is a registered trademark of InterDigital, Inc.  IEEE and 802 are registered trademarks of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.  IETF is a registered trademark of the Internet Engineering Task Force.

For more information, visit: www.interdigital.com.