
What is 5G Advanced and How Can You Capitalize On It?

Ready for 5G-Advanced? The next iteration of 5G technology brings new capabilities that can unlock revenue streams and reduce expenses for mobile operators. But what are the benefits and challenges of 5G-Advanced, and how can telcos prepare for the revolution? To answer these questions, Mobile World Live recently hosted a webinar discussing how mobile players can capitalize on 5G-Advanced upgrades.
The session was moderated by Joseph Waring, the Asia editor for Mobile World Live, and featured four expert panelists:
Peter Jarich , head of GSMA Intelligence
Egil Grönstad , senior director of technology development and strategy, T-Mobile
Sean Casey , senior vice president of product management, CSG
Munish Chhabra , head of mobility software and services, Radisys
If you didn’t catch the full conversation, read on for key insights from the webinar and takeaways you can apply to your own 5G-Advanced strategy.
What Is 5G-Advanced?
5G-Advanced (5G-A) is the next evolution of 5G. It offers greater capabilities and performance for mobile operators and their customers. 5G-A isn’t a wholly new generation of mobile technology, but rather a collection of enhancements and extensions that will be added to the 5G standard in the coming years.
“Some people have been talking about it as 5.5G, but really we should think about it as a steppingstone between the 5G that we kicked off and going forward to 6G,” Peter explained. As 5G-A bridges the two generations, it unlocks unprecedented speed, ultra-low latency, massive device connectivity, extended coverage and advanced network optimization through technologies like non-terrestrial networks and artificial intelligence (AI).
5G-Advanced will continue to evolve over time, with promising implications for operators that take advantage of it now.
Benefits of 5G-Advanced for Mobile Operators
5G-A stands to strengthen the end-to-end 5G network and proliferate 5G to virtually all devices. Mobile operators will find the standard’s enhanced capabilities most advantageous for the use cases they enable, including metaverse, 5G multicast services, low-cost internet of things (IoT) support and enhanced integration with satellite and drone resources.
Peter shared data from a 2023 GSMA Intelligence survey, which found that more than half of operators queried were buoyed by the possibility of improved uplink performance that accompanies 5G-Advanced. Another one-third of respondents prized the standard’s security enhancements.
