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

However, the potential of 5G-Advanced extends far beyond bettering network performance. The greatest benefits for mobile operators lie in how the upgrades can create value through new revenue streams, cost reduction and an improved customer experience.

New Revenue Stream Use Cases With 5G-Advanced

5G-A is expected to lower costs—but saving on expenses doesn’t stand out as a top strategy driver for operators. Instead, GSMA Intelligence found that generating new revenue was the primary motivation for those surveyed.

The panel discussed a few of the primary ways in which 5G-A can create new revenue streams for operators.

• Lower-cost IoT opportunity: Supporting low-cost and no-battery devices, which broadens the market and opens the door to ambient IoT capabilities

• Integrated sensing and communication: Using the network as a “radar system” to transmit data and detect objects in the larger environment

• Verticalization: Leveraging open application programming interfaces (APIs) to expose the network and reach new enterprise verticals

• Non-terrestrial integration: Enhancing integration of cellular networks into satellite networks to cover remote regions and pave the way for ubiquitous connectivity

“5G-Advanced gives operators the opportunity to move in a space where they make their networks more open, more platform-based, develop new partnerships [and] find new revenue streams," Sean said.

How to Reduce Costs With AI and 5G-Advanced

Improved network efficiency lets telcos lower expenses as they generate revenue. 5G-Advanced can also help operators optimize their network performance and reduce operational expenses, particularly through AI-powered automation, Munish emphasized.

It’s possible for operators to achieve these results with 5G-Advanced thanks to the following features:

• Energy savings from reduced cell site power and RedCap (Reduced Capability) enhancements that lower complexity and power consumption in the IoT space

• Improved spectrum efficiency by applying AI to use cases like beam management for optimized processes

• Greater automation to reduce operational expenses and minimize manual tuning

“I’ve been a big believer of this for many years,” Egil said. “We should be able to automate our network a lot more than what we are doing today.” He predicted that utilizing AI would reduce manual tuning, leading to huge cost-saving potential for operators.

Recommendations to Get Ready for 5G-Advanced

5G-Advanced is not a distant future, but a present reality.

“There is no silver bullet with 5G-Advanced,” Egil cautioned. He added that it’s the operators’ responsibility to expose the network through APIs and enable the new capabilities. They can then address specific use cases that require lower latency and ensure access to advanced features that 5G currently has. Realizing the promise of 5G-A's enhanced features requires laying the foundation today.

Sean recommended that mobile operators looking to seize the opportunities of 5G-Advanced should act now and prepare their networks, systems and organizations for the next wave of innovation. “Operators can't just focus on enhancing the network,” he advised. “They've also got to modernize their backend supporting systems to really take advantage of those commercial opportunities.” By keeping up with system changes, it will become much easier for operators to open the network to new partnerships and expand services into additional verticals.

To prepare for 5G-A, take early action on the following priorities:

• Enable the platformization of networks

• Modernize the customer experience

• Upgrade the business support system (BSS)/operating support system (OSS)