“My vision for 5G, which I presented at the Mobile World Congress in 2015, is not only about more speed and more bandwidth for mobile, but also about building the communication platform that will power the digital revolution. Public services, utilities, manufacturing, healthcare, and farming will all be using 5G networks to deliver new, smart products and services based on next generation connectivity.”
Economic sense
A 5G public-private-partnership announced at the Mobile World Congress back in 2013 has brought together telecom sector and experts from other industries to discuss how 5G technology can match the expectations of many industrial sectors. However, it is not enough simply to develop technology, says Oettinger: “Telecom operators will not invest in new networks in Europe if it does not make economic sense. The Digital Single Market which we are building will ensure that 5G technology will benefit industry and customers in Europe, mainly because it will provide a large scale.”
“Support for European investment in 5G networks needs to start now. We need to take a close look at the necessary framework conditions and incentives that can lead to the deployment of the underlying network infrastructures. And we need to make sure that there will be industrial players ready to invest in 5G services.”
Leadership in 5G
“This discussion must not only include EU telecom operators and equipment manufacturers but also representatives from key industries", Oettinger concludes. “Our 5G action plan for Europe needs eventually to cover all sectors if we are to secure our leadership in 5G technologies, deploy new networks in time and most importantly to contribute to the digitalisation of European industry and society. The race is on: we have four years to make it happen. With everybody on board I am confident that we will be successful.”