2023 is shaping up to be the year when 5G’s true high-speed capabilities are unleashed. Since its launch in 2019, momentum has been building: 2022 saw more core 5G launches announced than in 2021. GSMA Intelligence shows that 5G connections are set to double by 2025, with new 5G network launches in more than 30 countries this year alone. As of January 2023, there were 229 commercial 5G networks around the world. The major shift this year is that nearly all new 5G networks are standalone whereas 2022 saw 75% non-standalone networks. Standalone 5G networks will unlock a gold mine of opportunities for the automotive industry and beyond.
Standalone vs Non-standalone 5G: What’s the difference?
Non-standalone (NSA) 5G deployments build on existing 4G networks. They use 5G for faster data rates and lower latency but rely on 4G core network for functions such as mobility management and user authentication. Because it doesn’t require a completely new core network, this option allows for faster, more cost-effective implementation.
Standalone (SA) 5G networks operate completely independently of 4G LTE. They have their own core network, unlocking the full range of 5G capabilities and services.
5G is a game-changer
Each generation of mobile technology brought something new: 2G was about digital voice, 3G brought web browsing and 4G opened the era of mobile broadband. 5G takes it further with download speeds of 1Gbps and near-zero latency. This enables almost immediate responsiveness, making it possible to control devices in real time, and maintain fast, consistent data rates, even when on the move.
5G improves rural connectivity through Radio Access Networks (RANs), freeing connectivity from traditional, distant base stations. Distributed edge computing via small cells anchored to lampposts, traffic lights or buildings, along with cloud-native microservices-based architecture, brings cloud resources closer to vehicles than ever before.
Other key features of 5G connectivity include:
- Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB): High-bandwidth wireless connection.
- Ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC): Ensures low latency massive
- Machine-type communications (mMTC): Supports the high connection density of online devices.
- Massive MIMO: Improves data speed and energy efficiency through the use of a multitude of antennae 5G on the road
In automotive, 5G’s ability to keep connected vehicles in constant communication with each other and surrounding infrastructure could revolutionise everything from road safety to traffic congestion and fuel optimisation.
For automakers and transport providers, autonomous driving is the ultimate destination. But before we get there, 5G is enhancing current and near-future services immediately. Less congestion will enable buffer-free infotainment and streaming services, over-the-air (OTA) updates, smarter fleet management and on-demand subscription-based services. On the factory floor, 5G will unlock new insights, speed up production and enable custom vehicle manufacturing.
It’s expected that by 2028, 94% of 5G-connected cars will be actively using 5G services.
The software-defined vehicle’s future is here
5G will disrupt many industries, but its capacity to re-shape automotive is profound: millions of vehicles globally are already connected to mobile networks for everything from real-time navigation to entertainment. As 5G’s footprint expands, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication and production is fast becoming reality. By 2027, 5G it’s projected to account for 23% of automotive cellular connections. The vehicle is becoming an element of the network and will benefit from all of the information and applications that come with it.
As 5G multiplies the possibilities of the automotive industry, Cubic3 is helping some of the world’s leading brands in agriculture, automotive and transport to make the most of these opportunities.
