5G NETWORKS
In order to increase competition , interoperability and innovation , the UK government is throwing its weight behind OpenRAN adoption in 2021 .
WRITTEN BY : HARRY MENEAR
In the wake of Brexit and during what are hopefully the waning months of the COVID-19 crisis , the importance of 5G adoption in the UK cannot be understated . According to data published by research firm Analysis Mason , 5G has the potential to add around £ 15bn of economic growth to the UK economy , if the country can “ seize the full potential of 5G networks and implement advanced industrial use cases , over and above the substantial benefits expected from enhanced mobile broadband .” It ’ s a tall order .
The importance of taking full advantage of everything 5G can provide isn ’ t lost on UK enterprises , or the current government . However , the UK - like many other countries pushing forward with their 5G strategies - has found itself faced with a problem . 5G networks , like other generations before them , are largely sold to network operators by a single company offering an end-to-end , proprietary solution . Everything , from the radio antennas and base stations to the software that sits behind the network ’ s physical infrastructure , is designed to function as a cohesive whole . And , as anyone who ’ s ever owned a macbook can attest , while closed and complete systems tend to run smoother than more opensourced alternatives , they rarely play well
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