Intelligent CIO LATAM Issue 34 | Page 37

FEATURE : 5G times more mmWave stations are required compared to 4G low-mid band stations to cover the same area .

As a result , national 5G coverage predominantly relies on low / mid-band and sub-6 GHz bands .

IDTechEx anticipates that mmWave bands will mainly serve data-intensive hotspots like crowded stadiums , supporting critical applications such as real-time streaming and uploading of high-definition videos .

Identifying a killer application ( s ) where mmWave technology can truly shine remains the greatest challenge for the industry at present . While the concept of integrating 5G mmWave with VR / AR for real-time remote gaming / work was initially promising , the report says the market and the ecosystem for VR / AR devices have yet to mature sufficiently for 5G mmWave to capitalize on .

To foster growth in the mmWave market , the report says discovering compelling and financially rewarding business use cases is crucial .

These cases must demonstrate how the advantages of 5G mmWave can justify the substantial investment required for deployment .

While this process will require time , IDTechEx predicts that it will likely take another 3 – 5 years before witnessing a significant rise in such cases .

Looking ahead , 6G , the next generation of telecommunication technology , promises even greater advancements than 5G mmWave .

Operating beyond 100 GHz and towards the terahertz spectrum , 6G is expected to offer Tbps data rates , microsecond-level latency and extensive network dependability . Its capabilities extend beyond connectivity to areas such as energy harvesting , sensing , imaging and precise positioning .