Global 5G leaders create 5G Future Forum

América Móvil, KT, Rogers, Telstra, Verizon and Vodafone have created the 5G Future Forum, with the aim of accelerating the delivery of 5G and mobile-edge computing-enabled systems around the world on their networks.

The founding members of what is described as a first-of-its-kind forum say they are collaborating to develop interoperable 5G specifications across key geographic regions, including the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe. The 5G Future Forum will focus on creating uniform interoperability specifications to improve speed to market for developers and multinational enterprises working on 5G-enabled systems.

They say they will create a common platform to enable a global ecosystem of applications to exploit 5G at its full potential, contributing to the transformation of societies and economies and reaffirming customer satisfaction.

They see their 5G and mobile-edge computing ecosystem as enabling global organisations to deliver transformative business and consumer use cases such as machine learning, autonomous industrial equipment, smart cars and cities, internet of things (IoT), and augmented and virtual reality.

Forum participants are also committed to developing public and private marketplaces to enhance developer and customer access to 5G, and will share global best practices in technology deployment.

Verizon has been one of the leading proponents of 5G and one of the first to offer services in the US. In November 2019, it announced a partnership with Snapchat creator Snap to use its 5G Ultra Wideband technology to support Snap’s visual communications and content experiences, including augmented reality, and has been offering 5G consumers a year’s free subscription to the Disney+ streaming video service, offering access to the likes of Star Wars, Disney, Pixar, Marvel and National Geographic as part of an exclusive wireless content carrier partnership with Disney.

Hans Vestberg, chairman and CEO of Verizon, said: “5G is a key enabler of the next global industrial revolution, where technology will transform how we live and work. It is critical that technology partners around the world unite to create the most seamless global experience for our customers.

“We are proud to join with our fellow 5G leaders to unlock the full potential of applications and solutions that will transform with 5G’s fast speeds, high reliability, improved security and single-digit latency.”

Joe Natale, president and CEO of Rogers Communications, added: “We are proud to work closely with other global leaders in driving the solutions and technology that will bring our customers the very best that 5G has to offer.

“These critical investments will form the foundation of 5G and unleash the future of Canada’s digital economy for consumers and businesses across our vast country.”

Vinod Kumar, CEO of Vodafone Business, said: “This forum of global leaders in 5G marks an important step in ensuring edge computing works seamlessly for our customers. These new specifications will allow us to offer services that work consistently across the globe and support devices moving between countries.

“5G opens up a wealth of opportunities for new solutions and business models and we are excited to play a role in bringing them to life.”