Question from moderator on 5G:
"The development of digitalization is unthinkable without the modernization of communication infrastructure. Today we are on the verge of introducing 5G, mobile networks of the fifth generation, which will radically change our capabilities. A reliable infrastructure will be created to manage transport without drivers. The so-called tactile Internet, which will allow us to remotely feel the surface of objects that are thousands of miles away from us and control these objects. This will fundamentally change the possibilities of distance medicine, electronic commerce and entertainment industry. Mr. Johnson, what other possibilities will give us 5G networks for digital transformation? Is it necessary today to spend money on the development of wired Internet access infrastructure or on expensive video surveillance projects, if soon the same projects can be realized much cheaper?"
Thank you Maxim. Good morning excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Kairl y tan ! Dobri utra !
Thank you for the question but let me first thank the government of Kazakhstan for inviting ITU to participate in this forum, and for the excellent hospitality and warm welcome. It's a great pleasure to be with you here in Almaty, and congratulations on putting together such an interesting programme.
You are right when you say 5G will radically change things. In the future, every object that can benefit from being connected will be connected, either through wired or wireless technologies. Both technologies will be required and will need to support each other.
Already we have an explosion of devices connected to the Internet: the Internet of Things. These connected “things” can be smart phones, sensors, actuators, cameras, vehicles, etc., ranging from low-complexity devices to highly complex and advanced devices. Their number will continue to grow rapidly and is expected to exceed 50 billion devices by 2020. To meet this demand ambitious performance requirements are being laid down in ITU for an integrated fixed and mobile infrastructure.
5G devices will be required to be ultra-reliable, very low-latency, with improved energy efficiency, and enhanced privacy and security.
Estimates of the spectrum required for 5G have been developed in ITU. There are a number of candidate bands (above 24.25GHz) but clearly there is a need to find a whole range of new spectrum allocations for 5G. These bands need to be agreed internationally to ensure that the devices produced can be used globally, provide interoperability and benefit from a global market and the consequent economies of scale. This will be one of the main items on the agenda of ITU’s World Radiocommunication Conference next year.
As more and more things get connected, many innovative services will appear: smart energy distribution systems, e-agriculture, remote medical surgery, collaborative robotics, advanced virtual reality, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, but also many other innovations we can only imagine today. Applications for smart cities and other areas related to the sustainable development goals are limitless and ITU has several groups looking at developing standards in these areas.
Ultra-high-speed optical networks will be the backbone of the ICT ecosystem. Networks will have to support the huge rise in data and there will need to be increasing investment in new optical infrastructure. Global demand for optical fibre has already increased roughly 500% in the past decade, with some 500 million kilometres of fibre now produced each year. As I said, future demand will only be met by a combination of technologies, both fixed and wireless, including by the way satellite and High Altitude Platforms. The demand is such that we cannot wait for new technologies to appear. It is an on-going evolutionary process.
This is challenging since it means creating the right enabling environment to meet several needs -- needs that are sometimes conflicting like open access, privacy, security, trust, and the legal and commercial requirements. ITU with its membership of 193 governments, and over 800 private sector members, regulatory bodies, regional and international organizations, around 140 universities as well as civil society, clearly provides the platform for such discussion, collaboration and consensus building.
So to conclude, I would like to encourage countries in this region to be actively involved in this work to ensure that their own requirements are met, in the standards, in the spectrum allocations and in the international regulatory framework.
Thank you.
Question from moderator in conclusion:
“In concluding this unit, let me ask one General question to all the experts. What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the CIS countries in the new emerging digital world?"
As we have heard today, there is a strong political will to use the new digital technologies to drive social and economic development in this region. It makes a huge difference if the highest political leadership in the country understands and appreciates the power of the technology for the good of the country. Public-private partnerships are essential and this has been recognized in this region. This will be important to bring connectivity to the sparsely populated rural areas. This is I believe very important as it not only brings the benefits of the technology to improve people’s lives and productivity, but it will also hopefully reduce the trend of urbanization which is creating so many difficulties in the rapidly expanding cities around the world. Another strength is the strategic position of the region between Asia and Europe, and the high number of young well-educated people, with many reputable universities including here in Almaty.
