Finland among leaders in European 5G innovation – our business should reflect it

Finland is internationally known as a pioneer in mobile networks and technology. We Finns have led the evolution of mobile technologies from 2G to 4G.

Technological developments have made our life easier, not only in terms of data usage, but also by enabling new communications infrastructure solutions and by promoting seamless mobility services, for example.

Dynamic 5G networks: real-time connectivity and technological neutrality

In the future, 5G technology will mean a giant leap to a completely different platform and business models that revolutionise real-time data. 5G will not only bring new services to end-users and new business models to enterprises – it will also entail major changes to networks themselves.

Unlike the preceding technologies, 5G networks are not static with individually designed components. Instead, they are dynamic and they must adapt to real-time demand. The virtualisation already used in IT systems will replace device solutions in mobile networks.

In 5G technology, the network and services are more closely intertwined. For instance, there may be technologies and services by several different providers operating on the virtualisation layer. The networks continue to expand, making it more crucial than ever to ensure the overall security of networks.

Endless possibilities for new services

Last Thursday, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency held the Making Finland the 5G leader seminar (External link). The speakers made projections for the capabilities of 5G networks and told success stories about the trials and innovations by Finnish businesses. Research and advisory company Gartner forecast that the existing 4G network is the 5G network’s main competitor as 4G has introduced multiple features originally intended for 5G. Nevertheless, around 70 operators are forecast to have commercial 5G networks next year, and 90 per cent of the population in the US, China and Australia will have access to 5G networks by 2023.

The endless possibilities offered by 5G networks stem from the fact that their features support other advanced technologies. Edge computing boosts low latency, network slicing facilitates specialisation, artificial intelligence may be applied to video analytics, and countless 5G-based sensors may be used to collect data. All these features enable us to create new services – some of which may still be beyond our imagination.

Trials with drones, smart grids, industrial automation and health services

The best perks of 5G ecosystems include trials and their results. For example, as aviation is rapidly becoming digital, the Finnish-Estonian GOF U-space project flew a drone from Tallinn to Helsinki for the first time. 5G drone activities include remote identification, parcel deliveries and the development of weather services for and by drones.

It seems that there is an emerging need for local 5G networks that resemble traditional private radio networks. 5G networks also enable large-scale supervision and monitoring of smart grids. A precise situational picture ensures the optimal use of the smart grid and helps manage exceptional events.

There are also massive needs for 5G technology in industrial automation, especially in logistics and quality control. In addition, the health sector is eager to adopt new 5G-based applications and services.

Can you create the 5G phenomenon of the year?

Considering all of the above, Finland has great potential to become a global 5G leader with the most innovative business solutions.

To support the achievement of this goal, we have created the 5G Innovation Award, a competition for the 5G phenomenon of the year (External link). We hope that the award will attract more attention to the great expertise and cooperation we have in Finland. Read more about the 5G Innovation Award, its prizes and how to participate (External link).