Since its launch, 5G has been the focus of the mobile communications industry. Today, we are at the midpoint of 5G's ten-year life cycle, which is equivalent to the halftime moment of a football game. Although previously challenged by the macroeconomic environment and technical complexity, current test data shows that 5G is gaining momentum, especially in the verification of advanced features and services.

Spirent Communications has long provided test solutions to telecom operators, hyperscale cloud service providers and network equipment manufacturers. By participating in projects with many industry leaders, we have been able to glimpse the development direction of 5G in the next stage.

Looking back to 2024, we have completed 415 5G-related test projects involving 138 different customers. These tests not only cover basic functional verification, but also deeply evaluate user experience, security, service lifecycle management and other aspects. This means that many advanced 5G features are about to be put into commercial use.

Currently, there are 2.1 billion 5G users in the world, with population coverage exceeding 95% in North America, China, Japan and most parts of Europe. In some markets, 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) has brought an average revenue increase of US$50 per user.

As 5G standalone (SA) deployment accelerates, some key technologies are gaining new attention. For example, under the 3GPP Release 17 and 18 standards, operators have tested the ability to support RedCap devices, which is the basis for large-scale IoT applications such as smart cities and telemedicine. In addition, 5G mission-critical voice services (MCPTT) and time-sensitive networks (TSN) in industrial automation have also entered the substantive testing stage.

Operators are also testing VoNR/ViNR (voice and video calls based on 5G new air interface) services, as well as high-precision positioning functions combined with assisted GPS (A-GPS). These improvements will significantly improve the overall quality of user experience, and many operators have completed a large number of performance benchmarks in 2024 to prepare for the upcoming service launch.

Looking forward to 2025, the following trends are worth paying attention to:

The first is the growth of 5G FWA. So far, the service has launched more than 160 deployment projects in more than 70 countries, with more than 25 million users worldwide. In the coming years, operators will further expand it to enterprises, multi-dwelling buildings and edge computing.

The second is the popularity of RedCap technology. As part of Release 17, RedCap provides a lightweight option for scenarios that do not require full 5G capabilities. In China, the three major operators have begun to deploy terminal equipment for aggregating IoT sensors, and preliminary tests show that module costs have dropped by 80% and power consumption has dropped by more than 30%.

In addition, operators are also upgrading network architecture to cope with the growth of data traffic and the deployment of 5G SA. They are introducing 400G routing and switching equipment to increase capacity and reduce energy consumption. At the same time, IP transport networks are also being strengthened to support higher bandwidth 5G RAN requirements. Current test focuses include 25G interfaces, which are key conditions for supporting eCPRI protocols and massive MIMO deployments; 100G edge aggregation sites are also being tested.

In the longer term, more innovative applications will emerge with the advancement of 5G SA and subsequent 3GPP versions. For example, AI Network Infrastructure as a Service (NIaaS) will provide SMEs and government agencies with low-latency, high-throughput connections required for AI applications, while ensuring security and data sovereignty.

Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) will also be gradually implemented. Since Release 17, 3GPP has begun to integrate satellite and high-altitude platform communication systems. This technology will first improve communication capabilities in remote areas and maritime aviation, and promote the development of emerging businesses such as drone delivery and real-time fleet management, forming the so-called "low-altitude economy".

Finally, network APIs will become a huge emerging market. Operators are planning to open core resources to developers, and the number verification and SIM card replacement detection functions currently launched will help enhance security protection. In the next few years, more 5G voice, data and positioning capabilities will be encapsulated as API interfaces, and it is expected to form a market size of US$8.7 billion by 2029.

If 5G is a football game, now is the time to return to your seat and keep your eyes on the field - because the second half has just begun and it is exciting.