What is 5G-Advanced (5GA or 5.5G)?

Key features of 5G-Advanced

The primary focus of 5GA is on better performance and more powerful features -- not raw speed. It aims to optimize 5G technology for modern business demands. Several features of 5GA build on the 5G foundation, including:

• Better performance. Extended reality (XR) and other modern mobile applications often require high upload speeds for capabilities such as high-quality video streaming. 5GA supports significantly higher data rates and lower latency using techniques like multiple-input, multiple-output.
• Extended reality. Technologies such as AR and VR require high data throughput and extremely low latency to track movements, identify objects and people, and perform in real time. 5GA supports XR applications by moving the processing loads of XR applications from the device onto the 5G network, providing far better processing and data movement and enabling the development of much smaller user devices.
• Support for more devices. While smartphones are the traditional wireless device, 5GA is intended to support the development and deployment of many other specialized or dedicated devices, also referred to as reduced capacity or RedCap. Examples of specialized devices include video cameras, IoT devices for process monitoring and control, sensors and asset tracking devices. These devices are well-suited for handling small and infrequent data packets, making battery use far more efficient. Other examples include unmanned aerial vehicles and autonomous ground vehicles.
• Network efficiency. 5GA integrates AI and ML across the radio access network, computing core and network management infrastructure to improve system performance, automation and energy efficiency. AI can be employed and provided as a computing service to business users. 5GA also takes steps to better integrate non-3GPP technologies, such as Wi-Fi.
• Offramp to GSM-R. 5GA aims to provide a forward-looking alternative to established standards such as GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications: Railway). GSM-R is a standard for wireless railway communication, including voice and signaling. 5GA promises to replace GSM-R in railway, utility, public safety and other verticals with low-latency, high-bandwidth and highly-connected wireless services.
• Precise positioning. 5GA can provide cellular-based indoor and outdoor positioning data that is accurate within centimeters, well-suited for building automation, industrial automation and logistics. This enhanced cellular positioning integrates with long-range satellite-based positioning systems such as GPS or GNSS (global navigation satellite system).
• Precise timing. 5GA can help synchronize universal time coordinated (UTC) and other well-defined time domains. Precise timing support at the millisecond and even microsecond level can benefit tasks like industrial automation, financial transactions and utility operations -- such as managing an expansive electrical grid in real time.
• Sidelink improvements. While the traditional use of wireless communication occurs between user devices and the provider's infrastructure, there is a growing demand for secondary or sidelink mechanisms. Sidelinks support device-to-device -- user equipment-to-user equipment -- connections, enabling users to exchange information with the network through other users.
• Better handoffs. Cellular services work by handing off communication from one cell tower to another as the mobile device moves. This handoff between cell towers can cause momentary disruptions to a communication link as the new tower takes over. 5GA works to mitigate handoff disruptions and enhance latency-sensitive services, such as XR, IoT and uRLLC.

Challenges of 5G-Advanced

Despite the many features and benefits, 5GA technology presents an array of potential challenges that can slow its adoption. These challenges are primarily the responsibility of the cellular providers, but any challenge that impacts the provider will inevitably trickle down to enterprise users. Common 5GA challenges include:

• Standalone 5G adoption. A full commitment to a 5G standalone (SA) foundation is required to unlock the full suite of 5GA capabilities. Providers that try to maintain legacy support might find some 5GA features impossible to implement, slowing user adoption.
• Strong uses. 5GA can be expensive to implement, and those costs are invariably passed to enterprise users. Consequently, the practical uses for 5GA must be strong, plentiful and compelling for providers to invest in and attract enterprise users.
• Features can limit mobility. Some 5GA features, such as network slicing and quality-of-service support for specific use cases, can be difficult to achieve with existing roaming techniques and might require some enterprise users to trade roaming for advanced features.
• Radio spectrum limitations. The radio spectrum for cellular communication defines the range and speed of the service. Finding adequate spectrum availability with the most desirable mix of characteristics can be difficult. This can slow 5GA adoption or limit the available features from providers.
• Device support. Once 5GA services are implemented, it still takes 5GA-ready devices -- such as smartphones and IoT devices -- to implement 5GA features. Not all devices are 5GA-ready, and a lack of available devices can slow enterprise adoption.
• Infrastructure challenges. 5GA's features and capabilities demand complex radio frequency (RF) design using wider frequency ranges, higher power and more integrated design of RF equipment, such as antennae. This can require sophisticated and costly new gear for providers and demands comprehensive testing regimens.
• Security. 5GA provides increased connectivity for countless devices, which creates a large attack surface for malicious actors. Consequently, 5GA demands strong security measures, clear network segmentation and continuous security monitoring.

Enterprise use cases for 5G-Advanced

5GA's features and capabilities offer a wide assortment of use cases across many vertical markets. An abbreviated list of potential enterprise uses for 5GA includes:

• Healthcare. 5GA's high bandwidth and low latency enable high-precision, real-time tasks, like remote surgery. It can also communicate and process detailed patient monitoring data from wearable medical devices.
• Logistics. 5GA can collect and analyze extensive IoT data, including position, fuel use, weather forecasts, traffic patterns and road conditions, to offer route optimizations and real-time fleet tracking. 5GA's performance enhances vehicle autonomy, enabling driverless vehicles with detailed control and navigation capabilities.
• Manufacturing. 5GA can support real-time robotic control, gather and analyze extensive IoT sensor information for predictive maintenance, and provide detailed quality control using cameras and other 5GA-enabled sensors. Robots can be connected for autonomous interactions, enabling material handling and precision assembly tasks.
• Public safety. 5GA can support reliable communication for mission-critical public safety organizations, including police, fire and other first responders. 5GA-enabled devices -- such as video cameras -- can provide surveillance for security and incident alerts. Extensive fleets of IoT devices can provide detailed road and traffic data that can be used to manage traffic flows and enhance the efficiency of other municipal infrastructure.
• Retail. 5GA supports immersive retail experiences, like AR and VR, for interactive shopping and virtual try-on capabilities. 5GA can also process the extensive data needed to track retail inventory and facilitate mobile checkout technologies.
• Utilities. 5GA can support real-time monitoring and management of distributed energy grids, collecting detailed electricity use data from smart meters throughout the grid. 5GA also facilitates complex utility management practices using techniques such as digital twins.

When and why should you prepare for 5G-Advanced?

5GA was initially introduced in 2024, so enterprise users seeking the capabilities of 5GA can start preparing their network infrastructures now. There is no required timeline -- 5GA enhances current 5G capabilities and enables future advancements.

However, adoption takes investment. Enterprise users must consider their use cases and evaluate the effect of 5GA on their existing networks. Network upgrades, new devices -- such as 5GA-enabled IoT devices -- and configuration changes might be needed to take full advantage of 5GA features, such as improved cellular network performance, AI/ML integration, XR, autonomous vehicles and expanded IoT.

Enterprise organizations can contact their 5GA cellular network provider and establish a collaborative dialog to outline the provider's current 5GA deployment, future roadmap and the suggested enterprise infrastructure changes needed to best support the provider's 5GA offerings. Many organizations will perform proof-of-concept testing and limited-scale projects to gain 5GA expertise and prove the value of 5GA technology before making more extensive investments.

Security is an important consideration in adopting and implementing 5G -- and 5G-Advanced -- infrastructure. Learn how organizations can adapt to account for 5G's security benefits and challenges.