FeatureUC&C30 Apr 2019 · 2 min read

Mobile Network Operators Struggle with 5G

Only 25% of MNOs feel ready for 5G. Published on UC Today, Infovista flags network planning, testing and optimisation gaps.

Rebekah Carter

Infovista, a leader in the modern network performance market, recently announced the findings of their 5G adoption survey which was fielded during the Mobile World Congress of 2019. The survey included responses from 145 people across 22 countries, all of which work for mobile network operators, work with MNOs, or are looking to adopt 5G.

Currently, customers from all backgrounds are excitedly awaiting the arrival of a new and improved 5G network. However, there are many challenges involved in moving to 5G that MNOs have yet to face. According to Infovista, only 25% of mobile network operators feel fully prepared for 5G. Many are still concerned about making sure that their network works correctly, and that their rollout strategies can stay within budget.

[caption id="attachment_20340" align="aligncenter" width="776"] MNO 5G Challenges[/caption]

Only 1 in 6 of the vendors working with Mobile Network Operators today feel that these MNOs are prepared for 5G.

The Results of the Infovista Study

The Infovista study was conducted at the Mobile World Congress event for 2019 in Barcelona. The survey looked at 145 attendees, including MNOs, companies working with MNOs, and enterprises with interest in 5G. According to the Senior VP of strategy for Infovista, Adrian Jakobsson, rolling out new 5G networks is a complicated process.

While 5G offers a range of opportunities through faster connections and better data management, it also has issues to overcome. The biggest challenges faced by MNOs interested in delivering 5G today include:

Establishing efficient operations
Optimising access to the radio network
Optimising backhaul and microwave networks
Testing, troubleshooting and optimising 5G once it is delivered
Densifying networks

However, despite these challenges, Enterprises consider 5G to be an essential part of their digital transformation. 5G capabilities can expand the abilities of IoT sensors and devices, boost access to smart homes, and more. Two-thirds of enterprises surveyed said they considered 5G to be essential to their future. The value of 5G was particularly pronounced in public safety, automotive, media, and retail industries.

MNOs Need to Keep Up with Demands

The results of Infovista's study suggest that MNOs need to work harder to deliver a comprehensive approach to 5G. Once this technology arrives, 3 in 4 enterprises said that it will be necessary for MNOs to fully support the standard. If MNOs are unable to effectively correlate data across the planning, testing and optimisation stages, they could be in trouble.

[caption id="attachment_20341" align="aligncenter" width="735"] MNO Challenges[/caption]

As consumers and businesses continue to anxiously await the arrival of 5G, MNOs need to make sure that they're making the right decisions for their investment, complete with adopting the correct data-driven processes. Infovista's study also suggests that MNOs need to prepare by:

Increasing their focus on efficiency and network agility
Guaranteeing powerful customer experiences through data and predictive solutions
Exploiting 5G to unlock new revenue opportunities

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