Asia Express - Mobile Communications
Huawei to Launch First Commercial 5.5G Network Equipment by 2024 and True 5.5G Smartphone in the 1H 2024
October 12, 2023

Huawei recently announced the launch of the industry's first 5.5G products and solutions in Dubai, as reported by the South China Morning Daily on October 11. Additionally, the company stated that its true 5.5G smartphone will be released by the first half of 2024, offering download speeds of up to 5Gbps and upload speeds of 500Mbps. According to the same source, the company is currently conducting capability verifications for 5G-A (5G advanced/5.5G) chips, which are set to be commercialized in the first half of 2024.

Upon completion, the company anticipates significant advancements, including a tenfold increase in speed. This means peak rates for mobile and home broadband users will rise from 1Gbps to 10Gbps, ensuring better service. Furthermore, there will be a tenfold increase in IoT (Internet of Things) connections, with the number of IoT-connected devices rising from 10 billion to 100 billion. Energy efficiency is expected to improve tenfold, leading to a reduction in the carbon emissions of every terabyte of data transmitted on the mobile network. Additionally, there will be a tenfold advancement in intelligence, elevating the autonomous driving network from level 3 to level 4 and increasing network operation and maintenance efficiency by tenfold. This advancement will also enhance new technologies such as VR (Virtual Reality) and smart cars.
 
On October 11, with the launch of 5.5G products and solutions in Dubai, Huawei has formed partnerships with three major telecom operators from China: China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom. They were joined by du from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Telecom from Saudi Arabia.
 
According to the Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC), global 5G smartphone shipment volume is expected to reach approximately 713 million units in 2024. This translates to a penetration rate of 62.1%, up from this year's 58%. Established in 1987, MIC is a division of the Institute for Information Industry (III), a major government think tank, and one of the leading IT research institutes in the Asia Pacific region.