5G Network Pickup Could Begin as Early as 2017, Says Nokia CEO
Mobile equipment maker Nokia sees the shift to the next generation of 5G wireless networks kicking off well ahead of 2020, the year when many in the industry consider mass-market upgrades will begin, its chief executive said on Sunday.
Chief Executive Rajeev Suri said the company plans to pick up investment in 5G technology in 2016 and that sales of 5G-ready equipment capable of future upgrades could begin as early as 2017.
“5G will happen faster than expected. This may surprise some of you,” Suri declared to an audience including investors ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week.
Suri said that in contrast to past “big bang” rollouts of older mobile equipment cycles, 5G will require plenty of equipment upgrades to occur before some of the key 5G standards are expected to be formalised in 2018 and 2019.
“2020 is probably where we see global volume deployments,” Suri said, but added: “We will start to see a lot of action ahead of 2020 – in 2017, 2018, 2019.”
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