What is the National 5G Observatory?
The National 5G Observatory (ON5G) is an initiative launched by Mobile World Capital Barcelona, the Office of the Spanish Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, and Red.es with the aim of identifying current actors and initiatives on the 5G stage in Spain and abroad, sharing knowledge through reports, best practices and events, and promoting the creation of a 5G ecosystem in Spain.
Mission and Objectives
The National 5G Observatory exists to speed up the standardisation, innovation and development of solutions based on 5G technology in Spain, and to promote the creation of new cooperation frameworks conducive to innovation. It therefore has three main objectives:
- Share and pool the experience of 5G pilot projects and use cases at the national and international level
- Contribute to standardisation and innovation, making it possible to align strategies and share knowledge throughout the country
- Assist the Technical Office of the National 5G Plan in its efforts to coordinate public-private synergies for rolling out 5G networks and services
What do we do?
Create an ecosystem
Create an ecosystem and generate new opportunities in 5G by identifying and creating a map of 5G projects, solutions and actors in Spain and the world.
Produce knowledge
Promote a better understanding of 5G technology by publishing industry and technical reports, analysing the most important news related to this technology, organising our own events and attending others.
Support entrepreneurship
Support partnerships to promote entrepreneurial ecosystems and the growth of SMEs that develop applications and services related to 5G technology.
5G technology
What are its advantages?
Benefits
- Technological transformation of services and infrastructures
- Creation of new economic and social opportunities
- Better quality of life for people
Challenges
- Adapting to the industrial transformation
- Reaching non-urban areas
- Ensuring network performance
Current situation
At present, there is no generally accepted standard for 5G. However, different countries have taken the first steps towards the commercial rollout of the 5G system, with the aim of launching by 2020.
In April 2016 the European Union adopted the 5G Action Plan for Europe. In Spain, the 2018–20 National 5G Plan is already in progress, which aims to promote the development of this new technology in our country.
In the international arena, the United States, China, South Korea and Japan are currently leading the race to roll out commercial 5G technology.
The future of 5G technology
5G will transform existing technological infrastructures and services, creating new opportunities for the next generations.
5G networks will catalyse and coalesce other technologies like IoT and artificial intelligence, giving rise to a new ecosystem of public services that will improve people’s lives.
According to the European Commission, by 2025 the first-order benefits of introducing 5G technology in the automotive, healthcare, transport and utilities industries will amount to 62.5 billion euros a year. If second-order benefits are added, the number could be as high as 113 billion euros.
Founding partners
The observatory was created thanks to an agreement signed by the Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Business, via the Office of the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, Red.es and Mobile World Capital Barcelona
