Don't count 5G out yet: CTO says it will remain 'extremely important'

Tech is forecast to continue its dominance in the coming years.

A telco expert believes 6G won't be the dominant technology in telecommunications in the next decade.

In an interview with Xinhua, Ericsson's Chief Technology Officer for Asia Pacific Magnus Ewerbring said: "Even if 6G begins commercial deployment around 2029, it may not become the largest technology until around 2037.

"This means 5G will remain extremely important for many years."

According to Ericsson, the sixth generation of cellular networks is set to be market-ready in the early 2030s, leaving its predecessor to maintain its dominance in the medium term.

In fact, 5G is entering its advanced phase (5G Advanced), Ewerbring pointed out. The CTO added that 5G is poised to become the biggest mobile technology globally next year.

Separately, in an explainer, Ericsson noted: "Built on the foundations of 5G and 5G Advanced, 6G networks are expected to deliver much faster speeds than today's high-speed 5G networks...

"6G will not only be about speed. New functionalities will expand the possibilities of the network platform even further beyond communication services, such as information, AI (artificial intelligence), and compute services."

The telecom business went on to say: "The first commercial 6G services are expected around the year 2030, with pre-commercial trials expected from 2028 and early proof of concepts expected even earlier."

Until then, 5G will continue to hold its place in the telco space.