ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK: The next big speed gets real in Barcelona
The real winner at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was a technology standard rather than a device
Amid the launch of dozens of smartphones, tablets and laptops, along with thousands of new software applications and services, the real winner at this week's annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was a technology standard rather than a device. It was hard to find a single commercial device on show that could officially be called 5G, the next generation of mobile connectivity technology. But that didn't stop chipmakers such as Intel and Qualcomm, network infrastructure companies like Huawei and Ericsson, and mobile operators like Korea Telecom and NTT Docomo from going large on 5G. Korea Telecom - once a suitor for a stake in Telkom - stole the show with a carnival-like stand that showcased many use cases for 5G across major emerging categories of technology. For example, on virtual reality: "By utilising 5G-based high-speed content transfer technology, it is possible to enjoy high-quality, high-spec VR content." A live demonstration showed 5G download speeds on a single mobile c...
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