Fifth-Generation Deployment Likely to Start in 2019, 5G Americas Says

5G Americas predicts 5G could be deployed in “non-standalone versions” as early as 2019, with deployment continuing through 2030. “5G is being designed to integrate with LTE, and some 5G features may be implemented as LTE-Advanced Pro extensions prior to full 5G availability,” Rysavy Research reported for the group. Another big story of the year is that LTE is quickly becoming the industry standard, the group said. “A previously fragmented wireless industry has consolidated globally on LTE,” 5G Americas said. “LTE is being deployed more quickly than any previous-generation wireless technology.” 5G Americas also sees the IoT as “poised for massive adoption.” Industry is “in the nascent stages of the transformation that ubiquitous connectivity is enabling,” 5G Americas said. “Early examples ... include virtual and augmented reality, autonomous driving, smart cities, wearable computers, and connected devices.”