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See us at Mobile World Congress – Americas in San Francisco, Sept. 12-14

We recently published a blog discussing the ability to implement 5G in a way that made good financial sense.  The point is that 5G is very much about enabling new services and that can only be done with the right network foundation in place.  The blog framed 5G in a clever pseudo-math equation: “5G > New Radio and 5G = Digital Transformation”.  What do we mean by digital transformation really? Simply put, it’s when you leverage new digital technologies to create a better way of doing something.  For example, a factory implements 3-D printing to better manufacture a product, or a business increases its agility and improves efficiencies by using digital platforms.

Digital transformation becomes a reality when we can create and share new services almost as fast as we can visualize them.  Imagine that!  Digital transformation – if done right – will indeed require a 5G network.  Why?  Our premise is that 5G is greater than simply a new radio technology.  It requires a transformation of the entire network and business.

So what kinds of services can we expect in the near future from 5G?

  • Enhanced consumer experiences including video, gaming and retail using any screen including augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR).
  • Seamless mobility providing the ability to move between licensed and unlicensed wireless access without changing the experience.
  • Collaboration, for example the Cisco Spark Board, so you can wirelessly present, white board, and video or audio conference with the touch of a finger.
  • IoT that uses both static wireless and mobile wireless access. This could be the service segment with the fastest growth.
  • Mission critical and advanced real-time services. Some of which can be delivered without new radio technology.

Service providers need to deliver the speed and scale markets demand in a way that is cost-effective and sustainable to offer these new services.  They need to deliver new mobility services at the speed of “CLICK” with simplicity, security and scale to any device.  The speed of “CLICK” means as fast and easy as clicking your mouse or “Enter” button.

Cisco believes  the process of upgrading can start long before the launch of the radio.  Working with Cisco, service providers can upgrade their service infrastructure capabilities today for scalability, security and automation.  This will give them the benefits of speed, flexibility and efficiency with an infrastructure that lays the foundation for 5G-enabled services in the future. Here is the three-step roadmap Cisco developed around this:

Step-1: We assess the current state of your network, operational capabilities, business realities, and future plans.

Step-2: We work with you to develop a transformation plan to build 5G-ready service delivery infrastructure that meets your goals and priorities. We typically address areas such as upgrading operational capabilities, automation and orchestration of processes and improving the scalability and programmability of your infrastructure.  The goal is to create an infrastructure that is not only faster and more flexible (the speed of “click”) but also less expensive to operate.

Step-3: Now that you have the right foundation in place, you can focus your efforts on service innovation for both current and future radio technologies… you really can deliver at the speed of “CLICK”.

This all sounds great, right? So what should you do next?

Visit us at Mobile World Congress-Americas in San Francisco, September 12-15th.

  • Meet with Cisco executives and technology experts
  • Visit our Network Operations Center (NOC) that controls the Wi-Fi and analytics for the entire event
  • Attend one of several speaking sessions and seminars (including Cisco experts)

Also, please visit these links for more information and also reach out to your friendly neighborhood Cisco representative.



Authors

Yvette Kanouff

Senior Vice President/General Manager

Service Provider Business