5G will require collaboration across vertical markets, according to industry executives

<p>5G is theorized to be a fundamental shift and key enabler in the future of the digital world. The shift from 4G to 5G will encompass the emergence of new technologies and approaches to the Internet that will change the way people live, work and play. The new approaches may require collaboration among vertical markets to help the wireless industry understand the consumer's needs and develop a technological network that connects people, things and services like never before.</p>
<p>This requirement appeared as a common theme across the six panelists in the <a class="offsite" href="http://www.fiercewireless.com/tech/">FierceWireless&nbsp;Technologies</a>&rsquo; &ldquo;The Path to 5G: Defining the Next Generation of Wireless Networks&rdquo; luncheon that took place during Mobile World Congress on March 3, 2015 at the Fira Congress Hotel in Barcelona.</p>
<p>Sue Marek, Editor-in-Chief, FierceWireless, moderated a dynamic panel that included the following six industry executives: Asha Keddy, VP Platform Engineering Group, Intel; Tom Keahtley, SVP, Wireless Network Architecture and Design, AT&amp;T Services; Alex Jinsung Choi, EVP and Head of Corporate R&amp;D Center, SK Telecom; Adam Koeppe, VP of Network Technology and Planning, Verizon Communications; and Eduardo Esteves, VP, Product Management, Qualcomm.</p>
<p>The panelists made it clear that 5G requires a need for a much broader set of definitions beyond just the telecom industry and will require contributions from key players across industry vertical markets such as health care and transportation. Throughout the discussion, they expressed that the next generation of wireless networks will need to be defined through an open environment with a focus on the quality of service for specific user experiences and the new business models that will emerge in the market.</p>
<p>Alan Carlton, Vice President of InterDigital Europe, closed the luncheon with some remarks on the panel discussion and InterDigital's involvement with 5G. Currently, the company has a strong focus on 5G innovation in areas that include Air Interfaces, Networks, <a href="http://www.interdigital.com/iot#.VP7j-PnF8po">M2M/IoT</a>, Spectrum Sharing, and Services Enabled by 5G Networks.</p>
<p>For more information on 5G, make sure to visit the InterDigital Vault at&nbsp;<a href="http://vault.interdigital.com.">http://vault.interdigital.com.</a></p>