GSMA says 5G & 6G drive economic growth but there are risks

It was not so long ago that the idea of being able to make video calls, access vast volumes of data and communicate with almost anyone at anytime from anywhere was the stuff of science fiction. But the evolution of communications has become a powerful social and commercial enabler.

As the world moves from 4G communications into 5G and prepares for the approaching 6G era, the opportunity for significant innovation in commercial and industrial applications is immense. The foundation of success in this fast-changing world is digital trust.

Julian Gorman is the Head of APAC for GSMA - the industry organisation that represents over 1,000 mobile operators and companies with a focus on advancing connectivity and emerging technologies. He says the focus now needs to evolve from developing patents into creating innovative solutions.

"Japan is an R&D powerhouse, spending around 3.7% of its GDP. Yet it ranks lowest amongst the G7 when it comes to labour productivity. While Japan is very good at creating patents and ideas, it struggles to translate that into meaningful impact in society," he explains.

For many the move from 4G, which is still the dominant mobile standard globally, to 5G and 6G has been about speeds and feeds. While it's easy to demonstrate that each communications generation is faster than the one before, it's harder to show what that improved speed, lower latency and increased range can enable. But Julian says there are some stunning examples around the world that illustrate what is possible.

In healthcare, the National University Health Hospital in Singapore has adopted 5G for using a digital twin inside the operating theatre. This can shorten operating time because surgeons are able to act with greater precision during an operation. The digital twin can help guide the scalpel enabling a more accurate procedure that reduces recovery time and time in the operating theatre.

In India, a factory that makes aluminium castings for major international automotive brands including Mercedes and Hyundai has robots that move around the factory using 5G for management of the traffic. The investment in 5G also enables CCTV and monitoring of plant equipment. Adopting a private 5G network inside the factory has delivered significant return on investment.

"With 6G appearing on the horizon, we really need to focus on how we translate R&D into meaningful impact in society, in our digital nations and industry transformation. That's the leap we need to make"

From an economic point of view, the shift to 5G and 6G will be a major economic driver across the Asia Pacific region. While some countries, such as Australia and Japan have ageing populations, many others in the region are much younger. The median age in the Philippines, for example, is about 26 years. In contrast, Australia's media age is about 40 and it's over 50 in Japan. Those younger demographics tend to have a more 'entrepreneurial spirit,' Julian says, and are more likely to try new things and innovate. And that's where he sees the benefits of 5G and 6G being more fully exploited.

Digital trust

Underpinning our reliance on different communications technologies is trust.

"Digital trust is under attack. Digital trust is the foundation of our future economies. It's incredibly important that we collectively embrace the responsibility to protect and nurture that and work together. In Japan, fraud scam losses are estimated around USD$2B last year. But Global Anti-Scam Alliance, of which GSMA is a founding partner, estimates that could be underreported by a factor of 10."

One of the initiatives GSMA formed is the Cross-Sector Anti-Scam Task Force. It brings together nearly 40 organisations from 17 countries across the Asia-Pacific region to identify and prioritise areas to help combat scam fraud, and promote and elevate awareness of what is being done so that consumers can be educated to protect themselves. With the rise of 5G and advent of 6G, the attack surface available to threat actors will continue to expand.

 "It's important that the industry acts together and shares knowledge in real time to combat emerging threats."

The threat, Julian says, is particularly severe, in Southeast Asia. The rapid update of mobile technology and arrival of AI have created a perfect storm for criminals. The production of malware and phishing attacks has been simplified, and the number of potential targets has grown. But the outlook is not all negative.

"Those same capabilities can help us protect people. But we must act together. No single organisation can solve it alone. It's about sharing information across borders and between sectors to remove the gaps scam organisations operate in," says Julian.

Faster mobile communications are a powerful enabler for innovation and economic growth. As speeds increase, the opportunities for commerce, health, manufacturing and other sectors to create new products and services and to drive efficiencies can be a source of prosperity. But protecting against malicious parties who want to use the same tools to exploit the vulnerable demands a team effort.