Pat Hindle, MWJ Editor

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When we started 5G network deployments, it was planned to first implement 5G non-standalone (NSA) networks that used 4G infrastructure followed by standalone (SA) 5G networks that are separate, complete 5G networks. This year marks the first release of 5G SA networks as GSA has identified 47 operators in 24 countries worldwide that have been investing in public 5G SA networks (in the form of trials, planned or actual deployments). In addition, a number of these are testing or deploying 5G standalone technologies for private networks.

Tracking the roll out of 5G, the August 2020 GSA report said the number of announced 5G devices has continued to climb quickly. In January 2020, the number of announced 5G devices exceeded 200 for the first time; by end-July 364 devices had been announced, of which 162 were understood to be commercially available (up from 135 at the end of June).

I attended the virtual IMS2020 event this week and wanted to highlight some of the significant product announcements I saw in the news plus review the 5G Summit and closing ceremony.

“Qualcomm and Murata are today leading the RF filters market,” asserts Stéphane Elisabeth, Technology & Cost Analyst from System Plus Consulting. “In the smartphone industry, within the filter market segment, the two companies are today facing off, and competition is fierce.” Read this analysis of the RF Front End filter market evolution.

The GSA 5G Ecosystem – July 2020 report announced that 5G devices have continued to climb swiftly, accompanied again this month by a continued rapid rise in the number of 5G devices that are commercially available.

While 5G subscription growth has slowed from the pandemic in some markets, this is outweighed by other markets where it is accelerating, leading Ericsson to raise their forecast of global 5G subscriptions at the end of 2020. Read this summary of their report.

This is a summary taken from the recent release by System Plus Consulting’s partner, Yole Développement (Yole). Yole projects an 8% CAGR between 2018 and 2025 for the RF front-end market. At US$15 billion in 2018, the industry is projected to reach US$25.8 billion by 2025, according to Yole.

In the Report and Order document FCC 16-89, the FCC adopted new technical and service rules mmWave band devices that operate under Part 30 of the FCC rules.