Operators around the world invested billions of dollars to fund the deployment and development of 5G infrastructure with the hope to eventually secure significant ROI. Operators like T-Mobile have announced new revenue as a result of their fixed wireless access FWA offerings made possible by 5G. Many U. These deployments are creating new business opportunities as new features like Reduced Capacity Devices and Network Slicing become available to provide specialized service for specific verticals with specific use cases.
Looking towards and beyond, we can expect growth in 5G revenue to come from vertical and enterprise use cases, in addition to consumer applications. In , AI is set to play a transformative role in wireless technologies as it is integrated into 3GPP wireless standards. These standards are increasingly focused on AI-driven innovations to enhance network efficiency, reliability, and user experience.
Among the developments for AI in wireless include the use of AI for dynamic spectrum management, predictive network maintenance, and intelligent energy optimization. Going forward, AI will be leveraged as not only a tool but a fundamental element of wireless communication that enables more efficient and precise use of wireless resources. Pre-standards research into the technologies and features that will eventually define 6G began as early as In particular, wireless standards body 3GPP will host a workshop in March to begin selection of study items that will help determine how the 6G system architecture, radio interface, core network, and other aspects of the 6G ecosystem will take shape.
Wi-Fi 7 is set to enhance wireless connectivity with features that offer faster speeds, lower latency, and greater capacity for managing multiple connections simultaneously. We expect that the Wi-Fi 7 standard will become commercially available in , amidst ongoing work to welcome the next generation standard, Wi-Fi 8 or IEEE This upcoming standard prioritizes ultra-high reliability, low latency, and seamless mobility for the myriad IoT and devices that shape our connected ecosystem. The streaming industry is poised for significant evolution in , driven by technological advancements and shifting consumer preferences.
Streaming platforms will increasingly leverage AI and machine learning to deliver hyper-personalized content and adaptive user interfaces to enhance user engagement and retention. Innovations in Ultra HD, 4K, and even 8K formats and deployments of improved video compression standards like HEVC and VVC will continue to optimize video quality while reducing bandwidth, whether audiences are streaming live content or immersed in interactive entertainment.
