What is 5G Advanced or 5.5G? When will it be released?

Although we’re just starting to take 5G plans for granted, another cellular upgrade is already underway. Dubbed 5G Advanced, this new technology not only promises faster data speeds, but also offers better reliability and energy savings. Unlike 6G networks, the first batch of smartphones supporting 5G Advanced are already on the shelves. So, what exactly does the 5.5G or mid-generation 5G Advanced update mean to you and me? Let’s break it down.

5G Advanced, officially defined in 3GPP Release 18, is an upgrade to existing 5G networks and has been initially deployed in some countries. It introduces various optimizations for current 5G deployments and lays the foundation for future cellular technologies such as 6G.

Historically, mobile networks have had a lifespan of ten years. For example, the first 3G networks emerged in the early 2000s and were eventually replaced by LTE and 4G in the 2010s. Fast forward to the 2020s, and operators are ready to deploy 5G infrastructure. But while mobile networks seem to only get sudden upgrades every decade or so, that’s not entirely true. Typical examples: 3G and 4G have undergone evolutionary updates during their life cycles.

In this case, you can think of 5G Advanced as a continued enhancement of the existing 5G standard. We saw the same thing happen over a decade ago when 3GPP announced LTE Advanced, which introduced carrier aggregation (CA) to significantly speed up speeds and MIMO, or multi-antenna transmission. Then, in 2016, LTE Advanced Pro was the final step before we transitioned to 5G networks. If you’ve seen the LTE-A or LTE+ icon on your smartphone, it’s connected to one of these newer networks.

With that in mind, you might be wondering what improvements 5G Advanced brings. In this regard, there is good news and bad news.

The good news is that 5G Advanced promises significant improvements over regular 5G in a number of areas. Unfortunately, some of these benefits are subtle and won’t immediately impact day-to-day use of the smartphone.Additionally, 5G Advanced will be deployed in multiple phases from 2024 to 2026 and beyond

Nonetheless, compared to regular 5G, 5G Advanced or 5.5G seeks to offer the following features:

1. faster: No cellular generation update would gain traction without a bold claim for faster data speeds. This statement also applies to 5G Advanced, which industry insiders claim will finally deliver on the promise of 10Gbps download speeds.
2. Massive MIMO: Massive MIMO is one of the key features when 5G is launched. It involves using cell towers with dozens (or even more) antennas to handle multiple data streams simultaneously. Combined with beamforming technology to direct these streams precisely where they are needed, the technology enables sub-6GHz 5G to reach gigabit speeds in the real world. 5G Advanced brings several improvements to Massive MIMO, adding more antennas to improve connection quality, even in crowded areas like stadiums. We’ve also heard about AI being used to predict traffic patterns and improve signal strength.
3. energy efficiency: When flagship smartphones started transitioning from 4G a few years ago, users quickly discovered that 5G would cause severe battery drain. Smartphone modems have improved since then, but 5G Advanced allows devices to enter low-power states when idle, reducing battery consumption. To increase broadcast-level energy efficiency, cell towers can intelligently adjust their output power or go to sleep when not actively servicing devices.
4. High-precision search: Thanks again to the technology’s multi-antenna approach, 5G Advanced can use signal timing to locate devices in real time. This centimeter-level accuracy could pave the way for the adoption of 5G-A in logistics and asset management.

In addition to these highlights, 5G Advanced or 5.5G also hopes to unlock additional mid-band frequencies above 6GHz. The latest 3GPP version adds support for the 7GHz to 24GHz frequency bands. This is in line with 5G Advanced’s goal of providing a smooth transition to 6G networks.

5G Advanced is still in its infancy and is not expected to be officially released until the end of 2024. However, in March 2024, China Mobile became the first operator in the world to announce the limited launch of 5G Advanced. This is perhaps not surprising as we’ve seen plenty of demos from local players like Huawei and ZTE.

Given the U.S. sanctions on two Chinese telecom giants, China’s rapid deployment of 5G Advanced may be a show of technological prowess. Fortunately, companies such as Qualcomm, Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung are still actively involved in 5G-A standardization and research. This healthy competition and global cooperation ensures that 5G Advanced will not be dominated by the technology or influence of a single country.

We should see early 5G adopters such as South Korea and the United States embracing 5G Advanced in 2025. The UAE has also conducted extensive testing, so it may not be too far behind. As with previous generations of cellular networks, we expect 5.5G to arrive in large cities first.

As of March 2024, only the OPPO Find X7 series supports 5G Advanced or 5.5G. The company may partner with China Mobile to power the new network.

Mainstream smartphones with 5G Advanced should start rolling out in late 2024 and early 2025. However, operator support remains a missing piece of the puzzle, as upgrading infrastructure to support 5G Advanced will require significant investment.

The good news is that today’s hardware appears to be ready for the initial rollout of 5G Advanced, or 5.5G. The OPPO Find X7 series comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and the company’s X75 5G modem. It stands to reason that flagship Android smartphones released in 2024 could also support new network types through future software updates.