5G Is Now, Part 3: [Interview] "Consumers Are the Key Pillar of the 5G era... Users Will Consume 100

"To successfully roll out 5G mobile telecommunications, consumers must come first before anything. We'd like to provide countries around the world with 5G infrastructure so that users can consume 100GB every month wirelessly and enjoy new services as much as they'd like."

President Youngky Kim of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics estimates that monthly wireless internet usage will soar to 100GB in the 5G era from the current usage of 10 GB at most in the 4G environment. In other words, users will be able to enjoy wireless internet services including 4K and 8K UHD videos, virtual reality (VR), holograms, and autonomous vehicles to their satisfaction.

Using the 5G technologies that have been developed over the last seven years, President Kim has been committed to deploying 5G networks in many parts of the world. He said, "We will focus on the U.S. where 5G services will launch this year, as well as Korea and Japan - the leaders of 5G commercialization. It is our goal to become one of the top three global network equipment suppliers within the next five years."

President Kim sat with Samsung Newsroom on 27th February at MWC held in Barcelona, Spain. The Q&A outlines the types of benefits consumers will be able to enjoy in the 5G era, and Samsung's competitive edge and business strategies.

Q. How do you think the 5G will make a difference in our lives?

Kim: "4G brought us mobile connectivity so that we can use our smartphones anytime and anywhere. 5G will extend wireless connectivity to cities and factories as a whole. Internet of Things (IoT) will become a part of our lives, and consumers' monthly wireless internet usage will skyrocket to 100GB. Furthermore, hologram video calls, augmented reality (AR)-based GPS, and autonomous vehicles will be more widely available."

Q. Almost every participating enterprise at MWC 2018 talks about 5G. What differentiates Samsung from the rest?

Kim: "The telecommunications business is no longer just about expanding network coverage and enhancing performance. Going beyond simple connectivity, we aim to implement an automated and intelligent network that focuses on our consumers. The main task is to develop new services that are virtually latency-free. Samsung will demonstrate its unique competencies to bring 5G services to life, based on the company's businesses and experiences in networks, mobile devices, TVs, home appliances, semi-conductors, and electronics parts as well as IoT platform."

Q. For the first time in the world, the 5G network will be commercialized in the U.S. When do you think it will be distributed on a major scale? 

Kim: "Countries like the U.S, Korea, Japan are on the verge of jumping into 5G commercialization. Samsung will accelerate the commercialization of 5G by working actively with service providers in 5G adoption-advanced countries. To deliver 5G services seamlessly, "killer applications" must be provided along with the network and user devices." 

Q. Samsung collaborates with Verizon for the commercialization of 5G in the U.S. What meaning does this partnership hold? 

Kim: "The U.S. is an early-adopter and has a very large market, of which Verizon is the No.1 operator. In this respect, the partnership is recognition of our technological competencies. The 5G network employs the millimeter wave spectrum, which is a distinctive frequency bandwidth yet to be used for communications. It is therefore crucial that it successfully works out in an in an everyday setting. We believe that coming in first place to let users experience commercial services based on the millimeter wave spectrum will bolster our presence in the 5G market."

Q. What is Samsung's strategy to expand market share?

Kim: "Technological competency is our competitive edge. Samsung has been dedicated to validating 5G technologies and applying the requirements of global standards. Furthermore, we have been committed to developing and demonstrating "world first" technologies over the last seven years. To achieve success in our 5G business, our viewpoints on technologies, products and strategies must stay focused on consumers. I am positive that Samsung has every potential to grow into a top-tier enterprise with our consumer-centric products, services and infrastructure in the global 5G market."