Explainer | How will broad indoor coverage drive global 5G adoption?

5G data traffic originating from indoors is set to expand amid the wide use of work-from-home technologies and the digital transformation of industries

Many target 5G use cases, such as industrial automation, utilities, transport, retail, remote health care and smart office, will be deployed inside buildings

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Mobile network operators are counting on 5G to enable a wide range of indoor applications for both consumers and industries. Illustration: Brian Wang

Published: 7:30am, 6 Dec 2020Updated: 11:43am, 8 Jun 2021

Recent advances in mobile technology have made black spots and dropped calls inside flats and buildings unacceptable for individual consumers and businesses, especially as more people work, study and get their entertainment online.

Indoor 4G coverage is currently sufficient to meet most consumers’ mobile broadband needs, but it has serious limitations in terms of latency, capacity and uniform experience for more bandwidth-hungry programs and large-scale industrial applications. Those requirements are expected to be met by expanded 5G indoor deployments, which can provide more seamless and high-quality wireless experience.

“Cities and governments are demanding excellent indoor coverage to enable a wide range of services for their citizens,” wrote analyst Caroline Gabriel, who leads research firm Analysys Mason’s operator investment strategies programme, in a recent report.

China, with the world’s largest smartphone market and biggest 5G infrastructure, sharpened its focus on indoor coverage earlier this year, as part of efforts to lead the world in rolling out next-generation mobile services.

In February, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) granted licences to China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom to jointly use the 3.3-gigahertz to 3.4GHz spectrum for 5G indoor coverage nationwide. The three state-owned carriers launched commercial 5G services in November of last year.

By comparison, infrastructure development in previous generations of mobile technology prioritised outdoor deployment, which often led to inconsistent network performance within buildings.