The fifth generation of mobile communication, known as 5G, has been studied around the world to replace 4G in the next ten years. In addition to promising greater internet speed, 5G aims to speed up the connection process between machines and equipment, boosting the so-called “internet of things”. In Brazil, the implementation of the network should take place through an auction, after voting on the notice, scheduled to take place in August. To discuss different areas of 5G, researchers from Unicamp are organizing the webinar “5G: Challenges and Possibilities”, which takes place on the 9th and 10th of August.
Already being implemented in 65 countries, 5G offers greater download speeds and a more stable connection and lower latency, that is, with a shorter response time between a command and its execution. If until the previous generation (4G) the biggest transformation occurred in increasing connectivity between people, 5G should accelerate the process of industry 4.0, a concept that involves automation, artificial intelligence and the internet of things. The economic, technical, legal, sociological aspects and impacts on human behavior are some of the approaches planned for the webinar. The broadcast will be open, through the YouTube channels of the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH) from Unicamp and the Doctor Li (Professor Li Li Min of the Faculty of Medical Sciences).
The webinar is organized by the doctoral student from the IG's Department of Scientific and Technological Policy, Marina Martinelli. The researcher, whose thesis is focused on the game of strategies in the Brazilian 5G auction, explains some key points in the dispute between companies that must compete in the auction.
Greater breadth and coverage
The first point addressed by Marina is the scope of 5G, which involves individual use, with greater connection speed and more people connected to the internet, but also industrial use, in sectors such as agribusiness. “In addition to data modeling, it will be possible to make crop estimates, monitor crops and animals, automated harvesting and spraying, and efficiency in pest control. Furthermore, water use sensors will allow greater control over expenses”, she explains. Other areas, such as medicine and transport, should also be catalyzed.
The doctoral student also explains that the auction will not prioritize fundraising, that is, the winning companies will have to direct investments in infrastructure and connectivity in areas that are still a “digital desert”. In some, for example, there is still no 3G. “One of the requirements of the auction is that the winning companies bring 4G internet to cities with more than 600 inhabitants. In Brazil, there is huge social inequality and there are places that don't even have 3G or 4G yet. So one of the requirements of the auction is that companies provide connections to these cities,” she notes.
Sustainability actions as a competitive advantage
Marina also analyzes aspects of the disputes between companies that own the technology to compete in the auction, such as Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia. According to the researcher, companies are in the phase of building competitive advantages for the auction. “I see the auction as a situation. There is, however, a process behind this situation: before, during and after. Companies are wanting to gain a competitive advantage and the more sustainable technological resources they have, the more market leadership. The auction will only expose the strategies that are being defined beforehand.”
One of the strategies involves sustainability, an aspect that the doctoral student critically analyzes. She points out that 5G works with a transformation towards sustainability and companies have invested in actions in this direction. However, she observes this movement as a “makeup” related to the dispute. “To gain a competitive advantage, companies are playing every game. I tend to see this from a critical aspect, more to gain a competitive advantage than really a concern with a transformation towards sustainability. In this sense, there are some critical points in relation to 5G, one of them is that it is all a makeup to win the auction”.
Auction Templates
The Brazilian auction notice should be voted on by the Federal Audit Court (TCU) on August 18th. When the text is approved, the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) has 12 days to publish the rules of the process. This will be the largest frequency auction in the Agency's history, and interested companies will compete for four frequency bands. Two of them will be used to expand 4G and in the future distribute 5G, and the other two will be directly aimed at distributing 5G to the end consumer and for flat broadband. After the publication of the rules by Anatel, telephone companies can start bidding for the bands.
The auction model will not be fundraising, that is, companies do not transfer funds to the State, but must invest in telecommunications infrastructure. For Marina, it is important that the auction rules are also aimed at generating employment and income, for example. Otherwise, the end consumer could pay a high price, as happened in the United States. “We have a bad example, which is the American auction, the auction in the country was a failure. The end consumer was the most harmed and had to pay a lot for it. Personally, I believe that the auction needs to involve other variables, and not only financial collection, but also the generation of jobs and income, which drives the country's economy”.
The webinar schedule covers various aspects of 5G
In addition to aspects related to the auction, network technology, and areas that will be most catalyzed by the network, the webinar program will explore the issue of data security and psychosocial aspects of 5G implementation. Check out the full schedule:
9 August
10am – Digital transformation and 5G, Ruy de Quadros (Unicamp)
10:20 am – Brazilian 5G auction, Marina Martinelli (Unicamp)
10:40 am – Participation of innovation actors in 5G, Luis Gustavo (SENAI – National Department)
14pm – 5G, industry 4.0 and challenges for Brazil and China, Célio Hiratuka (Unicamp)
14:20 pm – Chinese economic development and 5G, Vitor Alessandrini (ESPM)
10 August
10am – Technical elements of 5G, Rafael Kunst (UNISINOS)
10:20 am – Electric cars and 5G, Flávia Consoni (UNISINOS)
14pm – Psychoanalysis and 5G, Sueli Adestro (Unicamp)
14:20 pm – Data monitoring and digital security, Alcides Peron (USP)
14:40 pm – Sociology and 5G, Tom Dwyer (Unicamp)
