The Australian Government has formed
a 5G working group brings together representatives from across Government
and industry to foster an ongoing discussion on 5G issues.
The objective of the 5G working group is to foster an
ongoing 5G dialogue between industry, subject matter experts and Commonwealth
Government representatives on how best to realise the benefits of 5G across a
range of portfolios and sectors.
The working group is expected to meet at least twice each
year and its role will be reviewed by 30 June 2019.
The terms of reference step out the priorities for the
working group, which include:
- Identifying enablers and barriers to the deployment and
effective use of 5G in Australia, including at the sector and industry level - Examining how the Commonwealth regulatory settings in
sectors, including but not limited to communications, can be optimised for 5G
networks and technologies - Providing a platform for collaboration across Government and
industry on 5G matters - Engaging with the input of subject matter experts, in
ongoing strategic dialogue about 5G matters.
The working group will be chaired by the Deputy Secretary,
Infrastructure and Consumer Group, Department of Communications and the Arts
(DoCA). Membership of the working group will be established on an invitation
basis. Initial membership will include senior representatives from Government,
industry (mobile carriers and equipment vendors) and peak bodies from the
communications sector.
In October 2017, the Australian Government released
a 5G directions paper. The paper, titled 5G—Enabling the future economy, outlines the immediate actions for Government to take that will support the timely rollout of 5G in Australia. The commercial rollout of 5G mobile networks
is expected to commence in 2020.
5th generation mobile networks or 5th generation
wireless systems, abbreviated 5G, are the proposed next telecommunications
standards beyond the current 4G/IMT-Advanced standards.
5G is viewed as a comprehensive wireless-access solution
with the capacity to address the demands and requirements of mobile
communication beyond 2020. It will support improved connectivity, significantly
faster data speeds, and very low latency. It can be an enabler for IoT
applications such as autonomous vehicles and VR/ AR.
The International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency for
information and communications technologies, has developed draft
technical specifications for 5G which include: high data rates (1 Gbps for
hotspots, 100 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload for wide-area coverage); massive
connectivity (1 million connections per square kilometre); ultra-low latency (1
millisecond); high reliability (99.999% for mission critical ‘ultra-reliable’
communications); and mobility at high speeds (up to 500 km/h i.e. high-speed
trains).
Initial membership
for 5G working group is as below:
Government and areas
of interest
- Department of Agriculture and Water Resources – Precision
agriculture - Department of Communications and the Arts – Infrastructure
(including spectrum) deployment Department of Industry, Innovation and
Science—Digital Economy Strategy - Department of Infrastructure and Regional
Development – Autonomous vehicles - Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet – Smart Cities
Plan and Digital Transformation activities
Industry—Mobile
carriers
- Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association
- Optus
- Telstra
- VHA
Industry—Equipment vendors
- Ericsson
- Huawei
- Nokia
- Samsung
Industry—peak bodies
- Communications Alliance
- Internet of Things Alliance Australia
Subject matter
experts
Subject matter experts may be invited to participate in the
working group on an issue by issue basis. Subject matter experts include academics
and peak consumer or industry bodies from other sectors (such as the National
Farmers Federation and the Regional, Rural and Remote Communications
Coalition).
