• H2020
• Global Collaboration

EU commissioner for digital economy and society Gunther H Öettinger has signed an agreement with Brazil’s minister of communications, André Figueiredo, on 5G wireless development.

Co-operation on information and communications technologies between the EU and Brazil began in 2008, with this year seeing a call for 5G research projects under Horizon 2020. The EU hopes to invest up to €700m in 5G through a public private partnership, also under Horizon 2020, to which the communications industry is likely to contribute up to five times as much (~€3bn).

Describing his vision for 5G, Öettinger said it “is not only about more speed and more bandwidth for mobile but about building the communication platform that will power the digital revolution. This means that public services, utilities, manufacturing, healthcare, and farming will all be using 5G networks to deliver new, smart products and services based on next generation connectivity.

“Support for investment in Europe for 5G networks needs to start now … We need to make sure that there will be industrial players who are ready to invest in 5G services … This discussion must not only include EU telecom operators and equipment manufacturers but also representatives from key industries.”

The EU and Brazil will also identify which services will be prioritised by 5G networks, enabling support negotiations on frequency bands and global interoperability standards for the next generation technology.

South Korea is currently the world leader in telecommunications infrastructures, with key players believing that this agreement should move both Brazil and the EU a step closer.