With the arrival of 5G, maintaining 4G, 3G, and 5G networks simultaneously will become a significant challenge for telecom operators. To help them thrive in the 5G era while preserving their existing network capabilities, it's essential to make the network more efficient and user-friendly. This is where 4.5G comes into play as a crucial stepping stone between 4G and 5G. Let’s explore how this bridge can shape the future of network communication with the help of network expert Xiaobian.
"Before 5G becomes widely commercialized, there are several key issues that operators must address, including technological advancements, ecological support, and the transformation of their business capabilities. From a technical perspective, the 4G network will remain the foundation for operators. To achieve true 5G leadership, operators need to develop new business capabilities on the 4.5G network ahead of time," said Xiong Wei, President of Huawei’s LTE Product Line and Wireless Vehicle Networking Product Line.
"Today, the penetration rate of traditional services has reached a high level globally, leaving little room for growth. Operators must focus on emerging markets to drive new revenue streams. This year, the discussion around vertical industries has gained momentum—it's a vast opportunity that will form the backbone of future industrial development. By promoting industry upgrades, operators can expand their business and unlock new growth opportunities," Xiong explained.
"However, the current network infrastructure is not sufficient to support these new applications. That’s why we emphasize the importance of 4.5G. It serves as a critical platform to enable next-generation services like 4K video, VR, AR, autonomous driving, and IoT," Xiong added.
Xiong believes that 5G commercialization will take at least 3–5 years. During this transition period, 4G alone may not be enough, but 5G isn’t yet ready for mass adoption. The best strategy is to deploy 4.5G networks, which can support rich vertical applications and help operators build full-service capabilities. This will give them a competitive edge when 5G finally arrives.
In addition, 4.5G helps operators optimize their network architecture and prepare for a smooth transition to 5G. Xiong pointed out that there are significant differences between 4G and 5G. Deploying 4.5G allows operators to gradually evolve their networks, making them more compatible with future 5G deployments and helping users get used to 5G applications.
"Looking ahead, the next decade will be the golden era for 4G. Despite the rise of 5G, 4G still has tremendous potential. Many countries have only just begun deploying 4G infrastructure, and a large number of users are still on 2G or 3G devices. Additionally, the cost of 4G chips is now only slightly higher than 3G, making large-scale deployment feasible," Xiong said.
"At the same time, operating multiple networks—2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G—is costly and inefficient. Therefore, the future basic network should be built on 4G, with 5G gradually introduced based on business needs," he emphasized.
As a pioneer in 4.5G, Huawei proposed the technical specifications in 2015, which were later recognized by 3GPP under the name LTE-Advanced Pro. Today, 4.5G has been deployed globally. As of July 2017, over 68 4T4R commercial networks had been launched, and many flagship devices now support 4R terminals. Huawei has deployed 100 4.5G commercial networks worldwide and enabled VoLTE services for 109 operators across 57 countries.
The results speak for themselves. After deploying 4.5G, operators have seen remarkable improvements in network performance, user satisfaction, and market share. Recently, Huawei and UK operator EE successfully tested 4.5G LTE-Advanced Pro technologies. On EE’s dual-band 4T4R commercial network, the Huawei Mate10 Pro achieved a downlink peak speed of 970 Mbps—over six times faster than standard 4G speeds. This marks one of the fastest commercial 4.5G speeds to date.
At the 2017 Global Mobile Broadband Forum, guests witnessed a drone flight demonstration using a 4.5G commercial network. The UAV’s long-range control and data transmission capabilities were impressive. This was part of Huawei’s “Digital Sky Plan,†aimed at enabling low-altitude digital industrial applications through enhanced network coverage.
"4.5G and 5G will coexist for a long time and both will play vital roles," Xiong concluded. "By deploying 4.5G now, operators can reserve capacity for 5G, develop 5G services in advance, and cultivate user habits. This ensures they are well-prepared when 5G becomes mainstream."
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