How Will Fiber Support or Limit 5G?

In the past several years, the cable and telecom industries have been changed by a demand from customers for choice. A revolution in content streaming and distribution has occurred, and another change looms in the form of widespread 5G.

At Cable-Tec Expo in New Orleans, telecom professionals like Ray Hagen, Americas Product Manager for ProLabs, gathered to collaborate and best prepare themselves for a new era in their industry.

While the developments on the horizon are important to prepare for, Hagen suggests there is much work to be done until 5G makes an impact across the U.S.

“Fiber has got to be a lot further than it is today for 5G. That’s why other folks are looking at all their access network technology,” Hagen said. “Nationwide rollout, I think I’ve seen a lot of press releases rightly say, ‘yeah, hold the horses on nationwide rollout’.”

Currently, telecom providers need to work with customers to provide choice and solutions that meet their specific needs.

“Customers don’t want to buy that big box for just a simple point-to-point type scenario. They just want a solution that will get me from point A to point B,” Hagen said.

As new consumer expectations emerge, legacy companies and new players in the field will continue to battle for the most innovative offerings.