Polytechnique insights A REVIEW BY INSTITUT POLYTECHNIQUE DE PARIS
Polytechnique insights A REVIEW BY INSTITUT POLYTECHNIQUE DE PARIS
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π Digital π Science and technology π Industry

5G, 6G: what are the challenges for new telecommunication networks?

4 episodes
  • 1
    6G promises to merge the human and digital worlds
  • 2
    5G: more than a new generation of mobiles?
  • 3
    Will 5G improve or worsen our digital carbon footprint?
  • 4
    5G and industry: is France falling behind?
0_generique (1)
Épisode 1/4

6G promises to merge the human and digital worlds
Sophy Caulier, Independant journalist
On March 1st, 2022
4 min reading time

Key takeaways

  • The 5G mobile network is already delivering speeds 10 times faster than 4G.
  • 6G is expected to offer speeds 100 times higher than 5G, with frequencies between 100 GHz and 30 THz.
  • However, in telecommunications, a higher frequency travels shorter distances, but with better throughput. As such, the power of 6G must be amplified to improve its performance over distance.
  • Its low latency (in the microsecond range) will make reliable connectivity possible for real-time applications, leading to disruptive innovations in several areas, including autonomous vehicles, industry 4.0 and telemedicine or healthcare.
  • Geopolitical factors could mean a more fragmented future, with different governments' desire for digital sovereignty.
2_generatinoDeTelephonie
Épisode 2/4

5G: more than a new generation of mobiles?
Pierre-Jean Benghozi, CNRS Research Director at I³-CRG* and Professor of Digital Economics at École Polytechnique (IP Paris) and the University of Geneva
On March 1st, 2022
4 min reading time
Pierre-Jean Benghozi
Pierre-Jean Benghozi
CNRS Research Director at I³-CRG* and Professor of Digital Economics at École Polytechnique (IP Paris) and the University of Geneva

Key takeaways

  • 5G is not only be a revolution for mobile telecommunications. It will also be part of an industry renewal in terms of digitalisation.
  • 5G is a new technology that will enable many objects to be connected, provide critical, low-latency communications, and optimise the use of telecommunication networks.
  • There are already many experiments with 5G: equipment for large sports stadiums, public spaces such as stations, ports and airports, digitisation of industrial sectors such as the electric and connected car industry, improvement of health services, etc.
  • Far from simply redefining the balance between consumer and business uses, the functionalities of 5G result in new articulations between the national and territorial levels.
3_satellites
Épisode 3/4

Will 5G improve or worsen our digital carbon footprint?
Serge Abiteboul, Researcher in Computer Science at Inria and ENS and Patrick Lagrange, Head of the Mobile Frequency Allocation Unit in the Mobile and Innovation Directorate of Arcep
On March 1st, 2022
4 min reading time
Patrick Lagrange
Patrick Lagrange
Head of the Mobile Frequency Allocation Unit in the Mobile and Innovation Directorate of Arcep
Serge Abiteboul
Serge Abiteboul
Researcher in Computer Science at Inria and ENS

Key takeaways

  • 5G is a new technological standard that allows, among other things, the use of radio frequencies with higher capacities to achieve higher data rates, while maintaining more simultaneous connections.
  • An analysis of the life cycle of a 5G installation leads to the consideration of three main phases in its impact on the environment: equipment manufacture, its use and, finally, its end-of-life management.
  • The use of 5G has an impact through its energy consumption. However, for a similar performance, 5G will consume less than 4G, but the increase in connected objects may still influence this observation.
  • Despite the positive effects of 5G, ambitions for greenhouse gas reduction are such that we still need to further reduce energy consumption of the telecommunications sector.
5G industry
Épisode 4/4

5G and industry: is France falling behind?
On October 18th, 2022
4 min reading time
Pierre-Jean Benghozi
Pierre-Jean Benghozi
CNRS Research Director at I³-CRG* and Professor of Digital Economics at École Polytechnique (IP Paris) and the University of Geneva
David Glijer
David Glijer
Director of Digital Transformation at ArcelorMittal

Key takeaways

  • 5G offers higher speeds, lower lag time and the ability to connect many objects.
  • Although 5G will help to relieve the congestion on the public 4G network, it is primarily a tool for industry.
  • The first 5G factory in France is located in Dunkirk: this is ArcelorMittal's “5G Steel” project.
  • Having control of an in-house network protects against any technical problems with an external operator.
  • There are several obstacles to the development of industrial uses of 5G in France, which is delaying its implementation.

Contributors

Sophy Caulier

Sophy Caulier

Independant journalist

Sophy Caulier has a degree in Literature (University Paris Diderot) and in Computer science (University Sorbonne Paris Nord). She began her career as an editorial journalist at 'Industrie & Technologies' and then at 01 Informatique. She is now a freelance journalist for daily newspapers (Les Echos, La Tribune), specialised and non-specialised magazines and websites. She writes about digital technology, economics, management, industry and space. Today, she writes mainly for Le Monde and The Good Life.

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Pierre-Jean Benghozi

Pierre-Jean Benghozi

CNRS Research Director at I³-CRG* and Professor of Digital Economics at École Polytechnique (IP Paris) and the University of Geneva

A specialist in the digital economy, from 2013 to 2019 Pierre-Jean Benghozi was a member of the College of the Electronic communication regulations authority (Arcep) and is currently chairing a mission to evaluate the France very high speed internet plan.
*I³-CRG: a joint research unit of CNRS, École Polytechnique - Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Télécom Paris, Mines ParisTech

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5G and industry: is France falling behind?
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Serge Abiteboul

Serge Abiteboul

Researcher in Computer Science at Inria and ENS

A member of the College of Arcep (French regulatory authority for electronic communications, post and press distribution), Serge Abiteboul obtained his doctorate from the University of Southern California, and a state thesis from the University of Paris-Sud. He was a researcher in computer science at the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique and Director of Research Emeritus in a research team at the École Normale Supérieure de Paris. He has also been a lecturer at the École Polytechnique, a visiting professor at Stanford and Oxford Universities and an affiliated professor at the École Normale Supérieure de Cachan. His research work focuses on data, information and knowledge management, especially on the Web. Serge Abiteboul also writes novels, essays, and is editor and founder of the Blog binaire. He curated the Terra Data exhibition at the Cité des sciences in 2017-2018.

Other contributions

Will 5G improve or worsen our digital carbon footprint?
Patrick Lagrange

Patrick Lagrange

Head of the Mobile Frequency Allocation Unit in the Mobile and Innovation Directorate of Arcep

Patrick Lagrange recently contributed to the allocation of the 3.5 GHz band frequencies in France and participated in the implementation of Arcep's "Sustainable Digital" initiative. He graduated from Supélec and holds a Master's degree in economics and before joining Arcep, spent 25 years in the mobile infrastructure equipment supplier industry in R&D, standardisation, consulting, and pre-sales support roles.

Other contributions

Will 5G improve or worsen our digital carbon footprint?

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