Leaders of the global push to establish 5G should agree...

new technology will bring “exponential” change and is the “key to a new paradigm, to a connected society, to the Internet of Things,” Kroes’ written remarks said. Among other things, 5G enables e-health services such as remote surgery and the ability to use new apps even in crowded places, said an EC memo (bit.ly/Nrm3x). Last year, the EC put 700 million euros ($960 million) on the table to jump-start European research, and the telecom sector responded with more more 3 billion euros, she said. Other countries, such as South Korea, are also putting up funding for 5G research, she said. Global cooperation and convergence is needed to make 5G ubiquitous and interoperable, she said. But Kroes said 5G “does not mean that we can do without 4G.” The newer technology won’t be deployed on a large-scale basis for many years, and it needs 4G and 3G to get there, as well as 2G networks and Wi-Fi, she said. In 2013, 5G was a topic only at conferences, but now it’s happening in the lab, she said, and Europe should lead the way.