DECT NR+ is emerging as a new kind of 5G class wireless standard that brings high reliability and low latency into professional AV—but without relying on traditional cellular infrastructure. For those specifying wireless audio, intercom, and unified communication (UC) systems, it offers a complementary architecture to operator-driven or private cellular 5G and marks the start of an ongoing journey toward non-cellular 5G tailored to professional environments.

Crucially, DECT NR+ does not happen in a vacuum. For more than two decades, classic DECT and DECT Evolution have been quietly doing a huge amount of work in AV and UC: from cordless telephony and conference phones to business headsets and wireless presentation systems. In the professional audio world, wireless microphone systems like Sennheiser SpeechLine Digital Wireless and AVX have shown how DECT-based links can deliver robust, easy-to-deploy speech solutions in corporate, education, and video production workflows. That installed base has shaped expectations around reliability, range, and ease of use—and it provides the real-world experience on which DECT NR+ now builds.

From Classic DECT to DECT NR+

At its core, DECT NR+ is the revolutionary evolution of classic DECT, a new wireless technology standardized by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) as DECT2020 NR and formally recognized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as part of the IMT2020 5G family. Often described as the world’s first noncellular 5G technology, it takes core 5G concepts—ultrareliable low-latency communication, flexible OFDM waveform design, and support for massive device densities—and adapts them to private, user-owned networks. DECT NR+ is designed to operate in frequency bands below 6 GHz, so its propagation characteristics are close to other 5G NR deployments while staying in the lower sweet spot for indoor coverage and penetration. Today, its operation is anchored in an often dedicated, protected 1.9 GHz DECT band that is, in many countries, allocated specifically to DECT and its successors. That gives AV designers a predictable, interference-managed canvas for high-performance wireless audio. While current products focus on this almost globally available 1.9 GHz allocation, the same physical layer is already being evaluated for future site-licensed operation in emerging private network blocks such as CBRS type 3.5 GHz ranges, and the 3.7–3.8 GHz and 3.8–4.2 GHz bands. This extends the concept of user-owned noncellular 5G into higher midbands. Alongside WMAS in the UHF band, DECT NR+ gives us a non-cellular 5G option in 1.9 GHz and, in the future, additional bands—extending the same design philosophy of controlled, low-latency wireless into new parts of the spectrum.

MERCI and Collaborative Innovation

Research initiatives such as the Franco-German MERCI project have helped translate the theoretical capabilities of DECT NR+—like URLLC (Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication) class performance and high device density—into concrete architectures and prototypes for demanding live and broadcast environments. MERCI’s final demonstrations, from industrial guided vehicles to the world’s first MPEG-H object-based live audio transmission over DECT NR+, show that the technology is ready for industrial and demanding audio applications and workflows.

The ecosystem around NR+ is being built as an open, collaborative effort rather than as a closed proprietary stack. The OpenerInitiative.org community has become a focal point for open implementations, tools, and documentation around DECT2020 NR / NR+, lowering the barrier for new entrants and experimental projects. In parallel, the DECT Forum’s Academic Industry Roundtable (AIR) offers a platform where manufacturers, chip vendors, universities, and research institutes can align roadmaps, run joint trials, and feed requirements back into standards. Taken together with the long history of classic DECT and DECT Evolution in telephony, conferencing, and wireless microphone systems like SpeechLine and AVX, these initiatives ensure that NR+ continues that lineage into a 5G-class, non-cellular future for AV and UC.

RF Behavior and Network Architecture

From an RF perspective, the 1.9 GHz anchor band avoids the heavy congestion of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi while sidestepping the fragmented ISM bands below 1 GHz. For AV engineers, that means starting from a cleaner spectrum environment where interference from consumer devices is reduced, and coexistence planning is more predictable. The DECT NR+ physical layer uses modern OFDM with adaptive modulation, turbo coding, and optional hybrid ARQ to maintain robust links even in challenging venues like arenas, theaters, and large broadcast compounds—all within that sub 6 GHz window.

Equally important is network topology. DECT NR+ supports point-to-point, star, and self-healing mesh configurations in license-exempt spectrum, with scheduling and routing decisions taken locally at the edge. Unlike cellular 5G, it is not tied to a centralized operator-managed core, so timing and resource allocation can be optimized directly for the venue’s requirements. This makes DECT NR+ behave more like a hardened industrial network than a consumer mobile system, suited to scenarios where latency and reliability must be guaranteed block to block rather than averaged across a wide area.

Cellular 5G, by comparison, is built around operator-run base stations, licensed spectrum, and a centralized core. That architecture excels at wide area mobility, outdoor coverage, and high throughput broadband, and it is increasingly relevant as a backhaul and contribution link technology in broadcast and live production. For many AV and UC projects, however, there is also a need for a fully self-contained, venue-owned RF fabric for the “last mile” between devices and users. DECT NR+ fills that space by providing a modern PHY and MAC that can be rolled out and controlled entirely on-premises, complementing rather than replacing cellular 5G.

What this Means for AV and UC Specifiers

The traffic profile reflects this division of roles. DECT NR+ is optimized for low to medium data rate, small packet traffic such as audio streams, control signals, and sensor telemetry across a single site. That aligns well with professional audio, intercom, and venue-wide UC ecosystems, where deterministic timing and high reliability matter more than peak throughput. Cellular 5G, on the other hand, is optimized first for broadband data, with URLLC and massive IoT capabilities available where needed. In many real-world designs, the result is a layered approach: 5G for wide area connectivity and heavy backhaul, NR+ for dense, low-latency device-level connectivity inside the venue.

[Coming Soon to Pro AV: DECT NR+]

To make NR+ practically usable across vendors and product categories, ETSI TC DECT is developing a family of application-specific profiles for DECT2020 NR, including a Generic Audio Applications profile. Building on earlier DECT audio profiles such as the Advanced Audio Profile, this work defines common behaviors and capabilities for a broad class of audio devices and use cases on top of the NR+ radio layer. The aim is that NR+ based microphones, headsets, loudspeakers, and other endpoints can follow shared expectations for latency, codec handling, and control signaling, giving specifiers more confidence that NR+ labelled solutions will meet a consistent baseline.

For AV and UC specifiers, the technology choice is already becoming a practical line item. A wireless microphone or intercom system that runs on DECT NR+ is not just “another DECT solution”; it is built on an ETSI standardized PHY/MAC engine operating in an often dedicated, protected 1.9 GHz band, with deterministic latency and high device density designed in from the start. That changes RF planning, interference management, and scalability. Instead of manually coordinating dozens of channels under tight constraints, professionals can specify a fabric that can automatically adapt while maintaining predictable performance. In UC, the same fabric can underpin headsets, speakerphones, and room control systems on a dedicated RF layer that does not compete with IT-managed WiFi.

Looking ahead, the ability of DECT NR+ to move beyond 1.9 GHz into site-licensed midbands such as CBRS-type 3.5 GHz allocations and the 3.7–3.8 GHz and 3.8–4.2 GHz ranges now opening for local networks adds another dimension for system designers. The same noncellular 5G technology that underpins license-exempt AV and UC deployments will, in the future, also be able to inhabit coordinated, locally licensed spectrum where extra isolation or capacity is needed—for example, in large campuses, broadcast hubs or critical infrastructure facilities.

In that sense, DECT NR+ is not simply “DECT with a new name,” but a new class of radio access technology that brings 5G-style performance into a spectrum and architecture tuned for professional AV and UC. As this journey continues—driven by collaboration between manufacturers, open technical communities, academic partners, and standardization bodies—DECT NR+ is set to become another proven building block on the AV designer’s shelf: a noncellular 5G foundation that aims to make “wireless as good as wired” a practical design choice in everyday audio and UC projects.

The 5G Media Action Group (5G-MAG) has elected Prakash Moorut, Global Head of Spectrum and Regulatory Affairs at Shure, as chair of its Regulatory, Policy & Spectrum Working Group (5G-MAG RPS WG).

[Allen & Heath Avantis Integrates Shure Wireless Control]

5G-MAG is an association bridging the media with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industries. 5G-MAG influences standards and deployments while providing framework for collaboration for implementing 5G technology for media production and distribution. This cross-industry organization gathers stakeholders across the media and ICT sectors, including content and service providers, network operators, technology solution suppliers, equipment manufacturers, R&D organizations, regulators and policy makers.

[With Its MXA910, Shure Completes an Elegant Installation for Lane Clark & Peacock]

Shure has been the leading advocate for the industry in the wireless spectrum arena for many years and has taken a more aggressive role to help the industry collaborate with regulators around the world on spectrum and regulatory policy. Moorut will help lead the 5G-MAG RPS by leveraging Shure's long-standing involvement in developing state-of-the-art audio technologies and his previous experience in the mobile industry to support the main objective of 5G-MAG RPS to understand and evaluate the regulatory framework for the use of 5G in the domains of media production and distribution, including for Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE).

[Shure, Logitech Collaborate to Optimize Conferencing Audio in Hybrid Environments]

"The impact of 5G technology in the professional audio landscape is essential to the entire communications industry," said Avi Vaidya, Executive Vice President of Product Development and Chief Technology Officer at Shure. "The collaboration between members of 5G-MAG is important to the future of how we communicate."

As wireless microphones continue to play a pivotal role in enabling productions across a wide swath of life, culture, and the economy, new regulations will impact these areas. Beyond the traditional role of wireless microphones in broadcasting and film production, wireless microphones enable productions in a wide range of sectors including news reporting, theater, music, sports, worship, civic events, transportation infrastructure, and education.

[Looking Ahead, Shure Joins WinnForum, 5G-MAG]

"The media industry needs to keep innovating," said Moorut. "It's an honor to serve in this important role that brings key stakeholders together to address the regulatory aspects for the potential use of 5G for media production and distribution."

Before serving in Shure's role, Moorut spent more than 10 years with Nokia, most recently serving as head of Spectrum Standardization, where he led the company's efforts on global spectrum standardization and policy. He brings additional global regulatory experience from his previous role at Motorola for 14 years. In December 2021, he was also appointed as chief regulatory officer of the Wireless Innovation Forum (WInnForum) for another term.

Haivision Systems Inc. (“Haivision”) (TSX:HAI), a leading global provider of mission-critical, real-time video streaming and networking solutions, today announced an agreement to acquire AVIWEST S.A.S. (“Aviwest­­”). With the addition of Aviwest, Haivision will have a comprehensive video contribution solution portfolio to address the growing demand for live, high-quality video content in broadcast, sports, and live event production.

This important acquisition by Haivision will combine two industry leaders in low latency video contribution. Haivision is a premier vendor for low latency “wired” broadcast video networks; Aviwest is a premier vendor for low latency wireless broadcast video networks. The acquisition will bring mobile networking (5G/4G cellular) and patented network bonding capabilities to Haivision’s solution portfolio. Combined with Aviwest, Haivision will be an unmatched provider of low latency broadcast technology solutions for any live event.

[ AV/IT Industry Acquisitions, Reorgs & Partnerships - 2022 is Off to a Quick Start ]

Founded in 2008, Aviwest is a world-leading provider of mobile IP-based video contribution systems and a pioneer in transmission of live video over cellular networks. The company has a history of innovation including many world firsts: portable cellular video transmission, live video transmission over a 4G network implementing QoS, and live 4K video transmission over a 5G network. Aviwest has also received two Emmy Awards for its SST networking technology for reliable transmission of video over bonded networks.

Globally, hundreds of top broadcasters, television stations, and production houses trust and rely on Aviwest technology in their day-to-day coverage of sporting and other live events. Furthermore, Aviwest solutions are used extensively in support of major international sporting events. Headquartered in Rennes (Saint-Grégoire), France, Aviwest has more than 70 employees with field operations globally. 

[ Haivision to Acquire CineMassive ]

“With the addition of Aviwest, Haivision will now lead in both fixed and mobile networks in providing ultra-low latency video solutions,” said Mirko Wicha, Haivision President and CEO. “We are very excited to welcome the amazing team at Aviwest and its customers to the Haivision family, and to provide broadcasters globally a trusted and proven vendor to solve their video contribution challenges.”

“Together with Haivision, our solutions will bring customers maximum live video flexibility with ultra-low latency, highly reliable network connectivity, and pristine video quality,” said Ronan Poullaouec, CTO and Co-Founder of Aviwest. “With sub-200ms glass-to-glass latency over 5G networks, our solutions are revolutionizing remote production workflows by giving broadcasters more options for contributing real-time content for premium live events and sports coverage.”   

Key Transaction Highlights

Haivision is acquiring Aviwest to expand its technology and solution portfolio with 5G transmission, mobile video contribution, and network bonding technology. This acquisition will allow Haivision to:

• Deliver a comprehensive solution portfolio for low latency video contribution over fixed and mobile networks.
• Provide low latency synchronized stream delivery to address the needs of remote production and cloud production workflows.
• Benefit from all cross-selling opportunities between the companies’ highly complementary offerings.
• Incorporate Aviwest’s patented network bonding technology across Haivision’s products and leverage both EmmyÒ award-winning network transport protocols, SRT and SST.
• Extend Aviwest 5G and network bonding technology into the growing government and public safety markets.
• Significantly expand Aviwest’s sales presence into the North American market.
• Derive long term product development efficiencies in video encoding, cloud connectivity, and network management.
• Gain operational synergies in supply chain management, production, global 24/7 support, sales, and marketing.
• Establish Haivision’s second largest development facility worldwide in France, making Europe home to over half of Haivision’s development team.
• Expand its global workforce to over 400 employees.

Transaction Details

Haivision will acquire 100% of the shares of Aviwest on a cash-free and debt-free basis for cash consideration of €20.5 million (approximately C$29.6 million), subject to customary adjustments. Aviwest had approximate revenues of €10.5 million (approximately C$15.1million) in 2021. The closing is contingent upon the satisfaction or waiver of all closing conditions, and the receipt of certain approvals, including obtaining the advisory opinion of Aviwest’s Works Council (employee representatives) as mandated by French Law - all of which are expected to be received within 30 days. The acquisition is expected to be accretive by the end of Haivision’s second quarter.

The What: Zyter has launched Zyter Smart Factories, an end-to-end intelligent solution that connects factory floor machinery, workers, and building systems using the latest Internet of Things (IoT) technology devices on Zyter’s digital transformation platform.

The What Else: Zyter Smart Factories is a component of the Zyter SmartSpaces IoT platform. Trusted by Qualcomm to be the foundation of its Smart Cities Accelerator Program, the Zyter SmartSpaces Platform is designed to break down silos of information by integrating and consolidating data from IoT devices and applications in a seamless interface.

Zyter Smart Factories gives manufacturers a 360-degree view of what is happening across the entire factory floor using a network of connected devices and sensors, including safety equipment worn by workers. IoT sensors send alerts and notifications on worker safety issues, authorization breaches, machinery utilization, and asset monitoring to the Zyter Smart Factories dashboard. Zyter Smart Factories translates this data to analytics to help manufacturers understand factory productivity and safety metrics, as well as gain insight into other metrics related to factory management, operations, and efficiency improvements.

The key features of Zyter Smart Factories include a continuous stream of real-time data from IoT devices on machinery, material, and workers to enable factory managers to optimally plan production runs; detections and alerts whenever workers remove hard hats, safety goggles, and other gear; and usage of high-value machinery in terms of running times, usage efficiency, energy consumption, and more. 

The Bottom Line: Ready for 5G connectivity, Zyter Smart Factories enables manufacturers of all sizes to easily upgrade from legacy hard-wired IT and Wi-Fi systems to a private 5G-enabled IT or cellular network that supports multiple IoT devices. 

The What: Wilson Electronics is entering into a collaboration with ED2 Corporation to boost 5G development. ED2's expertise in 5G mmWave technology will round out Wilson's 5G technology offerings, supporting the addition of a 5G highband and future midband solution for both indoor and outdoor coverage.

[The Farce of 5G]

The What Else: "Our category of products is a core component to cellular networks as they evolve to 5G and beyond," said Bruce Lancaster, CEO of Wilson Electronics. "Due to 5G’s struggles to penetrate buildings and other obstacles, cellular amplification technology is needed to make it accessible to all. ED2 brings decades of relevant technology and engineering experience and will help us meet the unique needs of 5G and support cellular carriers as they strive to make 5G coverage ubiquitous."

Based in Tucson, AZ, ED2 is an emerging technology company building 5G mmWave products and solving engineering challenges.  One of the company's repeaters, which is recently FCC-certified under Industrial Part 20 rules, is currently being trialed by mobile network operators across the globe and will be launched under the WilsonPro brand in the near future.

 "This collaboration is exactly what we were looking for as we considered going to market," said ED2 CEO Sergio Cardona. "ED2 has been focused on developing disruptive technology, so Wilson Electronics brings a solid operation, customer access and a reputation within the ecosystem that would take us years and millions of dollars to develop. From the first phone call with them, we had a great feeling, and we're very excited to address the market with them."

The Bottom Line: "In 5G mmWave networks, repeaters will play a prominent role," said Joe Madden, chief analyst at Mobile Experts. "The huge bandwidth of mmWave links will be critical to the future, and repeater products will be a cost-effective way to spread the capacity to the right locations. The collaboration between Wilson Electronics and ED2 will be helpful in facilitating the development and deployment of these specialized products to support the shift to 5G coverage."

The AV industry is all about innovation. But for the past year, our creative energies have been devoted not to shaping the future, but solving the problems of the present. 

But larger trends are nonetheless having incremental influence over the direction we’re heading. As the powerful capabilities of things like 5G connectivity, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing direct the technology world as a whole, how is pro AV incorporating them to create a more capable and intuitive future? 

Related: Tech Trends That WON’T Happen in 2021

We reached out to leading AV manufacturers to find out how prominent emerging trends are playing into their product development roadmaps.

Biamp

Joe Andrulis

Unlike most consumer- or commercial-grade products that are limited in the size and complexity of the problems they address, pro AV solutions can be configured and optimized for nearly any task, environment, and audio or video challenge. An ongoing problem for integrators is finding, training, and retaining skilled technicians who can program and tune pro AV systems properly to take advantage of their full potential.

New technologies present an exciting opportunity to help integrators and tech managers address this challenge by automating many of the mundane tasks that absorb precious time of these valuable workers. Modern systems can often automatically detect and configure the various pieces of equipment connected in a system, measure audio and video characteristics of the environment, make basic tuning and optimization decisions, and offer recommendations on how to overcome detected challenges, allowing technicians to focus on higher-value tasks. The result is faster, more consistent installations that are more profitable for the integrator. 

New technologies will benefit end users as well. End users can be overwhelmed or distracted by complex AV gear. To make the benefits of these systems more accessible to even untrained users, we can use automation, natural language processing, predictive analysis, and other techniques to anticipate and satisfy users’ needs without their command or need to respond to spoken commands and gestures, making the AV systems a more transparent and natural tool for all users.

Crestron

Andrew Ludke

More and more AV devices have moved to the edge of the network where they provide a gateway to and from the network. We believe this will be further accelerated by the increased bandwidth and low power consumption of 5G-capable devices running micro apps locally and feeding data aggregators at the edge of the network that connect to cloud applications. 

Network-connected AV edge devices are now important sources of data that can be aggregated in cloud applications to support new AI, ML, and BI applications (Big Data). With the growing number of devices, managing this technology ecosystem at scale while enabling unparalleled levels of business insight and integration is a challenge that is being addressed by solutions like Crestron XiO Cloud and our VC-4 platform. These virtualized and cloud-based solutions will continue to expand in capability and reach, upending traditional AV system provisioning, monitoring, and management and control methodologies.

These innovative solutions enable support for all devices, including third-party and legacy, which provides a total solution. This also delivers investment protection and brings new levels of insight and capabilities. We can now monitor and manage all devices, whether new and old or first-party, third-party, intelligent, and relatively basic devices.

With robust APIs to ensure easy integration and access to data, these solutions are driving new business models and a whole new world of connected, intelligent, and automated services. Crestron will continue to make cloud-connected solutions a core tenant of our product strategy, building native cloud connectivity into every product and solution we develop. 5G networking, cloud computing, analytics, big data, and AI/ML/BI applications will enable new business and service models for provisioning, monitoring, remote troubleshooting, and more. It is this synthesis of technologies that we believe is most exciting.

Harman

Jamie Trader

AI is less of an emerging technology as it is a way of thinking about the role and progress of programming. Artificial intelligence, since the 60s, is just about deriving computational decisions based on the outcomes of other computational results. The math has gotten harder as the data inputs have increased exponentially since then, but the technology principle persists.

The real evolution of pro AV has come from the on-demand availability of system storage, computational power, and the distributed functions associated with cloud computing. For example, it’s cloud computing’s enablement of the modern soft codec that has universally transformed what corporate AV systems are designed to accommodate.

Employing more cloud computing in technology design, pro AV is able to better recognize and solve for the complex needs of the technology user with scale, efficiency, and simplicity. But more importantly, it’s transforming the tools and work streams that commercial integrators leverage to design, configure, commission, program, measure, manage, and monetize these systems. 

Enabling and improving this commercial transformation through the use of cloud computing is both exciting and necessary to pro AV—and what you can continue to expect from iconic Harman brands including AMX and BSS.

Kramer

Yuval Kramer

From a professional AV perspective, we focus on integration. Within Kramer specifically, we deliver end-to-end solutions that provide users with a complete package. The subject of this integration however has shifted since emerging technologies including AI, 5G, and the cloud have been in play. 

We are no longer focused on connecting boxes now; as spaces are becoming smarter, we are focused on connecting the people to the system. The new role of AV is to make sure that the people are running the space, not that the space is running the people. 

The impact of AI on this is that it can anticipate what people want to do by the actions that they are performing, and we can build in more automation. If they go to the podium in a lecture theatre, for example, they probably want to start presenting, so the microphone needs to be on, their content needs to appear on the screen, the camera could start recording, and a simple UI could appear that allows them to control their slideshow without explanation. 

Of all the new developments, I think 5G and low-energy wireless communication signals, like Bluetooth 5.0, are the most exciting. By removing the challenges of bandwidth, we remove a lot of the limitations and people won’t just be able to work from anywhere, they will be able to work from anywhere efficiently. With no wires, we can also reimagine the way we design spaces to be more efficient and present new opportunities.

QSC

Martin Barbour

Big Data offers users the opportunity to learn more about their organization’s behavior in order to make better, more informed decisions. Our industry has used big data for space planning, technology purchasing decisions, and other areas of facilities management for years, but combined with other technologies such as AI and Machine Learning, the opportunities expand rapidly. With this information at our fingertips, data-driven automation is more achievable and operations support is simplified, like ensuring the required resources are available for a given meeting, or creating the opportunity to move a meeting to a room that better suits the topic. Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager remote monitoring and management service lays the groundwork for users to aggregate large amounts of data from its entire AV estate (regardless of where its located in the world), and begin to realize the business outcomes afforded by having this new visibility of assets.

With the introduction of the Q-SYS Core 5200, QSC proved that proprietary hardware was not the cornerstone of delivering integrated audio, video, and control solution; it could be delivered as a software application, namely the Q-SYS Core OS. Several years ago, QSC demonstrated this by working with Dell to couple the Q-SYS Core OS with existing a common off-the-shelf server based on Intel x86 architecture. This opened up a massive opportunity to leverage other x86-capable hardware as a deployment solution for Q-SYS. 

Furthermore, QSC recognized Cloud Computing as a mature technology where we could once again leverage mainstream and proven technology for certain aspects of our growing and evolving Q-SYS platform. Because of the platform’s IT foundation, we were able to again extend customer value by adding a cloud-based RMM solution, Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager. 

Sony

Rich Ventura

With COVID putting health and wellness in the spotlight, AI, facial detection/recognition, sensors, and data have taken an interesting turn. In the past, consumers were concerned about sharing their data and personal information for fear of how it was being used. Today, our culture has become more open about sharing these insights as it pertains to the wellbeing and safety of themselves and others and we recognize the value of solutions like contact tracing. We understand and seek comfort in infrared temperature scans when we enter a building. While privacy is still a primary concern, we are realizing that technology is helping to facilitate beneficial and critical information and experiences that contribute to people’s livelihood.

The pandemic has also accelerated a move to touchless solutions, driving a resurgence in technologies like QR codes, which are now implemented in everything from restaurants to healthcare lobbies and even smart TV setup, to make the process hands-free or centralized through our personal devices. The information being gathered through sources like QR codes is helping to deliver more programmatic and tailored experiences based on the engagement. I expect even more creative uses of technology to come to the forefront as we seek new ways to foster engagement, customize experiences, promote collaboration, and move toward a safer and smarter future.

As 2020 finally winds down, predictions abound on the technology advancements and innovations expected in the year ahead. However, several highly anticipated advancements, including environmentally friendly 5G, explainable artificial intelligence (AI), mainstream virtual reality (AR), and ubiquitous Wi-Fi 6E, will not happen in 2021, according to global tech market advisory firm ABI Research.

In its new whitepaper, 68 Technology Trends That Will Shape 2021: Predictions for What Will and Will Not Happen in The Year Ahead, ABI Research’s analysts identify 37 trends that will shape the technology market and 31 others that, although attracting huge amounts of speculation and commentary, are less likely to move the needle over the next 12 months. 

Related: Looking Ahead to 2021

“We are nearly finished with one of the most challenging years the world has ever seen,” said Stuart Carlaw, chief research officer at ABI Research. “We have had change thrust upon us all, and the fundamental machinations of standard business processes have been stressed to the point where change has manifested itself as an evolutionary necessity. For success in 2021, one must understand fundamental trends early, and take a view on those trends that are buoyed by hyperbole and those that are sure to be uncomfortable realities. Now is the time to double down on the right technology investment.”

What won’t happen in 2020?

Environmentally Friendly 5G: “Global 5G subscriptions are forecast to grow from 234 million in 2020 to 347 million in 2021 at a rate of 48.4 percent,” said Jun Wei Ee, 5G and mobile network infrastructure research analyst at ABI Research. “This accelerated growth in 5G adoption will strain the environment as a growing number of consumers will be switching over to 5G devices to take advantage of the high speeds and low latency. The transition will potentially create large amounts of electronic waste.” 

Explainable AI: “Deep learning-based AI remains a black box,” said Lian Jye Su, AI and machine learning principal analyst at ABI Research. “Although cloud AI players, such as Google, H2O, and Element AI, have offered development tools and frameworks around explainable AI, AI built based on these solutions is not mature enough for mass commercialization. Now, most AI models are not designed for transparency, let alone explain-ability. Hence, do not expect explainable AI to become mainstream in 2021.”

Mainstream Virtual Reality: “Market elements have not aligned to enable mainstream virtual reality (VR) adoption,” said Eleftheria Kouri, augmented and virtual reality research analyst at ABI Research. “Growth will be strong in 2021, but the user base will not reach levels once thought probable where VR competes for usage time with TVs, smartphones, and traditional displays. The enterprise sector remains the fastest growth opportunity for now. Consumers still present the largest potential user base and the most alignment with content in media and entertainment. However, content creators are mostly waiting for a more approachable user base, and that user base is waiting for content. This will not happen by 2021, but the momentum is indeed growing across both consumer and enterprise spaces.”

Ubiquitous Wi-Fi 6E: “The ever-increasing connected device density and increasing use of bandwidth-intensive applications are always driving the demand for high-efficiency Wi-Fi networks,” said Khin Sandi Lynn, video and cloud services analyst. “COVID-19 has further accelerated that demand. The latest solution is Wi-Fi 6E, an extended Wi-Fi 6 with 6GHz spectrum. But, Wi-Fi 6E adoption in residential broadband use cases will be minimal in 2021 since broadband service providers have only recently started upgrading their CPE with Wi-Fi 6.”

“In this period of uncertainty and change, there is one polestar of unflinching truth: technology will be the most powerful tool in ensuring corporate health,” Carlaw said. “Technology evolution, implementation, and enthusiasm must be embraced by all companies, no matter what tier of the corporate strata or end market in which they reside. A resilient company that is well set to grow once this pandemic ends will be characterized by its digital agility as much as anything else.”

For more trends that won’t happen in 2021, and the 37 trends that will download the whitepaper, 68 Technology Trends that Will Shape 2021: Predictions for What Will and Will Not Happen in The Year Ahead. 

The What: TVU Networks’ flagship TVU One cellular mobile transmitter is now shipping with an integrated 5G modem. 

The What Else: TVU has partnered with major commercial network carriers including South Korea-based KT Corp and modem module manufacturers such as Canada-based Sierra Wireless in identifying 5G modems for its TVU One HEVC/H.265 1080p HDR and 4K HDR models. In addition, the TVU One operating with 5G modems was fully stress tested under various use conditions in locations such as China and Korea during development.

Related: JVC Professional to Debut HEVC Encoder for Connected Cam Series at NAB 2020

“We are fortunate to be working with the very best partners in developing embedded 5G modems for our TVU One to bring to the industry,” said Matt McEwen, VP of product management, TVU Networks. “From the very beginning, our transmitters were engineered to support 5G, and we’re excited to be able to offer full cellular broadcast transmission capabilities on 5G networks with our flagship TVU One today. Despite the challenging circumstances we are all facing, our focus continues to be on supporting our customers and the larger community with business continuity initiatives and our announcement today is an example of that commitment.”

“Sierra Wireless is proud to support another generation of TVU One portable IP video transmitters, enabling TVU to deliver secure, reliable connectivity at the highest possible mobile broadband speeds for the broadcasting industry,” said Larry Zibrik, vice president 5G and embedded broadband, Sierra Wireless. “Sierra Wireless’ 5G EM919x embedded modules are powering the next-generation of high-bandwidth, low-latency applications, and it’s great to see TVU bring its latest device to market.”

The Bottom Line: TVU One 1080p HDR and 4K HDR are TVU’s sixth-generation mobile IP video transmitters. With the introduction of embedded 5G in the TVU transmitter line, remote production now enters a whole new phase with a TVU One solution that delivers HEVC/H.265 efficient video compression, TVU Inverse StatMux Plus (IS+) algorithm for improved transmission reliability, true 60 FPS frame rate, 10-bit HDR support, and the ability to send at 70Mbps over a 5G cellular infrastructure. TVU One also transmits simultaneously over multiple aggregated connections, including cellular 3G/4G/LTE/5G, microwave, satellite, BGAN, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet.

The British government announced that it will allow Huawei to assist in building their 5G network, despite warnings from the Trump administration.

Watch the video below to learn more.

Opinion: The Farce of 5G

There has been a slew of articles about 5G over the last several months. Some are touting the coming evolution of wireless technology as the end-all-be-all; others have looked at the technology itself to consider its flaws. I’d like to put the myth of 5G to bed and tell you that it will be of no real use to the audiovisual industry for the next decade, if ever.

The Hype

5G has been touted by its proponents—companies like Ericsson, AT&T, Verizon, and even the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)—as a race that the United States must win against China because it will have a significant economic impact on our country and the world. This is true. The U.S. saw incredible benefits as a leader in the evolution of 4G wireless technology. More jobs, more industry, and more development came from the country leading the efforts.

What is not true, however, is the description of what 5G will offer to consumers. The wireless carriers have all been promising that 5G will offer transmission speeds of up to 10 Gbps, a significant jump from the 300 Mbps available with LTE transmission. That may technically be true, but those results were achieved in a lab under optimum conditions and with all wireless channels available; they almost certainly don’t reflect a real-world scenario. Rather than focusing on the promised data rate, focus on the promise of “up to.”

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The other promise of the technology is the improved bandwidth capabilities of 5G over its predecessors. Again, we must look to the fact that this technology is untested and unproven in real-world settings.

Wireless Technology

There is a finite amount of wireless spectrum available. It has been determined that the wireless spectrum in the United States is owned by the public—that’s right, it is all yours. Only, the government licenses it out to those who wish to use it. Many will likely recall the wireless microphone frequency reallocations that the industry has gone through, twice, in the last decade. The FCC has the authority to determine that spectrum has better uses and reallocate it for those purposes.

On Nov. 18, 2019, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that there would be another public spectrum auction for what is known as the C band, or the spectrum between 4 and 8 GHz. This announcement was a big deal for two reasons. The first, which may be less important to some, is the fact that it will be a public auction rather than a private auction. The second, though, speaks to the point of why 5G is not what wireless carriers are saying it is—they don’t actually have the frequency allocation at this point to deploy 5G on a widespread basis. The auction won’t take place until sometime in 2020, which means it’s unlikely that the spectrum will be available for use in the United States for at least another two to three years.

The Digital Divide

The term “digital divide” refers to the fact that new technology is typically deployed in densely populated urban areas, leaving citizens who live in sparsely populated rural areas at a technological disadvantage. The digital divide is widening and 5G is being promoted as the technology that will help close it. However, that promise is a marketing ploy: it is unlikely that rural areas will see widespread 5G deployments in the next decade, if ever.

5G can be deployed using small cell towers rather than building out the large cell towers used for 4G/LTE, which is a much easier solution. The issue, though, is that because of the frequency allocation that 5G plans to use, the density requirements of the towers goes up significantly. The smaller waveform means that it a 5G signal is much more prone to environmental interference, is not able to penetrate walls as well (if at all), and will, therefore, need more frequent repeaters.

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In a city, it makes economic sense for the wireless carriers to deploy as many small cell towers as possible to serve a large population. However, when you have a dozen customers potentially located over several square miles, the wireless carriers have shown that they are less willing to make the investment because the return just isn’t there. For that reason, 5G will not close the digital divide; it will, in fact, widen it.

Further, it is likely that in order to take advantage of the 5G data rates, wireless carriers will charge customers a premium . The digital divide isn’t only a rural versus urban issue—it’s also an economic issue. Lower-income households will be less likely to be able to afford the higher cost of improved data rates, widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

Don’t Believe the Myth

5G is an immensely powerful enabling technology that, if deployed in a manner that makes it widely available, dramatically pushes the Internet of Things (IoT) and overall communication forward. Faster data rates and more bandwidth allow more people to be connected, more students to get access to information, more job seekers to hunt for employment, and more innovation of connected technology.

At the same time, 5G is in its infancy in the United States. The frequency spectrum isn’t available yet. The technology is unproven in the real world. Physics tells us that the technology is going to struggle in urban environments because of the size of the waveform, though availability will be limited primarily to urban areas, leaving the rural ones further behind.

The audiovisual industry should watch the 5G evolution cautiously and carefully. There is an immediate opportunity, assuming your company is interested in deploying in-building digital antenna systems (DAS) to overcome the wall penetration issue, but the uncertainty of the spectrum auction and the unproven technology should not be relied on as an available future.

As 2019 winds down, predictions abound on the technology advancements and innovations expected in the year ahead. However, there are several anticipated advancements, including 5G wearables, quantum computing, and self-driving trucks, that will not happen in the first year of the new decade, according to global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research.

In its new whitepaper, 54 Technology Trends to Watch in 2020, ABI Research’s analysts have identified 35 trends that will shape the technology market and 19 others that, although attracting huge amounts of speculation and commentary, look less likely to move the needle over the next twelve month. "After a tumultuous 2019 that was beset by many challenges, both integral to technology markets and derived from global market dynamics, 2020 looks set to be equally challenging,” said Stuart Carlaw, chief research officer at ABI Research. “Knowing what won’t happen in technology in the next year is important for end users, implementors, and vendors to properly place their investments or focus their strategies.”

5G Wearables: “While smartphones will dominate the 5G market in 2020, 5G wearables won’t arrive in 2020, or anytime soon,” said Stephanie Tomsett, 5G devices, smartphones, and wearables analyst at ABI Research. “To bring 5G to wearables, specific 5G chipsets will need to be designed and components will need to be reconfigured to fit in the small form factor. That won’t begin to happen until 2024, at the earliest.”

Quantum Computing: “Despite claims from Google in achieving quantum supremacy, the tech industry is still far away from the democratization of quantum computing technology,” said Lian Jye Su, AI and machine learning principal analyst at ABI Research. “Quantum computing is definitely not even remotely close to the large-scale commercial deployment stage.”

Self-Driving Trucks: “Despite numerous headlines declaring the arrival of driverless, self-driving, or robot vehicles, very little, if any, driver-free commercial usage is underway beyond closed-course operations in the United States,” said Susan Beardslee, freight transportation and logistics principal analyst at ABI Research.

A Consolidated IoT Platform Market: “For many years, there have been predictions that the IoT platform supplier market will begin to consolidate, and it just won’t happen,” said Dan Shey, vice president of enabling platforms at ABI Research. “The simple reason is that there are more than 100 companies that offer device-to-cloud IoT platform services and for every one that is acquired, there are always new ones that come to market.”

Edge Will Not Overtake Cloud: “The accelerated growth of the edge technology and intelligent device paradigm created one of the largest industry misconceptions: edge technology will cannibalize cloud technology,” said Kateryna Dubrova, M2M, IoT and IoE analyst at ABI Research. “In fact, in the future, we will see a rapid development of edge-cloud-fog continuum, where technology will complement each other, rather than cross-cannibalize.”

8K TVs: “Announcements of 8K Television (TV) sets by major vendors earlier in 2019 attracted much attention and raised many of questions within the industry,” said Khin Sandi Lynn, video and cloud services analyst at ABI Research. “The fact is, 8K content is not available and the price of 8K TV sets are exorbitant. The transition from high definition (HD) to 4K will continue in 2020 with very limited 8K shipments—less than 1 million worldwide.”

For more trends that won’t happen in 2020, and the 35 trends that will, download the 54 Technology Trends to Watch in 2020 whitepaper.

“Dialed in” and “always on” doesn’t just apply to workplace technology — it describes the modern worker. BYOD and wireless connectivity are transforming the optics of offices as well as business culture itself. Teams are collaborating on the road and from home. Remote working is the new normal. Whether on- or off-site, all employees expect hyper-connectivity and seamless workflows. There are more software and hardware options than ever before. As we inch closer to 2020, corporate leaders are asking: how will choices today shape the workplace of tomorrow? 

Keeping Pace

To stay current with the shifting landscape, corporations are making technology a priority. Companies perceived to be more tech-centric are better positioned to recruit top talent. The 2019 Gartner and Senior Business Executive Survey revealed that “about 68% of midsize CIOs expect to increase investment in information technology in 2019 over 2018.” 

Bandwidth and a robust network are essential, but workplace designers and technologists are also keeping track of broader trends. 5G, edge computing, and the cloud are merging to create a new economic infrastructure. C-level leaders are looking to leverage tech to enhance the employee experience digitally, with personalized apps and software solutions, advanced audio and video tools, and high-tech engagements. The demand for agile, “digital-first” communications strategies has never been higher.   

Face to Face

Consumer trends often drive employee expectations. The ubiquity and ease of FaceTime and Skype influence how and when teams connect. People are more comfortable and confident communicating via real-time video. The challenge for corporations is how to procure products and systems that will best support collaboration at a distance while giving on-site workers the most reliable tools.  

UX Marks the Spot

While Millennial employees are digital natives, Gen Z, the cohort born after the Millennial generation, between 1995-2015 (approximately), takes it a step further. “Gen Z also understands that there’s a need for constant skill development in order to stay relevant,” according to Forbes.

It’s therefore essential to invest in products and systems that can adapt as an organization’s needs evolve. New technology must also meet the needs of a diverse user base. If a system is not easy to operate by all team members, it won’t be used. RoI will fall short.

Flexible Yet Fully Featured

Finding intuitive solutions that are also feature-rich is a tall order. That’s why tech managers, facilities directors, and AV integrators alike are turning to LG's engaging 130-inch, all-in-one Direct View LED Screen. The new cloud-friendly, ultra-bright LED solution is flexible enough for varied spaces, compatible with AV control systems, and so fully featured it can transform virtually any environment into a smart meeting room. With no bezel on this model, all barriers are removed—the result is a more immersive, immediate, and rich viewing experience. Quick to set up, simple to use, and equipped with HDR10 support and Immersive Surface Sound, LG’s 130-inch, all-in-one Direct View LED Screen gives teams the tools they need to succeed in a competitive business landscape.  

Additional Resources

Optimize Your Meetings with Engaging Visual Displays

Lead Smarter Meetings with Increased Engagement

This article is sponsored by LG

Sprint has opened the Sprint 5G Experience, a dedicated immersive center designed to showcase and explain how 5G works and to help change the way people live, work, and play. The company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its headquarters to unveil the space ahead of its 5G commercial service launch expected to begin in Kansas City and other markets in May.

"We are thrilled to provide our guests and employees an exciting way to experience the future of wireless technology in a fun and educational way in our new space," said Steve Gaffney, Sprint vice president of media and experiential marketing. "With Sprint 5G coming soon in our first nine markets, this dedicated venue will provide unique and interactive ways to tell the story of 5G and help visitors visualize the types of innovations it will bring."

The Sprint 5G Experience features more than a dozen stations and demonstrations that use augmented reality, virtual reality, and simulated displays. The journey takes visitors through the foundation for 5G from spectrum to a fiber-optics network, and from Massive MIMO technology to real-world demonstrations of 5G's lower latency. Guests will learn how 5G will help innovate gaming and entertainment, power smart cities and make cities safer, and connect billions of things through IoT. The 1,100 square foot space is located in Sprint's Executive Briefing Center in Overland Park.

"With faster speeds and lower latency, 5G has the potential to significantly improve our homes, workplaces, cities, and lives," said Dr. John Saw, Sprint chief technology officer. "As we prepare to launch Sprint 5G with so many companies in our ecosystem, we are proud to be working with them to showcase what is possible with our next-generation technology in our new 5G Experience."

Sprint expects to launch its commercial 5G service starting in May. Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Kansas City are among the first of its nine 5G markets. Also slated to launch in the first half of 2019 are Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, and Washington D.C. Its total initial 5G footprint is expected to cover more than 1,000 square miles across all nine cities giving true mobility to on-the-go customers.

Sprint's 5G Experience will provide private tours to small and medium business, enterprise and government customers, and prospects, along with the greater Kansas City economic development community interested in better understanding the benefits of 5G. Sprint will also use the new venue to provide its employees with live and virtual tours to learn more about what 5G will bring.

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Sprint recognized Ericsson, Intel, LG, Nokia, Qualcomm Technologies, a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, and Samsung Electronics for their support in bringing the 5G Experience to life.

"Ericsson is excited to be an integral part of the Sprint 5G Experience," said Mikael Stromquist, executive vice president and head of customer unit Sprint for Ericsson. "Ericsson working together with Sprint will bring the exciting benefits of 5G and IoT to customers. 5G and IoT are going to change the lives of consumers and businesses, and the Sprint 5G Experience is an amazing place to see what's possible."

"LG cannot wait to bring the best-in-class LG V50 ThinQ 5G to consumers across the country this summer," said William Cho, president and CEO of LG North America. "Sprint's 5G Experience serves as an interactive and informative way to show what's possible and we're proud to showcase LG's advancements in 5G, building off our legacy in leading 4G LTE."

"We are excited to be a part of Sprint's new immersive environment to offer a glimpse of Sprint's vision of 5G. Nokia is showcasing its end-to-end 5G approach and technology innovations through massive MIMO, lower latency, and mobile edge computing with its software demos. These are designed to show visitors how business, industry, and human experiences can be transformed through Sprint's 5G network," said Ricky Corker, president of vustomer operations for the Americas, Nokia.

"2019 is the year of 5G. We are thrilled of our work with Sprint and other mobile industry players to make 5G a reality in America," said Joe Glynn, vice president, business development, Qualcomm Technologies. "The opening of Sprint's 5G Experience showcases the incredible capabilities of 5G and helps to crystalize the mobile industry's vision for how 5G will transform industries and the mobile experience. We will continue to collaborate with Sprint in the rollout of its 5G commercial service supported by flagship smartphones launching over the next few months based on our 5G technology."

"We are pleased to be part of the Sprint 5G Experience to showcase the many ways in which 5G networks will impact consumers and businesses," said Lyle Nyffeler, vice president, networks division, Samsung Electronics America. "With Sprint testing and optimizing its deployment of Samsung 5G solutions using massive MIMO radios that are on air in Chicago, the pace of 5G availability is accelerating. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Sprint to demonstrate the many innovations enhanced by 5G."

2018 was a significant year for augmented reality (AR) with new entrants in the market, new smart glasses launched, new and improved platforms and portfolios, and generally more enthusiasm and curiosity from the public to explore the technology. Despite that technical challenges and budget limitations remain an issue for near-future mass adoption, the total AR market will be worth US$116 billion by 2023, finds ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies. Technological advancements, the growth of mobile AR, more proof-of-concept use cases, and audience acceptance are the main factors that will lead to this booming growth.

“New entrances across hardware and software, along with expanding incumbents, are reshaping the AR landscape, providing more opportunities for customers and developers,” said Eleftheria Kouri, research analyst at ABI Research. “For example, Magic Leap’s initial hardware offering, as well as updated devices from Vuzix and others, are met with market conversations spanning outside of just hardware. Magic Leap is working with AT&T to trial 5G AR, connectivity players such as Huawei are pushing for cloud AR/VR, and development tools such as AWS Sumerian and Unity continue to grow in capability.”

These factors combine to spur the expected significant growth across the AR market. AR providers highlight the importance and numerous advantages of AR solutions in business strategy and employee’s efficiency while more and more focus on strong collaborations with other related technologies such as IoT data, 5G, and artificial intelligence. With 29 million AR smart glasses shipments in 2023, the ballooning install base of head-worn AR combined with hundreds of millions of AR-enabled mobile devices in the same timeframe will make these partnerships a requirement to maintain AR quality of experience while still providing the efficiency and safety increases promised with the technology.

“Allowing time for maturation, combined with ongoing audience education, is key to ensuring a successful AR business story,” said Eric Abbruzzese, principal analyst at ABI Research. “Proving value to potential customers in the enterprise with specific, targeted, and realistic metrics will win business over the next few years as the addressable market grows. While the consumer market is vastly different to the enterprise market, the basic approach of proving realistic value remains the same. After a few years in the hype cycle, a more grounded market outlook has taken hold. The fact that the potential value and usefulness of AR hasn’t changed as a result points to the revolutionary potential of AR.”

These findings are from ABI Research's Augmented Reality Market Update 2018. This report is part of the company’s AR and Mixed Reality research service, which includes research, data, and executive foresights.