Moving beyond connectivity with 5G: Lessons from the aviation industry

One of the authors of this article Stuart Birrell, former CIO at Heathrow Airport was part of a masterclass panel on Oct 22 at TM Forum's Digital Transformation World Series called “How can CSPs help verticals go digital?”. You can watch the panel now on demand, just make sure you're registered. As the communications industry enters the 5G era, successful service providers will embrace a new way of thinking that propels them into new business models and revenue streams. Unlocking the value of emerging 5G-enabled capabilities like network slicing, IoT and ecoystems requires moving beyond connectivity. It means understanding the unique needs of other industries that can be addressed by 5G, and partnering with those industries to co-create vertical solutions.

Example aviation scenarios

To bring this to life, let’s take a look at the aviation industry which already uses many forms of communications technology and is ripe for 5G innovation. As the longtime and former CIO of London Heathrow Airport, the world’s second busiest airport, I believe the advent of 5G and the conditions triggered by Covid-19 present a compelling opportunity to re-imagine the future of aviation. Here are a few examples of how service providers can deliver 5G capabilities to benefit the industry:

• Passport scanners: Today most airports provide connectivity to passport scanners and other stations using physical access cabling, usually copper, which is very slow and costly to change. With 5G’s inherent security and low latency, we could transition from wired passport scanners to mobile stations and thereby adjust dynamically according to traffic flows and spikes for events or holidays. This has the added benefit of enabling flexibility in placement and greater spacing between scanning stations for social distancing and safety.
• Reduced turnaround time at the gate: Airlines want to minimize time at the gate to improve passenger experience and reduce costs. Using 5G’s much higher capacity and security, airlines could rapidly download diagnostic and other flight data during a plane’s descent, even from five miles out. This enables the maintenance crew to access significant volumes of operational data and prepare in advance for the plane’s specific needs. Reductions of even ten or fifteen minutes at the gate can add up to big savings and keeping flights on time.
• In-flight video: On long-haul flights airlines have traditionally born the expense of providing seat back video screens with access to entertainment. With passengers increasingly bringing their own devices, airlines could partner with content providers like Netflix and take advantage of 5G’s ultra-high speeds to quickly download plenty of entertainment to cover many hours of flying time. This could be offered commercially as a value-added entitlement for VIP passengers or based on tiered quality of service with revenue-sharing across an ecosystem of partners.

Some of these scenarios are considered in a catalyst called The Aviator: Enabling multi-vertical innovation through 5G slicing, championed by AT&T and BT. Oracle Communications contributes service and network orchestration capabilities and, together with partners MYCOM OSI, Wipro, Cango Networks and i2i systems, demonstrates how complex, multi-partner 5G services can be designed and mapped to slice types that can be ordered in a few clicks.

Considerations for success in moving beyond connectivity

How should service providers think about moving beyond connectivity and co-creating with other industries to unlock 5G value? There are a few key ingredients for success. Perhaps the most important ingredient for success is simply imagination. To avoid the marginalization that happened in the 4G era at the hands of digital disruptors, service providers absolutely must think differently. Many service providers still think of their business as just infrastructure, like a railway, as opposed to being a data logistics company that delivers solutions that add business value. A massive change is ahead and service providers have a great weapon in their hands with 5G. They just need the creativity and imagination to use it. Digital Transformation World Series content is available to watch live and on-demand now! Not registered for DTWS yet? There’s still time. Join 12,000 of your peers online through November 12. CSPs receive complimentary passes. Sign up here.

• Smart partnerships: Most industries have centers of innovation or collaborative entities that focus on the future. For example, the World Economic Forum Lighthouse Factories are leading the way in adoption of next-generation industrial revolution, while SITA serves as an innovation hub for aviation technology. Savvy service providers are connecting with these industry-specific innovation hubs to proactively understand scenarios where they can partner to deliver value based on their unique 5G capabilities.
• Secure data: Enterprises in every industry have concerns about control of data, which presents a significant risk in terms of corporate exposure. British Airways set an unfortunate record for the largest General Data Protection Regulation fine of $230 million after a web site hack that exposed customer data. Service providers must take every measure to ensure the security of data travelling over their 5G (and earlier) networks and further must assure that data stays within agreed jurisdictions.