When I stepped away from mainstream telecoms a few years ago, I envisioned creating opportunities and ventures that would integrate the technologies I had once been deeply involved in. Naturally, 5G was central to those aspirations—it represented the future we had dreamed of and worked toward in collaboration with Marketing and Technical teams over the previous decade. The possibilities felt endless – not just on the grand scale of a network capable of reshaping industries, powering smart cities, and unlocking unprecedented levels of connectivity – but also on a smaller scale, the opportunity to work from home yet always be in touch with anyone, anywhere in the world.

5G Reality Check 

But my experiences since then have been disappointing, to say the least. The 5G reality I encountered fell far short of the transformative promise we had envisioned. Despite the bold “5G” indicator on my phone, the service often barely worked in towns and cities. On the roads, phone service was spotty at best, and at home, I’ve had no choice but to this day rely on a Starlink satellite connection. Or worse still – driving some large media files for two hours down the motorway, as by rural copper it would have taken over 24 hours to transmit.  

I know this wasn’t a failure of effort. My former colleagues and others across the industry continue to work tirelessly to deliver on the promise of 5G. Yet the challenges—ranging from spectrum allocation and infrastructure upgrades to the complex task of removing legacy equipment—have left much of the UK’s 5G deployment feeling incomplete. 

A Moment of Hope 

Then, one day, everything changed—briefly. Standing at the end of Blackpool Pier during a storm, I suddenly experienced 5G as it was meant to be. The service was instant, and I was downloading data faster than ever before on a phone. For a fleeting moment, all those years of dreaming, planning, and working toward the 5G future felt validated. 

But the moment was quite short-lived. Reality hit as soon as I returned to town, back to the inconsistent service that became the norm. It left me wondering why that one brief experience stood out. Was I connecting to a tower across the water on the Isle of Man? Or was it simply a rare alignment of factors that allowed the network to shine? 

The Promise of Standalone 5G 

Reflecting on that brief moment of 5G brilliance, I found myself once again looking forward to the deployment of standalone 5G networks. Unlike current 5G implementations, which rely on existing 4G infrastructure, Standalone 5G is designed to unleash the full potential of next-generation connectivity.  

A Future Worth Building 

The UK’s telecom industry stands at a crossroads. While the road to true 5G is fraught with challenges, the promise of standalone 5G offers a brighter, more connected future. My brief taste of what 5G could be, reminded me of why we worked so hard to make this vision a reality. It’s a vision that’s still within reach—if we can overcome the hurdles and unlock the full potential of next-generation connectivity.  Stepping back into the deployment side of the industry, I immediately appreciated the various national and local Government goals to patch the disparities. At the same time, I managed the challenges of costs, skilled resources, public assistance, and penalties for not hitting targets in rolling out these upgraded fixed and wireless services, ultimately avoiding the dreaded Digital Divide.  

At RMSI, we are committed to supporting telecom network operators with solutions to navigate the complexities of 5G deployment. RMSI has a long history of ensuring precise engineering outcomes, strategic site selection, and prioritisation, enabling operators to optimise network performance and connectivity. By leveraging advanced engineering & geospatial analytics, we can drive higher efficiency, faster rollouts, and superior user experiences in addressing the continued rollouts of fixed and wireless solutions, especially in areas that are not adequately served. 

I wish to continue interacting with you in future blogs, where we explore the challenges and initiatives around 5G.