Accelerating Global Implementation of Net5.5G: A Comprehensive Guide from WBBA

At the recent MWC Barcelona 2025, the World Broadband Association (WBBA) held a pivotal summit focusing on "Smarter Broadband Connectivity: Investment. Innovation. Intelligence." This summit brought together key industry stakeholders and resulted in the release of the Net5.5G Best Practices and Deployment Guide. This guide aims to accelerate the commercial rollout of Net5.5G globally, setting the foundation for a smarter era of connectivity.

The newly released whitepaper outlines a roadmap for the expanded adoption of Net5.5G technologies worldwide. The consensus around Net5.5G as a next-generation network infrastructure is rapidly gaining traction, showcasing the industry's recognition of its potential. Earlier in June 2024, the WBBA published a foundational document titled Network Development for the 5.5G and 6G Era, which included design plans, best practices, deployment guidelines, and proof-of-concept reports. The latest whitepaper builds on this work, emphasizing the swift global acceptance of Net5.5G across five continents.

This comprehensive guide showcases 15 global case studies from various domains, including carriers, enterprises, governments, and industries. It highlights key technologies, commercial benefits, and solutions, offering a detailed roadmap for building next-gen networks while further facilitating the global commercial acceptance of Net5.5G. Notably, Swisscom in Europe has leveraged Net5.5G to provide high-quality, differentiated services to businesses, resulting in more reliable and flexible offerings. Similarly, on the Middle East front, Zain KSA in Saudi Arabia has enhanced its connections using 400GE technology, simplifying network linkages. In Africa, Airtel utilized Net5.5G's networking solution in Nigeria to boost network performance while cutting down on operational and maintenance costs. Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison in Asia and the Pacific adopted this technology to enhance digital service experiences, driving quicker time to market and capitalizing on business opportunities.

To address the evolving demands of the smart era, the whitepaper outlines four new scenarios including computational connectivity, intelligence connectivity, data connectivity, and airspace connectivity. It also identifies four key Net5.5G technologies: ultra-broadband connectivity, enhanced IPv6 features, autonomously managed networks, and integrated security. Through AI-driven routers and connections at various network layers, Net5.5G has enabled the formation of high-quality 10GE campus networks, high-capacity intelligent transport networks, and highly efficient data center networks. These advancements empower operators to lower costs, increase revenues, and enhance efficiency, paving the way for new business opportunities.

The whitepaper also details remarkable successes from the Net5.5G Pioneer Program launched by WBBA. Since its initiation in November 2024, the program has seen steady global progress, introducing 18 vision pioneers, 2 regional pioneers, and another 18 business pioneers. This initiative has contributed to improved Net5.5G standards, enhanced regional network infrastructures, and the sharing of global best practices. Projections indicate that by 2027, the program will encompass 100 vision pioneers, 100 regional pioneers, and 100 business pioneers, with Net5.5G networks benefiting both global operators and enterprises.

Towards the conclusion of the whitepaper, the WBBA calls upon various industry organizations, standardization bodies, government agencies, operators, enterprises, and device vendors to strengthen collaboration and support the innovations brought forth by Net5.5G in technical standards, policies, and business practices. The release of this whitepaper establishes a strong foundation for expediting the commercial deployment of Net5.5G while nurturing the prosperity of the industry ecosystem.

As we transition into the intelligent era, Net5.5G presents customers with significant opportunities for digital transformation, empowering them to achieve greater business success through its technological advantages and innovative capabilities.

For more information, please click the link below to download the complete whitepaper: Download Whitepaper