The Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance published its second 5G White Paper and has launched further projects based on its conclusions.
After the highly recognised NGMN 5G White Paper published in 2015, the NGMN Alliance followed up with another leading message to the mobile industry demonstrating how NGMN continues to drive the ecosystem forward.

The key messages of the 5G White Paper 2 are:

• To realise the full benefits of virtualisation, cloud, and edge computing, the industry must avoid fragmentation by adopting global standards with open, interoperable interfaces and application programming interfaces, thereby delivering the promise of agility and scalability. A common Operator Platform architecture is desired in order to allow edge computing to be used on a global scale.
• Mobile Network Operators are uniquely placed to provide a fully integrated solution for Verticals that encompasses networks, clouds, and platforms, with dynamic customisation, partnerships, end-to-end management, carrier-grade security and efficient spectrum use. Mobile Network Operators and Verticals should increase their engagement to develop meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships and business models in order to fully deliver the 5G potential.
• Increased focus needs to be given to significantly improving energy efficiency, sustainability, social wellbeing, trust, and to digital inclusion. We encourage studies about quantifying the general societal benefits of networking technologies, the investigation of solutions to reduce end-to-end environmental footprint, and an analysis of the sustainability vs societal / environmental / economic benefit of the current innovation cycles, which imply renewing and manufacturing equipment regularly.
• The operators of NGMN suggest to the worldwide research community to focus on the societal and environmental requirements, challenges, and opportunities that future wireless systems can help address. Research on new technologies and future network architectures should be prioritised towards addressing the challenges and opportunities beyond the full realisation of NGMN’s 5G vision.