Comment in 2020

Progress towards low-power electronics based on negative capacitance has been slow. For the field to develop, the gap between fundamental research on ferroelectric materials and the engineering of practical devices needs to be bridged.

Modern cars have an array of sensors that allow different objects to be recognized, including large and small animals. They thus have the potential to become a tool for monitoring biodiversity and improving driver safety. But to achieve this various challenges in computing, communications and privacy need to be addressed.

The adoption of autonomous vehicles will depend on the public’s trust in the technology. To establish such trust, it is important to understand the actions of different road users, and their reactions to the vehicles.

The power consumption and carbon emissions of wireless communication networks are expected to substantially increase in the 5G era. The communications industry must therefore develop strategies to optimize the energy efficiency of 5G networks, without compromising spectrum efficiency.

The local deployment of 5G platforms for 5G-enabled healthcare in hospitals and clinics can provide a route for the development of digital healthcare technologies in rural Africa.

Innovation from the component to the system level is necessary to realize the full potential of the next generation of wireless communication.

Governments have underestimated the importance of technology governance in 5G development and will look to reassert control over key technologies. If future technologies are to be based on global standards, and not become geographically fragmented, the technology community need to urgently address this challenge.

The fifth generation of mobile phone technology — 5G — promises higher data rates and more reliable communication than previous generations, leading to a variety of novel applications. But to make this a reality, developments in a range of technologies will be required.