DDoS Detection, Mitigation, Orchestration, and Threat Intelligence
Consolidated Security & CGNAT
TLS/SSL Inspection
Web Application Firewall
Application Security & Load Balancing
Analytics & Management
CGNAT & IPv6 Migration
In the “5G: Secure What Matters” blog post series, we showcase thought leaders and their unique perspectives on the intersection of 5G, security, and technology. We recently sat down with Daniel Gueorguiev, Technology Public Policy Advocate for GSMA Europe, Russia and CIS to get his views on 5G.
I am a technology policy advocate in Europe for nearly 10 years working on 5G and connectivity policies for GSMA covering Europe, Russia and CIS. Prior to that I consulted on digital and financial issues for Bloomberg, Intuit and the Gates Foundation in Brussels. Originally, I wanted to be a psychologist, but realized that international relations and technology was my passion so I decided to complete both – because of how complimentary both disciplines are – and dive deeper into EU affairs as a result.
Each mobile generation has connected people and business in different and new ways. With 5G, I expect hyper connectivity and mobility to be the cornerstone and that is because everything that can be connected will be. There is simply too much potential value for businesses and benefits for consumers in terms of new services and opportunities. Often, if not always, the connectivity will be mobile because everything that can go mobile, with 5G, will become mobile. New services that will require much faster speeds, lower latencies and ultra-high reliability will be able to emerge because the networks and their structure will be able to support them – opening the door for their deployment and widespread adoption.
20 years ago, I could not imagine that I would be doing my banking on my phone while on the train to work or stream my favorite shows at the airport whilst waiting for a flight. Back then, you had to visit a branch if you wanted to pay your bills or rush back home to catch the latest episode of a show. Yet today, we can do all these things on a device that fits in our pockets. We can do that because there are mobile networks that exist to support those devices to provide us with those mobile services.
One of the challenges will be to convince consumers that 5G is fundamentally different. Moving away from the hype we’ve seen in the last few years, where 5G is supposed to be the solution to all the problems, to actually having new devices and services that will be a step further from what is available now. Looking back at the previous generation, 4G was a completely new device and the app ecosystem, which provided you with virtually anything you wanted. I recall the slogan “…there is an app for that” which meant that anything you wanted or were looking for, you could find on your new 4G mobile phone.
Another challenge is building these 5G networks. There are a number of key policy issues like spectrum, deployment and EMF, among others, which have a huge impact on the quality and reach of these networks. In this respect, it will be critical that governments around the world embrace forward-looking polices that will encourage investment – providing certainty and predictability to the markets.
The 5G threat landscape is constantly evolving. However, the threats faced and the protection required should not stand in the way of society’s desire for technological advancement. Security must stand side-by-side and support innovation as close to technology conception as possible. This is the only way for ‘secure-by-design’ to become commonplace in the industry.
Threats are not just technical in nature, but involve the whole lifecycle across people, process and technology, and responses and mitigations to such threats must also consider this. The threats relate to technologies that may have been designed with security in mind, but deployment and ongoing management has resulted in vulnerabilities that have been exploited in successful attacks. This shows how important it is to ensure security remains in place throughout the lifetime of a product or service.
Not necessarily for my organization, but organizations whose businesses have little connectivity or are not connected at all will see tremendous opportunities. The connectivity by itself would revolutionize businesses that have never been connected or simply by improving and increasing their connectivity with 5G. Coupled with the transformational nature AI can bring to any connected business, whether it’s in the manufacturing, retail, gaming, energy or agriculture sector, the benefits will be nothing short of a revolution.
5G will be able to offer different solutions to different industries. However, there are use cases like true AR and VR, which will require the high bandwidth, low latency and high reliability that only 5G can deliver. Once the 5G networks are available, delivering that kind of quality of service, there will be a transformational moment that will change how people interact with the world and with each other. There are particularly interesting developments in the gaming, entertainment and social media space that will be the test beds for those services.
It depends on where you look in the world. Different regions and countries are going at different speeds because of the specificities of their markets and policy choices taken by governments, driving 5G in one direction or another.
Ultimately, where a country will go with 5G will depend almost entirely on how well we policy makers and industries work together towards achieving the shared 5G connectivity goal. In markets where this collaboration and cooperation is strong – where policies are forward-looking and create a ripe regulatory environment for the growth and development of 5G – there will be a stronger and more vibrant industry, investment and innovation rather than not.
Daniel Gueorguiev is a GSMA Public Policy Manager for Europe, Russia and CIS. He is working on government and regulatory affairs, where he focuses on telecom and digital regulatory and policy developments that affect mobile connectivity. In his role, he develops and executes public affairs strategies, campaigns and policy positions for the GSMA and its members in the region.
Prior to joining GSMA, Gueorguiev worked as a consultant for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Intuit and Bloomberg, among many. He also worked for the Chair of the Industry Transport and Research and Energy Committee in the European Parliament focusing on digital issues. He began his European career at the College of Europe where he was the assistant to the Intensive Seminar on the EU.
Gueorguiev has an advanced master’s of international relations of the European Union from the College of Europe in Bruges (Belgium), a double bachelor’s degree in international relations and psychology from McGill University in Montreal (Canada) and a double college degree in politics and psychology from Vanier College in Montreal (Canada).
