How might 5G impact the future of phone numbers and connectivity?

[muskanhossain]

In order to provide a comprehensive answer about how 5G might impact the future of phone numbers and connectivity, I will search for information on the technical capabilities of 5G that differentiate it from previous generations, and then explore how these capabilities could influence existing numbering schemes and the broader concept of digital identity.
The advent of 5G technology, with its unprecedented speed, ultra-low latency, and massive connectivity capabilities, is set to profoundly impact the future of phone numbers and the broader concept of digital identity. While traditional phone numbers (MSISDNs) will likely remain relevant for person-to-person voice and SMS communication, 5G's core characteristics will drive a significant evolution in how identifiers are used, particularly for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication and the vast expanse of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Impact on Phone Numbers (MSISDNs):
Continued Relevance for Human Communication: For traditional voice calls and SMS, the MSISDN (Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number) will largely retain its role. 5G supports Voice over New Radio (VoNR) and can leverage existing IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) infrastructure to deliver high-quality voice and messaging services, ensuring global interoperability and the reuse of existing phone numbers. So, your personal phone number isn't disappearing for everyday calls.

Diminished Dominance for Device-Centric Identity:

IoT Scale: 5G is designed to connect a massive number of devices (up to 1 million devices per square kilometer). Assigning a unique, full-length phone number to every single IoT sensor, smart switzerland phone number list appliance, or industrial robot is impractical due to spectrum limitations and the sheer volume. This will accelerate the shift towards non-MSISDN identifiers for most IoT devices.
IPv6 Ubiquity: 5G, particularly in its standalone (SA) architecture with a new 5G core, strongly supports native IPv6 addressing. Every connected device, including IoT endpoints, can have its own unique IP address. For many M2M applications, this IP address, combined with device-specific hardware identifiers (like IMEI), will become the primary identifier for communication and management, making a traditional phone number redundant.
Impact on Connectivity and Identity:
Network Slicing and Application-Specific Identities:

One of 5G's most transformative features is network slicing. This allows mobile operators to create multiple virtual networks on a shared physical infrastructure, each tailored with specific performance characteristics (e.g., ultra-low latency for autonomous vehicles, massive capacity for smart city sensors, high bandwidth for AR/VR).
Each network slice can have its own set of logical identifiers and authentication mechanisms. This means that an identity might be tied more to the slice or the application using the device, rather than solely to a generic phone number. A device's "identity" could be defined by its authorized access to a specific secure, low-latency slice for critical communications.
Enhanced Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Identity:

5G will drive the need for more robust and granular machine identities. These won't be phone numbers, but rather cryptographically secure identities (like digital certificates or decentralized identifiers - DIDs) embedded directly in devices (via eSIMs or iSIMs). These identities will authenticate devices to networks, to other devices (Device-to-Device communication), and to cloud platforms, ensuring data integrity and origin.
The focus shifts from a human-readable contact number to a secure, verifiable identifier that confirms the device's authenticity and its authorized role within a specific application or industrial process.
Rise of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA):

5G's high speeds and capacity make it a viable alternative to traditional wired broadband connections for homes and businesses. FWA can provide internet access without the need for physical phone lines or fiber optic cables.
In FWA scenarios, the primary identity is often tied to the broadband subscription or the router/CPE (Customer Premises Equipment), not necessarily a dialable phone number, unless voice-over-IP (VoIP) services are specifically added. This could further diminish the concept of a "landline phone number" for many households and small businesses.
Device-to-Device (D2D) Communication:

5G supports direct device-to-device communication, allowing nearby devices to communicate without routing through the core network. This is crucial for applications like autonomous vehicles (V2V communication) or local IoT clusters.
In these scenarios, devices identify each other not by phone numbers, but by short-range radio identifiers, security keys, or application-specific protocols, operating outside the traditional cellular numbering scheme.
Increased Privacy Measures:

5G standards, such as 3GPP's Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI), introduce new privacy features that encrypt the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) – the core identifier linked to your phone number on the SIM. This makes it harder for IMSI catchers (Stingrays) to track individual devices by their permanent identifier, enhancing privacy for phone number holders.
In summary, while 5G ensures the continued evolution of voice and SMS services for human users and their associated phone numbers, its true transformative power lies in enabling a hyper-connected world where billions of diverse "things" have their own unique, context-specific identities and communication methods. This will lead to a more varied and complex numbering and identity landscape, where the traditional phone number becomes one of many identifiers, rather than the singular, all-encompassing one.