What is 5G?
5G is the fifth-generation cellular mobile communication. 5G performance aims for high data rates, reduced latency, energy savings, cost reduction, higher system capacities and large device connectivity. The first phase of the 5G specifications was completed in March 2019 to enable early commercial deployment. The second phase is expected to be completed in March 2020.
The Structure of 5G
5G systems that are compliant with the IMT-2020 specifications are expected to offer advanced device and network-level capabilities tightly coupled with intended applications. The following eight items are the core capabilities of the IMT-2020 5G.
1. Peak Data Rate - The maximum achievable data rate. (20 Gbit/s)
2. User Experience Data Rate - The achievable data rate throughout the coverage area. (1 Gbit/s)
3. Latency - Radio network contribution to packet travel time. (1 ms)
4. Mobility - Maximum speed for handoff and QoS requirements. (500 km/h)
5. Connection Density - Total number of devices per unit area. (106/km2)
6. Energy Efficiency - Data sent/received per unit energy consumption by device or network. (Equal to 4G)
7. Spectrum Efficiency - Throughput per unit wireless bandwidth and per network cell. (3–4x 4G)
8. Area Traffic Capacity - Total traffic across coverage area. (1000 (Mbit/s)/m2)
Advantages of 5G
Speed
5G promises superior speeds compared to 4G under most conditions. The 5G NR (New Radio) speed in the sub-6 GHz bands may be slightly higher than 4G with a similar amount of spectrum and antennas. 5G speeds can only be predicted unless a major field test is conducted. Leading chipmaker Qualcomm presented a model at Mobile World Congress that has been cited by many. This model anticipates a speed of 490 Mbit/s for a common configuration of 3.5 GHz 5G Massive MIMO. For a configuration using 28 GHz millimeter waves, it anticipates a speed of 1.4 Gbit/s.
Low Latency
Latency is the time it takes to deliver a message from the sender to the recipient. Low latency is an improvement in 5G. 5G mobile networks will aid response times in multiplayer mobile games, self-driving vehicles (auto-pilot) and other tasks that require a rapid response.
New Areas of Use
Many new use cases, which were impossible on the old network standards, are expected to emerge with the 5G network, which includes high-bandwidth, low latency, and high-density connections.
The Spread of 5G
In the development of 5G, modem technology is managed by Huawei, Intel and Qualcomm, while infrastructure is managed by companies such as Lenovo, Nokia, Ericsson, ZTE, Cisco and Samsung.
By developing and manufacturing hybrid-printed circuit board structures, AT&T supports the up-to-date rollout of 5G mobile communications production with high-frequency optimized interconnection solutions.
The worldwide commercial launch is expected to take place in 2020. Korea Telecom and Telstra demonstrated examples of 5G at the 2018 Winter Olympics and 2018 Commonwealth Games, respectively. In the United States, all four major operators made their launches. AT&T’s millimeter wave commercial application launch, Verizon’s 5G fixed wireless and millimeter wave deployment launches in four US cities, Sprint’s launch at the 2.5 GHz band, and T-Mobile’s 600 MHz 5G launch in 30 cities. Vodafone conducted its first group trials in April 2018 using mid-band spectrum, and China Telecom’s first 5G organization in 2018 will also use the mid-band spectrum. Apart from mobile operator networks, 5G is also expected to be widely used for private networks with applications in industrial IoT, enterprise network and critical communications.
References
1. “5G Technology Introduction” (telcomaglobal.com)
2. “5G NR Only 25% to 50% Faster, Not Truly a New Generation” (wirelessonenews.com)
3. “IMT Vision – Framework and overall objectives of the future development of IMT for 2020 and beyond”(itu.int)
4. “Qualcomm’s Simulated 5G Tests Shows How Fast Real-world Speeds Could Actually Be - Slashdot” (tech.slashdot.org)
5. “T-Mobile’s LAA Creates Screaming Fast Speeds in NYC” (PCMAG)
6. “5G’s fast responsiveness is the real reason it’ll be revolutionary” (CNET)
7. “Top Companies leading 5G Development” (netscribes.com)
8. “Telstra plans 5g trial at 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games” (channelnews.com)
9. “AT&T to Launch Mobile 5G in 2018” (about.att.com)
10. “Verizon says it will have 5G service in five cities by the end of next year” (The Verge)
11. “T-Mobile Building Out 5G in 30 Cities This Year and That’s Just the Start – Company Announcement - FT.com” (markets.ft.com)
12. “China Telecom Eyes 2M+ Base Stations for 5G | Light Reading” (lightreading.com)
Emrah ŞENTÜRK
Software Development Officer
CITS Bilişim Hizmetleri ve Yazılım San. Tic. A.Ş.