5G and Beyond Mobile Wireless Technology

5G for The 4th Industrial Revolution and The Future of Connectivity

- Overview

Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), autonomous systems and neural networks are not just buzzwords and phrases. Increased computing power, more efficient hardware and powerful software, and the explosion of sensor data from the Internet of Things (IoT) Growth - is driving ML and moving actionable data and intelligence to edge devices. 

As AI makes devices including smartphones and cars smarter, mobility is becoming a key platform to improve every aspect of our lives, make an impact on the present and the future.

The mobile market has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few decades. Consumer trends have shifted towards mobile internet services driven by global 3G and 4G networks. Existing networks have problems such as insufficient spectrum, high energy consumption, and inter-cell interference. 

These limitations led to the emergence of 5G technology. 5G is revolutionizing the world today, not only in terms of "fast internet" but in the Internet of Things, self-driving cars, space communications and many others. 

The fifth generation of wireless technology and beyond (5G and Beyond) refers to future generations of wireless communication systems that are designed to support new mobile applications. These applications may require high-quality, low-latency visual, tactile, and audio telepresence, as well as massive capacity.

5G can offer peak data rates of up to 20 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) and average data rates of over 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps). It also has lower latency than 4G, with a 10x decrease in end-to-end latency down to 1ms. 

5G's improved connectivity and capacity can benefit areas with high traffic, such as stadiums, cities, and concert venues. It can also enable fixed wireless access (FWA) services that can compete with fixed broadband.

5G is a multimodal environment built on advances in radio frequency (RF) design, photonics, free-space optics, high-throughput satellites, and cognitive radio. It provides both wide-area and local coverage with full mobility, and has end-to-end specifications covering a complete system architecture.

Please refer to the following for more information:

• Wikipedia: 5G
• Wikipedia: Next Generation Mobile Networks

5G is a core foundation upon which modern societies — their economies and their militaries — will all depend. This network of networks is critical to how industries compete and create value, how people communicate and interact, and how militaries seek safety for their citizens. 5G may be one of the most important networks of the 21st century. This is the very definition of critical infrastructure.

The primary goal of previous generations (3G and 4G) of mobile networks was to provide network users with fast, reliable mobile data services. 5G extends this reach, providing a wide range of wireless services to end users across multiple access platforms and multi-layered networks.

5G is actually a dynamic, coherent, and flexible framework consisting of multiple advanced technologies that support various applications. 5G uses a smarter architecture where the radio access network (RAN) is no longer constrained by the proximity of base stations or complex infrastructure. 5G leads the way towards a decentralized, flexible and virtualized RAN, with new interfaces creating additional data access points.

5G will have the ability to scale and adapt across an extreme variation of use cases such as uniform, fiber-like broadband everywhere (not just higher peak data rates) services; ultra-reliable, mission-critical services such as controlling the power grid or remote medical procedures (where failure is not an option).

The vision for 5G is to create a unified platform that will support the connectivity needs of the future. 5G is expected to:

• Transform industries: 5G will enable new services, connect new industries, and create new user experiences. It will transform the lives of consumers, enterprises, industries, and public infrastructures.
• Support new technologies: 5G will support innovative technologies like artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, and digital twins.
• Enable new deployment models: 5G will offer new deployment models, sharing models, and charging/subscription models.
• Improve network infrastructure: 5G will create a hyper-connected system that supports ultra-high speed and ultra-low delay connectivity.
• Support new devices: 5G will support new devices, such as wearables, wireless cameras, and industrial wireless sensor networks.
• Improve network quality: 5G will provide guaranteed quality of service through network slicing. 
• Improve network security: 5G will increase security. 

• A unified air interface that's scalable and adaptable across all spectrum types
• A single core network that supports 4G and Wi-Fi access
• Multimode devices that enable simultaneous 5G, 4G, and Wi-Fi connectivity
• The ability to move data processing closer to the network edge
• Edge computing capabilities
• Greater agility

- 3GPP 5G Releases

3GPP releases new technologies every year or so. The releases are created through a pipelining system that allows developers to implement features and add new functionality in subsequent releases. Each release has a start date, when the first work item is approved, and an end date, when the detailed protocols become stable.

3GPP 5G releases are standardized specifications and features for 5G technology created by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). 3GPP is a group of telecommunications standards organizations that works to create new releases for 5G technology.

5G is an evolving standard. The initial release of 5G came after the Release 15 freeze in late summer 2019. Enhancements were initially introduced in Release 15, with new features added in Release 16 in 2020. More feature enhancements and new features defined in previous releases are part of the Release 17 freeze in mid-2022.

The initial specification for 5G, Release 15, provides the basic architecture of 5G and addresses issues including the well-known Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), and a host of Machine-Type Communications (MTC). Versions 16 and 17 focus on enhancing these use cases, especially URLLC and mMTC.

Here are some of the 3GPP 5G releases:

• Release 15: Introduced the first 5G technologies, including a new radio transmission technique, faster response time, and extended modularity.
• Release 16: Continued from Release 15, adding features and services for enterprise and mission critical applications.
• Release 17: Enhanced features from Release 16, and added new capabilities for enterprise and consumer services.
• Release 18: Introduced 5G Advanced, which includes features to improve 5G network performance and support services like XR, indoor positioning, and non-terrestrial networks.
• Release 19: The current release, which is open and has a protocol stable end date of December 12, 2025.

- 5G: A Multi-modal Environment

5G is the new global wireless standard following 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G networks. 5G enables a new type of network designed to connect almost everyone and everything, including machines, objects and devices. 5G is the next stage in the evolution of global communication networks. It is not a single technology, but a multi-modal environment built on advances in radio frequency (RF) design, photonics, free-space optics, high-throughput satellites, and cognitive radio. 

5G will be a multi-modal environment consisting of multiple high-bandwidth, low-latency technologies. This environment will use mmWave wireless connectivity in urban areas, where population and data densities make high-bandwidth, short-range solutions optimal. 

• Multiple technologies: 5G is a combination of technologies, including radio frequency (RF) design, photonics, free-space optics, and cognitive radio.
• High bandwidth and low latency: 5G is made up of multiple technologies with high bandwidth and low latency.
• Cross-modal communication: 5G is expected to support multi-modal services that integrate audio, visual, and haptic signals.
• Millimeter wave (mmWave) wireless connectivity: 5G uses mmWave wireless connectivity in urban areas, which is very fast and can carry a lot of data. However, mmWave waves don't travel far and have trouble passing through buildings.
• Beam-forming and beam-tracking: 5G uses beam-forming and beam-tracking to focus a cell's antenna signal to reach a specific device.

- The Advent of the Intelligent Era

5G is a key part of the intelligent era because it connects billions of devices and enables the Internet of Things (IoT). 5G is expected to have a significant impact on society, including in healthcare, transportation, and smart cities.

5G networks are part of a nation's critical infrastructure and are designed to be flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of use-case scenarios. To achieve this flexibility, network intelligence and security must be managed through the network. This further increases the complexity of the network. 

Wireless 5G uses a smarter architecture that is no longer limited by distance from base stations or complex infrastructure. 5G is the next generation of cellular networks that promises to meet the insatiable demand for data rates and interconnecting billions of smart devices, enabling not only human-centric but also machine-centric traffic. 

Driven by the rapidly growing demand for responsive connectivity, the industry is working hard to define and introduce next-generation mobile standards. These efforts are already shaping the architectures and technologies that will transform networks and services, encouraging us to change the way we think about connectivity.

 - AI and 5G Synergy: Shaping the Future

The synergy between 5G and artificial intelligence (AI) is a transformative combination of technologies that can revolutionize how people connect, communicate, and consume data. 

How do 5G and AI benefit from each other? At the highest level, 5G and AI are cornerstone technologies for digital transformation and innovation across industries. 5G in enterprise provides higher data speeds and lower latency than 4G and LTE. This enables the rapid data processing essential to AI applications.

5G's high speeds, low latency, and ability to connect many devices at once provide the infrastructure for AI applications to operate in real-time. AI can then optimize 5G networks, and the two technologies can work together to create a more connected and intelligent world. 

Here are some ways 5G and AI can work together: 

- A New Generation of Optical Networks for 5G and Beyond

Regardless of wireless technology, fiber will be the supporting infrastructure for 5G networks and beyond. Next-generation optical networks are needed to unlock the full potential of 5G communications and prepare network infrastructure for beyond 5G communications. 

In 5G, the need for new advanced high-capacity, ultra-reliable, and low-latency services such as autonomous driving or augmented reality is shaping not only wireless/radio development, but higher-level services as well. Layered fiber segments, from access to core.

A "New Generation of Optical Networks for 5G and Beyond" refers to advanced optical fiber network technologies designed to support the extreme bandwidth, low latency, and high reliability demands of future mobile networks like 5G and beyond (often referred to as 6G), enabling capabilities like ultra-fast data transmission, flexible network slicing, and efficient traffic management through innovations like advanced modulation formats, flexible grid architectures, and intelligent network control systems. 

Key points about this new generation of optical networks, including:

• High Capacity: Ability to handle massive data volumes with significantly increased bandwidth compared to traditional optical networks.
• Low Latency: Minimized delay in data transmission to support real-time applications like autonomous vehicles and augmented reality.
• Network Slicing: Dynamic allocation of network resources to create dedicated virtual networks for specific applications with tailored performance requirements.
• Flexibility and Scalability: Adapting to changing network demands by enabling easy reconfiguration and expansion of network capacity.

Key technologies involved, including: 

• Coherent Transmission: Advanced modulation techniques for highly efficient data transmission over long distances.
• Optical Transport Networks (OTN): Standardized architecture for managing different types of traffic within an optical network.
• Passive Optical Networks (PON): Cost-effective way to deliver high bandwidth to multiple users with a single fiber.
• Flexgrid Architecture: Flexible allocation of bandwidth based on individual service needs
• Software Defined Networking (SDN): Centralized control of network functions for dynamic resource management

As the demand for data continues to grow with the emergence of new technologies like IoT and immersive experiences, the current optical network infrastructure needs to evolve to meet these demands. "A New Generation of Optical Networks" aims to provide the foundation for these next-generation mobile networks by delivering high capacity, low latency, and flexible network management capabilities.

- 5G Uses New Spectrum

When 5G research began, many were excited about the possibility of using mmWave spectrum for 5G. This will be an important part of the solution. In the short term, however, the sub-6 GHz spectrum and mmWave bands are an important part of the equation. 

Release 15 outlines several new sets of spectrum dedicated to new radio (NR) deployments from 2.5 GHz to 44 GHz. 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz and 4.4 GHz to 5.0 GHz are two bands that are more directly deployed for mobile use cases and were demonstrated early in the Winter Olympics in February 2018. 

Regulators in the US, Europe and several Asian countries have opened up the spectrum for 5G. The wide bandwidth available in this band is attractive to operators. But spectrum below 50 GHz is just the beginning. Future 3GPP releases may allow the use of spectrum up to 86 GHz. 

5G uses new spectrum to operate at higher frequencies than previous generations of wireless networks, which allows for faster data transfer and greater bandwidth. 5G networks use a variety of spectrum bands, including:

• Low-band: Spectrum in the 600 MHz, 800 MHz, and 900 MHz bands is used to expand 5G coverage in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
• Mid-band: Spectrum in the 2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz, and 3.7-4.2 GHz bands offers a good balance of coverage and capacity.
• High-band: Also known as millimeter wave (mmWave), this spectrum is usually found in the 24 GHz and up bands. High-band 5G is the fastest, but it can't travel as far as other frequencies and is easily blocked by obstacles.
• Unlicensed: The FCC is creating new opportunities for unlicensed spectrum in the 5.9 GHz, 6 GHz, and above 95 GHz bands.

The FCC is taking action to make more spectrum available for 5G services, including auctioning high-band spectrum and improving the use of low-band spectrum.

(Returning Human Spaceflight To The U.S. at 3:22PM, May, 30, 2020 - SPACEX)

- The 5G Breakthrough Technologies

5G is a wireless network that has been called a breakthrough technology for its ability to handle large amounts of data and connect a wide range of devices. 

Some of the key features of 5G include:

• Speed: 5G is capable of data rates of up to 10 gigabits per second, which is 10 to 100 times faster than 4G and 4.5G networks.
• Latency: 5G has a latency of 1 millisecond.
• Bandwidth: 5G has 1,000 times more bandwidth per unit area than previous networks.
• Reliability: 5G has a 99.999% availability rate.
• Coverage: 5G has 100% coverage.
• Energy usage: 5G uses 90% less network energy than previous networks.
• Battery life: 5G can extend the battery life of low-power IoT devices to up to 10 years.

There are many different types of 5G technology that operators will deploy, and in short, it's about more available spectrum and massive capacity. 

The FCC defines the 5G spectrum as four main frequency bands, the low band between 600-900MHz, the mid-band between 2.5-4.2GHz also known as Sub-6, the frequencies above 24GHz also known as millimeter wave or millimeter wave, and finally That's what it calls unlicensed spectrum, which can be used for a variety of dedicated uses, including 5G. 

In terms of licensed spectrum, the low, mid and millimeter bands will be deployed by various carriers, with T-Mobile and Sprint grabbing a lot of the low and mid bands for longer coverage, while AT&T and Verizon claim higher frequencies for higher coverage speed. 

Ultimately, all of these technologies will co-exist with 4G networks and require 4G networks to initially operate in a 5G NSA (non-standalone) implementation and then be deployed independently. There's a lot to digest and unpack here, but what's really important about 5G is its massive strides in capacity, lower latency, and throughput.

- 4G LTE Will Coexist with 5G in Foreseeable Future

4G networks will be around for years, the technology will have many uses, and there will be no point in deploying 5G. Mobile network operators will continue to use 4G to provide primary connectivity for all their customers. Instead, mobile network operators will use 5G to provide more robust services at specific sites with higher traffic demands. 

When we think about 5G, we're not only thinking about how we're going to use the technology, but where we're going to use 5G. 4G is great in many ways, but some applications need 5G to work better, like streaming mobile games or Ultra HD video. Virtual reality or augmented reality devices also require 5G.

4G LTE will coexist with 5G for the foreseeable future:

• 5G won't replace 4G: 5G and 4G will work together to handle different types of traffic and use cases. 5G-capable phones can use both 4G and 5G technology.
• 4G will continue to provide adequate service: 4G will continue to provide more than adequate service for everyday tasks.
• 5G will be the network of choice for next-generation applications: 5G will be the network of choice for applications requiring the highest speeds, lowest latencies, and seamless device interconnectivity.
• 4G LTE networks will evolve: 4G LTE networks will evolve to approximate the capabilities of 5G NR in terms of speed and capacity.
• 4G LTE will remain a pillar of cellular networks: 4G LTE networks will provide broad-based, ubiquitous, countrywide coverage for 5G NR devices.
• 5G is projected to become the dominant network technology: According to the Ericsson Mobility Report November 2021, 5G is projected to become the dominant network technology by the end of 2027.