5G: The quick guide I need!

By: Rasheed Abari

Contents

What is 5G?
Evolution of wireless technologies
5G deployment strategy
5G Architecture
UE Ecosystem
Supported device
Multi-Layer
Global speed test result
Spectrum
6G - The journey to the next generation

Rasheed Abari
Evolution of wireless technologies
Mobile wireless communication system has gone through several evolution stages in the past few decades after the introduction of the
first generation mobile network in early 1980s. Due to huge demand for more connections worldwide, mobile communication
standards advanced rapidly to support more users. Let’s take a look on the evolution stages of wireless technologies for mobile
communication.

1G – First generation mobile communication system

The first generation of mobile network was deployed in Japan by Nippon Telephone and Telegraph company (NTT) in Tokyo during
1979. In the beginning of 1980s, it gained popularity in the US, Finland, UK and Europe. This system used analogue signals and it had
many disadvantages due to technology limitations.

2G – Second generation communication system GSM (1990s)

Second generation of mobile communication system introduced a new digital technology for wireless transmission also known as
Global System for Mobile communication (GSM). GSM technology became the base standard for further development in wireless
standards later. This standard was capable of supporting up to 14.4 to 64kbps (maximum) data rate which is sufficient for SMS and
email services.

3G – Third generation communication system (2000s)

Third generation mobile communication started with the introduction of UMTS – Universal Mobile Terrestrial / Telecommunication
Systems. UMTS has the data rate of 384kbps and it support video calling for the first time on mobile devices.
After the introduction of 3G mobile communication system, smart phones became popular across the globe. Specific applications were
developed for smartphones which handles multimedia chat, email, video calling, games, social media and healthcare.

Rasheed Abari
Evolution of wireless technologies Cont.
4G – Fourth generation communication system (2010s)
4G systems are enhanced version of 3G networks developed by IEEE, offers higher data rate and capable to handle more advanced
multimedia services. LTE and LTE advanced wireless technology used in 4th generation systems. Furthermore, it has compatibility with
previous version thus easier deployment and upgrade of LTE and LTE advanced networks are possible.

Simultaneous transmission of voice and data is possible with LTE system which significantly improve data rate. All services including
voice services can be transmitted over IP packets. Complex modulation schemes and carrier aggregation is used to multiply uplink /
downlink capacity.

5G – Fifth generation communication system (The first 5G networks were deployed in 2019 and it is still in progress
across the globe)
5G network is using advanced technologies to deliver ultra fast internet and multimedia experience for customers. Existing LTE
advanced networks will transform into supercharged 5G networks in future. In earlier deployments, 5G network will function in non
standalone mode and standalone mode. In non standalone mode both LTE spectrum and 5G-NR spectrum will be used together.
Control signaling will be connected to LTE core network in non standalone mode.

There will be a dedicated 5G core network higher bandwidth 5G – NR spectrum for standalone mode. Sub 6-GHz spectrum of FR1
ranges are used in the initial deployments of 5G networks. In order to achieve higher data rate, 5G technology will use millimeter
waves and unlicensed spectrum for data transmission. Complex modulation technique has been developed to support massive data
rate for Internet of Things.

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5G deployment strategy
5G, is the next generation of mobile networks, which offers low latency and high-speed connections. It provides more efficient
technology, higher data rates and spectrum utilization to cope with the growth of mobile data traffic and new applications.

Speed (ultra-high speed radio access): 5G will provide download speeds of up to 20 Gbps
Responsiveness (ultra-low latency): 5G networks will be used to control autonomous cars and high precision, mission-critical
industrial devices in real-time.
Scale (massive connectivity): By 2020, Gartner conservatively forecasts that there will be more than 21 billion
connected devices in the Internet of Things (IoT).
5G NR is part of the Release 15 specification from the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
The two main types of 5G deployment options are:

Standalone (SA) and Non-standalone (NSA).

Standalone (SA) 5G NR: SA will use the new 5G core network (5GCN) architecture, including the full control and user plane offered
by 5G .

Non-standalone (NSA) 5G NR: NSA will use the existing LTE radio and core network as the control plane anchor for mobility
management and coverage, while adding a new 5G carrier. In this mode, the connection is anchored in 4G LTE while 5G NR carriers
are used to boost data rates and reduce latency.

Rasheed Abari
5G deployment strategy Cont.
5G NSA vs. SA: How the deployment look like

Non-standalone 5G uses a combination of existing 4G LTE architecture with a 5G RAN.

Standalone 5G, on the other hand, uses a 5G RAN and a cloud-native 5G core.

The 5G NR specification enables the following goals of 5G.

Extreme bandwidths: 5G NR aggregates eight component carriers (CCs). Providing a total of approximately one gigahertz
(GHz) of aggregated bandwidth — wide enough to carry 20 gigabits of data per second.

Low latency: In LTE Advanced, each subframe (there are 10 subframes) is handled in one millisecond (ms). 5G will be five to
ten times faster — each subframe is handled in 100 to 200 microseconds (µs). 5G NR uses a new channel coding techniques,
such as low density parity check (LDPC), that are more efficient than existing techniques, resulting in shorter transmission time
intervals (TTIs).

Massive MIMO: 5G NR extends MIMO up to 256 antenna elements and enables massive MIMO. This is a key enabler for higher
spectrum bands.

Massive IoT: 5G NR will use resource spread multiple access (RSMA) on the uplink to enable grant-free transmission of data on
the uplink. 5G NR will also address distance and location challenges in low-power IoT devices, using a technique called multi-hop
mesh to relay uplink data via nearby devices.
Rasheed Abari
Spectrum Allocation

Low-, Mid- and High-Band 5G Spectrum Frequencies and Their Allocations

5G will operate on three different spectrum bands. This structure may not seem important for the average consumer, but it will
have varying effects on everyday use.

Low-Band Spectrum
Low-band spectrum is “sub” 1 GHz spectrum. It provides consumers with a broad coverage area and good building penetration,
but data speeds peak around 100 Mbps.

Widest coverage
Limited available bandwidth
Better able to penetrate buildings
Wide coverage means fewer base stations need to be deployed and so ideal in rural locations where population is smaller and
return on investment might otherwise be challenging.

Mid-Band Spectrum
This spectrum between 1 and 6 GHz provides faster throughput and lower latency than the low-band spectrum. As Digital Trends
notes, mid-band transmissions are less suitable for building penetration. However, peak speeds can reach as high as 1 Gbps and
provide more capacity to the network. 4G and 5G standards use this spectrum. Mid-band spectrum is the foremost 5G coverage
and capacity contributor.
To do this, mobile operators apply multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) technology to the 5G deployment. MIMO groups
several antennas at one cell tower, creating multiple radio links to each mobile device.

Comparable coverage to 4G and so can enable the re-use of existing cell-sites to help 5G roll-out and lower costs
The mid-bands generally have higher available bandwidth than the low-band and so more capacity. Rasheed Abari
Spectrum Allocation Cont.
High-Band Spectrum
High-band (>6 GHz), which includes millimeter Wave (mmWave), is licenced in a growing number of countries. The high-band spectrum is of interest because
of its characteristics:

High bandwidth and so high capacity, resulting in extreme mobile broadband capabilities (very fast data rates)
mmWaves tend to travel shorter distances and do not readily penetrate physical structures such as buildings
In areas of high network traffic – urban areas, stadia, airports etc., operators can use higher frequency spectrum to deliver the high bandwidth necessary
for the best end-experience or application.

Rasheed Abari
Each region with distinct frequency bands allocation

ITU International Telecommunication Regions and spectrum allocations.

Copyright 2017: 5G For Dummy

Rasheed Abari
Market with commercial stand-alone (SA) 5G service, December 2022

Data compiled January 2023

Source: Industry data; Kagan estimates
Kegan, a media research group within the TMT offering of S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Copyright 2023 S&P Global
Only South Africa have deployed SA in Africa

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Spectrum band Distribution | Speedtest Intelligence | Q4 2022

Copyright: SPEEDTEST
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5G Performance Cluster Based on median 5G DL Speed | Speedtest Intelligence Q4 2022

Copyright: SPEEDTEST
Rasheed Abari
Supported device
What devices are 5G compatible?
Just about every major phone manufacturer produces 5G compatible phones, including Apple, ASUS, Google, HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Nokia,
OnePlus, Samsung, Sony, TCL, Xiaomi and ZTE. Below is a forecast of current popular vendor 5G-capable phone offerings from each of these
manufacturers as well as when some of their new 5G-capable phones will be released.

Well, we've seen several mobile phones which have either been released or are promising ones which are anticipated to be launched in near future.
With the technology progressing 5G is the trend of the future, with changing technologies it's important to upgrade yourself too

Rasheed Abari
6G - The journey to the next generation
It is too early to define a detailed roadmap for 6G. Research into new technology areas is ongoing in parallel with the evolution of
5G. Learnings from live 5G networks and interactions with the user ecosystems will continuously feed into the research,
standardization and development of 6G.

However, it is certain that 6G will build on the strengths of 5G, but it will also provide entirely new technology solutions.

With the lessons that would be learned from 5G deployment, and new needs and services appearing. Even with the built-in
flexibility of 5G, we will see a need for expanding into new capabilities. This calls for further evolution – following the pull from
society’s needs and the push from more advanced technological tools becoming available – that must be addressed for the 6G
era when it comes.

5G New Radio (NR) and 5G Core (5GC) evolution is continuing in 3GPP toward 5G Advanced, to ensure the success of 5G
systems globally and to expand the usage of 3GPP technology by supporting different use cases and verticals. AI/ML will play an
important role in 5G Advanced systems, in addition to other technology components, to provide support for extended reality
(XR), reduced capability (RedCap) devices, and network energy efficiency.

To serve as the platform for a vast range of new and evolving services, the capabilities of wireless access networks need to be
enhanced and extended in various dimensions. This includes classic capabilities, such as achievable data rates, latency, and
system capacity, but also new capabilities, some of which may be more qualitative in nature.

Rasheed Abari
Reference:

Lee Badman; Tom Nolle (April 2022). TechTarget Network: Enterprise-5G-deployment-options-and-how-to-procure them Supported device.

John Wiley & Sons, Inc © 2017. 5G For Dummies, Ixia Special Edition.

TechRepublic Staff in Mobility (February 2023). 5G smartphones cheat sheet: Complete guide for 2023.

GSMA ins (June 2022). Vision 2030: Low-Band Spectrum for 5G, www.gsma.com

Nokia (2023). 5G spectrum bands explained, — low, mid and high band, from https://www.nokia.com/thoughtleadership/articles/spectrum-
bands-5g-world/

Speedtest (Jan 2023). 5G Performance Cluster Based on median 5G DL Speed | Speedtest Intelligence Q4 2022, Spectrum band Distribution
| Speedtest Intelligence | Q4 2022.

Data compiled January 2023, Source: Industry data; Kagan estimates, Kegan, a media research group within the TMT offering of S&P
Global Market Intelligence.

Rajiv, (August 2022). Evolution of wireless technologies 1G to 5G in mobile communication, from https://www.rfpage.com/evolution-of-
wireless-technologies-1g-to-5g-in-mobile-communication/

Ericsson Blog Post, 6G - Follow the journey to the next generation – Ericsson, from https://www.ericsson.com/en/6g

Rasheed Abari
Thank you!
Rasheed Abari

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Copyright 2023.

Rasheed Abari