DOCOMO's 5G Network Deployment Strategy

DOCOMO’s 5G Network Deployment Strategy

Chapter 1: 5G delivers high speed and large capacity using new spectrum Chapter 2: 5G deployment in 4G bands Chapter 3: To realize low latency Chapter 4: DOCOMO’s 5G network deployment strategy

The 5th generation mobile communication system: Offers 3 key properties High speed, large capacity Max. transmission bit rate: 20Gbps 5G 1.7Gbps

4G/4GeLTE 10ms 105

Low latency Massive device connectivity Transmission latency in radio interface: No. of simultaneously connectible devices: 1ms 106 devices/km2 * The numbers above are the target performance defined in technical standard Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. and do not represent the performance delivered at the time of 5G launch. 3 New Spectrum Allocation

New 5G spectrum allocated to Japanese carriers

＜3.7GHz band＞＜4.5GHz band＞ Bandwidth: 100MHz /slot Bandwidth: 100MHz /slot

Rakuten KDDI SoftBank KDDI DOCOMO Mobile DOCOMO

3600 3700 4100 4500 4600[MHz]

＜28GHz band＞ Bandwidth: 400MHz/slot

Rakuten Mobile DOCOMO KDDI Local 5G SoftBank

27.0 27.4 27.8 28.2 29.1 29.5 [GHz]

Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 4 Why 5G Can Deliver High Speed & Large Capacity? 5G can deliver high speed and large capacity because a wider channel bandwidth is allocated in the new frequency bands. Channel bandwidth

28G 400MHz bandwidth 4.5G 100MHz bandwidth 3.7G 100MHz bandwidth 3.5GHz 5G uses frequency bands that can secure 3.4GHz a wider channel bandwidth compared to the 2GHz frequency bands assigned for 4G, which enables 1.7GHz faster speeds and larger capacity! 1.5GHz 800MHz New frequency bands 700MHz 4G bands

New frequency bands for 5G

Frequency band Characteristics Breadth of coverage (illustrative)

Signals difficult to reach 28GHz (Strong rectilinear propagation) 400MHz bandwidth

New spectrum Sub6 100MHz bandwidth (3.7/4.5GHz) 4G bands

3.4GHz 40MHz bandwidth

3.5GHz 40MHz bandwidth 2GHz 15MHz bandwidth Signals easier to reach 1.7GHz 20MHz bandwidth 1.5GHz 15MHz bandwidth 800MHz 10MHz bandwidth 700MHz 10MHz bandwidth Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 7 Chapter 2: 5G Deployment in 4G Bands

Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 5G Deployment in 4G Bands : Overview With the revision of ministerial ordinance, etc., by the MIC, it is now possible to use 4G spectrum for 5G. The idea can be brought into reality by converting part of the multiple 4G bands into 5G use.

4G 5G（Band converted from 4G use) 4G 4G 4G 4G

Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 9 Benefits of 5G Deployment in 4G Bands Leads to proliferation of services that take advantage of 5G’s low latency and other characteristics over a broad coverage. ⇒DOCOMO also supports the new arrangement.

Full exploitation of 5G’s high speed, large capacity and other properties

Enables offering 5G(new band） low latency, etc., over a broad coverage

5G(new band） 5G (4G band)

Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 10 Difference from 5G Deployed in New Bands Speeds are limited to a level only comparable to 4G as the channel bandwidth remains unchanged. Impossible to deliver superior speeds and capacity that can be realized by the new frequency bands. 5G deployed in new bands

4G 5G deployed in 4G bands 5G （New frequency bands）

DOCOMO’s PREMIUM 4G service offers Japan’s fastest speeds!

(Mbps) Download Upload 600 100

300 50

229 【Legend】 33 Maximum value

136 Upper quartile 123 19 17 Median value Lower quartile

0 0 Minimum value

DOCOMOドコモ au ソフトバンクSoftBank DOCOMO SoftBank

◆ Measurements were performed in accordance with the “Effective Speed Measurement Method of Internet Connection Services Provided by Mobile Telecommunications Carriers” set forth by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Data of other carriers were derived from their respective corporate web sites (as of Mar. 31, 2020). The values in the graphs represent the aggregated measurement results for Android and iOS devices. ◆ The expression “Japan’s fastest” is based on the comparison of median values. ◆ For details concerning the measurement method, including the dates and locations of measurement, please see the materials published by each carrier. Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 12 Necessity of User Protection in 5G Deployment “5G deployed in 4G band” and “5G deployed in new band” should be distinguished in area maps and informed to users.

When color-coded by speed When not color-coded by speed High speed and large capacity Speed is because I’m in 5G coverage! comparable ⇒Risk of misleading to 4G representation

5G using new band (High speed, large capacity) 5G using either new band or 4G band 5G using 4G band (Speed comparable to 4G) 4G 4G Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 13 Risks Associated with 5G Deployment in 4G Bands Potential decline of 4G users’ communication speeds

4G frequency band

4G subscriber

5G subscriber Reduction of spectrum assigned to 4G users 4G 4G⇒5G ⇒ Potential drop in speed

2019 2020 202x Bandwidth in frequency band: 3G/4G 150MHz Use for 5G

Bandwidth in frequency band: 600MHz 5G

General perception that 5G will bring about low latency

High speed, large capacity

5G 1.7Gbps

4G/4GeLTE

10ms 105

Low latency Massive device connectivity

Transmission latency in radio interface: 1ms

It is the time required from data request to first data arrival.

Internet Internet Point of interface Content server Smartphone Radio Transmission Switch sp mode equipment base station equipment Packet switching Internet connection Radio signal ⇔ Transmission & electric signal reception of signals conversion Request

Arrival XX m sec ←Latency

Large amount of latency could hinder the use of content that require real-time immediacy

Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 18 To Realize Low Latency It is necessary to achieve low latency in the entire network including the fixed-line sections Latency in radio section Latency in fixed-line section Latency determined by the physical distance between base station and server Transmit Network network equipment Internet Server

In case content server is located in Tokyo, Accesses made from Okinawa have larger latency, with a large amount of latency in the fixed-line section

Content server @Tokyo

Just using 4G spectrum for 5G does not realize low latency for the whole network configuration

Latency in radio section Latency in fixed-line section

Transmit Network network equipment Internet Server 5G deployed in 4G band

Ingenuity to reduce latency in fixed-line section is also needed

Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 20 Low Latency Enabling Technology: MEC Realize low latency by placing the server (i.e. destination of connection) closer Latency in radio section Latency in fixed-line section Latency determined by the physical distance between base station and server

Transmit Network network equipment Internet Server

The shorter the distance, the lower the latency

Slicing technique enables flexible provision of 5G’s low latency and other properties at individual application/service level

Service that requires large capacity 5GC

Large-capacity slice (Logical network) Internet

Low-latency slice Video content server, etc. (Logical network) Application that requires MEC server, etc. low latency

• 5G delivers high speed and large capacity through the use of new spectrum

• “5G deployed in 4G bands” can provide broad coverage, but speeds will be limited to 4G level

• To realize low latency, ingenuity in overall network configuration is required

• Unique properties of 5G can be provided flexibly through slicing supported by 5GC

① Expand coverage of high speed and large capacity services using new spectrum

② Promote low latency across the entire network

③ Flexible service provision based on demand using 5GC (Also study deployment of 5G in 4G bands)

Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 25 High-Speed, Large-Capacity Coverage Expansion Using New Bands First, actively deploy “5G using new frequency bands” that can deliver high speeds and large capacity

Development rate of 5G infrastructure maintenance: 20,000 % base 97.0 stations

10,000 500 cities base 47 including all stations 150 government- prefectures locations designated across Japan 500 cities base stations Mar. 31, 2020 Jun. 30, 2020 Mar. 31, 2021 Jun. 30, 2021 Mar. 31, 2022 Within FY2023 Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 26 Accelerate Realization of Low Latency in Entire NW Configuration Started provision of cloud service offering MEC features that can deliver low latency required for the 5G era

Launched cloud service that delivers low latency

Internet

DOCOMO Dispersedly network installed across Japan

Base station

Services solutions

Video distribution Remote operation

Internet Internet

EPC 5GC

4G 5G 5G base station base station base station

5G (NSA) 5G(SA)

4G *NSA: Non-Stand Alone Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 28 Society to be Realized by SA Society in which services that take advantage of 5G’s unique properties are provided in a flexible manner ⇒ Study coverage rollout using 5G deployment in 4G bands

Stadium solution Telemedicine/diagnosis High speed, large capacity, High speed, large capacity, low latency low latency Smart agriculture Massive device connectivity

Ultra-dense/ high traffic High speed, large capacity Smart manufacturing Massive device Smart city 5G coverage connectivity High speed, large capacity, massive device connectivity Copyright ©2020 NTT DOCOMO, INC. All Rights Reserved. 29 DOCOMO’s 5G Network Deployment Strategy (Summary) DOCOMO plans to introduce 5GC and start SA services within FY2021 ⇒Flexibly provide services that leverage 5G’s unique properties

2019 2020 2021 2022 ・・・

▲5G service launch

Expand high-speed, large-capacity coverage using new spectrum ▲10,000 base stations ▲20,000 base stations

Realize low latency throughout entire network using MEC, etc.

Provide services flexibly based on demand using SA (Study 5G deployment in 4G spectrum)