The Leap to 5G 2017 Network Methodologies That Deliver Higher Speeds and Greater Capacity

The Leap to 5G 2017 Network methodologies that deliver higher speeds and greater capacity

Carrier aggregation: This enables higher More antennas also offer greater speeds Relay nodes: These network components bandwidth by aggregating multiple carriers (or when connecting with a MIMO-equipped (introduced in LTE-A) are low-powered base channels). The more the spectrum available, access point. LTE-A Pro offers between stations which provide greater coverage and the faster the speed. LTE-A supports up to 8-16 antennas. Evolution of Massive MIMO capacity at cell edges and in hot-spots. five carriers while LTE-A pro supports up to capability is planned for 5G and likely to be 32. LTE-A also enables the use of unlicensed tested in 2017 with 128 antennas. Beamforming: This technique, introduced spectrum, including frequencies in the 5GHz with the first release of LTE, directs a signal range normally used for Wi-Fi. Combining QAM (quadrature amplitude from a cellular base station more precisely spectrum within licensed and unlicensed modulation): This approach also enables towards each device. Beamforming is spectrum enables faster connections. improved spectral efficiency. The higher delivered via software application, while LTE the QAM, more the bits per transmission. uses two-dimensional beamforming; LTE-A MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output): This helps achieve higher peak data rates. pro incorporates 3D-beam forming, enabling This method enables greater spectral For example, 256 QAM sends 8 bits per higher speeds. efficiency (more from same amount of transmission, which is 33 percent more frequency) and greater capacity by deploying efficient than 64 QAM (6 bits). The latest more than one antenna on the same device. version of LTE-A introduced 256 QAM. Other features which make cellular a key enabler for innovations Lower latency: LTE-A Pro offers lower latency. Dedicated support for IoT: An improvement LPWAN is also designed to operate at lower LTE-A Pro has 600 microseconds latency introduced in LTE-A Pro is support for IoT frequencies such as 180KHz (where current low compared to 8 milliseconds for standard devices. LTE-A Pro incorporates a Low-Power end cellular network frequencies are in 600MHz LTE. Lower latency enables more responsive Wide Area Network (LPWAN) specification range) which would enable greater coverage applications, making fast-moving machine that enables low bandwidth (up to 250 Kbit/s) allowing signals to reach basement floors and control more viable; critical to any application connections to a large number of connected deep inside buildings, permitting connections for vehicles that use cellular networks as part of devices, many of which may be battery powered. to utility meters, boilers and other machines autonomous or partially autonomous control. This feature enables low power transmission located below ground level. such that devices are able to last several years before batteries require replacement.

While 5G is a significant and complex upgrade to 4G, it is not a single step upgrade but rather a culmination of incremental sustained upgrades to 4G.

Building the 5G network Another learning would be in terms of Improving the fixed broadband economics Carriers planning for 5G should consider network densification and new approaches With speeds attainable on LTE-A Pro and integrating the network elements of LTE-A and to deployment that offers substantially lower 5G networks, carriers would have a viable LTE-A Pro. The carriers would be able to get cost per site. option to fixed broadband at significantly a better insights on economics, performance cheaper cost. Using 5G would be significantly and technical challenges of using these new cheaper than deploying fiber. In some markets techniques. LTE speeds are comparable with fixed line networks accessed via Wi-Fi.

Marketing the 5G network Enterprises should also start experimenting At some point, LTE-A Pro and 5G could provide Higher costs of deploying 5G networks with new products and services based on sufficient coverage, speed and capacity for (estimated at US$63.1 billion for EU alone) higher speeds, greater capacity and a lower some households such that fixed broadband also pose a question on business case cost per gigabyte. Companies should also in addition to mobile becomes superfluous. realization for carriers. Marketing of 5G consider how faster, lower cost downloads, Home with multiple low to medium services would be another challenge carriers allied to larger capacity smartphones can connectivity requirements may be able to ‘get would need to address. Efforts will be change user habits. For example, 4G’s greater by’ with just the wireless connection alternative. required to map evolving network capabilities speeds relative to 3G unlocked latent demand with useful applications and utilities including for streaming music into cars and for watching those that are derived from entertainment video on public transport. Implications for legacy networks services. Cross-functional teams comprising Carriers might also want to consider engineering, customer experience, marketing A major new capability unlocked will be switching off some of their legacy networks etc. at carriers should be aligned and work in in the enterprise IoT space, and much for example, 2G and reallocate spectrum for tandem with wide range of industry players experimentation will be required in this space more efficient use. In 2017, a few operators and vendors whose offerings would be to identify the optimal applications. are expected to turn off part or all of their enhanced by 5G. 2G networks, but the vast majority have not stated any plans. LTE evolution and path to 5G

LTE technology revolution, bringing in The evolution has seen two iterations of LTE The incremental improvements in LTE are incremental improvements and building upon networks namely LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) and focused on meeting as many requirements for the LTE standards is laying the path for 5G. LTE-Advanced Pro (LTE-A Pro). LTE releases 10 5G as possible and hence, LTE is at the core of to 12 are also known as LTE-A and the term the 5G technology development. LTE-A Pro is being used by 3GPP for releases 13 onwards.

Figure 1: Evolution of LTE and the path to 5G (illustrative improvements in each of the releases) Enhanced Carrier Multicast/broadcast LTE-WLAN radio interworking Aggregation services Enhanced-MTC Enhanced Carrier D2D communications Aggregation Narrowband-IoT 5G Dual Connectivity(DC) Indoor Positioning Dual layer beam forming FD-MIMO Enhancements Release 15 and Support for heterogeneous Licensed Assisted beyond deployments Access (LAA) Single Cell Point to 20MHz Location based services Support for Machine Type Multi Point (SC-PTM) bandwidth Communications (MTC) LTE-WLAN Aggregation

LTE LTE - A LTE - A Pro

REL-8 REL-9 REL-10 REL-11 REL-12 REL-13 REL-14 REL-15 5G dream to turn into reality sooner rather than later While there are several bottlenecks that need launched by end-2017. More than 200 The developments on LTE-A and LTE-A Pro to be addressed prior to commercial 5G carriers are likely to be offering LTE-A while are an indicator of the potential offerings on launch as highlighted below, they should not over 20 should have LTE-A Pro networks. 5G for telecom service providers, enterprises be interpreted as lack of efforts to launch 5G and users in terms of higher speeds, lower at the start of the next decade: Secondly, while 5G is probably the most latency and support for low-power low complex and challenging of all generations bit-rate Internet of Things (IoT) devices and •• The lack of a ratified standard (first of cellular networks launched so far, it sensors. installment expected in 2018) is an integrated framework of multiple •• Dearth of commercial launches (most technologies. There is an agreed plan for Launch of LTE-A and LTE-A Pro would also launches not being anticipated till 2020) creation of the 5G standard and significant aid launch of 5G by providing useful data in steps are scheduled for every year through addition to information obtained through 5G •• Lack of 5G smartphones 2020, by when multiple networks are likely to trials. For example, in case an improvement •• Many telecom service providers are yet to launch at least a limited service. introduced on these technologies works as embark on the 4G journey desired it would work for 5G as well. Thirdly, the pace of activities is accelerating A key factor driving this momentum is with a few dozen networks slated to be the advancement on the LTE technology involved in trials, development and in some front leading to LTE-A and LTE-A Pro cases commercial deployment of services which incorporate many of the 5G core marketed as 5G in 2017. components. These will be commercially What kind of speed can one expect on 5G networks? The speeds the networks are designed to in the hundreds of Mbit/s, although in some Figure 2: LTE-A Pro data rate and offer is a factor of the carrier bandwidth. ‘real world’ environments it might be in the bandwidth >3 Hence, though LTE-A is design to offer tens of Mbit/s; still comparable to speeds Gbps maximum downlink speeds up to attainable over many fixed broadband 2 Gbps 3Gbit/s (gigabit per second) in real world connections. environments the speeds experienced are 600 about 10-20 percent of maximum speeds. By the time wider 5G launches around Mhz >300 2020, a significant portion of users should 100 Mhz At the end of 2016, over half the models of have become accustomed to obtaining and Mhz 100 4G phones were enabled with LTE-A capable expecting connectivity speeds of over 100 Mhz of permitting maximum download speeds in Mbit/s, and in some cases significantly higher. 60 the range of 150-600 Mbit/s. Mhz By the end of 2017, Deloitte Global expects 20 tens and possibly hundreds of million LTE-A Mhz users to be able to access maximum speeds Source: Deloitte Global Analysis India needs to embrace 5G 5G is coming sooner than later. There is a early and these may begin in the second half of economy is expected to generate $1trillion sense of eagerness and urgency with respect to 2017. Korea Telecom has committed to launch opportunity. This is contingent on high speed, the arrival of 5G in India. The industry is likely to 5G services at the 2018 Winter Olympics. low latency networks which 5G can provide. witness a timely arrival of 5G in line with global As there is specific direction and focus on the launches unlike 2G, 3G and 4G technologies. With the proliferation of smartphones, Internet of Things (IoT) both by the Government In order to understand the economics and broadband and connected everything, data and industry bodies, LTE-A Pro will become performance, some operators may take growth is increasing exponentially (500 critical in the expectation of provisioning of intermediate steps and evolve from LTE to gigabytes per month in 2020). Unless we start billions of connected devices. LTE-A and LTE-A Pro in preparation for 5G. planning and embracing 5G, we are likely to be In India, LTE-A Pro will pave the way for IoT by Some of the network suppliers are in discussion left behind. The vision of Digital India to create introducing new devices and services across with Indian operators to commence 5G trials digitally empowered society and knowledge industries.

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